Last 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

Recently 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.

We 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