Mother's Morning

We have been trying to get some traction for months with our Mother's Morning on Tuesdays. Finally some women are starting to come and they love it! We have fun snacks that kids would like, we sing German kids' songs, do crafts and just have a great time sharing life together. It's amazing how much joy the women get from coloring a flash card or learning the motions to a German song. It is also a great partnership between us and the German church. The woman in charge is a German believer that has a heart for refugees and a wonderful addition to our team. It continues to be like "pulling teeth" to get people out to events. Life for refugees in this city is very busy. Most must attend language classes 4 hours a day. There are dozens of papers and red tape to pour through just to be able to keep their residency status here. We keep plugging along, trying to find out what works and what doesn't work! Today at least, Mother's Morning was a success!

A new initiative

We decided to try having a women's cooking day at the Lighthouse on Saturday. Abeer (the pastor's wife) was diligent in inviting everyone she could think of. I offered to go and wait at one of the refugee camps for a lady who said she wanted to come. When she showed up, she had 3 other women with her! 2 Iraqis and 2 Syrians. Off we went on the bus & train and arrived at the Lighthouse just as several others were arriving. We ended up with 10 women and 5 children. The goal was to cook and eat together and get to know one another for the first day. The women don't have kitchens in the refugee camps and many of them had not been able to make food they love for over a year. They dived in and began chopping parsley and mint and tomatoes. They made rice and chicken and hummos. They made a delicious Arab sweet. Most of the women wore the traditional veil on their heads but within minutes of arriving at the Lighthouse, they removed their veils which signaled that they trusted us and felt safe. Because women without their head coverings would never allow themselves to be photographed, I wasn't able to get a picture of all of them but believe me, it was a table full of laughter and happiness as they felt loved and accepted and able to forget their misery for a few hours. It was fun to see them creating and decorating, laughing and crying. Some of their stories are just so heart-breaking. The hopelessness is palpable and there is little we can do to help. I think just allowing them to talk and get out their frustration and anger over their situation was therapeutic. I pray as the weeks go on, we will have a chance to share with them the only hope we have and that's in Jesus. I went home truly exhausted but very happy!

a wonderful sight

Today I walked into the Lighthouse and found people all over the place! Some were standing around the kitchen island, eating leftovers out of the frig, others were sitting talking to one another, having a cup of coffee. Still others were studying German together around one of the tables. It was such a beautiful sight for many reasons. First of all, I had nothing to do with it; in fact, there wasn't a foreigner around (except for two German women who had come to give a class). Secondly, our dream of this place being an oasis for refugees to come to and be able to relax, eat, study, whatever, is finally coming true. Thirdly, our Syrian partner, Geryes, is beginning to feel that he's in charge and taking more initiative. He's the one that invited all these people there! I just love it.

Need counselling degree!

Many of you have followed the story of Henry & Abby as I have shared the ups and downs they have experienced since escaping Syria as refugees. Right now we are in a "down" part of the story. The Lord convicted me recently that I needed to get more involved in their lives and try to help them out of this dark hole they're in. This has NOT been easy; in fact, it's been really hard and time-consuming. I have remained good friends with both of them so I am able to mediate. Basically now, they are officially separated and I have become the middle man for their communication! When they try to talk to each other, they end up saying terrible things and practically killing one another. (in front of their 2 boys) Often they will block each other on their cell phone and call me to give the other a message. The situation is dire and I need a degree in counselling to help them unravel their mess. We are now negotiating the days when she will have the children and the days when he will. They can't agree on anything. If they fail to agree amicably between themselves, then it will have to go to court which would be terrible. Abby is still living in one room and about to go out of her mind with 2 active boys. Henry has found a one-room apartment where he can keep the boys for a couple of days at a time. We really need to continue praying that a small apartment will open up for Abby. There are refugees who have been searching for almost 2 years and have found nothing. The city of Berlin is very over-crowded and the refugee surge last year has caused a true housing crisis. Many Germans will not rent to refugees and as soon as they find out, they immediately stop negotiations. This has happened with Abby on several occasions. This story is far too complicated to go into detail about, but suffice it to say that it is a messy as it gets! Help!!!! I feel at times that I'm in over my head but somehow, the Lord keeps giving me the right words and enough compassion (even though I'd like to give them both a hard spanking) to help them to the next step. Please pray for all involved in this story, especially the two little boys who are so innocent and yet are taking the brunt of their parents' hatred and unforgiving hearts. They have seen and heard too much in their young lives. Thanks for your support through this saga!

feeling helpless

No doubt one of the worst feelings in the world is the feeling of helplessness or hopelessness. Last night at our German Language Cafe, we were packed out with refugee students who are desperate to learn the language so they can get a job in this country and make a life for themselves. After class, no one wanted to leave; they sat around and talked forever as their stories of grief and pain spilled out. We listened and even shed tears with them. Some have been looking for an apartment, a room, anywhere to live for almost 2 years! One young man sleeps in several different places every week, not having anywhere to call home, desperate for a room, even a bed to call his own. We really don't know the system here and don't want to get into the real estate business. But my heart of mercy is breaking over this situation. I told some of the guys last night that God sees their pain and we will pray that there is a breakthrough soon. Things have started very slowly at the Lighthouse but there is evidence that all at once we are going to see an explosion! New people are coming every day. Right now, God knows what we can handle. Pray that the refugees will see God do miracles before their eyes and believe in the one true God and Jesus, his Son. This is their only hope!

Extreme hospitality

We called our new Syrian refugee friends to ask if we could come for a visit. They told us to come hungry because they wanted to make us dinner. Can you imagine that this spread was put on by a refugee family living in a tiny apartment, on a meager salary? We were overwhelmed by their love and hospitality. They kept saying over and over that we had honored them so much by coming to their house! We were the ones who were honored. It felt so good to be sitting around the table with dear friends, talking about life in a dialect of Arabic that is comfortable for us and just experiencing life through their eyes as they told us of their journey to get to Germany and what has transpired since their arrival. This is an extended family who have other members here also. Wouldn't it be wonderful to see the whole family come to Christ one day? Can you start praying for Bashar and his family; that the Holy Spirit would cause them to begin searching for truth? The whole family came to our Christmas party at the Lighthouse and two of the guys come to our Wednesday night German language cafe. We see great openness and potential in this family and covert your prayers too!

Christmas markets in Berlin

I have heard for years about the Christmas markets in Germany; the mulled wine, sauerkraut and bratworst, hot doughnuts and the festive atmosphere. We have been to several of these markets this year and although the crowds usually make it difficult to navigate, I agree that the German Christmas markets are magical! Tonight we went to the market where a huge truck drove through the crowd 4 days ago, killing 12 people and wounding dozens. The place was packed with people but a somber atmosphere prevailed. We ate our yummy food and walked around but it was obvious that no one was in the mood to celebrate. There were memorials set up on every street corner surrounding the market area and right at the place where the truck killed so many. People were weeping as they lit their candles and prayed in silence for loved ones and friends. A church group had set up under a tent and sang beautiful songs and proclaimed words of comfort, love and peace over the dozens of people who stopped to listen to their message. I could not help but shed tears as I contemplated the enormity of loss for the victims families and for this country in general. They were all united tonight at the Christmas market, white and black, Germans and foreigners, Christians and atheists, all singing Amazing Grace and it was beautiful! Too bad, I had a few photos I wanted to include here but they refuse to upload.