It's been several weeks since you've received any updates. All of our team members have returned to the States...and some are still recovering from jet lag. Some of the team was able to stay in Germany for a second session of English Camps, some team members were only able to stay for one session.

In another blog posting, I'll provide some "Reflections" on our time in Germany. For now, we wanted to provide you with a sampling of the many pictures that were taken while on our short-term missions trip. These pictures are from English Camp #3 (Session One).

While the pictures are scrolling through the slide show, you can click on any picture to go to Picasa and view (or download) the entire photo album without scrolling through.

Thanks for all your prayers and support! Please continue to pray for the seed that was planted.

Rachel, Faith A, Faith C, Corrinne, Julie, Melissa, Alex, Abbi, Lucas, Curtis, and Lisa

To see any of these pictures at a later date, click on the Blog URL: www.cedarville.edu/misgermanytesl and then select "Trip Pictures" from the menu on the right side of the page.

is one of the ways Germans say "Good Morning"!

While it is morning for us, many of you have just gone to bed for your evening rest. It is a brand new day here in Germany and "this is the day the Lord has made...we are going to rejoice and be glad in it"! (We just happen to start our day earlier than you will.) :)

Here are some things that have been going on since our last post:

• We have had two theme days: "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" and "Christmas in the Summer"...these were a lot of fun and provided good exposure to North American culture for the campers. We also made the link that many of our Christmas traditions have come from Germany...and that Christmas is about giving gifts...specifically about God giving the gift of His Son.
• Half of the camp staff has come down with severe summer colds...they now have medication and are on the upward swing with a couple of days left for camp.
• We had a small discipline issue with the male campers...which provided a great opportunity to discuss teamwork as well as "trust and choices".
• Our planned speaker has still not shown up...the Bible school he attends said he left with his packed bags, but no one has seen him. Please pray for his safety. Curtis and Eli (one of the male counselors) have been sharing the speaking responsibilities. We have been challenging campers with "trusting God and making choices".
• On Sunday, we attended the Black Forest Christian Fellowship with the entire camp. The church uses the auditorium at the Black Forest Academy. Several of the German campers said listening to English in church for a couple of hours was very hard.
• We took the campers into Kandern yesterday afternoon to let them visit the town...for many of the campers, this is the only time of the year they get to see each other. Many come from large towns (up to 8 hours away) and Kandern provides them a good time to visit camp friends in a small community. It also provides them with a short respite back into their culture.
• A camper became ill for eating too many sweets before bedtime. A good lesson for all...I won't go into any more details on this".
• Many campers are "wrestling" with their faith...and wanting to "feel" God during their spiritual journey.
• About 10 campers are "wrestling" with coming to salvation to begin their spiritual journey...please pray that God continues to draw them to HIM! We still have a few more days of camp to see God work in their lives.
• Two campers have made a profession of salvation! YEAH! Many more seem to be close to "choosing" God for their greatest need...salvation.

In all of this, we are praising God for His work, His strength, and His direction! Several staff members have said to one another that they can see the effects of God's people praying for this ministry.

Pray that the seeds of God's Word will sink deep into the campers' lives and take root in their heart. For many, the soil of their heart is tender and we are watching God do great things.

Better go...it's time to begin our third theme day. The day revolves around The Adventures of Lewis and Clark...and involves a 8 km hike. This will help us bring some good lessons about "Living Dangerously...for God!"

Thanks for all your prayers and support!

Tschuess (sounds like a combination of "chews" and "choose"),

Rachel, Faith A, Faith C, Corrinne, Julie, Melissa, Alex, Abbi, Lucas, Curtis, and Lisa

Blog URL: www.cedarville.edu/misgermanytesl

What we've all been hoping for, working towards, and praying for...the campers have arrived! :)

We have also made internet connections once again...so we can post additional updates. I must correct the previous posting...while we were "unconnected" electronically, we were/are not unconnected spiritually. We have great connections to God's power through prayer and praise!

