Winter 2011

Hi Everyone,
December sure caught up with us quickly! It's already the Christmas season, and it seems like it just turned November!! Guess that's what occurs when your life is constantly filled with activity. How well so many of us know that one!!!
We just finished celebrating Thanksgiving. Yes, here even in Germany, we had a Thanksgiving dinner. The bible college and guests totaled 55 people in all. That's a LOT of turkey! (as well as pies, stuffing, and all.) In fact, speaking of pies, the girls and Teresa ended up making 13! 7 pumpkin and 6 apple.. they turned out sooooo good! We even got to view the Packers football game. One of our teachers brought a video of the game. It was very strange, being here in Germany, and watching commercials about Walmart, Geico, and Target... can't quite explain the disorientation you go through.. "where am I" ? as you eat your turkey and stuffing~!!! But seriously, we had so much to be grateful for as we looked back on this past year.

Last night, Teresa lead the women's night at Calvary Chapel Siegen. They wanted a time of prayer, worship, and ministry to one another. Of course, it's all in Deutsch. So Teresa sang mostly German songs, and with the aid of an interpreter, lead the meeting. It was a very big challenge for her, but God gave her the grace to do it. She's been enjoying learning to speak more and more in Deutsch. Impacting another culture and language makes you completely dependent on God!


We had "speaker's week" this month. The school takes a week off from normal studies, and invites speakers to come and share with the school for the week. This time Rob Dingman from London area, and Rafael Manzanares from the Bible college in Mallorca spoke. God moved in the hearts of all the staff and students to press on in Christ, despite the difficulties and adversities we all encounter.








We have had many opportunities to lead worship lately in CCSiegen. We seem to be integrating more and more with their team, and helping them out when there is a need. Bruce also taught at CCHerborn for the morning and evening services, while pastor Edmund was in the States. They are a great church, about 45 minutes south of Siegen. We also spoke with some of their musicians, who were wanting advice and encouragement. Most of the worship leaders in Germany have to fully support themselves in a career outside of the church. It's different than in the States where you can actually make a living in a church leading worship. So many of these guys are very talented, and we marvel that they can do what they do so well.

This semester is ending one week from now. God has done so much here in the lives of these students. We have seen such transformation occur in them. As many have gone through trials, God has made them stronger, and richer for it in their faith. Some of them are struggling financially, and have seen God come through for them in their provision. Many prayers have been answered in wonderful ways. We enjoyed the discipling and teaching of these young people. They are so open to all God has for them,and are such an encouragement to teach. We look forward to next semester and God's blessings~

Speaking of God blessings, you come to mind, our faithful, caring support team back home and globally. We can't under state just how much we covet and appreciate your prayers. Truly, God is faithful to answer us when we call out to Him. As we continue to press on in Christ, especially in adversity, like the bible says, our faith becomes stronger. We know that we serve a faithful, and loving God.

We want to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas, and a blessed New Year. As we go into this very busy season, it's so important to remember to take time to worship the One we are celebrating! Truly, the "baby" that was sent into this world to be the sacrifice for our sins, has become our Lord and Savior! Enjoy this season as you remember the great love God has poured out for us! What an unfailing love!!
In His love,
Bruce and Teresa

"For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Is. 9:6

October 2011

Hi Everyone~
This October was a month filled with some new adventures. We started out the month doing "weekend team." That means we cook for the school for the weekend. We had Mallory, a bible student, helping us. It's always such a treat to think of things to make that the kids like: for instance, Cinnamon rolls!!! We are establishing a tradition here. We also made lasagna, oven baked chicken, and salads,etc. Was a good weekend.

We travelled 3 hrs south to Kaiserslautern, also known as KTown, to help with a marriage conference. KTown has the largest American military presence in all of Europe. There are over 50,000 Americans in the community, and several military bases. The Calvary Chapel there mainly serves these military families and personnel. We really enjoyed leading worship, as well as leading discussion groups with them. So many are hurting with their marriages.. Life is very stressful for them, as they are away from home, isolated in a strange culture. Many husbands are gone on deployment for months. We came alongside of them and ministered the love, grace and hope of our Lord Jesus Christ.



















