Winter Visit to America!

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” Luke 2:14

 

We have been enjoying our time in the States with our family and friends. It’s even sweeter to be with everyone after being absent for so long. The entire time we’ve been here, we have experienced the favor and blessing of God. All the prayers that have been going up on our behalf have definitely been answered! Where do we begin?

In our previous blog, we shared the amazing way God blessed our connecting flights in NYC. Not only did we make it, we were early! Our time in Appleton, WI, was spent visiting our friend, Ruth Christian. We led worship and shared for the entire service in her church Calvary Chapel. Also,Teresa led worship and taught at their women’s luncheon. It was a great time of feasting in God’s word, His presence, and the wonderful buffet the ladies made!

From Wisconsin, we flew to Vancouver, Wa to visit our son, Simeon and his family. We so enjoyed seeing our two grandsons, Jamin and Caleb, who have suddenly become big! We had a sweet time visiting them. While we were there, we shared in worship and gave our vision to CCSoutheast Portland. Great night of joy and fellowship!

Then we went to San Francisco to visit our son David and his family. They have a small house, and though we were content to stay in their living room, God opened a great place for us to stay! Their neighbor right next door,was going away for a week, and asked if we’d like to stay there. So we had our own hotel suite right next door to our family! The weather was great, and we were refreshed being in this beautiful place, hiking around the hills, and visiting the sites.

Our son, Jonny, drove down from Northern California, and we all went to Monterey to have Thanksgiving with friends.We enjoyed a marvelous feast, and were so thankful for our friends and family.

In Monterey, we shared at Calvary Monterey, all that God is doing in the EU. We showed our video, and spoke to the congregation about our work and ministry. We made many good connections with those that are interested in our ministry. It was so good seeing old friends again, and sharing all that God has done this past year!

We had a gathering one night with friends and supporters; we shared with them the wonderful things going on, and we prayed, sang songs, and of course, ate food!We were very encouraged by the love and openness towards all that we are doing.

While in Monterey, God answered a big prayer and provided a car for us to use. And not just an ordinary car, but a beautiful new sports car. God put it on the heart of a good friend, and his sacrifice was so touching. It’s just like God to do more than we could ever expect. He loves to pour out His goodness on His children, and show His lovingkindness.

In Monterey, we stayed with our friends, the Underwoods. They have a beautiful home, and we stayed for a long time; their hospitality was over and above! We were treated so generously! We enjoyed being there with them, and felt right at home.

 At Mayflower Presbyterian, in Pacific Grove, we gave a worship concert on Sunday night, the 15^th. Many gathered, hungry for the Presence of God…and God poured out His Spirit that night, filling us all with His joy! What a wonderful way to bring on the Christmas season. Many had shared how much God had touched their hearts, filling them with His spirit anew, and drawing their hearts close to Him.

This year, God worked it out for us to have our first family reunion. Our sons are scattered all over the country, and it’s so rare to be able to get together all at once. We can’t even remember the last time we were together for Christmas.Three of our sons are now married, and they have children. All thirteen of us gathered in a cabin in the mountains outside Sacramento; Four sons, three daughters-in-love, and four grandchildren! What joy!

We will be going down to Murrieta to the Calvary Missions Conference, and then we’ll be off to Siegen, Germany again. We leave January 15^th. We look forward to all that God has before us, and to run this race faithfully.

We’ve been so blessed and moved by the love of our friends, supporters and family. God has been so gracious, and we are very thankful.

 During this Christmas season, our hearts of full of gratitude for the ultimate gift of Jesus. Because He was willing to give everything up so we could gain it all is overwhelming. We remember His birth, but also His resurrection. The light of the world has come, to bring hope to our darkened hearts; hope of a forever joy with Him, away from all the temporal things that can weigh our spirits down. What great joy we can have this season, regardless of every circumstance.

May this season remind you of the wonderful treasures awaiting you, not only in this life, but in the future as well; all because of Immanuel…God with us!

Merry Christmas for our hearts to yours!

October 2013

It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to the Most High. It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning, your faithfulness in the evening. Ps. 92:2-3

 

We’re writing this from the other side of the big pond~ We flew into the States last week, arriving on Oct. 22^nd. God really blessed our trip, and answered many prayers. Everyone said we’d never make our connection in NY. We had little time to get from one airport to another, yet God breezed us through customs and baggage claim in 35minutes…unbelievable! We made all our flights, were healthy, and our baggage arrived safe and sound. Thank you Jesus!

