Since there was only a limited space in my update letter to share about my decision to head back over to Freiburg, Germany, I thought I would provide a little more info in the form of a Q & A here. I hope it helps with questions you may have. Please feel free to ask anything not covered here...or email me and ask. 1) Are you crazy? Probably. But that is not why I am going to Germany.
I desire to follow God wherever he would take me and whatever he would have for me to do. This is just the next step of faith in which I believe he is leading. 2) What led you to decide you will go? Well...a lot of things. But a few are: the critical need for a man to direct the transition to German leadership for the campus there and knowing that God has prepared me to fit that well. Also, wanting to take a step of faith that will force me to depend on God for something that is way too big for me...and this is a great step for that!
In the end, I also know that God is calling me to trust him. If he desires that I should stay here, I trust that he will make sure that happens. I want to step out in faith and trust that God is God and in control of all this. 3) When will you leave? Sometime around September or October. 4) How long will you be there? Likely 3-5 years, but it is really dependent on how the transition to German leadership goes. 5) Are you crazy? You already asked that. 6) What will you be doing there? I will be helping direct a team of staff as we seek to build a movement of Christ-following German students who will trust God for their campus. Currently, there is a strong ministry going, but it is led by a team of Americans who work with the student leaders. The desire is to see Germans joining staff, working full time on campus to raise up laborers there to take the message of Christ to all of Germany and the world. So, I will be trying to work myself out of a job. 7) Didn't you live in Freiburg before? Yes, I did. Good memory.
I spent a year on a STINT (Short Term INTernational--a one year team helping plant a ministry overseas) in 2000-2001. That was near the beginning of this partnership, when we were just connected with a few students and trying out different things. 8) So, do you speak German? Not as well as I'd like. But I speak conversationally and can get by. Well, that and most German students speak English pretty well. I intend to work at becoming fluent and am thankful that I have a good start on that. 9) Seriously, are you crazy? I would say what is crazy is how often I give in to my desires for an easy, comfortable life. God wants so much more for me/us and there is a whole world out there that needs to hear about Jesus. And it is exciting to think how God will use this to draw me closer to him. 10) Will you have to raise more support? Definitely. Thanks to our friend, the Euro, and how strong it is against the Dollar, the cost of living has shot up for an American. Please pray for the exchange rate...it is making it hard for a lot of US supported missionaries in Europe. 11) What does this mean for the ministry here? We are still trusting God for the college students of Illioins and I am trying to keep my focus on finishing out this time well...investing in future leaders and caring for our team. I also trust God will raise up the right man to replace me as director here and know that Laurie and the team will do a great job without me. We certainly NEED more laborers everywhere and are asking God to bring others to join with this team to get to those campuses that still have no group intentionally seeking every student. 12) What would you like prayer for? -Focus on what God still has for me here.
-Strength against the doubts and fears that Satan would have me hold onto. Especially fearing loneliness, difficulty with language, and being inadequate for the task.
-Support to come in quickly when I start with that this summer.
-That a man would be found by the end of the semester to take my place.
-That our students would want to live lives of faith and take the gospel to the ends of the earth, as well. 13) You ARE crazy. That was not a question. | 