Right now, the counselors are up in the rooms with the campers and the teachers are preparing tomorrow's lessons. We will begin our morning tomorrow with looking into God's Word and praising Him. We have looked in Psalm 144, 145, 146, 147, and 148 the past couple of days. These passages have been helping us to have a better view of God so we can build better relationships with the campers. If you read the passages, you may want to circle all the times you see the word "Praise"...for who God is and what He is doing.

Faith A's favorite memory of the day is giving one of the campers an "English interview". An "English interview" provides the teachers with an idea of what teaching level the campers should be in. Faith posed a question to the campers of "what is one of your favorite memories from when you were younger"? One particular camper's response what that several years ago she came to English Camp and took the "English interview"...and realized that she needed Jesus.

We praise God for the work He has done in the past and the opportunity for us to build into lives now! Your prayers and support has made this possible. As you remember your servants in prayer, also praise God for what he is going to do!

Auf Wieddersehn,

Rachel, Faith A, Faith C, Corrinne, Julie, Melissa, Alex, Abbi, Lucas, Curtis, and Lisa

Blog URL: www.cedarville.edu/misgermanytesl

Friends, Family, and Prayer Supporters,

We are in Germany!

Thank you so much for your patience as it has been several days since we've provided an update. Our flight was uneventful, our eyelids were heavy, and we have been catching up from jetlag as we prepare for campers to arrive on Thursday.

Our delay in communication comes from a lack of internet at our location...something about lightning hitting the router...we are on the repair list, but have not seen the internet repair man...perhaps he is lost in cyberspace. :)

Thankfully, there is another English camp just a few kilometers away from us...so we are using their internet during a brief free period.

Several of us had to take our Germany driving test today to be able to transport campers to various locations. A highlight for Faith C. was to drive on the autobahn in a Mercedes van.

When we return to the camp in a few moments, we are getting ready to share our testimonies with the rest of the staff and anticipating a trip to Strasbourg, France tomorrow for cultural exposure. The more we see the differences in the European culture, the better we can communicate with our campers about English, North American culture, and what it means to be a follower of Jesus.

Thank you for your prayers! God has been good as he has provided an amazing team. One prayer request is that our speaker is "missing in action". The JanzTeam leadership is trying to contact him. Please keep this in your prayers as we have not seen him yet...and camp starts in two days.

Cheers,

Rachel, Faith A, Faith C, Corrinne, Julie, Melissa, Alex, Abbi, Lucas, Curtis, and Lisa

Blog URL: www.cedarville.edu/misgermanytesl

In just a few moments, our limo will arrive here at TEAM to take us to O'Hare International Airport. Yes, you read that correctly...our "limo". Providing a limo for transportation to the airport simplifies logistics for the TEAMServe staff. Our team was pretty excited when they found out that we would be riding to the airport in a limo. The TEAMServe finished our orientation today and immediately began setting up for another conference that begins this evening at Wheaton College. Please pray for them (Bob, Dave, Roger, and Beth) this next week as they have provided (and continue to provide) significant service to prepare us and others for ministry.

As we prepare to leave our "comfort zone" of the United States, here are some thoughts from the team about this week's training and flight this evening...which is scheduled to leave at 10:00 p.m. (CST):

Faith A: It's been a great week of training and especially meeting other TEAMServers! I'm looking forward to arriving in Germany and having a few more days to prepare before the campers come.

Rachel A: This week of training has been a really great time of preparation for our trip. It was so good to meet other people taking short-term trips. I'm excited to get over to Germany and see what is ahead!

Faith C: This week has been an eye opening experience. I have met some of the truly most beautiful people. They have each touched my life in one way or another this week whether they know it or not. I thank God for this week and pray for His continued strength through the next four weeks.

Julie: This week has been good learning about various aspects of missions. I'm really looking forward to going to Germany and I'm excited to see how God is going to work in the lives of those we come in contact with. It is also going to be a huge growing experience for me. I really appreciate all your prayers!!

