A Grateful December

During the last three weeks, Gina and I were fortunate to be able to spend that time with our families in Colorado Springs. In fact, we were fortunate in many regards.

• We had clear weather, safe travel, and smooth sailing through security and customs on our way to Denver from Zurich.
• We were able to speak during a service at Springs First Church of the Nazarene, where we shared a few stories and raised awareness of God's work in Europe. This was particularly special as it has been my home church from the age of 2.
  
• Gina will get the opportunity early in January to visit a clinic in Cleveland, which we hope will quickly get to the bottom of her illness so that she can enjoy a healthy, productive year in Europe. For this reason, I will return to Zurich on my own this week, while Gina will follow approximately two weeks later.
• I received a visit from Scott, my best friend since college. He took time off from an extremely busy schedule as a doctoral student to spend a few days hanging out with me. Gina and I were able to chat with his wife and three children via Skype, and enjoyed seeing how happy they are and how they've grown!
  
• We both had a lot of work to do, even though we were technically on a break. But we were able to get everything done without taking too much of our time away from friends and family.
• God is providing for our financial needs in several ways. We recently sold Gina's car for only a little less than the asking price, and were able to use her mother's car while we were in town. We also were given a generous love offering from the people of Springs First. Other support for our ministry arrived, and we are so thankful to a God who knows and meets our every need.

We could use your prayer support in the following areas:

• Safe travel as we return to Europe, and as Gina and her mother travel to Cleveland.
• For increased faith as we trust God for his provision. Pray that God will continue meeting our every need, and that the challenges we've faced in this regard will be overcome.
• For Gina's time in Cleveland, wisdom for the doctors who will work with her, patience during the process, and that we will find out what the root problem is with her health and how to treat it, as well as for her continued health this next year. We are so grateful to the Lord that she has felt well in recent days, and has been able to enjoy the majority of her time at home!
• Pray for a volunteer, a girl named Laine, who is trying to raise enough support in order to come help Gina in communications. Pray that her needs will be met, and that she will have many opportunities to raise awareness and invite people to participate in ministry through prayer and financial giving.
  
• I will begin teaching Nazarene History & Polity as an online course in January. Keep the students (and the teacher!) in your prayers during the next six weeks.
• Pray for the continuing mission of European Nazarene College, as the transition is made from a residential campus program to a decentralized education system that will allow the campus to serve as a resource to students at Point Loma Nazarene University and MidAmerica Nazarene University, as well as the nearly 400 students scattered throughout 15 countries in over 30 learning centers in Europe. Pray for the leadership team of Klaus Arnold and Antonie Holleman as they faithfully seek God's guidance through the transition period. Pray for the students in particular, that they will experience the transforming love of God and that each one will come to a better understanding of who He is and what His direction is for their lives.
• Finally, we would like you to pray about how you can be involved with what God is doing in Europe through the Church of the Nazarene. We are specifically seeking people to become monthly financial sponsors at $20, $30, or $60 per month. We are also extremely grateful for all the prayers and encouragement. However you choose to participate, know that we cannot do it without you!

Having made the big move across the Atlantic, and settled into a new community and new jobs in 2010, we are ready to spend 2011 contributing even more God's work through the Church of the Nazarene in Europe. We don't know all that God has for us this year, but we trust that God's blessing will be with us in the good times and his love and care will see us through any challenges. We hope that you, too, will have an amazing 2011 as you receive His blessing, protection, and loving care.

Thelma

About a month ago, a new girl showed up at church. This isn't unusual: With the large number of English speakers in Schaffhausen, every so often a new person drops in looking for an English-speaking church. That's what she was doing.

Her name is Thelma* and she's from a former Soviet country. At about 18, she just graduated from high school. Not sure what she wanted to study at college, she decided to take a year to think about her future while earning some money as a nanny for a family with three kids in a nearby town. Thelma doesn't speak German, though, and so while she looked and looked for a German-speaking Catholic church in Schaffhausen, she couldn't find one. So she got online and found the Web page for our church. In a new country where she doesn't speak the language, Thelma had the courage to get on a bus all alone and look for our little village for the Sunday service.

I wasn't there that week because I was home sick, but the next Sunday I met her and had a great chat. She seems much older than 18, and is a complete sweetheart. Some of us got to talk with her a little bit more at the coffee fellowship after the service. About that time, Thelma recognized a young family in our church and they realized they lived on the same street. So that couple are now bringing Thelma to church every week so she doesn't have to ride the bus.

Several weeks ago there was a potluck after church, and Thelma stayed to eat. There were a few missionaries at our table and that is when she asked what a missionary is. She'd not heard that word or concept before. I was really stunned -- what would it be like to have no baggage or assumptions associated with that word? We tried to explain what a missionary is and why people choose to give years of their lives to do it. She also had a lengthy conversation with our pastor about Advent. She had not heard about that, either, although she was very familiar with Lent and Easter.

As some of us had just celebrated Thanksgiving, Thelma asked me about the history behind the Thanksgiving tradition. It was fun to try to explain something that normally you just do without thinking about it too much. We also talked about the TV show "Friends," because, like many Europeans, "Friends" is one of her favorite shows. I am realizing that "Friends" is millions of non-Americans' main source for understanding of American culture. I can't decide if this scares me.

After the potluck, Andrew and our friend Jared had not had lunch because they were at a different church performing in a Christmas concert. They decided to get some pizza. I asked Thelma if she wanted to stay and join us. While the boys went to get the pizza, she and I drank tea in our apartment and talked.

Pretty soon the conversation naturally turned to church and religion. She brought up the testimony given by one of the EuNC students at church the week before about how she had been a zealous member of another religion but then became a follower of Christ. Thelma was impressed by the young woman's description of how having a personal relationship with God through Christ is like becoming friends with your country's president -- they're intimidating and powerful and important, but at the same time you can know them personally, intimately, with no fear or insecurity.

I asked her if she was Catholic or how she would describe her faith. Thelma said that she has always attended a Catholic church, but she believes that all religions are paths to God equally, and one isn't right and another wrong. She said she's been trying to learn a lot about religion so she can understand it better.

Then she asked me about my faith. I wasn't really planning to share about my belief in Jesus Christ during our second meeting, so I was taken a little off-guard. That's just not a question people ask you in the U.S. If anything, most people seem to want to avoid that at all costs. I shared my story, trying not to ramble too much, and Thelma seemed very interested.

Then we ate pizza.

First of all, Thelma is just a really cool and fun person. She has this smile that lights up a room and is unafraid to talk to anyone. She's a very cheerful, warm person. I hope she keeps coming and that we also can hang out at other times outside of church.

Second, I am praying for her. She is very spiritually conscious person with a strong desire for God and a lot of curiosity about spiritual things. I feel that God is working in her life, by bringing her to Switzerland and then helping her find our church and even being neighbors with some other strong attenders. It's also a good time for her to be here because so many of the students are her age.

If you think of Thelma, please pray with me that God will bring her into a personal relationship with Him through Jesus.

*Name changed for consideration of privacy.