Why I Am in Deutschland

Germany is a hard place to do ministry.  The culture is more "reserved".  It's hard to get deeply personal with someone without spending a lot of time with them.  Our trip is only a week long, so the question has to be asked, "Why do I come here each summer for two weeks?!"  I asked this to Dr. Joseph Dimitriov, the president of the seminary that we are trained at in Brussels.  I asked him why he thinks we are here.  His answer was two-fold:

1. To increase our vision.  To show Chi Alpha students that the world is a bigger place than we realize.  That there are places like the Romanian orphanages, and to learn God's love for (and in) these places.  Some on our trip have felt called to be missionaries in Europe on this trip!
2. To encourage the local missionaries.  These are the people that are fighting for God everyday in these hard places.  A smile, a helping hand, an encouraging word, a prophetic word, a hug...sometimes is what is going to help that missionary through a tough time in a tough place.

There are many "reasons" why I am here, however, THE MAIN reason I am here occurred last night. (I won't disclose much of the conversation because it was private, but...)  I made a great friend last year on this trip; a student that is really involved in SFC.  This student helped us so much last year and our friendship has grown since then.
For the past few months of preparation for this trip through our prayer meetings, I have felt God laying some specific scriptures and quotes from missionaries on my heart.  There was just one theme of all of the quotes and scriptures...I wrote all of them down on one piece of paper...
Last night, I sat down with my friend from last year and this person confided in me some personal struggles.  The struggles were the EXACT THEME of my verses and quotations!!  Many tears, hugs, danka's (thank you's), and smiles happened over the next hour and a half as I spoke what God had laid on my heart for months.  This student left after our conversation to write down all that we talked about before it left their mind.

This student is in Berlin everyday sharing the love of God.
I got to encourage this student last night.
This is why I am here.



Jesus, You are in Berlin and where you go, I'll go.  Where you live, I'll live.  You are the God of this city and many here belong to You!!  (parts of this are from scripture, some is my own prayer.  Ruth 1:16 and Acts 18:10)