Is it really December already?!
I arrived safely in Bremen on Tuesday after a wonderful visit to Chemnitz. Next time I'll write more about the trip, but for tonight I'm going to keep this (hopefully) short. I'm fighting the beginnings of a sinus infection and hope to get to bed early tonight.
Okay, the news first...*drum roll please*...My residency permit was renewed yesterday! Yay! Now I am legal again. :) My old permit expired on the 1st, and I had a strange feeling on Tuesday knowing that I was technically illegally in the country. I guess if something had happened and someone needed to see my passport, I could have shown them the letter from the foreigners' office with the information about my appointment. Anyway, I'm very thankful that everything went smoothly with the renewal.
And now for the prayer requests:
1) On Monday Elsa met with Kai (Rainer couldn't come) for the weekly English Bible study, and from what Elsa has said, it was a very good study. Please pray for Kai and Rainer as they continue to read in God's Word that what they are reading might become more personal for them. They seem to be very curious and are asking some very good, thoughtful questions, which shows us they're thinking. It would be great to see them begin to apply what we're reading to their own lives.
2) My friend Sujin went to Bangkok a couple weeks ago to begin mission work with a congregation there. I'm sure you've heard or read about all the trouble that has gone on there over the past couple weeks with the protests at the airports, and Sujin has asked for prayers. I know things have settled down since the premier resigned, but please remember Sujin and the church in Bangkok in your prayers. I'm sure Sujin was not expecting a political crisis to occur just a week after she arrived in Thailand.
3) Another friend, Teresa, and her husband, Craig, work with the church in Mumbai, India. Please pray for them and the church there as the city recovers from the attacks last week.
I think that's about it. I'll share more about my Chemnitz trip in the next couple days. Thanks for checking in on me and for your prayers for me and the work in Bremen, as well as for the others I've mentioned. Also, please let me know if there is anything I can pray about for you. God bless, and I pray you are staying warm wherever you are!
Thursday, December 04, 2008
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving!
First of all, I pray that all of you in the U.S. have a safe and happy Thanksgiving. God is good, and He has blessed us richly, even when it's tempting to think about the financial crisis, higher food and energy costs, and whatever aches and pains we might happen to have today and to wonder what we have to be thankful for.
Just the fact that God has given us another day to spend with family and friends and, more importantly, to use for His glory, is something to be thankful for. That, of course, is to say nothing about what God has done for us through His Son. May we not need a holiday to remind us to be thankful.
So, there's my sermonette for the day. :)
Today I'm going to Chemnitz to visit Mark and Karen as well as several other people. Between ETM in the spring and then the Singles' Retreat, I feel like I know half of the congregation in Chemnitz. I plan to come back to Bremen on Tuesday. I'm really looking forward to this trip and the opportunity to spend some time with friends.
Elsa and I have done more work at her house over the past week. Jim's office is slowly becoming Elsa's office, and we are in general cleaning out unneeded things throughout the house. I think it's hard for Elsa sometimes because of the emotional connection to Jim, but she seems to be happy that she's able to better use the space and resources she has.
I'm also starting a new project: translating the notes from the seminar on the Holy Spirit we had recently. I don't think it will take too long (there are five pages, single-spaced in outline form), but I'm looking forward to it. I'm thinking I could maybe work as a translator because I really enjoy it. At least from German into English. :) I can't write well enough in German yet to be able to translate adequately in the other direction.
Yes, we did get a couple inches of snow last Friday. It was a bit strange to get snow this early, especially when Bremen only had one real snowfall last year, and that was right around Christmas. I wonder what this means for the rest of the winter.
I pray you have a wonderful holiday if you are in the States and a wonderful day at work/school if you are not. :) Today and every day I am thankful for you and for your support and following of my work in Bremen. Gott mit Euch!
This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it....Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.
- Psalm 118:24, 29
Just the fact that God has given us another day to spend with family and friends and, more importantly, to use for His glory, is something to be thankful for. That, of course, is to say nothing about what God has done for us through His Son. May we not need a holiday to remind us to be thankful.
So, there's my sermonette for the day. :)
Today I'm going to Chemnitz to visit Mark and Karen as well as several other people. Between ETM in the spring and then the Singles' Retreat, I feel like I know half of the congregation in Chemnitz. I plan to come back to Bremen on Tuesday. I'm really looking forward to this trip and the opportunity to spend some time with friends.
Elsa and I have done more work at her house over the past week. Jim's office is slowly becoming Elsa's office, and we are in general cleaning out unneeded things throughout the house. I think it's hard for Elsa sometimes because of the emotional connection to Jim, but she seems to be happy that she's able to better use the space and resources she has.
I'm also starting a new project: translating the notes from the seminar on the Holy Spirit we had recently. I don't think it will take too long (there are five pages, single-spaced in outline form), but I'm looking forward to it. I'm thinking I could maybe work as a translator because I really enjoy it. At least from German into English. :) I can't write well enough in German yet to be able to translate adequately in the other direction.
Yes, we did get a couple inches of snow last Friday. It was a bit strange to get snow this early, especially when Bremen only had one real snowfall last year, and that was right around Christmas. I wonder what this means for the rest of the winter.
I pray you have a wonderful holiday if you are in the States and a wonderful day at work/school if you are not. :) Today and every day I am thankful for you and for your support and following of my work in Bremen. Gott mit Euch!
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Our new brother and other recent goings-on
Well, I've missed my goal of weekly updates. I guess, though, that two and a half weeks is better than eight. We're making progress.
Today would have been Jim's 66th birthday. Even though it's not his first birthday since his death, my mood has been rather pensive today, and I know I'm not the only one who would say that. It's still hard to believe he's been gone for over a year. Please pray for Elsa, Diana, and Karin today.
Juergen's baptism two Sundays ago was an amazing experience. I have never met anyone else so convinced and sure in their faith at the time of their baptism as Juergen. Mark and Karen came into town for the day (Did I ever mention that they moved to Chemnitz at the end of August???), and Mark was the one who baptized him. When Mark asked Juergen if he believes that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died for our sins and rose again, Juergen responded (my translation), "I am completely convinced of it." After the baptism, Juergen said a few words, acknowledging his new faith and how he came to this point, as well as thanking a number of people who God had used to guide and help him along the way. Most touching were his words to Simone, his wife, thanking her for the spiritual example she has set for him. Please pray for Juergen as he begins his life with the Lord and that he might stand strong against Satan's attacks.
The last weekend of October we had a gospel meeting with Josef Achatz of Augsburg. We had a number of guests, including a few who came to both sessions and then also to church on Sunday. Then last Saturday, Glenn Jones from Kiel came to town and conducted a seminar on the Holy Spirit. That seems to be one of those topics that we just generally avoid talking too much about, probably because there's so much about it that we don't seem to be able to wrap our human minds around. Glenn provided us with five pages of excellent notes and very helpful Scripture references, though it was a bit much to absorb in one day. A number of us walked away at the end of the day planning to study the subject further at home. I am very thankful that Glenn and his wife Angelika took the time and effort to come. It was good to see them again.
Elsa and I recently reexamined the work that I'm doing, as well as my weekly schedule. As I started thinking about the different things I've done over the past months, I realized that I've essentially been in response mode since Jim died. For the most part, I've reacted to whatever situation has come up and done what I could to help. I've been helping Elsa clean out and organize things at home. I helped with preparations for the campaign and then worked with the campaigners while they were here. After the campaign Elsa and I began meeting with those who wanted to continue studying and finding ways to maintain contact with those who didn't. The new goal is for me to be proactive in planning my activities. I've scaled back on meeting with several people, and we're making finishing the organization of Jim's library a priority. I'm working on the library from 9 to ca. 12 (or sometimes 1:30 or 2...) Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings, and Mondays Elsa and I are taking a few hours to "weed" falling-apart, outdated, or just plain unneeded books from the collection. In the past two weeks we've gotten rid of over 230 books. It's great that books can be put on the curb with other paper to be picked up for recycling.
Elsa has also given me the task of at least once a week either visiting someone or inviting someone to visit me. These visits are not supposed to be the same as regular Bible studies that we've already scheduled but instead chances to just talk and get to know each other better. I have no problem visiting other people; asking people to visit me, though, is more difficult. Part of it has to do with my lingering perfectionism (which I've come a long way in battling) that says my apartment needs to be spotless before someone can come to visit me. Another thing is just my issue of needing to protect my personal space and feeling that that space is invaded if someone comes into my home. Don't get me wrong, a number of people have been to my apartment for Bible studies; Stefanie has come over a couple times to watch movies; and Mark and Karen were here several times while they lived in Bremen. It's just that each time someone comes I get stressed out, though it gets easier the more often a particular person comes. I think it may also have something to do with living alone. Who knows. Anyway, I'm working on it. :) I realized that Elsa had not even been to my apartment since right after I moved in (while her house is basically my second home; I don't even knock when I arrive but just use my key to go in). So, I invited her over for lunch recently as my first "guest" since starting this new "visit project." We had lots of good conversation and she even survived my cooking! Success. So, I'm in the process of making other appointments for people to come over.
We still have two men coming to our weekly English Bible studies. We've switched from studying John to reading Mark because John's Gospel was becoming too theological. Jim had no trouble explaining complicated theological issues, and let's just say that Elsa and I are not Jim. So, we've switched approaches to something that better fits our teaching and discussion styles. Kai and Rainer still seem to be very interested in what we're reading and are starting to compare and contrast what we're reading with what the state church teaches and what German society tends to think and believe. It's made for some wonderful discussions. Please pray for their continued interest in the Word and for their hearts to be opened to what they're reading.
My residency permit expires on December 1st, and I have an appointment at the Foreigners' Office on the 3rd to renew it. PLEASE PRAY THAT THIS GOES SMOOTHLY. Elsa doesn't expect there to be any problems, but it's hard for me to be so confident when dealing with bureaucracy. I'm trying to leave it in God's hands. I prayed extensively about my decision to stay for another year, and I'm certain it is God's will for me to still be here. If that's true, then the renewal should be approved because I can't legally stay without it. I guess I could always just take a trip to Switzerland for a few days and then come back to Bremen as a "tourist" for 3 months and start the process over again. :)
Please also be praying for me to have wisdom in making a few decisions before my appointment to renew my permit. I need to be able to tell them what I plan to do here in Bremen, and my role here has changed a lot since I first came and since Jim died. I really don't want to say anything more about it right now because I'm still figuring things out, but please pray for me to make wise decisions.
Thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers! Please keep them coming and let me know if there's anything specific I can pray about for you. I hope you're staying warm wherever you are (we may get some snow here tomorrow night!) and that you're not dealing with the colds, bronchitis, and stomach bugs that have been going around here. So far this autumn I have battled some sinus issues, which is normal for me, but have otherwise remained thankfully healthy. God bless you, and enjoy the rest of your week!
Today would have been Jim's 66th birthday. Even though it's not his first birthday since his death, my mood has been rather pensive today, and I know I'm not the only one who would say that. It's still hard to believe he's been gone for over a year. Please pray for Elsa, Diana, and Karin today.
Juergen's baptism two Sundays ago was an amazing experience. I have never met anyone else so convinced and sure in their faith at the time of their baptism as Juergen. Mark and Karen came into town for the day (Did I ever mention that they moved to Chemnitz at the end of August???), and Mark was the one who baptized him. When Mark asked Juergen if he believes that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died for our sins and rose again, Juergen responded (my translation), "I am completely convinced of it." After the baptism, Juergen said a few words, acknowledging his new faith and how he came to this point, as well as thanking a number of people who God had used to guide and help him along the way. Most touching were his words to Simone, his wife, thanking her for the spiritual example she has set for him. Please pray for Juergen as he begins his life with the Lord and that he might stand strong against Satan's attacks.
The last weekend of October we had a gospel meeting with Josef Achatz of Augsburg. We had a number of guests, including a few who came to both sessions and then also to church on Sunday. Then last Saturday, Glenn Jones from Kiel came to town and conducted a seminar on the Holy Spirit. That seems to be one of those topics that we just generally avoid talking too much about, probably because there's so much about it that we don't seem to be able to wrap our human minds around. Glenn provided us with five pages of excellent notes and very helpful Scripture references, though it was a bit much to absorb in one day. A number of us walked away at the end of the day planning to study the subject further at home. I am very thankful that Glenn and his wife Angelika took the time and effort to come. It was good to see them again.
Elsa and I recently reexamined the work that I'm doing, as well as my weekly schedule. As I started thinking about the different things I've done over the past months, I realized that I've essentially been in response mode since Jim died. For the most part, I've reacted to whatever situation has come up and done what I could to help. I've been helping Elsa clean out and organize things at home. I helped with preparations for the campaign and then worked with the campaigners while they were here. After the campaign Elsa and I began meeting with those who wanted to continue studying and finding ways to maintain contact with those who didn't. The new goal is for me to be proactive in planning my activities. I've scaled back on meeting with several people, and we're making finishing the organization of Jim's library a priority. I'm working on the library from 9 to ca. 12 (or sometimes 1:30 or 2...) Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings, and Mondays Elsa and I are taking a few hours to "weed" falling-apart, outdated, or just plain unneeded books from the collection. In the past two weeks we've gotten rid of over 230 books. It's great that books can be put on the curb with other paper to be picked up for recycling.
Elsa has also given me the task of at least once a week either visiting someone or inviting someone to visit me. These visits are not supposed to be the same as regular Bible studies that we've already scheduled but instead chances to just talk and get to know each other better. I have no problem visiting other people; asking people to visit me, though, is more difficult. Part of it has to do with my lingering perfectionism (which I've come a long way in battling) that says my apartment needs to be spotless before someone can come to visit me. Another thing is just my issue of needing to protect my personal space and feeling that that space is invaded if someone comes into my home. Don't get me wrong, a number of people have been to my apartment for Bible studies; Stefanie has come over a couple times to watch movies; and Mark and Karen were here several times while they lived in Bremen. It's just that each time someone comes I get stressed out, though it gets easier the more often a particular person comes. I think it may also have something to do with living alone. Who knows. Anyway, I'm working on it. :) I realized that Elsa had not even been to my apartment since right after I moved in (while her house is basically my second home; I don't even knock when I arrive but just use my key to go in). So, I invited her over for lunch recently as my first "guest" since starting this new "visit project." We had lots of good conversation and she even survived my cooking! Success. So, I'm in the process of making other appointments for people to come over.
We still have two men coming to our weekly English Bible studies. We've switched from studying John to reading Mark because John's Gospel was becoming too theological. Jim had no trouble explaining complicated theological issues, and let's just say that Elsa and I are not Jim. So, we've switched approaches to something that better fits our teaching and discussion styles. Kai and Rainer still seem to be very interested in what we're reading and are starting to compare and contrast what we're reading with what the state church teaches and what German society tends to think and believe. It's made for some wonderful discussions. Please pray for their continued interest in the Word and for their hearts to be opened to what they're reading.
My residency permit expires on December 1st, and I have an appointment at the Foreigners' Office on the 3rd to renew it. PLEASE PRAY THAT THIS GOES SMOOTHLY. Elsa doesn't expect there to be any problems, but it's hard for me to be so confident when dealing with bureaucracy. I'm trying to leave it in God's hands. I prayed extensively about my decision to stay for another year, and I'm certain it is God's will for me to still be here. If that's true, then the renewal should be approved because I can't legally stay without it. I guess I could always just take a trip to Switzerland for a few days and then come back to Bremen as a "tourist" for 3 months and start the process over again. :)
Please also be praying for me to have wisdom in making a few decisions before my appointment to renew my permit. I need to be able to tell them what I plan to do here in Bremen, and my role here has changed a lot since I first came and since Jim died. I really don't want to say anything more about it right now because I'm still figuring things out, but please pray for me to make wise decisions.
Thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers! Please keep them coming and let me know if there's anything specific I can pray about for you. I hope you're staying warm wherever you are (we may get some snow here tomorrow night!) and that you're not dealing with the colds, bronchitis, and stomach bugs that have been going around here. So far this autumn I have battled some sinus issues, which is normal for me, but have otherwise remained thankfully healthy. God bless you, and enjoy the rest of your week!
Sunday, November 02, 2008
Good news!
I need to head to bed so I can get up early to work at Elsa's, so I'll try to post a fuller update tomorrow, but for now I wanted to share some REALLY good news.
Jürgen, who has been reading through the Bible for most of this year and who has been studying with Rüdiger over the past couple months, has decided to take on the Lord in baptism. His wife, Simone, was baptized at the end of December last year. He started coming to church off and on earlier this year and for the past couple months has been coming regularly. We are all naturally thrilled that he has made the decision, both for what it means for his life and because we are gaining a new brother. Simone, who generally is a very upbeat person as it is, was practically floating this morning. :)
The baptism is planned for next Sunday, and Mark and Karen will be coming to town from Chemnitz for it. Please pray for Jürgen that he might have the strength to live the life that accompanies this decision and that he will continue to study and to grow in his relationship with the Lord.
Thanks for your continued prayers for me and for the congregation here. Enjoy your Sunday (and the extra hour of sleep if you're in the U.S.). We turned the clocks back last weekend. All who know me well know that I always appreciate any chance to sleep a bit longer. :) Gott mit Dir!
