Martins Abroad

finally updated

2009-05-06T05:16:00.000-07:00

So I have been very bad about this blog thing. It is hard to keep everyone up with what is going on this way. Too much to say, in so little space.

Well, we took a trip to Berlin with my neighbor and his fiance'. They were great. They showed around Berlin and took us to all the sights. Berlin is a big city, and full of life. It definately has a different feel to it that Duesseldorf does. Most of all, we just really enjoyed our time with Gregor and Magde. They are great people. We are going to miss them a lot when we leave, but I think Emma will miss them the most.

On May 1st we drove to Muenster with Andre and his family to visit the zoo. We had a great time of fellowship with Andre and Batina, and Emma enjoyed seeing all the animals and hanging out with Ari (Andre and Batina's son). The funny thing is, every time I ask Emma what she saw at the zoo, the only thing she seems to recall is the pony pooping. It was a very impressionable moment.

Ministry has been going well. I have had a few opportunities to speak, and have helped lead worship at a couple services. A few weeks ago, I spoke at youth group on the subject of Forgiveness. It was a very good time in the word, and probably one of the best jobs I have ever done preaching in German.

This brings me to the biggest lesson I have learned these last few months. On easter Sunday, I was asked to preach in a nearby town. I prepared the message, knew what God was leading me to say, and was really excited about the opportunity to preach. A few days before I was to preach, I decided to do it in English with a translator. No big deal. There was someone in the church who was very good at translating, and I really felt like I could get my point across better in my own heart language. Well, the day came and I got up to speak. I said everything I planned on saying, and preached the Gospel very clearly, but after I was done, I felt so empty. I felt as if I had missed something or had not said something I should have. It bugged me all the way home, and when I came in the door I shared how I was feeling with Kristen. After a few minutes Kristen said, "why did you do it in English anyway? you can preach in German." then I realized what God was teaching me. While I was preparing for my sermon, I was preparing everything in German, and felt God leading me and preparing my heart and my mouth. Then I chickened out and relied on my own strength, my own ability to give the sermon. I was disappointed at my quick decision to scape goat out of speaking in German, instead of just trusting God and doing what he was calling me to do.

well, that's about all I have for now. We only have a few weeks left in Germany before we head back to the U.S. and to seminary. I would ask everyone to be praying for us as we prepare for this next journey.

Already Almost May

2009-04-13T04:44:00.001-07:00

Ok, so it is still a couple weeks away, but time for us is really flying by.

In March my parents came to visit for about 10 days, and we really enjoyed our time with them. We drove to France to see the Gorski's and spent a few days with them. What an encouragement it was to see them and see how God is working in their lives. The best thing about hanging out with a close friend after not hanging out for so long, is that you pretty much just pick up where you left off. It was a lot of fun, and we really enjoyed getting to know Valariee. Mike definatly out punted his coverage.

Ok, so we drove to Paris, and Versailles (pronounced correctly for all of those who live in Versailles Indiana) and then back to Duesseldorf. We stayed over a couple days before heading back out to drive to Nuermberg to visit Eugene (the exchange student who lived with my folks last year) and then up to Eisenach to see Wittenberg Castle and see a little bit of Luther history.

The last days were spent just seeing Duesseldor, and we were able to spend an afternoon with Andre is Wuppertal. It was great to sit down with Andre and my dad and just talk about ministry. We are praying if and how the two churches may be able to partner and minister to one another in the future.

As we begin to plan the next step in our lives, it is beginning to hit me that I am actually leaving. It is a strange feeling. My greatest prayer is that the time I have spent serving here will bear fruit, preferably by the time we leave in 8 weeks(just kidding). Seriously though, As I look back on everything God has put into our lives, I pray that the work he put before us will be for his glory and for the advancement of the Gospel here in Germany. I also pray that the last 8 weeks will be focused on what is left to accomplish.

2009-02-27T02:58:00.001-08:00

Sitting in this small room, it was hard to escape the load of questions that were coming at me. I could not answer them fast enough, and when a simple “I don’t know” was all I could say, it fell upon deaf ears, and was quickly replaced by the next question. As I sat in my chair, trying to answer deep questions about faith, religion, and the reason for all the bad in the world (all in a language I have yet to become very comfortable with) I began to pray for wisdom and for a word from the Holy Spirit.

As I was listening to this persons philosophy about life and eternity (one he claimed to be a mixture of Buddhism and Christianity), I sensed that the Holy Spirit was beginning to speak to my heart. I realized that the heart of this man’s questions was not about how many years had passed between Christ’s time on earth and the first Gospel; the question was not about why bad things happen to good people. As he was speaking, the question that came to my head was, “but who do you say that I am?” (Mathew 16:15)

When it was my turn to fill the void of silence between us, I asked him, “and who do you think Jesus is?” It was this question that turned our “spiritual conversation” into an encounter with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I did not need to have a deep, smart sounding idea about his perspective on life, or a neat little one liner to make my faith sound catchy or cute ( my German is not that good). I gave him the Gospel. I was able to explain to him what the Bible says about Jesus, and who he said he was. In the end, that is all I have. I left him with the assignment to read the Bible for himself.

