Sunday surprise!

Saturday evening my Syrian friend Abby called me to tell me that her husband had returned to her, begged her forgiveness and wanted to start over again. I was shocked to say the least and wondered if he was serious. I invited them to come to the Lighthouse on Sunday morning for a little gathering with another couple on our team and a couple of neighbors they had invited. We had no idea how this morning would go, no real agenda and just prayed that God would be present in our midst and lead the way. In the end, we were 4 Americans, 3 Syrians and 1 German + 4 children (2 American/2 Syrian) The German is a lady who lives upstairs from the Lighthouse and has a Syrian PhD student living with her. They both came and the woman told us that she believes God brought us to this place just for her. (ha! we thought it was for the refugees) She had been hiking a few weeks ago and out of the blue, starting thinking about Jesus Christ and wondering what he was all about. She came 45 minutes early and sat reading the Bible in German. She exclaimed with tears how happy she was to find us and that she never felt such love & acceptance before. Abby & her husband (Henry) joined in the conversation and also seemed to be "sucked in" by the love they were shown. Our teammate was leading the discussion and told the group that we want to become a body that loves deeply and has total freedom to share openly what we're going through. We started out with a robust German brunch (which they're famous for) and then sat around tables discussing what it meant to "cast our cares on Jesus". It was a great Sunday and we plan to do this every week for now and see how it evolves. We may have a general devotional and then break up according to language groups and discuss more deeply. Yesterday everyone's level of English was adequate to have a meaningful discussion together in English. Although we are primarily here for the refugees, we are seeing a steady stream of Germans coming by and asking what we're all about. We are seeing a spiritual hunger among them that is shocking. (since we've always heard how difficult they are to reach) Who knows what this Lighthouse will mean in this community? We envision now a day for Spanish speakers and Arabic speakers and German speakers. Who knows what God has in store for this place? We are ready and excited to see!

Reality is setting in

Last week I received an email from a friend in another country. She told me of a Syrian woman who lived in her country for a year, from a Muslim family, who has had a true conversion experience and is now a believer in Jesus.  I went to visit her last week and listened to her story...Her husband has lived here in Berlin for a year, trying to get papers for her and her 2 children to join him. She finally was reunited with her husband 3 weeks ago. She noticed right away that he was "on edge" all the time and not kind to her at all. She wondered what had happened to him during their year-long separation. Come to find out, this man had gotten involved with very secular Muslim friends and also some German friends who are every kind of horrible you can imagine!! She soon found out he was using drugs, sleeping with other women and basically gone completely off the deep end. When he came home at night he would scream at my friend and his 2 adorable sons and act like a raving maniac. It didn't help that they're living in one room which contains a small kitchen (1 burner hot plate, 2 plates and a few cups, 1 pot to cook in and a leaky faucet), bunk beds, single bed and crib and a tiny table with 2 chairs. My friend, let's call her Abby, says she can no longer allow her husband to come there and torment her and her children. For the last 2 days, he has not come back and she feels some relief from that but also deep sadness. She is all alone in this place, not knowing one single person except me. I feel the reality of her situation weighing heavy on my shoulders. Who will defend this young, beautiful woman? How will she manage in this strange country, not speaking a word of the language? She is clinging to her faith in Jesus but still feels at times like he's abandoned her (haven't we all felt that way at times?) I tried to tell her that Satan doesn't attack weak people; he attacks strong people because he knows they are a threat to him. Abby is strong and has been through so much pain as she's fled her country and all of her family, to try and make a better future for her children. Yesterday Darrell went with me and we took the children some toys and goodies to brighten their day. Their smiles and excitement were priceless! Abby's situation seems hopeless. It will be difficult for her to find an apartment for her and her 2 children. She needs a miracle! Would you pray for that? She told me yesterday that it's all luck as to who gets an apartment or not. I told her we don't believe in luck; we believe in a miracle-working God. The reality that this is ONE story which we will begin to hear over and over as we start this refugee ministry in earnest, is a bit sobering. We need God's wisdom and divine guidance as we maneuver these uncharted waters.

What's in a name?

It was not at all easy to choose a name for our new center in the heart of Berlin. We had settled on one name but then learned that there were many other Christian organizations here with the same name. Still, we couldn't come up with anything different. Then one day we had a large group of people praising the Lord and praying in our building. Many of them prayed that we would be a lighthouse in this dark city. The word Lighthouse stood out loud and clear and it was decided that that would be the name. Since choosing that name, we have had much confirmation that it is indeed the name God had in mind for this place. While this location is perfect in SO many ways, we did not know at the time that our building is right on the edge of the gay community here in Berlin. Not too far down the street, you can find all sorts of evil dens of iniquity! We have also been told that devil worship and witchcraft are rampant here. When talking to our national partners recently, they warned us that Berlin is a difficult place to start any Christian endeavor and that it would be an uphill battle all the way. Well, thus far, securing the building, signing the lease, furnishing it, etc. has gone super smoothly. I believe the battle will begin when people start coming out of the darkness and finding their way to the lighthouse. In looking up "lighthouse" in the dictionary, it said "a structure displaying or flashing a very bright  light for the guidance of ships (or people!) in avoiding dangerous areas..." We pray that people will see a very bright light flashing in this place and run to it in order to avoid danger in their lives. We feel confident that God led us to this name and that many will find him here at the Lighthouse. It has been a long time since we've worked in a country where we could freely display the Alliance symbol and the fact that we have church affiliation. Kinda cool!

