News Update

Our 'Carol Service' last Sunday evening directed our thoughts, hearts and voices to our Lord Jesus and to God's love and grace in sending His Son to be our Saviour. We were encouraged that several from the village joined with us, as well as a number of Christian believers from at least three local Churches. Bible readings, carols and songs were centred around 4 key words of Christmas; love, joy, righteousness and peace. Our picture shows Tom accompanying his mother Deb in a recorder duet of the German carol 'Freude, freude'. (Joy, joy). Geoff Holder, our son, gave a concluding Bible message from the praise of the Angels - "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace" The whole service was conducted in German although some appreciated singing occasional verses in English.

We wish all our readers a very happy and blessed Christmas.

This picture of Phyl with our nephew's children was taken during our recent itinerary around parts of UK. It's a great privilege to have contact with so many lovely people who come and stay with us in Haus Barnabas. Before we gave up our home in Yorkshire and went out to Basel in 1983 one Scripture verse with a promise which spoke to us was Mark 10:29-30:

So Jesus answered and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel's, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time — houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions — and in the age to come, eternal life."

Through our ministry in Haus Barnabas and through our children and grandchildren we are certainly seeing the fulfillment of this and praise God for His goodness. The promise however also mentions 'persecutions' and we are beginning to recognise that many of our daily struggles arise from spiritual 'persecution'. Satan is extremely frustrated by every true believer and follower of Jesus Christ, his arch enemy, and it's quite amazing what difficulties and opposition to a smooth and comfortable life he can bring to all of us who love Jesus. Thankfully we can rejoice that through His death and resurrection Jesus has defeated Satan and these struggles are only for a short time. The promised goal is eternal life in the age to come.

Phyl and I are now back in Utzenfeld for Christmas and and New Year but would invite anyone reading our blog to come and meet us in Stanmore, Middx for a reunion and information afternoon on Saturday 22nd January. Details below:

Saturday January 22^nd 2011
Stanmore Chapel
Marsh Lane, Stanmore HA7 4HP
3.00pm – 6.00pm
(More information: Tel: 01227 363857)

News Update

Phyl & Len have been motoring around the UK with meetings in various places on the eastern side of Britain. The picture was taken in Durham of our friend Helen demonstrating skillfully her latest musical instrument. Providentially we have been one step ahead of the snow, leaving Durham the day before it arrived there and then after the weekend in Basildon escaping from there the day before the heavy snow hit the southeast. We are now safely tucked away in Ashford, Kent and trusting the weather will improve to allow us to motor back to Germany at the end of next week.
Although both struggling with one or two ailments we have had an encouraging time. Between meetings we have prepared a brochure/calendar for 2011 which we would like to circulate to all past guests and interested friends but this is rather dependent on the finance being available.
A scripture that has blessed me in the past weeks is the promise from Isaiah 58:11. “The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones; you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.”

News Update

Esther the youngest member of our Haus Barnabas 'family' was 6 this past week. She invited nine children from her kindergarten to her birthday party, a lot of chocolate cake was eaten and a good time was had be all!

Len & Phyl leave for the UK in the middle of the week, God willing. If you want to contact us while we are away from Utzenfeld don't hesitate to email or use our UK mobile 07789 867300. We have meetings planned in Haxby - York, Langley Park - Durham and Basildon and expect to be back in Haus Barnabas in plenty of time to prepare for Christmas.

We expect to be preparing our 2011 brochure/calendar whilst away and if all goes well circulating it in the UK before returning to Germany.

News update

Through mycharitycards.co.uk we are able to supply a range of 22 different Christmas cards with a suitiable Bible verse and our slogan 'Friends of Haus Barnabas'. These are available in packs of 10 cards of the same design, of which the picture alongside is an example, for £3.50. (A charge for packing and postage is added per parcel, so ordering several packs is an economy.) For every pack ordered Haus Barnabas receives £1.20 via Bible in Action Trust.

Click: www.mycharitycards.co.uk/haus-barnabas

It has been good this past week to have had guests from Prague, Munich and Hartlepool, but the next weeks look to be quieter and Len & Phyl are due to be in the UK for the second half of November. We have Reunion and Information meetings in Haxby, York on Sat 20th and Basildon, Essex on Sat 27th November and will be leading a Bible study in Langley Park, Durham on Tuesday 23rd when we will also be giving an update of our work. It would be lovely to see you if you are in these areas.

