December 2006

Children's Craft Day

Last Saturday we provided an afternoon full of fun for 20 little girls, freeing up the day for their parents to do some Christmas preparations.

From 3-7 we crafted gift bags and necklaces and ornaments as well as watching a movie, eating lots of yummy stuff and playing some really funny games.

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The girls had a really good time and we enjoyed getting to know them and sharing the love of Christ with them.

We especially want to thank those churches which sent the Christmas craft supplies and candy canes that helped make the afternoon possible. We hope to make this an annual event and expand the group of kids that we invite. We would appreciate your prayers for the children of Wittenberg, Germany. They are seeking love and acceptance and we long to show them where to find it.

Recitals, recitals everywhere

It is the season of recitals! First Samantha, then Skyler and today we had another recital for Serenity and Samantha together as well as a school program for Skyler. They sure keep us hopping. What a blessing it is to be able to meet with these other parents on a regular basis though. This morning, I helped backstage for Samantha and Serenity's recital program and was able to spend most of the morning talking to one of the other mothers. She opened up and shared many details of her life with me and I was able to share with her the hope and peace that is only found in Jesus Christ. She shared her thermos of coffee as we began a new friendship. I hope to be able to introduce her to The Everlasting Friend before it is too late. When we parted today she bid farewell with a smiling, "See you tomorrow." Boy was that nice. It was worth a morning spent backstage with 50 little kids! This afternoon we had the privilege of having one of Samantha's little friends spend some time with us while her mommy had to work. Please pray for MJ. She has been visiting us now for 3 years and feels very "at-home" around us. She also has many questions about God and the Bible. Rounding off our evening, we all attended Skyler's Christmas program at school. Sitting there watching a group of 4th graders act out the story of the Golden Goose and listening as the main characters sent their sons out into the woods to work with a lunch of cake and beer, I asked myself, "what in the world am I doing here?" Then when the program was over and the teachers presented my husband with a gift for volunteering to coach Friday afternoon baseball, I was reminded why it was so good to be there. These kids from our baseball team are learning to love and trust us and we hope that one day they will learn to love and trust Christ as well. When we see them in the store or on the street, they run up and hug us and introduce us to their parents. Oh how our hearts yearn to see kids like Sophie and Margarita and Olga and Tilo find the unconditional, everlasting love of Christ. Yes, it is the season of recitals, but the reason for the season is still Christ!

Enraptured

Today we continued our series through Psalms 119. This morning we covered the Hebrew letters Ayin, Pey, and Tsad / Tsade. Each of these letters symbolize respectively: Eye, Mouth, and lying on the side. The meanings are found in studying the Ancient sometimes called Proto or Paleo Hebrew. A website that lists the meanings is: http://www.ancient-hebrew.org/4_alphabet_01.html

• Ayin - God watches all that is thought, done or happens in our life. He is all seeing (v. 121-128).

• Pey - We hungrily open our mouth to receive His word (v. 129-136).

• Tsad / Tsade – We lay helplessly as an infant awaiting the help that only God can give through His Word Jesus (v. 137-144).

We have had such a wonderful time of discovery during this series. It is truly incredible how the symbolic meanings of the Hebrew letter hold the key to the application of each section of Psalms 119. I can’t remember when a study has been so rapturing. The more I meditate upon it the more excited I become. This is maximized by the fact that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us and now He lives in the lives of those who believe.

Tonight we practiced for our Christmas program and instead of having our usual English service we had a Q&A session. We had some interesting questions and then we went to Ephesians 5 and covered family structure and responsibilities. Our new believers love this very practical teaching.

Take a Break

That was the name of the leaflets that we distributed at the Christmas Market on Monday. Each tri-fold pamphlet contained an envelope of instant soup and a very clear and to- the-point message of Christ. It cost us $0.35 each for the flier-soup packets and we were able to distribute 100 fliers in about 15 minutes. This was the first time for all of our new believers to have an open witness. The evening was damp and a bit chilly. At first, all thought "oh no, such terrible weather," but it was a perfect combination for the tracts we had picked out. When I first introduced the idea I noticed some had doubt, but after God had given us such success they were all encouraged. We went out in 3 groups of 2. The tracts were well received Afterwards, we met back together for a warm cup of tee and followed up with prayer that the message would be read and that God would work. I believe the next time all will be excited about the adventure and it will go even better. Our next distribution? German Christmas Stollen

The night of St. Nick

Alles gute zum Nikolaus!

On December 6, the Germans celebrate a festival of giving in the spirit of St. Nick. The children clean and polish their shoes and place them outside of their door in hopes that when St. Nick comes by, he will notice what good children they are and reward them with a small gift and some candy.

On Wednesday night, Dec. 6th, the Baptisten Bibel Gemeinde had its annual ladies' Christmas Craft night at the church. We started out with a candlelight time of devotion, cake and coffee and followed up with a Christmas craft.

I was so excited about the lesson God gave me for the evening. Since it was Nikolaus Tag in German, I used the story of St. Nick and how he supposedly slipped coins through the window of a poor and needy nobleman like a thief in the night. As we celebrate Advent and await the celebration of the first coming of Christ, we need to keep in mind that there is someone besides Nickolaus who will come like a thief in the night and change the world forever - Jesus Christ. I had been struggling over what to present that night and the Lord opened my mind so completely the morning of the meeting and filled it with His inspiration.

