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

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!!

Somehow, the end of the semester has caught up with us, and is almost here. Friday night will be graduation. This last month has whizzed by!! Almost all of our students will be returning next semester. That is a good thing, because we will miss all of them so! This has been a wonderful experience these last few months. We have seen the students grow so much in their walks with God. All the trials, victories, and teaching have developed stronger, more mature Christian men and women. They are passionate for Jesus, with servants’ hearts. They have also grown in their ability to lead worship, pray, and love one another.
For our songwriting class, the students performed their new songs for the school. They did a great job. One of the songs will be used for the worship at graduation. I’m very blessed by their talent and love for Jesus.
Our college put on a Thanksgiving dinner. It was complete with the turkey, all the trimmings, sweet potatoes, pies, and the whole bit!!! We went down to K-Town, an air force base 2 ½ hrs south of us, to get everything. Germany doesn’t celebrate Thanksgiving, so we couldn’t get all the stuff here! The staff, guests, and of course, the students, were all invited. We sang songs, decorated the room, and had a wonderful evening, as we lifted up our thanksgivings to God.

We’ve been talking about next semester, taking our worship to the streets more often. The world is looking for truth, and what better way to convey it than in the form of music, which they will listen to.

On top of teaching and serving at the bible college, Bruce and I have also been teaching and leading worship for other churches. Although it makes us busy, it’s always a privilege to be given the opportunity to speak into others’ lives.
Last Thursday, Teresa taught, and shared a couple special songs for the Calvary Chapel Siegen’s women’s Christmas night. She spoke on having a “Mary Christmas in a Martha World.” There was a great turnout, even though the freezing cold and snow had begun.
Women were touched, blessed, and challenged to take time for Jesus during this very busy season.
Bruce also spoke to the CC Siegen men for their Christmas night. He spoke on the need to persevere under trial, and press on for Christ.
Bruce took a team of students to Lippstadt, northern Germany. They evangelized on the streets, and gave away fresh,homemade waffles to the busy Christmas shoppers.Several people were very interested in coming to the CC in Lippstadt. Afterwards, they had a great prayer and worship night with communion. The next day,Bruce taught the Sunday morning service.

This last Sunday morning, Bruce taught at CCSiegen. It was a great encouragement to give all our burdens to the Lord and trust Him. He will be teaching next Sunday at Osthelden,a church 20 minutes north of here. It is an evangelical church. Teresa will be sharing in worship.
We had so much warfare last month. At times it was overwhelming. Bruce’s guitar was stolen on our Luxembourg outreach. But God blessed us with our insurance company paying for another one!!! Teresa was falsely accused of hitting another car in a parking lot. She had to go to the police station twice to give testimony. Fortunately, she had witnesses in the car. After 2 months of dealing with this, she was finally acquitted of any charges. However, she was given 30 hours of community service because she was driving after the 6 month allowance with her CA license. We all learned a lesson from that one!!
No one knew about this! But!!! It looks like her community service might be serving at the church, which includes the school!!! She’ll have at least 30 hours worth!!
God is so faithful. He always turns our crises into resolves. He turns our stresses into songs of deliverance. We are learning more and more to simply trust Him. He works all things out for His glory and our good.

We want to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas~! May you always remember how much Jesus loves you…. He gave up everything, to come into this world in a human body, suffer the pain of rejection and crucifixion, so that we can be freely forgiven of all sin, and live forever with him in heaven. How then shall we live? By giving it all up for Him!
We remember you this Christmas, as you are in our hearts and prayers.

We want to especially thank those of you who have supported us in prayer and in giving.
Without you, we would not be able to be here, serving this community.

May you and yours be filled with Peace, Joy, Love, and of course, Jesus, this season!!!

Mid Semester highlights

Hi Everyone!
This has been a "zuper" semester so far. The students are growing in their love and commitment to Jesus, and His Word. They have also been growing in the practical, of loving one another. When you live together day in and day out, differences arise, and as the bible says , "iron sharpens iron." It's for the good, and we've been seeing how God is maturing everyone in this area.!

