German Lessons

Wow it is hard to think that I have already been here for a month. People keep asking me what I am doing right now during my time here in Germany. There is one easy answer. 

I am doing German lessons!!

And lots of German lessons!

It is fun, exhausting, challenging, and entertaining all at the same time. There are days that I wake up not wanting to do more German lessons, as I feel that I am falling behind everyday (we get an average of 50-110 words a day to memorize, plus new grammar concepts). Some of my thoughts: 

" I am never going to understand this language"

" I am not doing anything practical here"

" I hate Der, Die, Das, (if you know German, you understand what I am talking about)."

" Jesus how can I be useful to you today, as I spend the whole day learning German"

I knew right away that I needed to give all my negative thoughts to Jesus. Many mornings I would let go of the things that were hindering my time here in Germany, and I would place them in His hands. God is calling me right now to learn German. That is what he wants me to do for his glory. I was reminded by a friend about 1 Cor 10:31 - "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." This has been such an encouragement to me when my thoughts become negative. Whether you are a student at school, someone going to work, eating with a friend, or doing German lessons, God wants us to make Him known to others by our attitude, our love for other people, and our dependancy on him . He also wants us to be thankful for the present situation that we are in, and to give Him praise in that situation. Do you thank him and praise for putting you in school, or work? I know that I had a hard time with that one concerning school. 

Give it a try!! As you are driving to school, or work, or taking your kids to their next soccer practice. Thank and praise God for the moment that you are in, cause he put you there for a reason, sometimes it may seem purposeless, but He wants you to make him known in the everyday life situations. 

A little about my last week. 

1) Young Adult's Week

The young adults at the church that I am attending every year have a week long sleepover at the church. Everyone goes about with their daily activities (work, school, german lessons) but after those are done instead of going home, they go to the church. We all make meals together, socialize with one another, pray and worship every evening and sleep together. 

This was an amazing way to connect with different people at the church! I was able to have conversations with people in German and English. The community that was made during this time was so uplifting. 

2) Making Cookies

This week we spent hours making cookies and packaging them to sell at the German Christmas markets. All the money raised is going to a church in Kyrgyzstan (beside Russia), that my church supports. 

The churches children's choir also performed at the Christmas Market.

3) Christmas Markets

Now there are German Christmas Markets in Canada, and then there are the real German Weinachtsmarkt (Christmas Markets). They are everywhere! There are big ones and small ones. The food is amazing, the crafts are beautiful, and the people are joyous. It is a great time of hanging out with new friends and having some festive fun. 

4) Bible Study

I started a 24 week Bible Study with different people from the church and my team. It is intense and challenging. It is called the Disciple's Cross. We are meeting once a week, and have daily reflection and prayer times. So far I have enjoyed it and I am enjoying my time with God and learning different ways of being present with him during the day. 

Pray Request/Praise

1) The Disciple's Cross Bible Study: That I will be able to faithful to God through the learning and the daily exercises, even when I am tired.

2) I will be moving next week into the house that the family I am living with is renovating. Pray that all of that goes smoothly and that the house can be done on time.

3) Sofia (the baby of the team) has been so happy and much easier these last few weeks than she was at the beginning. She is almost like a new baby. God answered that prayer!

4) For Germany: That people's hearts will become good soil and that the word of God can take root in their lives and that they will be able to reap a harvest of what they sow.

Once again thank you so much for all your love and supports, and encouragements. 

First Week In Germany, Bielefeld

First Week In Germany, Bielefeld

         It is crazy to think that I have been in Germany for one week. The week leading up to leaving was so good. God was preparing my heart and spirit to leave. I felt filled with the Holy Spirit, and though I knew little of what lay ahead of me I was ready to go. 

       First week here...

      I am living at a host family: the Harders. They are an amazing couple with a 4 month old baby, she is very cute! The rest of my team is living at different host families. This makes communication a little tough, but we have now got German numbers and a phone package, so I am hoping that the rest of our time here it will be easier. We are partnered with a Mennonite Church called: Christusgemeinde Brachwede. It is a church of about 140 members, and they all are related to each other. I mean it they ALL are related to each other. 

       There are 5 people on my team, our team leaders: Jolene & Adrian and their baby Sofia, Annika, and myself. The couple already knows German fluently, but as for me and Annika we barley know how to say"Hello." So different members of the church have volunteered to teach us German 4 hours a day!! What an amazing gift!  So we have started learning German and are trying to understand this difficult language. This takes up most of our week. 

