Winter 2016: Spiritual Generations

Winter 2016: Spiritual Generations

In Isaiah chapter 6, the prophet has a dramatic and overwhelming vision of God on His throne. He response is one of utter humiliation before the awesomeness of God. After His repentance and subsequent redemption, Isaiah hears God say, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” To which Isaiah responds, “Here am I, Lord, send me!”

Mission and ministry are all about people. In previous updates we have shared the stories of some of those whose lives we have seen God touch in amazing ways. In this update, we want to share how God us using those people to reach more people with the power of the gospel!

 

Xiannan - sharing the gospel with
fellow students in Darmstadt

We told the story of Xiannan in our Spring, 2015 update. He’s a PhD student in Material Science at the Technische Universität Darmstadt. After attending church services and Bible studies for more than a year, Xiannan accepted Jesus as His Lord and Savior. A few months later, in a Bible study, he shared that he felt his purpose was “to return to China and tell others about Jesus.” But his chance has come before his return!  On a recent sightseeing bus trip with other Chinese students, and as they travelled, other students asked this bright, young, man to share with them why he had become a follower of Jesus…and he got a chance to share the gospel with them!  

Tianye - bringing the gospel to her mother in China

We told the story of Tianye in our August 2015 update. Tia and her husband Jason, a Chinese-American believer, attended the church regularly, came to a LIFE Group, and Tia met with some women at a Friday morning Bible study. But she was not a believer in Jesus. God was at work in her life, however! One evening at LIFE Group, Tia shared that she had given her life to Jesus, and had asked Him to be her Savior. Recently, Tia had a chance to fly back to Bejing and spend weeks with her mother who was being treated for cancer. Tia had a chance to read the Bible and explaining faith in Jesus. Her mother has not yet come to faith – please pray for her!

Imants - reaching the science community

Imants is a brilliant PhD student from Latvia, doing groundbreaking work in his field of material science, specializing in magnetics (we call him “Magneto!”).  Imants has a passion to bring the gospel to the largely atheistic world of science.  He has prepared papers and lectures with PowerPoint presentations to discuss topics like creation, supernatural miracles, and other theological topics with his colleagues. When the Lord asked, “Who will go for Me, to the science community?”  Imants answered, “Here am I, Lord, Send me!”

Diane reading the Bible to her
father in Taiwan.

Diane is a young believer, baptized at our church in September of last year. In August of this year, during a worship service, she asked us to pray as she went home to Taiwan to be with her father who was suffering from terminal cancer. She asked us to pray that she would be able to share the gospel with him, and that he would trust in Jesus. We gathered around her and prayed. A few weeks later, she sent a text message that he father had come to faith, and been baptized in the hospital. A few days Diane wrote, “Dear Bob, my father went to heaven already, he smiled, he’s happy.” Just this week she wrote, “I am writing an article about my father’s story. I will send my article to a Christian newspaper. I am so glad that my father became a Christian before he died, and now he is in heaven.” 

Thank you for your support of this amazing ministry to the international, English-speaking community in Darmstadt and the surrounding region. Your prayers, encouragement and financial support make you a vital partner in this work. These great stories of personal faith, and of faith shared with others, are part of YOUR faith story, too!  Rejoice with us as we marvel at all God has done and is doing in the lives of people from “every nation under heaven gathered in the city.” (Acts 2:5)