In this great scene in Matthew, Peter answers the question with, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Is this not what our hearts sang when we turned to Christ, and is it not the answer we want to hear from those with whom we share? However, it is Jesus response to this answer that rang in my ears as I was driving home, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.” No matter how many hard questions I can answer, or how many debates I can come out of, I will never convert someone outside the work of the Holy Spirit. I am responsible to share with people who the Jesus of the Bible is, but it is God who reveals it to their hearts.

A good January

2009-01-27T04:33:00.000-08:00

January came and went, but it was not without its blessings. I had yet another chance to preach this month, and God opened up the door for us to share the Gospel with people. In truth, it was a month that I would hope would be like every month. I enjoy teaching and preaching, and I love the opportunity to share with people I meet the good news of Jesus Christ.

A few weeks ago, I spoke at the Youth Group in Wuppertal, and told them the short amount of time I have left with them. Although the months will go by fast, I wanted to stress my desire to encourage and see them grow. I said, "it is my aim in these last few months to encourage each of you to start or grow in your relationship with Jesus Christ." Two weeks later, Ette and I led a discussion time about alcohol. I shared from Eph. 5:18, and asked them why drunkenness and "being filled with the Holy Spirit" are in opposition of one another. It was a great discussion, and Ette closed the evening with a short encouragement from Galatians. The point stressed, was that if we are filled with the Spirit, then Christ is at the center of who we are and what we do. If he is the center, there is no more room for the corruption of the flesh. Afterwards, many of the kids thanked us, and we could tell God was working in hearts. We continue to pray for this group.

While in a cafe last week, Chris and I met a couple ladies who were meeting for lunch. We struck up a conversation about the elections and our new president (I would like to personally thank our new President for coming to Germany during the election. It has opened up so many opportunities for me). Through this time, we were able to share what we were doing in Germany, and I was able to have a conversation with one of them about the simple message of the Gospel. Although we did not have a lot of time with them, it was long enough to share the truth of Jesus Christ. It is the small moments like this one that get me excited.

February is just a few days away, and I am praying for more opportunities to teach and more opportunities to meet new people.

The prayer that I shared at the end of my message, and the prayer that I shared to and for the youth group comes from Ephesians 3:14-21. And so I share it with all who read this blog,

"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen."

simplicity

2009-01-13T05:07:00.000-08:00

This Sunday I am preaching in Mettmann. The title of my sermon is “die Einfachkeit der Gute Nachricht” (the simplicity of the Good News). This will be the first time that I preach in German without having typed every word of my sermon out, and having it corrected and edited. I have an outline of what I want to say, and I trust the Holy Spirit to work through me. My German is not perfect. I will probably make a lot of mistakes, but I believe God desires to work in spite of my shortcomings. I believe he will glorify Himself in my weakness.

This theme is something that has been on my mind for a while now. We are bombarded with programs and strategies to get the word out to people. We can go to seminars and conferences that teach how to do church and how to implement new ways of reaching people and making the un-churched feel warm and welcomed. I am not speaking against these things, but I am saying that they can take over our thought, and complicate things when we do not keep the main thing the main thing.

Recently, I read a blog that taught how to be “missional” in how we dress. I won’t go into details, but it basically gave a step by step tutorial on how to shop for the right clothes (and how they should fit) so that you can better reach the post-modern society. I am not against dressing for the times, but again, I just see this as something else that complicates and distracts us from what we are really about. Futher, I don’t believe anything we wear is going to make the message of the Gospel seem cooler or easier to accept. Just be yourself. God made you just the way you are for a reason.

Frankly, I believe the reason we try so hard to find new ways to make the Gospel "attractive" is because we are ashamed. Ashamed of who we are, and ashamed at the simplicity of our faith. Maybe it’s fear, but in reality, I think shame is just fear’s shy, self-centered little cousin. We don’t believe that the simple story of Jesus is enough to reach people, so we have to “do” things to up our chances at seeing someone converted. When are we going to figure out, that it is not our job, nor is it within our ability to convince people to become Christians. We plead the cross with them, yes. We must always be ready "to give an account for the hope that is in you" (1 Peter 3:15), but we do not have the power or the ability to convince someone they are a sinner and in need of a Savior. Only God is able to change a heart (Eph 2).
We can’t convince anyone. No model or program we apply to ministry will be the missing link to revival. All we can do, is give the simple message of the Gospel. In 1 Cor. 15:1-5, Paul writes,
“Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received in which also you stand, by which you are also being saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,”

Paul calls the Gospel, “the power of God unto salvation”(Rom 1:16). That’s it. Is it possible for us to just love people, and share the simple message of the Gospel? Is this all it takes for God to change a heart. Yes. Not only is it enough, but it is the only thing that will open the eyes of an unbeliever to their lost condition. God never promises to bless the model, or the program, or the outfit. He promises to bless his Word.

“Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen” (Ephesians 3:20-21)

A Busy November

2008-12-04T04:20:00.000-08:00

So things this last month have been extremely busy. There are some great blessings, but all is not without trials. But we are thankful, and rejoice in that which we have been called.
First off, our Thanksgiving was such a blessing. We held the dinner at our house, and invited some people from our building to join us. Almost everyone we invited came and we had such a great time. Julie brought a couple friends along as well to make the group total around 10 people. We were so thankful for the opportunity to invite our neighbors into our home and share Thanksgiving with them. We are just praying for more opportunities to get to know them better, and for the chance to share with them. It was also the first time Kristen and I cooked a Turkey, and we are pleased to announce it turned out great, and no one got sick J Now that I have carved a turkey, I am a complete American dad.

Saturday was a continuation of Thanksgiving. We drove to Bonn with our team to celebrate with a couple colleagues who live there. We had a great day of fellowship, and once again stuffed ourselves on some Traditional American Thanksgiving food.

In another area of ministry, I was given the chance to preach at a youth service in Wuppertal. We had a good turnout, and a great evening of ministry. This is now my third or fourth sermon that I have preached in German, and although it is still difficult, and requires a lot of preparation, it is getting easier. Please pray that Etta (the youth leader) and I can continue to encourage and challenge the young people to live a living and continual relationship with Jesus Christ.

“Seekers” continues to meet, but we have been having a hard time getting through an hour together. For the last two weeks, the kids have not lasted more than twenty minutes before they go nuts, destroy the room and practically each other. Please, please continue to pray for Andre and I as we seek for a new and better way to reach these teenagers. God has given us a heart for them, but we are met with great opposition.

Christmas is such a great time of the year, and it opens up so many possibilities to minister to people. We are hoping that during this season, God will give us opportunities to share what is most important, and why we can truly celebrate.

“He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” (John 1:2-5)

"Seekers"

2008-11-19T02:42:00.000-08:00

In the last few weeks I have been working with Andre on a new outreach he has titled "Seekers". It is a weekly meeting for teenagers (12-14) from the neighborhood who want to come and hear stories about Jesus. When we started, we were barely getting anyone to come. Then one week three girls started to come. Soon after, some of the boys from the neighborhood came and now we have around 8 or 9 students who come every week. At first, it was really frustrating. The kids were more interested in yelling at each other than they were in hearing the story or being a part of the activities. However, last night was the first time we made it through the story and the activities rather smoothly, and with minimal yelling (minimal meaning less than normal). Even better, we only had to ask one student to leave the whole time.

It was also the first time in all the craziness that Andre, Sabina, and myself stopped to pray for the kids before they came. God really answered our prayers. He gave us patience, and wisdom, and created an enviornment where the kids actually participated.

Where God really answered prayer was on a personal level. In honesty, for the first few weeks I dreaded going. The kids were really hard for me to love, and I really thought I could be using that time for something "more profitable". This last week, I realized I needed a love for these kids. As we were ending the prayer, I prayed again that God would give me a heart for the kids who came.

As we opened the doors and the kids came screaming in (literally) it hit me that these kids will grow up, live life and die without ever hearing about Jesus Christ. unless...
Unless God has placed the three of us in their path to share with them the great message of Jesus Christ. Maybe the right person for the job is not the next person I can find to fill my place, but me. As the kids sat down, one of the girls (who can be the biggest trouble maker) tugged on my arm, smiled and said, "hallo David." She was actually happy to see me. I knew at that moment that I was the person God has called into their lives at this time.

I never thought I would be a part of a ministry that reaches out to teenage imagrants in an unknown city called Wuppertal, but here I am. God has changed my heart toward these kids, and I look forward to the opportunity to see them again. In hope, I pray these kids will turn to Jesus.

"So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth.
Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.
For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building." 1 Corinthians 3:7-9

October Update

2008-10-30T11:41:00.000-07:00

Well, October has come and gone and we are beginning to see some new opportunities. Ministry seems at time to move at an almost standstill, and at other times I can’t seem to keep track of everything. I will not waste a lot of your time with the standstill stuff, so I will get to what we are involved with right now.
Most of my focus for the rest of my time here in Germany will be in Wuppertal. After spending a lot of time with Andre, I feel we can best use our time to partner with him to see if God is starting something new there. I have started helping out with an outreach ministry that meets every Tuesday. We have invited teenagers form the neighborhood around the church to come and learn about the Bible. So far we have seen about seven or eight kids come, all of whom are from immigrant families. This is pretty exciting. At the moment, the kids have absolutely no desire to sit and listen too much, so we are just working to build relationships with them during our short time together. Our prayer is that as we share the love of Christ with them that God will draw them unto him. Pray for patience and love for these kids. It is not always easy.
As we have looked into where we can begin to take risks and attempt to reach out, we are looking to be more aggressive in our attempt to get something going on campus. Although the student population in Wuppertal is between 10 and 15 thousand, there is not much going on in the area of ministry. We are praying about partnering up with a couple other people in ministry to see if God would open the doors to start a church near campus. This is a major step and would be a work that would still be in the makings after we are gone, so we are praying for open doors, and willing hands to get involved in the work. The Harvest is definitely plentiful, but the laborers are few.
My plan is to go knock on some doors around the University to find out if I can be of service anywhere (English conversation, small group) and see what doors might be opened.
Lastly, I am still working with the youth group on Friday nights. This is not the work of a new church plant, but it might be the work into the lives of future church leaders. As we lead, we are trying to find new ways for the kids to reach out to their friends and teach them about the joy of being in Christ. If we are going to see these young people get excited about seeing their friends come to know Jesus, we need to pray God gives them a joy and an excitement about Jesus. Pray for me and Frank (youth leader), and ask that God give us wisdom and direction as we lead and teach.
It seems the opportunity for ministry is never hard to find, but it is important to stay focused. When I start diversifying my time to other “ministry opportunities” I realize I start spreading my self out too much, but never get anything done. Ultimately, I know God does it all, but I also know he desires me to live wisely, and make right decisions. I pray, and ask that you would pray, that God would give me wisdom and discernment in the decisions I make. I am not asking for a no risk decision, but I do want to stay focused to what He desires me to do.
Thanks for all your prayers.

