Hi Friends,
Greetings from a snowy Germany! We´ve been told with conviction that our city rarely gets snow. And if snow comes, it usually comes in January. Well, since Thanksgiving last week, we´ve had snow everyday. Both of us are thrilled--Daniel because of the possibility for snowball fights, and me because of the cozy feeling of drinking hot chocolate and watching crystal flakes fall outside our window.
This new winter season finds us well. Daniel continues to studiously plug away at his college/apprenticeship work, and language classes have continued for me. In fact, the last language course ended two days ago, and all that remains is a 2-week course in German politics and culture.Yeah! Having three hours of language class everyday can be monotonous. Fortunately, in February of next year I will be working as an English teacher at a language institute.We´re both thankful for the opportunity to earn some money, but the work is on a supply-and-demand, sporadic schedule. We´re still hoping for the possibility of teaching on a regular schedule (at a bigger language institute) in the Fall.
Continuing with the good news...Daniel´s dad just got ordained as a pastor! He´s been working on his seminary classes for years, and now he´s fully ordained. The ceremony was two weeks ago in Daniel´s parent´s church. We both drove down for the ceremony (the leader of the denomination came and lead the service), and enjoyed the festivities afterward with friends and family. Even though Artur (Daniel´s dad) is ordained, he isn´t taking over a church just yet. However, the possibility is definitely there. It will be exciting to see how God uses him in coming years! So, now it´s official...Daniel´s a pastor´s kid=)
Other than that, a lot of our time has been invested in ministry. Kidsfest has been going great. Last session, one of the girls, who comes faithfully, asked Jesus to be her savior! It was during the time when we putting the last of our equipment back in the church bus. The message that day was, "Dare to really believe in God," and it was about truly taking God seriously and making a stand for Him. Anyways, while we finished cleaning up, a staff member talked to her further about God and then asked if she wanted to live for Jesus. She said yes and then prayed. Of course, in order for the seed to continue to grow, it takes investment and time. We don´t want just "decisions" but we want discipleship.Please join us in praying for her and for the kids in our neighborhood. Also for their families. We personally visit each kid that comes, but we want the connections to become deeper...so we can pray with the families, invite them to church, and disciple them.
As we come to a close, we both want to thank you for following us, praying for us, and encouraging us. 2010 has been an exciting year and an exciting ride. Sometimes we can´t believe what has happened this year--we started the year in New York, moved to California for the wedding, went to Hawaii, flew directly to Germany, and then started a whole new life with only a couple of suitcases. It´s been a pleasure and an encouragement to bring you along on the journey.
Merry Christmas!
With love,
Daniel and Michelle
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Praying for Rain
Hi Friends,
The Fall season is here. And maybe the winter season, too. We have a mixture of golden leaves and freezing temperatures, so it will be interesting to see how the next few months play out. Last year was unusually cold for Germany...as in lots and lots of snowfall.
Anyways, Daniel is attending college classes during the first part of each week, and then apprenticeship classes for the second part. For Americans, this doesn´t totally make sense because we don´t have an equivalent program in the U.S....so let me to try to explain. Daniel is enrolled in a program called "Dual Studies", which means that he will graduate in 4 years with a Bachelors degree in Civil Engineering as well as an apprenticeship degree. The apprenticeship gives Daniel hands-on experience with a company in his field of study (in this case, with a construction company.) The apprenticeship is also a paid position. So, while he works during the semester break in construction, he gets paid. While he attends apprenticeship school during the semester, he also gets paid. Even though the money is tight, we´re really thankful Daniel´s program earns a steady income.
Speaking of income, one of our prayer requests is that I (Michelle) will find a job. Because of the need to first learn the language, we both decided it would be better for me to wait until after Christmas to start working. However, that means that resumes need to sent out now. The language institutes plan months in advance to establish their English courses for the following term. Our prayer is that God will bring the right English teaching job, with friendly staff and good hours.
