Sunday, 18 September, 2011  What a weekend! 

Sorry about the lack of updates for a few days.  I actually worked on an update late Friday evening, but then, after having it all done, I closed the browser, instead of saving the post, and lost it all.  It was too late to re-do it, and we left on Saturday morning for Ramstein, so a Sunday evening update it is!  Because there are a few days to catch up with, this might be a longer blog - but read on to the end - it will be worth it!

On Thursday last week, Carol and I got our German bank account opened, and then spent some time setting up financial details.  Part of our salary will stay at our bank in Wisconsin, and part will be wired to our bank in Germany, so there were some "strategery" to work on.

In the afternoon we headed off to Darmstadt to meet with a pastor that we had been in contact with on facebook for several months before we arrived in Germany.  William is a great guy, and was very generous with his time and expertise, having been in ministry in Germany since 1989, in both German and English language churches.  We met at the Starbucks in downtown Darmstadt that we had visited on Tuesday when we asked for directions - you might remember that we mentioned in an earlier blog that we met an American woman who works there.  We soon discovered that the woman behind the counter was William's wife, Kathy!  It was great to talk to William, and it seems possible that God has once again blessed us - this time with a local partner in spreading the gospel in the city!

On Friday morning we went and visited an apartment.  On the way to the place, Carol said, "What if we really like this place?  We don't have any money in our German account yet.  How will we pay a deposit?"  I replied, "Well, we're not going to rent the first place we see..."  I just may have to eat those words!  It was a really nice place.  It has just two bedrooms, a living room/dining room area, kitchen and bath, but the rooms are decent sized, and the location is very nice.  It's on the third level of a mult-family home, with patio doors leading to an east balcony. 

There is a strassenbahn and bus station right across the street, with multiple trains into the city every hour.  That is very imortant for us, as we need to be easily accessable to people who will travel to our home for bible studies, meetings, etc.  It was also a pretty decent price.  We are not sold on it...but it was an encouraging start to the search, and may very well end up as the place. 

On Saturday, we drove to Ramstein to visit our friends at Frontline Community Church. http://www.frontlinecommunity.org/index.shtml 

Frontline is a 6-year old church in the IBC and minsiters primarily to the military personnel at the Ramstein Air Force Base. The American population on the base and in the surrounding German communities makes it the largest American City outside the US.  It's a wonderful church with lots of young families.   It was a beautiful 90-minute drive across the German countryside on the Autobahn.  It probably could have been less, but I was not comfortable going over 150 kph (93mph).

When we arrived at the home of Pastor Darryl and Debra, they couldn't wait to get us over to the church building - Jana Shankle, a ministry leader at the church, had organized an effort called, "Operation Home Sweet Home" among the families at the church.  In front of the worship center they had two tables full of household items - electronics, china and flatware, bath towels, pots and pans, room fans, a television, a recliner - an almost indescribable assortment of items for our new German home.  Someone had even donated a car, which will probably be sold...since God  had already provided one...They are helping us furnish our entire apartment!

Worship at Frontline was a great experience.  Pastor Darryl said they have about 500 people at the church.  I don't know how many were there this morning, but the second service was near standing-room.  The praise, prayer and worship time was powerful and engaging.  I hardly felt like it was necessary for me to speak after such a deep time of connecting with the Father!  A Soup & Salad lunch was served after the second service, and we had a great time of fellowship. 

Later in the afternoon, Darryl and Debra took us to a Fest in the downtown region of Ramstein.  It was a very familiar setting.  Food booths, some carnival rides, more food booths, some music, more food booths.  A great way to spend the afternoon.  We bade them goodbye, and drove back to Darmstadt this evening, where we updated the Maxwells, had a nice Skype call with our daughter, and updated the blog. 

We are absolutely amazed at the way God  has provided for us - from the wonderful connections we have made with people in the Darmstadt area, to the home that we are staying in while we search for an apartment, to the car that was provided before we arrived on the field, and now the amazing provision of supplies and furnishings for our future apartment!  How can we possibly describe or express our feelings? 

Perhaps it is best expressed by the license plates that were on our car when we purchased it...did you notice the plates in the pictures?  

PS 136
 1 Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good.
            His love endures forever.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods.
            His love endures forever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
            His love endures forever.
 4 to Him who alone does great wonders,
            His love endures forever.