Jürgen, who has been reading through the Bible for most of this year and who has been studying with Rüdiger over the past couple months, has decided to take on the Lord in baptism. His wife, Simone, was baptized at the end of December last year. He started coming to church off and on earlier this year and for the past couple months has been coming regularly. We are all naturally thrilled that he has made the decision, both for what it means for his life and because we are gaining a new brother. Simone, who generally is a very upbeat person as it is, was practically floating this morning. :)
The baptism is planned for next Sunday, and Mark and Karen will be coming to town from Chemnitz for it. Please pray for Jürgen that he might have the strength to live the life that accompanies this decision and that he will continue to study and to grow in his relationship with the Lord.
Thanks for your continued prayers for me and for the congregation here. Enjoy your Sunday (and the extra hour of sleep if you're in the U.S.). We turned the clocks back last weekend. All who know me well know that I always appreciate any chance to sleep a bit longer. :) Gott mit Dir!
Monday, October 20, 2008
Two Years
Today marks 2 years since I arrived in Bremen.
I look back and know that a LOT has happened over these past 24 months....
Living with Ingrid for 5 weeks. Finding an apartment and getting settled. Culture shock. My first Christmas ever away from family. Advertising for English Bible studies. 3 months of German class 12 hours a week. More culture shock. Working on Jim's library. Remodeling an old bar into a new church building. Going to the States for my sister's wedding. Jim getting sick. Jim dying. Everyone at church grieving and adjusting to Jim's absence. Helping Elsa organize things at home. Teaching the ladies' Bible class for the first time. Continuing to work on Jim's library. Planning for the campaign with Harding students. Helping plan a women's retreat. Deciding to stay for a 3rd year. Advertising and taking phone calls for English studies with the campaigners. Completing the 10-week ETM course. 4 weeks of the Harding campaign. Sharing my "journey of faith" with the ladies' class...in German. Helping prepare and teach a lesson series on the Lord's Supper. Beginning follow-up English Bible studies after the campaign. Still working on Jim's library. Teaching the Sunday School class for 3- to 5-year olds. Helping organize English Movie Nights and the English Game Afternoon for teens. Meeting with various people for Bible studies and encouragement. Dealing with language frustration. Getting over my perfectionism and realizing that Jesus' death would have been in vain if I could somehow be perfect on my own. Growing, learning, pushing myself. Having faith.
I know it's cliche', but I don't know where the last 2 years went. Yeah, a lot has happened, and while it was happening it seemed to last a long time, but in hindsight it seems like it all whizzed by in a moment while I wasn't paying attention.
These have been 24 months of incredible growth for me - personally, socially, and, most of all, spiritually. God has opened my eyes to His continual working in me and made me realize that I may not always understand or notice how He is using me. That certainly does NOT mean, though, that He is not.
My personality has adapted to allow me to better fit into the German culture: I don't take things as personally as I used to and I've become more blunt and direct (which can be a good or a bad thing!).
I'm slowly getting over (yes, it's a process) my wariness of praying in German with the other women at church. My heart is gradually learning to speak in German like my mouth does. It's a really good thing that God is multilingual.
Overall, my time in Bremen so far has been the most challenging, terrifying, wonderful one-thirteenth of my life. My experience here has shaped who I am in every way, and overall I like who I'm becoming.
Thank you, thank you, thank you to all of you who've stood by me supporting and praying for me. You've been more than patient with me and my long-in-coming updates. You all provide stability and encouragement on those days when I need them most. People may get tired of me saying it, but it's still true: mission work is a team effort. Some go and some stay, but everyone is used for the advancement of God's Kingdom. Those who go couldn't do so without the financial, prayer, and emotional support of those who stay. Those who stay wouldn't be able to work abroad if not for others serving as their hands and feet. Thank you for being on my team and for letting God use your life. I'm looking forward to year number 3.
Oh, and my pledge for Year #3: To update more regularly. At least once a week. You all are my witnesses! :)
And as far as what's been happening around here lately, everything in the large "summary" paragraph from "beginning follow-up English Bible studies after the campaign" onward still applies today. The possible exeption is the English game afternoon. It just so happens that there are only boys between the ages of 10 and 19 at church, and Jana and I are having trouble keeping them interested in the English games since none of them involve a computer or a gaming system. :) So, I don't know yet if we'll continue to plan the games or not.
The English Bible studies continue weekly. We're down to only Kai and Rainer coming, but they both seem very interested in what we're reading from the Gospel of John and have asked some really great questions. The newest question was "Why is Joseph included in the genealogy of Jesus if he wasn't related to Jesus by blood?" (Mind you, we weren't even studying this together.) Elsa and I both had to do a bit of research to be able to fully answer that one. They keep us on our toes.
October 9th marked the first anniversary of Jim's death. Once again, I don't know where that time went. It's incredible to see how much the congregation has grown, though. Six different men take turns preaching. All of the men seem to work very well together and are growing and encouraging each other. Two of them are taking on-line courses through Sunset International Bible Institute to help increase their knowledge of Scripture. Jim's death has not been easy on Elsa or the congregation, but God is faithful and has brought many, many blessings.
Thank you again for sticking by me. I pray all is well with you. Please let me know if there is anything in particular I can pray about for you. Gott mit Dir! God be with you!
I look back and know that a LOT has happened over these past 24 months....
Living with Ingrid for 5 weeks. Finding an apartment and getting settled. Culture shock. My first Christmas ever away from family. Advertising for English Bible studies. 3 months of German class 12 hours a week. More culture shock. Working on Jim's library. Remodeling an old bar into a new church building. Going to the States for my sister's wedding. Jim getting sick. Jim dying. Everyone at church grieving and adjusting to Jim's absence. Helping Elsa organize things at home. Teaching the ladies' Bible class for the first time. Continuing to work on Jim's library. Planning for the campaign with Harding students. Helping plan a women's retreat. Deciding to stay for a 3rd year. Advertising and taking phone calls for English studies with the campaigners. Completing the 10-week ETM course. 4 weeks of the Harding campaign. Sharing my "journey of faith" with the ladies' class...in German. Helping prepare and teach a lesson series on the Lord's Supper. Beginning follow-up English Bible studies after the campaign. Still working on Jim's library. Teaching the Sunday School class for 3- to 5-year olds. Helping organize English Movie Nights and the English Game Afternoon for teens. Meeting with various people for Bible studies and encouragement. Dealing with language frustration. Getting over my perfectionism and realizing that Jesus' death would have been in vain if I could somehow be perfect on my own. Growing, learning, pushing myself. Having faith.
I know it's cliche', but I don't know where the last 2 years went. Yeah, a lot has happened, and while it was happening it seemed to last a long time, but in hindsight it seems like it all whizzed by in a moment while I wasn't paying attention.
These have been 24 months of incredible growth for me - personally, socially, and, most of all, spiritually. God has opened my eyes to His continual working in me and made me realize that I may not always understand or notice how He is using me. That certainly does NOT mean, though, that He is not.
My personality has adapted to allow me to better fit into the German culture: I don't take things as personally as I used to and I've become more blunt and direct (which can be a good or a bad thing!).
I'm slowly getting over (yes, it's a process) my wariness of praying in German with the other women at church. My heart is gradually learning to speak in German like my mouth does. It's a really good thing that God is multilingual.
Overall, my time in Bremen so far has been the most challenging, terrifying, wonderful one-thirteenth of my life. My experience here has shaped who I am in every way, and overall I like who I'm becoming.
Thank you, thank you, thank you to all of you who've stood by me supporting and praying for me. You've been more than patient with me and my long-in-coming updates. You all provide stability and encouragement on those days when I need them most. People may get tired of me saying it, but it's still true: mission work is a team effort. Some go and some stay, but everyone is used for the advancement of God's Kingdom. Those who go couldn't do so without the financial, prayer, and emotional support of those who stay. Those who stay wouldn't be able to work abroad if not for others serving as their hands and feet. Thank you for being on my team and for letting God use your life. I'm looking forward to year number 3.
Oh, and my pledge for Year #3: To update more regularly. At least once a week. You all are my witnesses! :)
And as far as what's been happening around here lately, everything in the large "summary" paragraph from "beginning follow-up English Bible studies after the campaign" onward still applies today. The possible exeption is the English game afternoon. It just so happens that there are only boys between the ages of 10 and 19 at church, and Jana and I are having trouble keeping them interested in the English games since none of them involve a computer or a gaming system. :) So, I don't know yet if we'll continue to plan the games or not.
The English Bible studies continue weekly. We're down to only Kai and Rainer coming, but they both seem very interested in what we're reading from the Gospel of John and have asked some really great questions. The newest question was "Why is Joseph included in the genealogy of Jesus if he wasn't related to Jesus by blood?" (Mind you, we weren't even studying this together.) Elsa and I both had to do a bit of research to be able to fully answer that one. They keep us on our toes.
October 9th marked the first anniversary of Jim's death. Once again, I don't know where that time went. It's incredible to see how much the congregation has grown, though. Six different men take turns preaching. All of the men seem to work very well together and are growing and encouraging each other. Two of them are taking on-line courses through Sunset International Bible Institute to help increase their knowledge of Scripture. Jim's death has not been easy on Elsa or the congregation, but God is faithful and has brought many, many blessings.
Thank you again for sticking by me. I pray all is well with you. Please let me know if there is anything in particular I can pray about for you. Gott mit Dir! God be with you!
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Tired
I know this is becoming the refrain of my posts lately, but I'm sorry that it's been so long since I last posted.
The past couple weeks have been really full. Between working on Jim's library; helping Elsa with remodeling projects; preparing and teaching the children's class; continuing English Bible studies; starting a "game afternoon" for the teenagers; working with Michaela and Ingrid to prepare the ladies' Bible class study; and visiting some members of the congregation in Braunschweig, life has been a bit busy of late. This week in particular I've had something going on in the morning, afternoon, and evening every day since Sunday, and quite honestly, this evening I'm just tired.
I'd really hoped to finish a full update this evening, but it's going to have to wait until tomorrow. I'm having trouble keeping my eyes open right now. Hopefully this all even makes sense. :)
To all of my faithful readers (hi Jenna!), thank you for keeping up with me and for caring about me and about the work here in Bremen. Thank you also for your ceaseless prayers. You all mean so much to me, even when I don't say so often enough. Gott segne Euch und bis morgen.... (God bless you all and until tomorrow....)
The past couple weeks have been really full. Between working on Jim's library; helping Elsa with remodeling projects; preparing and teaching the children's class; continuing English Bible studies; starting a "game afternoon" for the teenagers; working with Michaela and Ingrid to prepare the ladies' Bible class study; and visiting some members of the congregation in Braunschweig, life has been a bit busy of late. This week in particular I've had something going on in the morning, afternoon, and evening every day since Sunday, and quite honestly, this evening I'm just tired.
I'd really hoped to finish a full update this evening, but it's going to have to wait until tomorrow. I'm having trouble keeping my eyes open right now. Hopefully this all even makes sense. :)
To all of my faithful readers (hi Jenna!), thank you for keeping up with me and for caring about me and about the work here in Bremen. Thank you also for your ceaseless prayers. You all mean so much to me, even when I don't say so often enough. Gott segne Euch und bis morgen.... (God bless you all and until tomorrow....)
Friday, July 25, 2008
A light at the end of the tunnel and other happenings
So, I'm finally seeing a light at the end of the tunnel in the work on Jim's library.
Jim had developed a numbering system for his library, and each book received a 5-digit number, with the first 2 digits representing a broad subject heading. Over 4,000 books are fully cataloged and in Jim's database; another 3,000 or so have been assigned the first 2 digits. Since last summer I've been working to sort another approximately 1,200 books into those broad categories. That's no easy task.
But now I'm down to the last 25 or so books, including some of Elsa's that she wanted to be sorted. *And there was great rejoicing.* :) Most of Elsa's books are psychology/counseling-related, so they won't be as hard to categorize as many of Jim's theology books. Hopefully I can finish on Monday.
Then comes the next step...or should I say "project." Elsa wants me to create an Excel spreadsheet of all the books with only 2 numbers so she can have a list from which to work in deciding which books to keep. The spreadsheet will then go to people in the congregation here and to other missionaries for them to select books they'd like to have. I'm not sure how long it might take to enter 4,000-some-odd titles/authors/publication dates, so it's a good thing I'm staying another year!
Anyways, it's nice to feel like I'm making headway.
Beyond that, life's been quiet, which is a nice change from the beginning of the summer. Schools here don't let out for the summer until mid-July, so right now is prime vacation season for families before school starts again in August. It seemed like half the people were missing at church last Sunday, but we still heard an excellent sermon, were encouraged by the fellowship, and enjoyed our monthly potluck.
Tomorrow is a big work day at Elsa's house. She's been trying to finish several large remodeling projects and finally decided to ask people for some help. I believe she's expecting 9 of us to come, and she's got a list of things for us to do. When I was at her house today she was like a kid waiting for Christmas she was so excited about tomorrow. Most of the furniture in her living room is already moved and she's started tearing wood paneling off the wall. I think getting some of these projects completed will help her in the process of figuring out what it means to be Elsa living in a house by herself and to make better use of the space she has.
As far as English work is concerned, the group is still meeting on Monday evenings, and this week Sebastian joined us for the first time. We should finish our studies from Ecclesiastes next week and the week after will begin in the gospel of John. We're also planning to have an English Movie Night once a month, and the next one will be on August 8th. Hopefully making it a regular event will help us better keep in touch with some of the people.
On the agenda for next week is library work and English group on Monday and then on Tuesday heading out of town for a few days. Uwe and Gertrud from the congregation in Braunschweig invited me to come visit them, and I'm taking them up on the offer. I plan to be back in Bremen on Friday evening. During our monthly visits to Braunschweig none of us seems to get much of a chance to just spend time talking and getting to know one another, so this trip should allow for more of that.
Thank you for your continued prayers for me and for the Bremen congregation. They are coveted and appreciated. I hope you are doing well, and may God bless you wherever you are!
Jim had developed a numbering system for his library, and each book received a 5-digit number, with the first 2 digits representing a broad subject heading. Over 4,000 books are fully cataloged and in Jim's database; another 3,000 or so have been assigned the first 2 digits. Since last summer I've been working to sort another approximately 1,200 books into those broad categories. That's no easy task.
But now I'm down to the last 25 or so books, including some of Elsa's that she wanted to be sorted. *And there was great rejoicing.* :) Most of Elsa's books are psychology/counseling-related, so they won't be as hard to categorize as many of Jim's theology books. Hopefully I can finish on Monday.
Then comes the next step...or should I say "project." Elsa wants me to create an Excel spreadsheet of all the books with only 2 numbers so she can have a list from which to work in deciding which books to keep. The spreadsheet will then go to people in the congregation here and to other missionaries for them to select books they'd like to have. I'm not sure how long it might take to enter 4,000-some-odd titles/authors/publication dates, so it's a good thing I'm staying another year!
Anyways, it's nice to feel like I'm making headway.
Beyond that, life's been quiet, which is a nice change from the beginning of the summer. Schools here don't let out for the summer until mid-July, so right now is prime vacation season for families before school starts again in August. It seemed like half the people were missing at church last Sunday, but we still heard an excellent sermon, were encouraged by the fellowship, and enjoyed our monthly potluck.
Tomorrow is a big work day at Elsa's house. She's been trying to finish several large remodeling projects and finally decided to ask people for some help. I believe she's expecting 9 of us to come, and she's got a list of things for us to do. When I was at her house today she was like a kid waiting for Christmas she was so excited about tomorrow. Most of the furniture in her living room is already moved and she's started tearing wood paneling off the wall. I think getting some of these projects completed will help her in the process of figuring out what it means to be Elsa living in a house by herself and to make better use of the space she has.
As far as English work is concerned, the group is still meeting on Monday evenings, and this week Sebastian joined us for the first time. We should finish our studies from Ecclesiastes next week and the week after will begin in the gospel of John. We're also planning to have an English Movie Night once a month, and the next one will be on August 8th. Hopefully making it a regular event will help us better keep in touch with some of the people.
On the agenda for next week is library work and English group on Monday and then on Tuesday heading out of town for a few days. Uwe and Gertrud from the congregation in Braunschweig invited me to come visit them, and I'm taking them up on the offer. I plan to be back in Bremen on Friday evening. During our monthly visits to Braunschweig none of us seems to get much of a chance to just spend time talking and getting to know one another, so this trip should allow for more of that.
Thank you for your continued prayers for me and for the Bremen congregation. They are coveted and appreciated. I hope you are doing well, and may God bless you wherever you are!
Friday, July 11, 2008
Back again
No more promises from me about when I'll post the next time. :)
So, finally, here's what's been happening in my life of late (Warning! This is a bit long.):
ETM ended the last weekend in May. Sergej, Liesel, and I went to Chemnitz for the "northern" regional meeting and arrived Friday afternoon and had some time to have ice cream and do some sightseeing with 4 of the 5 ETMers from Chemnitz, as well as Larry and Pam Sullivan (Larry had led the Intensive Week back in March). It was my first trip to the former East Germany (besides East Berlin), and both the number of changes that have been made in the past 18 years as well as the remaining reminders of the days of Communism were striking to me.