a beautiful evening

Tonight we went to visit a young man who was an Iraqi Muslim and is now a wonderful believer in Jesus. We got a call from a friend in Australia (some of you know Ghassan) telling us he was here in Berlin and that he wanted us to meet Omar. What a small world, huh? The rendez-vous was for 9PM (my bedtime). He met us and took us to his hotel room and served us Coke. One by one, others started coming to the room until we were a good-sized group, sitting all over the beds, on the floor and in chairs. Christians, ex-Muslims, Americans, Iraqis, Syrians. What a beautiful evening it was! I realized how much I have missed the fellowship of Middle Eastern people. I love being immersed in Arabic; laughing and talking and praying. I guess I just really love Arab people and can't wait to see what God is going to do in this city among them. We were reminded once again tonight, that Berlin is the hardest city in all of Germany as far as the penetration of the gospel is concerned. Keep praying for breakthrough!

Progress!

Yesterday was a great day! We finally signed the contract for our new center. The landlord was so generous with us and allowed us to start furnishing it before we even had a contract. We have been very busy buying furniture and putting it together! (IKEA) Our center is about 90% finished now, I would say. Just need a few things on the walls. Attached to the center is also a lovely little guest apartment which we have not furnished yet since it still needs a bit of painting. It will provide a nice source of income for the center ministry. We are amazed at God's favor shown to us through this process. We found out there were several other organizations who really wanted this place but the owner wanted us to have it. It is very definitely a gift from God and we can't wait to see what he's going to do in this place! I will include a few pictures here so you can envision the space better. Thanks for all your prayers!! You have been a big part of this.

2 different encounters

Wednesday night we were invited to attend a BS that some colleagues from another mission hold with Arabic-speaking refugees. We arrived right on time and found several gathered already. Others slowly arrived  during the first 30 minutes. They are going through a series called "Al Massira" which simply means The Journey. The series starts out with Adam & Eve and shows how all the prophets were flawed, sinful men until the perfect one came onto the scene in the person of Jesus Christ. There are videos to go along with each lesson. We watched the video of Abraham and then the plan was to break up into small groups to discuss the story and answer questions. There was a big ruckus as some resisted the idea of small groups and wanted to stay in one large group. Ok, solved. We stayed in one large group. The leader does not speak Arabic but relies on members who speak poor English to translate. Before long, things were going from bad to worse with the translation so I jumped in and helped. That was a mistake as I then became the translator for the rest of the evening. The discussion went on for 3 hours, sometimes getting quite heated!! There was a young man present who at one time in his life, wore an explosive belt and fought to be in the front of the line to blow himself and others up in jihad. He now realizes that his religion has led him to a dead end and he is searching for truth. Another is a professor of history, full of questions and also searching for real meaning in life. He left his wife & children in search of the God of the Bible. He doesn't sleep at night and is tormented by what he has seen in his life. There were others present but these 2 men were the most vocal. They have suffered greatly and are desperate to find peace.
Last night we were invited to go and visit a young man that we've met several times. He lives on the far side of the city, one train and 2 buses away. We arrived at his "apartment" around 9PM. He lives in a huge building that has small apartments with 4 people living in each one. He and his roommates all gathered on the beds and we sat on chairs to visit for over an hour. Some of the guys were dentists in Syria. Others were engineers. Their days now are taken up with trying to learn German and find a job here in Berlin. Their life stinks. They're far from their families and feel trapped. Every one of them had such a great personality and winsome smile. They are all from different religious backgrounds but close friends and just wanting to have peace and meaning in their lives. We can't wait to invite them all over for dinner some night. It seems like it will be so easy to gather these guys together for a BS. God is up to something here and when it breaks open, we hope to be on the front lines watching it all happen!

Happy Eid

We were so surprised today when we walked through the "Arab Street" to see, hear and smell things that would make us think we were right in the middle of an Arab city in the Middle East. It is the first day of the big Eid (3-day holiday after the month of Ramadan). Everyone was out in the streets, children in their fancy, new clothes with new toys. The restaurants were packed with people eating publicly, something they hadn't done for one month. Many had been fasting throughout the daylight hours for 30 days; others had been eating in secret. The streets were alive with people mingling and lots of happy sounds. At one point I was shocked to hear the call to prayer ringing out loud and clear throughout the neighborhood. There were cheap carnival rides set up in the parks for the children to celebrate their holiday. We needn't be homesick for the Middle East or North Africa anymore; they have duplicated their lifestyle right here in the heart of Berlin! We feel right at home.