november update

 Dear Friends,

If you live in Germany Thanksgiving was celebrated on October 4 this year.  If you live in Canada Thanksgiving was celebrated on October 12.  And if you live in the USA you will be celebrating on November 26!  Over the years our Thanksgiving observance has evolved from a day of celebration to a SEASON OF CELEBRATION, which is probably more in line with the biblical mandate of “always giving thanks to God the Father for everything”. (Eph. 5:20)  ALWAYS.  REALLY!  “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (2 Thess. 5:16-18)  Most of us are probably struggling with that this year – 2020 - marked by the ongoing threat of a dangerous pandemic, political unrest, and all the various ways we have been personally affected by current events.  As difficult as it may be, giving thanks is one of the most effective practices we can exercise in the face of fear, uncertainty and hardship.

Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most
High, and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you
and you will honor me…He who sacrifices thank offerings
honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show
him the salvation of God.  Psalm 50:14,15,23 

Practicing mindful and willful thanksgiving takes our eyes off of the fear, uncertainty and  hardship that consume our minds and hearts, to focus on our abundance, blessings and hope – and the One who is the faithful source of all that we are and have.

We asked you to pray for an exciting location possibility for our church in Cologne.  As promising as it looked, it didn’t work out.  However, we are thankful for the ongoing use of the location we presently meet in.  We are thankful for our wonderful church family during this ongoing time of uncertainty and restrictions – for their faithfulness, encouragement and fellowship.  We are thankful for God’s protection from harm and sickness as we traveled extensively, internationally and domestically.  We are thankful for precious time with family that we haven’t seen for years.  We are thankful for encouraging meetings with supporters and churches in New Jersey, Illinois and Wisconsin.

We are thankful for three people who put their trust in Christ.  While in Chicago visiting dear German friends, we took part in a Thursday evening Alpha course that they were hosting on Zoom. It was a joyful and exciting experience. We prayed for them as they met on the following Saturday over an extended time, where participants were challenged to put their trust in Christ. What a joy it was for us to hear later that 3 people accepted the Lord.  We are thankful that God continues to work, undertake and provide.

And so, we are thankful for you, dear friends – for your witness, your example, your encouragement in word and deed, for your prayers of petition, and for your financial support.  Let us know what sacrifices of thanksgiving you are offering up to the Lord!

Thankfully,
Jason and Sue

PS: SAVE THE DATE! December 5, 2020 at 12:00 EST (11 central, 10 mountain, 9 pacific) live zoom with Jason and Sue! All our supporters and friends are invited to hear what God is up to in our lives and ministry in Germany. We'll have some short interviews with those we minister to/with. Q&A, prayer requests and points of praise. Please join us! Here is the link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81916449657

September Update

Dear Friends,

There is something to be said about having an ongoing presence and testimony in one area. I am in my 8th year in the Pastorenatelier. There are so many people that I greet every day as they pass by on their way to the market or post office. I don’t know most of their names, but there is a connection there. Two elderly women who come by every day with their walkers always take a little break here - one sits on my bench and the other on her walker. I’ll often go out and chat with them and have made some minor adjustments for them on their walkers. They are a bright spot for me each day. They crack me up on the days when they dress the same or both wear the same cool shades. I often wish them God’s blessing when we part ways.

Then there is the little old lady who lives across the street and keeps an eye on things along with her husband through their front window. She comes over every couple of weeks and slips me a 5er or 10er for my “candy fund” and I wish her God’s blessing as well.

The Turkish locksmith on the corner never charges me when I need a key or have a lock issue. He just asks me to pray for him. I assure him that I not only pray for him but for the whole neighborhood. All our work with refugees hasn’t escaped his notice. A few weeks ago he came over with an immigrant friend of his who was having visa issues asking me to help. I was able to offer some advice, respect and compassion.

The North African barber next door (Uncle Georges Hair Generation!) sent me one of his immigrant customers the other day who was also having visa issues. Unfortunately, I really wasn’t able to help him very much, but I was encouraged by the fact that George thought to send him to me.

The other night, as our Bible study group was praying with the front door wide open, one of the refugees who was walking by noticed our posture and stopped at the door just to say “As salaamu Alaikum” (Peace be upon you).

Granted, I may never get to actually share the gospel in words with many of these people but I think that God uses our ongoing presence as a testimony and a beacon of light and hope. It also can pave the way to future gospel conversations.

MEETING SPACE

Please pray about a possibility that has come up for an amazing new space to rent for our church and refugee ministries. It is a long shot and we really can't afford it but we think God may be opening a door. The openness of the owner for what we are doing is especially heartening. We have to wait until next week for an answer from him concerning how the space is zoned. This could be a deal-breaker. Please pray that whatever is on file with the city will allow for us to use the space for ministry, specifically for gatherings of people. May His will be done.

COVID-19 CONCERNS

After months of online church services, we have decided to start meeting in person again. It is not optimal with distancing and masks. Also, some people do not feel safe enough to join us yet. Before Covid-19 we would also share a meal together twice a month but have decided that for the time being we will not be doing that in order to be sure we are in compliance. Please pray for our little church, which has gotten even smaller. Pray for wisdom and courage. Pray that God will continue to work and build His church.