We had 10 ladies in attendance - Two first time visitors and a third who has been to activities but has always managed to avoid the Devotion time and sermons. Well, last night she hid behind someone so that she didn't have to make eye contact, but sure enough, she heard the message and was obviously under conviction. Please pray for my good friend AZ.

It was such a blessing to see God's answer to prayer. We sent invitations out to about 30 women. Then, counted up those who would be there and those who might be there and set up a table that could seat as many as 18 people, but only set it for 10 with the extra plates on hand in case others showed up. We bought enough crafts for at least 15 people. We had exactly 10 ladies show up and 4 children - who watched a movie in the other room during the first half of the evening. The planning went well and I had been praying for at least 10 women!

Using cork, we made tee lights that look like gingerbread cookies. What a blessing the evening was. One of our first-time visitors will be back this weekend for a children's craft and fun day and the other first-timer told me to be sure and send her an invitation any time we are doing any special activities.

It was a good evening. As we prepare to celebrate the first coming of Christ as a babe, my prayer is that these 10 women are all ready for the second coming of Christ as Lord, Savior and King! May we all keep watch for him as the nobleman did for St Nick.

Thanks again for your prayers.

Chelli

Christmas Fairy Tales

What comes to mind when someone mentions Christmas in your house? If you lived in eastern Germany, you might think about gifts, cookies, candles and family gatherings. The Christmas Season here in Wittenberg looks almost identical to the Christmases that I remember from growing up in Ohio. The Christmas lights, almost all white, are glowing in the windows and on the houses. Gingerbread and cookies can be found in all the stores and bakeries. Roasted nuts and hot mulled juices can be purchased at the outdoor markets. It all looks joyful, but be careful that you don't buy into the counterfeit! Only 23% of the east German people even believe that God exists. Less than half of those will attend church this Christmas. You won't find the life-size nativity scene like the one our neighbors used to put out each year, nor will you hear the Christmas Carolers. When I ask Wittenbergers what Christmas is and why they celebrate, they often reply that it is the celebration of the family. It is a time at the end of the year to get together with family and friends and celebrate another year gone by. Another frequent reply is that it is a Fairy Tale time of year when magic is in the air. Hansel and Gretel is playing in all of the theaters in town. Local parks are turned into Fairy Tale forests with of the familiar Hans Christian Anderson and Grimm Brother stories represented. You can even spend the evening in the woods with a white bearded elf who will tell you many of the old classics and possibly a few new ones of his own.

Every year, we emphasize the celebration of Christ's birth both at home and at church and try desperately to be a curious light amongst all of the counterfeit. This year is no different in that respect. However, the dark somehow seems darker and the counterfeit more overbearing. Samantha won a coloring contest at the Christmas Market this year and we were invited to an awards ceremony there. Before handing out the prizes, a kindergarten group presented their Christmas program on the platform. What to our wondering eyes should appear - three witches! Oh the magic of Christmas! Somehow I had never thought of "Christmas Magic" as being witchcraft, but here they were, the three witches of Christmas stirring up Christmas cookies and sprinkling gold dust. How awful! To any Wittenberger, this is just expected. Afterall, this is the season of Fairy Tales and Magic. To follow through with the "theme" of the season, the elementary school will be focusing on fairy tales all month. I was shocked to hear that in Skyler's fourth grade class, the story of David and Goliath was presented to the class alongside of Snowwhite and the Golden Goose as a fairy tale classic. At the same time, I was proud of my son who stood up and shared with the class that it is actually a true story and that they could read more about it in the Bible!

"The Greatest Christmas Gift" will be the theme of our Christmas program this year, presenting the contrast between the real Christmas and the accepted counterfeit Please pray for us as we strive to be a true light in the prevailing darkness.

A Christmas Blessing

As we were driving home from Mannheim Sunday afternoon, we were listening to a tape of short Christmas stories - the kind that are published in Reader's Digest. Several of them told about people who were able to be a real blessing to someone in need on Christmas Day and I began praying about that. I really want to be a blessing to someone in need this year at Christmas. I have no idea who, what or where, but I am praying that God uses our family in a miraculous way to be a blessing to someone.

We have tried in years past to have some kind of special outreach from our church here in Wittenberg for the needy, but in a socialist country, there really aren't very many needy people. They are real hard to find! We continue to pray for something that God would have us do.

One dear friend shared what her family does each year, and I think we will do it this year as well. On Christmas Eve on their way home from church, they stop at a hotel or gas station or nursing home or hospital or somewhere where people are working and don't have the privilege of having the evening off of work, and they sing and play their instruments for them and share homemade baked goods. - So they go Christmas Caroling as a family before they go home to open their gifts. I would like to try that this year.

Any other good ideas?

A Day Away

Last Sunday we spent the weekend in Mannheim with Rhein River Baptist Church. Every year they have a Christmas banquet for the misssionaries in Europe. It is a wonderfully refreshing time.

Twas the first day away in almost a year

And all the sheep and pastor were filled with ,well… not quite, fear.

Preparations were made for the day as it drew near

Knowing that the time with Jesus would be, oh, so dear.

As the day dawned all arrived a bit early

With last minute arrangements to complete in a hurry.

The pastor called long distance only to find

The sheep were all busy which calmed his concerned mind.

With his thoughts of disaster all vanquished

He returned to the service to have his soul replenished.

The first time in a year to sit with his wife,

To enjoy a sermon about death and endless life.

After the sermon to his joy he discovered

The Spirit of God had ensured the service was covered.

Paul Sudbrock