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!

A while ago I heard this quote from a friend: “Excuse my mess but I live here”. Sometimes we try to bring everything in our home to a perfect standard before people come over. That can turn into a real stressful situation and sometimes the feeling of not wanting to have people over. As an example if you just have people over if your house is absolute immaculate, it will limit the amount of interaction you get with your neighbors. Reality is, they know as much as you do that your house is not always looking like a show home. You know why, because there home is not looking like that either. Actually sometimes it can even set up an un unhealthy standard. Your neighbor might feel then they have to have the hose even cleaner than yours so they don’t even try to invite you over.

Be real with people, show them your life and house how it really is. The same is also true for when you make a dinner. You don’t have to make a five course meal everytime a neighbor comes over. Invite them to the meal you and your family are eating. When you do that it creates more of an atmosphere of you really inviting them into your life, which is something you actually want to do. And again it makes it easier on them to invite people over. Of course there are exceptions to that. If you have a Christmas dinner you can make a special meal and clean your house extra shiny. But lets be real, you would have done that no matter if your neighbors come over or not.

Ask yourself:

1. Look at your life and see in which areas you need to relax when you have people over. Also ask yourself the question what is causing a certain standard.
2. Invite neighbors over for a meal that you would eat anyway and invite them through that into your life!

Go for it and have a great week with neighbors

Hey our friend

Summer, Summer, Summer and we think all of us love it. We had a wonderful week at the  YWAM Staff Retreat. It is always a great way to reconnect with people that you don’t see on a regular base. This week we ask for your Prayers since we will be working on the book that will give people ideas and ways on how to do what we are doing and through that create a neighbor community. Pray for inspiration and the right words. Also pray for wisdom since neither Jen nor I have ever written a book. Thank you for praying with us.

Remember this week that you are valuable and loved by Father God.

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!

The theme of this week is: ways on how to invite neighbors over. Jen and I started Saturday brunches. I started to make German pancakes and then we just wrote an invite and handed it to our neighbors. We absolutely love those times of conversation and eating together. Sharing a meal is something Jesus always did with many different kinds of people. It is a great way to get to know each other. The great thing is that neighbors also get to know each other and that it builds a sense of community. So something simple like a brunch can bring you close with your neighbors and it is an easy way to invite them over.

But it is not limited to a meal, it can also be a movie night, a game night or something else.

2 Questions for you to think about:

1. Think about creative ways to invite neighbors over.
2. What night works for you to do that?

You can totally do this and trust me you will be blessed by it as much as your neighbors!

Hey our friend

A week can be good or bad depending on your perspective about it. So we hope you had the right perspective and with that a great week!!

Our week went great here in San Francisco. We got ready for some sharing times at the YWAM Retreat. You can pray with us for a fruitful time. We also had a wonderful time back in the community seeing neighbors/friends again and spend time with some of them.

Thank you for praying for our time in Pennsylvania. It was wonderful and fruitful. Also thank you for supporting us financially. You are such a blessing to us!!

Have a blessed week

Markus and Jen

So over the last weeks we wrote about how to start an initial contact with our neighbors, but to really become friends with them that is just the beginning.

Getting to know people better takes time and effort. One thing that really helps is to compliment on things that matter to them. As an example if your neighbor loves his car compliment him on his car. If he loves his garden compliment on that. Also show interest in what he is doing. Sometimes there are things that you might not be as interested in, but trust me you can even then learn something. Make an effort. If you are interested in what they are passionate about it can open a door for deeper relationship.

Now take an action:

Compliment one neighbor this week!

Hey our friend

We hope you had a wonderful summer week! Jen and I are in PA sharing about the work in San Francisco and connecting with friends and supporters. Pray that God gives us a fruitful time of empowering people to live the great commission in there neighborhoods.

Let us know if there is anything we can pray for you!

Have a blessed week

Markus and Jen

Last week we talked about the first part of how to love your neighbor by actually having the first interaction through a simple hello. Today we want to talk about how to be more interdependent with neighbors. As an example if you need a certain tool, instead of buying it just borrow it. Or one example that happened to us. Jen and I were making lunch and we realized that we were missing one egg for that certain dish. Instead of running to the grocery store we went over to our neighbor and borrowed one from them. The next time we would go back to the store we would give it back to them. That opens up 2 conversations for you. It also builds trust, because they see that you stand to your word and return things.

Today we often live with an independent mentality; we drive home from work open our garage door from the car and close it without even seeing anyone around our house. This doesn’t help to build relationship and love your neighbor. So living interdependent will help to change that.

How would you feel if you would have to totally depend on your neighbors? Would it not be good to have a relationship with them?

Take a first step: Next time you need something that you could borrow from a neighbor do it. And also offer it to them as well. It will help you to be more connected with neighbors!

Hey our friend

We hope you had a wonderful week. I (Markus) didn’t have the best week since I found out that I had a kidney infection and had to stay in bed. It was a bummer. But sometimes things happen in life and you just have to deal with them. Please pray for a quick recovery.

For the next 2 weeks we are sharing with friends and supporters in Pennsylvania about the work here and also share with them how they can impact their community. Pray for clear vision for each person we talk to and a open heart for the people right around them.

Thank you for being a great friend to us! May God bless you richly

Markus and Jen