October Update

Hello, Dear Friends,

PRAYER RETREAT: Our day of prayer at Kanaan was a blessing to me (http://www.kanaan.org). After a video history, one of the Sisters from Holland who has been there 38 years spoke about each sculptured scene of Jesus’ last week throughout the garden created by one of the Sisters. Each thought was simple but profound and pointed us back to Jesus. I was personally inspired by her own life and testimony. Her sweet face radiated joy as she shared her love for Jesus for whom she’s willingly given up marriage to pursue the Kingdom of God (Mt. 19:12).

MINISTRY: We had a good week of ministry with Deedra from HQ visiting and making two delicious dinners for the ladies. Our movie night was a fun time of fellowship as always. The studies continue to go well. One lady commented on how the study of Nehemiah is an answer to her prayer to see Jesus in the Old Testament. Another said our discussion on issues that arise when you’re halfway through a project was just what she needed, since she’s halfway through a year as PWOC President. Tonight is my last Wed. study, and it’s bittersweet. Continue to pray as I must choose between several times and places available on base but targeting different audiences. The Lord has guided me to the book of Galatians for our next study in the spring. I’m planning to teach the ladies to do an inductive study by doing it together in class. This will be a different format, but I’m excited about focusing more on equipping them to feed themselves.

RETREAT: Next week I’ll be attending a Cadence Europe Staff Conference about 2 hours from here. Pray for good bonding with my co-workers and some time to rest, pray, and be recharged. Pray too for the PWOC annual Europe Conference that’s happening the same week.

God is showing off with a gorgeous profusion of color as I look out the window to the woods. It seems later this year, but it’s as beautiful and breath taking as ever!

Prague Trip

MINISTRY: I’m attempting to get to know my Thursday morning women better through the PWOC participation groups. I went to an area Rally and antique shopping which were great chances to be together and talk. Lou & Cathy, Mel and I met with the Chaplains last week to be sure they know us and our ministries since we partner with them. Chaplains come and go every few years, and we’re blessed to have their support right now. Oh, thanks for praying; I went back to the dentist and my re-filling is fine now; I’d only irritated the gum. This Saturday our Chapel service is having a day of prayer and 17 have signed up to attend. I look forward to time to listen and get direction and personal encouragement from the Lord. Next week, a single woman from Headquarters will be staying with me and helping with ministry and our Girl’s Movie Night on the 24th. Pray that women will join us.

STUDY CHANGE: Please pray with me for assurance about a change to my Wednesday dinner and study. There has been low attendance for 2 years, but I’ve continued since 2 of the 3 women aren’t attending another study. The group isn’t growing and no one has come the last two weeks. One will be PCSing soon, and one will be gone for a month. I’d like to change it to a PWOC study to increase advertising and move it to a base Chapel to reach more women. The leaders are favorable, so it’s a matter of finding a location for me to start in January. I’d like to make it a guided Bible study where they learn to study for themselves. Both of my Nehemiah classes have seen an influx of women the last two weeks with 16 women in each class. I’m thrilled that God is drawing women to hear directly from Him as we go verse by verse. I hope the same for Wednesday.

PRAGUE TRIP: I didn’t get vacation the summer, so I just returned from a trip to Prague with good friends over the long holiday weekend. Prague wasn’t bombed during the war. so all the varied building architecture is intact, making it visually fascinating. If you remember the Christmas song about good King Wenceslas, that’s where he was King. It’s also where reformer Jan Hus preached and was martyred about 100 years before Luther. We also toured the Jewish Quarter and synagogue museums and memorials to the Holocaust. Of 120,000 Jews there before the war, only 10,000 survived. We enjoyed a Soprano, Trumpet, Organ concert of Handel, Messiah, and Pachabel music in the St. Nicholas Cathedral. It was cold and a little rainy, and we must have walked 6-7 miles a day over cobblestones, which caused some pain, but it was a refreshing experience. The pictures are me in front of the Jan Hus memorial; in front of the good King Wenceslas Statue, and my preaching in Jan Hus's Bethlehem Chapel.

Plodding on the Path

Dear fellow servants who delight to revere His name (Neh. 1:11)!