Aside from that, our Fall semester life is rolling. We continue to minister to the teenagers on Tuesday nights and to the Muslim boys on Fridays. These ministries could definitely use your prayer. Our teenagers are so hard to reach because they are often pretty closed. Most of them spend a portion of the evening smoking outside, we often find beer bottles outside our building scattered over the sidewalk, and many conversations end in disinterest. But they keep coming back. And so our team keeps praying, keeps building relationships with the teens, and keeps believing that God will change their hearts. One of the conversations we recently had with a teenager ended like this, "Well, I think I just need evidence that God really exists to believe in Him. Or maybe that wouldn´t matter. I guess I would just need to believe in faith." Well said. But she hasn´t believed yet. That´s the thing: most teens will admit that there is a "higher power," but they don´t want to pursue the matter further because they don´t want to be personally convicted.
Our Muslim boys are also a challenge, but for different reasons. They´re much more open to the staff, and they especially connect with Daniel while playing soccer outside. The difficulty with them is the message time. They´re rambunctious, loud, and often plug their ears when they hear the word "Jesus" or when we pray. You´d think that they would eventually stop coming because we preach about Jesus every week. But they keep coming back. So, we take this group of boys as a gift from God and plow again in hard soil.
Sometimes it feels like so much of Germany is composed of "hard soil." But then we look back on New York. Definitely not a cake walk. And then back on California...sure the churches are full, but so many in the church are satisfied with being spectators and not disciples.
Maybe every country has hard soil. Probably the nature of a fallen world. Nonetheless, tomorrow we´ll take our shovels once again, strike the ground, and pray for rain.
The Fall season is here. And maybe the winter season, too. We have a mixture of golden leaves and freezing temperatures, so it will be interesting to see how the next few months play out. Last year was unusually cold for Germany...as in lots and lots of snowfall.
Anyways, Daniel is attending college classes during the first part of each week, and then apprenticeship classes for the second part. For Americans, this doesn´t totally make sense because we don´t have an equivalent program in the U.S....so let me to try to explain. Daniel is enrolled in a program called "Dual Studies", which means that he will graduate in 4 years with a Bachelors degree in Civil Engineering as well as an apprenticeship degree. The apprenticeship gives Daniel hands-on experience with a company in his field of study (in this case, with a construction company.) The apprenticeship is also a paid position. So, while he works during the semester break in construction, he gets paid. While he attends apprenticeship school during the semester, he also gets paid. Even though the money is tight, we´re really thankful Daniel´s program earns a steady income.
Speaking of income, one of our prayer requests is that I (Michelle) will find a job. Because of the need to first learn the language, we both decided it would be better for me to wait until after Christmas to start working. However, that means that resumes need to sent out now. The language institutes plan months in advance to establish their English courses for the following term. Our prayer is that God will bring the right English teaching job, with friendly staff and good hours.
Aside from that, our Fall semester life is rolling. We continue to minister to the teenagers on Tuesday nights and to the Muslim boys on Fridays. These ministries could definitely use your prayer. Our teenagers are so hard to reach because they are often pretty closed. Most of them spend a portion of the evening smoking outside, we often find beer bottles outside our building scattered over the sidewalk, and many conversations end in disinterest. But they keep coming back. And so our team keeps praying, keeps building relationships with the teens, and keeps believing that God will change their hearts. One of the conversations we recently had with a teenager ended like this, "Well, I think I just need evidence that God really exists to believe in Him. Or maybe that wouldn´t matter. I guess I would just need to believe in faith." Well said. But she hasn´t believed yet. That´s the thing: most teens will admit that there is a "higher power," but they don´t want to pursue the matter further because they don´t want to be personally convicted.
Our Muslim boys are also a challenge, but for different reasons. They´re much more open to the staff, and they especially connect with Daniel while playing soccer outside. The difficulty with them is the message time. They´re rambunctious, loud, and often plug their ears when they hear the word "Jesus" or when we pray. You´d think that they would eventually stop coming because we preach about Jesus every week. But they keep coming back. So, we take this group of boys as a gift from God and plow again in hard soil.
Sometimes it feels like so much of Germany is composed of "hard soil." But then we look back on New York. Definitely not a cake walk. And then back on California...sure the churches are full, but so many in the church are satisfied with being spectators and not disciples.
