Weakness is Strength (Sorry George)

By: Josiah

One really cool thing that I was reminded of this week was in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, where Paul says,

"But [God] said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore i will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

It's been difficult to be in a place like Berlin where I can see all sorts of people that are hurting, and yet not be able to do anything about it. For one, I can't speak that language that well, therefore I can't really talk to people at all. Secondly, the culture here is very introverted (I'm not sure if that's the right word); they keep to themselves a lot. As much as I want to go out and do things on my own, I can't. This means that I need to rely on God all the more and trust that He has a plan for why I'm here. It's freeing and frustrating at the same time.

Andre, the missionary we're working with here, talked to us about this passage, as well as Romans 5:1-11. One of the other things he said in regards to this is that when we reach our limits, then God can work, because we have no other choice but to rely on Him.

It's also been great to be reminded of this in situations within the TREK program. For instance, Team Brazil was denied their visas for a month, but through that delay they have been blessed probably more than if they had gone straight to Brazil (correct me if I'm wrong Team Brazil, but I've seen God work through your time in Vancouver.)

It's always exciting to trust God, because usually he doesn't reveal his entire plan at once. Talk about exciting!

Reflections on the Holocaust.

By Raf.

Often when confronted with stories of evil I feel powerless, senselessly mad and overcome by fury. But at then end the question always remains, every single time: Why? And how do we prevent it from happening again?

Team Germany had our first day off yesterday, and after sleeping in and buying groceries (which, by the way, judging by their price must be made of pure gold), we went downtown Berlin to see some of the sights, such as the Bundestag (before WWII it was called the Reichstag) and the Brandenburg Gate. Among our visits was the Jewish Monument, erected in rememberance of the Holocaust. It consists of rectangular cement blocks of different hights that stretch over a a whole city block. At night as by day it is kind of creepy and rightly so. After much searching we found a museum/exhibition located underground, beneath said monument. Right at the entrance we were told to shut off our cellphones and to take pictures only without flash. The atmosphere down there was quite and somber and the exhibition tasteful, powerful and very artistic. Once again, I was personally confronted by the extent of the evil thats was perpretated by a nation against a certain group of people. This was no accidental murder, or even another casualty to the Nazi thirst for power, but rather it was premeditated murder against a very specific group of people. And what once more became clear to me was that the Nazis went OUT OF THEIR WAY to find a Jewish solution.


In one of the exhibitions I sat down to read this:

"We would so love to live, but they won't let us and we will die" This is an excerpt from a letter that a 12 year old sent to his father before being pushed into that pit he describes. He was a Jewish boy.

I sat there for a while and then I decided to move. I entered another room that was dark. Against all four walls a name was projected, with the respective years of birth/death. I sat down as the name changed, and a voice first read a short story of that persons life in German, then in English, ending invariably with death by the hand of the Nazis: "Reading out the names and biographies of all the victims in the form presented [there] would take approximately six years, seven months and 27 days."(Information Brochure)

How do you deal with this? How do you deal with the fact that this was done by people like you and me, by people with thousands of years of history backing up their civilization? Done by a nation who has for centuries proclaimed to be a Christian nation (man how I agree with Bonhoeffer). I wish I had an answer, I wish I could give some practical idea, some glimmer of hope that this won't happen again, some remedy for the situation, but I am forced to sit there and here and stare...

Yet, I want to remind myself and all of you, that there is hope. Not, because somehow WE can make a difference. It won't happen through better diplomacy, or through inspiring U2 songs (as much as I like U2), or even through the Bill Gates Foundation and the millions of dollars its spends every year. Do not get me wrong, these are good things at times. But they are not what our hope is built on. Remember that song: "Our hope is built on nothing less, then Jesus blood and righteousness." One of my professors once asked us the question where God was in the Holocaust. And I confess my answer is limited, but I believe that the God of the Bible was with those people who were suffering comforting them, welcoming them, waiting for the; just as he was also waiting on the people of Germany and on the Nazi leadership. The God who in his son suffered on the cross was present there at the Holocaust.