Where we have seen God at work...

 1)      Like most flights our luggage had to be under 50 pounds and our carry-on under 21 pounds. Before we left for the airport all of our luggage was over 50 pounds on the scale, and none of our carry-ons were under 21 pounds. Actually our carry-ons were so big that they could have counted as luggage. But when you have a baby and are going away for 7 months and have to take all the material that MB Mission gave you, what are you suppose to do? At the airport all of the scales said that our luggage was under weight, they never asked to weigh our carry-ons and they didn't care that they were too big. When going through customs in London, we were really worried. There was a very strict lady making sure everyone's carry-ons were under a certain size (once again ours were not). Standing in this line we were all worried that we were going to have to pay extra. Then we were randomly selected out of the line to go to the front of the line in a different area where there was no one else, and no strict worker measuring bags. Thank you God!! 

2)     We were flying with a 9 month old baby. She slept for all take offs and landings!! Praise God. She also slept for about 8 of the 9 hour plane ride. Everyone who was praying for her, thank you for God answered that prayer. 

3)    I have been so tired everyday, and I was feeling that God wasn't giving me any rest! I have been home only to sleep these past 4 days. As I was reflecting on the week and Matt 11:25-30 with my team, I was reading that  God says that "I will give you rest." 

      During that time I was sitting there thinking  "God you haven't given me any rest yet" then I started to remember. Every morning before I leave  the husband at the house that I am staying at asked me if I was able to sleep, I always tell him yes (well I am so tired still from jet leg and being busy everyday). He looks at me with unbelief saying that their baby was up all night screaming and that sometimes the neighbours wake up because she is so loud (her bedroom is right beside mine). 

     After reflecting back on this it was so obvious that God was giving me rest during the night. I believe that He has been closing my ears so that I am able to sleep!

     Thank you Jesus!!!

4)    I have had to navigate the bus and train routes here in Bielefeld. Well anyone who knows me knows that I get lost with English directions! I am pretty sure that God made Goggle Maps because He knew that I was going to start driving soon, and I would need all the help that I could get.  

      I have had lots of help trying to figure out the bus system. One time this week I needed to get somewhere in 30 mins and I knew that the next bus didn't leave for 25 minuets and that I was going to be very late. All I remember thinking is " God you are somehow going to have to get me to this place on time." Then from behind me I hear "Stephanie, Stephanie!" It was a 17 year old girl from the church that I have only attended once. She asked me where I was going and amazing enough I was going to her house. She took me along with her through a faster and way more complex bus line and I arrived at here house with 2 minutes to spare.  

       You didn't think I had only one bus story did you?

       Another day Annika and myself had to get from a new place in Bielefeld to a newer place in Bielefeld. Once again I really didn't know how to get where I needed to be and neither did Annika. But we got on one bus, then another. Once again in my mind I was thinking "God we are so going to get lost!" Then we heard from behind us "Annika, Stephanie." 

        

          We looked around and on that bus was a woman from the church that we are going to. She asked us where we were going and we told her, she then said "press the button right now and get off this is your stop." She then walked us to the place that we needed to get to, as it was still a 7 minute walk away. If she wouldn't have spoken up we would have been in a totally different place then where we needed to go. 

     What are the odds that in a city of 300,000 people, the two times that I was going to get lost or be late,  I ended up bumping into 2 different people from a church of 140 people. I know that God had orchestrated it all. And it later made me feel guilty. Where was my trust in God to get me where I needed to go? He even had done it once for me this week! Why would I think that He would allow me to get lost now when I needed Him. 

    Transit by myself the beginning of this week was stressing me out so much! But it is getting easier to go to a new place and not worry if I make a wrong turn or if I am going the wrong way. Because what is there to worried about when "God directs the steps of the godly, He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand." (Psalm 37:23-24) 

God has very practically held my hand this week and guided my in a new city where I don't speak the language. 

Prayer Request:

1) Praise God for all the ways that I have seen him at work this week. He is so marvellous and good!

2) Language lesson, they are intense and are making me really tired.

3) Energy

4) That my eyes will be open to what the Spirit is already doing in this city! And I will see where God wants me to join in.

Thank you for all of your prayers!

The Book of Acts

Hey Friends and Family...

Once again these last few weeks have been an amazing journey. I have been blessed far more than I deserve, with the opportunity to hear from many different men and women of God. Everything that God has spoken through them has penetrated my heart deeply and profoundly. 

