During our time living here in North Beach we started to see what is needed in our community. One thing was safety. So we joined a neighborhood watch group to help our community to become more safe. Since that group started people started watching out for each other and it also gave us the opportunity to meet more of our neighbors through the meetings.

We also met up with different non profit organizations and checked with them how we can help out. Through that we got connected with youth work and work with the elderly. Both of them really needed help in the  work they are doing.

All of those opportunities took a little bit of research, but it was fairly simple to find out. During the first few months of the work here in north beach we walked every single street and prayed over it to see Gods heart for the area. It really helped us to get a clearer perspective on what is needed as well.

But how can you start in your community? Start by thinking about what your neighborhood needs and talk to people in your neighborhood to hear their input. After that, check in with local non profits, churches and other local places to see if they need help or hear from them what is needed. Start writing all the things down, so you can look at them later.

Get ready, now its time to get started with research!!

Hey our friend

We hope you had a wonderful week. Our week was very eventful with a game night, an encouragement group, a staff day and a bachelor party for our friend Kevin Tsui. At some of those events we saw again how important it is to find out what is needed in the community and then to bring it.

We are praying that God will give you a fantastic week with lots of moments of encouragement! Remember that you are amazing and loved!!

Markus and Jen

We live in one of the biggest tech cities in the world and we see daily new products and services coming out of it. Technology can be a blessing to us or a curse, it just depends how we use it. If we get stuck on Facebook or other tech related services and spend all of our off time on them, tech can become a curse to us. But on the other side Jen and I use Facebook to communicate with friends all over the world and also use it to share about what God is doing here in San Francisco and encourage others through it, then it is a blessing.

Last summer I (Markus) started an experiment in which I canceled my cell phone service. The reason I did it was to live in the opposite spirit of the city in which everyone is always on their cellphone and through that never totally present with the person that is right in front of them. When I started in August with it, I realized after a few months that I can still get all the work done but I am able to have deeper conversations with people without distractions. The other thing I started to do was setting times aside where I was working on or with technology, through that I was able to have better control over the times technology is used.

So you see technology can have a huge impact in our life and can take control of many areas. It’s the same as when Jesus talked about money and about how money in itself is not bad, but the love of it is the problem. The same is true for technology.

Ask yourself some of those questions:

What outcome does it have in the long run, when I start to use a certain new technology?
How is technology a blessing to you and how a curse?
How can you use technology to be a blessing to others?

Hey our friend

We hope you had a wonderful week. We had many moments of ministry during this week which was a real blessing. It is amazing to see how God uses little things to impact people deeply. Little words of encouragement, little gifts or little moments of your time. We want to encourage you to do something little daily for someone in your life.

Thank you for praying with us over this Easter time for people in San Francisco and the rest of the world to really get to know there loving father.

Have a blessed week

Markus and Jen

When google earth came out I was really impressed by the fact how you could see every area of the world. You are able to zoom in and see more details of the actual area, or you can zoom out and you can see a bigger picture of everything that is surrounding it.

For us a Christians it is really important to think about the whole picture when we share about Jesus with people. When we reach out to people it is important for each one of us to see all sides of the person, the zoomed in version as well as the surrounding areas. 2 examples:

1. When we look at a homeless person our first assumption is that what they need is food, out of our experience that is only partially true. Many times that person needs someone to talk to or listen to them more than the food.  But also another important thing is to know why the person actually ended up on the street (family problems, lack of love, lost job, health etc. ). With those details you are able to have a more focused approach and you can actually have a greater way to really help them.
2. Now lets look at a wealthy person . Many times its easy to look at a rich person and say they don’t need anything since they have everything. But that is mostly not true either. Many times people that look as if they have it all, are even more in need of a friend and someone that cares for them. So when you actually get to know the people you notice a lot of brokenness and hurt behind all the money and power. Many times you can tell by the way they grew up. You have a father that always works and doesn’t really care about you and never spends time with you. When you grow up you end up becoming a man that doesn’t care about others.

So if you go in with the zoom and also zoom out you can find those details. That opens the door for you to pray for them and give them the support they need.

We want to encourage you to look at the whole person. look at what made them the way they are now and if that is a bad thing, help them to heal. You can make a difference in the lives of people by just being there for them when they find healing and restoration.

Bring the light and be a light!

Hey our friend

We hope you had a wonderful time celebrating Easter. San Francisco has every year a Easter Service on Mount Davidson below a beautiful big cross. The cross overlooks a big part of the city. Pray with us that especially  in this time people in this city and all over the world see the cross and through it the love the Father showed to each one of us by giving His Son. We were able to celebrate Easter with our neighbors and friends at our house. It was a wonderful time. Maybe invite some people over to share with them about His love.

Thank you for partnering with us and the work here in San Francisco through Prayer and financial support. You are such a blessing to us! May God bless you richly.

Your friends

Markus and Jen