Oktober

2008-10-21T04:53:00.000-07:00

Well we are finally back at it after our trip to Illinois. It was great to see family and introduce Maggie to her grandparents, aunts and uncles. I flew back a week earlier than Kristen, so she made the trip back to Dusseldorf by herself. She said it was not too bad, but she has no desire to do it again. Traveling alone with once child is tough enough, but two makes it a full blown trial :-)

We are continuing to build relationships and pray for God to guide us in the right direction. The bible study is at a stand still right now, but we have all been traveling these past few weeks, so we are praying things get going this next month. We will be putting an ad in the paper this next week, so pray for people to answer the ad and come hear the truth of God's Word.

I have been asked to preach again in Mettman, so I guess I did not scare them off with my first sermon. I have been praying for the Spirit to work through me, and to preach the sermon He would have me preach. I am also preaching at the end of November at a youth service in Wuppertal. I will be preaching from 1 John 1 (be in the light). I am praying God's Word penetrates hearts, and people turn to him. I believe the Gospel is powerful enough to change hearts every time it is preached. I pray the Truth convicts people of their sin, and changes lives.

God has been blessing me through his Word the past couple of months. My time with him has become more precious to me, and I pray I continue to grow in the discipline of studying his word. It is not the reading of the Bible that is the end, but the means to it. The more I learn from his Word, the more I am getting to know Jesus Christ.

Jeremiah 9:23-24 '"Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things."Declares the Lord'

2008-09-25T02:20:00.000-07:00

So since my last blog, both Bible studies have started, and we have yet to see a growth in the number of people. I am not discouraged though. After all, we are serving in one of the most spiritually hard places in the world. We continue to seek God and listen to what He would have us do next. One praise, however, is that last night Etta and I had one more person with us at our Bible study. We had a great time together. We read through the story of Jesus in Luke Ch 2. Specifically, we talked about the story of Jesus as a 12 year old boy and his first journey with his parents to Jerusalem. The dialogue was great, and we were challenged by the wisdom, understanding, and humility of Jesus as a young boy.

Other than these ministries, we continue to look for more ways to involve ourselves with new people. I have recently joined a Volleyball team in my neighborhood. I said earlier that German’s love their Vereins (clubs). Well, this was no exception. The first night I played, we spent thirty minutes warming up and doing drills. I just thought it was a friendly pickup game of volleyball, but I was wrong. In God’s providence I showed up unknowingly during the tryout month. When the season starts we will play against other teams in our league. I am not sure, but I think I made the team. I will let you know. So far, it has been fun and I have met some nice people. I just pray I will be able to build relationships here and that God opens the door for me to share the Gospel.

Also, we are putting an ad in the newspaper about our Bible study in Dusseldorf. Please pray that God will bring people in to hear the Gospel. Also, be praying how we might begin new ways to meet and share with people. Life here is fast and busy. It is going to take the wisdom of God and his sovereign hand to lead us into peoples lives.

personally, we are all doing well. Maggie is healthy...really healthy, and Emma is learning new words every day. Kristen and I are doing well. We recently took a trip to Brugge, Belgium with the team. It was good for us to get out of Dusseldorf for a day, and Brugge is a beautiful city. It was well worth the four hour drive. The city is old, and their is a chocolate store on every corner. We stopped at a famous one called Dumon's. the pictures say it all.

We also were blessed to go to France and watch Mike Gorski get married. Kristen has posted pics on her blog, so feel free to check them out. It was great to fellowship with Mike, and we both were encouraged by the last minute flight Andy Ommen took to make the wedding. I am excited for Mike, and am anxious to see what God has for him and Valerie in the future.

Away we go

2008-08-18T03:41:00.000-07:00

This week is the kick off for a few things. Tomorrow we start our first Bible study in our home, and we are eager to see who is going to start coming. We think it may be a prayer group for a few weeks before people decide they want to come. I think that would be great anyway. Although this is something we have been praying about, doing it together in the place we are going to have it will be a good foundation.

This Wednesday I start our home group for young people in Wuppertal. Etta and I are excited to see how God is going to work through this time together. I really sense God moving in the lives of some young people. I would ask that you continue to pray for this group. Our first story is going to be from Luke 1. We will be telling and discussing the stories of Zacharias and Mary.

