Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Friday, December 18, 2009
More Wonders and Miracles
My titles start to get boring... but this today really was a miracle! We had the Christmas celebration for the girls club today, it's the last Friday before the holidays start. Problem was, that a class from the youth departement, where most of our girls go to get help with their homework, had a lot of events the last time on Friday till 6 pm. Our girls club starts at 5 pm. We had a lot of girls not coming over the last weeks. And last Friday we found out there is another event right at our Christmas party.
Nadja, one of our helpers, went to talk with the lady in charge. She was nice and all, but didn't seem willing to change the schedule for us - what I didn't really expect - or send the girls out a little earlier. Anyway, we did special invitation cards for each girl. And then we started to pray and shared this request with some of the prayer groups.
Not only the question arose of how many gifts to wrap, but also what to prepare. Would it be us four, five and three, maybe four girls? Or maybe 6? Would it be our Muslim girls, so we couldn't use the bibles somebody gave us as a gift, or the other ones? This afternoon I looked at my all preapered and wrapped gifts - and I just had the feeling to wrap some more. Indeed that was a good thing to do!
When I reached the building where we meet, Nadja and Gitti had already started to decorate the room. We had planned to decorate everything together with the two or three girls who don't attend the class and then wait if some more would show up or not. If not, we would have a little cozy party with these girls and just enjoy each others company. Last Friday some of the other girls came in more than an hour later...
... and then it was 5:15 and the door slammed open and two of our girls rushed in. "Are we too late?" At the end we had about 12 girls plus their younger brothers and sisters and some parents. We don't evangelize much, one can't with Muslime kids or adults. But we tell the stories of Jesus and just try to love them towards Him. That's all it takes sometimes. One of the girls was more than misbehaving when she first came. Now she does everything she can to attend the girls club and you won't recognize her there again. Today she clung to me all the time, hugging me and wanting me to sit next to her. Jesus does change hearts and lifes! Please continue to pray with me for those precious girls to become princesses of our father in heaven!
Nadja, one of our helpers, went to talk with the lady in charge. She was nice and all, but didn't seem willing to change the schedule for us - what I didn't really expect - or send the girls out a little earlier. Anyway, we did special invitation cards for each girl. And then we started to pray and shared this request with some of the prayer groups.
Not only the question arose of how many gifts to wrap, but also what to prepare. Would it be us four, five and three, maybe four girls? Or maybe 6? Would it be our Muslim girls, so we couldn't use the bibles somebody gave us as a gift, or the other ones? This afternoon I looked at my all preapered and wrapped gifts - and I just had the feeling to wrap some more. Indeed that was a good thing to do!
When I reached the building where we meet, Nadja and Gitti had already started to decorate the room. We had planned to decorate everything together with the two or three girls who don't attend the class and then wait if some more would show up or not. If not, we would have a little cozy party with these girls and just enjoy each others company. Last Friday some of the other girls came in more than an hour later...
... and then it was 5:15 and the door slammed open and two of our girls rushed in. "Are we too late?" At the end we had about 12 girls plus their younger brothers and sisters and some parents. We don't evangelize much, one can't with Muslime kids or adults. But we tell the stories of Jesus and just try to love them towards Him. That's all it takes sometimes. One of the girls was more than misbehaving when she first came. Now she does everything she can to attend the girls club and you won't recognize her there again. Today she clung to me all the time, hugging me and wanting me to sit next to her. Jesus does change hearts and lifes! Please continue to pray with me for those precious girls to become princesses of our father in heaven!
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Unexpected Wonders and Miracles
Yesterday a strange thing happened. I'm waiting on a call from some parents, so I check my phone display to call back if I see unknown numbers. (The known I call back, too!) So it was yesterday. My answering machine was blinking, but no message left. So I called back the number on the display.
A woman with a strong Slavic accent answered. I asked for her name again, because I didn't understand her, but she ignored that question and started to tell me her whole problem. And not an easy one! It was very urgent as well, and I didn't had the heart to interrupt her to tell her I didn't even knew her. So instead I prayed. And knew insteadly that this was totally ok and it had been God's hand in this phone call from the very beginning.
I could calm the lady down and found out that she tried to reach her social worker, but couldn't get a hold of him. It happened that I know him and just had talked the other day with him, so I knew he was out of office the whole morning and would be back late in the afternoon. That seemed to settle things for her and she really calmed down and thanked me for my help.
I still have no idea who she was, but I'm totally convinced that it was God making me dial her number.
