“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