We just came back from "outreach week." We had three teams go to different places to help churches, do evangelism, and just about anything else that would help. We took a team of 7 students to Luxembourg. We stayed in the home of Jacques and Francoise Bernard, the pastor of a Calvary Chapel starting there in Esch. We saw God do some amazing things, and open supernatural doors of opportunity. We spent the first day praying , walking the streets, and learning about the Luxembourgish people. Some of the highlights: Marco, one of our members who does rap, got to share his testimony, music and info about the church on a secular hip hop station! I shared a little as well, and bruce and Christian and I backed him up on a song.. They called me "Mother Teresa", the gospel artist!! Ha Ha! This is the first time ever that the gospel has gone out on the airwaves. Preaching the gospel isn't allowed there; the only accepted religion is the State Catholic Church. All others are illegal. We also got permission to play music in a park with a stage and electricity.This is also the first time that park has ever had anyone play in it; It was built years ago. We received permission to play on the streets of downtown. All of these things were firsts, and Jacques said they were nothing short of miraculous! Everyday we played on the streets, and sang our songs in German, French and English. As people gathered, we would divide up and share with them. Hearts were all very open. Most people had never even heard of the gospel, nor knew anything about Jesus.
And they were interested. On Friday night, we had a concert at the Bernard's home, and it was a wonderful time with their guests, friends, and even one guy showed up we had shared with at the park!
The DJ's at the radio station were so impressed with Marco and the team, that they came to one of our outdoor concerts, and are coming to the opening day at church (Dec.12th). This is another supernatural thing. Prayer really opens doors and hearts.
We all came back very encouraged, revived, and expectant of more things that God will do!
The beginning of October, Teresa led worship for the Calvary Chapel UK women's conference. It was a great time where 250 women gathered. Women got challenged, inspired, and built up in their faith.
Along with all this spiritual fruit, we have experienced much warfare; both personally and as a school. Bruce's guitar got stolen somehow in the midst of the radio station experience. It was a heartbreak, but we had to move on. People were getting headaches, feeling sick, and waves of depression would randomly come over people. We learned to press on in spite of it all.
We so covet your prayers. In the midst of battles over souls, we are in the throws of warfare. For those of you who pray for us, we cannot thank you enough. Prayer is the stuff that miracles are made of. .. and everyday strength and perseverance is founded upon. We so need your partnership for it all to happen!!!! ...... Until He comes, we remain totally committed!!!!

Good Start!

We are into the 3rd week of this new fall semester. It’s going great! God has brought together some wonderful hearts to study here. There’s an eagerness to learn, and a sweet spirit among the students on campus. The classes are going well; Bruce is enjoying his apologetics morning and evening class. Teaching at Calvary Chapel Siegen for the evening portion is a challenge. It’s open to the community to learn; he is using a translator to get the message across! Songwriting is really fun. We’re learning all about the elements of a good worship song; we’ll all be writing at least 2 songs this semester and playing them before one another. Psalms class is great! Bruce is doing such a good job with slide presentations; We’re learning about Hebrew poetry, the hearts of the psalmists, and that “Life is tough, but God is good!”
We found out that we had to both get German driver’s licenses. We thought our American ones were good for a year. But they are only allowed for 6 months! So we have to go to driver’s school, take written tests, and go through an amazing amount of paperwork. Eye exams, red cross courses, driver’s license translation from English to German, etc, etc…. Part of German culture is emphasis on regulations. It will take a long time to do it, among other things, but God will lead us!!!
Our long time dog, Ice will be joining us here. Our son, Nathan, has been keeping him for us temporarily until we could get settled into a situation where he could come.
We’re so excited to have our friend back again!
We had our fall semester BBQ on Saturday for all staff , family, and students. It was a fun day; just relaxing, eating good food, playing games, sitting around a campfire,singing songs, all in nice weather. We were at a beautiful camp-like setting in the foothills.
Coming up in the first weekend in October, Teresa will be leading worship for the CC UK women’s retreat outside of York. It’s going to be such a blessing gathering with the saints in England. Bruce will be going to help that same weekend for the first CCIreland conference. He’ll be with a team being a support. What a blessing!
As the days get shorter, we’re reminded of our days in this world also getting shorter. We need to redeem the time, for the harvest is ripe and the fields are ready. Though the days also seem spiritually darker, we are the light bearers, pointing the way to the only One who can help; Jesus! Thank you for standing with us in prayer and giving.
We so appreciate you.
Yours in Christ,
Bruce and Teresa

P.S. You can also go to our home page, www.sgwm.com/muller

Fall Semester

Here we are, starting out the fall semester. Summer has whizzed by, and even the weather has been showing signs of change.
The mornings are in the low 40s (F), and Thursday has forecast 37 for a low. We are all getting busy, attending to things that need to be done. The students will begin arriving on Wednesday, the 1st. We'll be doing airport "runs" to Frankfurt to pick them up. We've been meeting with the staff, praying, and discussing this next year. We now have 25 students, many of which are Germans.
Saturday is our orientation. We will all share with the students about our classes, registration, etc. Yesterday, at CCSiegen, we participated in missions' day. Our booth was well attended. Many are interested in the college. We also will be offering weekend workshops this semester. That way, people from churches can also attend. Classes start next week, the 6th.

