Prayer Warriors

Teamwork is amazing too see and experience. Accomplishing something on your own is exciting, but being part of a whole is even more enervating and challenging. We are members of a body, God’s team. He is using us. And we team together with people around the world. 

The amazing thing is how powerful prayer is in this team work. As with any team, we sometimes forget all the parts and only focus on certain elements - the ones more visible. Everyone notices the striker who kicks the goal, the basketball player who makes the dunk, the wide receiver and quarterback who hook up for an amazing touchdown. Some think they are doing nothing - “All I can do is pray.” But prayer is the power behind change. 

Jesus mentions that we can make our desires known before God. He says that if we ask we receive, if we knock the door will be opened. He will give us what is best for us. God is just like us as fathers (or is it the other way around) - a father loves to be asked to help and to be trusted to help. God wants to hear what we want and wants to hear how we trust Him to do it. 

Most recently the body of Christ in Maastricht has been praying for many people we know who are seeking God in their lives. Many of these people are clearly seeking Him. They are on a path to become a child of God. Others do not even know that they are seeking God. They are seeking peace and we know that peace only comes from God, the Prince of Peace. As we pray, we look for opportunities to share the grace and love that has been shared with us. 

We are so very thankful for others who are also praying for us, for our words, as we are praying for people who are seeking peace. We know that we are part of a team. Many of you are partnering with us as we are partnering with you. We pray for one another and thank God for the ways that He is working in so many lives around the world. 

Thank you for prayers for our conversations. Thank you for prayers for the various activities we have planned (for Bible camp, youth weekends, Bible studies, retreats and more). Thank you for being part of the team. Everything you are praying for is very important. Knowing that God is our strength and calling on Him for His strength is extremely important. And it is so very encouraging knowing that you are praying for us. 

The body of Christ

When we first came to work in Maastricht we were so thankful for the people that God put in our lives, for how He was able to use normal couples to do mighty things in His power. Through the years many of those couples left. One sister passed away from cancer and her husband married another wonderful sister. They became an amazing couple in another city. Some couples became families and moved to other cities to be used by God there as they grew their families. It always felt a bit double - we were so sad to lose them to another place, but we were so thankful that God was using them in this other place. 

In the past year or so we have become the recipients. We welcomed a family back to the family here in Maastricht who had been here four years ago. We welcomed another family from one of the congregations in the North. Some sisters from other congregations moved to our area and have strengthened the congregation here. New people, coming from congregations elsewhere in the world, are now part of the family here. 

Each time we know that God is blessing us - either by moving a couple/family to another place away from us, but in His hands, or moving them to Maastricht and still in His hands. We know that if we are willing to listen to God and follow His lead, He will be able to use us mightily wherever we are. 

This past Sunday we welcomed Mark and Oneta Tornij back in Maastricht for a day. Oneta is the middle daughter of our sister Geesie. Mark and Oneta married here in Maastricht before moving first to Amsterdam and Haarlem, then to Germany, the Czech Republic and now Connecticut (Mark works in NYC). 

God is not in one country, He is everywhere. God is not restricted to using you and blessing you in one place. As a child of God, you can be useful wherever you are. The important thing is trusting in Him for your daily walk, wherever you are in this world. 

How has God used you in the places you have been? How is He using you now? 

O LORD, You have searched me and known me.You know when I sit and when I rise; You understand my thoughts from afar.You search out my path and my lying down; You are aware of all my ways.  Psalm 139:1-3