In 2015 Germany opened its borders to take in Syrian refugees fleeing from the civil war in their homeland. Countless Syrians arrived, but so did many others, with over one million people—most of them from various Muslim countries—arriving within months. While the German population initially had welcomed the refugees, popular sentiment changed. This caused the … Continue reading Refuge
Yesterday I took the train back to Lula and Lilly after a wonderful weekend of Persian ministry in Hamburg (more on that next week). The man sitting next to me was an African-American civilian from Virginia, working here in Germany. I said that I am a Lutheran pastor and asked him whether he is a … Continue reading Another Martin Luther
It was raining cats and dogs on a recent Sunday morning, so I decided to call a taxi rather than walk. The beige Mercedes pulled up. I opened the rear passenger door, threw my backpack in, and settled in the back seat. “Lousy weather,” I remarked. The cabbie looked in the rearview mirror and spotted … Continue reading Do You Eat Regularly?
In the Land of Luther, where today only some 6% of the population have an active Christian faith, how would you go about connecting people with the centrality of Christianity? You could hardly do better than what the Liebfrauen-Überwasser church in Münster has done in their temporary LUX3 exhibition. For starters, this 800-year-old church is … Continue reading The Light of the World
As Lula’s, Lillian’s, and my first year as missionaries draws to a close, we are so grateful for all of you who continue to pray for us and support us as we share the Gospel here in the Old World—in German and Persian (Farsi). But we have even more to be thankful for: While we … Continue reading My Heart for Very Joy must Leap
Have you ever concealed the fact that you are Christian? Perhaps because at your place of work or in your social circles being a follower of Christ is “not cool”? Some people are not afraid to stick their neck out for Jesus—or their arm. I recently met a young man who hails from a Muslim … Continue reading The Cost of Discipleship
Things are kicking into gear now with my ministry to Persians. Last week I rented an apartment (photo) in a Hamburg neighborhood with a very dense population of Iranians and Afghans. Considering my still modest Persian language skills, I am very grateful for the patience and support of my brother pastor Rev. Marko Turunen, sent … Continue reading Receive the Lord’s Gifts Often
James 1:17 reminds us that “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.” This Thanksgiving, Lula, Lilly and I are grateful for the many gifts the Lord has bestowed on us these past twelve months: the privilege of being sent abroad to share Jesus Christ in a brand-new environment … Continue reading Thanking God for His Gifts!
Traveling on the ICE bullet train today, I walked to the dining car to have a cup of coffee. I saw a young German soldier sitting at a table and asked whether I might sit across from him. I thanked him for his service, and we chatted a bit. He said he has only been … Continue reading Do I HAVE to Forgive?
One of this month’s highlights was the first real-life get-together of Riga Luther Academy’s students and staff—at a one-week intensive at the Old Latin School and “Kolleg” in Lutherstadt Wittenberg, Germany. After “knowing” one another only from Zoom, it was a joy to finally meet in person. Students and staff from Latvia, Bulgaria, Romania, Italy, … Continue reading Riga Luther Academy Intensive
The Tiews in Germany 