November 5, 2005

• OK, I know I probably bore everyone with just pictures and accounts of sermons preached.... But when it's what's happening in my life and I want to share it with others - you'll just have to forgive me.  I miss everyone when I'm traveling, so it seems the best I can do is show you pictures.

  
  

  I arrived in Zurich, Switzerland about noon on Thursday absolutely exhausted.  I didn't sleep well the last two nights in Ghana and then on Wednesday night my flight left Accra about midnight, arriving in London at six in the morning.  I managed to catch only about three hours of rest.

  
  

  Once I arrived in Zurich I was met by Dr. Gerhard Padderatz, President of the German ASI chapter.  We had to wait in Zurich until after three-thirty so that a young Swiss physician could ride to Freudenstadt, Germany with us.  To pass the time Dr. Padderatz took me to old Zurich along the river.  It was a beautiful day!  OK, I guess I'll have to show a few pictures.  Call me obsessive-cumpulsive.

  
  

  

  
  

  

  
  

  

  
  

  

  
  

  

  
  

  

  
  

  

  
  

  

  
  

  Older men playing chess in the park.

  
  

  Now on to Germany!

  
  

  

  
  

  "Sharing Christ in the Marketplace..."

  
  

  

  
  

  This Adventist retreat center is right next to the Adventist Church in Freudenstadt.

  
  

  

  
  

  The Adventist Church from the outside.

  
  

  

  
  

  I wanted to get a picture during church when the sanctuary was full - but I couldn't.

  
  

  

  
  

  Some of the youth I got to know - nice young people.

  
  

  

  
  

  On a Sabbath afternoon hike in the Black Forest we came upon this tower built in 1899. 

  
  

  OK, now for the sermons.    I had three hours of seminar on Thursday, with the topic given me: "Zeugnis, Mission, and Alltag."  Err... "Witnessing, Mission, and the Working Routine" would be the English translation (or so I'm told).

  
  

  In the first hour we shared principles from the lives of two men whose witness influenced entire nations: Abraham and Joseph.  My presentation was meant to include Naaman's little maid and Daniel, but with translation I just had to find a good place to stop in the middle of my slides.  The main idea was that these men were so effective because they didn't do witnessing as much as they were witnesses at all times and in all places.  Witnessing is a natural outcome of character.

  
  

  In the second hour we talked about the most powerful witnessing tool available to the Christian: his own testimony.  We talked about what a testimony is and isn't, how to prepare it, how to share it, when to share it, etc.  In every audience I am convinced there is someone who is not walking in a saving relationship with Jesus, so we also covered a gospel presentation.  I know the Holy Spirit was working.

  
  

  In the third hour we took a close look at John chapter four and the Master Soulwinner's methods of turning secular situations into spiritual conversations.  I really enjoyed this study.

  
  

  Finally, Sabbath morning for church we looked at the incredible challenge the early Christian Church faced working in the Jewish and Roman cultures - which were unfriendly to the gospel of Jesus Christ.  What changed at Pentecost was not the cultures the Church found itself in - but the "culture" of the Church itself.  If they took the gospel to the world in one generation, then by the power of the same Spirit we can do likewise.

  
  

  It's been a good weekend, although very full.  Earlier we had sundown worship and since I've now uploaded all my pictures I better run to supper.  Hope you all have had a blessed Sabbath day as well.  I'm still praying for you.  Pray for me too!

  • 12:34 pm
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