October 7th: Church and Baden

Fountain in the town of Baden, Austria

Today was our church service where the Bulgarians lead worship and our message was from a Senior Pastor from a church in Chandler, Arizona.  It was such an emotional service and so amazing to hear everyone worshiping the same God in many different languages.  The experience of that service and really taking in how many cultures and languages was so powerful.  Some of the countries are so ravished from poverty and crime that it can be hard for some to believe in God and not understand why things like this is happening to them.  God is still present in these countries and you can see him working in amazing ways from some of the stories but still need all our prayer for them and their people.  We are so lucky in the United States and do not comprehend all that is going on elsewhere.  There was a great testimony from a student who grew up Muslim and how he came to Christ, his marriage at a young age, a daughter that was born blind and his battle with cancer yet through all this God was doing work and miracles in his life.  He was saved, then his wife was saved shortly after, their marriage improved, his daughter’s eye sight is slowly getting better and he won his battle with cancer and healed fully.  The message was about fear and how the disciples were afraid in the storm and did not trust that Jesus would save them.  Sometimes is takes a great revelation and being afraid of something to truly believe in its power as the disciples soon did after Jesus calmed the great storm.  The pastor lost a son at the age of 15 due to contracting AIDS from a blood transfusion since he was born with a blood disease.  It was such a sad story how his son died yet the last thing he said to his father was that he was not afraid because he knew he was going to see his real father.  It’s stories like these that we can be afraid of things whether they are finances or health but we must trust the Lord that he is there and will bring us through things.  After church we went to spend the afternoon in Baden which was a very nice little community only a few miles away.  It was a rainy day but we still enjoyed walking around a bit and enjoying a few cups of coffee in some of the cafes there.  It was such a relaxing day today and being able to enjoy the fellowship together with some of the other short term workers is so great.  I can’t believe we will all be heading off our separate ways in only 5 more days.  I continue to be amazed at the Lord’s work and what he blesses us all with in our experiences, friends and opportunities.

“And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.  He said to them, ‘Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?’ And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey him?” - Mark 4:39-41