In this blog series we want to show you that it is actually really easy to make an impact where you live. We hope you start to see that more by reading this series!

Last week we wrote about a book called Bo’s Café and how it talked about relationships. Another aspect it touches is how to have true friendships in which you can show your true face and you are still loved and accepted. The book shares the story of a man who had some real issues in his life and he ends up meeting a guy and a group of other people who keep loving and accepting him, but also help him to grow.

So how do you translate this into relationships with neighbors? Very easy. Just be who you really are. Don’t put on a fake mask. If you have a hard day or go through a struggle be real about it, because over time that opens the door for them to do the same. Also share about wonderful things happening and also just normal life, that shows that you are a real person in good and bad. It cuts down on expectations for people that if they become a Christian they have to be perfect and that would not be reality. Also being real opens the door for true love. How can you truly love people or how can they truly love you if they just know the fake mask. Look at Jesus, he showed how he felt anger (kicking out the merchants in the temple), grief (when Lazarus died) etc. What did it do for Him and his ministry? It opened the door for people to be real as well and it opened up a deeper relationship (see disciples).

Of course there is also a caution with that. You don’t share your deepest secrets with someone you just met. Of course it needs to come out of the level of relationship that exists. Jesus showed it well with his disciples, he shared the deepest things with them, but not necessarily with the 5000 people crowd.

Chew on those questions:

1. What holds me back from being real?
2. How can I be more real with my neighbors and people in my life?

Hey our friend

We hope you had a fantastic week. Jen and I were working this week a lot on admin stuff. It is important to do that to keep the ministry running. Jen is also hosting the bookclub this coming Monday so she was doing some cleaing for that as well.

But that is all ministry. Whatever you do to further the kingdom is ministry. So don’t look at certain jobs as more or as less important. Each one is equally needed.

Remember that this week when you do your job that God called you to!

Have a blessed week

Markus and Jen

In this blog series we want to show you that it is actually really easy to make an impact where you live. We hope you start to see that more by reading this series!

I just finished reading a book that a friend recommended to us called Bo’s Café (click on the link to find it on amazon) since it goes along with what we are doing as a ministry in SF. It is a Novel that tells a story of real friendships and how you walk alongside with each other in good and bad times. I believe that this is a key to greater relationships with your neighbors as well. But how do we do that?

I think one of the key things is just to be available and being there for people. That could look different in different circumstances. Sometimes it means to celebrate with them the birth of a child or a birthday, other times it might be grieving with them through the loss of a loved one or a job. The key phrase is be there for each other. But the same is true the other way around. When you go through good or bad seasons in your life you should also be at a place with them that you could easily walk over and know that they will be there for you.

But how do you establish a relationship like that? Read more about that in our next blog!

But for this week ask yourself these questions:

1. What do I actually know about how my neighbors are doing?
2. What effort do I take to find out how they are doing?
3. Do I know my neighbors birthdays and make sure to remember that day?

Take an action to move towards that!

 Hey our friend

We hope you had a wonderful week and started well into this new month! Our work here in San Francisco is going well. Soon the students for the fall DTS are joining us to work with the boys and girls club here in North Beach. Pray that God will use them to be a blessing to the children in the Club. Our heart for their time here is, to see the students get excited about reaching their own neighborhoods back home with the tools they learn here.

Last weekend we had a wonderful neighbor brunch which is always a great way to connect with neighbors and get to know them more. We love our community here!

Remember this week that one part of life is about giving and taking!

Have a blessed week

Markus and Jen

https://youtu.be/J4VqGsSc8MI

In this blog series we want to show you that it is actually really easy to make an impact where you live. We hope you start to see that more by reading this series!

One thing that is really fun and a good way to get to know your new friends even better is to do things together. You might ask now what do you mean with that? So as an example: Every year we have different fairs and parades in our city. We mostly go to the ones in our neighborhood. So instead of going by ourselves we just invite our neighbors to join us. Its that simple.

The great thing about this is, that somebody else sets everything up for you and all you have to do is show up. I think that is pretty awesome and easy. With times like that you actually get to know each other better since you are removed from all the usual environments you are normally in. That opens the door for a new way of learning new things about each other. Another great thing with that is, that you might get to know some friends of your neighbors too.