Maybe every country has hard soil. Probably the nature of a fallen world. Nonetheless, tomorrow we´ll take our shovels once again, strike the ground, and pray for rain.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Our FIRST Sidewalk Sunday School
Friends,
Guess what? We just had our first Sidewalk Sunday School session this last weekend! It was really great. A few days before the session, our team passed out fliers throughout the neighborhood (well, actually throughout ALL the neighborhoods within walking distance from our site), and we met several times to prepare. Our team was super motivated. They made props, prepared the games, and taught parts of the lesson. Our leader even baked cakes and brought coffee for all the parents who came.
In total, 43 people came (32 kids and 11 adults.) The truth is, most of the people who came were already headed for the park and then stopped when they saw us setting everything up. Most of the people that came (well, maybe everyone who came) are immigrants--Russian Germans and Middle Eastern Germans. I think the coolest part for me (Michelle) was that the moms knew just about as much German as I do. I always imagined
Sidewalk Sunday School to be a little intimidating, considering the language barrier. But now, it´s really a cool gift from God to be able to relate to the other moms as a fellow immigrant.
Another great aspect of our program was the theme. We had "Hollywood Day", complete with red carpet, a podium, an Oscar, pictures of movie sta
rs, and an "actual" movie star of our own. Kids and parents alike waited in line to take pictures with one of our staff members, who wore a blond wig, high heels, and sunglasses. We also gave the kids an opportunity to show their talents, such as dancing and singing. Three boys even started break dancing on the red carpet!
And of course, the most important part was the message. The kids were really attentive, and the parents listened from the side of the tarps. It was just so exciting to see the Word of God preached in our neighborhood park. At the end, many families told us they want to come to our next program (which is in October).
Please pray with us--that we can truly reach the families in our neighborhood. We live in an immigrant community with many, many families. We know that God has a vision for these people to become not only saved, but also to become ministers and missionaries. Thank you for fighting with us on your knees.
Guess what? We just had our first Sidewalk Sunday School session this last weekend! It was really great. A few days before the session, our team passed out fliers throughout the neighborhood (well, actually throughout ALL the neighborhoods within walking distance from our site), and we met several times to prepare. Our team was super motivated. They made props, prepared the games, and taught parts of the lesson. Our leader even baked cakes and brought coffee for all the parents who came.
In total, 43 people came (32 kids and 11 adults.) The truth is, most of the people who came were already headed for the park and then stopped when they saw us setting everything up. Most of the people that came (well, maybe everyone who came) are immigrants--Russian Germans and Middle Eastern Germans. I think the coolest part for me (Michelle) was that the moms knew just about as much German as I do. I always imagined
Sidewalk Sunday School to be a little intimidating, considering the language barrier. But now, it´s really a cool gift from God to be able to relate to the other moms as a fellow immigrant.Another great aspect of our program was the theme. We had "Hollywood Day", complete with red carpet, a podium, an Oscar, pictures of movie sta
rs, and an "actual" movie star of our own. Kids and parents alike waited in line to take pictures with one of our staff members, who wore a blond wig, high heels, and sunglasses. We also gave the kids an opportunity to show their talents, such as dancing and singing. Three boys even started break dancing on the red carpet!And of course, the most important part was the message. The kids were really attentive, and the parents listened from the side of the tarps. It was just so exciting to see the Word of God preached in our neighborhood park. At the end, many families told us they want to come to our next program (which is in October).
Please pray with us--that we can truly reach the families in our neighborhood. We live in an immigrant community with many, many families. We know that God has a vision for these people to become not only saved, but also to become ministers and missionaries. Thank you for fighting with us on your knees.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
The Whirlwind of July
Hi Friends,
It´s hard to believe July is almost over. It´s gone by fast! In this month alone, Michelle completed the
super-important German exam (whew!). The exam was scheduled July 9th, and all in all, it wasn´t too complicated. Of course, before the exam took place, we made flashcards, set up meetings with a girl from church to go over grammar, and lost a little bit of sleep. We both especially want to thank everyone who prayed for the exam. The results came back TODAY and it passed with flying colors! Yeah! Now we can apply for a residence visa. It´s always good when a married couple can live together in the same country! (On the right is a snapshot taken from my language class.)
