A Harvest of Blessing

One of our short-term workers at Haus Edelweiss, Mark, shared with us how God impacted his life through fellowship in Austria with other believers:

It is often during the quiet times in my life, or when sitting with just one or two people I know and love, that I have memories of how God has moved in my life – reflections of how he has grown a harvest from seeds that were sown.

After spending time with a few folks that are very close to me – such loving and caring folks – at the Truck Stop a few exits down from the Heiligenkruz exit off the freeway, I realized the powerful impact that knowing people at organizations like TCM has had in my life.

Now every time I pass a truck stop on the highway, I say a prayer for the TCM leaders and I call to mind a country from which one of the students at Haus Edelweiss has come and lift them up to our God, who is able to bring in a great harvest from the seeds being sown by these faithful men and women all around the world.

Thanks to these devoted leaders who took me to the Truck Stop!  And, the strawberry cake “ain’t” bad either…

Are you laboring with God to plant a harvest of blessing in your world – your community – your home? We are praying for you today..  the one who calls you is faithful and he will do it. – 1 Thess. 5:23

Focus on the Fields

Oftentimes as we grow in our relationship with the Lord, He enables us to begin taking our attention off of ourselves – where we so naturally focus – and to become much more interested in those around us.

You might compare it to a photographer who always likes to use his zoom lens. There are many marvelous, exciting, beautiful things to behold all around him, but he is so focused on that one thing, he misses all the rest! Frequently, our “lens” is set on the zoom mode; so focused on my life, my family, my church, etc. But over time, God begins to widen the lens in our life and our heart - to see and behold all the other marvelous ways in which He desires to use us. There’s suddenly a panoramic view!

God desires for all of us to 'widen our lens', to step outside our comfort zone, to reach out beyond our safe, comfortable church groups, for the sake of His Name and His glory.

Fellowship with our brothers and sisters is indeed wonderful and powerful and beneficial for building up the Body of Christ. Proverbs 27:17 says: As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. But let's not stop there. Jesus said to his followers: The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.

There's a great big field to focus on right outside our church doors! 

One Changed Life is all it Takes to Produce a Great Harvest

Please take a moment to read a personal testimony from one of our Short-Term Workers at Haus Edelweiss.

Over the years there have been a number of people who have changed my life. Probably the greatest impact on my life in recent years has come from the students whom I met at the Haus. Their determination to grow their potential as ministry workers for the kingdom of God is evident in their dedication to their studies. While drying plates and glasses at the dish table, I was able to learn how God was developing bi-vocational believers. He was leading them to invest their time and efforts in Bible study so that they could share the gospel message in their home countries in Eastern Europe.

For years I had talked about taking Bible college classes, but I lacked the motivation to begin. In September of 2008, I discovered that a number of the students at TCMII were my age or older when they began their studies at TCMII. When I realized how they squeezed one semester of graduate school work into a few weeks of overwhelming effort I was convicted. I could no longer use the excuses: "I'm too old to go back to school" or "It's too much work". A few months later, I enrolled in an online New Testament Studies certificate program.

In September of 2010, I returned to the Haus as a short-term worker. Part of my time there was spent reading and writing for the class I was taking that semester. I was about to enter the last semester of the certificate program and the students of TCMII, by example, continued challenging me to excel.

During a summer class in the states, a 24 year old college student asked me why I was tackling such a lofty goal at this stage of my life. After all, the classes have been difficult and I’ve had to make radical life changes to fulfill the reading and writing demands of the program. Yet I told the young man that I felt led to follow this difficult path. I believe the better equipped I am for ministry the more God will be able use me in His kingdom work. It was the TCMII students I met and whose stories I've read over the past few years that taught me that lesson – and it is the students who continue providing the inspiration I need to not be comfortable with what I already know, but to search for ways in which I can continue to grow in the kingdom.

So I say "thank you" to my brothers and sisters in Eastern Europe. Your encouragement has introduced me to a great adventure – one that I may never have encountered if it weren't for you.

Grace and peace,

Stuart

Faith in the Blessed Controller of All Things

Have you ever lacked faith in God? That’s kind of like asking, “Do you need air to breathe,” isn’t it? We all struggle sometimes to trust God and His timing during a difficult season of life, or to really believe that good can come out of something this bad.

And yet we are called to trust, to believe, to have complete faith in the God who promises us that He is always good and that He will never leave us or forsake us. Sometimes all we need is a little perspective.

Take a pilot for example. When he is ready to land his aircraft, his own individual flight pattern isn’t the only one that matters. That’s why the air traffic controller is his guide – the controller has the big picture. He knows which planes are on the ground and in the air, which ones are landing and taking off. But if a pilot decides to forego the instructions of the controller and land his plane anyway, the results could be disastrous for many people.

Our faith in God works in a similar way. God is the blessed Controller of all things. He has the entire picture in mind at all times. As we wait on Him for further instructions, we can have complete faith that He will get us safely where we need to be – exactly when we need to be there. Have faith in Him today.

Our Master, Jesus Christ, is on his way. He'll show up right on time, his arrival guaranteed by the Blessed and Undisputed Ruler, High King, High God. – 1 Timothy 6 (The Message)

Faith Comes to Asian Women by Reading the Word of God

Not long ago in a Central Asia town that is predominantly Muslim, two sisters were riding on a bus as they were coming home from buying groceries. They noticed a Bible in the seat across from them that was printed in Russian. They were curious and afraid. They had never seen a Bible before, let alone read one. They did know that if they were caught with a Bible they might be subjected to questioning or worse. Nonetheless, one sister slipped it into her shopping bag.

After reading it for six weeks, the sisters came to a conclusion—the God of the Bible is the one true God. They looked at each other and proclaimed, “What should we do?” (Sounds a bit like Acts 2:37-38 doesn’t it?). One sister said to the other “Let’s pray.” The sisters prayed that God would introduce them to a Christian. As far as they knew they had never met a Christian, but there must be at least one in the area because someone had left their Bible behind on the bus.

Very early the next morning one sister said to the other: “Wake up, sister; Jesus has come to me in my dream!” Incredibly, the other sister had had the same dream! In the dreams Jesus had led them to an apartment building several blocks away where a circle of people were gathered and worshipping Him. So that very morning the sisters went in search of those gathered in worship. They arrived and knocked at one particular and familiar-looking doorway. A young man answered and quietly said, “Yes?” “Are there Christians here?” they asked. The young man responded, “Why do you ask?” The sisters then shared their dream experience. He smiled and said, “Please come in.” As they entered, the sisters were amazed to see a circle of people on the floor just as in the dream. The young man said, “We are glad you have come. You are welcome here. We are especially glad you have come today. You see this is the first time we have met here and it will be the last. We never meet in the same place twice.” Two weeks later, the sisters were baptized.

And the young man at the door?  He is a pastor of an underground church. He is also a student at TCM.

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. - Romans 10: 17