You might ask, why did he not prevent it. I do not presume to be God and I will not answer that question. Maybe this is hard for us to hear: we do not know why this happened, we do not know why God did not act in a different way. But rest assured, God was at work through his love, confronting evil with good found in the tiny little riples of this society, in the cracks of this world, seeping in here and there: moments of light in darkness. And ultimately that is the hope we have. The hope and faith in a powerful God who is at work in little things AND in big things, but most importantly in the unexpected.

"Why war still? Why hunger still? Why a world still?" Candi took these pictures and she commented on the fact that we still ask these questions today. I don't have an answer. But I do not have hopelessness because then this whole TREK thing would be worthless would it not?

We proclaim a God who brings hope there where we do not really see it. My Bible reading from today gave me a little glimpse of that hope.

Romans 12:19-21

Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord" No, "if your eneimies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

We are here at TREK proclaiming a God who overcomes evil with good, a God who in weakness makes powerful and who ultimately reigns, even though he often does not work in ways that we understand, that we consider fair or most sensible. Is that not the beauty of peace: "Our hope is built on nothing less, but Jesus blood and righteousness... On Christ, the solid rock, WE stand; all other ground is sinking sand." I will continue to sit and feel powerless when I read about genocides and other kinds of evil. But I will also always remember the Rock that I am sitting on and that God does not sit in powerlessness, but he is always already at work and he is always already waiting for us ready to tell us what to do and to use us in his work. What a privilege, and with that we start a new week.

thankful

by: candi fender

we are so very thankful to be connecting with andre and olga pritzkau, and their children joshua, mark, and claudia. today we had our first meeting with them to discuss plans for our time in berlin. we navigated public transportation back to their flat, and were only a little late. we had an awesome time of worship, and read and discussed 1 timothy 2:1-7 :

I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone--for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. this is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. for there is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men--the testimony given in its proper time. and for this purpose i was appointed a herald and an apostle--i am telling the truth, i am not lying--and a teacher of the true faith to the Gentiles.

after which, we prayed for the new US president, for leaders of churches, for the pritzkau's, for the other trek teams, etc. we then went over weekly schedules, and we talked about moving-in with church families until the new windows are installed and heat can be turned on...

i'll be the first to admit that i wasn't exactly thrilled about the idea. and i'm glad raf spoke for the group because i would have ended up being very emotional about the whole thing. instead, i choked back tears and silently prayed for God to change my heart and attitude about the whole thing. i was reflecting on my past experiences with host families in different countries, and while they were overall very good, they were also very tiring times. it's hard to balance spending time with the family and doing whatever else one is supposed to be doing. it's hard to communicate when you're leaving, when you're coming back, if you will need to eat a meal, etc, especially when you're used to being an independent person.

but God definitely spoke to me, reminding me that i didn't come here seeking an easy life. and that perhaps this is part of the ministry for which i came to do: to get to know and encourage families in the church here in berlin.

i was also reminded that there are positive things about living with native families, such as learning the language and culture better, learning to cook authentic food, living in an actual home setting where there will be heat, and developing new relationships.

after the meeting, we ate some delicious food for lunch, watched videos/looked at pictures and learned a little of the history of this church plant. one thing that andre said that really stuck out to me was the excitement within the congregation for this new church building, and the distinction they make between the church building and the people. families are literally moving across the city to be closer to the new church. they are giving up their saturday's to come and do construction work. yet, they are more thrilled about what God is doing in their lives and through their lives. i can't wait to meet these people!

then all of us went to a nearby park to play soccer. the kids were so fun to get to know, even though i have no idea what they were saying (though they probably understood some--if not most--of what i was saying in english...). sometimes, there are things that just go beyond language barriers and cultural barriers. this time it was a smile, an excited cheer, and a hi-five.

so yes, we are thankful for the pritzkau's. we are thankful for people wanting to host us. we are thankful for the healthy ministries to join and support. and we are PUMPED to be a part of the changes taking place to this church building (the actual structure, and the building of the congregation).

The time has come!!!

By: Raf Duerksen

As I write, Team Germany is sitting at Gate D64 of the Vancouver International Airport waiting to board our flight to London Heathrow. We are very excited and look forward to the next part of this adventure. We would appreciate prayer for safety on the flight, on a speedy integration into our new life in Berlin. We also ask for continual prayer for the people of Germany and specifically East-Berlin. Please pray that solid relationships might be formed and that God might do mighty things in East-Berlin through the church there and if he so wills, also through the TREK team.

