My week

As many of you know, I’ll be flying to the States next Wednesday for my sister’s wedding. I’ll be staying two weeks in order to get ready for the wedding and to spend some time visiting family and friends. So, for those who have asked, I will not be at the Pan-European Lectureships later this month. I had been looking forward to going, especially since the location has been changed to Berlin (from what I understand this year is the first time the PEL have been in Germany), but Amanda’s wedding is the same day as the beginning of the PEL. Lord willing I will be able to attend next year.

As I wrote in the previous post, the past couple of weeks haven’t been so easy for me. I determined that in the time I have left before leaving for the States, I would fill more of my time finding ways to use the talents I have to encourage and to help the Christians in the congregation. Yesterday evening I babysat three of Kirsten and Karsten’s four children. Karsten is a radiologist who this year is completing special job training in a city about three and a half hours south of Bremen, and on most weekends he takes the train home to spend time with his family. After not being able to come for a couple of weeks, he is here this weekend. When I asked Kirsten earlier in the week if there was something I could do to help her, she said it would be great if I could watch the kids so that she and Karsten could go out. So, that’s what I did.

Then this morning I babysat for Mimi and Rüdi again so they could do more work on the church building. I've tried a few times to take pictures of Rebecca and Johannes, but Rebecca usually runs away when I have my camera. For some reason today she didn't mind. Perhaps it was because she had been playing "Hochzeit" (wedding) and wanted some wedding pictures. I even got Johannes to stand next to her long enough to get him in the photo too.

As far as the remodeling on the church building is concerned, the carpet was finally laid in the meeting room on the first floor about a week ago. Last Sunday the entire congregation was able to worship together. After almost two months of splitting into two services due to lack of a space large enough for all of us, everyone seemed happy to be able to meet as one group again. Here are some pictures of Sunday’s service:

So, the main work on the building is now done. The kitchen cabinets and countertop have been installed, and I heard that a new sink will be coming sometime soon as well. The downstairs bathrooms have sinks and toilets now and finally are fully functional. There are some other small projects to be done, but the entire building is now usable. We’re all happy about that.

Wednesday this week was a big day. I studied with both Jutta and Soyoung. With Jutta I’m still working on some passages from Ecclesiastes. Soyoung this week asked about James, the brother of Jesus, so we read various passages about him and talked a little about the book of James. I will still meet weekly with Jutta after I come back from the U.S., but I think I may only have one more chance to meet with Soyoung. She’ll go back to Korea on August 10^th, and hopefully she’ll have time to study with me between the time I return from the U.S. and when she leaves Germany. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know her and will miss her. She has come a long way toward faith in God since we first started meeting back in March. She is a never-ending fountain of encouragement for me. Please pray that the Lord sends someone to water the seeds of faith Mark, Karen, and I have been able to plant in her life and that her fledgling faith may grow into something substantial and will become a permanent fixture in her life.

Also on Wednesday I met Bill McDonough, who helped establish the Bremen congregation back in the late 1960s and early 70s. He and his wife currently live in Myanmar and work with Partners in Progress, and they stopped in Bremen to visit on their way to the States for furlough. Bill gave a presentation about the work being done in Myanmar, and afterwards almost everyone stayed for a “snack” that Helga had prepared. It actually turned out to be a meal. We all had a good time chatting while we ate and, for those of us who didn’t already know Bill, getting to know him and his wife. I learn again and again how vital fellowship is to life as a Christian.

So, besides the emotional stuff I mentioned in the last post and preparing to leave for the States, that was basically my week. I hope you are doing well wherever you are and whatever you may be doing. Thank you for your continued support, concern, and prayer. I appreciate them all and wouldn't be able to function without them. Gott mit Euch!