As life changes, one must grow and change as well.  We graduated from Bible College in 91 and 94 respectively. We were approved in 93 and I hit the deputation road as Chelli finished her last year of College.  We arrived in Germany February of 1995.  It was a fast track.  We have enjoyed serving the Lord.

A year and a half ago, we realized the need to step into serious personal development in order to grow with the ministry here.  Chelli worked so hard and obtained her Master’s in Education all the while not dropping the ball in the myriad of outreaches, we are involved in.  She is a Super Woman and she doesn’t need a big SW to prove it. 

I stepped into the mind twisting realm of Biblical Hebrew. In just 8 weeks from now, I will finish my second year of Hebrew.  We are thankful that we were able to continue our education while continuing to minister here in Wittenberg.  The benefits of such furthered education are seen daily in our effectiveness.  We are thankful that God enabled us to keep the expense of this extra training at a minimum.  Please pray with us as we work to fully pay off our extra educational costs.  Any assistance is greatly appreciated and can be earmarked for ministry education.

18 Students, 4 Adults, 3 days, 60 Kilometers times two.hikeweb

I was invited to go backpacking with both of the 7th grade classes.  I was asked to give the opening and closing devotions for the two trips. Such an opportunity to give the good news to a whole class is not to be denied!

I oversaw the young men.  It was such a privilege to speak God’s truth into their lives in word and deed.  It was also a physical challenge.  I have not spent that much time on my feet since pheasant hunting in my youth.

The lesson is to first know Christ and then to trust him for the long haul. It is not about what we can do.  Our “can-do” is very quickly and properly expressed in the phrase, I can’t.  Acknowledging our inability and repenting of leaving God out is the only logical response to the rigors of life. Only then, are we able, in faith, to fall into the Savior’s nail pierced hands. He alone can save.

So many blessings in the last few months

Our building project was successfully finished.Events

I finished my German certification to be a Sport Trainer.

We baptized mother and daughter, G… and M…  So cool watching Christians grow in the Lord!

I made a solo trip to Canada and IA, enjoying two conferences and ministering in two other churches.  A special thanks to Bro Hallmark’s church in Prince George who gave a special love offering enabling the replacement of my old and defective iPad.  Jeff and Regena were so gracious to me.  Staying with them was a highlight of my trip!

-an interesting phrase. It comes from German. It is also where we get the word “Wit”. (Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary, "A.S. wíse, orig. wiseness; Ger. weise; akin to wise (1) and wit. Doublet guise" ) It is more than simply “in this manner”. We also use a form of it in Clockwise. The clock was a huge technological leap in engineering. The German word knowledge (Wissen) also belongs to this family as well as many other commonly used words.
On this wise”, leads to the reality that God is knowingly guiding how life unfolds. He has control, even when we believe otherwise. (Every pun is intended!)

Ro 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

Activities of the MonthThe last months have been filled with activity.  Chelli had warned me not to make any new appointments, and rightly so. Every week was filled to the brim. 

Our youngest celebrated her Modern Day Princess Ceremony at church.  It was very exciting to see our Sadie celebrating coming of age.  We charged her to strive for truth and wisdom, to bloom where God has her now to gather the strength for the next phase of her life, to let Jesus shine in and through her, to never forget the goal and who she belongs to and to guard her heart.

We are always looking for new ways to present Christ in Wittenberg. The best means to the goal is always opened by the Lord. We praise and thank Him!

I have been leading the Monday devotions at a local school for over a year now. Last year the opportunity to lead the devotion for the teachers opened. This year I had the entire school and faculty present as I presented Christ the Savior. All were presented with the opportunity to trust Jesus. The resonance was encouraging. Please pray as God leads in this opening, that it will be effectual!

I teach baseball at the same school. After completing my sport trainer course last year, the opportunity arose to teach other courses as well. This gives me the opening to pray with these students in a smaller group setting, allowing for more one-on-one influence.

I have also been asked to take part in the yearly class trip as a counselor.

At church, we are in Genesis as we have preached through the New Testament. The people are so excited to see the Bible in a verse-by-verse textual style. They have learned so much. They get upset when they see the shallowness of the so-called Christians and organizations around them. Two ladies, who began visiting as a result of our summer street ministry, are really enjoying the sermons. It is cool to see God’s word change people!

There are many “good things” that can replace the right thing. Jesus came to “seek and to save”. He commanded us to take the Gospel for which he suffered, died and resurrected to secure. It goes way beyond a “Commission”. It is a command to, in the process of going, MAKE disciples, BAPTIZE them and to TEACH them. Making disciples is eternally essential. Anything stressed or placed before it, is contrary to it. The “good” cannot replace the right and remain good. The other two are ordered, foundational and biblical, but not essential to eternal life. It is sad, how many lesser-degree “good” things, that are not foundational and biblical but rather are interpretive or traditional and can be simply the dictates of man, become so important to the religious. Jesus, the disciples and the early churches contended with such things. We are no different. We must always evaluate our lives and ministries to align them with the simplicity of the Gospel. See https://goo.gl/rKcHSw