Hello patient readers and friends. We received official word today of our assignment to the European field of ministry within Cadence! That means the next step is for the European field director to pray and assess where exactly in Europe we'll go. It will likely be Germany, but Italy, England, and Spain also have U.S. military bases.
This is not an immediate or imminent transition, we still have ministry time left here. Once a location is decided we will receive a new support calculation estimating the cost for us to live and fund a ministry overseas. In a few months we will transition into more of a Partnership Development phase, much like last summer when we met with so many of you.
The history of U.S. forces permanently stationed in Europe goes back to at least WWII, possibly WWI but I'm not sure. There are American military members living their lives and raising their families all over Europe. They are vital parts of their respective communities in unique ways.
Among all of the obstacles facing anyone living overseas, finding a strong supportive Christian community to belong with is hard. Europe is overall
very spiritually dim. Spiritual life, let alone a relationship with Jesus, is simply not a priority. If one did find a welcoming church, the chance that they speak the language is slim.
We are excited to serve Americans living overseas through a Hospitality House. Thanks for being along with us!! We'll keep you posted on further updates!
In Christ,
Elaine (& Wes)
p.s. Yes, things in Alaska are going very well. Spring has been amazing. Long beautiful days sure do make up for the winter!
This evening we moved our Air Force chapel service to a lake rec area on base (not that you would even know you're on a base, or near anywhere for that matter). We had a great picnic, church outside, and we baptized six people!!
