Tag Archives: hoffnung

Love your neighbor Part 1 say hello

Leave a reply

love your neighbor part 1Last week we started this series with writing about the issue that 7 out of 10 Americans don’t know there neighbor. For the next weeks we want to give you some helpful tips on how to change that.

To get to know neighbors we have to start the initial contact. It can be as simple as saying hello and asking how they are doing. When we moved to North Beach we made an effort to say hello to people that live around us. Sometimes we saw them in front of their house cleaning or we meet them while they walked around. A simple hello and name exchange started to build a relationship. The next time we saw our neighbors we could actually call them by name.  We also know that this can be harder if you live in a suburb where people drive back from work right into their garage, but even there you can still do it. Just walk up to their house ring the bell and introduce yourself as the neighbor. It opens up conversation.

This is the challenge for this week:

  1. Set aside time to say hey to your neighbors
  2. Take an effort and meet your immediate neighbors by just introducing yourself

You can do it!!

Hey our friend

We hope you had a wonderful week. We celebrated independence day with a barbecue to which we invited our neighbor friends and other friends from the city. It was a wonderful time!

We also had many great dinners this week at our house with Pastor friends. It was a wonderful time. It is always fun to spend time with like minded friends.

Please keep our encouragement group in your prayers. We want to see the concept spread to different areas and see people start them. But for that to happen we have to write a how to. Pray for Gods guidance in that.

It’s a blessing to know you

Have a great week

Markus and Jen

7 out of 10 Americans don’t know there neighbor!

Leave a reply

7 out of americansRecently Jen was researching for a speech she was going to hold at a citywide neighborhood watch captain meeting and found this information. 7 out of 10 Americans (70%) don’t know there neighbor. Isn’t it sad that we don’t know the people that live closest to us? The article also talked about that when neighbors actually know and have relationship with each other, crime goes down in those communities. Why? Because everybody is watching out for each other.

When we think about the 2 greatest commandment Jesus gave us in Mark 12.30-31 we see the biblical implication of this:

30  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. ’There is no commandment greater than these.”

Jesus called us to love our neighbor as the second highest command, but how can we do that if we don’t even know them? This is a challenge for each one of us! I remember when Jen and I started to say hello to neighbors on the street and then started having barbecues brunches, dinner etc. The outcome of that was that we ended up having wonderful neighbor friends that we love dearly. But it took an action to get to that place.  Here are some questions to ponder on:

  1. How can I meet my neighbors? (bring over cookies, have them over for dinner etc.)
  2. How can I love them? (help them shopping, being a listening ear etc.)
  3. What actions do I have to take? (greet neighbors, have a brunch, come up with a plan etc.)
  4. What do I have to change to set times for that? (work schedule, social schedule etc.)

When you start doing that, not only your neighbors will benefit from that, no but you will. You will have great friends that live really close to you.

Hey friend

Relationships, Relationships, Relationships! This is the biggest part of our life here in San Francisco. During the last week we went to Neighborhood watch captains meeting where Jen was asked to speak. It was a great time that keeps connecting us with people in the city that are passionate about there neighborhood.

IMG_0038We also had our Winter DTS Graduation which was in one way a happy thing but on the other side a sad thing. We will miss those wonderful students!! Pray that God will guide them in there next steps and how to move forward in their lives.

Last Saturday we celebrated that I got my permanent Greencard with a Greencard Party with neighbors and friends that have the same privilege. It was as well a wonderful time to connect.

We want to encourage you with the first part of the blog and our life to invest in relationships. It has the power to change your life, neighborhood and community.

Markus and Jen

It is well with my soul

Leave a reply

it is well with my soulLast year when we were on our way to Germany to go to the funeral of my grandpa we had to go on a 6 hour drive to LA. On that drive we listened to worship music and the song it is well with my soul just kept coming back on. It really encouraged me and brought me hope during that time. When I looked into the story of the song I was amazed. It was written by a Chicago lawyer after he went through many tragedies. First he lost his son, then he lost most of his wealth in the big Chicago fire and then he sent his wife and daughters to Europe for a vacation on which trip the ship collided and all 4 of his daughters died. On his way over to meet with his grieving wife he wrote this song:

1. When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
when sorrows like sea billows roll;
whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say:

Chorus:
It is well, it is well, with my soul. It is well, with my soul!
It is well, with my soul! It is well, it is well, with my soul!

2. Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
let this blest assurance control, that Christ has regarded
my helpless estate, and hath shed His own blood for my soul.

3. My sin, o, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole, is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more.
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

4. For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live: if Jordan above me shall roll,
no pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

5. But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
the sky, not the grave, is our goal; O trump of the angel!
O voice of the Lord! Blessèd hope, blessèd rest of my soul!

6. And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
the clouds be rolled back as a scroll. The trump shall resound,
and the Lord shall descend, even so, it is well with my soul.

His life was hit by one tragedy after the other, but in all of that he kept his focus on God. I’m sure he didn’t understand why things happened the way they happened, but he choose to keep believing that his Father in Heaven is good and does not want any bad for him. Ask yourself those questions:

  1. Do you truly believe that God is good even in times of challenge?
  2. If not, what do you think makes you believe it is not true?
  3. Spend time praying and ask God how you can see this truth again in your life!