Last weekend, we went up to Lippstadt, 1 1/2 hrs north of Siegen to put on a worship concert Friday night. We took Danny, a bible college student, with us to play bass. It was a good night. We stayed at pastor Rolf's home, and led worship Sunday morning as well. This precious church has to use CD's for worship, as they have no worship leader yet. There are many churches in Europe, just like this one, with no worship leaders. That is a big burden on our hearts, to come alongside of them and help in any way we can, raising up new worship leaders, and sometimes doing it ourselves.


Our director, Arne Schultze-Petzold, and Andrew Rann, the men's dean, went to Calfornia to visit the Murrieta campus, and several churches. They shared the vision of the bible college in Germany. Many were interested, and we are praying that God will bring more this way to grow in God's word and deepen their walks with Him. It was a good trip! Bruce put together a video for them, so others can see the work and opportunities going on here.
God is doing a good work here at the school. The students are growing in their walks with Christ, and their service to others. It's so encouraging to see the changes taking place during the semester. They come in, not sure what's going to happen; some not really sure why they are here. And then, God goes to work in their hearts. They get a vision for serving Christ, studying His Word, and learning to trust God for their future. Some even end up finding their future spouse. (It's bound to happen, right?)


We have beautiful fall weather right now. It's not too cold yet, and the colors are at their peak. Days like this remind me of the glory of the Lord, in all His beauty and brilliance. Fall also reminds me of the last days of our lives, before the death of winter.
I want to be like these brilliant trees, going out in the full glory and beauty of the Lord. Burning brightly for Jesus right til the end!
All around us is darkness; people are looking for hope in a seemingly hopeless world. But like these multi-colored trees against the dark clouds, we shine and stand out when we reveal Christ to them. He is our hope, our rest, and our peace in turbulent times. May we all go out in the glory of the Lord!

"And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. "2 Pet. 1:19

Thank you for standing with us; blessing us with prayer, support, and encouragement. You are dear to our hearts.

Fall Semester 2011

Gott ist gut!!!!! (God is good) We are in our fifth week of the semester, and so much has happened. God has been so faithful to do His work here at the school. We are seeing lives transformed by His Spirit and His grace. The classes are going well. I've heard from many of the students that their favorite class is the Holy Spirit class. Bruce is co-teaching it with Nick Long, the founding pastor of CCSiegen. The students are learning to wait on God, listen to His voice, be filled with His Spirit, and learn all about the person of the Holy Spirit.
Teresa's women's discipleship class is going well. It dovetails beautifully into the Holy Spirit class. So far, she has taught on Intimacy with God, Establishing a devotional life, The filling of the Holy Spirit, and the Fruit of the Spirit. These students are realizing that they can do nothing of spiritual value without Christ. Jesus said , "as you abide in the Vine (himself) you will produce much fruit, for without Me you can do nothing." How true it is! We see that with our busy lives, we are totally dependent on His grace, power, and Spirit to accomplish any of it! We had the entire class want prayer for the filling of the Spirit. Young people are hungry for all that they can receive from God. It is so exciting to see His hand moving in their lives.

Last weekend, we had an evangelism class on Friday and Saturday led by Dr. Rick Danson, from Santa Barbara, CA. He is a physician who has offered his life for serving Christ in any way he can. It was an amazing class. Afterwards on both days, we all went street evangelizing. We saw several people give their lives to Jesus. Teresa prayed with two young girls who were so open to receive Christ. They were dancing in front of some music we were playing on the sidewalk. Their hearts were drawn to us. Jesus said that no man could come to the Father except He draw him. And how true that is. You see it when you talk with people, how some are so open. We prayed for those who were sick, lonely and hurting. And God answered.

God blessed us with a big answered prayer! We had kitchen cabinets that were falling apart, a sink that had a broken faucet, and a refrigerator that was not working too well. We had lived with it for a year, but kept praying God would send a new "kitchen" ( modular units and appliances) our way. Well two weeks ago, the bible college received a call from a guy who wanted to donate a whole kitchen set. It had been sitting in his storage for a year. God provided all we needed and more. He even brought carpenters, counter top guys, a plumber and electritian all within the church. So now we have a beautiful workable kitchen!! We are so thankful. You are all invited over for dinner!!!!!


