Showing Love at Christmas in Germany

It was 8 PM. Our kind neighbor from across the street rang the doorbell to bring us some homemade strawberry syrup. Obviously, a good relationship is established. Well, that syrup just gave us the ‘momentum’ to give her the Women’s Bible and share the hope of Jesus with her (John 3:16). God touched her heart right then and there. The tears were streaming down her cheeks as many painful memories of the past and the ever-present feeling of insignificance overwhelmingly caught her once again - it was God’s timing to begin the process of removing some residue that had stagnated in her heart for years. We held hands and prayed. We know, the victory is His as we continue sharing the message of Love & Hope of Jesus! And how more fitting than at Christmastime! Upon leaving Rosi got a big hug with an affirmation - God cares!

Thirty minutes later the phone rang. It was our other neighbors inviting us over for Advent coffee and cake. Sitting at the beautifully decorated table, again we were able to share about our faith in Jesus as they began to ask questions. Just the other day we had a deep conversation about our faith with another neighbor, giving her literature to continue her quest. As we let our light shine, people are drawn to the TRUTH, the Hope & Love of JESUS!

- Richard and Minna Boettiger

AGWM - Germany

A Milestone in Germany

On November 5, 2017, Stuttgart Missional Community Church (SMCC) celebrated its five-year anniversary. Founded and pastored by AGWM personnel, Matt and Stacey Leighty, the church ministers to our U.S. service personnel based in that area of Germany. SMCC held its first service six months after the Leighty’s arrival. They have been able to acquire their own church building which was a miracle from God. Countless men, women, and children have called SMCC their church home while they lived in Germany. The Leightys have been able to disciple and care for them during that time.

Out of the families that helped start the church, only two remain in Germany today. But the church is still growing! The Leightys state, “Change and transition is just a way of life here – but we are glad that the church is something stable in an always changing culture. We thank God for everyone He has sent and everyone He is continuing to send to our church.”

Who is hungry for God in Spain?

University students in Spain, and elsewhere in Europe, are hungry for God. Take the case of Carmen in Granada, Spain. During her first year at university and, though a declared atheist, she quickly became a regular of the ministry outreach of AGWM personnel, Shawn and Deb. She went to their Christian retreats and visited their church, as well. She heard the gospel again and again. This fall, Carmen moved to Switzerland as part of a study-abroad program, and she asked if such a ministry existed there. It doesn’t! But she was told about a partner ministry in Grenoble, France, not too far away from the Swiss border.

Carmen, the former atheist, spent her money and traveled to France to go on a weekend Christian retreat with Students for Christ, despite never having met any of them. She had a wonderful time and reported that she was filled up spiritually and has grown closer to God. 

Who is so hungry for more of Jesus that they would travel alone to another country to attend a weekend retreat with strangers? Spanish former-atheist students.

Witnessing the Evolution of Missions in Slovakia

If there is anything that missionaries hope to witness in the country in which they are serving, is that the people will first experience the love and forgiveness of Christ. After that, they want them to catch the vision of missions and begin to pour their lives into the their own people who are without Christ. It is exactly this which John and Daralena Bean, AGWM personnel in Slovakia are experiencing.

John relates, “Recently, Daralena, our daughter Dessa, and I were distributing clothes and other essentials to a very poor Roma village where the inhabitants have only known the Lord for a short time. In our few minutes of visiting, they were sharing with us the great joy they were experiencing by going once or twice a week to a neighboring village to share the love of Christ with their own people. It is exciting to know it was in this very village that we had to cancel one of our teams from going there a year ago because there was intense fighting among the people. Thankfully, we are hearing this same testimony coming from a number of other Roma villages.”