We are thankful for God's provision through many of you over the years. We are so dependent on Him and on you to be able to continue in this ministry. Unfortunately the economic fallout from COVID-19 is beginning to catch up to us. If you are in a position to increase your support or to give an extra gift, we would be grateful. See the GIVE links below.

TRAVEL PLANS

We had to cancel a trip we had been planning in May to Colorado to visit supporters and family, which was a disappointment for us. We haven't seen our kids for over 2 years. We thank the Lord for skype, but we need to be able to hug them! To that end, we are risking a trip in October to spend some time with them, other family and friends and also 2 of our supporting churches in NJ and WI. Please pray for safe travels and God's protection.

Thankfully,

Jason and Sue

june update

Dear Friends,
Our corona experiences and emotions in Germany are probably similar to those of you in North America.  We find the opening-up period just as stressful as the lock-down because it is very complicated and it is hard to know if you are following the rules.  We actually met physically as a church on Sunday and it was great to be together, despite keeping distancing rules, masks, no singing (but great music!), etc.  We plan to meet this way again on the first Sunday of July.  On the Sunday’s in-between we will continue to meet virtually on Zoom.  Step by step.

Although some ministry activities have been suspended (German tutoring for immigrants, etc.), some activities have continued and increased in intensity.  Our co-worker moved the therapy art class on line and has had the opportunity for long spiritual discussions with the participants.  PRAY for wisdom and discernment in these discussions.  Our Zoom services have also generated deep sharing and prayer.  A foreign exchange student from Argentina, who visited our church while he was attending the University of Cologne, has joined us every Sunday from Argentina!  PRAY for wisdom as we work out the next steps for our gatherings.  Also, our location need has become more acute because of social distancing regulations.  PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY for a more suitable location for our services and also to be able to continue ministry events that now require more space.

After my knee replacement surgery in mid April I was able to get a spot for a 3-week out-patient rehab starting just a week after my hospital stay at the University Klinik. The rehab was beneficial and the progress I made was encouraging. Our German health insurance (mostly) paid for it all  - including being picked up and dropped off every day. Despite the barrier of face masks, a camaraderie quickly developed with the other patients in the van during the 30-minute drive every morning and afternoon. Ursula (name changed) was very engaging and curious about me and what I do. She is a fiery red haired high school art teacher who is recovering from a bike accident. I liked her sense of humour and quick tongue. She is into eastern religions and esoteric stuff.

One morning she asked me what I thought about a certain eastern religion and I had to admit that I had never heard of it. She was surprised. I said that there is much more in this world that I don't know about than what I do know. But I do know this - I don't like religion because most religions are just a set of rules. (By now, the other 2 patients and the driver were all ears as well.) For me, my faith is about having a relationship with God. Jesus himself was very critical of religion and all about relationship with God and with each other. That's one of the things that fascinates me about Him and why I seek to follow him every day.

She didn't have a come-back or any kind of a humorous deflection so I just let that hang in the air for a few minutes and there was basically silence in the van until we arrived at the clinic. Please pray for Ursula. We have had some contact since rehab and she said that she would very much like to drop by my atelier sometime after she is mobile again.

THANKS FOR PRAYING for my knee.  I am doing amazingly well and am grateful, but there are still months of recovery ahead.  CONTINUE TO PRAY for a full recovery.

PRAY that each of us would be reflective and mindful with regard to the racism that is a part of the daily social environment we live in.  PRAY for open hearts and the Spirit to transform our lives.

Blessings,

Sue and Jason

march update

Dear Friends,
I'm sure many of you have Corona stories to share. Here is ours. In light of the acute and constantly changing situation in Germany, we decided last week to cancel our church services effective immediately until further notice. The very next day, the mayor of Cologne prohibited all non-essential public gatherings - including church services. We quickly arranged to have an online gathering which went really well. I was also scheduled to preach at another church that same Sunday and they asked me to send them a video of my sermon so they could incorporate it in their online service, which I gladly did: Genesis 12:1-4a. A very appropriate look at the totally new and uncertain future that God asked Abram to enter into in faith and obedience. The sermon is of course in German, but if you’re interested you can see it here. My sermon starts at 3.55 minutes.

We have all entered into a totally new and uncertain future. In my shop window I currently have these words: “the corona-break is a chance to reflect and search for God. He promised to let us find Him.” Many of the folks who pass by and read this may not be believers, and I hope that the earnestness of the situation will cause them to really seek the Lord. But I think that many believers are finding themselves looking to the Lord in a whole new way as we try to make sense of things and look for what God is up to in the midst of the fear, anxiety and uncertainty.

Each day brings new restrictions on public life and stories of illness and hardship. The streets of Cologne are extremely quiet. The tourists are gone. Shops and restaurants are closed down. Sue and I are staying home or in my case, hunkering down at the Atelier and avoiding physical human contact with anyone but each other. But we are staying in close touch with our church family and our missionary colleagues and of course, our own family. At the time of writing, we are both still corona symptom free. The number of infected continues to grow exponentially, but we feel safe and confident in the excellent German health system.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Phil. 4:6-7

In Christ alone,
Jason and Sue

New Color: Corona Green 😊