On the fourth of July, D
aniel turned twenty-four. It was really great because it was our first time celebrating a birthday as a married couple. The week of his birthday was filled with several cakes, one surprise party at his parent´s house, one party with some friends at our apartment, and we even got a washing machine from our in-laws. It was really great to do something special for Daniel because he works 10 hour days, including Saturdays. Not to mention, he´s an amazing, incredible husband.
Speaking of marriage, we had a chance to see a couple of great friends get married last weekend. Like
us, the couple met at Metro Ministries, starting dating in January of 2009 and got engaged last Fall. In fact, the groom was Daniel´s best man in our wedding. Anyways, they are both from Switzerland, so the wedding was only 5 1/2 hours away from us. It was so wonderful to witness the beginning of their marriage. It was also a great surprise to reunite with several staff members from New York!
Now, our next adventure is starting a Sidewalk Sunday School program in our city. At the end of last month, we went with our ministry team to visit a former Metro Ministries staff member. He currently does Sidewalk Sunday School in Düsseldorf. The program consisted of games, contests, prizes, coffee for the parents, and an amazing lesson. Our team members were so impressed. They left the program wide-eyed, saying, "We NEED to do this in our town." Great. That´s exactly the reaction we were hoping for. Now, we are beginning to plan a Sidewalk Sunday School in Troisdo
rf. The difference now is that we don´t have the revenue, props, equipment, or time that we had in New York. But God knows that. And we know God wants to reach our city. Please pray with us that God would use us and give us what we need to reach our neighborhoods.
This is a lot of information, right? But just one more thing! We also want to give praise to God for Daniel´s acceptance into college. Daniel applied to different colleges when we first arrived, and we´ve been praying for God to open doors. Now, Daniel is enrolled in the Dual Studies Program in a college in Cologne. "Dual Studies" means that he goes to college full-time during the semester and works at an apprenticeship (vocational training) during the off-semester in his field. How great! It´s so great because we could use the money, and Daniel gets to have hands-on experience in civil engineering. God is so great!
We just want to thank you for keeping us in your prayers. We think of our friends from the U.S. often, and we miss you! God bless!
It´s hard to believe July is almost over. It´s gone by fast! In this month alone, Michelle completed the
super-important German exam (whew!). The exam was scheduled July 9th, and all in all, it wasn´t too complicated. Of course, before the exam took place, we made flashcards, set up meetings with a girl from church to go over grammar, and lost a little bit of sleep. We both especially want to thank everyone who prayed for the exam. The results came back TODAY and it passed with flying colors! Yeah! Now we can apply for a residence visa. It´s always good when a married couple can live together in the same country! (On the right is a snapshot taken from my language class.)On the fourth of July, D
aniel turned twenty-four. It was really great because it was our first time celebrating a birthday as a married couple. The week of his birthday was filled with several cakes, one surprise party at his parent´s house, one party with some friends at our apartment, and we even got a washing machine from our in-laws. It was really great to do something special for Daniel because he works 10 hour days, including Saturdays. Not to mention, he´s an amazing, incredible husband.Speaking of marriage, we had a chance to see a couple of great friends get married last weekend. Like
us, the couple met at Metro Ministries, starting dating in January of 2009 and got engaged last Fall. In fact, the groom was Daniel´s best man in our wedding. Anyways, they are both from Switzerland, so the wedding was only 5 1/2 hours away from us. It was so wonderful to witness the beginning of their marriage. It was also a great surprise to reunite with several staff members from New York!Now, our next adventure is starting a Sidewalk Sunday School program in our city. At the end of last month, we went with our ministry team to visit a former Metro Ministries staff member. He currently does Sidewalk Sunday School in Düsseldorf. The program consisted of games, contests, prizes, coffee for the parents, and an amazing lesson. Our team members were so impressed. They left the program wide-eyed, saying, "We NEED to do this in our town." Great. That´s exactly the reaction we were hoping for. Now, we are beginning to plan a Sidewalk Sunday School in Troisdo
rf. The difference now is that we don´t have the revenue, props, equipment, or time that we had in New York. But God knows that. And we know God wants to reach our city. Please pray with us that God would use us and give us what we need to reach our neighborhoods.This is a lot of information, right? But just one more thing! We also want to give praise to God for Daniel´s acceptance into college. Daniel applied to different colleges when we first arrived, and we´ve been praying for God to open doors. Now, Daniel is enrolled in the Dual Studies Program in a college in Cologne. "Dual Studies" means that he goes to college full-time during the semester and works at an apprenticeship (vocational training) during the off-semester in his field. How great! It´s so great because we could use the money, and Daniel gets to have hands-on experience in civil engineering. God is so great!
