Learning German

On Monday, Andrew and I wrapped up our first German course, which lasted three or four weeks. We jump right into German II next Monday. While it came at an especially busy time for both of us, I think we really enjoyed finally getting this opportunity to learn to speak the native language spoken by most people around us.

The class was marked by a few epiphanies. For one thing, we learned that for the past year we have been mistakenly too informal with people we meet in Switzerland by greeting strangers on the sidewalk or in a shop with "Hallo," or saying goodbye with "Tchüss!" Those informal greetings and farewells are acceptable only in Germany.

Oops!

We have struggled with the ü, ä and ö sounds, for which we have no equivalent sounds in English (or Spanish). And it's easy to get mixed up in pronunciation when the "W" does sounds like "V" and "V" sounds like "F".

One thing that helps is that English has its roots, linguistically, in old Germanic dialects. So there are enough similarities in how the letters are used that it's not as difficult to adapt to the new words as I thought it would be.

We have experienced great feelings of satisfaction in suddenly being able to converse briefly with cashiers, shop owners, restaurant servers, and people on the street, as well as to practice with old and new friends who are German-speaking. We can discuss the weather, introduce ourselves, speak about how we feel or what mood we are in, offer sympathy to someone who is ill, ask someone when their birthday is, count to 20 and say the letters of the alphabet German-style.

Can't wait for German II!

Shönes Tag! (Have a beautiful day!)

Staying Busy in January

January was the quite the busy month for us!

I (Andrew) returned on the morning of Dec. 31 after a SPLENDID three-week vacation with friends and family in Colorado for Christmas. Gina stayed behind to undergo some extensive testing related to her "mystery illness" which had been giving her problems since September. The first two weeks of January were spent (for me) working on the library annual budget report, fine-tuning a message I gave in chapel, and putting the finishing touches on the material for another online class.

Shortly after Gina returned, our tiny quiet campus was flooded with over 150 people from all parts of Europe who had arrived for the annual Leadership Conference. It was an amazing, bewildering, exciting time of meeting many new people who are serving God through the Church of the Nazarene in Europe. It was also an extraordinary time of being both intellectually and spiritually challenged through the speaking of Jon Middendorf and Leonard Sweet. Most of all, it was a powerful time of meeting with Jesus Christ daily as He was central in everything our speakers said.

Leadership Conference had barely ended when EuNC's Faculty Assembly began. This is when the Board of Trustees, faculty, and administration come together.

The Trustees formally endorsed the plan to close the residential campus program in Busingen in order to focus entirely on a de-centralized education model through EuNC's learning centers. Let there be no confusion on this matter: EuNC is NOT closing! EuNC is far bigger than the Busingen campus, and continues to grow as young men and women all over Europe are called into and preparing for ministry.

EuNC's faculty (from the learning centers as well as the campus) gathered for development training, discussions concerning curriculum, and to continue the process of approving the syllabi for various classes offered by EuNC. Part of the challenge is to standardize the syllabi so that no matter where a course is taught, EuNC's expectations are clear and broadly applicable. At the same time, there must be a certain amount of flexibility (given variables such as cultural context, available technology, etc.). The process was begun, and will continue throughout the rest of this year. I will be contributing, along with several other history and theology instructors, to the syllabi for Church History I and II, Intro to Theology, and Christian Doctrines I and II.

During Leadership Conference and Faculty Assembly, I began teaching Nazarene History & Polity as an online course for students at the Netherlands learning center. This is a six-week course which not only acquaints students with Nazarene history, doctrine, and organization, but also connects the Church of the Nazarene (historically and theologically) with the larger Body of Christ. This class is going well, and I am enjoying the many questions from students that demonstrate they are wrestling with the information in an attempt to carefully think through their commitment to the Nazarene church.

Recently, Gina and I enrolled in German I, which is currently being offered at the campus. We are excited that, after one year and two failed attempts to learn German, we are finally able to begin studying this language. We will also continue with German II later in the spring. Finally, I am in the process of creating course material for an online Intro to Theology class which I will teach in March for students at the learning center in Albania.

So, as you can see, there is a lot to keep busy with! I still find plenty of time to continue building relationships with the students, as well as spending time with Gina and getting enough rest for myself. I'm not sure how I'm pulling it off, other than to say God is giving me both strength and a good sense of priorities!

Sledding in the Alps

Leadership conference

Today, about 150 people -- roughly the equivalent of our village's entire population -- are descending on EuNC for the annual leadership conference held every January. These leaders from throughout Europe gather for worship, fellowship and numerous workshops crammed into about two days.

Andrew is busy driving back and forth between campus and the train station to pick up arrivals; others at the regional office are doing the same. Perhaps we should have vacuumed our car...

Anyway, we're excited because this year the main speaker is Leonard Sweet, a professor who has written more than 40 books addressing the church and postmodern culture. He recognized years ago how the Church would be affected by the dawning of postmodernism, before I even knew what postmodernism was, and has written about ways we can effectively engage with people who think in postmodern ways. I'm not too familiar with his work beyond what I just wrote, that's why I am anxious to attend his 8 sessions to learn his perspective.