PRAYER: Our Nehemiah study is off to a good start. We’ve looked at identifying a need God’s placed on our heart and praying about it. 4 new women joined our Tuesday group, but several have left, so the class size is still manageable for both studies. One lady who is my age stopped by to ask for prayer as she struggles with being single. We spent some talking about spiritual warfare and that the longer you walk with the Lord, the harder it seems to gets. This has been reinforced in my thinking over the summer from my own ongoing struggles with loneliness and the weariness that comes from battling the enemy on the same issues over long periods. Our summer studies reinforced the idea. Bruce Wilkinson stressed that trials must get harder in order to keep increasing our growing faith. Nehemiah shows opposition intensifies at the halfway point. In reading through Kings, the majority of kings identified as pleasing the Lord, ended up falling away from the Lord in the last years of their lives. A co-worker asked several of us in what area the enemy might cause us to fall away. A recurring verse the last 3 years has been persevering on the path chosen for me (Heb. 12:2). I’m over halfway in my walk with the Lord (39 years now) and all of these together have felt like the Lord speaking a warning to me to be aware and prepared. So, I’m beginning a new study on what caused those good kings to turn away from the Lord. Please join me in praying for ongoing victory over the tactics of the enemy.

PRAISE: I went with several ladies to a free Phil Driscoll concert in the Basilica (of Emperor Constantine) in Trier. He was recording a DVD called “Divine Awakening” with the Saarland Symphony Orchestra. We got to sit in the front row, and it was a wonderful evening of praise, refreshing my lagging spirits and putting my eyes back on the Lord. I did a 10-min. devotional for our first Thursday morning PWOC study for about 50 women. I’ve had several encouraging meetings: with my good friends in Stuttgart; with co-workers Lou & Cathy as they kicked off ministry at the House; meeting new women at a Chapel lunch; a 3-hour lunch with the ladies leading PWOC. These godly women encourage my own walk, and it was fun to spend some quality time with them. I got my military driver’s license renewed for 5 more years without having to retest! I found a good dentist who refilled part of a filling that fell out, but there’s still some pain, so I’ll see him again on Tuesday. Thanks so much for your ongoing support!

In Him who is able to keep us from falling and to present us faultless!

FALL KICK-OFF

With my final goodbye (for now!) to the female Chaplain, I’ve been able to grieve the loss of so many friends this summer. I’ve had several days of lethargy and tears which has helped, but there’s still sadness under the surface. The process of making new friends has begun, and I keep telling myself the next person I meet could become a best friend. In the midst of it all, I took some personal leave to drive to Stuttgart and visit some good friends. It was a wonderfully refreshing time and just what I needed. We ate fresh blackberries off the vine and veggies from the garden while sipping chai tea and having good fellowship. They pampered me and showered me with many of my favorite things, including bike riding which I love. Thanks, Leslie and Scott for a great time!

KICKOFF WEEK: I’m working hard to complete Nehemiah in time for our PWOC Fall Kick-off on Sept. 8. It’s been intriguing to see God preparing the way for this lesson. The Chaplain has spoken on similar themes the last few weeks, and several of the ladies have committed themselves to new ministries, just what we’ll be discussing as we Arise and Fulfill our Calling! Pray with me that God will do a transforming work in each of our hearts as we hear and obey His Word. I have a sense of great anticipation about what God might do this Fall. I know of at least 4-5 new women who will join our Tuesday group. The Hospitality House is also kicking off ministry on Labor Day after being closed for 3 weeks for remodeling while Lou & Cathy got settled and unpacked. Pray for everyone’s adjustment as they make the ministry their own and announce changes to the schedule.

PRAYER REQUESTS: for stamina as I begin teaching 3 Bible studies again this week; for the grief cycle; for my spirits as winter darkness and gloom comes again too quickly; for good relationships with Lou & Cathy and the new Chaplain; for how or if I should seek to fill openings in my schedule due to those leaving; for my own nearness to the Lord; and wisdom on what to teach Wed. night and what new study to begin preparing for the Spring.

Griefs and Joys

G R I E F. How do you know you’re in a spiritual test? 1 Pt. 1:6 says you suffer grief. I’ve experienced the grief of separation and loss this summer in saying goodbye to about 50 people, but it’s finally coming to an end. Saturday the HH interim couple left, and in a week, the last goodbye (for now) will be to my female Chaplain friend. I’ve had a few days of sobbing, and I’m sure there’ll be more! In a ministry all about relationships, the constant comings and goings present challenges. Some people you get to spend 3 years knowing and some only days or weeks. The temptation is to disengage, protect yourself from the grief cycle, and not get to know new people. But then you rob yourself of the joy of giving and receiving and miss out on meaningful connections. It’s a constant battle. Pray with me as we “start from scratch” again to welcome and get to know newcomers, and for the adjustment to Lou & Cathy Rozmariek, the new House Directors, who arrived this week.