Most of Saturday was spent in separate meetings of men and women discussing the projects we had worked on in the 7 weeks since the Intensive Week and then making presentations based on the book Ordering Your Private World (Ordne dein Leben in German) by Gordon MacDonald. Of all the things I had to do for ETM, that presentation was the one that I dreaded the most and got the most worked up over, but it was also the one that helped me to examine my life and to grow personally more than any of the others. Isn't that the way things usually go? I'll have to share more about the presentation sometime later.
Other exciting happenings during our weekend in Chemnitz:
1) While we were waiting to change trains in Leipzig, a Deutsche Bahn employee had to remove a dead pigeon from the back of our train so another car could be added on. And yes, we were all standing right there on the platform watching. Ewww.
2) In the middle of Ellen's presentation on Saturday, two birds flew through the open door and into the room. After a good five minutes of trying to corral the obviously terrified creatures and finally shooing them out the window, Ellen tried to recover her train of thought. Liesel and I couldn't help but wonder what the next odd bird incident would be.
3) On our way to visit a nearby castle that evening, we got caught in the worst hailstorm I have ever experienced. The hailstones were at least an inch in diameter, and when the first one hit the car windshield it made such a loud noise that we thought it was a rock. Thankfully, we found a place to stop the cars and wait it out. The castle tour, though, will have to wait for the next visit.
Overall it was a really good weekend filled with fellowship and sharing about the many benefits of the ETM program. Elsa was in Switzerland at the same time for the "southern" meeting, and things there seemed to go just as well.
After ETM there were still two weeks left of the campaign. There were several people who continued to come regularly for Bible studies and others who were more interested in hanging out and speaking in English than in talking about the Bible. Altogether I believe there were 16 people who met with the students and did varying amounts of Bible studies, as well as at least 4 others who came only to activities. This was a much smaller number than in previous years, but considering the congregation had not had a campaign group since 2004 and all that's happened in the past 9 months or so and with new people trying to do what Jim and Elsa had done on their own in past years, we all agreed the campaign went over rather well.
After the last of the campaigners left, I came home and crashed. The end of the campaign basically signaled the end of 3 months of continuous projects for me, and I needed the rest and the time to get back to a normal daily routine. I looked around my apartment and thought, hmmm, I probably need to do some cleaning. So, I pretty much spent several days just trying to get caught up on sleep and everything else that I'd been neglecting. Elsa and I needed to plan out a strategy for doing the campaign follow-up work, but we both agreed that we needed a couple days to recuperate.
After some R&R, we discussed options for campaign follow-up. Only a handful or so had said they'd like to continue studying, and since they all speak English very well, we decided to form an English group to meet once a week. We also wanted to maintain contact with those who aren't currently interested in Bible study, so we determined to offer Movie Nights and other English activities on a regular basis to hopefully keep in touch with everyone.
And that more or less brings me to the "present."
Last Friday we had an "English Movie Night." We had a good turnout of 23 in all, including 7 who either studied with the campaigners or came to campaign activities. There was a good discussion of the movie afterward about the decisions made by various characters and if we would have made the same decisions in our own lives. Stefanie and I also had a rather interesting conversation with Melitta (one of the readers from the campaign) about whether or not the Bible is the Word of God or was written solely by men. The discussion took a few odd turns to get to that point and neither Stefanie and I were prepared for such a topic, but it was what it was and Melitta didn't seem to be scared away. We'll see what happens.
Then Saturday we had a Straβenfest (block party) with the neighbors of the church building. We did this last summer, too, after finishing the remodeling, in an effort to introduce ourselves to the neighbors. This time even more of the neighbors came, and everyone brought something with them to contribute to the festivities. We shared cake and coffee in the afternoon, had games for the kids and "hammer-a-nail-into-a-board" races for the men (and one woman), and then had salads and grilled sausages and steaks for dinner. I left at about 9:45 that evening, but I heard that Florian and his family were there with most of the neighbors until almost 1 AM. It was a looooong but rewarding day, one that was wonderful for building relationships with the neighbors. It looks like it's going to turn into an annual event.
Then on Sunday I taught the 3- and 4-year old Bible class again. Katerina and I had been alternating months teaching, but from now on I'll be the only teacher. Katerina is pregnant, so she's needing a break and will need to have time to take care of the baby after it comes next month. This week was a little strenuous for the kids since Saturday was so busy and they got to bed late, but I enjoy teaching this age and like coming up with lessons and crafts for them to do. In June Katerina finished teaching about the life of Christ, so I've decided to head back to the beginning and talk about creation for the next couple weeks. We're making counting books that tell the story of creation, and the kids seem to like them so far.
After services in Bremen on Sunday, Mark, Karen, Stefanie, and I took the train to Braunschweig for worship with the congregation there. Jim and Elsa did this on the first Sunday of each month for a number of years, and a few others and I often accompanied them over the past couple of years. Since Jim's death, we've felt it is important to continue doing this. It always makes for a really long day, but it's worth it. The Braunschweig congregation only has 9 members (and 6 of them are related), and they simply need the encouragement and time for fellowship. The really exciting thing is that Willy and Yek Len have said they'd like to go with us in August, and Michael has said he will come along to preach in September. It's exciting to see Jim's good work continuing.
Monday evening was the English Bible study group. Last week only Thomas and Rainer came, but this week Kai joined us as well. Since they all speak English very well, the conversation flows nicely and we can discuss issues of substance that we might not be able to address with someone who did not speak as well. We're currently reading and discussing passages from Ecclesiastes and will move on to the Gospel of John. The Ecclesiastes passages are the first ones read during the campaign studies. While Kai had already read all 4 of the passages, Thomas had only come once and read and discussed the first passage, and Rainer called about the ad too late to meet with the students and therefore had not yet started. So far we've had lively discussions, and I look forward to next week's meeting. They all want to continue coming, so that's a good sign. Please pray for Rainer, Thomas, and Kai as they're reading and discussing Scripture.
Tuesday was the ladies' Bible study. For the past several months, Elsa's been taking us through a study of the church, what it is and how we are to fulfill God's purpose for it. We've discussed four different images assigned to the church in the New Testament: the church is 1) the bride of Christ; 2) the body of Christ; 3) the family of God; and 4) the kingdom of God. When we talked about that last one back in May, Elsa began leading us through a study of how we as God's people worship our King. She then asked some of us to prepare studies to share with the group: Stefanie and Katerina were given the topic of singing and Michaela, Ingrid, and I were assigned the subject of the Lord's Supper. Two weeks ago, Stefanie led us in a study of singing as a part of worship, so this week (the evening ladies' class only meets on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays in the month) was our turn to teach.
We began back in early June doing some research and quickly came to the conclusion that we could write a book on all there is to study about the Lord's Supper, as I know many people have already done. We were able to narrow our focus a bit and had to constantly remind ourselves that we're supposed to discuss the Supper's role in worship and not just all there is to know about the topic. Nevertheless, we thought it was important to share some background information (like the historical significance of the Passover feast) in order for the group to really understand what it is we celebrate during the Lord's Supper. We decided there was no way to get all of the information into one study session, so this week I gave an introduction to our study "series" and talked about the Passover and it's place in Jewish history, and next time we'll make the connection between the Passover and the meal Jesus instituted shortly before His death. We may have to use a third session to finish up the study.
It's been a challenging study for Michaela, Ingrid, and myself, but I'm so glad Elsa gave us this topic. It's one of those things I've accepted and thought I understood over the years, but I've never really delved into all the details in Scripture. There's so much you have to understand in the Old Testament to really get the full picture of what Jesus started at the Last Supper. This also has been a big reminder that the Bible is GOD's Word, not just another book written by men. As Ingrid said in one of our recent "planning" meetings, "there's no way this was written by humans alone." The whole story fits together so well and there are so many details from the Old Testament that pave the way for the story of the New Testament that it would have been impossible for men to have come up with it on their own over the span of several thousand years.
Yesterday and today I worked more on Jim's library, which I've neglected since about mid-May. I've got about 20 more books to sort into broad categories, and then Elsa and I will figure out what the next step should be. I think as the months have gone by she's formulated a clearer idea of what she wants to do with the books and how she might be able to use at least some of them in her work here. Several people from church have borrowed books, and I took a Hebrew Bible and lexicon to Larry when I went to Chemnitz. I'm thrilled that at least some of the books are being put to use. Others will probably eventually end up at the church building so that more people can make use of them. I know that Elsa does not want to continue to house the rest of the books and not all of them will be useful or of interest to anyone we know. While we have recycled a number of books, there are quite a few that we do not want to keep but that could still be useful to someone out there. We already know that the public library does NOT take donations. So, with Elsa's blessing, today I went to three used bookstores and asked about the types of books they buy and plan to visit a few more tomorrow. We shall see.
I'm sure I've missed something, but that basically sums up (a rather long summary!) my life over the past 6 weeks or so. As you can see, it's been pretty busy. While I would have preferred for all of the activity over the past few months to have been spread out a little more, I wouldn't have given up any of it because it's brought opportunities for growth and learning for me personally, as well as the congregation. Besides, I'd rather be busy, knowing that I'm working toward accomplishing something, than to be sitting around twiddling my thumbs and looking for something to do.
Hopefully, hopefully, there will be more writing of blog posts in my near future since life has settled down some and I'm finding some semblance of a routine again. Please continue to pray for me and for the congregation here as we continue the work for the Lord in Bremen. Also, please let me know if there's something I can pray about for you. Gott mit Euch, und bis demnächst....
So, finally, here's what's been happening in my life of late (Warning! This is a bit long.):
ETM ended the last weekend in May. Sergej, Liesel, and I went to Chemnitz for the "northern" regional meeting and arrived Friday afternoon and had some time to have ice cream and do some sightseeing with 4 of the 5 ETMers from Chemnitz, as well as Larry and Pam Sullivan (Larry had led the Intensive Week back in March). It was my first trip to the former East Germany (besides East Berlin), and both the number of changes that have been made in the past 18 years as well as the remaining reminders of the days of Communism were striking to me.
Most of Saturday was spent in separate meetings of men and women discussing the projects we had worked on in the 7 weeks since the Intensive Week and then making presentations based on the book Ordering Your Private World (Ordne dein Leben in German) by Gordon MacDonald. Of all the things I had to do for ETM, that presentation was the one that I dreaded the most and got the most worked up over, but it was also the one that helped me to examine my life and to grow personally more than any of the others. Isn't that the way things usually go? I'll have to share more about the presentation sometime later.
Other exciting happenings during our weekend in Chemnitz:
1) While we were waiting to change trains in Leipzig, a Deutsche Bahn employee had to remove a dead pigeon from the back of our train so another car could be added on. And yes, we were all standing right there on the platform watching. Ewww.
2) In the middle of Ellen's presentation on Saturday, two birds flew through the open door and into the room. After a good five minutes of trying to corral the obviously terrified creatures and finally shooing them out the window, Ellen tried to recover her train of thought. Liesel and I couldn't help but wonder what the next odd bird incident would be.
3) On our way to visit a nearby castle that evening, we got caught in the worst hailstorm I have ever experienced. The hailstones were at least an inch in diameter, and when the first one hit the car windshield it made such a loud noise that we thought it was a rock. Thankfully, we found a place to stop the cars and wait it out. The castle tour, though, will have to wait for the next visit.
Overall it was a really good weekend filled with fellowship and sharing about the many benefits of the ETM program. Elsa was in Switzerland at the same time for the "southern" meeting, and things there seemed to go just as well.
After ETM there were still two weeks left of the campaign. There were several people who continued to come regularly for Bible studies and others who were more interested in hanging out and speaking in English than in talking about the Bible. Altogether I believe there were 16 people who met with the students and did varying amounts of Bible studies, as well as at least 4 others who came only to activities. This was a much smaller number than in previous years, but considering the congregation had not had a campaign group since 2004 and all that's happened in the past 9 months or so and with new people trying to do what Jim and Elsa had done on their own in past years, we all agreed the campaign went over rather well.
After the last of the campaigners left, I came home and crashed. The end of the campaign basically signaled the end of 3 months of continuous projects for me, and I needed the rest and the time to get back to a normal daily routine. I looked around my apartment and thought, hmmm, I probably need to do some cleaning. So, I pretty much spent several days just trying to get caught up on sleep and everything else that I'd been neglecting. Elsa and I needed to plan out a strategy for doing the campaign follow-up work, but we both agreed that we needed a couple days to recuperate.
After some R&R, we discussed options for campaign follow-up. Only a handful or so had said they'd like to continue studying, and since they all speak English very well, we decided to form an English group to meet once a week. We also wanted to maintain contact with those who aren't currently interested in Bible study, so we determined to offer Movie Nights and other English activities on a regular basis to hopefully keep in touch with everyone.
And that more or less brings me to the "present."
Last Friday we had an "English Movie Night." We had a good turnout of 23 in all, including 7 who either studied with the campaigners or came to campaign activities. There was a good discussion of the movie afterward about the decisions made by various characters and if we would have made the same decisions in our own lives. Stefanie and I also had a rather interesting conversation with Melitta (one of the readers from the campaign) about whether or not the Bible is the Word of God or was written solely by men. The discussion took a few odd turns to get to that point and neither Stefanie and I were prepared for such a topic, but it was what it was and Melitta didn't seem to be scared away. We'll see what happens.
Then Saturday we had a Straβenfest (block party) with the neighbors of the church building. We did this last summer, too, after finishing the remodeling, in an effort to introduce ourselves to the neighbors. This time even more of the neighbors came, and everyone brought something with them to contribute to the festivities. We shared cake and coffee in the afternoon, had games for the kids and "hammer-a-nail-into-a-board" races for the men (and one woman), and then had salads and grilled sausages and steaks for dinner. I left at about 9:45 that evening, but I heard that Florian and his family were there with most of the neighbors until almost 1 AM. It was a looooong but rewarding day, one that was wonderful for building relationships with the neighbors. It looks like it's going to turn into an annual event.
Then on Sunday I taught the 3- and 4-year old Bible class again. Katerina and I had been alternating months teaching, but from now on I'll be the only teacher. Katerina is pregnant, so she's needing a break and will need to have time to take care of the baby after it comes next month. This week was a little strenuous for the kids since Saturday was so busy and they got to bed late, but I enjoy teaching this age and like coming up with lessons and crafts for them to do. In June Katerina finished teaching about the life of Christ, so I've decided to head back to the beginning and talk about creation for the next couple weeks. We're making counting books that tell the story of creation, and the kids seem to like them so far.
After services in Bremen on Sunday, Mark, Karen, Stefanie, and I took the train to Braunschweig for worship with the congregation there. Jim and Elsa did this on the first Sunday of each month for a number of years, and a few others and I often accompanied them over the past couple of years. Since Jim's death, we've felt it is important to continue doing this. It always makes for a really long day, but it's worth it. The Braunschweig congregation only has 9 members (and 6 of them are related), and they simply need the encouragement and time for fellowship. The really exciting thing is that Willy and Yek Len have said they'd like to go with us in August, and Michael has said he will come along to preach in September. It's exciting to see Jim's good work continuing.
Monday evening was the English Bible study group. Last week only Thomas and Rainer came, but this week Kai joined us as well. Since they all speak English very well, the conversation flows nicely and we can discuss issues of substance that we might not be able to address with someone who did not speak as well. We're currently reading and discussing passages from Ecclesiastes and will move on to the Gospel of John. The Ecclesiastes passages are the first ones read during the campaign studies. While Kai had already read all 4 of the passages, Thomas had only come once and read and discussed the first passage, and Rainer called about the ad too late to meet with the students and therefore had not yet started. So far we've had lively discussions, and I look forward to next week's meeting. They all want to continue coming, so that's a good sign. Please pray for Rainer, Thomas, and Kai as they're reading and discussing Scripture.
Tuesday was the ladies' Bible study. For the past several months, Elsa's been taking us through a study of the church, what it is and how we are to fulfill God's purpose for it. We've discussed four different images assigned to the church in the New Testament: the church is 1) the bride of Christ; 2) the body of Christ; 3) the family of God; and 4) the kingdom of God. When we talked about that last one back in May, Elsa began leading us through a study of how we as God's people worship our King. She then asked some of us to prepare studies to share with the group: Stefanie and Katerina were given the topic of singing and Michaela, Ingrid, and I were assigned the subject of the Lord's Supper. Two weeks ago, Stefanie led us in a study of singing as a part of worship, so this week (the evening ladies' class only meets on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays in the month) was our turn to teach.
We began back in early June doing some research and quickly came to the conclusion that we could write a book on all there is to study about the Lord's Supper, as I know many people have already done. We were able to narrow our focus a bit and had to constantly remind ourselves that we're supposed to discuss the Supper's role in worship and not just all there is to know about the topic. Nevertheless, we thought it was important to share some background information (like the historical significance of the Passover feast) in order for the group to really understand what it is we celebrate during the Lord's Supper. We decided there was no way to get all of the information into one study session, so this week I gave an introduction to our study "series" and talked about the Passover and it's place in Jewish history, and next time we'll make the connection between the Passover and the meal Jesus instituted shortly before His death. We may have to use a third session to finish up the study.
