nr.01 – a godly "coincidence"

We had just finished packing up the balloons, table and other stuff. I was on my way to get the car when I saw a teenager walking up the street. I immediately had the feeling that I should speak to him. As he got a little closer, I realized that he looked familiar. When I remembered why, I couldn't believe it!

At Vineyard Church that morning I said I don't know what became of him since I met him on the day of his final exams last summer. At that time he had been partying with his friends and had already had a beer or two. He told me how he was going to go to therapy after he graduates. Because of his depression. He talked about his parents who are separated and about the darkness he feels inside. I told him that Jesus wants to bring light into this darkness and was able to pray for him.

I had told that story that morning and now he was standing in front of me! I didn't hesitate much and went to speak to him and our conversation went something like this:

Me: Hey, we met last summer and you told me last year that you were in therapy. Were you there?

D: Yes. 

Me: How are you now?

D: Much better!

Me: Wow great! Then the therapy worked.

D: Not really.

Me: But why are you feeling better now?

D: I actually pulled myself out of this mess.

Me: ok Cool. How did you manage that?

D: No Clue. I don't actually know that myself.

Me: Do you remember that I prayed for you last year that Jesus would come into your darkness with his light and help you? Is it possible that Jesus helped you there, if you don't even know how you managed to get better?

D: Well, it was mainly the friends I made at the therapy center that helped me.

Me: That's exactly how God helps us today if we ask Him. He sends people into our lives who are of help to us.

D: Ok if you say so. Well, I have to go to work now and I don't want to be late.

Me: Alright, I'm praying for you! Have a nice evening!

 II was so overwhelmed! That morning I said that I didn't know what became of him and then our paths crossed 5 hours later and I was able to see how my prayers last summer helped him to feel better today. God goes after people and I'm confident this won't be the last time I see D. God loves every human being out there and he courts us. Whether we know it or not.

nr.02 – being there is enough

The sun was burning down from the sky and it seemed like almost everyone in Landsberg was either in the Inselbad (public pool) or at the Lech (lokal river). The inner city was swept empty, and those who dared to go out on the street quickly walked past the shadows of the houses so as not to have to be in the heat for so long. Nevertheless, between 8 and 12 faithful fellow campaigners had gathered, who were willingly there to talk to people about Jesus, the gospel and the kingdom of God and to pray for the people. Some had just returned from their vacation in Croatia, where someone had just invited Jesus into their lives based on their testimony and was subsequently baptized. The others just wanted to see how it works when you speak to complete strangers to talk about faith. I was able to have a long conversation with one man about the fact that every human being aligns their life to something. And the better the goal you aim for, the more likely you are to make good decisions aligned with that goal. And what could be a better goal than to live like Jesus? Exactly! There is none! And the crazy thing about being a Christian is that this goal is not an abstract ideal, but an approachable person who loves us and with whom we can connect. It just doesn't get any better! The man didn't really know how to answer that, but didn't want to go into it any further at the moment. But a seed was sown. We pray that it rises. Although we had several good conversations that day, it all felt a bit slow and tedious. When I was then asked whether I see the assignment as a success, my first thought was: The greatest success today is that we are here. Despite the heat. Despite the few people on the street. Despite the circumstances. I could feel our obedience and faithfulness touching God's heart. Success today meant: being there. The good conversations we had were just bonus. And at the end I noticed something else: Today we were Christians from very different corners of the Christian spectrum who were willing to work together to ensure that Jesus gets what he paid for. Yes, the mission was definitely successful.

Nr3. - Forgiveness is possible

Similar to the first time, many families with children were out and about today. We were able to distribute many balloons with the inscription “be blessed” or "good that you exist” to the children and tell them that God loves them infinitely and it is very good that they exist. For some there were further discussions with the parents, for others we could simply make them happy and thus pass on God's love.

Towards the end a mother came by with her teenage children and we heard they spoke English. It turned out that they were a Jewish family from Chile. The children were less interested in the faith, but the mother seemed to have dealt more with her Jewish faith again in recent years. In conversation with the son, the question arose as to what role Jesus played for them. Since he didn't know exactly, I told him what role Jesus plays for us. He listened intently as I shared how Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of the Passover lamb and that our sins can indeed be forgiven through His death if we believe in Him. This seemed like a whole new concept to him and he asked a lot of questions. We pray that Jesus will reveal Himself as the Messiah to this family. It was worth the effort for that conversation alone.