Teresa is personally discipling two girls, and Bruce is discipling one man. It has been wonderful seeing the fruit come out of this. Investing in others' lives brings such satisfaction as we see how God can change minds, hearts, and actions.
The times we are living in are so filled with stress. Everyday as we read in the news, we can only find peace in putting our trust in God.The world is going on such a downward slope. Whether in the States, Europe, the Middle East or anywhere else, we see the signs of what Jesus prophesied in Matt 24 coming to pass. Truly, the time is short, and we have a window of opportunity in our lives to make a difference.. right where we are. We count it a great privilege to be over here, letting our lives be used for this next generation.. They are so needing to be equipped for all that is ahead.
Thank you for praying for us, encouraging us, and helping us.. You are such a support and blessing to our lives. May God richly pour out His love, favor, and grace on you, as you put your hope in Him.
"May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord even as we put our hope in you. Psalm 33:22"
Bruce and Teresa

August 2011

Dear Prayer Partners, Friends, and Family~

Summer is rapidly coming to an end, as we begin the new fall semester. This has been a wonderful summer, with times of rest interwoven with ministry. As we mentioned in our previous blog, we returned to the States in June. We came back to Germany to find our dog, Ice, well cared for. We praise God for answering that prayer. There were many obstacles, and God worked through them all! We took some time to try and recoup from all the jet lag and travel. It rains a lot in the summer in Siegen, so many days, we'd just stay home, and read, work on songs, walk the dog , and just take care of things. While in Siegen, we help out at CCSiegen with worship. Bruce also taught one Sunday for all 3 services. We love the church here, and are blessed to be a part of it.

One of our students that graduated, has moved on to be a full time worship leader. We are so proud of her. God is doing amazing things in her life, and we are so blessed to see what He's doing. Two other student worship leaders, have also moved on to minister. One is coming back to help a church plant in Germany, and the other is fully committing to worship leading abroad. This gives us great encouragement to see our labors are not in vain!
Bruce was asked to do a teaching session at the EU Mission's Conference in Calvary Chapel Castle in Austria. Teresa was asked to lead a few sessions of worship.We met missionaries from all over the EU, UK, and other countries, including the States. It was a time to encourage and bless so many that feel alone on the field here. Most churches are small, and pastors struggle to get by. But God is faithfully moving in Europe and the UK. We heard many stories of His work. Many churches are starting to hold bible studies in public places. Among them are Starbucks, Pizza cafes, and outdoor parks. People are being reached that wouldn't attend a church.

After the conference, we were invited to stay for a few days with Jm and Margie Stewart, who pastor in Padova, Italy. It was great spending time together, and seeing parts of Italy. Catholicism is not only the religion, but also the culture there. But people are interested in going deeper into God, and are looking for answers.
We are busy now, preparing for the fall semester. The students will be arriving next week. Today, we cleaned the villa from top to bottom. Making beds, cleaning bathrooms, floors, etc. We want the villa to be warm, welcoming, and special for them.
Teresa will be the women's dean and teaching women's discipleship. This is one of her passions; mentoring young women.
She'll also be leading worship, and working with the budding worship leaders.
Bruce will be teaching about the History of Hebrew Worship through 1 and 2 Chronicles, and teaching a class on the Holy Spirit.
He'll also be leading worship and training musicians.
We look forward to another semester to invest our lives into those God has brought our way. We count it a privilege to serve where He leads.
We are so grateful for you partnering with us in prayer, resources and fellowship. Our fruit is also your fruit, as we labor together. We love hearing from you!
May God continue to fill you, strengthen you, and use in these days of great change. It's so good to know that Jesus never changes. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever!
Faithfully yours,
Bruce and Teresa

