Thank you for Praying! An Update

We have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of prayers on our behalf.  I felt like Moses in Exodus 17 when he had to keep is hands lifted for the Israelites to keep victorious in the battle against Amalek.

¹² But Moses' hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.

 I felt like my hands were so weary and these last few days I felt so many of you at my side holding them up.

We certainly still need you to hold us up in prayer, but my intense weariness has lifted and, although I am not at liberty to share everything, I would like to share some of the things you have been pray about.

Some Break-throughs:

Jim has been working on meeting with local high school directors to set up Fusion concerts (JV Pop Rock Choir Ministry) for their students.  It seemed like he has been hitting walls all around, but THIS WEEK, he was able to talk to four schools!  This is a huge break-through. Please, pray that they will want to be included on the schedule for concerts in June. One of the walls we are hitting on this is that none of the schools seem to have a room big enough to host a concert, so we will also need to find some neutral  venues where the kids will want to come.

Jim and I have great language tutors, but we know we need to take an intensive language course.  We have been trying to get into the most highly recommend one since we arrived in November, but it has always been full.  THIS WEEK we were accepted into the July - August class!!!  This is a huge answer to prayer, but also a huge prayer request.  We will be in class 20 hours a week.  Pray that God will use this to catapult us far ahead in our German speaking and understanding!

Family:

Jim - Since his surgery, Jim is doing incredible!  We often forget he even had surgery, that is how well he is doing!  He is in physical therapy once a week and that is going very well.  Thank you for your prayers!  Please, pray for his continued full recovery.

Nate and Raine - They have just moved out of the house they were able to stay in while the owners were gone for three months (thank you Jay and Kathy!).  They are now moving to Colorado.  Please, pray for a place for them to live and for jobs.

Emily and Alpha - As you saw from the pictures, it was a beautiful wedding.  They are doing great and loving being married.  Please, pray for their adjustments in marriage and that Alpha will be accepted for a Masters program at a School in the States.  Right now they have his application in to Fuller, Wheaton and Moody.

Jared - We had a wonderful time with him at the wedding.  He is loving school, though it is much harder than High School (as we hear, but must learn by experience).  Please, pray that he will be extra diligent the last part of this semester and that his grades will be such that he can keep his two scholarships.

Lina - I am working on finishing a paper that is due April 15 and am working on learning German.  Please, pray for both of these.

Travel:

I'm sure this is one of the reasons for my weariness.  Although we had an incredible time in Bangladesh, it is always wearing to travel and we have much for traveling in the next two months.

April 18-29 - Israel - We are privileged to go to the GYI (Global Youth Initiative) summit in Israel this year.  There are about 250 youth leaders from around the world that are invited.  It is a time of training and creating a deeper understanding as we are able to walk where Jesus walked.  We are very excited and blessed to be doing this!  Pray that we will get all that God has for us out of this trip! 

May 6-10 - JV Spring Conference in Czech.

May 10-21 - Lina in England for last Master moduel.

May 23-25 - Camping trip with the Leipzig, Ring Cafe youth group.  (Thankfully, I think I actually get to sleep in a bed, as I'm feeling a bit old for sleeping on the ground!)  Please, pray that this will be a great connection with the young people and, though I especially have a hard time communicating with them in German, that this will really establish and build our relationships with them.

We have some busy months ahead.  Please, pray for energy, strength, health and mostly that this will be a time of being closer to God and being used by Him.  What  a privilege!

We know that God is about a great work here in Leipzig and we are privileged be a part of it.  We also know that Satan wants to do all he can to discourage us and get our eyes off the ministry.  I am especially feeling far from my kids theses days.  Please, pray for each of them, that God will be firmly established in their lives and hearts and that I will be able to hold them with an open hand.

Again, thank you for your prayers.  I will leave you with a fun picture of Emily and Alpha at their reception at Alpha's home church in his home town.