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!
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