News update

This week saw the beginning of winter on the hills around us. A sudden change from the beautiful autumn sunshine of the earlier part of the month. It has been good to have Geoff and Isobel Carr with us this past week. Geoff has been a Counties Evangelist in Essex for most of his working life. He gave us Bible ministry each evening and with fewer guests than we had expected and once the children were safely in bed all four of us benefited from this. Thank you Geoff. The picture was taken by Isobel during a bus ride up the Feldberg.

With winter looming and the prospect of real snow have you considered a winter skiing holiday, or simply coming to us for Christmas or New Year! Also don't forget you can support us through buying our charity Christmas cards.

www.mycharitycards.co.uk/haus-barnabas

News Update

"As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease." Gen 8:22

On Sunday we thanked God afresh for His faithfulness in providing another harvest season and for all the good things has given us throughout the year. A simple colourful table display gave us a visual reminder of some of His provisions. Our sermon developed the theme of God's covenanted faithfulness, thinking particularly of the apostle Paul's firm persuasion that nothing can separate the believer from God's love in Christ Jesus. Rom 8: 38-39

The pumpkin was made into a delicious soup for supper!

News update

This past week we were introduced to the excitements of 'geocaching' by our grandchildren. The following website will tell you all about it www.geocaching.com but in a nutshell, hidden around the globe including our immediate area of the Black Forest are numerous 'caches', i.e. containers of varying sizes containing a logbook and perhaps other objects. The exact location of each cache is pinpointed using GPS technology through satellites. To play this 'treasure-hunt' game you need a hand-held GPS receiver into which you have down-loaded from the internet the exact location of hidden caches in your area. Your GPS will then lead you to within a few feet of the 'treasure'. Our first find was under rocks in the roots of a tree some yards off a footpath through the forest and took us a least 20 minutes of searching once we had found the location!
The game can provide considerable incentive to youngsters, and perhaps those not so young too, to exercise their legs as well as their minds and experience the joys of finding beauty spots and view points in less accessible places. We hope to to able to provide 'geocaching' as an option for families holidaying with us in the future.

Of course there are spiritual lessons to be learnt from the excercise and Jesus spoke of the Kingdom of heaven being like treasure hidden in a field. Matthew 13.44

At long last we've completed another newsletter. We shall be printing and sending copies by post to many of our friends and past guests but a copy is immediately available as a 4-page pdf document on the internet. To get your copy to read and print for others to read simple click the following:

www.haus-barnabas.com/html/welcome.html

There you will find the opportunity to click on the letter-heading (also given above) and get our Autumn 2010 Haus Barnabas News. We shall be more than happy for you to print copies for others who you think may be interested in the ministry and witness of Haus Barnabas in the Black Forest.

If you are beginning to think about Christmas Cards for 2010 we would invite you to click

www.mycharitycards.co.uk/haus-barnabas

You will find a selection of cards with Bible verses overprinted with our Friends of Haus Barnabas slogan. For every pack of 10 you buy at £3.50 per pack we receive £1.20 for the support of our work.

Thanks for your interest and it's not too late for an autumn holiday with us or how about Christmas or New Year!

News Update

This past Sunday our International service was almost entirely in German. Our two British guests both had a sufficient grasp of the language to follow it well and we had three German visitors. Tanja who often joins us when visiting her mother in Todtnauberg accompanied the singing on her cello together with Phyl on the key-board. The sermon was from Jeremiah 33 1-3, which encourages us to believe that even when things look hopeless we can know that God has everything under control. We are exhorted to call on Him in our bewildering circumstances and He promises to show us great and unimaginable things which we couldn't know through human logical thinking!
Our special rated 'Autumn Uplifts' at £230 per 7 days runs from 19th Sept to 31st October and we still have rooms available! During the week 12th - 18th October Geoff Carr a retired Counties evangelist from Essex will be leading devotions each evening under the theme 'Open my eyes Lord'. Why not come and support us here and find blessing from the Lord for yourself!