Yesterday, Sunday, we went with a team to Weisbaden, a beautiful city 2 hrs. south of here. We joined CCWeisbaden and some other churches in the area and played music and sang for their monthly outreach. It's on a busy section of the shopping mall.
We passed out tracts, spoke with lots of people, and one man, from Pakistan, received Christ. He had just lost 20 people in his family due to the massive flooding there. God had softened his heart, and he stayed all day, listening to us.
Much of August was spent moving from our old apartment to a new one. The bible college rents an apt building to their staff. We moved here to accommodate our dog when he comes. (should be mid Sept.) It is on the bottom floor and has a small yard. We patched, painted, and landscaped the place. The church has a huge second hand store here, so it's great when you have to get things. (like rugs, lamps,etc). It is about a mile from the college dorms. Our old apartment will be rented by a couple who are going to cook dinners for the school. It's very convenient, as it's right above the cafeteria.
We all pitched in , and painted the villa (dorms) and cleaned up everything. It's nice and ready to go for everyone.
In mid-August,Bruce and I attended the EURO missions conference at the CCcastle in Austria. Missionaries from all over Europe and beyond, with their families were there. It was a wonderful blessing meeting with all these dedicated servants, many who have been on the field for years! I taught a women's session on the last day, and led worship afterwards. We had a sweet time in the Spirit, with many tears, prayers, and lifted hands. God touched our hearts is such a sweet way. Bruce and I also lead worship for an evening session; It was all a wonderful blessing being in such a gorgeous place. The mountains, lake, trees, and sky were like watching a postcard. God's handiwork is truly magnificent!
There is so much opportunity to minister here. We've had many invitations to come to churches and speak, lead worship, and evangelize. Hopefully (it's our desire) to get time to do that. Once the semester starts, we know it will be BUSY!!!
Many are interested in the worship school. We'll be offering 3 classes that will fulfill the requirements, plus several workshops.
God is good, and is being very faithful to us .. We think of you often, miss you and pray for you .. Please continue to keep us in your prayers. At times, the warfare is intense and very active! We are in a battle for souls and this next generation in particular.
Thanks for standing with us, and holding us up!!! May His name be glorified!!

Back in Germany!

Dear Friends and Family~

We are now back in Siegen, after quite an adventure filled couple of months. After the spring semester was completed, we went back to the States. Our new grandson, Jamin Carmi Muller, was born May 4th, and we just had to see him! We also stayed a week to help Simeon and Alli with their work schedules, and help attend to their newborn blessing!

While we were in California, we were able to spend time with the rest of our family and friends. It was so wonderful seeing everyone again. Bruce's mom, Mary, had her 89th birthday, and all of Bruce's family came to celebrate. Mary was so filled with emotion having everyone around her. She's been having health problems, and this was a special gift to her.

The Lord opened up many opportunities to minister at several churches as well. We shared in CC Vancouver, CCVisalia, CC Escondido, Crossroads Community in Oceanside, and home fellowships. The pastor of CC Visalia, Bob Grenier, blessed Bruce with a wonderful gift. He paid for Bruce to attend the CC Pastor's Conference in Murrieta. That was such an unexpected blessing! Thank you Bob!

We flew back to Germany, only to spend a couple days before leaving for York, England. Our good friends, Dave and Nancy Sylvester, oversee the bible college there, and CCYork. They showed us around England, and we learned a lot of English history. They also asked us to teach and lead worship for their women's ministry and Sunday services. God richly blessed us , even in the midst of the relentless warfare we experienced there. Gave us a passion to pray for our brethren in England!

Now we are back in Siegen, and preparing for this coming semester. So much to do!! There are work projects (like painting the whole villa), class preparations, and various errands and chores, (like picking people up from airports!). This is a transition year for the college. Because of David Guzik leaving after 7 years, there's a transition of leadership and staff. We really need more students to register, as well as interns and staff. So, we covet your prayers for this next semester. Transition years are challenging, yet we know that God is faithful. The church here, CCSiegen, is behind the school, supporting it, and working with it. They also need our prayers for finances, wisdom in leadership, and extra hands for the college.

We look forward to the classes. Bruce will be teaching Apologetics, as well as a Monday evening class for the church; Psalms, and of course, Worship. We are planning to teach workshops as well, on various subjects, including Songwriting. We're praying for students that can play and lead worship to fill our many devotional times, etc.

We so covet your prayers, support, and fellowship. We know this will be an exciting year. As the days grow darker, God shines brighter. We don't have much time left in this world, and we want to keep working til we are home with Him!!! Til next time!