Saturday, we were asked to sing at a Shiloh reunion in Sheboygan, WI. Shiloh was a national ministry we came to Christ in, back in the 70’s, during the “Jesus movement.” They were surprised to see us, and we all laughed about how age changes us..(you either laugh or cry…can’t wait for our new bodies in heaven!)

Sunday, we spoke at CCAppleton, shared our vision, showed a video compilation of the last few years in Europe, and led the congregation in worship. The pastor, Dwight Douville, asked us to also share out testimony about how we ended up where we are today. The response of the congregation was such a blessing. People said they were really touched. One lady said her husband didn’t want to leave , and could’ve stayed there for hours in worship. Someday when we’re before God’s throne, that’s exactly what we’ll do!

Before we left for the States, we were very busy.Bruce held a worship seminar in Munster, DE and led worship at CCKaiserslautern; we led an afterglow at CCSiegen, as well as assisting their worship team during their services.

 One of our former worship students, is now a worship leader in Herborrn, DE. She invited us to come and play with her. It was such a joy to back up the girl that we have been mentoring. She did a great job, and we were like proud parents! This is exactly what we have been desiring…this is the fruit.

We had to pack up our apartment and move by the 18^th of October.The landlord wanted to lease our apartment to a business wanting to expand. Even though we are missionaries, we seem to have accumulated ‘stuff’ over the last 4 years. We had to get rid of some things, and pack the rest. We had prayed for a place to store everything while we were in the States; God opened the door , as many people offered to store our stuff.  We can honestly say that our things are ‘everywhere.’!

We also had to put to sleep our beloved dog, Ice. We were so dreading this day. He was 15 years, and in pain from arthritis and hip dysplacia. Still, we didn’t want to say goodbye. He has been such a good friend over the years. Two days before we left our apartment, we had to carry out this sad procedure. We cried, and thanked God for the many years together. It’s always hard to lose our pets. But who knows... Maybe we will have pets in heaven?

It becomes more and more obvious that we can hold on to nothing in this world. Like the old adage says, “Only one life, will soon be past; only what’s done for Christ will last.” How true these words are. As we get nearer and nearer to our real home, we keep in mind the joys of eternity, where there will be no more pain, no more sorrow, no more sickness, loss, death or evil. Our hearts long for that day. Meanwhile, we stay in the present, in His presence, drawing near to Him, and doing His will. He is our satisfaction and our joy.

Thank you for standing with us in prayer and support. As the days grow darker, let us shine our lights brighter and brighter, as we await our soon coming King! Come Lord Jesus, Come!

“Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love so we may sing for joy to the end of our lives…And may the Lord our God show us his approval
  and make our efforts successful. Yes, make our efforts successful!” Ps.90:14,17

September 2013

“The Lord is good and a stronghold in the day of trouble. And he knows all they that put their trust in Him”. Nahum 1:7

This has been a month filled with ministry, traveling, yet warfare. We had a wonderful time giving a worship seminar in Ulzwell , Switzerland. Pastor Ted Allen took us up to the Alps and we all stayed in a little ski Chalet overlooking the magnificent Alps. What a glorious experience that was. There  was a little chapel on site, where people get married and attend church. We held our seminar there. Seeing the beauty of God’s creation all around us spoke so much to our hearts of God’s beauty, His glory, and His strength. Ps. 95 says, ‘the strength of the hills is His also.” The strength of the hills, displayed in those Alps spoke of God’s mighty power. We were able to encourage the worship team, and teach practical as well as bible sessions on worship. That Sunday, we led worship back in their church, which meets above a train station in St. Gallen.

We said our goodbyes, and followed Ted’s car to Millstatt, Austria , for the EU Missions Conference. What a surprise we received, when upon registration, we found our names on the schedule to lead worship! And here we thought we were going to just ‘gel’ all week! But God had other plans for us. We were blessed being able to lead these precious missionaries into God’s presence. So many of them have gone through such hardships this year. It’s a big sacrifice to give up everything and move to another country, culture, away from family, friends, and sometimes, see no obvious fruit. The enemy never relents his attacks on Christians, especially those in ministry. It was so good connecting with like minded people, praying together, sharing our burdens, and encouraging one another in God. This is such a high point of the year for families to gather and be refreshed. Bruce also had the privilege to hold worship seminars in the afternoons for those worship leaders that wanted to work on their skills.

From Millstatt, we journeyed towards Munich. We had a few days before the worship seminar there, so we stayed with friends in Salzburg. It rained most of the time, but we were able to get out nonetheless and see the city, explore the mountains, and go to the HUGE Europark (indoor mall).

