Banana
Greetings all,
I eat a lot of Bananas. I like them, they’re healthy, have a lot of potassium, and are good to take along on a bike ride. I think I slipped on a banana. You know the old trick in the Road Runner cartoons…the slippery banana. Works too in Mario Kart. I have slipped up on getting God’s story out to you. It has been a while since I last wrote. I think I have been in a slump with writing, but am going to try and rise above it. That doesn’t mean we have not been busy or twiddling our thumbs. God has been working in fun and mighty ways in the last few weeks. Let me share some of the highlights.
Another Baptism
I have been having a Bible study for quite a while with a lady who we got to know through soccer. Six years ago I had the pleasure of being the “Fitness Coach” for Benjamin’s soccer team. I think I got the title because I enjoy being fit (and didn’t know a blessed thing about soccer). The coach needed help and I decided to try. What I didn’t know was that I would be drafted, kicking and screaming, into refereeing the home games. What a learning experience for me and a test of nerves for Susan. She got to hear all the parents from the opposing teams call me fun names.
A Happy Crowd
Anyway, I have gotten away from my point. During this time, we got to know a lady whose son played on our team. After carrying her injured son a dozen time off the field, I guess she realized that we were not bad people after all. She was active in the Catholic church in our neighborhood, but had a falling out. We were strange people for her, being from an independent Christian fellowship. But after Susan visited her in the hospital, she began to see us differently. She even allowed her son to come to a camp we were helping with. After that, her son started coming to special teen events and enjoyed getting to know the youth groups who came from the States. Fast forward to the last couple of years. Her son has been in trouble in school, with the police and decided to move out last year to live with his aunt. This whole time I have been meeting with her for Bible study/counseling sessions and had been praying for God to open her heart. Well, last Spring she said she wanted to look at what the Bible says about baptism. Praise God! It was a surprise for me when she said in late summer that she wanted to be immersed, but it was no surprise to God. On Sept 4th she was baptized into Christ. What a joyous experience!
I have decided to keep her identity private and neither use her name nor a close-up photo. She could lose her job if her decision for Christ became public. The neat thing about this is, she is ready for this to happen, but I want her to take the first step.
Along this line, please pray for her and her son. He has become more accepting of us and we pray God will open his heart more and more. Also pray for the Catholic Church and it’s members in our area. They are closing churches, the local priest in our neighborhood is on leave due to burn out and there is still a strong abhorrence to our presence as a free church. We know a lot of the Catholic families through the grade school that Lara is in, but building trust takes time and energy. I recently helped paint at the school and the lady in charge told a mutual friend that she was “impressed” with me. Whatever that means! May it be to God’s glory!!
A Wedding!
the happy couple
Our other exciting news, work-wise, was the marriage of our good friends, Mike and Mara, on September 10th. It was a long process to get them (him) to the altar, but God is working in their lives and relationship. Susan and I were the maid of honor and best man, which carries with it an expectation of helping and guiding the newly married couple. Even the Justice of the Peace (still required in Germany) in her ceremony asked us if we were aware of our responsibilities. I performed the religious ceremony on a gorgeous day in a beautiful rose garden. We are blessed to have such a good friendship with them and pray God will continue to guide them.
An Intern
We have an intern working with us for the next year. Ben Channell arrived in August from Nashville,
Ben Channell
Tennessee, having graduated from Lipscomb University with a major in German. He is now in the middle of his German classes and doing a great job practicing what he already knows and is learning. He will be helping out with the youth activities and encouraging our teens and is already involved in an after school baseball club.
I have one more prayer request. I have been reading the Bible in English with Faree for a year now. We have read through Luke, Acts, and just finished John. The Sermon on the Mount is next focusing on the Kingdom of God. Faree is from Iran and doesn’t profess any particular religion. What is fun to experience is his encounter with Jesus the Christ. He wants to know more and more about him. As we finished John last week, he said that he is happy to get to read more about Jesus and his sermon. Please be in prayer about this man. Only God knows his future and His plans for him.
Coming up!
• This weekend is our church retreat and we are focusing on the five love languages as our topic. I am going to present this topic and we are looking forward to a nice time together.
• Also a new young couple, who have been coming since the summer, are expecting their first child. The due date was this past Sunday and they were not in attendance. That can only mean…
• Our teens are in the midst of planning their first Easter teen retreat. This is a great opportunity for them to grow spiritually and grow together as a group.
• The Hildesheim women are planning the Northern Germany Ladies Retreat in February. It is also a great opportunity for them to grow in their fellowship with each other and with God.
I leave you with a quote from St. Augustine. Take a minute or two and ponder these words:
“Love God and do what you want.”
John said it a little differently in 1 John 2:15 -
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”
Blessings,
Kyle
sawing a log
- Lara
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