This Sunday will be my second sermon at the church in Wuppertal. Andre and I are going to be doing the second part of a two week teaching on Worship. Our topic is "what does music have to do with worship". Although I have been preparing and planning with Andre for a few weeks now, I am not feeling very confident. God has blessed me and given me what to say, but my courage is small right now. My language is always a factor for me, so I ask that you would pray for me in that area. Also, Andre and I will be doing a “team” sermon. I have never done this before, so I am eager to see how it will manage. God has given Andre and I a unified heart on this subject, so I believe God is going to bless.

Volleyball has been going very well. The weather has been against us the past couple of weeks, but despite its attempts to thwart our time at the park we have been able to meet a few people. At this point they are just acquaintances, but we pray that we can build stronger relationships with them. I ask that you would pray for opportunities to share Christ during our time at the park, and that God begins to work in hearts.

I am not sure what will happen this week, but I am so excited that things are starting. Succeed or fail, I desire to be always pursuing ways to show and teach people the truth. Please pray with us and the rest of our team as we begin new work.

Relational Evangelism

2008-08-04T07:37:00.000-07:00

As I was sitting in Starbucks today, drinking the coffee of the week, and reading through my notes on my upcoming sermon, the idea of relational evangelism came to my mind. It has amazed me over the course of this last year how many times I have heard this method taught on, or talked about. Whenever the topic of evangelism comes up in a discussion, the idea of "relational evangelism" is usually at the forefront of everyones thoughts.

Relational evangelism is really just a fancy way of saying, "go make friends, and find out how you can share Christ with them". However, the question that always seems to come up is; “how many encounters should one have before he or she should bring up Christ?" I have heard it said after two or three visits. I have also heard it said one should not bring up spiritual things until you have earned the right to be a called a "friend" of the person you are building the relationship with. This makes it even harder because that could take weeks, or months, or even years, and our command to share Christ is left in the hands of the one who is defining the relationship. The idea of "encounters" begins to become very tricky, and in some cases paralyzing. "What if I speak too quickly? I might ruin the relationship and never get the chance to share with them again?" or the flip side, "What if I waste my chance and never see that person again?"

As I was thinking about these ideas, I was reminded of an old Tootsieroll Pop commercial I used to watch when I was a kid. The main question of the commercial is, "how many licks does it take to get the tootsie roll center of a Tootsie Pop?" The caricature (who seems to not be wearing any pants) goes from animal to animal asking the same question. Only the “wise ol’ owl” has an answer for him, and in reality, was the not answer he was looking for. I have attempted to attach the video for your viewing pleasure.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2xMGI-QpZw

So how many encounters does it take to get to the core issue, namely, sharing the Gospel of Christ? The bottom line is, if we are not willing to step out in faith and just share the love of Christ, this may be a love "the world may never know".

2 Corinthians 4:1-2

"1Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. 2But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God." (ESV)

1 Peter 3:15

"15but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,"

New Beginnings

2008-08-02T13:13:00.000-07:00

It seems in the last few weeks we have been experiencing new things in every area of our life. Of course the biggest has been the arrival of our beautiful daughter Maggie. Having her home has been so much fun, and we are settling in nicely as a family of four.

Ministry seems to be starting afresh as well. As our team gears up to begin our Bible study, we are praying and seeking who we can invite to the group. As we prepare to start, it is clear that this is a new direction and new waters for all of us. As we sat in our meeting last week together, it was clear that God was leading us to this, and there was a sense of joy and anticipation within the group as we made our plans and prayed together. We ask that you will be in prayer for us as we step out in faith.

Outreach is another area that is showing new opportunities. On Thursday I took the volleyball net to the park, and invited people who were hanging out if they wanted to play. Although I was the only one on the team in town that day (aside from Kristen who was home with our daughters) I still managed to set up and stake down the net by myself. There were about 8 or 10 people that came over to play, and I was able to meet all of them. A few of them even said they would like to keep coming, so I am excited to see where that is going go. Most importantly, I desire to get to know the people that come to play and pray God gives us the opportunity to share about His love.

The best thing that happened at volleyball night, was a brother and sister, who were just in town visiting their father, came again for the second time before their flight back home the next day. I was able to sit and talk with them about the God and the Gospel for quite a long time. By the end of our time together, they heard the whole Gospel. I pray that the seed that was sown will root deep in their hearts and they will come to Jesus.
Through all these new experiences, God has given us a spirit of thankfulness and joy. I end this blog with Psalm 108:1-5

“My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing, I will sing praises, even with my soul. Awake, harp and lyre; I will awaken the dawn! I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the peoples, and I will sing praises to you among the nations. For your lovingkindness is great above the heavens, and your truth reaches to the skies. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and your glory above all the earth.”

First Sermon

2008-06-23T11:25:00.000-07:00

Well last night I officially preached my first sermon in church. I had done a couple of short lessons with the youth group, but last night was the first time I preached in front of the whole church. God definitely blessed. At first I thought I was going to throw up, but once I started I felt pretty good. Thankfully, I made it through, and more importantly, the Gospel was preached. Now that it is behind me, I really just want to start in on the next sermon. I really enjoyed the opportunity to preach.
Well, not really too much to update everyone with since I saw many of you at Drew’s wedding or at the Bible conference in Laramie. It was great to see everyone, and to get a glimpse first hand at LVC’s new building.

