Well, today most of our group spent time connecting with their host homes. Nyke, Andy, Janelle, Jillian, Mike, Terrance and I (Ryan), along with our host parents, went to an AMAZING museum called the House of German History. We walked through Germany history from the fall of Nazi Germany through the fall of the Berlin wall.
Tomorrow morning we board our plane back to the states! We can’t wait to see all of you! Well, its super late and Andy didn’t get me a post so I am going to crash! 
-Ry
Worship::
It was an amazing day at Trefftpunkt Leben church! Hundreds of people filled the room as the beautiful sound of German singing resounded praises to God. Pastor Martin (Lead Pastor of Trefftpunkt Leben) recapped the message of hope that we have been striving to share with the community of Erkrath this last week.
During the service we were invited to come up to the stage and represent the American team, moms you would be so proud of us! We were humbled by the love that the congregation shared with us as they honored our commitment to serve in their community. Their cheer was louder than what they normally do for the world cup!
Ryan led worship in a kilt (accompanied by Steve and some of our friends from Chicago aka The Village People) during service. Turns out that our German friends are huge Hillsong fans, good choice Ryan but next time feel free to kill the kilt! (This is Ryan…no kilt was present during the service…though maybe some Lederhosen.)
YAY God::
I ran into a family, that we helped during a service project, they decided to come and visit the church for the first time. I can’t wait to hear continued stories of how these seeds will continue to grow!
Adios Schlemmer Grill::
Following the service we began to clean up and break down the soccer cage, tower of terrors and the famous Schlemmer Grill! We will miss the currywurst and pomes!
The loudest cheer broke out from our team as we closed the gate to the truck. We celebrated not only what God had done throughout the week but the beginning of HOPE for Erkrath!
Thank you again for your continued prayers, they mean a lot to us and our German friends! Happy Father’s Day!
-Andy
Knit Close Together::
Relationships keep getting knit closer together. We were kind of sad today just thinking of how our time with our dear friends and new families is getting shorter and shorter. We are excited to share the stories and love that we have received from our host homes with you soon!
God Story::
Terrance had the opportunity to share his testimony today. He did an amazing job at sharing how God has changed his life because someone took the time to invest in him. Towards the beginning of our trip the Turkish guys kept saying they were considered outcasts because they were immigrants here in Germany. Terrance has found a special place in these guys hearts to the point that they have opened up to hear of Christ. Our message to them today was that they weren’t outcasts but loved by an amazing God who saves!
Let the Games Begin::
German Olympics:: We set up multiple obstacle courses and started the competitions pretty early. I was smart and teamed up with the Germans, proud to say our team kicked butt at soccer! So, I got a huge request. Nyke asked me to let everyone know that I lost to him in a wrestling match during one of the challenges. He said, “Andus tell everyone in your blog that you lost to a guy that uses a flat iron” which only confirms that he uses one! The truth is I kicked his butt in the cage but I’ll let him have this one.
We are excited to attend a German church service tomorrow and recharge for the next week!
-Andy
Picture is coming together:: Today is the day we have been waiting for! Throughout the week we began our mornings with worship and a commissioning for the days events then teams break up and tackle the various projects throughout the city. Today was different in that we got to work together on our very own base camp! We set up a wild park with tons of stuff to do right here on Trefftpunkt-Leben grounds. Amped for the day especially when we saw our new friends join us and stay the entire night! Pastor Mark (outreach pastor here at Trefftpunkt-Leben) said that he has been talking to these guys for a while, he was pretty stoked to see them set foot at a church for the first time! Beyond all of this we knew that God did his best work as tears began to pour down our faces, truly an overwhelming moment when we won our first soccer game!!!
Tuna Pizza:: hold the anchovies please and bring on the tuna! Yep, that’s the German way! Don’t knock it until you try it. Some people on my team have tried it and actually look forward to putting it together when we get back home.
Testimony:: Remy and Kenisa got to share their awesome testimonies from the stage. The seed has been planted my friends, we are stoked to see what God has through it. It’s not easy to step out of your comfort zone and share vulnerable stories of how God’s love has saved us. I recommend you try stepping out of your shell and start sharing your testimony with others, especially over tuna pizza!
Culture:: We saw some pretty sweet haircuts including the classic mullet and the European style of course. Nyke would relate if he had a place to plug in his flat iron. Yea that’s right Nyke I got footage of that back home…all the German girls around here are jealous of your new CHI! We also learned that we American’s have been doing this whole wedding ring wrong as Germans wear their rings on the right hand. They shared with us that it is proper to wear a ring on the left hand only while you are engaged then you place it on the right during the wedding ceremony.
A huge hit:: Our goalie Terrance “Terry” is turning into quite the celebrity around here. People are starting to call him Tyson only because he has taken multiple hits to the face, and other regions, for the last three days in the soccer cage. Priceless! You have to see it to appreciate him shake it off only to take another hit 5 seconds after each recovery! You helped us win Terrance we’ll get you some ice back home since our German friends don’t use ice!
-Andy
Sprouts::
Not even a week later and we are beginning to see results of our prayers. We were recharged this morning to hear that some of the youth that we have been interacting with, at the town square, has opened up and asked that we pick them up for the youth outreach tomorrow! It was very uplifting to know that God would not have us labor in vain. The question only grows stronger from the Erkrath community as they want to know why we would give them a helping hand with no strings attached, God’s love is definitely flowing!
