From Seattle… …To Germany

Greetings from Seattle! As most of you know I am done with my sophomore year at Seattle Pacific University. Since being away from home and not being plugged into a specific church in the Seattle area, I have felt like I was being called to serve on a missions team somewhere. I have not served on a mission team since the beginning of high school and I believe God has been calling me to go and help others by sharing Christ’s love with them. I’m happy to say that recently I have been given an opportunity to go with a short term mission team from my home church, New Life Riverfalls, to go to Germany and partner with missionaries the church supports there.
In southern Germany, a group called “Crescendo Arts” (a branch of Campus Crusade for Christ, International) has purchased an old tile factory which is being converted into a Christian Art Center. Artists from all over Europe will have a place to come to learn about Christ and how He wants to be in the center of their life and art. They also hope to use some of the space to form an art gallery, to show local artist’s work.

I have been invited with nine others to come help be in on the pioneering side of this project, by helping Rick and Mary Beth Holladay, do some renovations at the “Art Factory”, in order to accelerate the possibilities of future Summer Projects (art students from around the world, having a place to stay and work from), coming by the year 2008.
We will be spending our days in Kandern, Germany (southwest Germany-see star on map), living and working at the Art Factory, setting up dormitory space, working on living space for the Holladay’s, as well as ground’s work. Our team will be flying out on July 14th and returning two weeks later on July 27th. This is a huge opportunity to share in Christ’s example of service and attitude of a servant to the people of Kandern. I am very excited to be a part of this team and get to work with nine other amazing people and alongside the missionaries in Kandern.

I share this with you in hopes that you will help come alongside me and support me in this adventure. Prayer is so very important and just recently my pastor gave a message that struck me deeply, he said that ‘if we are believing and trusting in God then we will be praying.’ This means a lot to me and I am trusting in God to help guide me but I can’t do it alone. Prayer is the main form of support that I am hoping to receive. If you feel like helping me out in another way you can give monetarily as well, that support would also be a great blessing. The whole trip is costing a little over two thousand dollars and a third of that I will be paying myself but we have been encouraged to get the other two thirds from the combined support of family and friends. Please do not feel obligated to give money, but if you felt called to help support in this way that would be amazing. I hope to continually keep you up to date and keep you informed of the changes going on with Crescendo Arts and I hope that you will join with me in helping change the world through engaging the culture with and through Christ.

I thank you for your prayers and support as I follow thru with this opportunity to bring Glory to God and make an impact on, and be impacted from, the people of Kandern, Germany.

Thank you and God bless!