A great week at camp

Many of you know that Julie, Melanie and I joined our CSM staff in Europe for a week of camp ministry. We were in Italy at a large sports camp with over 220 of us!  Students from five different military communities and from all different walks of life.

We had a great time there in fun and fellowship. Our speaker was Todd Arnett from California and did he ever do a great job connecting the dots from the WORD to the lives and hearts of our students.  His desire to share with them was evident every time he taught and spent time with the students.

The three of us were part of our community from Wiesbaden as small group leaders. Julie also used her decorating skills to turn the program room into a look of our theme...The Illusion!  With the help of Becke, Delilah and Julie, they did an amazing job!

I had the privilege of helping Dan out with games. We planned them from our living room in Oregon and their living room in Wiesbaden and then once we arrived in Germany, we began to put the final pieces together.  God was good in working out the details to it all.

One day on our final event, we did a 9 event Great Race and ended with....ANGRY BIRDS!  It was a ton of fun and will do it again!

Thanks for praying for us and the ministry here in Germany!

First week in Deutschland & Good Friday!

It is hard to imagine that on the 8th of April it will have been two years since the Lord began to direct and guide us to begin our new adventure in ministry with Cadence International and the Student Ministries team in Germany.  Who would have ever thought that!

Well of course if you know the whole story, Julie did. You see over 31 years ago while living in Frankfurt, Germany, the Holy Spirit prompted Julie to begin to pray for the students of the US Military serving here in Germany.  This vision to see them reached for Jesus began in 1979 and it would become a seed that would grow, be watered, cultivated and then now, years later, come to LIFE!  It is after years of prayer, passion and patience that we are serving and doing what Julie earnestly prayed for.

Little did she know that God would answer her prayer back in 1979 at the same time, direct Cadence, then OCSC to ask Dick and Margaret Patty to leave Kaiserslautern and move their family to Frankfurt and see if there was a way to reach the students of the military.  Cadence (OCSC) was working with with the military through the hospitality houses and had yet to work with the students.  Well, scripture tells us, "that the prayers of a righteous person, avails much."  Her prayers and the Patty's prayers and their ministry team then and now see the benefits of constant and passionate prayers.

As we have just finished our first week of ministry in our new adventure, we are still seeing the Lord answer dozens of prayers! We see Him working in and through us as we meet new people, start ministry, look for housing, secure a vehicle, get ID, acquaint ourselves with live internationally and a myriad of other things.  God is good and moving to bring glory to His name for His kingdom sake.

To finish a bit more of the story of a 19 year old girls prayer, we are doing Student Ministries just 20 minutes from Frankfurt on the Army post in Wiesbaden,  WOW!!  Is God ever good! He does provide and He does answer prayers!

As we reflect today on the fact that it is Good Friday, we are thankful for God's provision of the perfect Lamb sacrifice for your sins and mine. As we reflect on the gift that forgiveness is, we rejoice that we get to share that with the students, families and others here in Germany.  Together, with His leading and help, we can see the dreams of a young girl answered and come to life!

Praise be to the Lord Most High...who was, and is and is to come!  Oh Lord, we thank You for all You have and will do!