Mildly overdue post...

By: Dave Parrott

I felt most definitively that a post is owed to all our dear readers, and so one shall be given:

In order is an update on the state of the Brazil team visas. It is not any manner of 'high panic' situation. They have no visas. They will figure something else out. God's will shall be done, and we have no real worries. Prayer on the matter would still be good, if just for guidance for the TREK leadership to know what we are to do about this hiccup.
As well, the money for Team Deutschland is doing quite well. Only two team members are short on funding, but only by about $1300 each. This is good, considering that our team, as a whole, needed around $12,000, we've come quite a way, even in a short five days. God's goodness abounds toward His children. We are greatly praising Him for His provision, and dearly grateful to all our supporters, without whom we would have a hard time getting to Germany, let alone affording to eat while we are there.

Lastly, it is five days until we step onto the airplane and say goodbye to North America for a time. I know for myself, this concept has not yet dawned on me in any proper depth. I am excited, but probably not as much as I ought be. I shall surely understand the concept in full when I look out at Berlin for the first time.
I know the rest of the team is extremely excited, and (to some extent) worried. For any stress felt by any of the group, prayer for that would be both wonderful and helpful. Not that it's any dire need; stress never killed anyone...actually, I'm quite sure that it has at some point, but that in no way invalidates my argument. (You can laugh, I was trying to be funny...sorry about the poor quality of humour)

We need you!

By: Raf Duerksen

It’s time to raise your prayers and if you have anything else in your power to do, please do so.

The visas for the Brazil Team have been rejected with a resounding NO!!!! from the Brazilian consulate. Please pray and intercede for TREK leadership to take the correct actions on this matter; pray for the people at the consulate that God might soften their hearts and minds to not only accept the applications but to also expedite the process; pray for confidence for the Brazil team as their near future is uncertain at this point.

Above all, let us continue to praise the Lord our God for the wonderful things he has already accomplished and worship in the confidence that nothing is above our Triune God who can and does accomplish mighty deeds. Thank you.


**EDIT**

As team Germany we would also appreciate your continual prayer for financial support. Several team members are still in dire need of more funds to be able to go on the assignment part of TREK. As a team we fully believe in the bountiful goodness of God and we believe that each one of us has been called to TREK and to this team for a specific purpose. One verse that has become very important to us these days has been from 2. Corinthians 9:8

And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work.

One of the most important things we need is prayer and so we ask you again to please pray for God to raise funds and call people to donate. If you also feel called to donate money to some of our team members, please contact teamgermany2008@gmail.com and we would gladly forward you the pertinent information. Once again, thank you for your prayers and for being our sending community.

For our thoughts are not my thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Isaiah 55:8-9

By: Dinah MacArthur

So Sup,

I'm Dinah....aka the BRUNETTE. Candi is the blonde. :)

I have a huge feeling that my posts are not going to be NEARLY as entertaining and as intellectual as the rest of my teams...but i also have a feeling that you can deal with this minor issue.

SO... I'm Dinah MacArthur from North Vancouver. I just turned 18 on September 24th. Team Germany is BY FAR the best team, and even though we have no "reds" in our troop, we still work together amazingly.

Might I add...Raf, Jo, Candi, and Dave are STILL trying to find out things that bother me.

Ok this is the stupidest post ever I don't even know why i'm writing it...

k in a nut shell, HI i'm Dinah

I'll write better later!

:)

PCE

xox

Amazing TREK

Missionaries aren't perfect...