Kristen is doing well. She has about four weeks before the baby is born, so please continue to pray for a healthy delivery.

Emma is getting bigger every day it seems, and she is learning all kinds of new things. Raising her in this dual language environment is a lot of fun, and she learns so fast.

As I finished up my time in Laramie, I was once again reminded of God’s call on our lives to be in Germany. I had a great time seeing family and friends, and I was thankful to eat a good American steak (thanks Andy Bastian). However, during my time I had an urgency to get back to what God has called me to hear in Germany. I don’t know what he has in store for us, but I am overjoyed for the opportunity to learn more about the ministry and His kingdom work. Please continue to pray that God would guide us in wisdom and truth, and pray for more opportunities to sow seed.

Summer's Here

2008-05-28T08:41:00.001-07:00

So much has happened since my last update (since I only seem to write every few months), I don’t think I can get it all in here. We are excited about our new apartment, we finally got our internet hooked up, and Emma is finally walking as a means of regular transportation, a step up from sliding around on her knees.

In the last few months we have been able to get more involved with the church in Wuppertal. I have been able to teach a few times, and I am gearing up to give my first sermon in German on the 22nd of June. The pastor, Andre, has a tremendous vision for the church, and we are excited to see what God is going to do. The church sits in an area where 60% of the population are immigrants. The church is beginning to see the mission field that has grown up around them. On the 27th of May we were able to hear from two Pastors who are serving in Turkey and Azerbaijan. It was so challenging to hear about their ministry and their faith to persevere through so much persecution. What was also so encouraging was their wisdom and challenge to the church to open their hearts and their homes to the people around them. If we are to be effective evangelists, we must be willing to build relationships with those whom we are called to love. It is not just about starting the right program, nor having the big function that draws a crowd. It is about one on one relationships that build trust and friendship. I am excited to see how God is going to use this church. I feel they are getting ready to do great things in the life of this church. It is important to continue to pray for them as they seek God. We are praying how we might serve better and how God would use us to build his kingdom.

As I have been reading through scripture, I was once again encouraged by the faith of Caleb. As the spies returned from the promise land, Caleb and Joshua alone believed God’s promises. God said, “But my servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land which he entered, and his descendants shall take possession of it.” While all others doubted and forgot the promises of God, Caleb’s spirit stood fast. The task may look impossible, and the trials may seem too many, but when we remember the power of God and His promises, we know that we can accomplish anything that He has given us to do. While so many of God’s people turn away and run from conflict and opposition, I pray there are more people like Caleb who will stand on the promises of God.

A Happy Easter

2008-03-25T05:10:00.000-07:00

Well March is almost gone, and we finally got to see some snow in Duesseldorf. However, it came at the end of a week in Austria, so we were able to see plenty of snow and spent some time in the Alps
This last week we were with the whole German cluster. It was a great time of fellowship and encouragement. They could not have picked a better place. We all stayed in this castle at the foot of the Austrian Alps. I was able to help lead worship in the mornings and we were challenged from the Word daily.

The week of course was topped off with the celebration of Easter. The final cap on the story of salvation. Christ conquered death, making a way for salvation for all who believe on his name. It was a special and memorable week for us.

After the conference we headed to southern Germany for the weekend. It was so much fun spending time with the Musselman's and their new dauther Emeline. She and Emma are learning to get a long. We spent a day in Salzburg, Austria just walking around and taking in the sights. In the evening we mostly just relaxed at the bed and breakfast/working farm we were staying at. It was a lot of fun.

Our first day back to school went well. I even got to share the reason we celebrate Easter. I could not believe the opportunity that opened up. The teacher looked at me and said, "Could you explain why Jesus, the son of GOD, had to die on a cross?" I could not believe it. I said a quick prayer and away I went. Although I was not able to say everything in my head, I did get to explain the very basics. I was so excited that God gave me the chance to share in class. I hope it opens the door for more opportunities to share with people outside of class time.
Everything else is back to normal. Emma is doing well. She is almost walking. Kristen got another cold. It has been pretty hard on her the last few days, but she is still doing everything she needs to do to keep going. Little Maggie is healthy too. Kristen is six months along now. I can't believe it! We move in a few weeks, and have already started meeting with the youth group in a town outside the city. I will begin working with Chris next week to meet the teenagers who hang out down town on the weekends. God is good and continues to use us for his glory.