News Update

We have just completed a successful 'Reformation Week' in Haus Barnabas. The five participants took part enthusiastically in the evening sessions on our 'local' 16th century reformers, Zwingli, Bullinger, Oecolampadius and Bucer together with Erasmus who through his work on the Greek New Testament text was used by God to give such impetus to the revival of interest and study of the Holy Scriptures. We were privileged to have Canon Peter Cook with us, whose detailed knowledge of John Calvin added greatly to discussions after each evening's presentation. Visits were made to Zwingli's birth place in the Swiss Alps and the cities of Zürich and Basel. The photo above was taken outside the manse of the Swiss Reformed Church in Riehen-Dorf, Basel from where it's minister Pfarrer Daniel Holder gave us helpful information about the reformation in Basel as well as updating us on the situation within the Swiss Reformation Church today.

News Update

Our picture this week shows Steve Morley, evangelist and children's worker in Essex UK, with a group of the children from the village who came to the Bible Week in Haus Barnabas at the end of August. Over 5 mornings he looked at five N.T. characters whose lives were changed by Jesus. The children here are binding themselves up with paper as Lazarus would have been in bound in grave-clothes! We praise the Lord that the week was successful, as far as we can measure success, and that it might be the beginning of a regular children's club.
We, Len & Phyl, have enjoyed a brief holiday break in North Wales and are now back in Utzenfeld and are today expecting the arrival of guests for our Reformation Week here.
If you haven't been to Haus Barnabas this year, or even if you have, why not consider an Autumn Uplift' with us, or even a visit over Christmas or New Year! - for details see www.haus-barnabas.com/html/seasonal_prices.html

News Update

Preaching is tiring! Our son Geoff preached for us in Haus Barnabas this past Sunday and here he is relaxing with his two sons, Barney & Tim later in the day! We had a good congregation of around 40 from Wales, England, Northern Ireland, Holland, Germany, USA, Brazil and Switzerland. Geoff preached on the cost of following Jesus which demands a trust in all that He has promised us and a denial of personal selfish concerns.

God has provided for us, Len & Phyl, to have a holiday for the next two weeks and we are trying not to take work with us! Next week Steve Morley from Essex will be leading ministry in Haus Barnabas and we have invited Tom & Esther's school and kindergarten friends from the village to join a children's programme to be led by Steve each morning, when Deb will be translating into German as necessary. Your prayers for this venture would be valued. David and Christine Barnes are giving over their holiday to helping Tim and Deb in the house but are trusting that both they and Steve Morley will also find time to enjoy the Black Forest.

Today we had probably our largest congregation ever to our Sunday morning service. Dutch and German families on holiday in Todtnau supplimented our own guests in the house. The picture shows part of the congregation over coffee after the service.
"Who has bewitched you ... having begun in the Spirit are you now being made perfect by the flesh." was our subject this morning and it was good to have reason to preach in German again.
It has been miraculous how God has sent us voluntary helpers this year. They have come from Switerland, Britain and N. Ireland and as well as helping with the more mundane tasks each has contributed something of their own interests and gifts to the running and maintenance of house and garden.
We look forward to welcoming Steve Morley from Essex in two weeks time who will lead the ministry while we, Len & Phyl are away. Pray the Lord will bring folk to be blessed by Steve's ministry!

News Update

Our picture this week shows the ladies Christian football team from Sportsreach, who stayed with us in Haus Barnabas, sharing the Gospel through testimony and tract with our local Schönau ladies team. The Lord only knows what He purposes to bring out of this contact! We can pray!
We are pleased to be having guests of all age groups coming and going these summer months. Most are from the British Isles, and England, Scotland & Wales have all been represented. A Dutch family came unto our Sunday service this past weekend and we have a German teenager with us this week doing an intensive English language course with Allen www.kings-english.de
Switzerland has also been ably represented in the house this season with two very capable and efficient helpers, Joel and Damaris, and as I write we have an Hungarian gentleman here for the night. Our daily prayer is that all who come under our roof might be touched by God's Spirit here. The Lord Jesus is establishing His kingdom amongst all nations and it's a wonderful privilege to be part of it.

News Update

This weekend we've had the pleasure of the company of a team of young ladies from different parts of Britain and Germany under the auspices of 'Sportsreach' with us in the house. www.sportsreach.org.uk They have encouraged one another spiritually through their devotion times, shared actively in our Sunday worship service, enjoyed the Black Forest and played football and netball on our Utzenfeld playing field and Schönau sports stadium. One of the high lights of their visit was a soccer match against the Schönau ladies team! The final score of 5:0 to Schönau doesn't reflect the skill and enthusiasm with which our girls played! After the match their leader, Sue Marsden was able to explain their Christian faith and the commitment to Jesus and His Gospel which brought them together and motivated them. They had one or two gifts for the Schönau team and then presented each member with a Christian booklet explaining the Gospel. We are praying that there will be on-going contacts through this visit and fruit to God's glory.