During the last four months I have been reading the Book of Acts. I think I am on my 4th time of reading it right now. As I am reading the history of the Apostles, God has been constantly revelling different things to me. 

1) That everyone who preached the Good News suffered. But they all suffered in JOY!

2) The Community of Believers: the way they celebrated together, gave generously (selling everything they had), resolved conflict, prayed for one another, loved one another, and worshipped together. 

3) Whenever people came to know God there was always the message preached and miracles performed. These two were not separated! "Crowds listened intently to Philip because they were eager to hear his message and see the miraculous signs he did(Acts 8:6)." God gave the believers the power to perform miraculous signs so people would come to know him. 

I'm going to focus on #3 and how it is impacting my life...

Before starting TREK I wanted to see the book of Acts come to life. There has been a stirring in me for a long time now that the abundant life that God is calling me to, includes the power of his Holy Spirit. I was given the opportunity to pray with a group over a friend. For years now this friend has been struggling with anxiety and fear. The Holy Spirit lead our time of pray; declaring the presence of the Holy Spirit and banishing the powers of darkness. The power that I felt rushing in the room and the urgency to pray overcame me. I don't even know how to explain it . But praise be to God who "gave us the authority over all the power of the enemy, and we can now walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure we (Luke 10:19)."  

That person has been living in the freedom of being released from his anxiety and fears!!

If this was based on how much faith I had, I can tell you now I would of failed!!

All I did was take Jesus at his word, and did what he commanded us to do... "heal the sick, cast out demons, and raise the dead (Matt 10:8)!" Also if you think you are not good enough to have this power inside of you, ponder this thought: Jesus also gave this power to Judas. 

The reason I say this is I always believed that I didn't have enough faith, or I just wasn't good/holy enough to perform miracles.  

I am excited to use the authority that Christ has given to me. I before said I wanted to see the Book of Acts come alive, and already before I have left it has happened. 

My question for you is the same question that God asked me: Will you take me (GOD) at my Word?

Pray Requests: 

1) That I fully depend on the Holy Spirit and I am continually aware of my thirst for God.

2) I will be living with a German family (mom, dad and newborn) in Bielefeld. Pray that we can connect well together and that it can be a smooth transition. 

3) That we look to God for direction in everything that we will be doing in Germany. 

4) That I can continue to take God at his word and lead people to God through both word and works (miracles.) 

A Ball Game With God...

        One week ago we were given the opportunity to be silent with God for 48 hours. And I was craving this time; I was so looking forward to being with just God. But before we started this time together a man walked us through what are time with Jesus should look like. The two things that I got from it: 

1. If it feels like work, stop doing it!
2. Treat this like your Honeymoon with God

Well I know what a perfect Honeymoon would look like: Watching a Baseball Game! And what do you know I happened to stumble across a softball game and during the game God and I had an amazing conversation together. And it went like this...

God:   "Sit down and watch the game with me!" 

Me:     "Okay"

I noticed something different as I watch watching two different games before me. Game one: really good players; Game two: very new players. Normally watching a terrible game would get me anxious, and frustrated and eventually I would turn it off. But I was enjoying both games, both games made me equally happy!

God:   "It is the same with me to you."

Me:    " What?"

God:  "I enjoy watching you through every stage of life!" 

Me:     Waterworks!!!!

God enjoys watching our "ball game!" We may start off our relationship with him with lots of errors, and not always sure where to throw the ball, Satan may catch us off our toes and get the ball past us, but the whole time God is not looking down on us shaking his head saying "You played an awful game," he is looking down on you with a smile saying "Alright what did you learn from this!"

As we become more mature in our faith and quiet ourselves to hear what the Spirit is saying, our life becomes more aligned with the way God created us to live. But this maturity comes through disciple, practicing, and even failing (Look at Jesus' disciples the first time they tried to cast out a demon it didn't work). 

God overwhelms me again and again with the truth! Why do we at times believe that he is looking down at us shaking his head disappointed with us? That is a lie! He is a God who is sitting down inviting us time and time again to sit down with Him - to rest- and enjoy his presence. Just because he loves being with you!

Prayer Request:

1. That I continue to rest and enjoy God! I was so rejuvenated sitting with God.
2. That I daily lay down my life and ask the Spirit to fill me.
3. I pray that you can also take time to be silent with God, ask him how he wants you to enjoy him.
4. Also for the city of Bielefeld, Germany; as that will be my new home in the next coming month... More news on that to follow.