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Happy New Year!
Do you remember? No, not the song of Phil Collins but how we spent last Christmas and New Year? I did look back a lot over this last days and I was once again so thankful for all the things God gave me through our DTS! Singing christmas songs I was remebered how we sung them in the kitchen at the Conakry team. All those german christmas songs! It was such a good time under the christmas tree made out of milk. Many things happened since then I already told you a bit about my work in my last letter. Let me give you an update.
I was leading a school fom July to September. It was a big crosscultural experience staffwise: we came from four very different coutries and backgrounds. I learned a lot about communication! What seems to be clear for a swiss is not at all clear for someone coming from Malysia! But I love the diversity God has given us and I enjoyed it deeply. After the 12 weeks we went as small team to Bulgaria on an outreach. The goal was to get to know the country and to serve wherever we could. We went by car through Italy, on a ferry to Greece and over the borders into Bulgaria!
Greece was very special. We had three days at the sea and I spent so much time sleeping, reading the Bible, praying and eating good greek food! One highlight was that our car boke down at the very right spot where a nice greek man was able to fix it and the visit of the monastries of Meteora. They are builed individually on high rocks, like the nest of an eagle! Monks have been living and are still living there: praying and studying the word. I was touched by the fact that so many people over the years followed God in this special way: becoming a monk and living way up in monstry.
B ulgaria was full of meeting new people, doing some practical work on a YWAM Base and once again: good food and good fellowship! Have you ever been to an orthodox church? They are rather small, dark and full of candles. You ligth them in order to pray for people and I spent quite some time there praying for friends. It is a totally different atmosphere to most of the churches I have ever been. But it reflects something of the beauty of God!
Being back at Switzerland I prepared the next school which is going to start in two weeks. But something more important happened! As a Base we needed 1 Million Swissfrancs in order to pay for the building and everything else. And God was so faithful. On the 12 of december the million was there and we could celebrate that we do not have to close our Base and cancel all the schools. One million is not much for God, but if you need it all of a sudden it gets big!
So much for today. Switzerland is cold, not so much snow at the moment but lots of storms and I enjoy my warm flat with lots of candles.
If you ever pass by: Let me know!!! You are more than welcomed!
See you
Regula
Hi there!
Most of you haven't heard much form my side the last five months. But I am still alive, busy doing many things and remembering our good time together in DTS. The song "I will never be the same again" was following me, re-entering Switzerland and I could see that it applied to my life. So what happend?
With funny feelings I arrived in Zurich. Friends have been at the airport. It was great! They drove me home and I realized that I am no longer living in Zurich but in Berne ( another beautiful city in Switzerland!). It was cold, rainy and I started to miss the african heat :-). But my family and my friends were very welcoming and this made all the difference. Two days later I started to work for YWAM Switzerland and five days later I was back in hospital doing some nightshifts. It was a lot but a good time.
It helped me arriving in Switzerland and to think about all the important things I had learned and seen during DTS. During the first weeks I went to some sort of cultureshock. I missed the ship; I missed you, I missed the songs we sang, I missed going to the market with Carley, I missed the bushtaxis and so forth. But I knew that it is good to be back.
What am I doing with YWAM? At the moment I am leading a school called "School of Biblical Christian Worldview". It is about knowing what you believe and why you believe it. How are we influenced? What is a biblical view about economics, health care etc. Basically it is knowing the truth and the truth will set us free. And Jesus is the Truth and He is a person therefore at the end of the day it is about our relationship with Him. The school started July. The first month back I organized this school, inviting guestspeakers, communication with students, looking for staff etc. I learned a lot and I am still learning a lot! And God gives my grace.
The school goes until September. October I go on outreach to Bulgaria, November I will prepare another school, holidays, working at the hospital etc. And January 2000 leading another school. Our longterm goal is multiplication of the school into Eastern Europe!
Besides YWAM I am blessed to be able to work in the Hospital and having one foot still in the area of health care. It gives me good money but much more I can keep up with friends in the hospital and this is even more important!
Maybe you think: She did it without any difficulties? No sometimes it was hard and I was ever so happy to recieve mails, to see some of you, to pray for myself and for you, to cry if I was missing friends too much, to go to the Internet and read about the Anastasis etc. I feel blessed that I could do the DTS and I see that God gave me a fresh love for this world, especially for the poor and needy. We will see where He is leading me in this area.
So much for today! If you want to know more, send me a mail, come to visit my in my village! There will always a bed for you to sleep in!
Be blessed and uf widerluege
Regula