Besides, while praying for Nepal - to go or not to go, that's no question - I checked out a new facebook blog from a friend and found the song I posted on the right. It really is no question... please pray that it is not my will, but God's, that He will put up a team for next year (wanna join? August is the date!) and provide with everything we will need.
A woman with a strong Slavic accent answered. I asked for her name again, because I didn't understand her, but she ignored that question and started to tell me her whole problem. And not an easy one! It was very urgent as well, and I didn't had the heart to interrupt her to tell her I didn't even knew her. So instead I prayed. And knew insteadly that this was totally ok and it had been God's hand in this phone call from the very beginning.
I could calm the lady down and found out that she tried to reach her social worker, but couldn't get a hold of him. It happened that I know him and just had talked the other day with him, so I knew he was out of office the whole morning and would be back late in the afternoon. That seemed to settle things for her and she really calmed down and thanked me for my help.
I still have no idea who she was, but I'm totally convinced that it was God making me dial her number.
Besides, while praying for Nepal - to go or not to go, that's no question - I checked out a new facebook blog from a friend and found the song I posted on the right. It really is no question... please pray that it is not my will, but God's, that He will put up a team for next year (wanna join? August is the date!) and provide with everything we will need.
Monday, December 14, 2009
December Update
Anna and me went to visit our friends in Jordan in the first week of December. It was stressy before and stressy afterwards, but totally worth it. What I always wanted to do and never managed - not getting dragged into this Chrismas hysteria - works now perfectly. I simply don't have neither time nor money left for getting too involved in this... :-) And it was quite an experience being in Petra, the old Nabataen city graved into rock and to think that in Germany it's the second Sunday of Advent and the German Santa-Claus-Day. And I'm walking here through one of the seven wonders of the world, marveling about God's greatness, enjoying a winter-desert-day and the warm light of the sun. Besides, for me Christmas was put back to its natural meaning through this trip. Watching the Bedouines with their sheep and seeing stables like in those ancient times took all the romanticism and cuteness out of it. Jesus left unimaginable glory to live in the poorest condition. Just out of love.I won't promise pictures, still didn't upload the Nepal pics... maybe for Christmas ;-)
Trustworthy
God has not called you to trust Him, so that you could be the first one to see Him fail. (Roy Lessin)
Friday, November 20, 2009
Wonders and Miracles, Part 1
I went shopping late last evening after a long day full of challenges. Looking for my favorite bread I almost bumped into a teenager. I kind of recognized her from somewhere and she was greeting me with a big joyful smile, obviously happy to meet me. I had to ask for her name and when she told it to me it hit me. I had certain counsels with her and not easy ones. She had a hard childhood and it all ended up with her being in a clinic for some time. That's when I stopped hearing from her. I kind of accompanied her through the crisis that went ahead and it was not easy to loose every bit of contact to her. So there she was - standing before me with a broad grin in her face. She's doing fine and you can tell just by the way she looks. She worked for some month after leaving the clinic and now started at an evening school to get her degree. Just a few days ago she had come into my mind and I said a silent prayer for her. And then I bump into her doing my shopping late at night - God really blows my mind! For me, this is one of the miracles He promised me to do. I'm excited about the next parts!
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Miracle Maker
Sitting in my living room after a short run, watching the clouds passing by and enjoying a coffee before a busy day starts. I went down South with some good friends for one of the last concerts from "delirious?". We took a whole day of for this and God just blessed us with great fellowship, a wonderful concert and a deep and intimate worship time. God really touched my heart. Ever since we did this service for the pray-day for prosecuted Christians I have this one plea in my heart: "Jesus, I, we need it also that you come behind us with signs and miracles!" (That was one topic of the preaching about how we can pray for prosecuted brothers and sisters.) I need those miracles so badly - for friends, for people at the streetcafé, for kids in school, for the children's ministry, for myself. I so desperatly want to see people be set free!
So, with the last song "delirious?" were playing, God answered this plea. Simple and quiet all that He said was: "I will do it. Just wait."
Not my favourite to do, though. But I will turn again and again to my miracle maker, staring in His face, sitting at His feet, having my heart healed to rise again and to walk in the shoes of my miracle maker...
So, with the last song "delirious?" were playing, God answered this plea. Simple and quiet all that He said was: "I will do it. Just wait."
Not my favourite to do, though. But I will turn again and again to my miracle maker, staring in His face, sitting at His feet, having my heart healed to rise again and to walk in the shoes of my miracle maker...
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