J O Y S. Our Tuesday study is back to normal, and feels stronger and more united. It’s a joy to hear each week how the women are growing and learning. Last week, I was able to house and feed one of the transitioning women as she rotated to a new duty station. Another woman called in tears and asked if she could come and talk. She’s in the medical field, feeling exhausted, overworked, and frustrated and needed to vent. An unexpected treat was reconnecting with several people from my June Landstuhl Retreat small group at a Hail and Farewell event for the Chaplain. In 2 weeks, I’ll have been in Germany for 4 years! Amazing. A big praise is that after 3 weeks of jumping through hoops, I finally have my new base ID card! It gives me on-base privileges which I am thankful for each day. I’m praising God for the new Chaplain at our Sunday service. He loves and teaches God’s Word, is personable, and supportive of our Cadence ministries. I’m looking forward to an upcoming day trip and a few days in Stuttgart with friends, and to our Bible study kickoff for the Fall on Sept. 8, when we’ll study Nehemiah.

Life is full of ups and downs, griefs and joys. It’s very Biblical, and we’re told grief ends in joy! Ps. 30:5: “Weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning!”Hi Teammates!

Testing of Your Faith

We started Walk thru the Bible’s “The Testing of Your Faith” DVD this week focused on 1 Peter 1:6-7 which says: In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. The goal of trials is genuine faith, not tainted with doubt about God’s character and promises. The trials surface the dross of doubts and lies so we can skim them off. Jesus told the disciples: “Oh you of little faith; why did you doubt?” And Abraham did not waver in unbelief but was strong in faith (Rom. 4:20). Have you noticed in the Bible that faith can be: none, some, little, great, lacking, weak, true, or denied. It can fail, be broken, need increased, strengthened, become known, and we can become rich in it. We’re given a measure of faith and it is a gift from God (Rom. 12:3; Eph. 2:8). Pray for us that our faith will be strong and proved genuine.

Speaking of trials, the situation with the woman in my Bible study came to a climax on Tuesday when the PWOC leadership and Chaplain Advisor determined to restrict her from all PWOC studies and activities. We got to deliver the news to her, and she was very angry. She is of a different faith and belief system and her behavior has continued to be disruptive in 3 different studies over many months, despite repeated attempts by several to work with her. Please pray for wisdom as I explain this to my group next Tuesday and show them the Biblical basis for these actions. Pray for protection over me and my 3 groups that we may have unity and continue to study God’s Word unhindered by the enemy. I’m having another BBQ and Girl’s Movie Night this Saturday, and I’m sure this topic will come up; pray for a good time of fellowship and fun and processing of thoughts and feelings related to this event.

The House took a day trip to Idar-Oberstein recently to visit the gem mines and do a little shopping for jewels. It was fasincating to see amythyst, jasper, quartz and other gems in their original setting in the caves. The yellow hard hat is quite becoming, don't you think?

One of those weeks

I know you’ve had weeks like mine when everything seems to go wrong. My printer and watch both decided to “die” and it’s always so much fun to get things fixed from overseas. Not! Or you just feel discouraged, not seeing purpose or impact, struggling with mental lies, and “out of the blue” someone calls or emails at that moment to say thanks or share a blessing or verse of encouragement. That’s where I was last week and that’s exactly what God did! A woman called to say thanks for the study and tell how she was applying it to her situation. The next morning, another woman called in tears regarding a breakup with her boyfriend. We haven’t been close, and I was honored she’d turn to me for help. God is real and intimately involved and so faithful! (BTW, I had to buy a new printer, but it wasn’t too expensive, and the watch is still in process.)

Our Tuesday study on the Parables ended this week with another divisive encounter with the woman who is very focused on the law. Please pray for God to give me wisdom and direction in my response to an email she sent me. I feel I’m being stretched and want to grow through this experience and handle it in a Biblical manner.

Our monthly girl’s movie night was a fun event with 5 women coming to be inspired by “China Cry,” including one woman we thought had PCS’d! We were able to encourage her in a time of need. I’ve also been attending a summer monthly Ladies Night Out to stay in touch with the women from the Thursday morning study. Please pray as I begin to create a new fall study on Nehemiah to coincide with the new PWOC theme of “Arise.” A special request is for the renewal of my base ID card. I will go next Tuesday or Wednesday to get it renewed. The process is always challenging, and there’s no guarantee, so pray the Lord will go ahead to smooth the way and allow it to be quickly and easily renewed.

