my, how time flies when you're having fun!!!

well, i missed updating at easter time. i hope you all had a WONDERFUL time celebrating the resurection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and thinking on all the things He has done in your life and the ways He is continuing to lead you.

i know that i can barely contain myself because of the joy of the Lord. i was sitting in class today and could not at all concentrate on what my professor was saying because i just wanted to sing praises to the Lord. that and he was explaining something he's explained a couple of times already but people are still not understanding it so he has to keep on explaining it.

i've gotten in the habit of humming some worship songs when i'm walking somewhere or on the bus, when i'm not reading my bible. i've noticed some people trying to figure out where the sound is coming from. it's kind of funny but sad at the same time. we have become so isolated in our ipod world that we hardly see the people around us. we have this selfish need to always be entertaining ourselves that it takes our attention off the people around us who could use some human contact.

moving on, some time last week i had a pretty big realization: the lettner kids aren't really getting any sort of spiritual input at home! they kept on asking me questions about God and the devil and i would try and explain it but then another question would arise and at some point it hit me: they should know the answers to some of these questions already! why don't they? so the next night i read to them from the bible an answer to one of their questions. the next night i read the answer to another question they had. and now we read a little something from the bible every night. it's not always in answer to their question. it can also be stuff that they should just know.

but what hit me really hard was that thomas and birgit need to be the ones doing this work, not me. i had the opportunity to tell them last friday night, but i was disobedient and distracted myself by reading a book on running or something dumb like that. and i could just feel the pressure and the urgency of what i needed to tell them weighing on me. that next sunday i was able to tell some friends of mine the issue at hand and we prayed together for that and a couple of other things and i just knew that i could not put it off. birgit was getting back from work the night shift monday night, late. so, teusday was the only day that we would all be together for a long enough amount of time to really discuss what i had to tell them. normally i would have a time of prayer with some other students but i knew that i might not have another opportunity and if i waited too long i would just forget.

in preparing for the time of discussion and also trying to find a passage to read to the kids that night before bed, i stumbled on heb. 12:4-11 and i knew that we needed to read it before i started talking. For those who do not have a bible close at hand:


Hebrews 12:4-11 (English Standard Version)

4In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?

"My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
nor be weary when reproved by him.
6For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and chastises every son whom he receives."

7It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. 11For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.


and then i started talking and telling them what i had come to realize and how i am happy to do it while i'm still here but that it's really not my role to fill. and i addressed again the issue of discipline. or i just expounded a little on how to do it practically. the living word of God had already addressed that topic for me. we discussed a little and then prayed together and it has been wonderful to see the changes that are taking place! birgit is finally sticking more to her word. she and thomas are being much more active about making sure their children hear and understand what God's word says.

but THIS is cool. through the provision of God i had 3, exactly 3, new testaments in german. the kids had been asking me if i would give them my full german bible, which i think i will at the end of my time, because they wanted to read the bible for themselves. so, i was able to give them each their own new testament. they were all SOOO excited to get them. we were all able to open our bibles to the same passage. and they were able to read along with me as i read to them outloud. the only problem is that they are ALL different versions so the kids are getting a little tripped up by the fact that the wording is not always the same. but they are all so excited and proud of their new testaments. jakob and david even took them to kindergarden and school with them. and i came in one moring to get the kids up and raphael was already awake and reading his new testament.

i think that's my main reason for hardly being able to contain myself recently. that and i think God is really opening my eyes to see the people around me and their needs. and my heart BREAKS with compassion for them. i see how much bondage they are living in. one muslim woman i was got to talking with told me about paradise in islam and how only the women who have been very good and religious and all the rich men (because they have money) will get into paradise. for those who don't know, in the muslim paradise, the men who have served alah faithfully (or can bribe their way in with money, apparently) will receive something like 100 virgins every day for his enjoyment. and the women become somehow virgins again overnight. so this muslim told me that she is going to be as mean and bad as she can so as to be sure that she will NOT make it into paradise. i almost started crying when she told me that!

well, it looks pretty certain that i will be coming home on the 18th of july. i will be very glad to be home but it is going to be VERY hard to leave the people i've gotten to know here. especially the people in my german class. i've gotten to know some of them pretty well and many of them are staying here indefinitely so it'll be hard for them (and for me) when i go. i am in so much awe at the things that God has taught me and the ways He has seen fit to use me. and thank all of you who have been praying for me this year. please continue to pray for me as i start to get myself ready to go home and try and find my place again in my community and schooling. i also want to publicly praise God for giving me parents who have invested time everyday in prayer for their children. mom and dad: your prayers are coming to fulfillment. thank you! i love you both so much!