News update

We have this week past, amongst other things, been giving our website a face lift and bringing it up to date. We shall continue to work on it but do please draw our attention to any spelling errors or other mistakes. www.haus-barnabas.com
We continue to appreciate the voluntary help of young people in the house and this coming week will see a change. Anna's six weeks are coming to a close and we have much appreciated her assistance including, at her own initiative, clearing weeds in parts of the garden, adding a few new plants which have smartened the view from the window considerably. Today, Monday, we are expecting a young lady from Switzerland, Damaris to be with us to help with things for two weeks. She wants to use the opportunity to improve her English.
We also this week expect to have several contacts with the village. The ladies club (Frauentreff) in Utzenfeld come to us for their regular get-together on Tuesday and at the end of the week a ladies football team from Sportsreach in northern England come for a long weekend and are scheduled to play the Schönau ladies football team. We are hoping that some of members of the latter will accept an invitation to come to the house to meet us all socially. The Sportsreach team are eager to share their faith and that should give an opportunity.

Sometimes our guests hear a scurrying sound across their ceiling during the night or early morning. Up to now our 'roof-dwellers', stone martins, a close relative of pine martins found in parts of the UK, have been very secretive and have only rarely been seen and then mostly as they clamber up the rock face at the back of the house into the forest beyond. However this year they have become more sociable. We have used our 2nd-floor rooms for helpers and one night one of them saw a furry face peering through the window at them from the roof outside. Yesterday one came running down the rock face to stare chatteringly at us in the garden. It's God's house and He is sending all sorts of guests to us!!
We've this weekend enjoyed fellowship with a family from Perth, Australia and in two weeks time we are expecting a ladies football team from Lancashire. Under the auspices of Sportsreach these use sport as a means of contact for sharing their faith in Jesus and communicating the Gospel. We have been able to arrange for them to play the Schönau ladies team on the splendid Schönau sports ground and are hoping that some of these local ladies and their friends will accept an invitation to Haus Barnabas to meet the English team socially and to hear about their personal faith that binds them together and motivates them. Please pray about this.
Phyl unfortunately kicked a rock rather hard when playing football with the children on Saturday. It seems likely that a big toe is broken. Please pray it will heal quickly.

News Update

In the service this Sunday we enjoyed a violin accompaniment by a competent and enthusiastic musician who was visiting us for the weekend. Maurice and his wife had spent a holiday with us in 2008 and came in on their way home after a week in Switzerland. Through their time with us two years ago Maurice came to really appreciate the Spurgeon meditations we use in Daily Manna and has been reading them ever since. One reading for last week 'go up into the high mountain' seemed so appropriate to their situation that he shared it with the other hotel guests where they were staying in Lauterbrunnen. (we reproduce it as our blog meditation for this week).

We are now at last enjoying real summer weather. We look forward to welcoming a group from Herne Bay Evangelical Church on Thursday for the fourth year running and trust the fine weather holds.

We have on a number of occasions had to overflow into village accommodation this year and it has been good to see these guests wanting to join us for morning devotions before breakfasting with us in the 'Haus'.

News Update

It's been lovely to have some warmer, sunny weather after a rather disappointingly cool May and this has of course brought out our summer flowers. We marvel at our heavenly Father's creative skills displaying astounding design. One of the breathtaking sights for me is blue of the wild lupins against a background of yellow broome and surrounded by the soft greens of fresh leaf growth. We seem to have more bird song in our garden this year and we have every reason to re-echo the song of seraphims around God's throne: 'the whole earth is full of His glory' Isaiah 6:3.

Against this background of beauty there are constantly things which create stress in the running of the house and afresh this week I've taken comfort and strength from the reminder, I believe from the Lord, that it's His house and His work and He has the ultimate responsibilty for it. We are His servants and also His friends John 15:15 and above all He wants our love and our faithfulness. He entrusts us to provide loving hospitality to His children and all whom He sends to us. We serve them, enjoy their fellowship, pray with them and bless them and they return 'from whence they came'. Often we continue to prayer for them and they continue to bless us. It's truly a wonderful privilege to be part of God's family in Christ!

