Leaves are starting to change.
Pre-season football is underway!
Back to school shopping is in full swing.
Labor Day plans have been made.
These all tell me one thing - summer is quickly coming to an end, and fall is in the air... literally.
I realize many parts of the US have experienced horrible heat waves and droughts this summer. However, the "summer" I've experienced in Germany has left me less convinced of global climate change. While we've had a few nice, sunny, summery days; we've had many more stretches of windy, rainy, dreary days.
While I haven't had a spectacular summer weather wise, I have enjoyed an amazing season of ministry. In my last update, I shared about our mission trip to Hungary. In this update, I'd like to share with what's been going on since then...
SOS: Summer of Steve
Steve Harvell has been interning with us this summer, and he's been a huge blessing. He's getting ready to enter his senior year at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkansas. Steve has been teaching through a Bible overview series (creation, fall, cross, now what, missions). It's been really great and our students seem to be resonating with the messages and asking deep questions.
Steve is a relational beast. All summer long, he has also organized ultimate frisbee afternoons. It's proved to be a great outreach event. We put an ad in the paper and posted flyers in the newcomers hotel on base, and it's worked. We've been able to meet a number of new teens this summer and have enjoyed getting to hang out with students.
VBS//Dodge Ball
My co-worker AJ and Steve helped lead music and games at VBS - they did great!! Many of our students volunteered and served the little kiddos throughout the week as well. It was a good opportunity for us to meet some new middle schoolers and invite them to youth group.
What can possibly make playing dodge ball and finger darts "funner"? Playing dodge ball and finger darts at a castle! (That's right, Germany's got castles all over the place) To cap off the VBS week, we had a night of fun games at a local castle ruin. We invited a few other youth groups in the area to join us, and praise the Lord, we had over 60 people come out! It was a great relational contact evening.
^ This is the Hohenecken Castle we played in... I took this picture from my new house (keep reading, I moved!) It's pretty awesome to have a castle view from your doorstep!!
Flevo
We're currently gearing up for one final event of the summer. This Thursday, AJ and I will take a group of students to Flevo, a Christian music festival in Holland - 4 days of concerts and camping (it's going to be in-tents!). We don't have any Christian radio stations here, so many of our students have very little exposure to Christian music. We're excited for them to hear some great bands. We're looking forward to spending some quality time with students before they head back to school.
Prayer Requests:
AJ and I are super excited for the upcoming year. We're excited about the growth in our group and the excitement there seems to be within students. Would you pray for us, as we think through how to reach teens with the Gospel and disciple students. This past week during youth group, I realized that 19 of the 43 students are new to our group. We're not sure where everyone is spiritually. Would you pray for us as get to know students and learn their needs.
I moved!! The gal I had been living with is an Air Force nurse, and she is separating from the military in the coming months. I now live with Heather, a fellow CSM missionary who ministers to students in the other school district in our area. She arrived on the field this past spring, and we've been on the look out for a place that would work for the two of us. The Lord's timing has been great. We found an awesome apartment in a great location and for a great price. We're slowly getting things pulled together and settling in. Pictures to come : )
Thanks team, for lifting me and the Ramstein community up before the Lord. It's been super encouraging to see the Lord grow our group and stir a sense of excitement in our students this summer.
For the Gospel,
Beth
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