The work has just begun::
Over two stories of pure steel is going up creating the tallest rock wall I have ever seen! There is a lot of work going into the preparation of a youth outreach happening this Friday and Saturday. Stephen, the youth leader here at Trefftpunkt Leben, was sharing how they have been preparing for this harvest for quite some time, can’t wait to get these young people plugged in!
Invest::
Positive relationships play a vital role in our lives! It’s important to have true friends and not just neighbors, a life companion and not just a spouse, a close brother and not just a friend. As we serve in Erkrath I am reminded that, HOPE begins in real relationships, most importantly a relationship with Christ then with those around us. I love the analogy of a sponge, “One must be like a sponge that soaks enough water to keep from drying but also rings it out so that it won’t remain stale” in the same way we must allow ourselves to receive so that we can pour out to others from our overflow. I invite you to join me as I challenge myself in asking God to place ties of friendship in our lives. Seek two friends, one that can pour into you and another in which you can pour into, even if that person is someone that you have lived with forever.
I Corinthians 13: 1
-Andy
Spa Day:: Day 5 here in Erkrath and this one goes out to the ladies! Mani/Pedis was the draw for the town square as it quickly filled with the scent of perfume… Facials, Manicures and Pedicures, why wouldn’t Nyke feel at home?
This was a brilliant outreach, in observation of the day, since it gave us the opportunity to have conversations with these ladies and connect them with a church that has an amazing ladies ministry!
Back to school::
My team had the invitation, by the public high school, for us to come and speak English with their students during English class. We spoke with them about our culture and got to know theirs as well (from a high school perspective), the best part is that we also had the opportunity to answer their questions about our faith in Christ! The separation between church and school is strong here in Germany so this was a huge groundbreaker for us. We also got to meet the tangible needs of the school by painting the entrance to their building, I can definitely appreciate that this paint was a bit less nuclear!
Food for thought::
During devotions I was reminded of Romans 10: 15 “How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring good tidings of good things!” Thank you again for sending us and for walking this journey with us.
-Andy
Stamp and send it:: The church has sent out about 40,000 mailers, to the people of Erkrath, where they are advertising free services to the community, no strings attached. It is uncommon for anyone to do this so we keep getting the question of WHY. This is an awesome way for the church to be know as a people that want to help you and be friends with you just as you are.
One of the projects that I got to see was for a gentleman that was moving and needed us to move his boxes and strip the wallpaper off the walls. We did such a good job that Ryan was offered an entire case of CD’s which translates to me getting his iPod!
God Stories::
As evangelistic as this sounds it is actually kind of cool. There was a team that drove around the city of Erkrath looking for needs that would come up while seeking the opportunity to pray for people. During a prayer one of the team members felt a specific call to head towards a certain part of town. To their surprise they ran into an older lady and some children who were in desperate need of companionship and prayer. It is awesome what can happen when you say YES and allow yourself to be the hands and feet of God!
Andy
Day 3 highlights:
Soccer seems to be one of the biggest doors for us to share Christ with the people of Erkrath. We returned to the town square, where we had the flea market, only this time we set up a small soccer arena as an outreach to the community. We played with kids of all ages but had a special connection with a few college students. In conversation we learned of their Islamic faith (they were Turks), it was cool to see them open up to our friendship and even give ear to our faith in Christ. We are very excited to have started these conversations and have a church here in Erkrath that will continue those friendships!
Bar ministry::
Who would have thought that the best church would happen in a bar! Last night was the loudest celebration for the German people as they won the soccer game! Roars of celebration and cars honking at all hours of the night, Imagine Super Bowl + the loudest New Year Party put together, that was the scene at Erkrath last night.
Empty bottles, cigarette butts and traces of a party were the only thing left this morning, the perfect ground for us to do ministry. We offered to clean the grounds of a place called Sandbar where 600 people had celebrated at the night before. The German people started to question why we would want to step into a bar and clean up after a pub party, (for free) so much so that we even got the attention of the local press! So cool to see people interested to find out more about this church and why we were so excited to embrace them.
They may have ignored the Message had it not been for the risk of those He sent!
Nuclear Paint::
There are two types of paint here in Germany, strong and nuclear, just pick your color! It is a miracle I have brain cells left to write about our day! It was worth the damage especially after seeing children become excited about their new playground! So much so that they took the time to draw pictures for us… and yes, we even had some color left to give Ryan a nice colored pedicure! Nice look Ry! It matches your eyes!
Our team had stories upon stories from their missions today, moments in which God was doing His best work in our German friends. Terrance had the unique opportunity and the courage to share his faith with a local college student today in the city square. The guy didn’t understand why God would come as a man…he always thought He was just a “cosmic power.” They are now planning on meeting up a few more times this week to talk! I can’t wait to see what God has prepared for us tomorrow. Please pray that we would continue to have conversations with people, that Christ would be glorified through all the efforts coming together. Thank you for your prayers and support, you walk this journey with us!
Best Treat Eve::
Special kudos to Anika, my host home mom, she is the best! After a hard day at work she prepared this amazing dessert, strawberries and cream, and enjoyed it in the garden, Martha Stewart style! The gardens here are the BEST! soo relaxing!
well, time to head to bed…tomorrow is another long day!
