Back to the blog
For those of you who thought, "Oh this might be interesting. Let's see what Mike and Bird are doing these days. CLICK" this is meant to be a regular thing. Some of you get our newsletter, which by the way is a poor excuse for sharing news. Because by the time we send one out the news is usually old. This is completely our own fault for not getting them out on a regular basis. No, this blog idea, to give more regular feedback, came due to our situation in which we find ourselves.
The past few days have been wonderful. Over the past 12 days we have welcomed a new FSJ discipleship team to our home. None of our new people knew each other before they came. They came from all parts of Germany. From the deep south of Bavaria on the Czech border, way up in the north near the sea ports of Bremen, to the former east side, (where believers are quite rare), to right in our back yard. We have an assorted mix of young people who have come to participate in our discipleship program and serve the city. We are starting the year with two weeks of training which we are wrapping up this week, then sending them out into different jobs working with people. Some work in pre-schools, regular schools, old-folks homes, retreat centers, and wherever we can find them a job serving people. It's a way to equip this young generation and give them on-the-job experience. They have one input day a week and go to work the rest of the week being the hands and feet of Christ in our city. They are the church, learning to love Jesus and their neighbors every day. I love my job.
My problem is, there is much to do and I get wrapped up in what we are doing and forget that the church back in the US is sending us here to do this. Too often feedback on what is happening here doesn't get back across the Pond. The thanks and encouragement that needs to flow back and forth just doesn't happen because we get caught up with the little things that are right in front of us. Out of sight, out of mind. (If you don't mind the shameless use of the cliché). For that I apologize. I, Mike, discussed the problem with Bird last night and we agreed this needs to change. Suggestions have been made that we update every week. I'm not going to pretend that this will happen every week. So we thought every ten days we need to post. (When the date ends with a zero). At least something to communicate to all of you lovely people who have made it this far down the post that we are still here, we still need you, you still deserve feedback and we're in this together.
With that, let me get to where the rubber meets the road. Right now our family is at a crossroads. Our finances are lagging behind our monthly needs. We are about 25 percent behind every month. That means every month we are accruing a deficit and not meeting our goals. Of course this cannot go on. Our sending organization Eastern Mennonite Missions is now saying we need to catch up before December 10th or come home indefinitely.
This, of course, is not our wish. Our family is needed here in Kaiserslautern. We are seeing the fruit of our work in the church and discipleship school. Anika is in the middle of school and uprooting seems like a terrible idea right now. The church is already lacking workers. I could go on.
So there you go. If you could help us out we would be grateful. A monthly commitment would be the best for the long term. If that isn't possible a one time amount is also greatly appreciated and would go toward filling the hole we've found ourselves in. Getting a hold of me is easy: email and facebook are good. Or just comment here and I'll get in touch with you. Thanks.
This kind of thing really is the worst part of being a missionary. Hands down. But I'm encouraged by the words of Paul. He had it really bad in a Roman prison when he wrote to the Philippian church telling them he had all he really needed. " . . . and this same God who takes care of me will supply all our needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus." I have the same God as Paul.
With love from Kaiserslautern,
Mike (and Roberta, Anika, Naomi and Madeline)
The past few days have been wonderful. Over the past 12 days we have welcomed a new FSJ discipleship team to our home. None of our new people knew each other before they came. They came from all parts of Germany. From the deep south of Bavaria on the Czech border, way up in the north near the sea ports of Bremen, to the former east side, (where believers are quite rare), to right in our back yard. We have an assorted mix of young people who have come to participate in our discipleship program and serve the city. We are starting the year with two weeks of training which we are wrapping up this week, then sending them out into different jobs working with people. Some work in pre-schools, regular schools, old-folks homes, retreat centers, and wherever we can find them a job serving people. It's a way to equip this young generation and give them on-the-job experience. They have one input day a week and go to work the rest of the week being the hands and feet of Christ in our city. They are the church, learning to love Jesus and their neighbors every day. I love my job.
My problem is, there is much to do and I get wrapped up in what we are doing and forget that the church back in the US is sending us here to do this. Too often feedback on what is happening here doesn't get back across the Pond. The thanks and encouragement that needs to flow back and forth just doesn't happen because we get caught up with the little things that are right in front of us. Out of sight, out of mind. (If you don't mind the shameless use of the cliché). For that I apologize. I, Mike, discussed the problem with Bird last night and we agreed this needs to change. Suggestions have been made that we update every week. I'm not going to pretend that this will happen every week. So we thought every ten days we need to post. (When the date ends with a zero). At least something to communicate to all of you lovely people who have made it this far down the post that we are still here, we still need you, you still deserve feedback and we're in this together.
With that, let me get to where the rubber meets the road. Right now our family is at a crossroads. Our finances are lagging behind our monthly needs. We are about 25 percent behind every month. That means every month we are accruing a deficit and not meeting our goals. Of course this cannot go on. Our sending organization Eastern Mennonite Missions is now saying we need to catch up before December 10th or come home indefinitely.
This, of course, is not our wish. Our family is needed here in Kaiserslautern. We are seeing the fruit of our work in the church and discipleship school. Anika is in the middle of school and uprooting seems like a terrible idea right now. The church is already lacking workers. I could go on.
So there you go. If you could help us out we would be grateful. A monthly commitment would be the best for the long term. If that isn't possible a one time amount is also greatly appreciated and would go toward filling the hole we've found ourselves in. Getting a hold of me is easy: email and facebook are good. Or just comment here and I'll get in touch with you. Thanks.
This kind of thing really is the worst part of being a missionary. Hands down. But I'm encouraged by the words of Paul. He had it really bad in a Roman prison when he wrote to the Philippian church telling them he had all he really needed. " . . . and this same God who takes care of me will supply all our needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus." I have the same God as Paul.
With love from Kaiserslautern,
Mike (and Roberta, Anika, Naomi and Madeline)
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