Graduation and Summer

Well..... here we are in June! Time has surely whizzed by; so much so, that we got behind again in our monthly update. No worries though, we'll continue where we left off.
May was a busy month. We finished up the semester, had an emotionally moving graduation, (said goodbye to many students that had been here for a long time), ministered at two conferences, and packed up to come to the States the day after!
The first conference after graduation was a leadership conference with the theme of "Being filled with the Spirit ." 300 pastors and leaders from all over Europe attended. Bruce and I each did the worship for two sessions. These sessions taught about how to be filled with God's Spirit, and how to function in the biblical use of the spiritual gifts. They were wonderful esperiences. We received a lot of positive feedback from those that said they had learned so much. The next conference, a week later, was a worship conference hosted by Calvary Chapel Siegen. Worship leaders, musicians, and singers from all over the EU attended. Bruce and I taught two workshops each. Mine was on leading people into God's presence, and Spirit led worship. Bruce's was on publishing songs, and what a pastor is looking for in a worship leader. They were great sessions, and again, we received lots of good feedback.
Right after this, we came to the States to visit our family, friends, and stock up on our yearly supplies, only available in the States. Bruce's mom had her 90th Bday. The Muller family had a big reunion of 43 people. It was a great time, as we met with extended family we hadn't seen in many years. We also got to share in several churches; CCVisalia, CCMonterey, CCSanta Cruz, CC Vancouver, and CCAppleton.
The beginning of our time home, we both experienced bouts of sickness. We were also hit with some adversity : Bruce lost his wallet and never found it; our dog back in Germany had a hard time, and the weather was very cold. But God blessed us nonetheless.
We sure enjoyed seeing our family. We spent precious time with our grandson, Jamin, and grandaugther, Leithian. All of our sons and family were able to come and see us, including Nathan,
who is in the air force. We were so grateful to be able to hang out with them, even if it was short.
God answered our prayers and provided places for us to stay. We stayed with family, friends, and a missionary's house while they were in China. It was such a great relief and blessing to have everything work out so well.
It's been a wonderful time here in the States. We are looking forward to going back to Germany though. We know God has called us there, and the ministry He has given us has been so fulfilling. We are glad that we have Skype, to keep up with all our family and friends.
God is so faithful to us in all seasons of life. We are so grateful for all He has done, is doing, and will do. We look forward to doing the work that is before us. Being in the will of God is more rewarding than anything else in this life. May God continue to pour out His many blessings on you!!!

April Blog

Our whole team!!
We've had such a busy semester, it's been hard to find time to write our blog!!! But it's way overdue, and now we're ON IT! We just got back from our team outreach to Nice, France. We took a team of students to help out at the Calvary Chapel there. And did they work hard! We helped clean chairs, windows, plumbing, gardening, wall patching, and various other jobs. We went street witnessing, and played worship in the main stream areas. We had opportunity to share with many Muslims. Nice is a place that's very beautiful, rich, and full of tourists. Generally , hearts aren't too open to hearing about God. But we did find a few that listened. We shared the good news of Jesus Christ, and His love to a needy world.

Sharing Jesus on the the streets
At church, our team played music in their coffeehouse. Lots of young people gather on Thursday nights, and hear music, hang out, and enjoy one another. Bruce and I spoke on marriage for a couple's night. Our team worked hard serving and preparing a lovely sit down dinner for all the couples. They enjoyed it, and so did we. 50 people came out.

Sunday morning, Bruce gave the sermon. He spoke on deepening our commitment to Christ. The church responded at the end of the message. Pastor Pierre asked all those who felt touched by the message and wanted a deeper commitment to stand . The entire church rose to their feet! It was a moving experience.

Preaching in Nice
We had one day off, and toured around the Cote D'Azur (Blue coast.) We took a train and did some exploring. We had an adventure, and hiked up a very steep mountain for 1 1/2 hrs to a little village called EZE. It was a very old town with a wall around the city, perched on a mountain. We found out that for an Euro , we could take the bus back to Nice. Our feet and legs were hurting so much, we gladly took the bus home! The outreach was a great experience. The team was safe, healthy, weather was good, and it was very effective. Thank you to all of you who were praying! Our God is so faithful!

