Dear friends,
"This is the day the Lord has made! Let us rejoice and be glad in it!"
I sometimes find this hard to say, and I would rather wish for the
Lord to come back today. Then I question my motivation for this rather
godly and biblical wish and realize that I am actually complaining
about my circumstances which I would like to be changed. But who
monitors my circumstances? Is it not the Almighty God who is the
author of my life's blueprint? Then I confess my ungodly attitude and
CHOOSE to say "This is the day the Lord has made ...!"
In our Wednesday morning bible study we are just reading the book of
Job. Since our homework was about a lot of chapters every week, I
listened to the Bible on tape which our dear friend Carol Green gave
me many years ago and which I still cherish. I had never listened to
half of the book of Job at one time before, I even did not have to do
so much. But I just could not stop listening. And next to the above
mentioned lesson, I was reminded through the three friends' words for
Job how little we actually know about other peoples hearts and minds.
It is so easy to think we know the circumstances and reasons behind
people's problems, and it is so easy to give them advice or
admonition. But I am not omniscient, I cannot see into a person's
heart, I often do not even know the whole story. This bible study
reminded me of 1 Cor. 4:5. "Therefore do not go on passing judgment
before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to
light the things hidden ...". Also Ephesians 2:3 and 4:8, especially
when I see a problem in some one's life which might have to be
addressed.
These are just a couple of thoughts that occupy my mind these days.
Mark came home from two longer trips to Romania, his heart full of
what God is doing there. One situation touched him especially. There
is an illegal Gypsy settlement next to a huge dump site. The children
wait for the next truck to come and come running to get the best pick!
The truck drivers do not consider these children as respectable human
beings and do not even stop if they run over one of them. The stray
dogs there are under protection and may not be killed, even though
they often attack children. The dogs seem to be more valuable than the
Gypsies. And the government regularly sends bulldozers to destroy the
makeshift huts the Gypsies build around the dump site. This plight was
recognized by some Christians who bought a piece of land and assigned
the Gypsies a small lot per family to build on, helping them to do so.
In this "city" they receive help with various problems, and there are
people who come and help the children to be able to go to school. Of
course the Gospel is at the center of the whole endeavor.
Can you believe that this is happening in the European Union? This is
not South America or Africa! But the Lord has a purpose and a future
for these Gypsies, and the body of Christ is growing among them.
In a few weeks all our girls will come home for Christmas.
Susi is still living and working in Freiburg and Basel, Lisa will
finish her first of four semesters in her Master course in landscape
architecture at the University of Maryland and enjoys her assistant
teaching position there which covers tuition and health insurance. She
found a wonderful place to live and lived through "Sandy" without
damage. She still has some health issues with the late effects of
mononucleosis and also with her thyroid gland. But in general she is
doing fine.
Cathrin is in the process of finding a place for a 300 hour practicum
which she would like to do here in Germany. She would appreciate your
prayers in this matter. It is getting tight time wise, and she has not
got a final answer. So she still has not bought her plane ticket
because she does not know if she will stay 3 weeks or 5 months. She
also has three more semesters to go for her Master degree in
counseling.
Doris has one more semester to go and will graduate on May 18 with a
BS in business management. She will be looking for a job for a year
before she goes for her Master's degree. Chad will be coming with her
to Germany (for show and tell), and we are excited to meet the young
man in person who is so closely interested in our daughter.
Jana is finally recovering from the two years of school trouble. She
has two very good new teachers (American and German) and is finally
growing out of the box her former teacher had put her in. She is in
the Discovery Program of the school, with 80 minutes twice a week,
addressing such issues as dyslexia. Her former teacher moved away and
is not much missed at the school. I found out that she also gave other
families a hard time.
I still enjoy being able to stand and walk without pain and numbness.
The surgeon was very pleased at my check-up in August and did not
mention fusing vertebrae any more. I hope this will be permanent or
stay like this for a long time. I walk on thin ice and have to be very
careful. But my daily work-out and horseback riding as often as
possible keep my muscles in good shape. The doctor was impressed.
This school year I was asked to teach German for 7th and 8th graders,
two classes per day in the afternoon after my work as an aid in the
7th grade classroom in the morning. This is exactly the time Jana is
in school, so I drop her off and pick her up afterwards. The teaching
is not a paid job, all the staff of the Black Forest Academy come as
missionaries living on support, otherwise this school would be
unaffordable for missionaries and their children. But I get a lower
price for Jana's tuition. I enjoy my work very much, I have students
from all over the world with parents serving the Lord all over the
world.
We hope you will have a blessed Christmas season celebrating Christ as
our Lord and Savior. We love to hear from you and keep you in our
prayers, especially those of you who are going through hard times.
