Denn euch ist heute ein Retter geboren -

Today in Germany we are getting ready for Heiligabend. This evening there will be a lot of celebrating and gift giving and gift receiving in homes. Some people will go to church this evening, although, most will not. We are encouraged when we hear on the street or in the shops, even on the radio, people wishing each other “Ein gesegnetes Weihnachts und einen guten Rutsch in neues Jahr” (A blessed Christmas and happy new year) rather than the generic “happy holidays.”

For us, the entire year of 2009 was an exceedingly blessed year. We began 2009 with the missionary appointment process well underway. In February our candidate consultant called us to let us know that we had been approved for appointment. In March, we partook in God’s blessing of sending our daughter and two of our grandchildren to Korea to join our son-in-law in his posting there with the US Army. We flew to Taylors, South Carolina for a week of filling out more paperwork and more interviews and meetings that culminated in our appointment. God further blessed us to be able sort through 35 years of marriage organizing what to put in our overseas shipment, what we needed to give to our kids, sell or just plain give away. After our crate was packed, God blessed us with a month long trip to say our goodbyes to our kids in Washington and Korea and our parents in Oregon and California. God’s blessing shown all through the commissioning service at our home church in Copperas Cove, Texas. Three days before we were to leave for orientation in Virginia, a routine dental exam revealed the urgent need to replace a 2 unit bridge. God arranged to have us on our way, with the bridgework completed and seated in less than 2 weeks after the exam! God showered us with his blessings once again!! During our 8 weeks and 3 days of orientation, we were blessed daily by the ways God used the ministry of Elbert, the entire ILC staff and our fellow missionaries. God so completely orchestrated ALL of the details of getting us to Germany. God has blessed us with housing, transportation and all that we need to be here. Only a few days after we arrived, God blessed us with a ministry at our language school. Those groups of people that what we call churches in America are called “gemeinde” (community) here in Germany; God has blessed us to land in the midst of a community of believers here. God’s blessings are new every day. He has blessed us so much more than we could have ever dreamed or imagined. The greatest blessing of all, is “Denn euch ist heute ein Retter geboren, welcher ist Christus, der Herr, in der Stadt Davids.” (today a Savior, who is Messiah the Lord, was born for you in the city of David)(Luk 2:11).

Of course in the story, there are shepherds that were blessed, first by the angel and then by getting to be the first folks to see Jesus. They were just regular folks like us who had received a blessing. They were compelled to go and tell the rest of the world what had happened in Bethlehem – they had been blessed to be a blessing!

Hopes for a white Christams melted this week when the temps went up to +3.5C

Pray with us:

That God will open our eyes every day to visualize those blessings that the world does not want us to see;

That God will use us who have been so blessed, to bless those who have never had a chance to hear God and receive His blessing;

That God would bless you, the reader, and then that you might become a blessing as were the shepherds who were compelled to tell the rest of the world what they had seen and heard;

That our friend, Lottie Moon, will receive a blessing poured out of the windows of heaven, that is full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and still running over!

This next week (Dec 28-31) as we go to Zurich, Switzerland for our annual year end retreat. We will be praying through and working on:

What makes our family unique?

The answer to this question should be two or three sentences that describe how our family is different from any other family in the world. If you don’t know what differentiates your family from others, you won’t have a basis for making decisions, and you’ll try to be all things to all people.

What is our top priority—rallying cry—right now?

Rallying Cry: The rallying cry is a single, agreed-upon top priority for your family over the next two to six months. Without a top priority, everything becomes important and you end up reacting to whatever issues seem urgent that day.

The 12th of Never has Arrived

The 12th of Never has ARRIVED! we finally got our internet up and it is working. I feel a little like one of those cell phone ads in the states with a background of 6 bars of connection!

We have not been idle since we got done with Goethe. As a matter of fact, we have entered a new phase of language learning - more practical than just going to school everyday. We are in essence doing what I used to do as a Chaplain - wandering around (with a purpose) and talking to people.
We spent last weekend visiting friends in our old hometown on our way to a team meeting in Munich. Practically from the time we arrived in Memmingen, we were practicing our language. We spent 5 hours catching up with our friend Renate - Even though she speaks English, our conversation was in German. We talked about old times, we talked about going to church, we talked about family, we talked about sad times and happy times. It was good to visit.
We connected with some other friends that were responsible for our becoming members of a little German congregation nearly 30 years ago. Marlies told Paula that it only took us about 15 minutes to cover 3 decades of being away . . . We went to church with Marlies and Petros and were truly blessed to have been there. After we ate lunch and chatted with them for an hour or so, we were off to Munich to meet with our team.
We got a good glimpse of what we will be about when we get there . . . for now, we will focus on our language learning and be content in whatever state we find ourselves in (be it confusion or Baden-Wurttemburg). We have more than enough to learn right here in Lorrach.

Please Pray with us about:

The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. It is that time of year again when we as Southern Baptists collectively (no pun intended) support M's serving overseas. We are deeply grateful for your gifts and for your support. We are all feeling the effects of the current financial situation, but in the case of many M's like us, we feel the pinch in being less able to do what you have sent us here to do. We have to wait for much needed new personnel on the field. Please pray for not just meeting our LMCO goals this year, but for a change of heart amongst our people to see the need of the Great Commission and respond accordingly.

Our Language and Culture Learning. Although related to the prayer request above, it is encumbant upon us to learn the language; even though funds for our language learning have been effected by the financial situation. We have embarked upon a practical phase of language learning during which we will not be in formal language school, but wandering about (with a purpose) talking to folks; using a "language partner" to help with the difficult bits. We are also mixing in a portion of our cultural learning. We are not for want of something to do.

Our Team in Munich. We visited with our team this past weekend and began being teammates. We have a great vision to see Munich won over for the Lord, churches planted and new leaders sought out and trained. There is a LOT of work to be done, and the workers are few (Sound familiar?). Please pray for the immediate focus for our teammates. Only one of our team families is in Munich right now.

We are looking forward to the Day later this month when we will celebrate the birthday of the King. The space beneath our tree will not be empty, but well not be buying a lot of other stuff just to fill it up. God has blessed us with more this past year than space allows me to tell. The most precious Gift of all He gives us new every morning, anyway!