It's been a challenging study for Michaela, Ingrid, and myself, but I'm so glad Elsa gave us this topic. It's one of those things I've accepted and thought I understood over the years, but I've never really delved into all the details in Scripture. There's so much you have to understand in the Old Testament to really get the full picture of what Jesus started at the Last Supper. This also has been a big reminder that the Bible is GOD's Word, not just another book written by men. As Ingrid said in one of our recent "planning" meetings, "there's no way this was written by humans alone." The whole story fits together so well and there are so many details from the Old Testament that pave the way for the story of the New Testament that it would have been impossible for men to have come up with it on their own over the span of several thousand years.
Yesterday and today I worked more on Jim's library, which I've neglected since about mid-May. I've got about 20 more books to sort into broad categories, and then Elsa and I will figure out what the next step should be. I think as the months have gone by she's formulated a clearer idea of what she wants to do with the books and how she might be able to use at least some of them in her work here. Several people from church have borrowed books, and I took a Hebrew Bible and lexicon to Larry when I went to Chemnitz. I'm thrilled that at least some of the books are being put to use. Others will probably eventually end up at the church building so that more people can make use of them. I know that Elsa does not want to continue to house the rest of the books and not all of them will be useful or of interest to anyone we know. While we have recycled a number of books, there are quite a few that we do not want to keep but that could still be useful to someone out there. We already know that the public library does NOT take donations. So, with Elsa's blessing, today I went to three used bookstores and asked about the types of books they buy and plan to visit a few more tomorrow. We shall see.
I'm sure I've missed something, but that basically sums up (a rather long summary!) my life over the past 6 weeks or so. As you can see, it's been pretty busy. While I would have preferred for all of the activity over the past few months to have been spread out a little more, I wouldn't have given up any of it because it's brought opportunities for growth and learning for me personally, as well as the congregation. Besides, I'd rather be busy, knowing that I'm working toward accomplishing something, than to be sitting around twiddling my thumbs and looking for something to do.
Hopefully, hopefully, there will be more writing of blog posts in my near future since life has settled down some and I'm finding some semblance of a routine again. Please continue to pray for me and for the congregation here as we continue the work for the Lord in Bremen. Also, please let me know if there's something I can pray about for you. Gott mit Euch, und bis demnächst....
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Still alive
It's 12:08 AM, which means it's officially July here. And I just realized I didn't post a single update during the entire month of June.
I probably should go to bed because tomorrow (er, today) is going to be pretty busy, but I really wanted to let all of you know that I'm still here. My life has slowed down considerably in relation to what it was like in May, so now I'm trying to get back on track and catch up on all the things that got neglected over the past weeks and months. I'd reeeeeeaaaalllllly like to be able to spend an entire day writing cards and emails and updating my blog, but even though the tempo of life has slowed down it hasn't come to a complete stop. And because I'm in "get-caught-up" mode, I still feel like I have a full schedule.
More about all of this on Wednesday (I PROMISE!), but for now, a summary:
1) ETM ended
2) Campaign ended
3) Led ladies' Bible study once
4) Working with Michaela and Ingrid on preparing a study of the Lord's Supper for the ladies' class
5) Getting ready to teach Sunday school class for 3- and 4-year olds every week
6) Working with Elsa to continue reading in the Bible with contacts made through the campaign
7) Had first group English Bible study with contacts this (yesterday) evening.
Whew.
Please know, you are loved and appreciated beyond what I can express, even when I don't update my blog as often as I'd like and when I don't respond to emails in a timely manner. Without you, I wouldn't have made it this far. Because of you, I can continue on. This is a team effort, and I think about and pray for my "teammates" regularly.
The time is now 12:34, and I'm heading to bed. Have a good night/evening/afternoon/day. And stayed tuned for more updates to come....
I probably should go to bed because tomorrow (er, today) is going to be pretty busy, but I really wanted to let all of you know that I'm still here. My life has slowed down considerably in relation to what it was like in May, so now I'm trying to get back on track and catch up on all the things that got neglected over the past weeks and months. I'd reeeeeeaaaalllllly like to be able to spend an entire day writing cards and emails and updating my blog, but even though the tempo of life has slowed down it hasn't come to a complete stop. And because I'm in "get-caught-up" mode, I still feel like I have a full schedule.
More about all of this on Wednesday (I PROMISE!), but for now, a summary:
1) ETM ended
2) Campaign ended
3) Led ladies' Bible study once
4) Working with Michaela and Ingrid on preparing a study of the Lord's Supper for the ladies' class
5) Getting ready to teach Sunday school class for 3- and 4-year olds every week
6) Working with Elsa to continue reading in the Bible with contacts made through the campaign
7) Had first group English Bible study with contacts this (yesterday) evening.
Whew.
Please know, you are loved and appreciated beyond what I can express, even when I don't update my blog as often as I'd like and when I don't respond to emails in a timely manner. Without you, I wouldn't have made it this far. Because of you, I can continue on. This is a team effort, and I think about and pray for my "teammates" regularly.
The time is now 12:34, and I'm heading to bed. Have a good night/evening/afternoon/day. And stayed tuned for more updates to come....
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Campaign update and "Retreat Report, Part I"
The word that best describes my life right now is the same as it was last week and the week before: busy.
Three mornings last week I met with the Harding students to talk about German culture and life in Bremen and then discussed the first studies (from Ecclesiastes) they will work through with people. Then on Friday and Saturday evenings we had "get-to-know-you" parties so that the people who had called about the English studies could meet the students and they could arrange appointments. On Friday 10 people came, and everyone seemed to have a good time. A few people came in saying they were nervous about speaking in English, but they all overcame their jitters and were able to talk with the students. On Saturday we had expected 7 or 8 to come, but only 2 showed up. We made the most of it, though, and still had a good evening.
On Monday I went through the beginning of the second series of studies (from John) with the students, and later that day the first studies took place. Aside from the very first appointment not showing up, as far as I know all of the other people have come and are doing well with the studies so far. The students also seem to be handling the varying English levels well.
Please continue to pray for the campaign. We're asking that God might open hearts and prepare the harvest. Right now we only have 15 people meeting with the students, which is a far smaller number than during past campaigns, but "quality" is more important than quantity, so perhaps these studies will prove to be more fruitful since the students will have more time to meet with each of the readers.
Tomorrow morning Liesel, Sergej, and I leave for Chemnitz for the ETM regional meeting. Elsa took the train to Bern, Switzerland, yesterday for the regional meeting that will take place there. I have to say, I'm ready for ETM to be over, just because of all of the different things that have been going on lately. Between the ladies' retreat, the campaign, and finishing ETM, May has been packed full for me. All of these things have been wonderful; I know that ETM in particular has helped me grow in a number of ways and has given me the opportunity to get to know so many different people whom I'm looking forward to seeing again. But I'm simply in need of a break.
This, oddly enough, is a giant sequoia. (No, I'm not a botanist. There was a sign nearby.) I've never seen one in the U.S., so it was especially weird to me to come across one in the middle of Germany.
This is the Würzburg Residence, a palace built in the 1700s which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Like close to 90% of the rest of Würzburg, it was heavily damaged during a British air raid in March 1945 but has been restored.
I think I'll visit Würzburg again when I can have more time to see things. As it was I got a lecture from Rotraud about making her nervous that I wouldn't come back in time to catch the train. :) She was afraid I'd gotten lost and wouldn't be able to find the train station again.
We did make the next train connection and arrived safely in Neckarzimmern. Since we were in charge of planning the retreat, we had a number of things to do that first evening, but everything went smoothly. Elsa said she was surprisingly relaxed in comparison with other times she's helped plan retreats. Our skits the first evening humorously introduced the week's theme of "Your will be done" and were a big hit, as was the mixer we played to help everyone get to know each other.
One thing I noticed right away was how much more comfortable I felt this year than I did last year after first arriving. I think there are several reasons for that:
1) My German is better. Last year I could hardly understand the Swiss women, even when they spoke in High German; this time I rarely had problems. I think the fact that I spent the ETM Intensive Week listening to the accents of four different Swiss helped a lot. I also understood a lot more during the Bible classes and speeches than last year, and a number of people told me my German had improved.
2) I already knew many of the women. When we arrived last year, I only knew the four others from Bremen, a woman from Augsburg whose husband speaks in Bremen a couple times a year, and one or two women from Hamburg who'd been at a different retreat a couple of months before. Last year's retreat was even the first time I'd met Elsa's daughter, Karin. Because most of the women come year after year, this time I got to see again most of the ones I'd met last year. It's easier to feel at ease when you're not walking into a roomful of complete strangers.
3) I have more self-confidence. My German skills contribute to this, but in general I'm more confident than I was even a few months ago. I think ETM has helped. I've gotten to know myself more and accept who I am. I'm trying to apply my strengths and work on my weaknesses. When you're comfortable with yourself it's easier to be comfortable around other people.
Okay, that's enough for this installment of the Retreat Report. More to come after the weekend in Chemnitz....
Three mornings last week I met with the Harding students to talk about German culture and life in Bremen and then discussed the first studies (from Ecclesiastes) they will work through with people. Then on Friday and Saturday evenings we had "get-to-know-you" parties so that the people who had called about the English studies could meet the students and they could arrange appointments. On Friday 10 people came, and everyone seemed to have a good time. A few people came in saying they were nervous about speaking in English, but they all overcame their jitters and were able to talk with the students. On Saturday we had expected 7 or 8 to come, but only 2 showed up. We made the most of it, though, and still had a good evening.
On Monday I went through the beginning of the second series of studies (from John) with the students, and later that day the first studies took place. Aside from the very first appointment not showing up, as far as I know all of the other people have come and are doing well with the studies so far. The students also seem to be handling the varying English levels well.
Please continue to pray for the campaign. We're asking that God might open hearts and prepare the harvest. Right now we only have 15 people meeting with the students, which is a far smaller number than during past campaigns, but "quality" is more important than quantity, so perhaps these studies will prove to be more fruitful since the students will have more time to meet with each of the readers.
*****
Tomorrow morning Liesel, Sergej, and I leave for Chemnitz for the ETM regional meeting. Elsa took the train to Bern, Switzerland, yesterday for the regional meeting that will take place there. I have to say, I'm ready for ETM to be over, just because of all of the different things that have been going on lately. Between the ladies' retreat, the campaign, and finishing ETM, May has been packed full for me. All of these things have been wonderful; I know that ETM in particular has helped me grow in a number of ways and has given me the opportunity to get to know so many different people whom I'm looking forward to seeing again. But I'm simply in need of a break.
*****
And now for the part I'm sure you've all been itching to hear about....
Nine of us from Bremen took the train down to Neckarzimmern on May 12th (3 others went by car). The trip was going very smoothly until an announcement was made saying that we would arrive in Würzburg (where we were supposed to change trains) about 30 minutes late. A couple of weeks earlier a train tried to go through a tunnel at the same time as a herd of sheep. Apparently there was a big mess to clean up, including the derailed train. As it happened, we were supposed to go through this same tunnel but had to take a detour because of the on-going clean-up and reconstruction project. Hence the delay in getting to Würzburg.
The delay, though, caused us to miss our connecting train, giving us a 2-hour stay in Würzburg until we could catch the next one. We made the most of the time, though. As we wandered around in front of the train station, a kind man directed us to a nearby park , and we headed over there. We spent some time practicing the skits we were scheduled to perform that evening (I can only imagine what passersby thought of us!), and then I took the opportunity to go for a walk, camera in hand. After sitting in a train for about five hours, it was nice to move around, and I always like to explore new places.
And now for the part I'm sure you've all been itching to hear about....
Nine of us from Bremen took the train down to Neckarzimmern on May 12th (3 others went by car). The trip was going very smoothly until an announcement was made saying that we would arrive in Würzburg (where we were supposed to change trains) about 30 minutes late. A couple of weeks earlier a train tried to go through a tunnel at the same time as a herd of sheep. Apparently there was a big mess to clean up, including the derailed train. As it happened, we were supposed to go through this same tunnel but had to take a detour because of the on-going clean-up and reconstruction project. Hence the delay in getting to Würzburg.
The delay, though, caused us to miss our connecting train, giving us a 2-hour stay in Würzburg until we could catch the next one. We made the most of the time, though. As we wandered around in front of the train station, a kind man directed us to a nearby park , and we headed over there. We spent some time practicing the skits we were scheduled to perform that evening (I can only imagine what passersby thought of us!), and then I took the opportunity to go for a walk, camera in hand. After sitting in a train for about five hours, it was nice to move around, and I always like to explore new places.
This, oddly enough, is a giant sequoia. (No, I'm not a botanist. There was a sign nearby.) I've never seen one in the U.S., so it was especially weird to me to come across one in the middle of Germany.
This is the Würzburg Residence, a palace built in the 1700s which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Like close to 90% of the rest of Würzburg, it was heavily damaged during a British air raid in March 1945 but has been restored.
I think I'll visit Würzburg again when I can have more time to see things. As it was I got a lecture from Rotraud about making her nervous that I wouldn't come back in time to catch the train. :) She was afraid I'd gotten lost and wouldn't be able to find the train station again.
We did make the next train connection and arrived safely in Neckarzimmern. Since we were in charge of planning the retreat, we had a number of things to do that first evening, but everything went smoothly. Elsa said she was surprisingly relaxed in comparison with other times she's helped plan retreats. Our skits the first evening humorously introduced the week's theme of "Your will be done" and were a big hit, as was the mixer we played to help everyone get to know each other.
One thing I noticed right away was how much more comfortable I felt this year than I did last year after first arriving. I think there are several reasons for that:
1) My German is better. Last year I could hardly understand the Swiss women, even when they spoke in High German; this time I rarely had problems. I think the fact that I spent the ETM Intensive Week listening to the accents of four different Swiss helped a lot. I also understood a lot more during the Bible classes and speeches than last year, and a number of people told me my German had improved.
2) I already knew many of the women. When we arrived last year, I only knew the four others from Bremen, a woman from Augsburg whose husband speaks in Bremen a couple times a year, and one or two women from Hamburg who'd been at a different retreat a couple of months before. Last year's retreat was even the first time I'd met Elsa's daughter, Karin. Because most of the women come year after year, this time I got to see again most of the ones I'd met last year. It's easier to feel at ease when you're not walking into a roomful of complete strangers.
3) I have more self-confidence. My German skills contribute to this, but in general I'm more confident than I was even a few months ago. I think ETM has helped. I've gotten to know myself more and accept who I am. I'm trying to apply my strengths and work on my weaknesses. When you're comfortable with yourself it's easier to be comfortable around other people.
Okay, that's enough for this installment of the Retreat Report. More to come after the weekend in Chemnitz....
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Busy, busy, busy....
This is going to be quick because I'm tired. :)
We had a great time last week at the ladies' retreat in Neckarzimmern. I believe there were 61 of us from all over Germany and Switzerland. Everyone seemed to really get into the theme for the week ("Your will be done"), and all of the speakers and Bible class teachers did an excellent job preparing for and presenting their individual topics.
Each morning we had a short devotional before breakfast, and I led the devo on Wednesday morning. Quite honestly, I wasn't sure if my stomach was going to be able to handle my nervousness, but I got through it. A number of people came up to me later and said I had done a great job and presented good thoughts on "God as Father." I was just glad it was over. I know, though, that it was good for me. It was a challenge that God helped me tackle and overcome. And I'm sure the next time (if there is one) will be a little bit easier.
I'll share more about the retreat along with some pictures HOPEFULLY by the end of the week.
The campaign group from Harding arrived in Bremen on Monday evening. So far they've been learning how to find their way around the city and use the public transportation system. They're also, of course, battling a bit of jet lag :), but I think that shouldn't last too much longer. This morning I met with them and shared some general information about German culture and life in Bremen. Tomorrow we'll meet again to discuss the get-to-know-you parties we'll have on Friday and Saturday with the people who have called about the English Bible studies, and I also hope to begin discussing the studies themselves, like how the meetings will work, what they'll study, etc. At the parties this weekend the students will be paired up with the "readers" and will make study appointments beginning next week.
Honestly, it's a bit strange for me to be involved with the campaign from this side. I was here in 2003 with a campaign group, but for the last 19 months (yes, as of yesterday it's been that long. Hard to believe.) I've been living here and working with the congregation, so I have to backtrack a bit and remember what it was like as a campaigner and during my first weeks after moving to Bremen. So far it's been an interesting experience.
Other than that, I'm also trying to get my ETM work finished. Friday next week Liesel, Sergej, and I will take the train to Chemnitz for the regional meeting where we'll discuss the assignments we've been working on since the Intensive Week ended in April. Each of us will also give a 20-minute presentation based on a chapter from the book "Ordering Your Private World" by Gordon MacDonald with each presentation followed by group discussion. I'm looking forward to seeing the other "ETMers" again, though the five from Switzerland and the one woman from Munich will meet in Bern, Switzerland. I saw two of the Swiss women last week at the retreat, and I hope to be able to visit the others sometime in the coming months.
