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

This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. John 3.16-17 The Message

This coming Sunday we are celebrating a day that has great implications in our lives, Easter. Easter is the day when the famous verse in John 3.16 became fully reality, God gave His Son for us that we can have eternal life. That reality can change your life forever. When you keep reading  on in the text you notice that God gave us a choice.

Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him. John 3.18 The Message

We can choose to accept that offer or we can refuse it. A good father wants his children to make the right choice, but he also lets them choose. True love can only be expressed by being able to choose. So God showed true love for each one of us, but now it’s on us to choose Him and by doing that falling more and more in love with Him. Even the guys that hang at the cross with Jesus had a choice. What is your choice?

Happy Easter friend

We hope you had a great week of reflecting on Easter and what it means for you personally. Jen and I both love how God is showering us with His love every day. It doesn’t matter if we have a good or a bad day.  We can see daily as an example how it affects how we do ministry and how we love people. If we feel loved by Him it is so much easier to let His love overflow through us into others even if we don’t feel like it. During the last week we had a much needed vacation. God really refreshed both of us in this time. It was wonderful.

Thank you for all your prayers and financial support. You are a huge blessing to us!

Have a blessed Easter time.

Markus and Jen

Over the last 3 weeks we talked about different things that make a good friendship: Being committed and consistent, to have a depth and trust and also to have fun. Today we want to close with a topic that lays the main foundation for any friendship and relationship: Friendship is not a business!

What do we mean with that? Let me explain it with the example of a business: The idea of a business is to see what we can get out of it. If you start a business and you hand out gifts to customers, you are doing that with an afterthought. You hopefully get more out of that customer then what you invested in him. You are not just investing in them without a reason.

A true friendship and relationship on the other side should never be based on what we can get out of it, but instead we should always ask ourselves, what can we invest into it to help the friend. When both sides do that it creates something deeper. The Easter week is a great example of that: God didn’t put conditions on us when He sent his son. No he actually send Him while we were still sinners.

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5.8 NIV”

That is truth for friendships and relationships too. When we invest in a friendship it always needs to come out of a heart of wanting the best for the other person. When both sides do that, the friendship can go on a deeper and better level. We want to challenge you to think about your friendships and how you can become a better friend. Start it by by not thinking about to get anything in return. Also in this coming Easter week remember how God showed His great love for you!!

Hey our friend

We hope you had a super fantastic week. If we would have to give our week a title it would be community. We had so many events this week to connect with community. It started with a board meeting of a neighborhood association, went to coffee shop meetings, to a game night, a German night, an encouragement group, a YWAM community night and a play. To be involved in your community and the lives of the people, you need to connect with them, and all those events are great ways to do that. We want to encourage you to get involved into your neighborhood community and bring the love of the Father.

Thank you for all your prayers and support. You are truly a blessing to us!

May God shower your with His unconditional love this week

Your friends

Markus and Jen

Thanks for joining us for Part 3 in our friendship series. Over the last 2 weeks we talked about the importance of consistency and commitment, and also depth and trust and how they lead to a true friendship. Our question and challenge last week was to share one thing that you would normally not share with a good friend. How did that go? What did it do to your friendship?

This week we want to talk about fun. To have a solid friendship you need to have fun with each other. I remember when my friend Ben used to live in San Francisco we sometimes went out and tried different foods. We both love food and it brought joy to both of us.

Having times of just fun together will create a well-rounded friendship. If you are always just serious you are actually missing out on a side of friendship. When you do things together that you love, it will bring relaxation and refreshment for both of you. Having fun together creates memories and inside jokes that you will laugh about for the rest of your life. Fun times also help you through hard times. When you go through a rough patch in your friendship, looking back at fun times you had together makes you appreciate the other person more and also help you to forgive easier. Think about Jesus and his ministry. He went to many fun things: wedding, dinners etc. He knew that sometimes the way to get to people was to have fun with them. We were also created for rest and refreshment. So let’s have fun in our friendships.

So how can you apply that? Do one fun activity with your friend this week that you both love, and from now on start doing that every week. Also do the same with neighbors (future friends) you share the good news with. You will see how your friendship will change.

Hey our friend

We hope you had a great week. Our week had many fun moments. We were invited to a fundraiser for the work of the boys and girls club. This is the place we invest in a lot with our students. We also went to a concert of a friend Jen made through a book club meeting. It was a wonderful week. When you go to events in your community it connects you more with your community and people can see more the love of Jesus in you.

Please keep us in your prayers in this more busy season. Thank you for being part of our life, it means a lot to us.

Have a blessed week

Markus and Jen