Many blessings

2008-03-05T10:32:00.000-08:00

Things here in Duesseldorf are going very well. We are soon to have a new apartment, and the opportunities for ministry are growing. The two biggest prayer requests are for language, and the other is for boldness. The more I am learning in class and the more I meet with other Christians, the greater my desire to learn the language becomes. One of my friends who lives in Cologne said it best when he said,"You know what to say, but can't find the words to rightly express yourself." How right he was. Our friends Nathan, Tommy and Freddy came over from Cologne for dinner the other night, and we had a great time of fellowship. At the end of the night, Tommy felt led to pray over us and ask God to give us the gift of language so that we may clearly and boldly share about Jesus. What an encouragement that was. Later that evening, a verse came to mind. Ephesians 6: 17-19 says, "and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to prolcaim the mystery of the gospel..." It is these things which I am praying for. For the words to speak, and the boldness to speak them.

decisions

2008-02-18T10:27:00.000-08:00

So after a lot of prayer and discussion, we have decided to stay in Duesseldorf. It was a difficult decision, but we received a lot of help from the team, as well as the leadership here in Germany. We are excited to start in the direction of ministry. One great opportunity there is in staying is that we will be able to continue the relationships we started, and begin ministery early. Even though we have two more months of language school (that's a prayer request) we can begin praying and seeking where God would have us begin ministry.

What a blessing it is to know God is absolutely in control of our life. What he asks of us is to love him, and for a passion to seek and know him. For the last few months the word, "wisdom" has been on my heart. It is that which I lack so much in my life, but the very thing I desire more and more. Proverbs 9:10 says, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." Therefore, to have wisdom, we have to have the right view of God. Futher to have understanding is to have knowledge of who God is.
The verses I have kept closest to my heart are found in the first chapter of James. It is here, in verses 5 and 6 that James writes, "But if any of you lacks widom, let him ask of God, who gives to all gerously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, fo the one who doubts in lke the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind." God desires to give us wisdom. All we have to do is ask. However, this is not a request that we just throw out there in hopes that something happens. It is a request that comes from faith. A faith that is unshakable. A faith that comes from a knowledge of whit is we ask, and a reverent fear of Him who sovereign over all things.
maybe you were not expecting a mine-sermon when you opened this blog, but I believe this theme is what God is teaching us right now. Where should we live? Where should I minister? How can I be an effective minister of the Word? How do I start a Bible study without a church? How do you start a church? All these questions are swarming in my head every day, along with the normal questions such as, "How can I love my wife better?" or "How should we budget our money?" I am starting to see that answers to the "spiritual" questions come from the same sourse as the every day questions. The answer is, "know God". God has given me his word, and his Spirit to guide me. I am convinced that the more I know God and know His word, the more I understand His guidance in my life. I also believe it is not something that is just given to me. I have to ask for it. It is the most valuable thng a man can posess, but it can only be found in God (I encourage everyone to read Job 28)

So I have included pictures for all of those who just look at our blog to see Emma. Don't worry, I'm not offended. Mostly that is what I do when I look at blogs. I look at the pictures.

Another Month Goes By

2008-01-06T08:39:00.000-08:00

New Years was something I have never expierenced. As I walked through the streets of Cologne looking for my car, I was a bit shocked at all the comotion going on around me. There were people everywhere, lighting fire works, and cheering in the streets. It was total chaos. There was so much smoke in the air from all the fireworks I could barely see down the next block. As we made our way to the car, we were pelted with the sticks from the bottle rockets falling from the sky. I am not talking about the little bottle rockets, but the big ones you could get into trouble for owning. Along with the chos of gun powder and lights, the streets were swarming with people half drunk (or totally drunk) from partying. I am not sure if they were celebrating the new year, or just trying to forget the last one. Back in Düsseldorf Kristen was watching in awe at a similar scene outside our apartment. She took some shots of the people outside, but they did not turn out as good as we hoped. It was a good insight for us to see everyone out celebrating a year gone by, and yet what did they have to look forward to. As I walked down to the river the next day, the streets were empty, and cluttered by all fireworks and bottles from the night before. After all is said and done, the feeling of loneliness returns, and people are left with another year without direction or hope. As I walked along one vacant street after another, I began to feel the weight of hopelessness. Not for myself, but for those who live without real hope. It is a weight that can only be lifted by the love of Christ. Making my way to the down town, more people began to come out to enjoy the sunshine. No one was smiling, no one was talking, or wishing each other a happy New Year. Everything was back to normal, and life continued. Solomon was right. Life without God is so meaningless.

Not to that I am here to rain on anyones parade. I have hear a great pictures of Mike and me playing together in Mettmann. We played for a youth group there throwing a party. A birthday party for Jesus. It was a great time of worship and fellowship. Plus it was so much fun to play with Mike again.

German Christmas

2007-12-16T07:13:00.000-08:00

So we are coming up on our third month here in Düsseldorf, and things seem to be going well. Language school is wrapping up the first session, but we have decided to start up in January instead of waiting until February. Kristen and I both agree that is best.

As it gets closer to Christmas, I think it is beginning to hit both of us how much we miss home. Christmas is a time to be with family, and it will not feel the same with the ones we love so far away. We miss being home, but we are not without a little plan for Christmas here. As many know, Mike Gorski will be coming to Germany for a week to spend Christmas with us. Already it is beginning to feel like old times. We are planning to visit friends while he is in town, so it will be a great time of fellowship. Mike and I are going to try and find some places to play music while he is in town. Maybe we will bust out a couple of the old Four In The FIre songs. They were a big hit last time we were in Germany :-) Mostly it will be good to have another Laramie person around. If anything, we can sit around and talk about our church family, and friends who we love and miss very much.