I mentioned in my last post that I'm teaching the youngest Sunday school class this month, and this week I agreed to take over teaching the class on a regular basis. Katerina will teach in June and then I'll take over in July. Her baby is due in August, so hopefully this will give her some time to rest before having to care for a newborn.
So, as usual, there's lots going on. A part of me keeps thinking, if I can only get through May.... But as we all know, there's never really a time when life stops sending you things to do. After May is over I'm sure there will be other activities to occupy my time.
Please continue to pray for the people who will study with the campaigners that their hearts might be open.
Please pray for the students that they might have the words to answer questions that will surely come up and that they might be able to share the love of Christ with their readers.
Please pray for me that I might have the strength to finish the tasks I have to do right now. Life's usually not THIS busy, and I'm trying to get through this time but to enjoy it as well instead of wishing it were over.
Thanks for stopping by the ole blog again. May God be with you and bless you wherever you are and in whatever you are doing.
We had a great time last week at the ladies' retreat in Neckarzimmern. I believe there were 61 of us from all over Germany and Switzerland. Everyone seemed to really get into the theme for the week ("Your will be done"), and all of the speakers and Bible class teachers did an excellent job preparing for and presenting their individual topics.
Each morning we had a short devotional before breakfast, and I led the devo on Wednesday morning. Quite honestly, I wasn't sure if my stomach was going to be able to handle my nervousness, but I got through it. A number of people came up to me later and said I had done a great job and presented good thoughts on "God as Father." I was just glad it was over. I know, though, that it was good for me. It was a challenge that God helped me tackle and overcome. And I'm sure the next time (if there is one) will be a little bit easier.
I'll share more about the retreat along with some pictures HOPEFULLY by the end of the week.
The campaign group from Harding arrived in Bremen on Monday evening. So far they've been learning how to find their way around the city and use the public transportation system. They're also, of course, battling a bit of jet lag :), but I think that shouldn't last too much longer. This morning I met with them and shared some general information about German culture and life in Bremen. Tomorrow we'll meet again to discuss the get-to-know-you parties we'll have on Friday and Saturday with the people who have called about the English Bible studies, and I also hope to begin discussing the studies themselves, like how the meetings will work, what they'll study, etc. At the parties this weekend the students will be paired up with the "readers" and will make study appointments beginning next week.
Honestly, it's a bit strange for me to be involved with the campaign from this side. I was here in 2003 with a campaign group, but for the last 19 months (yes, as of yesterday it's been that long. Hard to believe.) I've been living here and working with the congregation, so I have to backtrack a bit and remember what it was like as a campaigner and during my first weeks after moving to Bremen. So far it's been an interesting experience.
Other than that, I'm also trying to get my ETM work finished. Friday next week Liesel, Sergej, and I will take the train to Chemnitz for the regional meeting where we'll discuss the assignments we've been working on since the Intensive Week ended in April. Each of us will also give a 20-minute presentation based on a chapter from the book "Ordering Your Private World" by Gordon MacDonald with each presentation followed by group discussion. I'm looking forward to seeing the other "ETMers" again, though the five from Switzerland and the one woman from Munich will meet in Bern, Switzerland. I saw two of the Swiss women last week at the retreat, and I hope to be able to visit the others sometime in the coming months.
I mentioned in my last post that I'm teaching the youngest Sunday school class this month, and this week I agreed to take over teaching the class on a regular basis. Katerina will teach in June and then I'll take over in July. Her baby is due in August, so hopefully this will give her some time to rest before having to care for a newborn.
So, as usual, there's lots going on. A part of me keeps thinking, if I can only get through May.... But as we all know, there's never really a time when life stops sending you things to do. After May is over I'm sure there will be other activities to occupy my time.
Please continue to pray for the people who will study with the campaigners that their hearts might be open.
Please pray for the students that they might have the words to answer questions that will surely come up and that they might be able to share the love of Christ with their readers.
Please pray for me that I might have the strength to finish the tasks I have to do right now. Life's usually not THIS busy, and I'm trying to get through this time but to enjoy it as well instead of wishing it were over.
Thanks for stopping by the ole blog again. May God be with you and bless you wherever you are and in whatever you are doing.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Continued busyness...and some news
So, I thought it was about time for me to let everyone know what I've been up to lately.
Once again, things have been busy.
A group of us is leaving tomorrow morning for the ladies' retreat in Neckarzimmern. I've mentioned before that the women in Bremen are in charge of planning this year's retreat, so we've been running around this week trying to get last minute details worked out and making sure we have everything we need to take with us. We're expecting 62 women from all over Germany and Switzerland. Last year's retreat was very good, and I'm hoping this year's will be as well. My German is better now than it was last year, so that should help. :)
We get back from the retreat on Friday, and then next Monday the campaign group from Harding arrives. Once again, we've been busy trying to get details settled and prepare the church building so they can stay there. Since we won't have much time after getting back from the retreat before they come, we're trying to get as many things done now as possible. We have 18 people so far who want to meet with the students for English Bible studies, and Rüdiger is being kind enough to take the phone calls while I'm gone this week. Please pray that God will work in the hearts of those who meet with the students, as well as those who are considering participating.
I've been meeting a couple times a week with a woman named Jessica ("yes-ih-kuh" in German) who called a couple weeks ago about the ad for English studies. She didn't seem too thrilled with the idea of reading in the Bible and was wanting to begin meeting with a native English speaker as soon as possible because she's begun teaching English here in town and wants to improve her speaking skills. So, I agreed to meet with her. I've helped her with correcting some papers her students have written and have just spent some time getting to know her. I'm hoping she'll also meet with the students as she's become rather curious about them, but even if she doesn't, I think it's good that I can meet with her.
This past Monday Elsa got back from the U.S. She seemed to have a really good trip. Her class at the Pepperdine Lectureships went well, and she was given Pepperdine's Distinguished Christian Service Award for her 35 years of mission work in Germany. Of course the award is a bit bittersweet since Jim would have received it alongside her and his name would have been on the plaque as well.
On May 1st the congregations in northern Germany got together for the annual "Erster Mai Treffen." Like last year, we met in Bergkirchen, a little village about 20 or so miles west of Hannover. There were about 50 people who came from congregations in Bremen, Kiel, Hamburg, Peine, Hildesheim, Braunschweig, and Berlin. Especially because the congregations are so far apart, May 1, when just about everyone is off of school or work, is a great time for everyone to get together for singing, Bible study, and fellowship. Several of the congregations are rather small (I know Braunschweig only has 9 members, and I believe Hamburg has about the same), so I think the time with other Christians is especially good for them.
We had beautiful weather that day, so a group of us went for a walk in the countryside.
I love this time of year when the fields turn that brilliant shade of gold with the blooming rapeseed. A picture can't capture the color well enough to do it justice.
This month I'm teaching the youngest Sunday school class like I did back in March. Katerina, the usual teacher, and I have been alternating months teaching, but I think I'm going to take over teaching the class later this summer. Katerina is expecting a baby in August, and she won't be able to teach the class and care for the baby at the same time, so she's looking for someone to take her place teaching on a regular basis. I enjoy the class (though admittedly it can be a bit stressful with the little kids), and I think teaching could be a good long-term "project" for me to help with in the congregation.
In other BIG news...I mentioned a while back that I was considering what direction my life should take in the coming months, and I've decided to extend my time in Bremen by a year. My sponsoring congregation in the States has agreed to continue sponsoring and supporting me until August 2009, so I'm working on making sure I'll have the remaining financial support that I need. My landlord has already said that I can stay in my apartment for as long as I want as long as I notify her a couple months before moving out (a common practice here), so that's one less thing to worry about. In the fall I'll have to renew my residency permit, which expires on December 1st, but I've heard it shouldn't be a problem to do that. Thank you for your prayers for wisdom in this decision-making process, and please pray that I will continue to have the funding that I need.
On a personal note, my uncle, Scott, had a massive heart attack yesterday and is in intensive care in Oklahoma City. The hospital called my grandparents and said they needed to come, so they flew out there yesterday from Ohio. Another uncle also arrived yesterday, and my dad's flying to Oklahoma today. From what my dad said, Scott's heart currently is functioning at 15-25% of its normal rate. PLEASE PRAY for Scott. He's only 45, and while things like this are difficult anyway, for my dad it's complicated by the fact that his brother is not a Christian.
Thank you all for continuing to check in on me and for praying for me and the work in Bremen. You're part of the "team." Those of us here in Bremen couldn't do what we're doing without your prayer and financial assistance. It may sound cliché at this point, but it remains true that mission work is a team effort. Some go, some send, and all pray. God uses all of us. Gott mit Euch.
And happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there. Especially mine. :) I love and miss you, Mom. Thanks for putting up with me for all these years! Wish I could be there with you today.
Once again, things have been busy.
A group of us is leaving tomorrow morning for the ladies' retreat in Neckarzimmern. I've mentioned before that the women in Bremen are in charge of planning this year's retreat, so we've been running around this week trying to get last minute details worked out and making sure we have everything we need to take with us. We're expecting 62 women from all over Germany and Switzerland. Last year's retreat was very good, and I'm hoping this year's will be as well. My German is better now than it was last year, so that should help. :)
We get back from the retreat on Friday, and then next Monday the campaign group from Harding arrives. Once again, we've been busy trying to get details settled and prepare the church building so they can stay there. Since we won't have much time after getting back from the retreat before they come, we're trying to get as many things done now as possible. We have 18 people so far who want to meet with the students for English Bible studies, and Rüdiger is being kind enough to take the phone calls while I'm gone this week. Please pray that God will work in the hearts of those who meet with the students, as well as those who are considering participating.
I've been meeting a couple times a week with a woman named Jessica ("yes-ih-kuh" in German) who called a couple weeks ago about the ad for English studies. She didn't seem too thrilled with the idea of reading in the Bible and was wanting to begin meeting with a native English speaker as soon as possible because she's begun teaching English here in town and wants to improve her speaking skills. So, I agreed to meet with her. I've helped her with correcting some papers her students have written and have just spent some time getting to know her. I'm hoping she'll also meet with the students as she's become rather curious about them, but even if she doesn't, I think it's good that I can meet with her.
This past Monday Elsa got back from the U.S. She seemed to have a really good trip. Her class at the Pepperdine Lectureships went well, and she was given Pepperdine's Distinguished Christian Service Award for her 35 years of mission work in Germany. Of course the award is a bit bittersweet since Jim would have received it alongside her and his name would have been on the plaque as well.
On May 1st the congregations in northern Germany got together for the annual "Erster Mai Treffen." Like last year, we met in Bergkirchen, a little village about 20 or so miles west of Hannover. There were about 50 people who came from congregations in Bremen, Kiel, Hamburg, Peine, Hildesheim, Braunschweig, and Berlin. Especially because the congregations are so far apart, May 1, when just about everyone is off of school or work, is a great time for everyone to get together for singing, Bible study, and fellowship. Several of the congregations are rather small (I know Braunschweig only has 9 members, and I believe Hamburg has about the same), so I think the time with other Christians is especially good for them.
We had beautiful weather that day, so a group of us went for a walk in the countryside.
I love this time of year when the fields turn that brilliant shade of gold with the blooming rapeseed. A picture can't capture the color well enough to do it justice.
This month I'm teaching the youngest Sunday school class like I did back in March. Katerina, the usual teacher, and I have been alternating months teaching, but I think I'm going to take over teaching the class later this summer. Katerina is expecting a baby in August, and she won't be able to teach the class and care for the baby at the same time, so she's looking for someone to take her place teaching on a regular basis. I enjoy the class (though admittedly it can be a bit stressful with the little kids), and I think teaching could be a good long-term "project" for me to help with in the congregation.
In other BIG news...I mentioned a while back that I was considering what direction my life should take in the coming months, and I've decided to extend my time in Bremen by a year. My sponsoring congregation in the States has agreed to continue sponsoring and supporting me until August 2009, so I'm working on making sure I'll have the remaining financial support that I need. My landlord has already said that I can stay in my apartment for as long as I want as long as I notify her a couple months before moving out (a common practice here), so that's one less thing to worry about. In the fall I'll have to renew my residency permit, which expires on December 1st, but I've heard it shouldn't be a problem to do that. Thank you for your prayers for wisdom in this decision-making process, and please pray that I will continue to have the funding that I need.
On a personal note, my uncle, Scott, had a massive heart attack yesterday and is in intensive care in Oklahoma City. The hospital called my grandparents and said they needed to come, so they flew out there yesterday from Ohio. Another uncle also arrived yesterday, and my dad's flying to Oklahoma today. From what my dad said, Scott's heart currently is functioning at 15-25% of its normal rate. PLEASE PRAY for Scott. He's only 45, and while things like this are difficult anyway, for my dad it's complicated by the fact that his brother is not a Christian.
Thank you all for continuing to check in on me and for praying for me and the work in Bremen. You're part of the "team." Those of us here in Bremen couldn't do what we're doing without your prayer and financial assistance. It may sound cliché at this point, but it remains true that mission work is a team effort. Some go, some send, and all pray. God uses all of us. Gott mit Euch.
And happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there. Especially mine. :) I love and miss you, Mom. Thanks for putting up with me for all these years! Wish I could be there with you today.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
A glance into Alicia's mind....
Yes, I know that title sounds a bit scary. It sometimes scares me, too.
I thought I'd share with you a few thoughts I've been mulling over lately:
1) Many of the people who have called about the English studies have asked what "kind" of Christians the students are or which church their university is associated with. I've explained to a few people that the church of Christ/Gemeinde Christi is similar to the Baptist church in many ways, but I keep asking myself why there even ARE different churches. Why are there different "types" of Christians? I know, I know, there's 2,000 years-worth of church history filled with people parting ways over human (often petty) disagreements that can answer that question, but it still doesn't make sense to me. Scripture talks about Jesus building only one church, and if there's only one church, there should be only one "type" of Christian. Can't we all just get along and get back to the Bible and the business of winning souls for the Lord?
2) On Sunday while sharing his thoughts before the Lord's Supper, Wolfgang talked a bit about freedom and love, and I really liked what he said. While not verbatim, here's how he put it: "Love requires freedom. Without freedom, it can't be real love. That's why God HAD to give us free will. Otherwise we would just be robots or marionettes. But by giving us freedom to choose, God takes a risk that people might choose AGAINST Him."
God wants so badly for us to return the genuine love He showers upon us that He sent His son to die for me and for you even though we might decide not to accept Jesus' sacrifice. God paved the way to Him, fully knowing that some would select another path that would lead away from Him. I don't believe it is possible for anyone ever to do anything MORE SELFLESS than what God did through Jesus on the cross. God gave all of Himself while risking everything.
3) By sending Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden, God was protecting humans, not punishing them. Had they been allowed to remain in the Garden, they could have eaten from the Tree of Life and lived forever. Humans, though, weren't ready for eternal life at that point because it would have meant an eternity with a broken relationship with God due to the sin they'd committed. By expelling Adam and Eve and keeping them from eating from the Tree of Life, God allowed for the possibility of reunification one day through the blood of Christ. From the beginning God had a plan. How cool is that?
I thought I'd share with you a few thoughts I've been mulling over lately:
1) Many of the people who have called about the English studies have asked what "kind" of Christians the students are or which church their university is associated with. I've explained to a few people that the church of Christ/Gemeinde Christi is similar to the Baptist church in many ways, but I keep asking myself why there even ARE different churches. Why are there different "types" of Christians? I know, I know, there's 2,000 years-worth of church history filled with people parting ways over human (often petty) disagreements that can answer that question, but it still doesn't make sense to me. Scripture talks about Jesus building only one church, and if there's only one church, there should be only one "type" of Christian. Can't we all just get along and get back to the Bible and the business of winning souls for the Lord?
2) On Sunday while sharing his thoughts before the Lord's Supper, Wolfgang talked a bit about freedom and love, and I really liked what he said. While not verbatim, here's how he put it: "Love requires freedom. Without freedom, it can't be real love. That's why God HAD to give us free will. Otherwise we would just be robots or marionettes. But by giving us freedom to choose, God takes a risk that people might choose AGAINST Him."
God wants so badly for us to return the genuine love He showers upon us that He sent His son to die for me and for you even though we might decide not to accept Jesus' sacrifice. God paved the way to Him, fully knowing that some would select another path that would lead away from Him. I don't believe it is possible for anyone ever to do anything MORE SELFLESS than what God did through Jesus on the cross. God gave all of Himself while risking everything.
3) By sending Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden, God was protecting humans, not punishing them. Had they been allowed to remain in the Garden, they could have eaten from the Tree of Life and lived forever. Humans, though, weren't ready for eternal life at that point because it would have meant an eternity with a broken relationship with God due to the sin they'd committed. By expelling Adam and Eve and keeping them from eating from the Tree of Life, God allowed for the possibility of reunification one day through the blood of Christ. From the beginning God had a plan. How cool is that?
And now that my brain has been at least partially freed from its burdens, perhaps I can sleep. Süβe Träume....
Monday, April 28, 2008
Assorted busyness
Now that I've spent about four days trying to get this post finished, here it is. :)
Life continues to be busy.