We just want to thank you for keeping us in your prayers. We think of our friends from the U.S. often, and we miss you! God bless!
Monday, June 21, 2010
Our Boys
When we talk about "our boys," we´re referring to 8-14 boys we work with every Friday af
ter school lets out. The staff come to Haus Benjamin around 3:30, and then soon after, the kids arrive. Usually the afternoon starts with soccer on the street (if it´s dry outside), and concludes with games, a message, and dinner. In total, the program is 3 hours long, which is a great time to connect with the kids. For some reason, only boys have been coming--no doubt because they´re pretty crazy sometimes and hard to handle. If I (Michelle) was a kid, the boys would intimidate me, too.
One of the coolest parts is that these boys are primarily Muslim. I mean, we feed them pork-free sausage and everything. They aren´t allowed to read the Bible. They aren´t allowed to pray with us. But every week they hear about Jesus.
Daniel is now responsible for the program on Friday, which means that we both take time to prepare the message every week. A few weeks ago, we were convinced that it was time to share the Gospel message. But we thought, "Wait. How can we do this without the kids walking away and never coming back again?" We were wrestling with the issue of sharing the message directly, or sharing everything a little more vague because we´re new and don´t have strong relationships yet with the kids. The next morning, God brought gave us an answer through Scripture. Paul writes that he has shared the Gospel without reservation, and therefore, is not guilty of any man´s blood. So that´s exactly what we did.
We explained the problem of sin and told the story of Christ´s crucifixion. We showed clips from The Passion of the Christ. We told them that Christ wanted to be personal and real in their lives. We even invited them to pray. Of course, when you invite a group of kids to pray, many of them seem distracted and it´s hard to know what God is doing in their hearts. But one 12-year-old began to ask questions.
"How does Jesus and his death affect me? How is does it become personal? Do I have to sign a contract or something so I can be a part of it?"
Daniel and our ministry leader took time to answer questions and explain how the Gospel differs from what is stated in the Koran. He was open and obviously moved by Jesus´ sacrifice. Of course, if he would decide to live for God, he would be alienated from this community and family. For these kids, discipleship comes at a steep price.
In the end, the boy took a plate of food and said he would come back the next week. It encouraged us so much to know that this boy had heard the Gospel for the first time and wanted to know more. No matter what someone´s background, the Gospel is powerful. As Paul writes,"...it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes" (Romans 1:16).
ter school lets out. The staff come to Haus Benjamin around 3:30, and then soon after, the kids arrive. Usually the afternoon starts with soccer on the street (if it´s dry outside), and concludes with games, a message, and dinner. In total, the program is 3 hours long, which is a great time to connect with the kids. For some reason, only boys have been coming--no doubt because they´re pretty crazy sometimes and hard to handle. If I (Michelle) was a kid, the boys would intimidate me, too.One of the coolest parts is that these boys are primarily Muslim. I mean, we feed them pork-free sausage and everything. They aren´t allowed to read the Bible. They aren´t allowed to pray with us. But every week they hear about Jesus.
Daniel is now responsible for the program on Friday, which means that we both take time to prepare the message every week. A few weeks ago, we were convinced that it was time to share the Gospel message. But we thought, "Wait. How can we do this without the kids walking away and never coming back again?" We were wrestling with the issue of sharing the message directly, or sharing everything a little more vague because we´re new and don´t have strong relationships yet with the kids. The next morning, God brought gave us an answer through Scripture. Paul writes that he has shared the Gospel without reservation, and therefore, is not guilty of any man´s blood. So that´s exactly what we did.