News Update

Suddenly the house is empty of guests for a week-end of quiet after a very hectic week. The 'Family Week' from Pitsea Friday Club filled the house to overflowing and with Tim & Deb and family in UK we were thankful that they provided they own cook and kitchen workers. David & Liz McCann led the 11 children in two separate children's sessions each evening and the week came to a climax on Friday evening with a BBQ and evening programme for all of us. Children, parents, grandparents, friends and helpers made 30 in all. The week was full of 'happenings', many unplanned and unforeseen, and although we have appeared to live on a very earthly level, dealing with very earthly things, we have had a strong sense that these things were only superficial. The real significance of the week has been an invisible spiritual work that God has been doing. Satan doesn't relinquish his territory easily and we have been caught up in the cross fire of two kingdoms fighting for the possession of precious, immortal souls. We believe that future days and all eternity will reveal the overwhelming power of God and His grace in the hearts and lives of some of all ages who where with us this week.

Just at present we feel weak and drained but those 'who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they will mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they will walk and not faint'.

Our picture shows two of the youngsters completing the nearly 3 Km down hill run on the Todtnau mountain coaster - www.hasenhorn-rodelbahn.de

News Update

This past fortnight we've had our oldest guest with us. Having had her birthday in 1918 Hilda is doing extremely well and has led an active holiday with the help of her wheel chair and a devoted daughter and husband! By way of contrast, at the end of the month we have a family week with about 10 youngsters coming with either parents or grandparents. There will be a children's programme each evening led by Dave and Liz McCann.

May has so far been a disappointing month weather-wise with coolish temperatures. We are hoping for better things soon!

We are pleased to have arranged for guests speakers to lead devotions and evening ministry later in the season. Steve Morley, who was a Counties worker in Essex has agreed to be with us for the week August 21st to 28th when we, Phyl and Len, are having a little break. He will also lead a short children's programme in the evenings. Then during 11th - 23rd October Geoff Carr, also a Counties worker, will be with us to share devotions and bring ministry. Please make these dates know to folk you think may be interested.

News Update

The Lord has wonderful ways of encouraging His children but I wonder whether we sometimes fail to appreciate these signs because our minds are too taken up with our practical activities. Something happened this week and it was only after the event that I realised that God was speaking to us through it. Two Christian friends, previous guests with us, called by unexpectedly during a motor caravan tour of Europe. The timing of their visit was not particularly convenient as we had had a busy morning and although well past midday we had not yet had lunch! However it was good to see them and we gave them tea and talked for an hour or so and after prayer together they continued their planned tour leaving us for Bavaria. After they had gone I suddenly noticed that the bunches of tulips they had kindly brought us were the same colour as those on our Daily Manna cover for May - see the picture. Surely not a coincidence? God was saying that their visit was of Him and had significance? Then I realised that the generous sum of money they had slipped into my hand on leaving adaquately covered the amount I had spent that very morning on DIY material for the staff bedroom I was hurredly trying to complete in our roof space before we needed it at the end of May. Surely a remarkable sign that our thoughts and plans were of God and He could supply all we need for the work to go on. Then finally, they had left a book with us that they had been reading during their trip. It was a testimony of a Christian couple doing a similar work to us, namely providing an open house where Christians came to find encourgement and unbelievers came and experienced God's grace and blessing and the opening of their hearts to Him. We can only say - 'Thank you Lord for sending Your servants to us and for the confirmation that You are with us and I quite believe have new thoughts for us from the book Your servants quite casually passed on to us!

News Update

It's a sure sign that Spring is here once we wake Benita, our 24 year old water turtle, from her winter sleep. Between November and April she sits quietly in 6 inches of water in the cellar demanding neither food nor attention. A convenient pet to have! Now she's looking forward to her spring diet of tadpoles and we need to locate batches of unhatched frogspawn to nurture for her. We expect still to find some in the colder pools at higher altitudes. One year when we got home from such an expedition we found a beautiful red-bellied newt in our bucket, which we had obviously unwittingly scooped up with the frogspawn.
The ban on flights across Europe this past weekend because of the high altitude ash from the icelandic volcano brought us unexpected guests. We appreciated greatly the fellowship with a family from London on their way home from Italy in a hire car. It was good too to have our first Sunday picnic lunch of the season in the garden after our morning worship service.