Retreat Update

Thank you for praying for the 4-day Landstuhl Hospital Staff Spiritual Growth Retreat. As an ecumenical, inter-faith retreat, it was a stretching and challenging experience for me as a small group leader. Faiths represented were: Wiccan, Mormon, Jewish, Catholic, Christian (all denominations), Unity, and Self. The format was different than anything I’ve experienced. There were 5 sessions/topics and the 55 attendees had 45 minutes to select the questions they wanted to answer and to write out their response. We then gathered in small groups of 9, and they read their response to the group. This was to build trust in sharing their story and trust in being heard and affirmed by others. We could not comment on the content, only ask clarifying questions, and give affirming feedback. Afterwards, I was able to invite several to the Hospitality House and my Bible studies.

In our free time, we took a bus trip to the nearby village of Oberammergau, which hosts a Passion Play every 10 years dating back to the 1600’s. About 2,000 villagers participate in acting out the last week of Jesus’ life in full costumes in a 4,700 seat theater. We were able to visit the theater and take a behind the scenes tour to see the costumes and props. It got me excited to attend next year (it runs from May to October), and if you’re interested, you can check out their website for information: http://www.passionplay-oberammergau.com/index.php?id=59.

Please pray for my Tuesday study. We’ve had a woman join who is very focused on the law and is seeking to enforce that on the group. She needs to experience and understand Jesus’ fulfillment of the law for us and His offer of grace. Since I missed Tuesday night due to the retreat, our Chaplain advisor sat in and address her disruption of the group and talked with her privately for over an hour. Please pray with me about this situation that we’d extend grace to her and for wisdom in handling her in the group.

Happy 4th of July and please remember all our troops serving downrange, and the Hospital staff ministering to the wounded.

Transitions

It’s transition week here with Fred & Diane Stock returning to the States for their home assignment and a fill-in couple (the Bennetts) coming for 2 months before Lou and Cathy Rozmariek hopefully arrive in August (pray for their remaining support to be raised). The Stocks and I were commissioned together 8 years ago. They spent 4 years in Korea while I was in Japan, and we arrived here a week apart. I’ll really miss Diane as she has been a good friend and confidante for me. We’ve also had 5 weeks of goodbye lunches (with a few more to come) for couples who are leaving after 3 years. So please pray for those leaving and those left behind as we all adjust to missing each other. Two of our women will also deploy for a year this week.

MINISTRY: I had 8 women (including 2 new ladies) join me for our monthly dinner and movie night, and we had a great time of fellowship. We even spotted a deer and fawn coming out of the woods and strolling up the road by the house! That’s the first ones I’ve seen here. The Thursday PWOC study has ended for the summer and I miss it already! We’ve had 2 new women join our Tuesday study which is now about 12 women. We’ll conclude our 13 week Parables study in a few weeks. We’ll watch a DVD teaching series for the summer to allow me to prepare a new study on Nehemiah to go with next year’s PWOC theme of “Arise.” Please also pray for my continued personal reflection time and application as I review the state of my own heart and growth.

UPCOMING RETREAT: Please be in prayer for the Landstuhl Staff Spiritual Growth Retreat June 27-30, sponsored by the female Chaplain who has been such a good friend for the last 2 years. This will be our last event together as she will return to the States this fall, another big loss for me. There will be around 50 attending, and I will be one of 7 small group leaders. This retreat is open to all denominations and faiths and is designed to help each participant journal answers to reflective questions related to their spiritual journey and then share those with their group.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Recently the IRS denied the deduction of a Cadence donor's contributions because he put the missionaries name in the memo section. So, Cadence can no longer accept checks with missionary names written on the check. Checks must be made payable to Cadence International and cannot have any other wording, other than the missionaries 5-digit number (mine is 10586) in the memo section. You may also enclose a note with my name on it to indicate your desired designation. You may also give via EFT or by credit card on the Cadence website.

