On overload!

This post will not be long. It is 4AM and being awake at this hour must mean my mind is truly on overload. We foolishly started too many new things all at once and it's a bit overwhelming. I just keep telling myself to take one day at a time and breathe deeply. Our kids' program was off to a slow start last week but nonetheless, it's started. We'll see how God wants to grow that. The 3 kids that came felt extremely loved and told their mom it was the best day of their life. Yesterday I started up a ladies' group. I didn't want to do it alone but rather with my Syrian partner, Abeer, but she is in full time language study and will be for a long time still. So I launched out on my own and had 4 wonderful women show up with 4 children in tow. I had set a fancy table and we had 2 delightful hours of talking and laughing together, getting to know one another better. They weren't in any hurry to leave. I think this will grow quickly and I am thinking of ways to turn the conversations to spiritual things. Next week we will do a craft and make breakfast together. Our intern will help with the children so the women can get a needed break. In the midst of starting these two new programs, we had a 2-year apprentice arrive and a 3-month intern so we're also trying to get them well-oriented. We also have a refugee girl living with us because she literally has nowhere to go and she is a wonderful girl who is close to accepting Jesus. She's a big help around the house and at the Lighthouse and will help me a lot when we have non-stop teams coming through Berlin in October and November. Our intern is also living with us. So we are not empty-nesters anymore. Life is just busy, busy, busy these days and we appreciate your prayers for sanity, health and joy in the flurry of activity! Friday night Family Game nights continue to be a big hit and our Sunday meeting is seeing steady growth which is particularly exciting. May we find time in this season, shall I say, our last stretch, to gain our strength by staying connected to the Vine and not withering on the vine.