It's a sort of baptism by fire, to arrive back in Busingen just days before this busy week. I flew back to Germany from Colorado last Wednesday, and had just the few days and weekend to recover from jet lag. I don't think I've actually recovered yet, so I'm compensating with stronger pots of coffee.

My time at the Cleveland Clinic the first week of January was productive, in that I had more tests than I thought possible during my three days there. I learned several days ago that every test was negative. It's hard to decide how to feel about that. On one hand, I'm grateful I don't have any of the things they tested for. On the other hand, I am no closer to understanding why I haven't felt well since September, or how to prevent or manage it. I continue to give this to God and hold onto hope that I won't feel this way forever. In the meantime, I just try to get enough rest, pace myself and eat as well as I can, squeezing in a workout whenever I feel good enough. I'm grateful for the many, many people who have been praying for me during the past few months. I trust and believe God has been at work, despite the outcome from the clinic. I am also grateful that I've returned to Europe feeling better, if not 100%.

Andrew will begin teaching his new class this week. And it's been good to be reunited with the students, who hit the ground running right after New Year's. We enjoyed this weekend's marathon of watching the Lord of the Rings trilogy (the extended editions) with the students. Next Monday we'll join them for the EuNC annual "Snow Day" in which the students and faculty drive into the snowy mountains to go tubing for the day.

It's been densely foggy the past few days. One local informs me that it has been known to last for up to a month without a break. I love fog, but I hope it doesn't last that long this time. (You can see more of my fog pictures at ginapottenger.shutterfly.com.)

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.

To Our Supporters in Ministry

As Gina and I prepare to end our first year of service and begin our second upon returning from the Christmas holiday, we are raising funds in order to be able to continue the work God has called us to in Europe.

We have learned in the past year that Europe is an expensive place to live. Also, when Gina became sick throughout the autumn season, we experienced a number of unexpected medical bills. Finally, as our first year comes to a close, most of our ministry fund has been depleted on the regular expenses associated with serving here: such as health insurance payments, phone and utility bills, normal medical bills, and meals eaten with students and faculty in the dining hall. Fortunately, God has provided for us in several ways such as free housing at EuNC in exchange for Andrew's work at the school, and vastly reduced costs for the medicines we both take regularly.

The work we are doing at EuNC and for the Eurasia region is not our work any more than it is the Nazarene church's work. We are firm believers that it is God's work, in which he invites us to partner with him. Since this is the case, we are extending that invitation to YOU to participate in God's continuing work by giving financially to this ministry. We are praying for at least 20 people who will faithfully commit $60 per month to sponsoring Gina and I as we continue the work God has called us to in Europe.

Please pray about becoming a monthly sponsor. All the resources in the world belong to God, and he is able not only to provide for our own needs but also to provide the means by which we may bless the lives of others through our giving. He is able to do more than we could ask or imagine if we simply make ourselves available to him!

If you would like to partner with us in ministry by becoming a monthly sponsor, there are two ways by which your tax-deductible gift will be used for the work God has called us to in Europe:

1. The simplest method is to donate online through Mission Corps' secure website. Simply click on the link "Support Our Ministry" located at the left of this web page and follow the instructions.

2. Checks should be made out to General Treasurer, Church of the Nazarene, and mailed to Global Treasury Services, Church of the Nazarene, PO Box 843116, Kansas City, MO 64184-3116. Checks written in our name will not be eligible for a tax deduction. Be sure to write "Pottengers/Mission Corps/Switzerland" in the memo line, or the gift may not be credited to our fund.

We are also seeking to do some creative fundraising for the coming year that could cover all of the expenses mentioned above, as well as food and gas.

One of the ways we hope to do this is by offering for sale some of Gina's photographic prints taken throughout the Eurasia region this past year (Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Czech Republic, Bangladesh). With the holiday season approaching and many people searching for meaningful Christmas gifts, we hope you might consider purchasing a unique print for a friend, co-worker or loved one as a gift. At the same time, you will be contributing toward ministry on the Eurasia region during 2011.

The photos are available on Gina's website at Shutterfly.com. Email her the link to a photo you are interested in purchasing, along with the size of the print and whether you would like a glossy or matte finish. She can order the print through Shutterfly and have it shipped directly to you.

The following sizes are available at these prices (please add $2.50 for shipping costs):

1. 5x7 ($10)
2. 8x10 ($30)
3. 11x14 ($45)
4. 16x20 ($60)

When the photo has been ordered, Gina can let you know how to make your payment. Please feel free to share Gina's website with anyone you think might be interested in a purchase!

For those of you in the Colorado Springs area, Gina and Andrew are planning to return home for Christmas between Dec. 8th through the 30th. If you would like Andrew to shovel snow or perform any sort of "odd job" around the house, feel free to e-mail him at ajpott@hotmail.com and schedule a time for when you would like him to be available. Your donation for his work will go entirely to our ministry fund for the coming year.

May God bless all of you in new and amazing ways this coming year!

Love,
Andrew and Gina