For a short break to Germany

Summer break is coming to an end and our second semester is starting soon.
We had a few precious weeks with Opa and Oma Pflaum in Germany.
They are still living on their own trying to overcome the daily challenges.

  There were several different practical jobs we could do to help our parents.

Presure cleaning the veranda and other jobs were on our agenda. Besides these activities we had the chance to enjoy moments in the beatiful Black forest.

As half of our family was on the other side of the globe, it was an experience for opa and oma to connect with them using skype. The ability to talk and to see was of great joy for them, because they could see and hear their first great grand child for the first time.

Great grand parents Pflaum admire their great grand child Naomi, who lives with her parents in Elgin IL USA, on skype.

 We thank God for Michaels sister Judith and her family who are helping on a frequent basis to make life easier for our parents.

The highlite during our visit was on the 10th of July; Oma's eighty-third birthday.

 

 Our flight back to States took place on the 12th of July.

Back to Jesus

"Back to Jesus,"was the challenge brought to us from one of the books ( Thom Rainer & Eric Geiger, Simple Church, Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2011), we had to read in one of the courses at CIU.
We are living in a busy time clustered with programs and activities. All seem to be quite important and necessary. We have just become too busy.
The call "Back to Jesus" is timely. Are we still allowing time to be molded in HIS image? Are we still in the process of becoming His disciples? Or have we aborted that concept and exchanged it for more important activities? In the quoted book Rainer & Geiger describe the situation of churches they came across in their research.

    Many churches are littered with clutter. Floundering programs and ministries are stored and piled
    on top of one another. It is hard for people to make their way through the process of spiritual
    transformation because of the destructing clutter (p.204).

Does that statement describe our lives?

   Many of our churches have become cluttered. So cluttered that people have a difficult time
   encountering the simple and powerful message of Christ. So cluttered that many people are busy
   doing church instead of being the Church (p. 19).

Transferring that simple truth into our lives raises the question: Are we doing Christianity or are we Christians? Are we disciples of Jesus Christ?

Barbel and Gabi went to Germany in the first week of May. Gabi has to work for urgent needed cash helping to finance her next semester. On May 23rd, Michael finished his work for the spring semester at CIU and is at present visiting our children.

The first stop was with Martin at LeTourneau University in Longview Texas, were he is studying at the school of aeronautical science with a concentration in mission aviation.

Recently Martin earned his commercial pilots license. He has one more year before he can graduate. We thank the Lord for supplying the financial needs for Martins education. Glory to HIS name.

Aaron and Andrea continue to live and work in Kerrville, Texas. They are both teachers at local schools and are active at Trinity Baptist Church.

Ryan, Christine & Naomi
will be my next stop. Grandpa Michael is very much looking forward to see our first grandchild. Grandma Barbel won this race, she already visited a week after Naomi Grace was born.

 

 

Ryan & Stine live in Carpentersville near Chicago, IL. Ryan is working as a teacher and Christine is getting used to being a mum as she waits for her "green card." They are active in a fairly new planted Christ Community Church. At this time they are searching for a place to live closer to Ryan's work. Thank you for supporting that quest in prayer.

Gabi is starting her third year at Judson University in Elgin, IL. This next semester she will be an exchange student in the country where Barbel was born, Japan.

Thank you for all your prayer support, may our Lord Jesus Christ richly bless you .

POWER THROUGH PRAYER

At a quiet spot on campus there are the "prayer towers". Prayer is an integral part of CIU life. In one of the courses (prayer & discipleship) we had to plan and do a prayer & fasting retreat.
Indeed it has been a refreshing time. The last years have been haunted by work, chased by appointments, pushed to sort problems, pressed to meet deadlines, etc. but worst of all cheated from having an extended and effective prayer life. Perhaps you are very holy and do not have such challenges. Maybe you are just human like ourselves. We would like to invite you to have less strategic meetings, reduce on filling your time planer, think less of developing effective strategies, and invest more in an effective prayer life. 
We would like to encourage you with the following two quotes:

"No amount of money, genius, or culture can move things for God."E.M. Bounds

"Never has God's cause been in greater need of the perfect example of the possibilities of prayer than in this age."  E.M . Bounds

 

 

We are doing fine here in South Carolina. The routine of studying is not as foreign anymore as it was at the beginning. Last Saturday we had our first outing out of Columbia. On the Interstate, after traveling about 95 Miles to the east, we reached the harbor town of Charleston. For American standards it is a history laden town (about 315 years old).

It was some super quality time with our daughter Gabi, who had come from Illinois to visit us on her spring break.

United States Custom House (opened in 1879)

Historic Church building

Popular horse carriage drives for tourists

 In the late afternoon we were back at the CIU - Village. We are thankful if you continue praying for us as we push on with our studies. Please pray for Zambia and the mission work there as well.

Thank you for your partnership in Missions. 

Back to School

After many years of active mission work in Africa we (Michael) is again back at school.

This new experience  as a full time student again is quite exciting and challenging. We are overwhelmed by the good atmosphere we have found here.

The Motto of Columbia International University (CIU) is:

"To know Him and to make Him known."

On the CIU property

The purpose statement of CIU expresses the following:

"CIU educates people from a biblical worldview to impact the nations with the message of Christ."

We ask you to continue praying for us, as we get "sharpened" for our future ministry in Zambia.

Last Sunday we were invited by Rick & Jeanny Higgins to the local Zoo in Columbia. It was good medicine for us, since we are starting to miss Africa.

Please do not understand us wrong, Columbia comes close to African sunsets.

Thank you for continuing your support, especially through your prayers

Since the 15th of January 2013 we have arrived in Columbia,SC USA.

It is a privilege to be able to have a sabbatical.
We are in the process of registering and getting everything sorted, that studies can start on the 28th of January.
A very valuable time with family in Germany is behind us. Opa Pflaum celebrated his 86 birthday on January 13.

Opa Pflaum and two LM Mission Leaders

Opa has been and still is a great encouragement for us in the way how he and Oma live their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Opa & Oma at the birthday dinner

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As we have to cover a lot of new ground, we are valuing all your prayers in supporting our endeavors here at Columbia International University.

Our new home at CIU

The small lake on the CIU property