Church Week Camp

Last week as a team we were in Tusin ( the Italian part of Switzerland) for a church camp week for people of all ages. As a team our job was to run the children's programs from 0-12 years old and to help out where there is need. It was a great week to get to know the community better that we are working with. One day I worked with the nursery children, two days with the 4-6 year olds and three days with the 7-12 year olds. We did many crafts, played games, told stories, prepared a treasure hunt and sang silly songs together. Each child was taught that they are precious to God, that others are precious to them and that God is precious to the children. This week was very good for practicing German and I am starting to feel that I can at least communicate on a basic level and give simple instructions. I also really enjoyed getting to know some of the youth in the church. It was great to talk to them and to spend time playing games and sports. I also got to know some of the families and elderly as well. It has been great since coming home to see these people in the community and to be able to reconnect. God really showed me once again this week that I am an example even if I can't communicate well, or I am not in a major leadership role he is still using me to reach people. He showed me this by comments like " you are so natural when you are with the teenagers, it seems like you have known them for a long time. They are all focussed on you." Or as I observe the people seeing that some of the younger girls are watching me, barely taking there eyes off and when I smile at them they light up with such joy. It is such a little thing to have a conversation, play a game or give a hug that changes a persons day or week or maybe is a memory that that young person will have for a lifetime. I am very blessed to be able to be apart of this community for this year!

A Daily Purpose

This week we spent the majority of the week wrapping up the bulk of the training as well as preparing for the family week coming up on Saturday. It has been a really amazing month that I have been able to learn and review many things and take this time to refocus on God as well as the  purpose he has given each of us on earth. It is so easy to look at all the problems of the world and think there is no point to even trying to make a change in our world. As believers we know it is not up to us. God is the one that is in control. We have the amazing privilege to walk along side and see the little things that make such a difference. One person, one situation at a time is what we are called to take on. As a team our goal is to bring hope to the next. This might mean doing some gardening, taking the time to have a conversation, preparing a skit to trigger emotion or walking beside someone who needs a friend. What I am learning this year is not to just have a work or ministry life between 8am and 5pm but to live in a missional way as Jesus has taught and shown through scripture. 

 

I feel so blessed to have this opportunity at this time in my life. Thank you to everyone that continues to support me through prayers as well as financially. 

Mentoring

I had another really positive week. I am starting to really get connected with the community. My Swiss German is starting to come together and I am able to speak a little in it. My routine is starting to feel normal and I found a church that I plan to make my home church here in Zurich. This week I was privileged to meet a beautiful young lady and start to get to know her. This teenage girl comes from a broken home with divorced parents and a mother with some mental illness problems. She needs someone to come along side her to build her up, mentor and just spend time with her. I have the opportunity to be this person for this year. This week we just met and spent about an hour learning a few things about each other and playing ping pong. Coming into the meeting with a little bit of knowledge on her situation I was so pleased to see her being so open even with a language barrier. She spent pretty much the entire time smiling and even laughing a little bit. I am very excited to see where this relationship is going to go over this year!

I thank God that he is using me in an area that I am very passionate about and there is great need. I thank God that he is using me at this time and in this place. I am thankful that everyday is a new challenge and adventure in my life following Jesus.

Street Outreach

Last weekend we joined a local church to go out on the streets in the evening to talk to people about Jesus. There were two types of groups one with a contest to see who knows that it says in Italian on the  five frank coin which lead into conversation about God. The other was a questionair about faith and where people are today. I went with a younger male from the church to do the questionair with people. The first group of people we saw was a group of about 15 teenagers. We went up to them and they completely surrounded us, so curious about why we had walked up to them. This was an amazing time to answer questions, connect with these young people and see where they were at in their lives. Some of the boys talked for a long time asking questions about how life should be and some of the girls talked with me for a while as best as we could communicating in two different languages. These teenagers came from many different backgrounds and home environments. The ones that stayed and talked the longest where a few boys who came from Muslim backgrounds. After a long time we moved on to talk to a few more people. The evening concluded with a sharing time and a time of prayer. It was so encouraging to see people talk about God and think about the meaning of life. 

Over all my time here the past few weeks has been really good! I have had many good experiences, tried many new things and I am really starting to settle in here. My prayer requests are that I will be able to find balance and routine with work, friends and time with God. As well as that I would be able to connect with people in the community on a deeper level. 

May you be blessed in your week ahead. Love Melanie 

First couple weeks

The past two weeks I have now officially been living in Zurich. This means learning my new position, figuring out how to get around, meeting many new people and really focusing on God and what his will is for this year. I have mostly been in a training stage with lots of teachings and getting to know the team that I am working with. I have done a little ministry work including sitting in on a bible study, playing with some children and preparing for the family camp day this Saturday for Albanian immigrants. It is looking like it is going to be a really good year!

Prayer praises is that my visa officially went through so I am able to stay for the year! That I am settling in well and that I already feel that I have a good support system!

Requests are that I find a church to have a home base. That I start to really grasp Swiss German. I got a little behind when I switched from high German to Swiss German. That I will start to make really good connections to the people in this area.

OM Go Conference

I got back a few days ago from the Go Conference in Holland. It was ten days of learning how to be culturally sensitive, how to work among other cultures, a time of teaching, prayer, worship and fellowship. My favourite story was about a man who walked past a homeless person and felt that he was suppose to buy shoes for this homeless man. He bought the shoes and gave them to the homeless man. After a short conversation the man left. When seeing the homeless man again about three months later he was wearing the shoes and said that he had become a Christian and felt that his calling was to minister to the people on the street. Such a little thing as buying a pair of shoes changed the life of this man and maybe even others in his situation. I heard stories like this over and over again as well as felt so blessed to be among over 200 people who were being sent all over the world. It was a really good beginning to my year here in Switzerland.

While at the Go Conference I was asked many times four questions. What is your name? Where are you from? Where are you going to? And why did you pick to go to Switzerland? Switzerland is a bit of an unusual place to think about a mission field but in reality there are very few that know Jesus as their personal saviour. As I have visited several times over the past few years I have seen the need in this country. I have seen people who are lonely, suicidal, lost in the pressure of their world. I have heard even more stories of the need and how few people there are to spread Gods word among the people here. I know that through this time God has been preparing me for a very difficult mission field to be in. As all of you should know I have really good friends here in Switzerland. I did not pick to come here because of these relationships but they are an amazing blessing to have. They have made my transition a lot easier as I already have a friend group as well as a small group. It has also been wonderful to have their continual love and support through this time.

Praise God that the Go Conference was so successful. That I am really getting along great with my team and my house mates. Praise that my visa is officially done and ready to be picked up.

Requests include for cultural integration. That I will learn Swiss German quickly, that I will feel culturally aware of what is around me and that I will start to live in the country with less minor difficulties.

Thank you for your continual support.
God Bless Melanie

New Beginnings

I have now been in Europe for about a month. I was able to spend a couple weeks in Ireland and Scottland as well as getting settled in a little bit here in Switzerland. It has been wonderful to have such an extended break and time to prepare, reflect and pray about what is to come. I have had a wonderful time reconnecting with old friends and making new ones. I have settled into an international small group where everything is in English and I am learning more German with every day. I start training in the Netherlands on Tuesday for ten days before returning to Switzerland to officially start at the beginning of September. Financially I am at 100 percent support for about the first three months and I am sitting at about 75 percent support for the rest of the year at this point. I feel ready and most things have fallen into place. A couple things that I could use prayer for is that my visa would come in soon with no complications. That my training in the Netherlands would go well and I would be prepared for the year. As well as that I would be able to build a strong support base here in Switzerland.

Thank you for your continual support.
God bless Melanie