Instant Grandma of 8 Teenagers!

I am at an age where I would love to be a grandmother, but I never expected to suddenly have 8 teen aged grandchildren at once!

Last week was our English Camp for Burg. It was very different from our summer camps, as most of the teens were not believers and all but one from broken homes, so you can imagine my delight when the youngest boy accidentally called me "Omi" (Grandma)! By the end of the week, they had even made a "family tree" and made copies for everyone to take home! Oh how desperately each of us need to have a safe, loving place that feels like family!

The whole Burg Camp gang!

Yanik, the first one to call me Omi!

For this camp, we partnered with our friends, Samuel and Anela Lűtke Lanfer who are starting a church plant in Berg.

Samuel, Mattis, Silas, and Anela

Our two Extended Summer Interns (ESI) are still here until December 11. What a blessing they are! Rachel is working with the teens in Berg, following up, discipling, starting a youth group, and even teaching some English classes at local high schools! Tim is working with teens in the Guben and Zeesan area, doing follow-up from the camp we did there this summer, as well as training some of the students to take over the 2 youth groups he has started there!

Anela, Rachel and Tim during the "Clue" game at our Burg camp. Tim was "Mr. Body" and all the students had to figure out who killed him, where and how! So much fun!

We were also so privileged to have Alpha and Emily, our daughter and son-in-law, help us out at the camp, Alpha with music and pictures and Emily with teaching English! They had flown in from Bangladesh for some medical check-ups and jumped right in to help us! Alpha returned to Bangladesh on Monday, October 15, and Emily will return the first part of November after a few more appointments.

Alpha and Emily at our church retreat a few days after they arrived.

 So many incredible things are happening here in this part of Germany! We are excited that God has invited us to come alongside and do ministry here!

Prayer Points:

1. Pray for the kids in Berg, that God will continue to draw them to Himself.
2. Pray for Rachel and Tim as they lead the youth groups in Berg, Guben, and Zeesen, that the teen leaders they are training will continue to grow and invest in their peers.
3. Pray for both Rachel and Tim as they return to the US in December and make decisions as to their next steps in life. We would LOVE to have both of them come here full-time!
4. Pray for Jim and me, that God will continue to multiply our ministry here. It's incredible how He continues to bring unexpected people alongside us to extend our arms in ministry!
5. Pray for Alpha and Emily as they finish their time here and re-enter into their life and ministry there in Bangladesh. Pray that all their medical issues will be resolved in a positive way.

Here are a few more pictures from camp if you want to check them out!

Our theme was "Reign Forever" and we looked at the life and reign of King David and of Jesus.

In the meeting room.

Jim "knocking 'em dead" at soccer! :0)

One of the guys' discussion small groups

The entrance to the facility.