Update! Update! Read all about it!

Hey, everyone!

Sorry for the lack of updates- life has been crazy! Saturday we took a tour of St. Boniface cathedral in Fritzler- which was amazing! The cathedral was so ornate and we got to visit the "Krypta" below the church, as well as a museum full of old church artifacts. We also ate at our first German McDonald's! That was an interesting experience...... :)



When we got back, we had a lot of free time and time to rest before our busy day on Sunday. We went to church in a nearby town, where Gerhard led a service at a senior citizen's home. At breakfast, Rachel and I (who had been working diligently on the worship music and songbook for the camp) found out that Gerhard wanted us to "perform" several songs at the service- which was a surprise, to say the least! We gave it to God- then almost missed our ride to the senior citizen's home in our scramble to get the music together. Then, we arrive at the church, and when Rachel asks where the piano is, she finds out that all they have is an organ. Yup....... Rachel knows how to play piano. But God was sooooooo good to us! We prayed a lot about the whole thing, and God blessed us even more! Our "performance" songs went well, Rachel played the organ amazingly well for the first time, and Rachel gave an amazing testimony that was full of God. It was such a morning of answered prayer!



We got back, and after lunch, the Germans arrived! It was a crazy evening full of icebreakers, games, learning people's names, and our first meal together. We ended the evening with about a 2 hour night-hike, then dragged our tired bodies into bed.



Our mornings here are preeeeeeeeetty early as a part of the leadership team. We get up and have a meeting about the day's activities at 7:30 AM, then morning prayer until 8:30, and then it's off to breakfast! German breakfast is really yummy here, but it is really nice to have "American" food during camp for the experience of the Germans.



After breakfast, Rachel and I have been practicing for morning worship. God is so good to us in this arena as well- He provided us with another singer, a piano player who (hard to believe) is more talented at sight-reading than Rachel, and a guitar player! Our worship has been really good, and we know God is in that.



Morning teaching is next, and Bishop Sutton from Texas has been teaching on Covenants, and how they fit into God's plan, how God uses covenants, and it is very interesting. After lunch, we have free time and more worship practice, then devotional groups. Rachel and I are in the same devotional group, and we have two German girls in our group also, Johanna and Charlotte. They are very sweet, and a bit younger than us, but we have found friends in them and it is really neat to be able to share a spiritual heritage despite the language barrier.



Free time is next, and Rachel and I have been so busy between worship, trying to fit in our own private time, and hanging out with the group that we barely have time to think! Then, after dinner, we have another intense teaching session from Father Steve Rutt from Arizona about Purity of Conscience and what it means to be Pure in Heart, etc. These sessions are awesome! Rachel and I are very much enjoying this higher level of teaching and insight into God, life, and theology. After that, we have fun pre-planned activities or a bonfire with snacks, which is a nice way to end the evening.



God has been teaching us a lot of different things. It is definitely a maturing and growing experience to be the only teens from Ohio, with no adult leader directly over us who knows us really well, and we are learning how to deal with struggles and frustrations, and most of all how faithful our God is. He continually renews us and encourages us in the littlest ways- yet in ways that we totally and completely recognize His touch. We covet your prayers, and I am excited to see how your faithful prayers line up with God's divine blessings and encouragements to us.



Please continually lift up:

• Us two, for our strength and continued trust in God, and His peace in our hearts in ALL situations


• For Bishop Sutton, Father Steve, and Gerhard and Grace Meyer- for effective leadership and planning of this camp


• For the German campers- for encouragement, changed hearts, and hearts open to God's leading


• For Abby as she heads up the drama this week (a large endeavor) and Rachel as she kindly assists, that everything will work out for the glory of God, and for us to trust fully in Him in all things


• For fruitful devotions, worship, and group devotions
• For Rachel and I to be continued lights and salt to the fellow leaders and German campers

"For the harvest is plenty and the laborers are few...." (paraphrase from the Gospel of Matthew)

We love you all, miss you all a lot, and are so humbled and privileged that God would use us! We rely on your prayers!

Impressed by His faithfulness,

Rachel & Abby <3