We had an amazing time back in the States for Christmas, New Years and being there for one of our best friends getting married. We extended our stay for another week and a half to be there for Justin & Ann Margaret's wedding. It's amazing how 5 weeks can fly by so fast when you are trying to soak in as much time with your friends and family as possible, knowing you won't see them for months. At the same time, now that we are back, it's amazing how 5 weeks can feel like years and how much can change when you are away for that long.
We are still adjusting to a new time zone, settling back into our home, and catching up with the church here. We have been back for almost a week now and want to start our first blog of the year with some things that our blog readers can keep in prayer for us and our team this year.
- Mindy Stein's health. Many of you know that the body around the world has been holding up our Berlin Pastor's wife in prayer as she has been put through the ringer as far as her health is concerned. Please keep her and her husband Pastor Stephan in prayer as she is in and out of the hospital frequently and continually trying to recover from going through a lot, physically, to say the least.
- New team members. We are really praying this new year for God to bring some new team members to Berlin. God knows how to hand pick people perfectly to fit into a specific area much better then we do... otherwise we would be recruiting people ourselves! Please pray that God would put Berlin on the hearts of people and that he would raise one or more persons up to come and join the team here. We are in need of full time missionaries who can come and give their time to help serve the body here.
- Guidance for us personally as we make plans for the future. We are asking God to really guide us in the next few months and years. We are living in one sense moment by moment, but in the other sense we want to do things decently and in order and plan our steps accordingly. Please keep us in prayer as we make our summer plans, and our plans for next year as we need to pick dates and renew visas and take all those details into consideration.
- Bible College. At our last team meeting we spoke about how much Satan hates Bible school because it is deep teaching from God, and learning how to walk in the Word. We are really praying this year that body members here in Berlin will take advantage like never before of the classes that we are offering this semester. That God would give them a desire to learn and that the enemy would be bound.
- Youth Ministry. We have had growth and shrinkage in our youth group over the years but we are still holding on tightly to a core group of young people that come faithfully. Please pray that God would give us wisdom in ways to reach them, encourage them, and minister to them. And please pray for them that God would cover them and light a fire in their hearts.
Thank you always for your prayers and support to us. We can sense your prayers and are sustained by them.
In Him,
Matt & Emily
