Hello friend

We hope you had a wonderful week. Ours was exciting but also a bit hard. After we got back from the retreat Jen had a cold which lasted for most of the week. By Tuesday night I got hit with it as well which grounded me for the rest of the week. On Monday and Tuesday we had a great time with the students. We prayer walked all over north Beach, worked with the boys and girls club and did a teaching on bullying. On Monday night we also had the alpha meeting at our house. It was a really good time as always. On Wednesday night I forced myself out of bed to host a class from our church at our house. It was a really good time. Please keep praying for the people we work with in North Beach that they find true freedom and hope. Also thank you for your prayers for the retreat. 3 people gave their life to Jesus and many got encouraged in their faith. Oh and a last one, I Markus got my green card in the mail last Friday, so no more waiting for visas. Praise God

Meat or a way of how a loving father blessed me and Jen

Last Sunday Jen and I talked about life and in some way we got on the topic meat and my love for it. I told her that I don’t eat as much meat anymore since it is pretty expensive and our budget is tightly planned. Literally 1 minute after that conversation our doorbell rang and one of our neighbors was waiting out there. He asked me if I would like to have some ribs and of course I would never say no to meatJ. So he came back and literally brought me at least 10 pounds of ribs. I was just standing there and could not believe what just happened.

If you think about a the best father you know and how he wants the best for his child, just think about how many great things God wants for you. God is a loving father who deeply cares about you. He wants the best for your life. Sometimes it is hard to understand especially if you had no example of a good father.  We want to encourage you this week to really look at and think about how you see God as a father. That can affect every area of your faith as well as practical things in your life. It can also affect your motivation on why you do things. Are you doing them for God because you feel you have to, or do you do them because you love him and know that it is the best thing you can do? Do you believe that God wants to bless you personally? To get a better picture of how he sees you read or watch through this love letter from god’s side as a father. Life is too short to live it without knowing and believing that you are truly loved by your father.

Have a blessed week

Markus and Jen

My Child,

 

You may not know me,

but I know everything about you.

Psalm 139:1

I know when you sit down and when you rise up.

Psalm 139:2

I am familiar with all your ways.

Psalm 139:3

Even the very hairs on your head are numbered.

Matthew 10:29-31

For you were made in my image.

Genesis 1:27

In me you live and move and have your being.

Acts 17:28

For you are my offspring.

Acts 17:28

I knew you even before you were conceived.

Jeremiah 1:4-5

I chose you when I planned creation.

Ephesians 1:11-12

You were not a mistake,

for all your days are written in my book.

Psalm 139:15-16

I determined the exact time of your birth

and where you would live.

Acts 17:26

You are fearfully and wonderfully made.

Psalm 139:14

I knit you together in your mother’s womb.

Psalm 139:13

And brought you forth on the day you were born.

Psalm 71:6

I have been misrepresented

by those who don’t know me.

John 8:41-44

I am not distant and angry,

but am the complete expression of love.

1 John 4:16

And it is my desire to lavish my love on you.

1 John 3:1

Simply because you are my child

and I am your Father.

1 John 3:1

I offer you more than your earthly father ever could.

Matthew 7:11

For I am the perfect father.

Matthew 5:48

Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand.

James 1:17

For I am your provider and I meet all your needs.

Matthew 6:31-33

My plan for your future has always been filled with hope.

Jeremiah 29:11

Because I love you with an everlasting love.

Jeremiah 31:3

My thoughts toward you are countless

as the sand on the seashore.

Psalms 139:17-18

And I rejoice over you with singing.

Zephaniah 3:17

I will never stop doing good to you.

Jeremiah 32:40

For you are my treasured possession.

Exodus 19:5

I desire to establish you

with all my heart and all my soul.

Jeremiah 32:41

And I want to show you great and marvelous things.

Jeremiah 33:3

If you seek me with all your heart,

you will find me.

Deuteronomy 4:29

Delight in me and I will give you

the desires of your heart.

Psalm 37:4

For it is I who gave you those desires.

Philippians 2:13

I am able to do more for you

than you could possibly imagine.

Ephesians 3:20

For I am your greatest encourager.

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

I am also the Father who comforts you

in all your troubles.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

When you are brokenhearted,

I am close to you.

Psalm 34:18

As a shepherd carries a lamb,

I have carried you close to my heart.

Isaiah 40:11

One day I will wipe away

every tear from your eyes.

Revelation 21:3-4

And I’ll take away all the pain

you have suffered on this earth.

Revelation 21:3-4

I am your Father, and I love you

even as I love my son, Jesus.

John 17:23

For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed.

John 17:26

He is the exact representation of my being.

Hebrews 1:3

He came to demonstrate that I am for you,

not against you.

Romans 8:31

And to tell you that I am not counting your sins.

2 Corinthians 5:18-19

Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled.

2 Corinthians 5:18-19

His death was the ultimate expression

of my love for you.

1 John 4:10

I gave up everything I loved

that I might gain your love.

Romans 8:31-32

If you receive the gift of my son Jesus,

you receive me.

1 John 2:23

And nothing will ever separate you

from my love again.

Romans 8:38-39

Come home and I’ll throw the biggest party

heaven has ever seen.

Luke 15:7

I have always been Father,

and will always be Father.

Ephesians 3:14-15

My question is…

Will you be my child?

John 1:12-13

I am waiting for you.

Luke 15:11-32

 

Love, Your Dad

Almighty God

 

Father’s Love Letter used by permission Father Heart Communications
© 1999-2011 www.FathersLoveLetter.com

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.”