It is amazing to see how God works. As some of you may know, about 7 years ago, my family spent 3 months here in Lausanne. At that time, the base had the vision to purchase a big triangle of land adjacent to the base and expand the campus. We had a day of prayer over the property. We walked around the grassy triangle which at the time wasn’t even for sale. Despite this, there was a strong sense that this was what God had in store for the base. They took up a vision offering and I felt a strong leading to contribute to the offering. Little did I know what I was contributing to and the role it would play in my future. Fast forward several years, and the base was able to purchase the land and begin construction of 5 new buildings that together roughly double the space and capacity of the campus. Part of this expansion is apartments for long-term staff. I have the privilege of being one of the new residents of the first building to be completed. It was an amazing full-circle moment to realize that all those years ago God was leading me to participate in developing my future home.
I am thrilled about this. Since I arrived in Switzerland, 14 months ago, I have stayed in small rooms with many roommates and moved often not being able to settle. In my current room, there are 5 of us. This has been a major point of stress for me as I am an introvert and rely on alone time to recharge and rest. I am very much a home-body and cherish having a true space to call home. I have done my best given the situations I have found myself in, but in the new apartment, I will have an entire room to myself. It is hard to even express how much of a profound impact this will have on my ability to sustainably continue here far into the future. I never thought I would be so excited to have my own room!
Moving into the new apartment is also a financial leap of faith for me. I am so thankful for those of you who have chosen to partner with me financially. You are paving the way and playing a key role in the ministry here. While the rent in the new apartment is much more reasonable than the options in the surrounding area, it is more costly than my current living situation by about four hundred dollars a month. The apartment also comes unfurnished and there are about six hundred and fifty dollars in upfront costs of getting some basic furniture, kitchen items, and window coverings. I am trusting that the Lord will provide as He has been so faithful to do. Thank you for believing in what I am doing and if would like to join me in this mission, I invite you to prayerfully consider partnering with me financially. A contribution of 25 or 50 dollars a month makes a huge difference. Here is the link to the page where you can donate. If you have any questions please let me know. I want to say thank you in advance for your generosity.
We are nearing the completion of the massive online bible course production I have been leading for the last several months with a wonderful team of students. The project has required many long days and even a few late nights. It has been quite a journey day in and day out. While I do enjoy the consistency of larger projects, I also take great joy in launching them out into the world.
Due to the lockdowns, I have put most of my train trips on hold. The shuttered cities are not as enjoyable and I have been kept pretty busy with work projects and live streaming because of the lockdown requirements. However, two of my friends wanted to get out a bit and we decided to go to Bern. It was nice to visit again and take a few more photos:
As always, thank you for coming along with me in this adventure of faith,
Ben