We explained the problem of sin and told the story of Christ´s crucifixion. We showed clips from The Passion of the Christ. We told them that Christ wanted to be personal and real in their lives. We even invited them to pray. Of course, when you invite a group of kids to pray, many of them seem distracted and it´s hard to know what God is doing in their hearts. But one 12-year-old began to ask questions.
"How does Jesus and his death affect me? How is does it become personal? Do I have to sign a contract or something so I can be a part of it?"
Daniel and our ministry leader took time to answer questions and explain how the Gospel differs from what is stated in the Koran. He was open and obviously moved by Jesus´ sacrifice. Of course, if he would decide to live for God, he would be alienated from this community and family. For these kids, discipleship comes at a steep price.
In the end, the boy took a plate of food and said he would come back the next week. It encouraged us so much to know that this boy had heard the Gospel for the first time and wanted to know more. No matter what someone´s background, the Gospel is powerful. As Paul writes,"...it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes" (Romans 1:16).
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Youth Cafe
As we mentioned before, we are involved in two main outreaches here in Germany--one for i
mmigrant kids and one for teens. Last night, we had our weekly Youth Cafe. More specifically, it´s a time when teenagers come to one of our church buildings to hang out, play pool, hear a message, eat dinner, and talk with staff members. It´s really cool, but definitely not like New York. Instead of frantically running around from program to program, the Youth Cafe is relaxed and inviting. Especially for teens that would never step foot into a church.
The kids that usually come are from the rock/alternative, emo, or gothic scene. They come in the building (called Haus Benjamin) looking pretty tough and uninterested.The hard part a
bout ministering to teens in Europe is that many are atheists or simply don´t care whether or not God exists. Daniel was talking to some boys last night, and they didn´t want to hear about Jesus. They just wanted an excuse to debate the existence of God. One guy told us he´s been coming every week to the Youth Cafe for five years just because he likes to discuss philosophy and religion...but he´s not willing to personally believe.
So, the Youth Cafe continues every week, with staff members talking to students, praying with them, and encouraging them to have faith in
God. It´s definitely slow-going, but there´s something I´m convinced about.
When I (Michelle) was at a prayer meeting in New York, I remember God telling me, "Europe is not dead. I have plans for the people there." This came to me during the time Daniel and I were talking about getting married and moving to Germany. My biggest concern was the state of the dwindling Church. Would Europe be a discouraging time for my faith? And God said He hadn´t forgotten about the people in Europe. And neither will we.
Please pray with us for the teens and families who are comfortable in their meaningless, atheistic ways of thinking. In some countries, Satan´s weapons are drugs, witchcraft, violence, or disease. Over here, he has swayed the masses with apathy. Please pray that the Holy Spirit would awaken the lost.
mmigrant kids and one for teens. Last night, we had our weekly Youth Cafe. More specifically, it´s a time when teenagers come to one of our church buildings to hang out, play pool, hear a message, eat dinner, and talk with staff members. It´s really cool, but definitely not like New York. Instead of frantically running around from program to program, the Youth Cafe is relaxed and inviting. Especially for teens that would never step foot into a church.The kids that usually come are from the rock/alternative, emo, or gothic scene. They come in the building (called Haus Benjamin) looking pretty tough and uninterested.The hard part a
bout ministering to teens in Europe is that many are atheists or simply don´t care whether or not God exists. Daniel was talking to some boys last night, and they didn´t want to hear about Jesus. They just wanted an excuse to debate the existence of God. One guy told us he´s been coming every week to the Youth Cafe for five years just because he likes to discuss philosophy and religion...but he´s not willing to personally believe.So, the Youth Cafe continues every week, with staff members talking to students, praying with them, and encouraging them to have faith in
God. It´s definitely slow-going, but there´s something I´m convinced about.When I (Michelle) was at a prayer meeting in New York, I remember God telling me, "Europe is not dead. I have plans for the people there." This came to me during the time Daniel and I were talking about getting married and moving to Germany. My biggest concern was the state of the dwindling Church. Would Europe be a discouraging time for my faith? And God said He hadn´t forgotten about the people in Europe. And neither will we.
