Hey friend

An amazing week went by so quickly. Last Tuesday we had our interview for the green card which went well. Then we went off to Mount Hood to speak at a snow camp. We spoke on 3 topics: there is a purpose for our life, we are all in need of a savior and last but not least, the need of community. It was a fantastic time where we saw God moving. We left the retreat Sunday with a sad feeling since we left back many new made friends. This coming week will be another exciting week with our alpha group tonight, boys and girls club, teaching the students, coffee shop meetings, business men meeting, elderly meeting, game night, small group meeting and starting Saturday a really good friend from Germany comes for a visit. Yeah. Please keep us in your prayers this week. Pray that we are sensitive to Gods guidance with all the upcoming events.

How a Amish horse and buggy speaks about value

When I was in Pennsylvania Uncle Dave gave me a buggy ride. On the ride he was telling me about the horse and how he bought it at an auction. The horse was brought there to be sold to a butcher for meat, since one of his legs was lame and his hoof was partially ripped.  Dave took it home and gave it some time to rest.  After a while the hoof healed and the leg recovered. Now the horse is the best horse Dave ever had. I believe that is the way God sees us and all people. He doesn’t just see the things that are wrong with us, but instead he sees our potential. He doesn’t look at the outside and at what people say about us, but instead he looks at our heart. He picks the people that the world often rejects and uses them in a powerful way for his purposes. Another interesting thing of the buggy ride is this one: God sometimes puts us into a season of rest to recharge, grow and heal so we can live in the full potential he placed in us. What is God speaking to you in this season? Are you like the horse and need a season of rest and healing, or are you in the season to run forward? Pray about it.

We also added 2 videos for you. 1 of our wonderful buggy ride, the second one about a wonderful song we sang at the retreat.

Have a blessed week

Markus and Jen

Hey friends

We hope your week was fantastic. We started to get ready for a snow camp in Oregon we speak at this upcoming weekend. Please pray that God gives us the right word to speak to the youth there. So far more than 50 youth signed up. We also had a really good ministry week with great conversations at the coffee shop and home visits. God really moved in the lives of the people. Today the students starts working in north Beach which will be a huge blessing. Please keep them and us in your prayers in this season.

What about the bullie

Last week I talked about how a nice word can change the course of someone’s life that gets bullied. But this week I want to talk about the person that bullies. When you think about Jesus and how he called us to love our enemies, you see that we are called to love the bully as well. To bring change we always need to think about both sides of the picture. But how?

First of all we have to see them with Gods eyes, meaning see all of them. People don’t just become bullies. In 99% of the cases there is a reason behind it. Many times people act out that way because they want to get the feelings of hurt out of there system (abusive home, seeing all people around them act the same way etc.). In other cases they are insecure themselves and play hard so that no one sees there insecurities since that is seen as weakness in many cultures. Whatever the case is, bullies are often hurt people as well. They believe that if they hurt others it makes them feel better about their situation.

But how can we bring change to someone like that? First of all, start praying for them daily. Love on them and show them that they are deeply loved (maybe give them a hug). Act with them in the opposite spirit: They are angry, you love on them (look at the example of Jesus at the cross Luke 23.34). Try to build relationship and help them to see their true value in Jesus. All this is easier said then done, but if all of us start working on it, we can make a big change. Start change this week. Start praying for a bully at work or in your school or in your everyday life.

Have a blessed week.

Markus and Jen

Hey friend

We hope you had a great week. Ours was good. We got back into the rhythm of things. We were also meeting about the new year and things ahead. Its going to be an exciting year. Today our new DTS Students are arriving. Please keep us in your prayers in this season since we got some exciting things planned with them. They will be here till the end of March!

Hope against bullying, maybe an answer to the events of Connecticut

During many years of work with youth I noticed more and more how loneliness is many times directly connected to bullying. When someone gets bullied during their time in school they either start acting out or isolating themselves. We saw many cases in the Media were students acted out and ended up shooting others in their schools. But we often don’t see anything in the media that pays attention to the majority of them which flee behind computers or other things that keep them away from the pain. During my high school time I was bullied for many years and I saw on myself that it took away hope in my life. For many years I felt hopeless and didn’t know why I’m even here. But when I became a Christian God got ahold of me and started to heal the broken parts in me and made me able to understand people that are in similar situation. Out of my own experience as well as my work with youth I know that one thing always helped, if someone cared about you or just said a nice word. That is something the person can hold on to for weeks and see hope. We all can make a difference in that area, if it is in school or at the workplace or anywhere else we get in touch with people. Watch out for people that are bullied and speak hope to them. You might be the only one that does. Be the hands and feet of Jesus to the ones that really need it. You might help to save lives.

Have a blessed week

Markus and Jen

Hey friend

Wow we are already one week into the New Year. Time is flying. Jen and I made it back safely to San Francisco. Last week we started talking and meeting about 2013 and we are excited to see what God has in store for this time. Pray that we will hear God clearly on his plans for this New Year.  Please keep also praying for our friend from the neighborhood who starts his cancer treatment in the next few weeks. Thank you for all your prayers.

Why do you give your best for the work you are doing?

When I started End Loneliness about 2.5 years ago I knew that it would be a challenge and that it would not be easy. But I also knew that whenever God spoke something in the past He made it happen. Looking back I can see that again. Starting End Loneliness was probably the most challenging and the hardest thing I ever did, and many times I was wondering if we are on the right track. It challenged me in my faith so many times especially when you hear many times discouraging words from people spoken out of fear. I kept asking God the question if we are on the right track and each time the same answer, keep going you are on the right track. Also many times that was confirmed through prophetic words from strangers. But sometimes that can still be hard if you don’t see big results. But these are the times were you have to trust God. He called us to be obedient to whatever he calls us. It doesn’t matter if we see immediate results. Some people in the bible never saw the promises in their lifetime, like Abraham. God promised him to make him into a big nation. That happened years after he died. But he stayed obedient and trusted God even when he asked him to sacrifice his son who was, speaking in human logic, important for the promise.

Now after 2.5 years I start seeing more and more fruits in different areas with the coffee shop work, the boys and girls club and all the investments we did in people’s lives start paying off. I believe that all the other things he spoke will come through as well. Our God is faithful and his promises are true, we just have to keep believing Him.

I want to encourage you with this to stay obedient to your calling and to also ask yourself those questions:
Why you press into the work you are doing?
Are you doing it to not look like a fool and to proof that you can do it or do you not care about the Glory and do it because you love God and want to bring Glory to Him?

Think and pray through that question. Start this New Year with a new perspective.

Have a blessed week

Markus and Jen

P.s. Our COD or Mission Adventures Department still needs help for the spring. If you have no plans for the  next few month, use your life to make a difference. Here is some info how:

“A great way to get involved here at YWAM San Francisco for a few months is through our Cities Outreach Internship. Interns act as temporary staff helping us equip and minister alongside groups that come here for outreach by befriending and ministering to the marginalized of San Francisco while simultaneously enabling others to do the same.

Internships run year round and our next two are: January 28-May 7, 2013 and May 28-August 14 2013. Contact us at cod@ywamsanfrancisco.org for more information.”