Melissa: Our training here in Chicago is over and now we wait till it is time to go to the airport so that we can leave for our short-term mission trip to Germany. Our week was filled with much valuable information. Alex, Abbi, and Lucas did pretty well I must say. I will be glad to be there and actually see how things work at Black Forest Academy . Keep praying for us right now that all our luggage makes it and that we get some rest during the flight.

Alex: I am looking forward to leaving North America. I also get to cook for the camp and not just eat the food. (Parent's addendum: We are very proud of Alex as he participated in all the sessions and interacted very well this week with the rest of the MIS Germany team. When asked by Curtis today if he was excited to go, Alex said that he is neither excited nor nervous...at this time. Alex said if he thinks too much about the trip, he gets excited...which leads to nervousness. From what we can tell, Alex is taking our departure as the next "natural step" in the planning process that has been going on for the past year...we're thankful for the maturing process of our teenager.)

Time to go! The limo has arrived. Thank you for your continued prayer and support!

We'll continue our updates after our arrival in Germany!

On behalf of your "flying" ambassadors,

Curtis

Blog URL: www.cedarville.edu/misgermanytesl

...for they will not be "bent out of shape"! I used to share this with counselors when I was in full time camping ministry at Skyview Ranch. God brought this to reality today as we are nearing departure from the United States for Germany.

As mentioned in our previous posting, we are currently at TEAMServe in the Wheaton, IL area for "briefing". Briefing provides information and insight into the various roles and perspectives necessary for effective missionary service. This time also allows us to interaction with other short- and long-term missionaries in different fields.

Part of our briefing experience today was "cultural immersion". The staff at TEAM prepared a schedule that allowed us to encounter South Asia. The "plan" was to visit the South Asian Friendship Center in Chicago (which is involved with Teaching English as a Second Language...what we will be doing in Germany), learn about the importance of language building blocks, experience a taste of Indian and Pakistani culture on Devon Avenue in Chicago, enjoy an Indian dinner, and attend the Sudanese Music & Dance Festival at Millennium Park in downtown Chicago after taking public transportation to the downtown area.

Well all of this occurred...except for the "timing" of the events. On our way to the South Asian Friendship Center, one of the vans experienced an overheating of the brakes. Since these elements of a vehicle are crucial in Chicago traffic, our TEAMServe driver called for help from other TEAM members. They came to our rescue and delivered us to our destination in different vehicles...later than we anticipated. With the van out of commission, several individuals had to return to the Wheaton area at the end of the day by public transportation...not what was planned.

As we were nearing the end of our "immersion field trip"...and some of us were anticipating a leisurely stroll through downtown Chicago to the Metra train station, a thunderstorm descended upon Chicago and drenched all of us. We looked like drowned rats. We were definitely "immersed" in the culture and the weather today. Again, the TEAMServe staff came to the rescue and drove us to the train station...and went back to find the rest of the missionaries involved in the briefing...to drive them back to TEAMServe.

Everyone responded very well to the day's adventure...and realized that we could be facing similar types of adventures while on the mission field. Our eyes were also opened to another culture and values while reminding us that our upcoming service requires prayer and "God's timing" as we enter into spiritual warfare. Overall, while these circumstances were not what "we" planned, we are thankful that God provides these opportunities to see how He arranges circumstances to bring Him glory.

Thank you for your continued prayer and support!

On behalf of God's "immersed" servants,

Curtis

Blog URL: www.cedarville.edu/misgermanytesl

10 of the 11 team members traveled to Chicago today for briefing at TEAMServe in the Wheaton area. For those who do not know what "briefing" is, I'll write more about it in a future post.

Lisa (our missing team member) is already in Germany as she had a May term class in Germany...and stayed. We're all a little "jealous" as she is already there.

God gave us safety today as one member flew (on a delayed flight) and nine of us drove into Chicago. Coming in the day before before briefing allows us to get our feet on the ground as we haven't seen each other since late April. We'll use time before briefing begins to pray, update each other, and plan for the next couple of weeks.