Elsa left last Thursday for the U.S. On Friday she's speaking at the Pepperdine University lectureship on planting churches in Europe. If you happen to be going to the lectureship, please sit in on her presentation. She's gained a lot of wisdom throughout 35 years of mission work, and she has some things to share that I think can benefit those involved with foreign missions as well as those simply trying to stay the Christian course. Plus, she has the idea in her head that she's not interesting enough for people to come to hear her speak, and I'd like to prove her wrong. :) Please also pray for her nerves to settle and for her to stay healthy. When she left she was battling a sore throat and was worried she might lose her voice. Not good when you have to speak in front of a group.
I spent a couple days last week helping Elsa get ready to leave and working more on Jim's library. There are around 8,000 books, and Jim had assigned numbers to a little over half of them and entered them into a database. Another 2,000 or so had been given partial numbers (based on the classification system Jim designed) and are not in the computer. So far I've been working to assign partial numbers to the other 2,000 or so books. I've got about 80 left, and I've come up with a game plan for how things should proceed:
1) Finish assigning partial numbers.
2) Help Elsa choose books to keep for herself and to use with counseling clients.
3) Set aside books for a small collection at the church building.
4) Create a very basic database of partially cataloged books.
5) Send databases to other missionaries in Germany (possibly throughout Europe?) and ask which books they'd like to have.
As for whatever is left after that:
6) Take them to a used book store OR
7) Pull a large Dumpster up to Elsa's house.
A couple of times already I've actually had to talk Elsa out of going ahead with step 7.
I don't know how long all of that is going to take, but I'm happy to have a plan and to know what I'm working toward. We're also at a point where other people are able to use the books, which makes my heart glad. Rüdiger came over recently to get a few books of sample sermons, and Elsa let one of her neighbors borrow a few books last week. We're also sending a Hebrew Bible to Larry Sullivan in Chemnitz. I know Jim enjoyed using his books regularly, and I'm thrilled to now be able to help others make use of them as well.
One of the continuing challenges for me with the books is dealing with multiple copies. I regularly stumble upon a book I know I've seen before, and sure enough, I find its twin on a shelf in another room. I think sometimes Jim either really, really liked a book and bought several copies to give to others or he just plain forgot that he already owned it. I think the latter is probably the more likely answer.
There are also many books that Jim owned both in English and in German, and I try to put those together when I find them, though it's more complicated than matching identical copies. Many books translated from English into German are given completely different titles, and unless you do some investigating you'd never know from the cover that they were the same book. For example, Jim owned Joshua Harris' book I Kissed Dating Goodbye, and I finally figured out one day that Unkissed But Still Not a Frog is its German counterpart. The sequel in English is called Boy Meets Girl and in German it's Frog Meets Princess. Does all of that say something about the German language and culture? I don't know.
Another BIG project I've been working on lately has been responding to the calls about the ads for the English Bible studies with the campaigners who are coming next month. I spent almost the whole day last Monday on the phone returning calls from the weekend and fielding new calls. So far, though, we only have 9 people committed to meeting with the students and a couple others who aren't sure yet. I don't think it's helped that the 2 newspapers in which we advertise didn't get published last Wednesday due to a fire in the print shop. I have gotten calls, though, from people who have seen posters we've hung around town, so that's been good. PLEASE PRAY that God will open people's hearts and will send us the people we need to be meeting with.
Life continues to be busy.
Elsa left last Thursday for the U.S. On Friday she's speaking at the Pepperdine University lectureship on planting churches in Europe. If you happen to be going to the lectureship, please sit in on her presentation. She's gained a lot of wisdom throughout 35 years of mission work, and she has some things to share that I think can benefit those involved with foreign missions as well as those simply trying to stay the Christian course. Plus, she has the idea in her head that she's not interesting enough for people to come to hear her speak, and I'd like to prove her wrong. :) Please also pray for her nerves to settle and for her to stay healthy. When she left she was battling a sore throat and was worried she might lose her voice. Not good when you have to speak in front of a group.
*****
I spent a couple days last week helping Elsa get ready to leave and working more on Jim's library. There are around 8,000 books, and Jim had assigned numbers to a little over half of them and entered them into a database. Another 2,000 or so had been given partial numbers (based on the classification system Jim designed) and are not in the computer. So far I've been working to assign partial numbers to the other 2,000 or so books. I've got about 80 left, and I've come up with a game plan for how things should proceed:
1) Finish assigning partial numbers.
2) Help Elsa choose books to keep for herself and to use with counseling clients.
3) Set aside books for a small collection at the church building.
4) Create a very basic database of partially cataloged books.
5) Send databases to other missionaries in Germany (possibly throughout Europe?) and ask which books they'd like to have.
As for whatever is left after that:
6) Take them to a used book store OR
7) Pull a large Dumpster up to Elsa's house.
A couple of times already I've actually had to talk Elsa out of going ahead with step 7.
I don't know how long all of that is going to take, but I'm happy to have a plan and to know what I'm working toward. We're also at a point where other people are able to use the books, which makes my heart glad. Rüdiger came over recently to get a few books of sample sermons, and Elsa let one of her neighbors borrow a few books last week. We're also sending a Hebrew Bible to Larry Sullivan in Chemnitz. I know Jim enjoyed using his books regularly, and I'm thrilled to now be able to help others make use of them as well.
One of the continuing challenges for me with the books is dealing with multiple copies. I regularly stumble upon a book I know I've seen before, and sure enough, I find its twin on a shelf in another room. I think sometimes Jim either really, really liked a book and bought several copies to give to others or he just plain forgot that he already owned it. I think the latter is probably the more likely answer.
There are also many books that Jim owned both in English and in German, and I try to put those together when I find them, though it's more complicated than matching identical copies. Many books translated from English into German are given completely different titles, and unless you do some investigating you'd never know from the cover that they were the same book. For example, Jim owned Joshua Harris' book I Kissed Dating Goodbye, and I finally figured out one day that Unkissed But Still Not a Frog is its German counterpart. The sequel in English is called Boy Meets Girl and in German it's Frog Meets Princess. Does all of that say something about the German language and culture? I don't know.
*****
Last weekend I went to the European Singles' Retreat in Gemünden, Germany (yes, the same place I went for the ETM intensive week). There were about 30 of us there, and while we all currently live in Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, or the Netherlands, the nationalities also included Syrian, Russian, American (several besides me), and even one woman from Curacao. Just like with ETM, I really enjoyed meeting other Christians from so many other places. I think it reminds me how truly global God's family is and should be.
The whole weekend was in English since the participants come from so many different places. While I did speak some German with people who struggle a bit with English, it was nice to speak in English for a while. One of the big highlights of the weekend for me was getting to sing in English. Saturday evening a group of us sang for over two hours, one song after the other. Many of the songs I remember learning around the campfire at Fort Hill Christian Youth Camp during summers growing up or in chapel services at Harding. While I've learned to enjoy singing in German and find it uplifting, there's just something about singing in your native language with other Christians that can make your heart smile.
Another highlight of the weekend: s'mores! We weren't able to make them over a campfire because it had rained all day, but they turned out pretty well in the oven. I asked one of the retreat organizers where she found graham crackers, and she said she got them in the commissary on one of the military bases in the Frankfurt area. She even sent a leftover box home with me. I never cease to be surprised at the weird things I suddenly miss from the U.S.
The whole weekend was in English since the participants come from so many different places. While I did speak some German with people who struggle a bit with English, it was nice to speak in English for a while. One of the big highlights of the weekend for me was getting to sing in English. Saturday evening a group of us sang for over two hours, one song after the other. Many of the songs I remember learning around the campfire at Fort Hill Christian Youth Camp during summers growing up or in chapel services at Harding. While I've learned to enjoy singing in German and find it uplifting, there's just something about singing in your native language with other Christians that can make your heart smile.
Another highlight of the weekend: s'mores! We weren't able to make them over a campfire because it had rained all day, but they turned out pretty well in the oven. I asked one of the retreat organizers where she found graham crackers, and she said she got them in the commissary on one of the military bases in the Frankfurt area. She even sent a leftover box home with me. I never cease to be surprised at the weird things I suddenly miss from the U.S.
*****
Another BIG project I've been working on lately has been responding to the calls about the ads for the English Bible studies with the campaigners who are coming next month. I spent almost the whole day last Monday on the phone returning calls from the weekend and fielding new calls. So far, though, we only have 9 people committed to meeting with the students and a couple others who aren't sure yet. I don't think it's helped that the 2 newspapers in which we advertise didn't get published last Wednesday due to a fire in the print shop. I have gotten calls, though, from people who have seen posters we've hung around town, so that's been good. PLEASE PRAY that God will open people's hearts and will send us the people we need to be meeting with.
*****
Today I spent the afternoon visiting Julia. She and her husband, Herbert, both met with the campaigners who were here in 2004, and I met her in 2005 in Searcy when she came to visit Mark and Karen (she'd met them while they were also in Bremen in 2004). The last time I saw her was the day before Jim's funeral in October when her son, Marcel, was just under four weeks old, so when she called me last week to ask an English question, we decided I was overdue for a visit to her house. Marcel is now seven months old and, needless to say, looks just a bit different than the last time I saw him. Julia works as a translator between Russian, German, and English, and I helped her this afternoon with some English grammar and translation.
We also had an interesting conversation about faith. She talked about how religion was forbidden while she was growing up in Russia, so faith is basically nothing more to her than a tradition that some people practice. I explained to her that even though my parents are Christians and I grew up going to church, I was the one who had to decide for myself if my faith was my own rather than just something I inherited as a tradition from my parents. I've made my faith my own and am trying to live it in my daily life. I don't know if she understood what I was trying to say or not, but Herbert later told me that he and Julia wanted to know if I would meet with Julia's daughter, Vladislava, to help her with English and to "teach her about religion and what her life means." I told him that I should be able to do that after the campaigners leave in June. It should be interesting to see what comes from all of it.
Thanks for checking in on me and life in Bremen and for your prayers. Please continue to lift me, the Bremen congregation, and the upcoming campaign up to the Father. Gott mit Euch!
We also had an interesting conversation about faith. She talked about how religion was forbidden while she was growing up in Russia, so faith is basically nothing more to her than a tradition that some people practice. I explained to her that even though my parents are Christians and I grew up going to church, I was the one who had to decide for myself if my faith was my own rather than just something I inherited as a tradition from my parents. I've made my faith my own and am trying to live it in my daily life. I don't know if she understood what I was trying to say or not, but Herbert later told me that he and Julia wanted to know if I would meet with Julia's daughter, Vladislava, to help her with English and to "teach her about religion and what her life means." I told him that I should be able to do that after the campaigners leave in June. It should be interesting to see what comes from all of it.
Thanks for checking in on me and life in Bremen and for your prayers. Please continue to lift me, the Bremen congregation, and the upcoming campaign up to the Father. Gott mit Euch!
Sunday, April 13, 2008
ETM in Gemünden, Part II
I guess I should have said, "Part II coming the day after tomorrow." :)
So, the week in Gemünden went well. I went for a hike one afternoon with my roommate, Barbara, and I managed to get her and several others addicted to the card game "SET". I learned how to play about 10 years ago, and because it's not really the kind of game that appeals to everyone, I usually play by myself. The deck in Gemünden was the first I've seen in Germany, and I was surprised to find that a few other people there already knew how to play. It was fun to teach Barbara and others and to then see them teaching still more people.
Each of us during the week had to give a 10-minute presentation to the group based on an article we had read. We were supposed to describe the principle discussed by the author, how it is useful, and how it can be applied in the church. All of the topics had something to do with self-improvement, communication skills, or time- and priority-management. I chose the article on the "Pareto Principle," which is named after the Italian sociologist who discovered it. It basically says that 20% of your expenditure is so important that it will achieve 80% of your goal. I think in English it's known as the "20:80 Rule." I had volunteered to present on Friday along with three others, and as we were about to begin after our lunch break, I realized that some of the visitors (ETMers from previous years) had come in the room to watch the presentations. I was already extremely nervous (about the German, not about getting up in front of people), and seeing the new people sent my blood pressure soaring. I looked over at Elsa with what I guess was panic etched across my face, and she laughed and said, "That's what you get for going on the last day." *Sigh* Somehow I made it through without passing out.
Last weekend was spent as an ETM reunion of sorts. Participants from previous years came, some with their families, and we discussed how ETM has benefited our lives; what things can be improved; and possibilities for future advanced courses, which are ones that can be completed after finishing the basic course, the one I'm doing now. I enjoyed meeting new people from all over the country (and at least one from Zurich, Switzerland) and seeing Elsa's daughter, Karin, and her family again. I know Elsa really enjoyed getting to see her daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughters (or at least the ones who live in Switzerland) again, too. The last time I saw them was at Jim's funeral, which wasn't exactly the ideal situation for socializing. I got to spend some time last weekend playing with Karin's daughters, Alicia (uh-LEES-ee-uh) and Liliana. There are times when Elsa pronounces my name like her granddaughter's and vice versa. I think with both of us there she had even more trouble keeping straight which of us is "uh-lees-ee-uh" and which is "uh-lish-uh." :)
As for ETM, it continues until the end of May. At that point we'll get together again for "regional meetings." Until then we have a couple of assignments to complete, including reading Ordne dein Leben (the German translation of Ordering Your Private World) by Gordon MacDonald. At the meeting each of us will present a Bible study or some other formal presentation on a chapter from the book. Those of us from "the north" will get together in Chemnitz, with the men and women meeting separately.
This weekend has gone well. I'm doing some organizing in my apartment and trying to get caught up on some things after being gone. I've had one other person call in response to the ads for English studies, so we've got a grand total of 2 so far. Please pray that God will work in the hearts of the people of this city and that He'll prepare people for the campaigners to study with.
Enjoy the rest of the weekend, and have a wonderful start to the week. Thanks for checking in on me and for your thoughts and prayers. They keep me going. Gott mit Euch.
So, the week in Gemünden went well. I went for a hike one afternoon with my roommate, Barbara, and I managed to get her and several others addicted to the card game "SET". I learned how to play about 10 years ago, and because it's not really the kind of game that appeals to everyone, I usually play by myself. The deck in Gemünden was the first I've seen in Germany, and I was surprised to find that a few other people there already knew how to play. It was fun to teach Barbara and others and to then see them teaching still more people.
Each of us during the week had to give a 10-minute presentation to the group based on an article we had read. We were supposed to describe the principle discussed by the author, how it is useful, and how it can be applied in the church. All of the topics had something to do with self-improvement, communication skills, or time- and priority-management. I chose the article on the "Pareto Principle," which is named after the Italian sociologist who discovered it. It basically says that 20% of your expenditure is so important that it will achieve 80% of your goal. I think in English it's known as the "20:80 Rule." I had volunteered to present on Friday along with three others, and as we were about to begin after our lunch break, I realized that some of the visitors (ETMers from previous years) had come in the room to watch the presentations. I was already extremely nervous (about the German, not about getting up in front of people), and seeing the new people sent my blood pressure soaring. I looked over at Elsa with what I guess was panic etched across my face, and she laughed and said, "That's what you get for going on the last day." *Sigh* Somehow I made it through without passing out.
Last weekend was spent as an ETM reunion of sorts. Participants from previous years came, some with their families, and we discussed how ETM has benefited our lives; what things can be improved; and possibilities for future advanced courses, which are ones that can be completed after finishing the basic course, the one I'm doing now. I enjoyed meeting new people from all over the country (and at least one from Zurich, Switzerland) and seeing Elsa's daughter, Karin, and her family again. I know Elsa really enjoyed getting to see her daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughters (or at least the ones who live in Switzerland) again, too. The last time I saw them was at Jim's funeral, which wasn't exactly the ideal situation for socializing. I got to spend some time last weekend playing with Karin's daughters, Alicia (uh-LEES-ee-uh) and Liliana. There are times when Elsa pronounces my name like her granddaughter's and vice versa. I think with both of us there she had even more trouble keeping straight which of us is "uh-lees-ee-uh" and which is "uh-lish-uh." :)
As for ETM, it continues until the end of May. At that point we'll get together again for "regional meetings." Until then we have a couple of assignments to complete, including reading Ordne dein Leben (the German translation of Ordering Your Private World) by Gordon MacDonald. At the meeting each of us will present a Bible study or some other formal presentation on a chapter from the book. Those of us from "the north" will get together in Chemnitz, with the men and women meeting separately.
This weekend has gone well. I'm doing some organizing in my apartment and trying to get caught up on some things after being gone. I've had one other person call in response to the ads for English studies, so we've got a grand total of 2 so far. Please pray that God will work in the hearts of the people of this city and that He'll prepare people for the campaigners to study with.
Enjoy the rest of the weekend, and have a wonderful start to the week. Thanks for checking in on me and for your thoughts and prayers. They keep me going. Gott mit Euch.
Friday, April 11, 2008
ETM in Gemünden, Part I
Now that I'm much more awake....
I first want to thank the ladies from Mothers of Missionaries (MOMs) for the nice card they sent me. The card arrived sometime last week while I was gone, so it was a welcome surprise waiting for me when I got back. Thank you for thinking of me and for praying for me and for the work in Bremen.