We believe being invited by someone always makes you feel more special and shows you that you are wanted.

One thing that is really important in this is to keep inviting your new friends. Don’t quit inviting them just because they couldn’t make it a few times. Keep inviting even if it takes a while for people to come.

1. Brainstorm and think about events that you could invite your neighbors to.
2. Invite them and keep inviting them even if they cant make it the first time!

Hey our friend

We hope your week was fantastic!! Jen and I took a short 3 day vacation to Yosemite National Park. It was amazing. If you click here you can see some more pictures.

For the next few weeks our life will be a bit busier since we have a block party coming up at the 20^th of September and Jen is greatly involved in the planning process. Pray for Gods strength and guidance for her. Last years block party was a lot of fun and it was a great way neighbors got to meet each other.

Think about ways how neighbors could meet each other in your community!

Remember that God wants to use you in your area of influence!

Have a blessed week

Markus and Jen

In this blog series we want to show you that it is actually really easy to make an impact where you live. We hope you start to see that more by reading this series!

Many times we heard people say why they can’t reach out to their neighbors. Reasons like I am an introvert, I have not enough space, I don’t have time. But with that we are limiting ourselves and God. Let me explain: If you are an introvert, you can say I am an introvert and don’t connect with others. Or you can be an introvert and connect with others in a way that works for you. As an example set the time and just invite one or two people at a time. If you do that, it will help you not to be overwhelmed but still gives you interaction with your neighbors.

So each of the areas where you say you can’t do it, will set a limit to what you can do. But if you spend time with God and ask Him what you can handle you can actually change that. In Matthew 11.30 it talks about how God would never give us more then we can handle. So since he called us to love our neighbor He also gave us ways to do that!

1. Think and pray about in which areas you set limitations to yourself.
2. Ask God how you can start seeing those areas in a realistic way.

When you do that it will open up many possibilities.

Hey our friend

We hope your week was fantastic!! We are back to normal life here in San Francisco after the weeks of working on the book and beeing at the YWAM Retreat. Times like that help to get new perspective and forward thinking. We want to encourage you to take times like that in your life. Times where you just focus on something different, so you can get even more passion for the everyday things.

Remember this week that Father God has a great plan for you.

Have a blessed week

Markus and Jen

In this blog series we want to show you that it is actually really easy to make an impact where you live. We hope you start to see that more by reading this series!

We have friends from India that live here in San Francisco. To spend time with them you pretty much just have to show up and it is the same way around. In our western culture we are so used to schedule everything which sometimes takes out the spontaneous times together. But when you allow those spontaneous moments it often turns into some of the best conversations. I remember a weekend Jen was gone to Pennsylvania and I just called a neighbor couple and asked if they want to come over for a movie. We ended up watching a movie starting at 12am and had a wonderful time that brought us even closer together as friends. By the time the movie was done around 2 am we had some wonderful conversations about the message of the film. We are not trying to say stay up till late night just in case someone will drop by, but be open to it. Be open for the so called “interruptions” in your day.

Also leave time in your schedule for spontaneous conversation. If you have to go to places leave a little bit earlier since you never know who you will run into. Again, those spontaneous moments can create great friendships. When I (Markus) joined YWAM a few other people joined shortly after me. So one of them had to get setup, and go to Ikea so I spontaneously decided to go with him and help him to get set up. Out of that spontaneous moment an amazing friendship started and since then we walked through good and hard times with each other. He actually became my best friend and it all started with being spontaneous.

Ask yourself:

1. Why is it hard for you to be spontaneous?
2. What do you have to do to become more spontaneous?
3. Open up some time this week for a spontaneous encounter!

Have a great week with being spontaneous!

Hey our friend

We hope your month is awesome!! Writing a book is something totally new to me and to Jen, but in some way God guided each of our steps last week to move forward with this project. We want to encourage you with that as well, don’t be afraid to move forward in the things God called you to do. You can do it!!

Remember this week that Father God is with you every moment!

Have a blessed week

Markus and Jen