Hey our friend

We hope you had a wonderful week. My brother and his wife left to go back to Germany. We had a wonderful time with them and look forward to see them again!! I was also meeting with a friend who uses the ministry concept to bring hope to his community. We also shared with one of my old students from Switzerland on how to impact his area with the ministry concept. God is starting to bring in more people who have a heart for their neighbors and community and want to use the concept there. Keep praying that all those starts will be fruitful.

Thank you for your Prayer and financial support. You are such a huge blessing to us. We are still in need of $1440 more monthly support to be fully funded. If you or someone you know would like to join our team in that way click on this link to see how!

Have a blessed week

Markus and Jen

Invest in your neighborhood Part 2 Strategy

Leave a reply

strategyWE hope you had some time to look at the different areas in your neighborhood in which help is needed. This week we want to write about on how to be strategic in moving forward in those areas.

  1. Time: This is a really important point to plan a successful strategy. Think about how much time you want to invest each week. Plan realistically and don’t forget the areas that already use time in your planning(Family time, Church, Hobbies, Rest). Also think about how long you would like the project to go 1 year, 5 years etc.
  2. What do you need? In order to have a good strategy you need to realistically asses the things you have and the things you need. As an example, if you start helping out at a project that already exists you don’t need a lot. Or if you start picking up trash in your neighborhood all you need is some gloves and a trash bag. But if you are tackling a bigger thing, you might need more people and resources. Also think about if you can work on this project together with your family. Ok start thinking about what you need!
  3. Come up with a plan! Now you are at a point in which you have planned for resources and time but you haven’t come up with a schedule. To move things forward it is always important to have a plan, since often things that are not planned moved back on the priority list and eventually are forgotten. Write in your calendar the times that you want to do the work. Write down what you plan to do in those times, as an example: Thursday April 30th 5-6pm Prayer time for the new project, 6-8pm Work on the project, pick up trash on Ellis street.
    As more detailed you plan, as more you can make a difference. But really important, planning should always come out of praying. It is really important to get Gods heart and His plan! We often saw how God gave us different strategies then we planned during times of Prayer.

And now it’s time to start! Have a wonderful time coming up with a strategic plan!

Hey our friend

We hope you had a wonderful week. We had an event with a local neighborhood association we are involved with. During the evening the new President was elected and different other board members for various roles. Jen is still part of the board in her role as the social event planner. Please pray that we can keep being a blessing in every part we are involved.

May God give you a strategic week! Remember that you are amazing and loved!!

Markus and Jen

Alfred Nobel’s (peace price) legacy

Leave a reply

Hey our friend

20141004_165423_Richtone(HDR)We hope you had a wonderful week. Here in San Francisco we are experiencing right now our summer months with temperatures up to 96F which is very unusual for here but we wont complain since we actually really enjoy it! About 6 months ago we started an encouragement group at Café Roma. It is amazing to see how each person that comes is encouraged when they leave. It is a very simple concept but it literally brings hope and courage to people. Start one in your area. Email us to learn more on how to do it.

Please keep praying with us in this season for North Beach San Francisco. Over the last few months we had many car break ins in our neighborhood as well as robberies and other violence. Most of that violence is located on Broadway which holds 8 strip clubs in a very small area, which draws many other problems. Pray for protection over the police while they are doing their job and pray for the people that go into the clubs as well as the women that work there. Pray for Gods peace and love to come to those places. Thank you for praying with us!

Alfred Nobel’s (peace price) legacy

20141004_165257A little while ago  I heard the story of Alfred Nobel, the founder of the nobel prize (see more of his story on Wikipedia). Nobel was the one that invented dynamite. Many years into his life his brother Ludvig died while being in Cannes. But the French newspapers thought Alfred died and wrote this as an obituary: “Le marchand de la mort est mort (“The merchant of death is dead”) Dr. Alfred Nobel, who became rich by finding ways to kill more people faster than ever before, died yesterday.”

After Alfred read his own obituary he came to the realization that people would remember him of something he doesn’t want to be remembered for. So he created the Nobel Prize. In his will he left 94% of all his money towards those prices. The most famous one is the Nobel Peace price and that is also the thing Nobel is remembered for.

If a newspaper would write a obituary about you today what would they write about you? But more important what would you like them to write about you? But the most important what would God want them to write about you?

These are good questions to ask when we go on with our everyday life. Ask yourself and then write out a obituary for yourself with all the things you want to be remembered for as well the things God called you for. Read it every morning and live your day focused on that finish.

Remember!!

Have a blessed week

Markus and Jen

http://youtu.be/JPOVwKPMG8o

P.s. Any fulltime ministry always comes with a cost. For Jen and me it is the cost of San Francisco. City ministry is expensive, but in the same way really needed since more and more people in the world live in cities. Consider joining our support team. We still have a way to go, but we are praying for that by January next year we are fully funded through committed monthly support. During this year we lost a few monthly supporters, so to reach that goal we need about $2852 more monthly. You can support us with any amount you like since no gift is too small or too big. Click here to find out more on how to do it! Thank you for considering us.