Germany - BIMI Field Conf. for Military Missions

- The Lord has been so gracious to us while we have been here in Germany. He has brought us to a church full of hospitable, encouraging people! We trust that the Lord will allow us to be an encouragement and a blessing to them as well.
- This last week we had the privilege of attending the BIMI Field Conference for Military Missions at Liberty Baptist Church in Schweinfurt, Germany (for history of the city enter this in your address bar - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schweinfurt ). The Lord really opened our eyes to the difficulties and blessings of military missions. There are so many American military bases worldwide and unless a missionary plants an English speaking church in the area, there is seldom a true Gospel light for those soldiers.
- The pastors of these churches have no cake walk. It is common for a church to lose up to 75% of its members in just a nine month period due to whole companies of soldiers being moved! These missionary families truly learn to do their work for the Lord and not for numbers.
- The Lord used many messages at this conference to speak to us about being sensitive to the Lord's leading and being conscious of His presence. Pastor Tom Lancaster preached a message from Exodus 31-34 about the presence of God. Israel tried to enter the promised land without the presence of God and spent 40 years dying in the wilderness; yet we so easily get trapped doing the work of the ministry without God! May the Lord continue to remind us of our own need of Him.
- We were able to spend quite a bit of time with the missionary families, especially their teenagers. We spent time with the teenagers working on special music, fellow shipping over meals or after the evening services and even playing at a German Amusement park. Two of the teenagers, named Will and Tony, became dear friends to us. We thank the Lord for working in their hearts as well as ours this week through the great Biblical preaching. To God be the Glory!

Germany - 05/12

- Praise God from Whom ALL blessings flow! The Lord has brought us safely to Germany and for that we are very grateful. We are working with Pastor Tom Lancaster and his son Bro. Mark Lancaster at Rhine River Baptist Church. This church is originally a missionary church to the U.S. Military stationed here in Mannheim but it is really a very good mixture of German peoples, other international peoples and U.S. Military.
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- We have been staying in a guest room inside the church building. The accomodations are very nice and we have been treated like family from the moment we arrived! These last three days we have been helping to build an apartment on the side of the church building for the pastor and his wife. This apartment will be not only economical for the Lancasters but also very convenient for the work of the ministry.
- We have both already had the opportunity to preach at this last Wednesday evening service and we will both be preaching again in the next couple days with the singles group and the Sunday School. Please pray that the Lord will continue to use us to be a help and encouragement to the people here and pray that we would see the Lord work in hearts as the Gospel goes forth to all people.

Travel to Germany

Our day started very early in Northern Ireland. We were up and going at 5:00 am. We had a flight from Belfast to London then a train to the international train station in London. We then traveled by the Eurostar (at a max speed of 198 mi/hr!) under the English Channel to Paris. When we arrived at the Paris train station we were surrounded by the masses. Feeling like children we could not read anything or understand anyone. We began to ask questions to various foreign people to hopefully find our way to a different Paris train station. There was a lot of sign language involved in this process. Our train bound for Mannheim, Germany was scheduled to leave in 2 hours. After stairs, subway, and a lot of people we found our way to our train. We had a wonderful train ride to Mannheim and we did not arrive until 10:15 pm. We thank the Lord for bringing us all that way with such safety.
During our trip the Lord allowed us to give the gospel to some families. Some we receptive and some definitely were not. We experienced a little bit of mocking and ridicule but Christ was preached and we were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.

Northern Ireland

"The heavens declare the glory of God..." Ps 19:1 - God's creation truly is amazing. As we toured Northern Ireland with Clifford Black and David Stewart we saw many sites that are normally only viewed on postcards (although postcards could really never capture what our five God given senses can!). We saw rolling hills, mountains, valleys, forests, water falls, the ocean... We also saw much of mans creativity in old houses, castles, bridges, boats... We breathed in the fresh ocean air, heard the sounds of waves crashing into the rocks along the beech and were reminded that God has created it all. What a wonderful God we serve.
-The Lord allowed us to participate in two open air meetings by preaching, testifying, handing out tracts and giving the Gospel in person! It was such an opportunity to spread the Gospel in this way. We also were able to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ through door-to-door visitation. We greatly enjoyed these opportunities and pray that the Lord's Word and Spirit will convict the hearts of those that heard the Gospel.

- Testimony from Levi: Nothern Ireland was a blessing from the Lord from the start. Riding around with Clifford Black on the first day talking of spiritual things really brought me to a point of conviction. We spoke in the car of all the revivals in the land of the United Kingdom and prayer's power in each one of those revivals sent by God. The Lord had taught me so much a year ago when I attended Crown College British Division. One of the biggest changes that occured in my life at that time was fervent prayer life. Being back in the UK I was reminded of this change and relized that it was nearly non-existant. I pray that this reminder will stick as I walk the Lord with fervency. I desire more than ever to see God send revival to us for the sake of Jesus Christ. I thank the Lord for the wonderful fellowship that we had with our friends in Northern Ireland.
-Testimony from Jesse: It is amazing how the Lord can bring people across your path...or even bring you thousands of miles to cross their paths that He might bring you closer to Himself! While touring Northern Ireland the Lord used Clifford Black to remind me of powerful truths which I had once held dear but had long been laid aside and forgotten. He spoke of the 1859 revival that swept through much of what is today Northern Ireland. Over 100,000 people were converted to Christ because of just a few men who were wholly given to God. I was reminded of "Walking with God" rather then just "Working for God." I was reminded by a local body of believers to seek God fervently in prayer, not just for selfish things but for the salvation of souls and for God Himself. May what the Lord has done in my life this last week not only continue but be reproduced in others to the Glory of His Name.

Our Week in Ramsey

- The Lord truly blessed us while at Salem Baptist Church in Ramsey. We were given the opportunity to preach, testify, do some door-to-door work as well as spend much time with the people of the church encouraging and being encouraged. The church is currently without a pastor which is very difficult for them but the Lord is faithful. Help us pray that the Lord will send a loving "undershepherd" to that church.

- While we were out door knocking on Wednesday June 3, the Lord allowed us to see a young man named Luke Butler make a profession of faith in Christ! Please help us pray that the Lord will give him a close Christian friend that can disciple him and see him grow in Christ.

- Many members from the church provided meals for us for which we are very grateful. We stayed with Peter and Vanessa Whitwell who are faithful members of the church. While there, Peter was so kind as to take us to see Cambridge University as well as some historic sites regarding Oliver Cromwell. England is such a place of history. Just think, many of the buildings in England are over twice the age of the countries of Canada and the U.S.A. combined!

- May we pray that the great Christian heritage of England that once spilled over to our continent will be remembered again by the English and reestablished for God's glory!