“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” Isaiah 26:3
“There is power in your prayer, I can feel it!” exclaimed Jihye.
We had been friends for years. Jihye lived just up the street and was someone who had become more and more open to the things of God as our friendship grew. And it was a genuine friendship. We had shared hardships and joys and gave equally in the relationship.
Going for walks, eating dinner together and watching the occasional movie were things we liked to do. Even though she was my mom’s age and grew up on the other side of the world, we still had a connection. We both understood what it was like to struggle with anxiety, experience loss and also hunger for spiritual things. And God had brought us together.
Then there was the time at the end of a dinner where she opened up about bitterness towards someone who had hurt her tremendously. The idea of forgiveness seemed to be a bit foreign and I excitedly shared about the freedom and peace that it brings.
Leading her through a prayer, she was amazed at the instant transformation as peace flooded into her heart and mind. We were both so excited to see how the prayer “worked” even in the midst of speaking out the words! She had met the “Prince of peace”. And this was just the beginning. God would continue to touch Jihye and bring her closer to the one who loves her the most.
Hi Friends
Through all of the ups and downs of this year, we have experienced the steady and true peace of God. As you see from the story above; we have this peace not to keep to ourselves but to offer to the people who live right around us. It’s not just an abstract concept but a person.
In this season we celebrate the Prince of peace- Jesus! This kind of calm is not dependent on circumstances. It’s one that can be experienced in every season of the soul. We’d like to challenge you to ask God how to share this good news with your neighbors and neighborhood as we enter a New Year.
Looking back at 2024:
Hospitality
This year brought about more opportunities to host through a new and larger home. Our new space was such an answer to years of prayer! One of our first gatherings was having over 40 individuals from the neighborhood, church and YWAM, over to celebrate our home and also Markus’ birthday. Having brunches, BBQ’s and holiday events also helped to bring people into community in our new space. Hospitality continues to be one of our favorites ways of building friendships and helping to bring individuals out of isolation.
Families
We continue to connect with mom’s, Dad’s and children, who we wouldn’t ever have come into contact with before having a child. Being able to pray for and support families in the neighborhood has been such a blessing to us. Looking over a list of names that we pray over from time to time, it came out to 90 plus people! We are so thankful to be able to be a part of the really significant sphere of society called “family”.
Training
We feel like we are entering more and more into a season of teaching and training. It’s not just about us loving our neighbors and neighborhood but seeing this idea multiplied and spread throughout the city, nation and world! We experienced multiple times of being able to inspire others into action through workshops, speaking engagements, prayer walks, etc. We are looking forward to seeing a 6-8 week course come together where we can train pastors, ministry leaders and lay people!
Thank You
Thank you for being a part of engaging San Francsico with a loving God! We could not have done what we’ve done this year without your prayers and support!
And if you read this newsletter and wonder how can I be part of this, we would love for you to join our ministry team through prayer, finances or by loving your direct neighbors. Here’s how you can join. To join our prayer team simply email Jen at Jen.haeusser1977@gmail.com. To join our financial support team go to https://markus-jen-news.com/support/ to find out more info. For weekly tips on how to love your direct neighbors follow us on Instagram: @Loveyourneighborsf or Facebook @l-y-n Thank you for joining!
We bless you in this Christmas Season and look forward to all of the good things that God has for you in 2025!
Markus, Jen and Caleb
