Hello everyone. Abigail here, writing to you from Pennsylvania. It’s been a full month, but they all are, aren’t they? We been busy with more partnership development training, reaching out to potential financial partners, ministering to new friends, handyman jobs, and school (University classes for Jonas and studying German for me). We are thankful that we have two new financial ministry partners! It is so exciting when God brings new people to join in our ministry to Americans, Germans, refugees, and immigrants. 

Jonas is four classes away from finishing his masters degree in cultural apologetics, and his class this semester is on the problem of evil. A light subject, naturally. Every single class he has taken in this program has been preparing both of us for ministry in post- Christian societies, such as Germany. But what I find so interesting is how helpful his university studies, coupled with our life experiences have been crucial to our ministry here, as well as in Germany. We are equipping leaders for ministry and using Jonas’ apologetic skills to help develop healthy family dynamics in German descendants here in PA. There is no such thing as being a missionary only when you are in another country, or when you’re “on the field”. There is no such thing as being off the field. We are doing ministry here and now! And it is shaping us and training us for a life of ministry in a foreign country. 

These past two and a half years of support raising and preparation to move to Germany have been excruciating painful at moments, but at the same time it has made us cling to Christ and break us of our reliance on ourselves. If you would like to read some hard, but encouraging scripture, I recommend Deuteronomy 8: 1-18. I read this today and almost started to cry, as I felt God showing me how much He loves us by allowing us to go through difficulties in order for us to rely solely on Him. 

We ask for you to pray with us as we minister to people here in Pennsylvania, and as we continue to seek for people willing to partner with us. Emma and I will be joining one of our friends here in Women’s ministry. 

We are particularly excited to start ministering to some of the local widows and single moms. Jonas and I are passionate about equipping leaders in ministry and are so excited to be doing this here and now in the U.S, and not just waiting until we get to  Germany. A beautiful thing is that we are in an area full of Amish, Ex-Amish, and other German descendants. Not only do I get more experience learning more of the Pennsylvania German dialect, but we are ministering to German’s here in the U.S! I love how God works. What amazing preparation.