News Update

Here are the intrepid contingent from our Easter Bible Retreat who conquered the Belchen mountain (4,595 ft) on Good Friday afternoon! Actually car and cable car took them most of the way!
The picture was taken by Dr Bernhard Kaiser from the Institute for Reformational Theology who we were priviliged to have with us for part of the weekend and who gave us two excellent addresses. We recommend you link on to his website to learn about his ministry and with samples of his sermons also in English. www.irt-ggmbh.de

We were encouraged by the following comment in response to our request for feed back from the weekend - 'The teaching was excellent - we benefited so much from it - good to have it so bible based and clearly taught. I don't think that could be improved - be hard act to follow next year'
April is quiet in the house as far as guests are concerned but we really take off on 1st May! The sun is now warmer here, but snow showers are forecast again for tomorrow!

We are enjoying our first Easter Bible Retreat in Haus Barnabas. The theme is 'our incorruptible inheritance through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead' 1 Peter 1 3-4. Over the four days we have had four speakers each giving two expositions of the first part of 1 Peter chapter 1. (Berhard Kaiser, Alfred Staheli, Geoff Holder and myself). Everything is conducted in both English and German. There is time for relaxation in the afternoons and on Good Friday Geoff led the group of guests up the cable car up our neighbouring Belchen mountain. (See picture, although this was taken in February 2009 by Chris Hall) Most of the the guests who came were from the north the Switzerland and although we would have liked more it has been good to meet and get to know a few more local Christions. Tim and Deb and children needed to take the opportunity of the school holiday to visit Tim's family in Kent and we have been very grateful to a family from UK who have come out to help in very practical ways.

The expositions of this wonderful passage of Scripture have not only deepened our appreciation of the 'living hope' we have though Jesus' resurrection but also recognised and explained the necessary prerequisit of the new birth into God's family to entitle us to receive the promised 'incorruptible inheritance'. We are producing 8 CD's of the series of sermons. Let us know if you are interested and watch this space!

News Update

We, Len & Phyl, are at present in north-west Wales on a semi-holiday. We have the use of a secluded log-cabin in a holiday village where we have internet contact to maintain correspondence etc and Len is preaching for three consecutive Sunday evenings at Capel Fron, Penrhyndeudreath. We also have a Haus Barnabas information afternoon on Saturday 20th - see details alongside on blog. However we are also taking time out to enjoy the beautiful Welsh coastline and mountains and visit a number of friends in the area. The view here is from Criccieth across to the Snowdon range. We praise the Lord for the opportunity for this time of rest and change and for the blessings of 'Geborgenheit' which is the very apt name of the cabin we are privileged to have the use of.

News Update - Sunday 28th February

Our snow in Utzenfeld has been melting fast in the last few days but it looks has as though we could get more at the end of the week! The picture was taken of one of the rock faces along the old railway track to Todtnau. Skiing has been good and according to the Feldberg report still is.

We, Len & Phyl, leave for the UK tomorrow, Monday 1st March, and have a series of engagements in Wales. We are contactable on our UK mobile 07789 867300 and are happy to deal with holiday enquiries and also to be generally available for friendly chats. Remember our reunion and information meeting in north Wales on Sat afternoon 20th March those of you who live within travelling distance. (More details on the righthand side of this blogspot page.) We aim to back in Utzenfeld for Palm Sunday and in time of course for our Easter Bible retreat.

Tim and Deb Brooks and family are keeping things running in Haus Barnabas during our absence and although we ahve a minimum oif guests booked for March younever know what may materialise!

Bookings for the year have been coming in fast so we advise you to contact us as soon as possible about vacancies if you are considering coming.

News Update

This little species of finch, the Bramling, or in German 'Bergfink' (Mountain Finch), has got itself into the news here this past week. The bird is a regular winter visitor from Scandinavia, both to Britain and mainland Europe, but this year the species has arrived in the Black Forest in flocks of several thousand. The local newspaper reported that streets in Lörrach had to be closed to traffic because cars couldn't avoid killing them! We also had a flock in Utzenfeld although not so large. They are apparently particularly attracted to beech woods where they will clear the area of beech nuts completely. I wonder if they have also been seen in Britain? A response from bird watchers would be welcome!

On another subject, we are hoping and praying for a positive interest in our first Easter Bible Retreat. The programme for the four days Thursday 1st April evening until Monday 5th April midday provides for fellowship, worship, Bible ministry and relaxation. The four preachers, Alfred Stäheli, Dr. Bernhard Kaiser, Geoff Holder and myself Len Holder will each give two Bible expositions from 1 Peter 1. For full details see our website: www.haus-barnabas.com All will take place in both English and German. We are expecting a good German contingency but it would be good to see English-speaking guests also well represented. Do please pray for us and consider the possibility of coming! It may not be so impractical as you might imagine. You could always stay a few extra days to make the journey worth while!

