First Austrian Race!

The last few days have been very full days. It is nice to relax and sit on my couch as I share with you all a little bit about it. Over this past week I have had a great opportunity to get to know a girl that is about my age. Her English is not very good so it has been a great time of learning for both me in German and her in English. We had a lot of fun together and then on Saturday we ran a 10k race along with a girl from the youth group. Both of them are not really runners but we all made it without even walking once. It was a great accomplishment. J This week we also joined the team that leads the high school youth group and Saturday was our introduction night. Most of the youth we knew already know from the different groups we are involved with. Seth did have a really good long talk with one of the youth boys that he met last night. We really enjoyed being there studying the bible alongside them (even if we didn’t always understand what was going on). After youth group there is about an hour hang out time, and it was great being able to build those relationships even more. We are very excited for how God will use us in this area. We pray that more one-on-one meetings and bible studies are yet to come.

(The race was sponsered by Tiroler Milch which is Milk so we got goodie bags with yogurt and fruit flavored milk as well as flowers! We were also sporting our shirts that translate to mean hope carrier a christian organization here was calling all believers here in Austria to come to the race and wear these shirts. Although we did not have all believers there we did have a crowd of about 40)

This month Seth’s focus will be changing more to sports ministry. We are not sure exactly what this will look like yet so please be praying about it this month. As I write he is playing basketball with a group of friends, praying that more guys will be there willing to join in the game as well. This is the first time that he has been able to play basketball while being here and we pray that he will get more opportunities for that as well as other sports. Currently he has been involved more with soccer which he plays about twice a week.

Thank you all for your love and prayers!

Oh and tomorrow is my (Alyssa) parents 35^th wedding anniversary, so if you know them make sure and tell them happy anniversary!

Like a snap of the finger

And like that our second German class is finished! I feel like I was just writting about the gathering at the end of the last class and now we have had another one. It is crazy how much we have learned in the past two months! Now we are able to communicate in a different language. We are far from perfect and still have four more classes to go but God has definitely been blessing us through the language learning process. On Monday we start our third class. We will go back to the teacher that we had for the first class and will continue to truck along in this processes. It is starting to seem realistic to think we will become fluent in German instead of just an impossible task set out before us. We thank you all for your prayers so far and ask that you continue to pray. Some of the people from our class are not continuing on to this next class so please pray that we can stay in contact with them as well as being able to reach out to those that are new in the class. We have been extremely blessed through the relationships we have made through German class and we pray that those will continue.

T3

Thank you to all who prayed for the retreat this last weekend! It was a great time for us to get to know some of our students better as well as other students and youth leaders from around Austria. We were in the town of Linz which is about 3 hours to the east of Innsbruck. We were in charge of most all of the meals which went very well apart from one minor rice incident but everyone ate the food none the less. The relationship aspect was by far our favorite part of the 4 days. There were many messages, and workshops given, all in German. At the beginning of our time we understood more but the longer we tried to focus and understand the harder it became. But God still provided and we were able to learn some things about knowing, living, and sharing (the theme). I was able to really connect with a couple of girls that were there so be praying for those relationships to grow.

We got back Saturday evening after having little sleep during the week and continued that pattern with going to a late baptism at the Catholic Church and then losing an hour of sleep for daylight savings. But overall it was well worth the sacrifice. Since then we have been able to connect again with the couple from our German class that got baptized please be praying for more opportunities and for that relationship to grow.

Easter Sunday was not anything like it has been in years past. We did not sing any of the traditional songs and understood little of the message. However we do not need to understand everything for God to use us. That morning the two Christian Churches that meet in the same building had a combined service so it was very exciting to see so many believers together here in Austria. While we were there talking with people after church, God provided opportunities for us. I was able to meet a girl about my age that wants to work more on her English and is interested in meeting on a regular basis. As we talked longer she showed interest in running in the race with me this weekend so now we are running together this week to prepare. It has been great getting to know her these past couple days. It has been a challenge though since her English is about as good as my German but all things are possible with God. Also on Sunday Seth had the opportunity to connect with a previous camper that was in his cabin when he was here in Austria four years ago. He does not live here in Innsbruck but was in town visiting his brother and we were able to spend the afternoon with him.

It is awesome to see as God uses us in the ways that we least expect. Be praying that we are continually being willing to follow God’s leading no matter how spontaneous it might be!

Sorry it has been so long since the last update, time just seems to fly by. Right now is Easter vacation for those in Innsbruck. Schools and many businesses are closed down for a week and a half. However we still have German classes except for next Monday. It is good though to be continually in classes to help learn more. This Wednesday we are going to head out on the train to the town of Linz, Austria. We will be helping out with a leadership training conference for young people. Four of the students from our youth group will be attending which we are very excited about! Seth & I will be the ones in charge of cooking for the group of about 20. Be praying that everything goes smoothly for us as we take on this new endeavor. The train ride lasts about 3 hrs and we will be gone Wednesday afternoon to Saturday afternoon. Please be praying that God really uses us there and that he molds these youth kids to be more like him! Also be praying because right now I am sick, Lord willing I will be all better by Wednesday afternoon

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When we come back on Saturday we will be attending the Baptism of a couple from our German class at the Catholic church. The husband has come to the bible study we attend before. Please be praying that it will work out for him to keep coming back and that their relationship with God will continue to grow and that they will keep seeking until they find the answers to their many questions.

Sunday April 7^th there is going to be a race here in Innsbruck! I am very excited! There will be 3k, 5k, 10k, 15k, and 21.1k. I believe I will be doing the 10k J and I think Seth will run as well but probably the 3k. There is an organization here in Innsbruck called the “Stadt der Hoffnung” which is the City of Hope: Initiative Innsbruck. It is a group of believers that have come together to spread the hope of Christ! This group is calling all believers in the city to come to this race and where the shirts they have made that say Hope runner on them. Most all believers I know of are planning to either run or come wearing these shirts. Please be praying that God will use this time and provoke those around us to be asking questions!

