Letter from Elsa - July 2, 2008
posted in Missions, Europe |Dear Fellow Servants,
I thought longingly of your gas prices yesterday as I waited in a long line of cars at the gas station down the street that lowered its prices for the evening to the equivalent of 8.54/gallon. Amazing! The line of cars was all the way down the street. Needless to say, people are trying to drive as little as possible these days — no matter where they live!
CAMPAIGN
Otherwise, things are going well. For four weeks we had four students from Harding University, (in the photo) ROSIE, ANDREW, ASHLEY, and LAURA, with us doing English 
Bible studies (EBS) with people who wanted to practice their English. We didn’t have as many calls from the newspaper ads and posters this time, but the students did a good job dealing with all who came and left us with quite a few who will either continue studying with Alicia and me on Monday evenings or who want to be part of our other English activities – like the English movie we will be seeing and discussing this Friday. In the past, such activities have encouraged more people to join the regular study groups and have also allowed for them to get to know more of the Christians, who also take part.
This campaign was good in another way also. In the past, the EBS activities, including the student visits, have pivoted around Jim and me. This time, Jim is not here and I knew I was not able to deal with the stress. Enter TEAMWORK. Early on, the plan was that Mark would coordinate things, but as his plans changed, it became a group project led by RUEDIGER, FLORIAN, ALICIA and me. Ruedi and Flo gave it structure, and Alicia and I had our previous campaign experience to contribute. Actually, Alicia did most of the footwork: being the first contact (on the telephone) for most people responding to our advertising; helping to train the HU students by passing on her own EBS experience; and keeping tabs on all the contacts throughout. Though it was not always easy for CHUCK HICKS, (the faculty sponsor who accompanied the group with his wife MELINDA) to deal with four of us instead of just one, it was encouraging to see how the Lord could combine and use our differing personalities and talents and how smoothly we were able to work together. Though Alicia and I, as “native-speakers,” will be leading the English studies, the four of us continue to see it as a group project.
GOOD NEWS!
That brings me to some very good news. ALICIA, who came to us in October 2006 for two years, has decided to stay longer. I have written you before about her helping me personally in the past 9 months and in making Jim’s library useful for others, but her involvement here has gone far beyond that. She is a willing servant – whether with a kind and comforting word, a well-done Bible lesson, babysitting or swinging a mop. Watching her grow has been fun. She used to be sort of timid.
Her sponsoring church/main supporter in Searcy has graciously extended her support, but because of the weakness of the US Dollar, she will need to find an additional $400-500/month support at least through next summer. Please keep her fundraising effort in your prayers.
THE BREMEN CHURCH
Dependence on God’s Word has always been an attribute of this church, but all too often, I think we depended on Jim for our nourishment. Looking around, it is exciting how much study is going on right now, both with each other and with others. First, RUEDIGER and FLORIAN are taking courses online from Sunset Bible Institute in Lubbock, and this has encouraged several others to consider doing the same. Then on Tuesdays twice a month, there are three groups meeting: the Men’s Class; MICHAELA, INGRID and ALICIA in one part of town; and KATERINA, STEFANIE and ROTRAUD in another. On the other Tuesday evenings, we have our regular Ladies’ Class. Besides that, HELGA is trying to share the Gospel with Linda and BARBARA Sa., and INGRID with BARBARA So. Finally, in addition to the EBS, I am studying with SIMONE, who became a Christian in December, as well as with my neighbor HEATHER, and ALICIA is reading in the Bible with JANA. Not bad for a small congregation!
But that is not all. There is also JUERGEN, Simone’s husband. Last week, he asked Ruediger if he could come over with some Bible questions. It turns out that he is already in the Psalms on his way to reading through the whole Bible and had a page full of good questions. Both he and Simone are from the former East Germany, where there was little or no religious training, so in order to understand the Lord’s teaching and sacrifice, he wants to read all of God’s Word just as Simone did last year before becoming a Christian. Juergen also has attended worship on Sundays several times in the past few weeks.
PERSONAL
Rejoice with me! I have gotten the tax information far enough along so that others can help me and am very thankful for the CPA’s on both sides of the Atlantic helping me to get it in finished form. There is just something unsettling about dealing with the IRS! Actually, it was rather emotional going through last year in detail, invoice by invoice, but I think it did me good. However, at the end, I would have preferred to continue holding onto 2007 (and Jim) rather than adding up the totals.
If you remember, I told you I was looking forward to things slowing down a bit. Well, as it turns out, life is not that much slower, just more regular, which is good. Also, a couple of the people I am counseling at the moment are in emotional situations similar to mine, which means that helping them find solutions does a lot to help me as well. God is good.
Thank you for your continued prayers. Gott mit euch!
Your fellow servant,
Elsa Springer