On Saturday, we will fly together to Germany. Our flight departs around 10 p.m. from O'Hare. We will arrive in Frankfurt about 12:30 p.m. (6 hour time difference from Eastern Standard Time)...just about the time you may be getting up for church. It will be strange to depart at bedtime and land in time for lunch. With the time difference, we'll just skip breakfast. :)

Thank you for your prayers and support!

In His service,

Julie, Corrinne, Faith A, Rachel, Faith C, Lisa, Melissa, Lucas, Alex, Abbi, and Curtis

Blog URL: www.cedarville.edu/misgermanytesl

Whoops! In case you couldn't find the attachment on the last e-mail notice...you need to go to our actual MIS Germany 2008 blog/website. At the bottom of the posting, there is a "Download" icon at the bottom of the blog entry.

Click on the "Blog URL" below to go to the actual blog on our website and then click on the "Download" icon and you should be able to automatically download the staff package information that was sent to the English Camp Team. I'll attach it to this blog entry also.

In His service,

Your Ambassors to Germany

Blog URL: www.cedarville.edu/misgermanytesl

Wow! It's been a long time since there has been a blog posting. During the past couple of months, a lot of "behind the scenes" preparation and prayer has happened.

Wow! In less than 3 weeks, we will be heading to Chicago for ministry briefing...then to Germany. In less than 30 days, we will be in Germany in the midst of camp ministry. You can follow the countdown timer on our blog/website for the # of days/hours till our departure...to Chicago...and then to Germany.

We have received our specific positions at camp since the last blog posting. Here they are so you know how to pray for each person:

• Curtis - Camp Director
• Melissa - Team Leader and Camp Nurse
• Alex, Abbi, and Lucas - Kitchen Staff, Assistant Activity Coordinator, and Chief Helper...respectively
• Corrinne - Female Counselor
• Faith A - English Teacher and Worship Leader
• Faith C - English Teacher
• Julie - Activity Coordinator
• Lisa - Head Cook
• Rachel - Female Counselor and Chapel Coordinator

The rest of the camp staff (another female counselor, male counselors, Bible speaker, English teachers, assistant cook, translator, and assistant worship leader) is made up of staff recruited by JanzTeam. We may meet some of them in Chicago, but likely will meet most of them in Germany.

There is a PDF attachment on this blog entry that has been sent to our CU MIS team and to our Maugenhard (English Camp #3) team. Hopefully it will provide you with a little more perspective for you our prayer and financial supporters. There is also a calendar in the attachment that provides daily prayer requests.

If you have any questions, comments, or words of wisdom, please let us know!

In His service,

Your Ambassors to Germany

Blog URL: www.cedarville.edu/misgermanytesl

This next Sunday (April 13th), we will have our first exposure to German culture as a team. We have been invited to attend a German church service with the Cedarville German Club. We will be leaving about 7:15 a.m. to attend the 9:00 a.m. service at Concordia Lutheran Church in Cincinnati, OH. The service will be in German. We're not sure what else to expect, but that's part of the adventure of serving the Lord in a different culture.

After the church service, we will enjoy a meal together and eat our Sunday dinner/lunch at Hofbräuhaus in Covington, KY. According to their website, the restaurant serves "genuine Bavarian cuisine". Of course, to be an authentic German restaurant, they also serve beer. Don't worry, we are not going to sample the alcoholic beverages. "Exposure to" does not mean that we have to "participate in" all aspects of culture.

While at the restaurant, we should be able to hear some German music. According to the restaurant's website, "The Sonnenschein Band will keep your party mojo flowing all day with a polka/rock/pop party that will "unleash" rather than "sooth" the savage beast in everyone!" I'm not sure what that means, but it should be interesting.

We may also have the opportunity to tour the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, a European style basilica.

If I can figure out the picture portion of our website/blog, I'll try and post some pictures of our adventure.

Thanks for your prayers and support!