Thank you for being part of our ministry and being so faithful. God
bless you, Maria Walker
"This is the day the Lord has made! Let us rejoice and be glad in it!"
I sometimes find this hard to say, and I would rather wish for the
Lord to come back today. Then I question my motivation for this rather
godly and biblical wish and realize that I am actually complaining
about my circumstances which I would like to be changed. But who
monitors my circumstances? Is it not the Almighty God who is the
author of my life's blueprint? Then I confess my ungodly attitude and
CHOOSE to say "This is the day the Lord has made ...!"
In our Wednesday morning bible study we are just reading the book of
Job. Since our homework was about a lot of chapters every week, I
listened to the Bible on tape which our dear friend Carol Green gave
me many years ago and which I still cherish. I had never listened to
half of the book of Job at one time before, I even did not have to do
so much. But I just could not stop listening. And next to the above
mentioned lesson, I was reminded through the three friends' words for
Job how little we actually know about other peoples hearts and minds.
It is so easy to think we know the circumstances and reasons behind
people's problems, and it is so easy to give them advice or
admonition. But I am not omniscient, I cannot see into a person's
heart, I often do not even know the whole story. This bible study
reminded me of 1 Cor. 4:5. "Therefore do not go on passing judgment
before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to
light the things hidden ...". Also Ephesians 2:3 and 4:8, especially
when I see a problem in some one's life which might have to be
addressed.
These are just a couple of thoughts that occupy my mind these days.
Mark came home from two longer trips to Romania, his heart full of
what God is doing there. One situation touched him especially. There
is an illegal Gypsy settlement next to a huge dump site. The children
wait for the next truck to come and come running to get the best pick!
The truck drivers do not consider these children as respectable human
beings and do not even stop if they run over one of them. The stray
dogs there are under protection and may not be killed, even though
they often attack children. The dogs seem to be more valuable than the
Gypsies. And the government regularly sends bulldozers to destroy the
makeshift huts the Gypsies build around the dump site. This plight was
recognized by some Christians who bought a piece of land and assigned
the Gypsies a small lot per family to build on, helping them to do so.
In this "city" they receive help with various problems, and there are
people who come and help the children to be able to go to school. Of
course the Gospel is at the center of the whole endeavor.
Can you believe that this is happening in the European Union? This is
not South America or Africa! But the Lord has a purpose and a future
for these Gypsies, and the body of Christ is growing among them.
In a few weeks all our girls will come home for Christmas.
Susi is still living and working in Freiburg and Basel, Lisa will
finish her first of four semesters in her Master course in landscape
architecture at the University of Maryland and enjoys her assistant
teaching position there which covers tuition and health insurance. She
found a wonderful place to live and lived through "Sandy" without
damage. She still has some health issues with the late effects of
mononucleosis and also with her thyroid gland. But in general she is
doing fine.
Cathrin is in the process of finding a place for a 300 hour practicum
which she would like to do here in Germany. She would appreciate your
prayers in this matter. It is getting tight time wise, and she has not
got a final answer. So she still has not bought her plane ticket
because she does not know if she will stay 3 weeks or 5 months. She
also has three more semesters to go for her Master degree in
counseling.
Doris has one more semester to go and will graduate on May 18 with a
BS in business management. She will be looking for a job for a year
before she goes for her Master's degree. Chad will be coming with her
to Germany (for show and tell), and we are excited to meet the young
man in person who is so closely interested in our daughter.
Jana is finally recovering from the two years of school trouble. She
has two very good new teachers (American and German) and is finally
growing out of the box her former teacher had put her in. She is in
the Discovery Program of the school, with 80 minutes twice a week,
addressing such issues as dyslexia. Her former teacher moved away and
is not much missed at the school. I found out that she also gave other
families a hard time.
I still enjoy being able to stand and walk without pain and numbness.
The surgeon was very pleased at my check-up in August and did not
mention fusing vertebrae any more. I hope this will be permanent or
stay like this for a long time. I walk on thin ice and have to be very
careful. But my daily work-out and horseback riding as often as
possible keep my muscles in good shape. The doctor was impressed.
This school year I was asked to teach German for 7th and 8th graders,
two classes per day in the afternoon after my work as an aid in the
7th grade classroom in the morning. This is exactly the time Jana is
in school, so I drop her off and pick her up afterwards. The teaching
is not a paid job, all the staff of the Black Forest Academy come as
missionaries living on support, otherwise this school would be
unaffordable for missionaries and their children. But I get a lower
price for Jana's tuition. I enjoy my work very much, I have students
from all over the world with parents serving the Lord all over the
world.
We hope you will have a blessed Christmas season celebrating Christ as
our Lord and Savior. We love to hear from you and keep you in our
prayers, especially those of you who are going through hard times.
Thank you for being part of our ministry and being so faithful. God
bless you, Maria Walker