Our time in Munich was hit with lots of warfare. . We stayed in a little hotel outside of town, and the oppression was strong there The first session of our seminar was not able to be held in church, because of unexpected circumstances with shared renters. At the last minute, we met in the leader’s apartment. The next day we met in church, and it was a great session. We had a good turnout. Sunday, Teresa woke up with a sore throat, feeling lousy. We pressed on, lead the worship, Bruce taught the sermon on Worship from God’s perspective, and we drove home towards Siegen.

We got home late Sunday night to a clean home, happy dog, and comfy bed awaiting us. We were tired!!! God answered our prayers for safety, our dog was well taken care of by Raphael, and God blessed the worship, teaching, and sessions.

For the next few days, Teresa got sick (she caught a cold from our friends), and pretty much stayed in bed. She is doing better now, praise God.

Next week, we have another worship seminar in Munster, then one the first week in October in Dusseldorf. This Sunday night, Teresa will be leading worship at CC Siegen, and doing an afterglow after the sermon. The church here is growing , and we can see God building His people up in prayer, worship , and the knowledge of His Word.

Please continue to keep us in prayer as we have a busy schedule. We also have to pack and leave our apartment by the middle of October. We plan to put our things into storage, and then head to the States for a 21/2 month furlough. We will come back to Siegen after the Missions Conference in Murrieta, CA. Hopefully , by that time, God will show us where He would like us to be based.

Thank you so much for standing with us in prayer, support, and communication. You are our lifeline out there, very needed and very wanted!

“Let the peoples praise You, O God;
Let all the peoples praise You. Oh, let the nations be glad and sing for joy!
For You shall judge the people righteously,
And govern the nations on earth.” Ps 67:3-4

June/July 2013

Psalm 89:1 
1 I will sing of the LORD's great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations.

 

Dear Ones,

What a wonderful month and a half we have experienced! As posted in our previous blog, we had the opportunity to visit the UK for three weeks. We started our ‘vacation’ working with our sons, Simeon, and Jonathan, in London, at the IMATS conference. Simeon works for IMATS as a videographer, and we all were able to work alongside of him, and even get paid! It was nice seeing our son in his work environment and meeting many wonderful people.

From there, we headed north to York, staying at the bible college. Our sons loved the historic buildings, forts, and churches so prevalent there. There is so much history in England! Simeon left for home after a few days, but Jonny stayed with us for another 2 weeks.

Our time in York just “happened” to coincide with the UK Pastors conference held there. We ended up leading four worship sessions, and Bruce taught one session at church. Jonny was able to sing with us, as well as minister to others his age. We had a rich time of fellowship and ministry. Teresa experienced a migraine for 2 days in the midst, however. York has a lot of spiritual warfare, and we experienced our share!

After our time in York, we headed up to Inverness, Scotland. We stayed in a‘holiday caravan’ We explored Scotland for 2 days, going over to the West side, and seeing the beautiful country and highlands. It truly is an inspiring place.owned by a lovely couple from the Calvary there. It was a peaceful place on the bay; it never did get completely dark at night. What an experience going so far north!

We left for London again, staying with Eleanor, a sweet woman who hosted us. We had such lovely weather, even hot at times, with no rain. We said goodbye to Jonny, as he headed back to California. It’s always sad to say goodbye to our family. They are so dear to our hearts and we miss them so. Having them come over to this side of the world was a rare treat.

From London, we headed to Exeter, where we stayed with Bob and Jeanne Claycamp in their beautiful home. Teresa had some wonderful girl times, exploring the English countryside with Jeanne and her friend, Barb from Washington. Having hot weather and being on the SW Coast of England was a special time! The beaches looked like Southern California with sunbathers and swimmers everywhere!

Bruce preached on Sunday morning at Calvary Chapel Exeter. The church there is filled with joyful, loving people,

 We had a good flight back to Germany, and a long train ride back to Siegen. The train system here is so efficient, we don’t need to drive that often.

 God answered many prayers. We were safe in our travels, didn’t get sick once, had wonderful opportunities for ministry and fellowship, and our dog Ice, was well taken care of by a former student, Laura. We came home blessed, to a clean house, happy dog, and sunny weather. (A plus in rainy Siegen.)

We led an afterglow at CCSiegen on Friday night. The church is very open and responsive to growing in worship and learning to operate in the gifts of the Spirit.

We have a busy time ahead of us; here is our schedule for the next couple months.

