It has been an amazing couple of weeks after returning to Berlin. The summer's here are absolutely gorgeous. This is the earliest we have ever come back to Berlin during the summer we are really enjoying spending our days here with the body. The days have been full with activity, but all somehow extremely relaxing and enjoyable. It has been so overwhelming to come back to our small church of 30-40 people and look around the room and just think about each of their stories. Our church here is so diverse, people from Bulgaria, Russia, Africa, Hungary, and of course America & Germany. It is so much fun to see their faces again. Many of them have learned German as their second language, so you can imagine that there's not much to say as we both try to find conversation in our limited German vocabulary. But as much as you would like to just speak the same language and talk about everything, we can really sense that we DO speak the same language. It's amazing with some of the body members here who we really have a hard time communicating with, we can somehow just connect with them on a much deeper level then culture or language could ever reach. Just a hug, a big smile and a little nod after service says so much.
We've had a few visitors already since we've been back. The first was Pastor Ecko and his wife and son from Helsinki, Finland, along with Arto and Heidi and their two girls from Malmo, Sweden. Daniela from the church in Heidelberg, was here for about a week. Then we had Pastor Bendegúz and his family from Budapest here for a long weekend. It's always so fun to have visitors here and to get to know people in the European ministries.
Matt has been continuing to head up a Bible study in Pankow (formerly a part of East Berlin, in the northern part of the city). This week was an amazing week in Pankow. The man who hosts the study at his house, Sasha, was the only one who was available to meet last week. Even though no one else was coming that night, Matt went up and the two of them had a Bible study together. It was really an amazing time that God used in a huge way. At the end of the night Sasha asked him, "how do I pray"? Matt started to explain to him different ways that we can pray to God, how we can tell Him what's on our hearts and our deepest needs... and Sasha said "no, how do I pray that prayer about forgiveness?". He said I want to put my trust in Christ. Matt got to explain to him how to ask God into your heart and salvation. Thanks so much for all of your prayers, specifically for this Bible Study and Sasha's salvation. It's amazing to see the effect of the Word of God. Just receiving the Word on a consistent basis turned this man's life around. He started out just wanting to know more about the Bible, just for the sake of having that knowledge, but the Word of God did not return void in his heart. How much does God use the small things for big glory in His kingdom. A Bible study with two people seems like something so small it shouldn't even have the title "Bible Study" but what an eternal purpose one man saying that prayer of salvation has in eternity.
Pastor Bendegúz with his son, leading a Monday night Bible Study.
Daniela translating into German, at the Bible study in Pankow
Matt and Sasha in Pankow
Sasha and Marcel, in Pankow
Marcel, who gave his friend Sasha the idea to host the Bible study in Pankow
Getting together for Marianna Zsabo's birthday
Book table on outreach with literature for every language
Tuesday morning outreach at the University
Romans 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