It is no challenging thing to often think only about oneself, I find. It is odd, really, that such a thing can happen with such ease and regularity. I am constantly surrounded by people; talking and interacting with them, yet I seem to forget about their sentience. How foolish and selfish this is! My entire calling is to care about others: to preach the gospel to them for the edification of Christ's Bride and the saving of lost souls, yet I am so often worried about the things in life that matter least.
What ought I say to this or that person; where will the resources for this or that endeavor come from; when must I do this or that thing; how should I address this or that problem? What useless and wasteful questions these all are. What manner of man am I to lie awake at night pondering some doctrine or other when there is a place that my Lord is not praised? There is so much of my self left in me. As long as I am locked within this most vile flesh, I shall be tied to its carnal desires, and there shall be sin within me! No greater misery could befall any person.
Living under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, one would think, would come naturally. What a misfortune that not all men become as the Apostle Paul upon his salvation, preaching at his first opportunity after his sight was renewed.
Oh, to speak of the things I see the world doing! To tell men of the danger they are in, should they not repent and believe; to tell them that God will not be mocked by their disregarding His sovereignty and holiness. Yet I so often stand idly by when something must be said, in fear of the opinions of men. Oh, to seek only the Glory of Christ Jesus, whom God raised from the dead!

I guess prayers to trust in the Spirit to lead and to strengthen, and to count it a blessing to suffer -- be it physically or otherwise -- for the name of the Lord.

May God's face shine upon you all,
Dave

team germ!

this is us.

we are team germany.

Rant thing...

Seeing as this is the official team blog for the Germany team, and only Dave has written so far I thought I'd write something. Let me introduce myself. My name is Rafael, my home for now is Winnipeg, Manitoba although I was born in Switzerland and grew up in Paraguay. One of my biggest blessings throughout these last two weeks has been this team and the fact that we are being sent out in teams and not by ourselves. I was contemplating this fact a little while ago while hearing a report from some missionaries from Thailand that are part of the MBMSI Team 2000. It is so amazing that a group of 5 wildly different people (although our character assesment tests showed us that we seem to be more similar than we thought) from many different backgrounds, with different interests and with different gifts can come together and become one of sorts. Last weeks topic was The Church in which at several points we touched on the idea that in Christ, the many become one. We today live in a world in which sameness, balance, the ability to produce more in less time has taken over every endeavour and has flattened life into molds and cast-dies. As the Church, and in a team as the representation of that church, we proclaim that although we are one in Christ, this does not make us the same, or copies of each other, but that each of us brings something unique to this body of Christ. Often times it seems that the "world" is threatened by the seeming anexation of the individual into this body. As I look at our team, I am glad that we are not just individuals, but that we are part of a team which means that we all bring something to the table and we all are willing to leave something behind in favour of something better, in favour of a team, in favour of the church. It is my fervent believe that it's God's grace that we are not just individuals, but part of his body, part of the bride, part of a collective. Thats all for today, I do hope that it makes some sense.

A post for the sake of a post

Well, I feel a quick post is in order. Mainly because I was just setting up the rest of my team to be able to post on this blog and, seeing as I was already here, why not?
There's not actually too much to say at all right now. Training is still going well, the team is pumped up, and I dare say that life is going good all around. I would like to get a team photo up on here, so you can put some faces to the names of the team members...which reminds me that I have yet to mention the names of my teammates. Here you are, then:
Rafael Duerksen (team leader)
Candi Fender
Dinah Macarthur
Josiah Dahl
Dave Parrott (that's me)
So that's all. Nothing exciting yet. Shame, no?

Hello, Blog!

Well, I finally appear to have gotten around to creating a team blog...though I may wind up being the only member to use it. I probably should have consulted my teammates beforehand to see if they're interested. Either way, what's done is done.
Seeing as this is here for update purposes, I suppose that I'll give the basics of my current circumstances as a new missionary:
I (and my team) are currently entering our second month of training in the TREK program. I have been blessed so greatly through it, and have grown leaps and bounds by God's infinite Grace. I am so thankful for this, for I doubt my ability to successfuly minister unto the people without it. Though all I need is God's favour and the Holy Spirit, the wisdom we are being equipped with shall most assuredly of great assistance. From day to day I do not know what to expect, and try to abandon myself to God's providence.
That's about that. I'll make no guarantees on update frequency until we get close to leaving for the field (November 1...or 2, depending on flight bookings). Maybe once a week. Something like that sounds reasonable. Perhaps whenever something lodges itself in my mind. Far more reasonable. It is decided, then.
Until the next update takes this blog by storm, may God's Grace be with all who may read this blog.