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.