Merry Christmas

As we continually consider how best to minister despite covid, we are at times surprised at God’s providence!

We truly thought that our Christmas outreach would be severely curtailed. We were hindered from promoting the outreach as the two city festivals were cancelled this year. As the donations started coming in, our feelings of resignation went from hopefulness, to excitement to jubilation as the Lord provided by moving hearts of the people living in our county. Our total was 774 gifts, which is 64 above our total from last year! God doesn’t need us; He just chooses to use us for His glory.

Please pray as we endeavor to get the gospel out during lockdown. The powers-that-be have tightened the regulations, but we are thankful that we are permitted to hold services. We are passing out tracts door to door. Chelli came up with the great idea of a manger scene in front of our house. She pulled out her pattern file that she created for one of Mitte Mitchell’s classes during our Bible College days and I enlarged them with an overhead projector onto some plywood that I had recovered from pallets. Now we have a manger scene proclaiming the Lord’s birth in front our abode. Please check out the Sudbrock Scoop on Facebook for pictures.

My outreach in the school has become restrictive as the Covid rules don’t allow for such a large group to assemble. I attempted using Zoom, but the internet connection at the school is not adequate to broadcast into each room simultaneously. Facebook live was out of the question for multiple reasons. My only option was to create 5 min devotion videos and load them up to the school’s server. The teachers then use them at will.

With the lack of the live services, you naturally feel a disconnect. A blessing came when one of the teachers approached Chelli and asked her to thank me for the devotions. It was a simple straight forward Christmas presentation of the gospel, closed with a sinner’s prayer for salvation. The teacher said, “Tell Paul the devotion was great. I referred to it repeatedly, all day long with my class!” What a blessing to be used of the Lord.

Skyler’s final surgery was a success. It will take some time to heal, but along with his wife, Eva, we were able to pick him up at the Charité Hospital in Berlin and bring him back to his apartment. We are so thankful for the Lord’s healing. Please pray as he adjusts to his “New Normal”. His body must train his newly converted section of small intestine to do the job of a large intestine. He is young. The doctors are positive. And our God is good.

A special thanks for the special offerings, especially during these uncertain times.
So thankful for all you do to help us do what we do,

The Sudbrock Family