I can’t believe it is nearly the end of 2021! It seems like just yesterday 2020 came to a close. Generally, I find the end-of-year times to be somewhat contemplative; a great time to look back at the year before and ahead to the one to come. I have been reading back through my updates, browsing photos, and examining old journal entries from January until now. Surveying back over the year, my general reaction was “Wow, all of this happened in just the last year!” I also was reminded of the amazing doors the Lord opened up, far and away beyond my expectations. None of this was without the incredible spiritual covering of prayers from all of you. I know it sounds cliche, but your prayers make a huge difference. Opportunities, ideas, and protection have marked this year in ways that are simply wild. So, I want to thank each and every one of you for your prayers!
A year like 2021 would not go out without a bang, and this last month was proof. To start off, the base in collaboration with a number of local churches put on a large open worship service. We used a large church on the outskirts of the city to hold the event. I was deeply involved in the event from the planning & communication all the way through being part of the production. The evening was a big success with around 300 people being in-person & another roughly 300 joining via live stream. The church provided their existing live streaming setup along with the hands to run it. My job was to coordinate with them ahead of time but for the event itself, I got to indulge in an old passion, lighting. Many years ago, I used to find lots of joy running lights but it had been more than half a decade since I last was behind a console. For me, the experience was cathartic and rewarding to touch on my old passion once again. The event went well and it was quite impactful, especially to many of the local Christians. The church in Switzerland is generally very reserved so it was amazing to see the Swiss step out of their comfort zone. I hope we were able to stoke the flames of their faith to burn a bit brighter for Christ.
The base is winding down for the year. There is a 2-week break over Christmas and New Years before things start anew in early January. I am looking forward to getting some much-needed rest so I will be ready to charge into 2022 full steam ahead. Over the break, I am looking forward to spending time with my parents who are here, until the middle of January. In particular, we have a couple of train trips planned I am very much looking forward to.
The photo ministry has also come to a close for the year. Looking back over the last several months, I am so thankful that we were able to encounter so many people. On the last afternoon we went into the city, the weather was not good. Very few people were out in the streets due to the pouring rain. The days are very short and it was getting dark, signaling the end of our time. As we were walking down a street with a large grocery store. Gathered under one of the overhangs was a group of individuals, who are of a more alternative lifestyle, listening to some heavy metal music. One of my students said, hey we should go talk to them, so trying to look like a good leader I said ok. Inside I was a bit unsure. We walked over and introduced ourselves. They were extremely open and we ended up spending around half an hour chatting with them. Our photos were enthusiastically accepted and we got to know them over the next half hour. We also explained that we were Christians and we wanted to let them know God loved them. We exchanged Instagrams (generation Z’s business card), and I hope to reconnect with some of them in the future. Nothing mind-blowing happened, but I could tell we caused them to stop and think. Swiss culture is very high pressure and I can imagine it is easy for people outside the mainstream to accept being written off constantly. I continue to pray that the simple message of God’s love for them will put them on a path to finding fulfillment, peace, satisfaction, and love that nothing in the world can provide them. While I will miss it over the holiday break, I am looking forward to continuing the photo ministry group again in the new year.
Looking ahead to 2022, I am excited to see what God has in store for the ministry here. We have been in the process of working through goals and a road map for the next year. There are so many really exciting things coming up for both me personally and for our communications office in general. All of this wouldn’t be possible without all of you who partner with me financially and in prayer. As I sign off for this year, I just want to say a huge thank you to every one of you. I wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year! Blessings!
As always, thank you for coming along with me in this adventure of faith,
Ben