Monte Carlo
A few weeks ago, we took several students to CCLippstadt. We did worship for their Sunday service, and helped the church with various tasks. It's such a great experience for everyone to go to these churches . Many of them have no worship leaders, and they are so thankful to be able to have us come in and help with their worship. Part of the school's vision is to go to other churches and help them in worship and other things. Servanthood is a big deal around here!

Classes are going well. We only have 5 weeks left. The time is whizzing by. The student body is growing, and growing closer to one another. It's always so great to see how God works in our hearts to mold, shape, and fill us. On April 21st, Bruce and I will be leading a Passover Seder for the school. It will be a great time of showing them how the Jews celebrate , and how communion started.

Worship in Lippstadt
We just had a seminar on Islam. We learned how to love and share the gospel with Muslims. 10% of Siegen is filled with Muslims. There are 900 Mosques in Germany alone. The one here has 400-500 people. We got to visit the local Mosque and met the Iman (leader) . They were very nice.. But their "religion" is so evil. We need to know how to talk with Muslims. God is doing an amazing work with Muslims, revealing Christ in dreams, visions, and miracles.

We have been able to pray with lots of students, and see their hearts open up to the working of the Holy Spirit. They are so desiring to have all that God has for them. It's great to see them growing in their knowledge and love for God, and in their abilities.

In this turbulent world, it's so good to know the One who is the anchor of our souls. We need to be alert and open to those around us, sharing God's love to a broken and weary world. Thank you for partnering with us in prayer , support, and encouragement. May God pour out His abundant blessings on you!!!

Bruce and Teresa

Worship at CCBC.de

Here we are, past the second week of school already. Time has passed quickly! There is always so much going on, and so much to do. The work of the ministry is full of opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others.

Change is occurring all over the world. We see the signs of troubled times ahead. Many of the Muslim/Arab nations are starting to revolt against their governments; economies are failing; people are wondering what the future holds. But we know that the bible speaks about such things, and it is no surprise to us who are believers in Jesus Christ. We know that our window of time is short here. And it's so important to use our time wisely; "Redeem the time", as the bible says," for the days are evil." Eph. 5:16. We are grateful to be over here in the EU, helping to spread the gospel of hope to a needy world.














The students are starting to go out on Wednesday evenings to share the gospel in Siegen through worship and conversing. They are bringing the youth group from church here with as well. It has had a good impact on them, as they get to partner with the Lord in His work. They have been able to find people whose hearts are really open. Two girls shared with a man from Saudi Arabia who just happened to be visiting for 2 days. He is from a Muslim background and was so interested to hear about Jesus. (And he only spoke English, which was a perfect "coincidence!")













We have several very talented musicians this semester. They are doing a great job leading worship for devotions and bible studies. Our classes are going well. Bruce's guitar instruction/theory class is challenging, but equipping students to play the guitar beyond just a few chords. They are learning about guitar theory as well. Teresa's music theory class is dovetailing with Bruce's. Some students are taking both classes, and it helps to reinforce their ability to learn. Teresa is also teaching piano to many students. One student has been playing for 6 years, and is a good pianist. However, she never learned how to play chords,to understand basic chord theory, or be able to play with a worship team. She is very excited about learning all this "new " stuff! Bruce's Ephesians class is an adventure in history as well as theology. He presented an in depth slide show for the first class, showing the history and geography of Ephesus. This helped to bring a visual sense to the students to help them understand the background of the Ephesian church.















Teresa has also been involved in mentoring the girls. There is a women's discipleship class she is involved with, as well as opportunity to meet one on one in a more casual setting over coffee. It has been a joy for her to be able to walk with these girls through their struggles and successes. A few of the girls have just recently given their lives to Christ. They are so filled with excitement about their new life and relationship with God, and the wonder of being able to understand the bible and apply it to their lives.
