There is an English speaking women’s bible study that meets here but it has always been Wednesday mornings and we have German class every Wednesday so I have never been able to attend. However about a month ago the switched it to Friday mornings which is the one day that we do not have German class so I have been very excited to start attending. However every week I have been prevented from going, the first time we had a meeting, then we had a makeup German class and now this week we have the leadership training conference. Please be praying that it will work out that I will be able to attend this bible study regularly.

Also we are still searching for people to help with summer camp! If you know if anyone that would be interested in coming for about 2 weeks and help with either being a cook, cabin leader or program staff please let us know!

Thank you all for your prayers and your encouragement!

Alyssa

German Class & English Camps

We have now had a whole week of our second German class! It is very exciting to be understanding more of what we hear. We have a new teacher for this class and even though we liked our last one it is nice to learn to understand a new voice. From our last class probably only 8 people continued on to this class and also about 8 new people joined. Be praying that we continue being motivated to learn German and that soon we can be connecting and meeting with youth to help us learn more.

We had our first English Camp meeting this week! Summer is soon going to be upon us. We are most likely going to be program staff at the camp in Salzburg. However one of the groups that was planning on coming and bringing about 8 people as staff has fallen through for the camp in Salzburg. So we now have openings for cabin leaders, SWAT team leaders, and cooks. So now there really is no telling exactly what we will be doing. We are very excited to be out at a camp once again!

The past few days have been as full as we can get them. Seth's cousin Ismael has been here and we have gone hiking, rock climbing, walking all round town, visiting people, going to a birthday party, starting a new German class, made some auhhentic Austrian food, played soccer and somehow managed to work a little in there. We have really enjoyed this time and chance to do some touristy things. We haven't really done any of that so far so it was nice. Ismael leaves today and is heading off to visit more friends and family around Europe. It has been a blessing to have him here for a time.

We did start our second German class on Monday which is exciting. We now have a new teacher so it is challenging at times to understand but that is also good. Please continue to b  in payer for our learning. We both did very well on the test we took at the end of our last class. It is hard though to have motivation at times to practice outside of class.

Thanks for all your prayers

Praises!

Just a few praises to hopefully help encourage some of you! As well as to thank you all for your prayers!

- Last week we went in to get our VISAs. Praise God we had everything that they requested of us plus more. We were planning on having to wait a few weeks for them to come in but praise God we were able to go in and pick them up on Wednesday without any problems!

- I (Alyssa) have really begun to connect to God through German worship music which is a huge blessing!

- We were able to take our personal retreat day for this past month and spend part of it at the zoo here in Innsbruck. It was an awesome time for us to have together as well has getting to explore the area a little more!

- God has really been blessing our relationship with our neighbors. There is a family that lives below us that when we first met was a little awkward (we interrupted dinner and they had company and so on). However, God definitely used it to start a relationship. The couple's daughter is about our age and we were able to go out to eat with her and her boyfriend on Sunday and we are now planning on being at her birthday party this Saturday. We have also been able to get to know her parents a little bit. They only speak German and it has been great opportunities to practice what we know! The mom even made us some knodle which was quite delicious! We have also been able to get to know our neighbors across the hall. There there is a woman and her two young girls. Be praying for God to really use these relationships!

-It has been crazy to see what God is doing through our relationships with those in our German class! A few of the guys from class have gone with Seth to play soccer which is awesome! We were able to go running with one of those sames guys as well, since he does not live to far from our house. There is a couple in our class that has shown interest in what we believe and the husband even came to bible study with us this last Wednesday. He came with many questions since he had grown up in a Muslim country. Be praying for conversations that we have. Also be praying that he will continue to keep coming to bible study and that God will provide a way for his wife to come as well.

(the blond in the middle is our teacher)

- Today we had our German class over to our home for a meal! What a blessing it is to have a large apartment right now! It was the last day of class and everyone brought something to contribute. It was awesome to try different kinds of foods! There was SO much food and for some reason everyone decided to leave all the left overs at our house! Our fridge is packed to the max and there is even more we have put in the freezer or is ok to sit on the counter. I'm pretty sure we have enough fruit and bread to last us a month! ...too bad it won't last that long. We had a great time together and pray that these relationships continue to develop. Some of these people will continue on with us with the next German class that starts on Monday but probably only half the class. However those that we are closest with are going to continue for at least one more class. The couple I mentioned earlier is planning on doing all 6 with us. Praise God!

Not the most flattering picture but I think that was everyone besides me

- God has really been blessing the Friday night ministry at the light house! It is a time for the high school youth group kids to bring there friends just as a time of outreach and fellowship. There have been many people (like 15-35) every week since we have been here although that is apparently a newer development. It's awesome to get to know the friends of the youth. There is particularly one girl that I (Alyssa) have begun to connect with that is not a part of the youth group. Be praying for that!

- Sunday there was a meal after the church service and we ended being at a table with German only speakers. I think that was the first time where we have really been able to converse with people only in German. It amazed me how many things we were able to talk about! It was a very big confidence boost for us with our German!

- Seth's cousin Ismael is coming to visit tomorrow! Be praying that God uses that time! He will be joining us on some ministry things. We will also be doing some sightseeing which we really haven't done a lot of so we are pretty excited!

Thank you all for your prayers! Sickness seems to be going around here like crazy! Be praying for our health as well as the health of our team (Seth has been feeling better but our team leader and his family have all been sick this week).