10. Jul 2023

Lain - Polling

I slept real good, and needed it. The days leading up to my departure I had so much to take care of that I went to bed late and got up early. I was so exhausted after the hot day yesterday. Dirk and Meike Hellmann (Photo 2) are great friends who took me in for the night. They have a little cottage on a lake, so it was nice to cool off yesterday evening with a short swimm in the water. Dirk and Meike led for many years the Teen Challenge Rehab ministy in our area. They then went to India to start a new center in Goa. Unfortunately they had to leave the country during the days of corona, and then an aggresive cancer ate away at Dirk's neckbone. His head is literally screwed on to his shoulders. Inspite of constant pain, Dirk is a living testimony of God's sustaining grace. Dirk is another one of those people that I think of when the going gets tough. He gathered his strength this morning to walk, talk and pray with me for the first kilometers.

Pastor Andreas Reusser is another one of my heroes (Photo 5). He works full-time, has a family and leads a small congregation in a very challenging region. They are praying and believing for greater things. This evening there was a prayer meeting and I wanted to get there in time or it. I tried to keep a good pace, even though I felt the blisters with every step. After about 25 kilometers storm clouds started coming together (Photo 4). Fortunately Pastor Andy saw me on his way home from work and picked me up about 3 kilometers shy of my destination. I am glad he did. It was such a heavy rain. It was a great prayer meeting. I stayed the evening with Andy's parents. I was so glad I did not spend this night in the tent!

Europe needs more people like Dirk, Meike, Andy and his wife Lucia who are willing to invest their lives for God's purposes. Pray that God would raise up such people!