It's hard to believe it's already been five days since we got back from Gemünden. This week has flown by. The first ads for English conversation (part of the campaign that starts next month) were published in a couple of the newspapers here in town on Wednesday. I'm the one taking the calls for the next couple weeks, and I'll admit the past couple days for me have been nerve-wracking waiting for someone to call. Elsa gave me a "script" that she used in previous years, and I tweaked it a bit to better fit my personality and the circumstances of this year's campaign.
And...I'm thrilled to announce that about 15 minutes ago I hung up with the first caller, and after talking with me he is still interested in participating! Yay! :) Since the Munich congregation had success with a similar program WITHOUT initially telling callers that the Bible would be used as a text and starting point for the English conversations, Elsa and I debated about whether or not to do the same with our callers. I decided to go ahead and tell them so as to be totally up-front and honest with them and to avoid later surprises and frustrations. I figure that we're offering a free service, and if they have an issue with the Bible, then they can say "No thanks" and that's that. They haven't lost anything but the few minutes they spent calling. We've been praying that God will prepare the hearts of those who call and that He will send us those who need to participate in this program at this time. The man who called a little while ago said he went to a Catholic school and had no problem with the Bible. Whew! Thank you, Lord, for hearing prayers and making the first call an easy one.
I've also spent time this week working at Elsa's. I'm slowly working my way through the books, deciding to get rid of some and assigning the others to broad categories within Jim's classification system. Last week I told Larry Sullivan, the American missionary who taught the ETM intensive week, that Elsa does not want to keep all of the books, and he asked me to look for a few books that he is needing for his work in the congregation in Chemnitz. Yesterday I found a Hebrew Bible, which Larry is needing, so Elsa said we can send it to him along with other books he might be able to use. My hope is that we'll be able to supply other missionaries around Germany (and maybe in other countries as well) with resources they might need for the work in their respective cities. 8,000 books can stretch a long way, and I'm sure there's something for everyone among them.
Now, to the ETM intensive week. It was stressful at times but overall wonderful. After doing projects at home for two weeks, I enjoyed meeting the other people who had been doing the same work I had. Of course I already knew Sergej and Liesel since they live in Bremen, but of the other 11 participants I had only met two of them before at the ladies' retreat in Neckarzimmern last year. Members of 3 congregations in Germany and 3 in Switzerland comprise the group, and, probably more surprising to me, 6 nationalities are represented: German, Swiss, American, Russian, Czech, and Hungarian. We range in age from 23 to 69 with a wide variety of education levels. This year's group is the largest they've ever had, and I don't believe the group has ever before been this diverse.
Basically we spent 6 to 7 hours a day in a lecture format and doing small group discussions. Before arriving we had done assignments that I talked about in a previous post, and we discussed those together. We spent a lot of time elaborating on the importance of prayer and then walking step-by-step through the Lord's Prayer and fleshing out the details of each of its six components. The prayer notebook project is meant to continue for the next 6 weeks, but the ultimate goal is to help us become a people of prayer who daily devote time to prayer, making it a priority in our walk with the Lord.
We also spent a great deal of time discussing talents, interests, and spiritual gifts. Before we went to Gemünden, each of us gave a copy of a survey to three different people. Each of those people answered the questions as they applied to us, and they then sent them to Elsa, who entered them in a spreadsheet. At the beginning of last week, each of us then filled out a similar but MUCH longer survey about ourselves. All of the questions required us to rank either how much we enjoy; can see ourselves participating in; or already do a certain activity. Elsa then entered those results in the spreadsheet, and the resulting printout was very interesting. During the week we discussed 11 different "non-miraculous" spiritual gifts as described in the New Testament:
1) mercy and compassion
2) serving
3) encouragement and counseling
4) evangelism
5) giving
6) helping
7) shepherding
8) teaching
9) leading
10) speaking
11) differentiating between spirits (i.e., good and evil)
Elsa's printouts included a graph showing which gifts we possibly have based on the answers we and our friends gave on the surveys. It was fascinating to see some of the differences between what we thought and what our friends thought. For example, my answers indicate that I think I have the gift of "helping," but answers given by those to whom I gave the surveys scored highly under "serving." Elsa's explanation for this: they're all seeing the same things that I do, but we're categorizing them in different ways. While I tend to see my activities as helping someone else accomplish something, other people see them as taking responsibility for serving others. The point was to help us all examine ourselves and identify the gifts and interests God has given us and then to see how we can better use them to serve Him.
Probably the hardest discussions for me were about setting goals and creating a life vision, all of which should be based on implementing our God-given gifts and interests. I think I had such a hard time with it because that's exactly what I've been working on lately with deciding whether or not to stay longer in Germany. Disassembling your life and taking a critical look at the pieces and then putting them back together to decide where you're headed and if it's in the right direction is not always a pleasant experience. As a matter of fact, it hurts. But it's necessary if we're going to make the best use of the time God's given us on earth.
Part II coming tomorrow....
I first want to thank the ladies from Mothers of Missionaries (MOMs) for the nice card they sent me. The card arrived sometime last week while I was gone, so it was a welcome surprise waiting for me when I got back. Thank you for thinking of me and for praying for me and for the work in Bremen.
It's hard to believe it's already been five days since we got back from Gemünden. This week has flown by. The first ads for English conversation (part of the campaign that starts next month) were published in a couple of the newspapers here in town on Wednesday. I'm the one taking the calls for the next couple weeks, and I'll admit the past couple days for me have been nerve-wracking waiting for someone to call. Elsa gave me a "script" that she used in previous years, and I tweaked it a bit to better fit my personality and the circumstances of this year's campaign.
And...I'm thrilled to announce that about 15 minutes ago I hung up with the first caller, and after talking with me he is still interested in participating! Yay! :) Since the Munich congregation had success with a similar program WITHOUT initially telling callers that the Bible would be used as a text and starting point for the English conversations, Elsa and I debated about whether or not to do the same with our callers. I decided to go ahead and tell them so as to be totally up-front and honest with them and to avoid later surprises and frustrations. I figure that we're offering a free service, and if they have an issue with the Bible, then they can say "No thanks" and that's that. They haven't lost anything but the few minutes they spent calling. We've been praying that God will prepare the hearts of those who call and that He will send us those who need to participate in this program at this time. The man who called a little while ago said he went to a Catholic school and had no problem with the Bible. Whew! Thank you, Lord, for hearing prayers and making the first call an easy one.
I've also spent time this week working at Elsa's. I'm slowly working my way through the books, deciding to get rid of some and assigning the others to broad categories within Jim's classification system. Last week I told Larry Sullivan, the American missionary who taught the ETM intensive week, that Elsa does not want to keep all of the books, and he asked me to look for a few books that he is needing for his work in the congregation in Chemnitz. Yesterday I found a Hebrew Bible, which Larry is needing, so Elsa said we can send it to him along with other books he might be able to use. My hope is that we'll be able to supply other missionaries around Germany (and maybe in other countries as well) with resources they might need for the work in their respective cities. 8,000 books can stretch a long way, and I'm sure there's something for everyone among them.
Now, to the ETM intensive week. It was stressful at times but overall wonderful. After doing projects at home for two weeks, I enjoyed meeting the other people who had been doing the same work I had. Of course I already knew Sergej and Liesel since they live in Bremen, but of the other 11 participants I had only met two of them before at the ladies' retreat in Neckarzimmern last year. Members of 3 congregations in Germany and 3 in Switzerland comprise the group, and, probably more surprising to me, 6 nationalities are represented: German, Swiss, American, Russian, Czech, and Hungarian. We range in age from 23 to 69 with a wide variety of education levels. This year's group is the largest they've ever had, and I don't believe the group has ever before been this diverse.
Basically we spent 6 to 7 hours a day in a lecture format and doing small group discussions. Before arriving we had done assignments that I talked about in a previous post, and we discussed those together. We spent a lot of time elaborating on the importance of prayer and then walking step-by-step through the Lord's Prayer and fleshing out the details of each of its six components. The prayer notebook project is meant to continue for the next 6 weeks, but the ultimate goal is to help us become a people of prayer who daily devote time to prayer, making it a priority in our walk with the Lord.
We also spent a great deal of time discussing talents, interests, and spiritual gifts. Before we went to Gemünden, each of us gave a copy of a survey to three different people. Each of those people answered the questions as they applied to us, and they then sent them to Elsa, who entered them in a spreadsheet. At the beginning of last week, each of us then filled out a similar but MUCH longer survey about ourselves. All of the questions required us to rank either how much we enjoy; can see ourselves participating in; or already do a certain activity. Elsa then entered those results in the spreadsheet, and the resulting printout was very interesting. During the week we discussed 11 different "non-miraculous" spiritual gifts as described in the New Testament:
1) mercy and compassion
2) serving
3) encouragement and counseling
4) evangelism
5) giving
6) helping
7) shepherding
8) teaching
9) leading
10) speaking
11) differentiating between spirits (i.e., good and evil)
Elsa's printouts included a graph showing which gifts we possibly have based on the answers we and our friends gave on the surveys. It was fascinating to see some of the differences between what we thought and what our friends thought. For example, my answers indicate that I think I have the gift of "helping," but answers given by those to whom I gave the surveys scored highly under "serving." Elsa's explanation for this: they're all seeing the same things that I do, but we're categorizing them in different ways. While I tend to see my activities as helping someone else accomplish something, other people see them as taking responsibility for serving others. The point was to help us all examine ourselves and identify the gifts and interests God has given us and then to see how we can better use them to serve Him.
Probably the hardest discussions for me were about setting goals and creating a life vision, all of which should be based on implementing our God-given gifts and interests. I think I had such a hard time with it because that's exactly what I've been working on lately with deciding whether or not to stay longer in Germany. Disassembling your life and taking a critical look at the pieces and then putting them back together to decide where you're headed and if it's in the right direction is not always a pleasant experience. As a matter of fact, it hurts. But it's necessary if we're going to make the best use of the time God's given us on earth.
Part II coming tomorrow....
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Trying...to stay...awake....
I'm way too tired to do a full post tonight, but I wanted to go ahead and let you all know that we made it back from Gemünden on Sunday evening. We had a great week, and tomorrow (I PROMISE!) I'll post more about it.
I think I got behind on sleep last week, and I'm still not caught up. Last night I got almost 10 hours of sleep and still fell asleep on the streetcar on the way to Elsa's this afternoon. I probably would have missed my stop if I had not heard my name and opened my eyes to see a woman from church sitting across the aisle grinning at me.
Okay, I've made it to 10:00, so I think it's safe to head to bed now without risking waking up at 4 AM.
Gute Nacht und süβe Träume.
I think I got behind on sleep last week, and I'm still not caught up. Last night I got almost 10 hours of sleep and still fell asleep on the streetcar on the way to Elsa's this afternoon. I probably would have missed my stop if I had not heard my name and opened my eyes to see a woman from church sitting across the aisle grinning at me.
Okay, I've made it to 10:00, so I think it's safe to head to bed now without risking waking up at 4 AM.
Gute Nacht und süβe Träume.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
More projects...and BIG decisions
I seem to say this in every blog post, but it's been yet another busy week here.
I babysat 2.5-year old Johannes two mornings this week. It's been a long time since I last played in the dirt, but that's what we did for almost two hours one day, first at the playground and then in the sandbox in the backyard. Johannes had fun, and since his sister was at preschool, there were no sibling spats for me to break up. :)
Yesterday evening we had a planning meeting for the ladies' retreat that's coming up in about six weeks. Things are coming together well, and I've accepted/been given more jobs. The theme is "Your Will be Done," and one evening we're going to play a charades-type game acting out Bible stories that include prayer. I'm responsible for the stories of Gideon (Judges 6:36-40) and Daniel (Daniel 6:1-16), so I had to come up with pantomimes that show how prayer was used in each case. Last night we worked through all the scenes, making sure we could recognize the stories, and let's just say it should be very humorous when that night at the retreat comes around. I'm also going to be in one of three skits we'll be doing the first night. These skits were originally performed at a different retreat last year, and one of the young women won't be able to come in May, so I'm taking over her role.
We're also getting ready for the campaigners who will be coming in May to stay for four weeks. There's advertising and phone calls that have to be done ahead of time to ensure that there are people ready to study with the students soon after they arrive. In the middle of the advertising time, Elsa will be in California speaking at Pepperdine University's lectureships, and Mark and Karen will be in the States for their daughter's wedding, so I'm going to be doing a big part of the phone work since: 1) I'm the only other native English speaker in the congregation and 2) I did some phone work last year when Elsa lost her voice while I was making contacts for English Bible studies. When people respond to ads about the studies, we not only have to explain who the students are and what they plan to do, we also have to find out how much English and how well the caller speaks. That's not easy for a non-native speaker to do. Rüdiger has agreed to do some of the phone work (he speaks English very well), but he was hesitant about how much he was willing to commit to doing. Hopefully it will all get worked out one way or another.
I came to Bremen as a campaigner for six weeks in the summer of 2003, and I have to say it's odd to be now on this side of a campaign. In a way it feels like the transition I made from being a student worker at Harding's library to working there full-time and supervising students, some of whom were my former classmates and co-workers. It's not often in life you get to live both sides of a situation, and I pray my previous campaign experience will be useful both in making contacts and in working with the students who come this year.
Tomorrow afternoon, Elsa, Liesel, Sergej, and I will drive down to Gemünden (northwest of Frankfurt am Main) for the ETM Intensive Week. ETM officially started on the 17th, and the past two weeks have included work at home. We've been reading part of a book on personality types and doing some Bible studies looking at what Scripture says about various spiritual gifts. For now we've been concentrating on the "non-miraculous" gifts like teaching, evangelizing, and shepherding. Next week will see lectures and discussion, group work, and presentations. This week I've been trying to get myself ready to go and helped Elsa put together parts of the binders we'll be using in Gemünden.
For the entire 10 weeks of ETM we're supposed to spend 15 minutes each day in concentrated prayer and keep a prayer notebook. We're using the different elements of the Lord's Prayer as starting points and are incorporating other Scriptures as well. The goals are to strengthen our prayer lives and to learn to approach prayer from God's perspective, and it's not an easy thing to do. I've realized through this process that while I've never felt like I use prayer to provide God with a wish list of things I want Him to do for me, I still have been approaching prayer from my perspective rather than God's. I don't know how to explain that right now. I do know that I've noticed differences between my own prayers and those that I read in the Bible (David's in 1 Chronicles 17 and Hannah's in 1 Samuel 2, for example) as far as acknowledging who God is and what He's done and is doing. Beyond that recognition, I'm still working through it.
Aside from all of that, probably the biggest thing I've been doing lately is trying to figure out what step my life will take next. My 2-year commitment in Bremen officially ends in October, and my residency permit expires on December 1st. My plan has been to leave Bremen around the middle of November. I feel like I'm at a fork in the road, and unlike most forks, this one has an almost endless number of paths I could take. The two options I'm currently spending the most time weighing are: 1) going to graduate school and 2) extending my time in Bremen. There are pros and cons to each, and I'm trying to sort through them all and consider all sides. I know I can't wait too much longer to make a decision because I'll need time to prepare for whatever decision I make. I obviously would need to apply for grad school if I was going to go that route, and if I stay in Bremen I have to renew my residency permit (which apparently is possible if you can wade through the German bureaucracy again), make sure I have continued financial support, and get permission from my landlord to keep my apartment longer. As it is, I'm not the most decisive person in the world, and when it comes to big things like this I get even more paranoid about making the "wrong" decision or upsetting someone.
Please pray that I can have wisdom in making this decision. Overall I want to use my life to serve the Lord, and I know He can and will use me (as long as I let Him) no matter where I go.
I babysat 2.5-year old Johannes two mornings this week. It's been a long time since I last played in the dirt, but that's what we did for almost two hours one day, first at the playground and then in the sandbox in the backyard. Johannes had fun, and since his sister was at preschool, there were no sibling spats for me to break up. :)
Yesterday evening we had a planning meeting for the ladies' retreat that's coming up in about six weeks. Things are coming together well, and I've accepted/been given more jobs. The theme is "Your Will be Done," and one evening we're going to play a charades-type game acting out Bible stories that include prayer. I'm responsible for the stories of Gideon (Judges 6:36-40) and Daniel (Daniel 6:1-16), so I had to come up with pantomimes that show how prayer was used in each case. Last night we worked through all the scenes, making sure we could recognize the stories, and let's just say it should be very humorous when that night at the retreat comes around. I'm also going to be in one of three skits we'll be doing the first night. These skits were originally performed at a different retreat last year, and one of the young women won't be able to come in May, so I'm taking over her role.
We're also getting ready for the campaigners who will be coming in May to stay for four weeks. There's advertising and phone calls that have to be done ahead of time to ensure that there are people ready to study with the students soon after they arrive. In the middle of the advertising time, Elsa will be in California speaking at Pepperdine University's lectureships, and Mark and Karen will be in the States for their daughter's wedding, so I'm going to be doing a big part of the phone work since: 1) I'm the only other native English speaker in the congregation and 2) I did some phone work last year when Elsa lost her voice while I was making contacts for English Bible studies. When people respond to ads about the studies, we not only have to explain who the students are and what they plan to do, we also have to find out how much English and how well the caller speaks. That's not easy for a non-native speaker to do. Rüdiger has agreed to do some of the phone work (he speaks English very well), but he was hesitant about how much he was willing to commit to doing. Hopefully it will all get worked out one way or another.