May Reformation Tour

I hope you had an enjoyable Memorial Day Weekend and a chance to remember all those who’ve made our freedoms possible! After 5 months of teaching 3 times a week, I took a few days off and went on a four day Reformation Tour with 44 others from the Lutheran Congregation to visit sites made famous by Martin Luther. We stopped at Eisenach where he spent his boyhood and visited the church where he was baptized (Bach was also born there and you can visit his house too) and Wartburg Castle (picture) where he hid for 10 months and translated the Bible into German, then to Erfurt to the monastery where he studied, and Wittenberg to the Monastery where he taught (it later was given to him as a home), the Luther Museum, the Castle Church where he nailed his 95 Thesis (picture below) and where he’s buried, and the City Church where he preached. We had a worship service in the Castle Church which was very moving and concluded with singing “A Mighty Fortress is Our God.” I’ve wanted to do this for 4 years and really enjoyed it and the opportunity to spend time with 3 other single women.

This week is my last Thursday morning PWOC Study until Fall. We had a great discussion on the Prodigal Son last week, and will look at the older brother this week. The Tuesday night study will continue over the summer. We’ll complete the Parables study and then do a DVD study until the Fall Kickoff. That will give me time to work on creating a new study. Please pray with me for guidance on that and my ongoing Wednesday dinner and study.

I was also able to take a few days for personal reflection, and I re-read one of my journals. It was encouraging to see how much I’ve grown, and it helped me identify some areas I’d like to focus on this year. So, please pray with me for victory and growth in these areas.

We also stopped in Berlin to see the Berlin Dome Reformation Church and the old wall. Here, I'm straddling the marker of where the wall used to stand by Checkpoint Charlie.

May Daze

STUDIES:
* Our Parables study continues to go well, though last week’s look at the Barren Fig Tree was a little different from the others with no direct application by Jesus. But we decided the message that God is looking for fruit was key!
* The one-time Saturday study requested by several of the women that would not be constrained by our 1 hr. time limit is developing into a study on the Holy Spirit’s role in Salvation and Sanctification. I’m compiling the relevant verses but the women will do the study in small groups and answer relevant questions about the text. I’m excited about it, but pray with me to determine when to have it, where, and how widely to advertise it.
* At our Thursday morning PWOC Study, I gave a 10 min. devotional message to about 50 women from Ps. 139:17-18. Many commented on being encouraged to remember God’s thoughts toward us are precious, more numerous than the sand, and constant!

DISCIPLESHIP:
* My weekly meeting with the Chaplain continues to encourage. She left early last week to attend to incoming wounded from downrange. Please pray for her request to extend for another year and for all our Chaplains and the medical personnel at Landstuhl.
* My weekly meeting with one of the women is benefitting us both as we pray for and support one another. Pray for her ongoing growth and help in daily struggles.
* One of the women has come over twice to have me pray with her about a family situation. She’s immersing herself in the Word and growing and sharing, and it has been encouraging.
* The one-on-one meetings I was going to begin with one of the younger women has been postponed for a few weeks due to her work schedule, but I was able to spend some time catching up on her world at the Hospitality House Friday night.
* A personal treat has been to meet several times in the last few weeks with a good friend from Heidelberg to share our lives and ministries and to pray for one another.
* One of the women I met speaking at the retreat in Naples, Italy has now transferred to Ramstein, and we’ve gotten together several times.

MOVIE NIGHT: Though our BBQ was rained out, our monthly movie night was a great success as we watched another inspiring film called Faith Like Potatoes. It really spoke to all of us about trusting God for the impossible. It communicates in everyday language and is very practical. One of the ladies said it was an answer to prayer and was just what she needed to hear for a situation in her life.

EVENTS: There are several events happening in community:
* A worship workshop and concert is taking place this weekend.
* A KMC wide Chapel sponsored showing of Fireproof will be May 12 featuring 2 of the actors in person. Pray for military marriages which are struggling due to long deployments and other stresses.
* A Chapel sponsored trip to Euro Disney for deployed personnel and their families who have just returned from downrange
* The Hospitality House trip to Switzerland over Memorial Day with about 50 people going
* The Luther Tour that the female Chaplain and I will be joining over Memorial Day. We’ll visit Wittenberg, Erfurt and several other Luther sites. I’ve been wanting to do this for 3 years now and look forward to it.

My co-worker Melissa has returned to the field from 4 months at home. Pray for direction as she determines what ministry will look like. Please continue to pray for the Rozmiareks as they discover their remaining partners and try to come by July/August. Pray for the Stocks as they begin to pack and transition. We’ve already had several goodbyes for the many other families who’ll be PCSing in the next 3 months. And pray for me in all this change and adjustment!