UPDATE FOR JANUARY 2008
Mid-Winter Rally. With what superlatives can we describe our annual family reunion of old friends from the Czech Republic, Kosovo, Romania, Germany and Italy? How should we summarize the highly thought-provoking studies led by Larry Niemeyer on "Incarnation and Discipleship" and "Letting God Bring His life and His wisdom to influence our lives"? Larry and his wife are a couple whose lives as disciplers have touched the lives of 24,000 other people who became disciples of Jesus Christ. Don Rohrkasse led us to study why men do not easily identify with "Church." Randy Smelser raised our sights by asking "Why Do Some Churches Reproduce?" Harold and Enid team-taught on "Spiritual Nurture for the Long Haul." She described her odyssey as a missionary wife and mother for 44 years; he talked about attitudes and approaches to self-nurture when one cannot attend seminars for constant edification.
Colditz Castle. Our conference took place in the European Youth Hostel located in one of the castles that became famous during World War II.
"After the outbreak of World War II the castle was converted into a high security prisoner-of-war camp for officers who had become security or escape risks or who were regarded as particularly dangerous. Although it was considered a high security prison, it boasted one of the highest records of successful escape attempts. This could be due to the general nature of the prisoners that were sent there. Most of them had attempted escape previously from other prisons and were transferred to Colditz because the Germans had thought Colditz to be escape-proof. One lavish scheme even included a glider that was kept in a remote portion of the castle?s attic, although it was never used because Germany surrendered to the Allies before the scheduled date of the planned escape." (Wikipedia)
These well-trained men made 300 escape attempts using many ingenious schemes, but only 30 succeeded. We did not want to escape, because we thoroughly enjoyed our rich fellowship and left only because the rally was over!
Weissenfels! This little town south of Leipzig in East Germany was the birthplace and home of Enid's grandmother. Randy and Katy Smelser accompanied us there to help as translators and chauffeurs. We walked among buildings that Enid?s relatives could well have seen, some of which were erected in 1470, a short 22 years before Columbus discovered America. Public offices were not open for the holidays, so we could not examine the genealogical records. So we did the only decent thing proper Germans should do: we stepped into a restaurant to have some delicious stollen and cake, pots of coffee and tea! On the return trip, we did the only decent thing proper Americans should do: we dined at the Weissenfels Burger King!
Thank God for the nearly perfect driving conditions for the 1800 miles in the middle of winter in Germany. There was just a touch of snow, but nothing to slow us up. Our old cars made the trip just fine. Thank God for our 9-year-old Honda Civic because it is a real joy, especially the good mileage: even after 83,700 miles we are actually getting better mileage than the car did when it was brand new!
Andrea Gentile, from the church in Ciampino (Rome), went with us, and our conversations with this young missionary, whom we have known all of his life, were delightful.
Prayer Objectives: please pray specifically for the Matelica Church that this group may accept the challenge to be a self-reproducing church in 2008. Pray that all the Italian churches may overcome the priest-pastor syndrome that leaves responsibility for church growth to the preacher and little, if any, to the people. Pray for the non-Christians whom we are teaching, that they would accept the Lord of life.
We send you our love and gratitude.
Harold and Enid Fowler
Colditz Castle. Our conference took place in the European Youth Hostel located in one of the castles that became famous during World War II.
"After the outbreak of World War II the castle was converted into a high security prisoner-of-war camp for officers who had become security or escape risks or who were regarded as particularly dangerous. Although it was considered a high security prison, it boasted one of the highest records of successful escape attempts. This could be due to the general nature of the prisoners that were sent there. Most of them had attempted escape previously from other prisons and were transferred to Colditz because the Germans had thought Colditz to be escape-proof. One lavish scheme even included a glider that was kept in a remote portion of the castle?s attic, although it was never used because Germany surrendered to the Allies before the scheduled date of the planned escape." (Wikipedia)
These well-trained men made 300 escape attempts using many ingenious schemes, but only 30 succeeded. We did not want to escape, because we thoroughly enjoyed our rich fellowship and left only because the rally was over!
Weissenfels! This little town south of Leipzig in East Germany was the birthplace and home of Enid's grandmother. Randy and Katy Smelser accompanied us there to help as translators and chauffeurs. We walked among buildings that Enid?s relatives could well have seen, some of which were erected in 1470, a short 22 years before Columbus discovered America. Public offices were not open for the holidays, so we could not examine the genealogical records. So we did the only decent thing proper Germans should do: we stepped into a restaurant to have some delicious stollen and cake, pots of coffee and tea! On the return trip, we did the only decent thing proper Americans should do: we dined at the Weissenfels Burger King!
Thank God for the nearly perfect driving conditions for the 1800 miles in the middle of winter in Germany. There was just a touch of snow, but nothing to slow us up. Our old cars made the trip just fine. Thank God for our 9-year-old Honda Civic because it is a real joy, especially the good mileage: even after 83,700 miles we are actually getting better mileage than the car did when it was brand new!
Andrea Gentile, from the church in Ciampino (Rome), went with us, and our conversations with this young missionary, whom we have known all of his life, were delightful.
Prayer Objectives: please pray specifically for the Matelica Church that this group may accept the challenge to be a self-reproducing church in 2008. Pray that all the Italian churches may overcome the priest-pastor syndrome that leaves responsibility for church growth to the preacher and little, if any, to the people. Pray for the non-Christians whom we are teaching, that they would accept the Lord of life.
We send you our love and gratitude.
Harold and Enid Fowler
posted by Harold & Enid Fowler | 7:20 PM
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