July 27-28^th. Leading worship @ CCKaiserslautern

August 2-4^th Worship Seminar @ CC Berlin

August 9^th Afterglow @ CCSiegen

August 11^th Leading worship @ CC Siegen

August 15-18^th Worship Seminar Uzwil, Switzerland

August 19-24^th Missions Conference @Schloss Heroldeck, Austria

August 29-Sept.1^st Worship Seminar CCMunich

Sept. 13-15^th Worship Seminar@ CCMunster

Sept. 28^th Wedding in Hannover

Oct. 4-6^th Worship Seminar @CCDusseldorf

 We are also continuing to work with some young people around the Siegen area, in discipleship and worship. They are eager to learn and embrace everything we can help them with.

 Please keep us in your prayers for good health, strength, fruitful ministry, and of course, our dog, Icy. He will miss us a lot, and we need help with managing people to watch him.

God has been faithful to provide all our needs , and we are confident that He will continue to do so.

We are so grateful to you who continue to stand with us in prayer and support. You are not only partners, but also partakers of our ministry. We are very thankful.

“Your Father already knows your needs. He will give you all you need from day to day if you make the Kingdom of God your primary concern.” Luke 12:30-31

May 2013

“I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.”Ps. 34:1

God has brought us to the end of this wonderful semester. It has been a time of sweetness, growth, and richness with the students, staff, and activities. We will surely miss them all!

We had a bittersweet graduation; filled with joy for those graduating, but sad because this was our last semester forCCBC Siegen. We ended the ceremony with a BBQ and picnic on the church grounds. Afterwards, the students went back to the Villa; and what did they want to do for their “grad party”? They wanted to worship and pray…and that’s what they did. It was a precious sight to behold. After a semester of investing into their lives the love of prayer, worship, and adoration to our God, we witnessed the fruit. These students were very passionate for God. It makes it all so worthwhile!!!

We just finished the EU worship conference held in CC Siegen every two years. Scott & Madie Cunningham, Tom Lane and Chelsea Moon, were flown over from the States… We both taught two workshops, and Bruce closed the conference with the last main session teaching on worship from God’s
perspective. The Holy Spirit poured out on the conference at the end, and people were so touched by the Presence of God moving. We heard feedback from everyone, how God have moved so powerfully; they are very hungry for the Spirit of God to move in their congregations as well. We have been flooded with requests for teaching on  worship, afterglows, and training.

Needless to say, our hearts are very encouraged, as we are witnessing God’s hand in stirring up the church. Revival comes through prayer, and worship is the result of hungry hearts for God. We believe God is preparing the church at large here for a time of harvest.

 Bruce was asked to teach for the next two Sundays, all three services, at CC Siegen on worship. Pastor Alex wants us to lead an afterglow, (a time of extended worship, waiting on the Lord, ministering in the gifts, etc,), on June 14^th, a Friday night. Please keep these things in prayer. It’s only by God’s Spirit empowering, that anything fruitful can come.

We are leaving June 20^th for England, to meet two of our sons in London. We will all be working at IMATS, the international Make up Artist Trade Show. Our son ,Simeon, works for this company, representing the movie makeup industry internationally. After we all work there, we will attend the York (Great Britain’s) pastor's conference. Then we will go on a small vacation, seeing England & Scotland (birthplace of Bruce's grandmother &great grandmother). We’re so excited to unite with even a part of our family! We wish they all could be there! We’ll be staying with friends along the way! We will end our tour through England by preaching at our good friend 

Bob Claycamp's church in Exeter. Then fly back to Germany and begin presenting our seven Weekend Worship Seminars.

We are living in exciting days; they are sometimes very dark days, as evil is progressing in the world. But where sin abounds, grace abounds more, like the scriptures declare.

As we share the good news of Jesus, and trust in Him, we will see His faithful hand.

He’s always been faithful, and will continue to be!!!

We are so grateful for you, your support, your prayer, and your relationship in our lives. Thank you for standing with us. We believe we are on the verge of a pouring out of God’s Spirit here in the EU and beyond. Let God be glorified!!

“We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks!
For Your wondrous works declare that Your name is near.” 

Psalm 75:1

April 2013

May 1st

“For it is God which works in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”Phil 2:13

Dear Ones,

We surely have seen God’s hand at work this semester, doing His good work in the students, the staff, the many churches, and in us.

It is for His good pleasure, which also gives us great pleasure to be able to partake. Here’s a brief review of what’s been taking place since our last newsletter.

In March, Bruce was involved with a worship conference in Budapest; He was on a panel for different questions, and enjoyed seeing many old friends involved in worship ministry. Afterwards, he went to CCBC in Vjata, Hungary. He was working with some of the team there, and was able to share his vision of outreach to the leadership there.

The following week, we took a team of students to Hannover to do a worship weekend seminar. At these seminars, we teach classes, as well as lead worship..then we evaluate their teams, and give them needed feedback for improving. On Easter Sunday, our entire team led worship. It was a glorious time of blessing!!

