(I will add pics to this post in a couple days, I wrote it on the wrong computer, we have no pics on this one.)
*OK, these pics took a couple months, sorry.
Consistancy in correspondance has not always been our strong point, however, we´re getting better.
So, this being the end of the summer and our last post being the beginning of summer, I´ll try to summerize.
The summer started pretty typical for Germany, rainy. This is excellent for the flower boxes on our balcony, but not so fun for the three kids that have no school or kindergarten and Mommy who is sometimes creatively challenged when it comes to rainy sumer days with all the kids at home and the sun doesn´t go down till 11pm. However, we did survive the first week, to the glory of God, and made it to our reward:
We had a week of vacation at Schloss Heroldeck in the Austrian Alps alongside Milstatter See.
Yes, I said a week by a lake in the Alps. The sun came out just in time to greet us in Austria, and it also decided to stay in Millstatt for the week. This was actually the family retreat for CC Herborn. We try to go every year because they always have a great kids program and the cost is great for a family vacation. Edmund and I also get to minister together by helping with the worship, as well as sitting next to eachother in a teaching time, which doesn´t happen every moon cycle. We have a couple other favorite stops every year, the tallest waterfall in Austria (I cannot remeber the name) and My cousin Jack´s beautiful family. We usually only get a couple days with the Lauritsen´s, but it is just as much of a highlight as our week in Austria. Hope to see you guys at Thanksgiving!
After a week at home, we hosted an outreach team from CC Downey. This was a lot of work, but the kind that you like doing! As the team said, `We walked a lot´but it felt so good going to bed each night knowing the day was full of stuff that had weight. Treasures that will not pass away.
The team helped us do a skate outreach in the city for the second year in a row, as well as a kids outreach in the neighborhood near the church for the second year.
Some of the kids in both places remembered us and were excited to see us doing something again. There was a Grandma from one of the skaters that was really touched to see us doing something for these kids and kept asking questions about who we were whay we were doing this. It was good to share with her that we knew that Jesus loves these kids and has a plan for their lives and we are here to show them that He loves them.
One thing that is clear here is that people are scared of cults. I don´t know how many times I heard or heard a team member asked if we were JW´s or Scientologists. Please pray with us that the truth of the Gospel and God´s word would prevail in Dusseldorf.
However, Edmund and I agreed that the ground seemed softer on this outreach. Many more people asking questions and willing to talk. People are searching in these times, please pray to the Lord of the harvest for laborers. We also pray that if the Lord would grant a Harvest to Dusseldorf, or Germany for that manner, that we would be here to see it.
The kids are back in school now, even Ezekiel has started Kindergarten. His summary of his days, Ì cried´. But we know that he secretly likes it because every time I pick him up, he is playing and doesn´t even know I am there.
Karis is in second, Kaleb is in his pre-school year. Times-a-runnin, which makes me think, to what are my days devoted. These thoughts bring me back to Romans: And do this, knowing the time,that now it is high time to awake out of sleep, for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.(13:11) I think I just want to keep laying my head down at night knowing that the day had some weight to it.
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