4 Week Update

(Buddy) Hello family & friends and thanks for checking in and seeing what we are up to. I will try to keep it as brief as possible to give you a sense of what is going on:

• Week 1: ADJUSTING
  It was all about adjusting for all 4 of us to the time change, our new place, the weather, shopping, the food, etc. We are also trying to bond as a family as much possible to help the kids in the transition.
  
• Week 2: GETTING THINGS IN ORDER
  Some more adjusting but also had to start being "official": Register with the city, get a bank account, get cell phones and start the long term visa process with the government. For those of you that are not aware, as an American you can stay here 90 days and then at the point, you need to have a full time job, be in school full time or be an approved missionary (that's our goal). We also started reaching out and connecting with our friends in Hamburg and I was able to speak at a small group Bible study as well. Krista & the kids meet up with other moms and kids at the park nearby on a daily basis. It is very cool and the kids love it. The other kids already run up to Jose & Grace when they seem them coming; it is awesome. It is also fun as we continue to meet new people on a regular basis as we live our lives in Hamburg.
  
• Week 3: CONNECTING
  Starting to feel much more adjusted and we have begun the process of talking with different pastors & ministries in Hamburg to see where we think God would have us serve. We will continue to reach out to as many pastors and ministries as we can in Hamburg as that is one of our first things to get accomplished. We have a huge heart for the Red Light District (called the Reeperbahn) and we are trying to rent out a bar in the middle of the area called "Buddy's" to have Bible studies, prayer, musical worship, etc. We also have a heart for a young woman that works on the Reeperbahn that we met both times when we were in Hamburg in 2006. We geuinuely love and care about her and we would love to see her out of the life of prostitution. Krista's heart burns for the girls that work in the Reeperbahn and mine for the guys who run it and our desire is to see their lives changed by Jesus. We went out Saturday night to try and find her on the Reeperbahn and we found her (she was the last girl Krista saw). It was pretty intense emotionally actually seeing her and realizing that she was still working here (many of you have prayed for her over the years). She remembered us right away and gave Krista a hug (and Jose melted her heart with one of his huge, sweet smiles). We were so sad for her and to know that she has been in this lifestyle for 2 more years but we were also so glad to see her and that she can know that there are people who genuinely love and care about her in Hamburg. We are praying on how to to handle the next steps as we need to be wise when trying to minister on the Reeperbahn as the girls are watched on a consistent basis. This is a huge prayer point for us.
  
• Week 4: PREPARING
  Preparing for our meeting next week with the German government and contiuning to meet up with pastors/ministries in Hamburg. We get to share our story and the call God has put on our hearts for Hamburg this Friday night (2/6) at a church. Our meeting next Wednesday (2/11) is an extremely important meeting as we try to get a long term (1 year would be the max they would approve to start) missionary visa. We are also looking for a longer term apartment as our current place is temporary through the end of April. The apartment search and our meeting next week are also areas where we need prayer.
  
• Fun Stuff: Bonding with the kids, not having a car and using all of the public transportation, having to truly trust God for the first time on what is next for us as a family, being stretched (physically, spiritually and emotionally) with the move, meeting new people on a regular basis, spending quality time seeking the Lord in prayer, Bible study.
  
• THANK YOU: To all of you for caring about what is going on with the 4 of us! To have the support we have from all of you 6,000 miles away is truly a humbling and awesome thing. I am so grateful.