 On Passover week, we led a Passover Seder (dinner/service) for the college. It was a wonderful time remembering how God delivered the Israelites from Egypt, and how God has delivered us from sin and death. Everyone enjoyed learning about the true roots of the communion service we enjoy in church. Afterwards, Teresa taught Jewish dances. The whole college got involved, and had a great time!!

The next week, Bruce traveled down to Rome to give a worship seminar there. He also ended up preaching in three churches on Sunday! It was a very fruitful time, working with the teams there, and coming alongside the churches.

Afterwards, he headed up to CCBC Montaballuna to share his vision of outreach with the school. He wants them to be able to do what we do here; train, then take several worship teams out to churches in need.   While there, he played guitar on a CD project, as well as connected with several worship leaders. The hunger for teaching, training, and discipling in Italy was great.

In mid April, our school had outreach week, where we sent teams to Berlin, Lippstadt and Cologne. They did evangelism, worship, teaching, and just helped in many practical ways. It was a very enriching time for both those giving and receiving.

On April 19^th, Teresa led a night of worship for the women’s ministry at CC Siegen. There was worship, a teaching, and then an afterglow. The church here is so hungry for this.

This last weekend, we took a team of students to Sinsheim to do another worship weekend seminar. The church was so great and open to anything we had to offer. We all led the worship on Sunday, and Bruce gave the sermon. They were asking if we could come back soon. In fact, everywhere we have given these seminars, they ask for more. They can’t seem to get enough, for the workers are few, and the churches need lots of help.

The online worship school is coming along. There have already been 180 hours of teaching uploaded. The classes all need to be edited before they can be viewed. We are excited that this is coming together. We want to see this become available everywhere around the globe.

We have witnessed the growth of the students here. Their love and passion for Christ has increased, their skill in worship has improved greatly, their knowledge of God and His Word has been stirred in their hearts. Through teaching, mentoring, and discipleship, lives are changed and hearts are transformed.  We are so blessed to be able to be a part of the work God is doing.

At the end of May, we will be giving workshops and leading worship at the EU Worship Conference here in Siegen. Every two years, CCSiegen hosts this conference, where leadership and Worship leaders all over the EU, UK, and beyond attend. Please keep us in prayer as we’ll be very busy and we want God to move greatly in lives.

On another note, many of you have heard that the bible college here is closing. The church is in the middle of a transition, from the change in pastorate of Nick Long to Alex Kruse. This has been going on for a while, but the church needs to be the main focus right now. Things have to get healthy and redirected in many ways. Although the bible college has been a fruitful work for the last 10 years, the church doesn’t have the extra resources (in every way) to be supporting the bible college at this time. This is the last semester.

Many want to know how this will affect us. We have been asked to stay and work out of the church here as our base. We are considering that option. We also are praying about other options, as our main desire is to work with the youth. They are the future of the church. You can please pray with us for God’s leading. The need here is great. We will have to move out of our present apartment by the end of August. Our dog, Ice, is also a factor, so please keep that in prayer as well. We are doing well, not anxious, for we know God has a plan. Like the children of Israel in the desert, He will lead and guide us where we should be. We are already receiving invitations from throughout Europe to go and lead Weekend Worship Workshops. We are still very excited about what God is about to do in the midst of this transition.

Thank you for standing with us in prayer and financial support. You have made it possible for us to be here, doing the work.

                                    “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work” 2 Cor. 9:8

This is the statement the bible college has posted on its website;

Dear Students, Friends and Supporters of CCBC Siegen,

We at CCBC Siegen, are filled with gratitude and thanksgiving for the last ten years of fruitfulness that God has poured out upon us. It has been with great joy to have served the many students, interns and staff that have passed through these doors.

However, after much prayer, discussion, and wise, spirit-led counsel, both from Siegen and elsewhere, we have felt the Lord is leading us to close the Bible College. Our church here in Siegen, is in a process of restructuring and rebuilding. We have come to the conclusion that the Lord wants to redirect our focus and our resources.

It is on our hearts to minister to the church here, discipling the saints within the body and equipping future leaders and church planters. Our vision is to strengthen what is weak so that we would be healthy on the inside and powerfully reach out to those on the outside.

It is with both sadness and yet expectation, that we have made this decision. CCBC has served God's purposes and been used by God in many fruitful ways. We now look ahead to what the Lord will do in this new upcoming season.

Thank you for being part of our journey, and for coming alongside of us in so many different and precious ways! Please keep us and the church of CC Siegen in your hearts and pray that the Lord would help us in this difficult transition process and guide us as we experience new challenges and blessings.