News Update

It's carnival time in Europe and although sadly in some cases these few days give an excuse for uncontrolled drinking and licentiousness in its moderate form it seems to give every age group a happy party spirit. The pensioners of Utzenfeld had their monthly gathering in Haus Barnabas this past week and most of them arrived in funny hats! See our photo. The Kindergarten encouraged the children to go in fancy dress. This pleased Esther tremendously, as she loves dressing up. One day she went as a fairy and the next in Tom's pirate costume!
On the more positive side for us because the weekend, and for the schools also next week, is holiday we have had guests in the house. We are enjoying fellowship with an American couple based in Germany and also a Welsh-Irish lady living in Prague where she teaches at an international school. Meal times have been a delightful time of sharing cross-cultural experiences and our guests are entering whole-heartedly into our Sunday worship and fellowship meetings. The weather remains snowy with sub-zero temperatures and our teacher from Prague is looking forward to cross-country skiing this coming week.
Our Sunday sermon was based on Peter's enquiry 'Lord what about this man?' and Jesus' answer 'What is that to you? You follow me.' from John 21: 21-22.

News Update

It's good to be back in Utzenfeld even though we were welcomed back by snow. The worst of this had come a week earlier and the picture shows that despite the weather Haus Barnabas was still open for weary travellers and local villagers wanting an excuse for a walk and 'Kaffee und Kuchen'. It is unusual for the weather to bring life to a halt as is so often the case in the UK so Deb pulled Esther to Kindergarten on the sledge and Tom's bus to his school in the next village ran on time.
We have been working on the arrangements and programme for our proposed Easter house-party with Bible ministry and you will find details of this on our web page. Why not consider joining us for Easter? Or maybe it's not too late to come and enjoy the snow. The forecast is for the weather to get colder again and skiing conditions are ideal on the Feldberg and other slopes.
We got a lot of blessing from hymns from 'Praise' on the journey home here on Friday .... 'Through floods and flames He leads me safely on, and daily makes His sovereign goodness known'

News Update

Having been travelling around the southern counties of Britain this month it has been difficult to keep up the weekly news updates. My apologies to those of you who follow our activities for interest and prayer. We have had encouraging times with a number of different churches and also afternoons of 'reunions' with guests and friends in Stanmore and Basildon. The crowning blessing was the privilege of taking part in the baptism of Richard and Michelle Smith this past Sunday at Kingswood Baptist Church, Basildon. See picture.

Richard and Michelle came to Haus Barnabas with their children as part of the 'Family Week' last May and it was through that week that the Holy Spirit touched their hearts and as Richard said to me at the close of the week - 'I know my life has got to change'. After attending the services as his local Baptist Church and an Alpha Course they both responded to the call of Christ and see their baptism as the beginning of a new life of following Jesus with the help of His promised Holy Spirit. Please pray for them and their family of four children. They are due to come out to Haus Barnabas again in May 2010. (See http://www.kingswoodbaptistchurch.com/testimonies.html for Richard's and Michelle's testimonies.

Happy New Year

A happy and blessed new year to you all

Psalm 91

1 Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
he is my God, and I trust him.
3 For he will rescue you from every trap
and protect you from deadly disease.
4 He will cover you with his feathers.
He will shelter you with his wings.
His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
5 Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night,
nor the arrow that flies in the day.
6 Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness,
nor the disaster that strikes at midday.
7 Though a thousand fall at your side,
though ten thousand are dying around you,
these evils will not touch you.
8 Just open your eyes,
and see how the wicked are punished.

9 If you make the Lord your refuge,
if you make the Most High your shelter,
10 no evil will conquer you;
no plague will come near your home.
11 For he will order his angels
to protect you wherever you go.
12 They will hold you up with their hands
so you won't even hurt your foot on a stone.
13 You will trample upon lions and cobras;
you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!

14 The Lord says, "I will rescue those who love me.
I will protect those who trust in my name.
15 When they call on me, I will answer;
I will be with them in trouble.
I will rescue and honor them.
16 I will reward them with a long life
and give them my salvation."

Holy Bible, New Living Translation ®, copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.