Set, Get Ready and Go

It's official, we have set a departure date for Germany!

Its time to get ready and go!

We will be departing Minneapolis and the USA on March 3rd.

I will share all the exciting news but first,

Let's catch up!

The last few months were busy with a newborn, a toddler full of energy, the holidays, and squeezing in some outreaches. Erik is a big boy and growing fast and we are enjoying his little personality that is starting to come out. Nolan is full of energy, curiosity and adventure. He has started to talk more in both English and German. A ministry highlight: Ray has gone into an elementary school a few times on Fridays to distribute weekend food bags for children who may not have access to very much food. They slip the bags into lockers/backpacks while the kids are in class so they can discretely take them home.

Let's Talk Germany and Beyond!

Right before the holidays, YWAM Hurlach announced they had a new leadership team and a renewed vision for the base. The leadership set out a five-point vision, which we would like to briefly share with you as it gives context to what our ministry will be within the base's vision:

Supporting YWAM, churches, and other ministries in Central Europe and the Balkans.
Sending YWAM teams into Germany’s largest and most influential cities.
Develop a YWAM Training Campus to train young people for effective engagement in the Kingdom of God.
Creating a place for hospitality and hosting events and groups.
Kings Kids and Family Ministries.

*If you would like more details you can check out the base newsletter here.

How we fit in:

Vision point #3 - One of the main goals will be to restart the Discipleship Bible School at YWAM Hurlach. Taking a gap year is very common in Europe. The base would like to offer a gap year program, someone can do the DTS in the Fall, go on outreach in the Winter, do the DBS in the Spring, and possibly do a Summer outreach.

Vision Point #2 - YWAM Hurlach has had a long-standing Bible Department which has also offered Biblical training to other bases, churches, and ministries in Germany. They want to be able to once again offer these teachings and trainings. I am hoping to teach in the other Bible schools in Germany and Europe as well.

Vision Point #1 - I am also really excited about the Central Europe and Balkans vision! It is a region where YWAM has been only able to maintain a small presence, with small but dedicated teams. There are currently no YWAM Bible Schools in this region. The DBS has experienced an incredible amount of growth in its relatively short existence, one of the reasons was how it spread. Often a school will run, then take an outreach to another base where they would run a 2nd DBS which would help establish the school on that base. I am dreaming of how and where Hurlach could do that in Central Europe and the Balkans. We will see how the Lord leads!

Vision Points #4 & 5 - As a staff member of a base you also tend to get involved with the other things going on at the base. I am sure we will be involved with helping with some of the events the base hosts. Dori will be mostly a full-time mom for the next few years, however, she does have training in youth work. We are a family now, so the family-related ministry will naturally evolve into our ministry.

Getting Ready

We have just about a month to go before we start this new season. There are a lot of things to get rid of, things to shut down, and goodbyes to say. We have seen the Lord generously provide in wonderful ways while here in Minneapolis. We have received free furniture, a car, toys, clothes, food, on and on it goes. In recognizing that the Lord provided through many generous people we have decided to freely pass on all that we cannot take (with a few exceptions). Knowing it was never ours to begin with. We want to recognize and honor the Lord and His people by continuing to live in Faith that He will provide everything we need in Germany, just as He did here!

Funding the Ministry

As we have looked at estimated expenses for living in Germany, we are estimating roughly the same or a little higher than living in MInneapolis. There is a bunch of one time costs as well, travel expenses, acquiring a car in Europe, new household items (like kitchen supplies, furniture, etc). Normal things, so we can live, so we can do the ministry. We trust the Lord will provide one way or another. If you would like to be a partner in the ministry, we invite you to support us. Please reach out if you want to talk more about it, otherwise there is donation link below and a donation page. (Donations are processed through a ministry called EquipNet and are tax-exempt)