We are doing well here. Ice ,our dog, looks forward to his walks in the cold air, in the woods ,the meadows, or by the river. Bruce finally passed all his tests, and now has a German driver's license!!! God did a wonderful thing,and answered a specific prayer. In the daily prayer meeting, someone prayed that he would get an English speaking instructor. That is so rare. Well, the day he was tested, the instructor came out and spoke English! It was the end of a busy Friday, and he was glad to be done. Bruce passed and didn't even know it! We are so grateful that he now has his license.

Teresa will get her test date soon . She has been taking the mandatory driving training classes, after passing her theory test. She has to drive a 6 gear, diesel VW, with extremely sensitive brakes and clutch. She's had more of a challenge driving the car than paying attention to all the rules!! Prayer for her to pass her test would be GREATLY appreciated!

We also want to brag on our son, Nathan, who is in the Air Force. He just got accepted into the training program for Para Rescue. This is an extremely rigorous program, and has a high drop out rate. PJ's (as they call them) go into enemy territory and rescue those in trouble. They rescue those in Black Ops, and those in other high security situations. It's very difficult to get into, and he has worked very hard to get accepted. Our prayers will be with our son.

We are looking forward to all God has for us this semester. We thank you for those who are supporting us with your prayers and financial gifts. We pray that God richly blesses you with His grace and favor to be able to continue to be a light in this dark world and to make a difference to those around you.

"Finally my brethern, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might." Ephesians 6:10

January 2011

January 2011

Another year has passed before our eyes. God has been faithful again to bring us through.
We pray your Christmas time and New Year’s were filled with the love of family, friends, and most importantly, our Lord and Savior, Jesus! Our two sons, Nathan and Jonathan, were able to join us during the holidays. It was such an answered prayer to have them with us. It would have been a very lonely time without them, as everyone here at the bible college was gone! This has been a needed down time from all the busyness of last semester. We have also been studying during this time for our German driver’s license. Our CA license is no longer viable here. We take the test on Monday the 17th (Bruce) and Monday the 31st (Teresa).















As we reflect upon this last year, we can surely see God’s hand in a marvelous way. It’s hard to believe that just last January, we were packing up our home in Seaside, putting everything in boxes and storage, sending our dog to live with our son, Nathan, saying our goodbyes, and preparing to step out into one of the most unknown adventures yet!















These are some of the highlights of this last year. We witnessed two graduating classes, students built up in their faith, and equipped for ministry; we watched them grow into servant/leaders. Some were sent out to other churches to minister. We came alongside the new church plant in Luxembourg, in evangelism and in leading worship. We preached the gospel on the streets of Prague, Spittal, Luxembourg, Lippstadt, and Dusseldorf, ; we led worship/taught at several churches across the EU, as well as Teresa ministering at the Women’s conference in the UK and the Missions conference in Austria.
















In the bible college, we have been seeing great fruit with the students in worship.
Good songs were birthed in the Songwriting Classes. We offered classes in Worship Leading, Worship in the Psalms, Church History, Apologetics (reasons for our faith), piano, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit.















Young worship leaders were mentored and given opportunity to lead worship for school devotions, as well as in church services in Siegen and other places. God blessed this last year greatly!
This next semester, Teresa will be teaching a class in Music Theory; Bruce will be teaching Guitar Theory and Worship, and the book of Ephesians. We have several new students this semester, as well as almost all of the previous students returning. We look forward to a new semester of growth in the students as well as ourselves.














We saw so many prayers being answered last year; too numerable to count. Among them, God brought our beloved dog Ice, over to be with us, safe and sound! God continued to provide all our needs, kept us healthy, got us through hard times of warfare and difficulty, sand resolved crises. Yes, this has been a year where God has truly been glorified!

Once again, our hearts turn towards you, our faithful family, friends, and supporters. We know that the work of the ministry here could not go on without your involvement. It was your prayers that got us through last year. It was your support that provided our needs, and your love that was there to remind us of why we are here. We are and continue to be so grateful for you. Our prayers are continually lifted up on your behalf.

May this 2011 be a new year for God to be glorified, here in the EU, America, and the rest of the world. May He continue to use ordinary people like all of us, to do His work.
You are a great blessing to us, and we pray for a prosperous New Year in every way!

Bruce and Teresa