Büsingen election

Next week, there is a big election in our tiny village. It is to elect a new mayor. This is a big deal to the residents, as well as to the Eurasia Regional Office and European Nazarene College. Büsingen has had the same mayor for many years, and he has been well loved by the community, as well as by our ministry teams and our local Nazarene church. The mayor has been a big advocate for our presence here.

In Germany, of which Büsingen is a part by law, anyone from anywhere in Germany can be elected a town's mayor. The candidates don't actually have to live here. And this is the first time that there are no candidates who are residents of Büsingen. The candidate who lives closest is in the neighboring village.

Büsingen is a very special place, due to its status as an "exclave" of Germany, completely surrounded like an island by Switzerland. There are many complications that exist in this village that don't exist anywhere else. The next mayor will need to navigate these and understand how things work. And rising and falling currency values, as well as the recession, have hurt many of those who live here. So people are concerned about the future.

We have come to love this village and the people who live here. Our office teams and our church have been praying for God's hand to be in this election, so that Büsingen can continue to thrive. If you think of it, join in prayer with us, too.