We hope everyone has a great Christmas this year. I pray with all the shopping and baking everyone has to do before the big day, they will take time to remember the reason why we as Christians celebrate. In all the fuss of shopping and lights, and Glüwein (for all you folks who know what that is) I hope you take the time to remember and worship God for the gift he gave us when he sent his only son to this world to be the sacrifice for our sin. I have been studying the book of Isaiah these past few weeks, and as we go through the Christmas season, This book has really helped be see this season in a broader perspective. We put out our manger scenes every Christmas without really pondering on the magnitude of that moment.

As I have finally reached chapter 53, I am reminded of a song that we sang last year for Christmas. It says, "Gathered round your table, on this holy eve. Viewing Bethlehem's table we rejoice and greave. Joy to see you lying in Your manger bed. Weep to see you dying in our sinful stead." We celebrate Christ's life because it symbolizes hope. "Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows he carrried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted. But he was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed fo our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed." (Isaiah 534-5) I know this is an "Easter verse", but the reality is, we cannot really grasp the love of God in the manger scene, unless we see it in direct relation to the cross. This Christmas season is going to be a special one for us because we will not have the traditional time with our family. We will have eachother, and a few close friends, but the change will be a good chance to reflect on the greater meaning of Christmas than "family". After all, the real meaning of Christmas is the real reason we are here.

"But the angel said to them, "do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. this will be a sign for you; You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. And suddenly there appeard with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.' " (Luke 2:10-14

The Thrill Of The Normal

2007-11-08T06:32:00.000-08:00

So after almost four weeks of living in Germany, we are finally beginning to feel as if living here is normal. As the novelty of fresh bread, public transportation, and good German chocolate begins to fall into the norm, the reality of living here begins to sink in more. However, it is such a joy knowing that we are in the will of God and what he has for our lives. Although we are only in Düsseldorf for a short time, it is home.

Our next great hurdle of course is the language. How great would it be to just be able to walk up to someone and ask if they know Jesus? However I do not know how to ask that question, and even if I did, how do I communicate to them the reason they need a Savior, and how they can be reconciled to God. I know it will take time and until then we are praying that God gives us an ability beyond ourselves to learn the language, so that we might communicate to love of Christ verbally. Until then, we are hoping our actions and love for each other communicates love to the people around us. We pray God gives them a curious heart so that we can make every effort to build meaningful and lasting relationships.

This last week was especially great for us. Kristen’s cousin Courtney stopped to visit us on her way home from India. It was great getting to know her, and having her stay with us. I have to thank her for all the great pictures she took of our city. We were also able to take her over to Cologne to see the Cathedral. This was my first time in Cologne since our move to Germany, so it was really great to get a lay of the land and Courtney took some great pictures for us. As you see these photos, pray for Cologne, and the people there.

Well, that is all for now. Continue to lift us up as we study the language. Also, pray Kristen and Emma continue to feel better. Kristen was pretty sick, and had to miss a day of language school. She is starting to feel better, but does not have all her energy back yet. Emma is sleeping a lot more now, and does not have that nasty cough anymore. Continue to pray that she heals up quickly. We truly know you are praying for us. Knowing our church and family is praying for us gives us great hope and strength. God has us here for a great reason, and although we do not see it all yet, we know that He is working.

Düsseldorf. It's my kind of town

2007-11-01T02:05:00.000-07:00

Well, we arrived just a couple weeks ago now, and it has really flown by. Our first impression of Düsseldorf was just how busy it seemed to be. As we drove through town on the way to our apartment, I could not stop thinking to myself, "I can't believe I live in Germany." It is a very nice town, with a beautiful down town (or what the germans call, "Altstadt") right along the river. As we pulled up to our building we were amazed at the huge fountain with the larger than life statues guarding over it. We knew our apartment was next to a park, but pictures really did not do it justice.

Walking into our apartment building, we were excited to see that is was in an older building. It had been renovated after the war, so it was in good shape, but still retained the old feel to it. The building is one of many that surround the park, and it is near anything we need to get to. There is a grocery store, and a bakery just minutes away, and we live just across the park from a street car that goes directly to the trainstation. From their you can get anywhere in the city.

The apartment was better than we expected. The landlord is a really nice lady who furnished everything. There is a room for Emma, and Kristen and I have a room connected to the living room. Unfortunately we do not have a door to our room, so a curtain is going to have to suffice for now. The kitchen came with everything we need, and we are learning rules and regulations for recycling. The dining table is in the kitchen, and it also has to double as the laundry room since the washing mashine is at the end of the counter. It works out good.

We are so thankful to God for all he has blessed us with. As we begin our language school we are excited and eager to communicate with others so that me may be able to share more freely and expressivily the Gospel. We have already come into contact with some young believers and are eager to learn more from them about their culture and country. Although we are only in this town for a short while, we are praying that God will give us many opportunities to meet people and share with them the message of salvation. Because we are in language school, we are in contact with many internationals. Perhaps God will give us opportunities there. I ask that you would continue to pray for us as we are still adjusting to the move. We are beginning to settle in, but there are still difficulties living in a new country.

That is all for now. Tune in next week for more news...