The Sudbrock Scoop

Life - Abundantly

This last month is a good example of that promise. Christ did not say a perfect life, He said life more abundantly. We have been through valleys and on peaks.

The weak dollar continues to wreak havoc on our finances, but God continues to bless our ministry. We are returning on furlough this fall. Please pray that God will give us the right contacts in order to raise the needed support.

On top of the usual social obstacle course that goes along with attending a public school in a second culture, we have recently had some overly inquisitive teachers asking some rather personal questions about our family life. Within a culture where Christianity is an oddity, our traditions and family culture can appear very peculiar. We are praying that the curiosity will lead to Christ. Please pray with us for God’s hand of protection over our family and our children.

At the same time, we were working on plans for our fall furlough which required some cooperation from the school. We planned to delay Serenity’s start into the first grade here by a year while schooling her in English during furlough. At first, the school system challenged our plans. If this had gone wrong it could have impacted our ministry in ways that I don't want to think about. But God gave wisdom and solution through a face-to-face contact with the superintendent of the primary schools in Sachsen Anhalt. At this point, all appears to be ironed out.

My Father, A.B. Sudbrock, was diagnosed with prostate cancer, but through the prayers of many the cancer is limited to the prostrate and it is treatable.

During a Thursday night Bible study, we received the phone call that Chelli’s grandmother had passed away.

Later that evening as snow fell on our sleepy little town, I slid into the car of the one neighbor that I have never been able to befriend. Still waiting to see what God's plan will bring. The bill to repair his car is $ 421.

At our annual fellowship meeting, Serenity fell up stairs and cut herself at the point where the nose meets the upper lip. It took three stitches and several of papa’s nerves. You just feel so helpless. I was fine until the doctor mentioned the pain she was in with the nerve that runs through that area. It was too much. I felt that sick weakness come over me. Keith Gandy had taken the time to show me the way to the hospital. The doctor then mentioned that I should lie down. Keith said I looked like a banana.

As soon as I felt the wooziness subside we moved Serenity into the hall to wait for the medicine to take effect. Soon Serenity was completely happy reaching out to touch objects hanging in the air that only she could see. She began to laugh and state that her nose didn’t hurt any more, but tickled.

The doctor said the medication would block all memory of the event from the time she took it until it wore off. She doesn’t remember the pain of the needle injecting the local anesthetic or papa’s tears at her crying. She has her first three stitches and a war story to boot.

By the way, we made it back to the church in plenty of time and God gave us an effective fellowship meeting.

Now for the mountain top, we had 12 visitors on Easter Sunday at our church Wittenberg. All of the new believers that we have written about during the past several months were also in attendance. It was a good day.

Thank you for your prayers. As you can see, they are needed on a daily basis.

Searching for the lost,

Paul Sudbrock