January 2008 Newsletter
January 2008
Ministry Joys
Andreas and Suzanne, parents of the twins that come to Power-Teens, came to our first Sunday morning Bible Study in 2008! They are both confirmed Lutherans, but attend church very seldom. They commented that, "in our church the only one who talks is the preacher! Here we can interact with others and actually read out of the Bible ourselves." These along with many other comments were made after the Bible study. They stayed around for another 2+ hours to find out more. Please continue to pray for the outreach here in Freital and Dresden - so many need the Lord!
Ministry Hardships
According to BBC news the pound reached a 26-year high against the dollar in 2007, and the Euro continued to strengthen through November and December, also reaching a new high. This translates to higher living expenses for missionaries. "What we receive in support stays constant, but what we have to pay out goes up." The exchange rate effects necessities like groceries and rent. One rethinks what one does and you base decisions on being able to pay the bills.
The Ministry is also affected, because the exchange rate makes fuel an expensive commodity. We have had to greatly reduce our visitation due to this fact. This weakness presents an opportunity for friends to further encourage missionaries through added prayer and financial support. Please pray for our needed financial increase in support. Please consider giving the Busch Family, your missionaries in Germany an increase in the monthly amount that you send in or perhaps a special offering to help offset some of the huge cost increases that we are experiencing.
Ministry Changes
Kathleen's Father, Jim Garrison suffered a mild stroke in May 2006. The doctors told him that if his strength did not return within a year, it probably would not. Jim is still not able to do all that he could in the past. After much prayer, they have decided to take an extended Furlough, which will begin August 2008.
The Bible Baptist Church in Darmstadt has unanimously voted for William to take over as Senior Pastor of the church. William is traveling once a month to Darmstadt to help relieve Jim while looking for a place to live. We will be moving the middle of July after our two oldest graduate.
While it is hard to leave Dresden, after seeking God's Will and speaking with our sending Pastor about this situation, we feel the Lord would have us make this move to help strengthen this church and provide a smooth transition.