I came to Bremen as a campaigner for six weeks in the summer of 2003, and I have to say it's odd to be now on this side of a campaign. In a way it feels like the transition I made from being a student worker at Harding's library to working there full-time and supervising students, some of whom were my former classmates and co-workers. It's not often in life you get to live both sides of a situation, and I pray my previous campaign experience will be useful both in making contacts and in working with the students who come this year.
Tomorrow afternoon, Elsa, Liesel, Sergej, and I will drive down to Gemünden (northwest of Frankfurt am Main) for the ETM Intensive Week. ETM officially started on the 17th, and the past two weeks have included work at home. We've been reading part of a book on personality types and doing some Bible studies looking at what Scripture says about various spiritual gifts. For now we've been concentrating on the "non-miraculous" gifts like teaching, evangelizing, and shepherding. Next week will see lectures and discussion, group work, and presentations. This week I've been trying to get myself ready to go and helped Elsa put together parts of the binders we'll be using in Gemünden.
For the entire 10 weeks of ETM we're supposed to spend 15 minutes each day in concentrated prayer and keep a prayer notebook. We're using the different elements of the Lord's Prayer as starting points and are incorporating other Scriptures as well. The goals are to strengthen our prayer lives and to learn to approach prayer from God's perspective, and it's not an easy thing to do. I've realized through this process that while I've never felt like I use prayer to provide God with a wish list of things I want Him to do for me, I still have been approaching prayer from my perspective rather than God's. I don't know how to explain that right now. I do know that I've noticed differences between my own prayers and those that I read in the Bible (David's in 1 Chronicles 17 and Hannah's in 1 Samuel 2, for example) as far as acknowledging who God is and what He's done and is doing. Beyond that recognition, I'm still working through it.
Aside from all of that, probably the biggest thing I've been doing lately is trying to figure out what step my life will take next. My 2-year commitment in Bremen officially ends in October, and my residency permit expires on December 1st. My plan has been to leave Bremen around the middle of November. I feel like I'm at a fork in the road, and unlike most forks, this one has an almost endless number of paths I could take. The two options I'm currently spending the most time weighing are: 1) going to graduate school and 2) extending my time in Bremen. There are pros and cons to each, and I'm trying to sort through them all and consider all sides. I know I can't wait too much longer to make a decision because I'll need time to prepare for whatever decision I make. I obviously would need to apply for grad school if I was going to go that route, and if I stay in Bremen I have to renew my residency permit (which apparently is possible if you can wade through the German bureaucracy again), make sure I have continued financial support, and get permission from my landlord to keep my apartment longer. As it is, I'm not the most decisive person in the world, and when it comes to big things like this I get even more paranoid about making the "wrong" decision or upsetting someone.
Please pray that I can have wisdom in making this decision. Overall I want to use my life to serve the Lord, and I know He can and will use me (as long as I let Him) no matter where I go.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
A moral and cultural dilemma
On Monday, two men probably in their late-20s were in front of me in the check-out line in the grocery store. As the cashier finished helping the person in front of them, one of her co-workers came over to ask for help with something. While the cashier was distracted, one of the men told the other to take the 6-pack of beer they were going to buy and set it on the table by the window where other customers were bagging their purchases. I watched the man do as his friend told him, incredulous that I was actually seeing this happen.
The cashier finished helping her colleague, greeted the men in front of me, and began scanning their groceries, oblivious to the fact that the beer was no longer there. While his friend got out money to pay, the man who had moved the beer swooped up their other things, took them over to the waiting beer, and hurriedly dumped everything into a grocery bag.
The entire time this scene was unfolding all I could do was think, I have to say something. I can't just knowingly let these guys steal right in front of me. But I couldn't come up with anything to say. Even if I would have known what to say, I don't know how I would have gone about doing it because the men were standing right in front of me.
I rode the whole way home on the streetcar feeling guilty and thinking I should have done something to stop them. The thing is, this isn't the first time I've seen someone stealing. One day last year while the streetcar I was on was stopped to pick up people, I witnessed a man in one swift motion pick up an umbrella from a rack outside a drug store and stuff it under his jacket, all while continuing to casually stroll down the sidewalk. I recognized that man as one I'd seen get caught trying to steal some salami in a grocery store a couple of weeks earlier.
I shared this experience with Elsa, and she said she might have said something like, "Excuse me. You forgot your beer," depending on how "scruffy" the guys looked, but that in most cases she probably would have reacted the way I did. She reminded me that those men in the store acted based on the guidelines of non-Christian, European culture. I told her there are still non-Christians who value honesty and integrity.
How does a Christian go about handling situations like this? In an effort to protect yourself, do you let someone get away with breaking the law and, even worse, being dishonest? How does the situation change when you're in a foreign culture? Or does it? How would Jesus have handled a similar incident?
I don't know the answers to those questions. I do know that the whole experience bothers me, and I hope I'm not confronted with a similar one in the future.
The cashier finished helping her colleague, greeted the men in front of me, and began scanning their groceries, oblivious to the fact that the beer was no longer there. While his friend got out money to pay, the man who had moved the beer swooped up their other things, took them over to the waiting beer, and hurriedly dumped everything into a grocery bag.
The entire time this scene was unfolding all I could do was think, I have to say something. I can't just knowingly let these guys steal right in front of me. But I couldn't come up with anything to say. Even if I would have known what to say, I don't know how I would have gone about doing it because the men were standing right in front of me.
I rode the whole way home on the streetcar feeling guilty and thinking I should have done something to stop them. The thing is, this isn't the first time I've seen someone stealing. One day last year while the streetcar I was on was stopped to pick up people, I witnessed a man in one swift motion pick up an umbrella from a rack outside a drug store and stuff it under his jacket, all while continuing to casually stroll down the sidewalk. I recognized that man as one I'd seen get caught trying to steal some salami in a grocery store a couple of weeks earlier.
I shared this experience with Elsa, and she said she might have said something like, "Excuse me. You forgot your beer," depending on how "scruffy" the guys looked, but that in most cases she probably would have reacted the way I did. She reminded me that those men in the store acted based on the guidelines of non-Christian, European culture. I told her there are still non-Christians who value honesty and integrity.
How does a Christian go about handling situations like this? In an effort to protect yourself, do you let someone get away with breaking the law and, even worse, being dishonest? How does the situation change when you're in a foreign culture? Or does it? How would Jesus have handled a similar incident?
I don't know the answers to those questions. I do know that the whole experience bothers me, and I hope I'm not confronted with a similar one in the future.
Friday, March 07, 2008
Can't say I've been bored....
Yet another busy week is coming to a close.
And it's looking like I'm going to be able to say that every week until about the end of June. I think it's just the time of year with the most things going on at the same time.
I've worked at Elsa's four days this week. The work is moving along slowly but surely, and I continue to enjoy the time spent with Elsa. She is a fountain of wisdom, both from a Biblical knowledge standpoint and that of life experience. Please pray for her as she continues to wade through the grieving process and little by little finds "normality" again.
This weeks ladies' Bible study on Tuesday morning was really interesting. Helga's been leading us through studies of the lives of various women in the Bible, and this week we talked about Tabitha (Dorcas) in Acts 9. The discussion somehow led to baptism. Hertha, who is 84, seems to believe what the Bible says about baptism but has said for years that she's "too old" to be baptized. She brought this up again on Tuesday, and Elsa responded with a story about a man she recently heard about who was 100 at the time he was baptized. "So Hertha, you're still young!" Elsa also came right out and told her that many people have been praying for years now that Hertha would take on the Lord in baptism and devote her life to His service. We'll see what happens. Please be praying for Hertha, Linda (who has a tremendous fear of water), and Rosée who continue to attend church services but for one reason or another have not taken the step of baptism.
Yesterday morning I met with Jutta. We generally meet once a week for a Bible study, but she's been sick the past couple of weeks and so wasn't able to come. Basically, Jutta was baptized several years ago but has trouble understanding what that means for her life and how her life is different now than it was before baptism. I tried yesterday to explain the idea of the "old person" dying with Christ through baptism and how the "new creature" that rises out of the water has been resurrected with Jesus and lives a new life in God's service. Being a Christian doesn't mean that life is without problems or that we will be perfect people after baptism, but we're covered with the forgiveness brought by the crucifixion. While we are still responsible for the decisions we make, Jesus paid the price for our sins through the spilling of His blood on the cross. Please pray for Jutta as she continues to move out of her past and tries to find the meaning of living for the Lord.
I recently agreed to teach the youngest children's Sunday school class every other month to give Katerina a break. She's been teaching for I guess close to a year now, and she's pregnant and wanting some time off. Last fall I subbed for her for a few weeks while she was out of town, and I've babysat all of the kids in the class at different times since I've been here, so I thought it shouldn't be too difficult. Our arrangement was scheduled to begin in March, so for last Sunday I had to come up with a lesson and a craft for the kids to do. In October Katerina prepared everything ahead of time for me, but this time it was up to me. With some suggestions from my mom, a long-time Sunday school and previous preschool teacher, I decided to talk about the parable of the lost sheep and to make sheep out of paper plates. Finding paper plates wasn't difficult, but apparently cotton balls aren't very prevalent in Bremen. A couple people at church insisted there are stores that sell them, but I couldn't find them anywhere. So, I had to improvise. Here's the product of my creative efforts:
The bottom says, "Jesus ist mein Hirte" (Jesus is my shepherd). I was pretty nervous, but the class went well. Katerina was kind enough to sit in the class with me this time to help the kids adjust to me being there, and the kids paid attention. Four-year old Rebecca paid too close attention. She corrected Katerina's German at one point (Katerina is Ukrainian), and while I was telling the story, she wanted to move the flannel graph pictures to match the ones in the story her parents had read to her. We'll see what she finds to correct in this week's lesson.
I think I've mentioned at some point recently that I'm participating in ETM (Evangelism Training and Media) this spring. It's a 10-week-long program that Jim developed for German-speaking Christians. The goals include:
- learning more about yourself
- recognizing your talents and how you can use them in the church
- becoming a person of prayer
- learning effective time management
- practicing working with others
This year's group includes 14 participants from Bremen, Munich, and Chemnitz in Germany and from Bern, Lucerne, and Zurich in Switzerland. I recently learned that there is one other American and that there are two people younger than I am. Though I know the course will be really good for me, my biggest worry is the language. Elsa continues to assure me that the German won't be a problem for me. I'm just going to do the best I can and ask for help when I need it.
Earlier this week Elsa gave me the informational packet with the two books we'll be reading during the 10 weeks. ETM doesn't officially begin until the 17th, but I'm going to try to get a start on things now so I can take my time with the language. I'll let you know how things go.
Probably the most interesting and unusual event of the past week occurred last Friday evening. I went with Stefanie to Aschwarden, a village northwest of Bremen with a population of about 400, for a fundraiser for the local volunteer fire department. A group of children performed several skits; a men's choir sang several traditional North German songs; and there was a play entirely in Plattdeutsch. Plattdeutsch is considered by some to be a dialect of High German (which I speak) and by others a language in its own right, and it's spoken in a number of places throughout northern Europe. I'd seen it written before and could understand it, but I'd never heard it spoken until last week. When Elsa found out I was going with Stefanie, she advised me not to think in German but to just listen to understand. She thought I could probably understand quite a bit since I speak English. After hearing it, I understand what she meant. To me it sounded like a weird combination of German, Dutch, and English, with a little gibberish mixed in, but I surprised myself by understanding quite a bit. Since it's spoken mainly in rural areas, there were a lot of references to animals, and the play itself was about three women fighting for freedom for chickens being raised in a henhouse and the ensuing antics. The evening was definitely a cultural experience that I won't soon forget.
Thanks as always for your thoughts and prayers. Have a great weekend.
And Dad, happy birthday. I love you.
And it's looking like I'm going to be able to say that every week until about the end of June. I think it's just the time of year with the most things going on at the same time.
I've worked at Elsa's four days this week. The work is moving along slowly but surely, and I continue to enjoy the time spent with Elsa. She is a fountain of wisdom, both from a Biblical knowledge standpoint and that of life experience. Please pray for her as she continues to wade through the grieving process and little by little finds "normality" again.
This weeks ladies' Bible study on Tuesday morning was really interesting. Helga's been leading us through studies of the lives of various women in the Bible, and this week we talked about Tabitha (Dorcas) in Acts 9. The discussion somehow led to baptism. Hertha, who is 84, seems to believe what the Bible says about baptism but has said for years that she's "too old" to be baptized. She brought this up again on Tuesday, and Elsa responded with a story about a man she recently heard about who was 100 at the time he was baptized. "So Hertha, you're still young!" Elsa also came right out and told her that many people have been praying for years now that Hertha would take on the Lord in baptism and devote her life to His service. We'll see what happens. Please be praying for Hertha, Linda (who has a tremendous fear of water), and Rosée who continue to attend church services but for one reason or another have not taken the step of baptism.
Yesterday morning I met with Jutta. We generally meet once a week for a Bible study, but she's been sick the past couple of weeks and so wasn't able to come. Basically, Jutta was baptized several years ago but has trouble understanding what that means for her life and how her life is different now than it was before baptism. I tried yesterday to explain the idea of the "old person" dying with Christ through baptism and how the "new creature" that rises out of the water has been resurrected with Jesus and lives a new life in God's service. Being a Christian doesn't mean that life is without problems or that we will be perfect people after baptism, but we're covered with the forgiveness brought by the crucifixion. While we are still responsible for the decisions we make, Jesus paid the price for our sins through the spilling of His blood on the cross. Please pray for Jutta as she continues to move out of her past and tries to find the meaning of living for the Lord.
I recently agreed to teach the youngest children's Sunday school class every other month to give Katerina a break. She's been teaching for I guess close to a year now, and she's pregnant and wanting some time off. Last fall I subbed for her for a few weeks while she was out of town, and I've babysat all of the kids in the class at different times since I've been here, so I thought it shouldn't be too difficult. Our arrangement was scheduled to begin in March, so for last Sunday I had to come up with a lesson and a craft for the kids to do. In October Katerina prepared everything ahead of time for me, but this time it was up to me. With some suggestions from my mom, a long-time Sunday school and previous preschool teacher, I decided to talk about the parable of the lost sheep and to make sheep out of paper plates. Finding paper plates wasn't difficult, but apparently cotton balls aren't very prevalent in Bremen. A couple people at church insisted there are stores that sell them, but I couldn't find them anywhere. So, I had to improvise. Here's the product of my creative efforts:
The bottom says, "Jesus ist mein Hirte" (Jesus is my shepherd). I was pretty nervous, but the class went well. Katerina was kind enough to sit in the class with me this time to help the kids adjust to me being there, and the kids paid attention. Four-year old Rebecca paid too close attention. She corrected Katerina's German at one point (Katerina is Ukrainian), and while I was telling the story, she wanted to move the flannel graph pictures to match the ones in the story her parents had read to her. We'll see what she finds to correct in this week's lesson.
I think I've mentioned at some point recently that I'm participating in ETM (Evangelism Training and Media) this spring. It's a 10-week-long program that Jim developed for German-speaking Christians. The goals include:
- learning more about yourself
- recognizing your talents and how you can use them in the church
- becoming a person of prayer
- learning effective time management
- practicing working with others
This year's group includes 14 participants from Bremen, Munich, and Chemnitz in Germany and from Bern, Lucerne, and Zurich in Switzerland. I recently learned that there is one other American and that there are two people younger than I am. Though I know the course will be really good for me, my biggest worry is the language. Elsa continues to assure me that the German won't be a problem for me. I'm just going to do the best I can and ask for help when I need it.
Earlier this week Elsa gave me the informational packet with the two books we'll be reading during the 10 weeks. ETM doesn't officially begin until the 17th, but I'm going to try to get a start on things now so I can take my time with the language. I'll let you know how things go.
Probably the most interesting and unusual event of the past week occurred last Friday evening. I went with Stefanie to Aschwarden, a village northwest of Bremen with a population of about 400, for a fundraiser for the local volunteer fire department. A group of children performed several skits; a men's choir sang several traditional North German songs; and there was a play entirely in Plattdeutsch. Plattdeutsch is considered by some to be a dialect of High German (which I speak) and by others a language in its own right, and it's spoken in a number of places throughout northern Europe. I'd seen it written before and could understand it, but I'd never heard it spoken until last week. When Elsa found out I was going with Stefanie, she advised me not to think in German but to just listen to understand. She thought I could probably understand quite a bit since I speak English. After hearing it, I understand what she meant. To me it sounded like a weird combination of German, Dutch, and English, with a little gibberish mixed in, but I surprised myself by understanding quite a bit. Since it's spoken mainly in rural areas, there were a lot of references to animals, and the play itself was about three women fighting for freedom for chickens being raised in a henhouse and the ensuing antics. The evening was definitely a cultural experience that I won't soon forget.
Thanks as always for your thoughts and prayers. Have a great weekend.
And Dad, happy birthday. I love you.
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