8 January 2011
The Mobile DTS that I helped with in October came back from traveling through Europe after Christmas, and I got to spend about a week with them in Herrnhut before they left for an 11-week missions outreach. There are four teams on outreach from the Mobile DTS, spread through Africa and Asia. It was a huge joy to see them again and spend some quality time while they were here.
The Marriage of the Arts DTS (the other DTS in Herrnhut that ran at the same time as the Mobile DTS) teams left for their 11-week outreach around the same time as the Mobile.
December and the beginning of this month have been a time of reflecting and remembering for me, and I want to share the most important things God has done.
When I didn't go with the Mobile DTS like I expected in November, I was first confused, then upset, and then I asked God what He wanted me to do and focus on since I was staying. He told me to build relationships with the Marriage of the Arts DTS students. I had no idea why I was held back to be with these students, but I decided to go for it and give it my all to love them.
I asked God if there was any specific person He wanted me to connect with, and I instantly thought of a guy I had seen around but never really talked with. Five seconds later, he and I walked past each other. I do not believe in coincidences. I had my task, asked God to help us become friends, and a week later we started chatting, and then started often spending time and praying together. His name is Danny, and he is from Aurora, maybe a mile from where I grew up. God really is good. He meant so much to me during November and December. With Danny I have experienced what scripture means in talking about iron sharpening iron.
As well, I read through a number of The Chronicles of Narnia books, and The Little Prince, Philippians and Hebrews with a few people during November and December. It was completely out of the blue, and I knew nothing about any of the people I read with when we began, but it opened the door that friendship came through by the time they left. I talked and prayed and sat with these folks for hours the last couple days before they left which was one of the best things I've experienced.
It was hard to be away from the school that I have such a deep God-given desire and love for. Before the Mobile DTS outreach teams left, we had a spontaneous time of prayer together – well, I challenged one of the students to pray for another student who he was intimidated to pray for, and he ended praying for nine people from the school, one after another.... He told me that even though I was not with the Mobile DTS, and they genuinely missed me and wished fI had been with them, he knew that it was the right thing for me and for people here that I stayed. Even though it was so hard to stay, I knew it is right that I stayed; and God confirmed what I knew was true but still hard to accept.
I am thankful that God is greater than my circumstances. He promised me when I stayed in Herrnhut that this and the coming times when everything seems to go wrong and it's not what I want, that when I ask Him what to do where I am, that there will be greater joy from the places where I could choose disappointment. And He did just that, and I believe He is going to do even more with the relationships I cultivated here in November and December.
Happy 2011
There have been nearly 150 students here at the little base in Herrnhut Germany since September/October, and they have now all left for 11-weeks of outreach, and a completely different season is upon me and the base staff in Herrnhut while the students are gone. We will be able to rest more by started each weekday at 9am (instead of 8am), and projects involving a lot of physical labor in different ways will be the focus. I will mainly help with renovating the kitchen until that project is finished. I am so excited for the change of pace.
I am also hoping and praying to visit a team (or maybe a couple teams) on outreach sometime in February, when they are midway through the 11-week outreach, to encourage them as they begin to get tired. I don't know yet if I will, or where, but this is one of my primary prayer needs, if you think of me. Ask that which team(s) to visit would be clear, and for the finances I need for flights and travel to visit them.
Grace and peace to you,
Christopher
