leadership meetings

I have just returned from over 10 days of important leadership meetings for our ministry.
First, there were meetings with the global team. Here is this leadership group that I am part of.


We give support and leadership to 18 teams and 90 missionaries around the world. I am responsible for the teams in German Speaking Europe and in Rome.





Then approximately 35 leaders from our refugee ministry teams joined us for our annual leadership retreat. The theme this year was renewal. Here we are in one of our sessions.









Our retreat was then followed by the annual leadership forum for International Teams. 240 leaders from all the different ministries met this year. This is an important time for connecting with other leaders in similiar situations as well as to hear the reports and prayers of others.

After one of these prayers, the leader pointed out,

"no eye has seen, no ear has heard... a Philipino serving in Japan praying for a U.S. citizen from Nigeria who is married to a Philipino and serving somali refugees in Kenya."

Only God could put -and hold- something like this together! It was a great time to ride the wave of what God is doing around the world.

This year was special because Reinhild joined me for the last 7 days.

Spring festival

Last weekend I went to Vienna for the Spring Festival sponsored by the FCR team. There were over 120 people there including the president of the Austrian Bible Society, a member of Parliament and an African rhythm and dance group from Innsbruck! Can you find me?

I spoke with the parliament member about the political situation in Austria for refugees. She confessed that there is unfortunately very little she can do to improve the situation. Her party did not pass the current laws, and they have to tread very carefully now to keep the coalition.

I edit a blog about refugee issues in Europe. I recently wrote a post about these laws in Austria. You can read this at the following link. The MP confirmed that the laws are unfair. She appreciates the chance to work directly with refugees like those connected to the FCR team, and she feels this is where she can help the most.

It was a long weekend with some important meetings about the future goals of the team and the involvement of local refugees in the work. On the way home, the song by Rich Mullins was a blessing to me. Does anyone know the text to the last verse?

Sometimes the night was beautiful
Sometimes the sky was so far away
Sometimes it seemed to stoop so close
You could touch it but your heart would break.
Sometimes the morning came too soon
Sometimes the day could be so hard
There was so much work left to do,
But so much you’d already done.

Oh God you are my God
And I will ever praise you
Oh God you are my God
And I will ever praise you
I will seek you in the morning
And I will learn to walk in your ways
And step by step you will lead me
And I will follow you all of my days.


Sometimes I think of Abraham
How ones thought ….
He was a stranger in this land
And I am that no less than he
And of ...
Sometimes the climb can be so steep.
I may falter in my steps
but never beyond your reach.

birthday time

Noah and Luke have their birthdays within 2 weeks of each other this time of year. We visited the far western corner of Austrian last weekend and then yesterday, I took the boys out for the day.

It is all part of the plan to fill up their "time with Dad" account. Because this is also the time of year when I am gone for about 10 days for our annual leadership meetings.

This year Reinhild gets to go with me for these days of endless meetings, teaching, worship and connection. The kids will stay here and carry on with their life. They will be with our teammates, and are looking forward to the chance to be "free at last" !

Here they are with friends at Luke's birthday party.