Please pray with us for the teens and families who are comfortable in their meaningless, atheistic ways of thinking. In some countries, Satan´s weapons are drugs, witchcraft, violence, or disease. Over here, he has swayed the masses with apathy. Please pray that the Holy Spirit would awaken the lost.
Welcome!
Hi Friends,
It´s so great to have a chance to keep in contact with you. Again and again, Daniel and I have been telling our friends that even though we live overseas and no longer do Sunday school in New York, we still have missio
nary hearts. The purpose of this blog is to give you a glimpse into our hearts, our ministry, and of course, the ways you can join us in prayer.
Wow, it´s hard to believe that Daniel and I share the same blog! For the past few years, we have been individually updating our friends and family (mine in English, and his in German) on the adventures of New York. Well, it looks like we´re starting this next adventure together--the adventure of newly married life, adjusting to a new culture and language (Michelle), and ministering to the German/immigrant community. We´re both so excited that we can serve God together...and honored to have you with us on our journey.
Before we
jump ahead of ourselves, let me just talk about these pictures from March 12th 2010. These mark the first day of our lives together. It really was an amazing day--our families were there with many of our friends, everything ran smoothly,and we still got great pictures despite the rain showers. Looking back, Daniel and I wouldn´t change anything. It was absolutely amazing.
Since the day we became husband and wife, we spent 10 days in Hawaii, 2 days in San Fransisco, and then proceeded to Germany. For the past (almost) two months, we´ve been setting up our apartment, enrolling in language school (Michelle), applying for college (Daniel), researching health insurance, finding an internet provider....you know, all the things you need to do to set up a household.
We´ve also been really involved in church. Our church here is great, and we work with a woman from the church who organizes outreaches to the elderly, drug addicts, teens, immigrant kids, taxi drivers, etc. Daniel and I are both involved in the Tuesday night teen outreach, as well as the program for immigrant kids. We greatly anticipate what God will do with our Metro Ministries training here in Germany. We even have dreams to start a Sidewalk Sunday School here in our local neighborhood.
It´s cool to think that we came to Germany because of it´s low college tuition, but God can still use us here to evangelize. That´s definitely our prayer.
It´s so great to have a chance to keep in contact with you. Again and again, Daniel and I have been telling our friends that even though we live overseas and no longer do Sunday school in New York, we still have missio
nary hearts. The purpose of this blog is to give you a glimpse into our hearts, our ministry, and of course, the ways you can join us in prayer.Wow, it´s hard to believe that Daniel and I share the same blog! For the past few years, we have been individually updating our friends and family (mine in English, and his in German) on the adventures of New York. Well, it looks like we´re starting this next adventure together--the adventure of newly married life, adjusting to a new culture and language (Michelle), and ministering to the German/immigrant community. We´re both so excited that we can serve God together...and honored to have you with us on our journey.
Before we
jump ahead of ourselves, let me just talk about these pictures from March 12th 2010. These mark the first day of our lives together. It really was an amazing day--our families were there with many of our friends, everything ran smoothly,and we still got great pictures despite the rain showers. Looking back, Daniel and I wouldn´t change anything. It was absolutely amazing.Since the day we became husband and wife, we spent 10 days in Hawaii, 2 days in San Fransisco, and then proceeded to Germany. For the past (almost) two months, we´ve been setting up our apartment, enrolling in language school (Michelle), applying for college (Daniel), researching health insurance, finding an internet provider....you know, all the things you need to do to set up a household.
We´ve also been really involved in church. Our church here is great, and we work with a woman from the church who organizes outreaches to the elderly, drug addicts, teens, immigrant kids, taxi drivers, etc. Daniel and I are both involved in the Tuesday night teen outreach, as well as the program for immigrant kids. We greatly anticipate what God will do with our Metro Ministries training here in Germany. We even have dreams to start a Sidewalk Sunday School here in our local neighborhood.
It´s cool to think that we came to Germany because of it´s low college tuition, but God can still use us here to evangelize. That´s definitely our prayer.
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