We wish you a blessed celebration of our Savior’s birth!

❤️Jonathan, Leanne & David

Thank you for your prayers for this precious girl. God has made a way for her to stay together with her daddy and mommy. Praying they one day know Jesus.

THANKFULNESS

• for all your loving care and hospitality this summer THANK YOU. We are so blessed!!!

• for a safe return to our home, work and dogs 🙂

SCHOOL

• which started the day after we landed – it’s possible Jetlag will mean he doesn’t recall much of his first day. Our late return home meant he could celebrate his birthday in Canada.

TRAINING

Jonathan is in his last semester of college to become a kindergarten teacher!! He is gearing up for a gap year in Canada and the US for leadership training following graduation. ABOVE he is working with some of his tech team at church.

EQUIPPING LEADERS

• Sept 15 Susanne taught 40 women at our women’s breakfast about what a shepherd leader does – and how that looks for us in every day life

•October 5-6 I am speaking at a women’s retreat on Following Jesus in Everyday Life and doing a workshop on developing discipleship ministry in the local church

•October 12-14 is my church’s women’s retreat – very thankful for my team leader Josefa and her team. Our speaker will teach on 2 Peter 1. Please pray that these truths are life changing for the women.

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 2 Peter 1:3

• October 29 – Nov 1 I am off to Poland with one of my young leaders and her husband to attend Tim Keller’s city to city training conference

• Nov 3-8 working at small group leadership training conference in Salzburg

•NOVEMBER 23 cataract surgery for my right eye (connected to my accident)

•January 28-30 helping to organize (will also attend) leadership training symposium

THE TRUSTED LEADER by Terry Cook, LDN Global

Terry is my leader coach. I am so thankful for his wisdom and teaching.

• March 23-29 is Free to Live discipleship training in Budapest for Central and East Europeans. I am on the planning team. We are working with Cru (formerly Campus Crusades) and it is a lot of work. Please pray for us and for attendees.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR LOVE, SUPPORT AND PRAYERS

Lord willing I have a solid 20 years of full-time ministry still ahead of me (maybe adding in a few extra naps in the second decade). My vision is to be a part of raising up a new generation of Titus 2 women in Austria. Older women who will pour into younger women. By God’s grace this past year has been the most fruitful ever for me. He has raised up new leaders and being intentional in helping them grow and develop is my goal this year. Would you pray with me that God would raise up more women who can invest in, care for and encourage women to use their gifts for God’s glory? 

Charis (r) leads this three generational team. It is a delight for me to walk with them as they lead and serve women in our church. Each generation brings its own blessing. From energy to vision to calm experience. It is discipleship happening naturally right in the leadership team. 
My goal is to see each new leadership team formed with three generations. Would you pray for these teams and give thanks for the fruit we have already seen,

such as…

?Loving and serving refugees 
?Women being equipped to study God’s Word 
?Women encouraging each other to love and good works 
?Joy in deepening relationships 
?Loving neighbors and sharing Christ with them 
?Older women investing in younger women to discover and use their gifts for God’s glory 
?Working together to provide for refugees 
?Discipling and training trainers 
?Worshipping the Lord together 

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Prayer requests:

for God’s leading and blessing on upcoming events.

*Warren’s 7 heaven birthday Feb 14

*Women’s breakfast Feb 17

*Leadership training for my team leaders Feb 23

*Discipleship training in Croatia Feb 24-27

*Weekly Wednesday afternoon drop in for refugee women and children

*April prep for next inductive Bible study training

*prep for teaching on 1 Peter 1 March  17

Family

We are all well.  David is in grade 9 is on the honors role 🙂 and Jonathan is one year away from college graduation.  Hopefully he will get an internship this summer as a caregiver for the Vienna Boys Choir.

Hopefully we will see many of you this summer!!!!!!!

Thank you for praying!!!!!!!

No, I’m not moving. These treasures we found are for refugee families, people who had to leave their land and have no home of their own. It is important to have a way to keep and carry their belongings. 

I am privileged to be part of a team that provides a women and children’s drop in afternoon each Wednesday for refugees.  Chai tea, coffee, snacks, crafts, loving care…

‘For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me. Matt 25:35
We welcome up to 30 women and children each week. Today an overjoyed refugee woman received a Bible in her own language. Another got a needed baby carriage. One mom told me with a smile that it feels like home here. 

Today as a special treat some of the ladies cooked a meal from their homeland for us all (of course we bought the groceries 🙂 )

That’s Rebekah on the left. We started this group two years ago. To protect their safety and identity I covered the eyes of these dear refugee ladies. 

This sweet girl along with everyone else both old and young loves these stick on tattoos!  It is a simple thing that makes them smile. Even the grandmas sitting cross legged on the carpet let me put a flower or heart tattoo on their arm!!! A sweet way to connect especially if they don’t speak English or German!!

If you have any of these tattoos that you want to pop in the mail to me I know they would bring many smiles!!! (Just email me for the address)

I would appreciate your prayers that we could share the love of Jesus in word and deed with these dear people in their new land. 

A new land for my guys!

David turned 15 and started high school!!! He likes his classmates and school and he is looking forward to prep beginning for the next musical. I am sure he also loves learning and doing homework. 🙂 Jonathan starts his second year of college on Monday to become a kindergarten teacher (also includes caregiver training). He would like to get a job with the Vienna boys choir after graduation as a caregiver. Sort of like being a big brother and traveling the world when they are on tour!

Please pray for upcoming  events:

Sept 16- my church’s women’s breakfast – I am teaching on ‘What is a Titus 2 woman?!?’ See vs 3-5 🙂

Sept 22 to 24 – small group leader training for Freed Life discipleship ministry

Oct 14 and Nov 11 – project days for women at church to sew 200 bags for refugee Christmas gifts. 

Oct 20 to 22 – ladies retreat for our church (I head up women’s ministries in my church)

Oct 30 – start of 4 weekly studies in Jude to  train women in inductive Bible study

Nov 7 to 10 – advanced leadership training course for Freed Life discipleship course

Feb 24 to 27, 2017 – Freed Life course with Croatians in Croatia

Thank you for praying!!!

Our mom’s conference ‘Hearts at Home’, is flying the coop with the blessing of our ‘mama bird’ organisation in Illinois. Our team leader, Simone Höger, unveiled our new name and logo last month at our our annual conference. 

Mütternanader is a German play on the words ‘Mothers  – with each other’. 

For the second year team members’ daughters have joined in to help. These chicks still in the nest are full of enthusiasm and energy. Mentoring the next generation!  It’s a delight!!!!

Our former team leader, Nikki Loernitzo passed the baton to Simone last spring and has been her coach this past year. Nikki took a leap out of her comfort zone and taught a workshop (on marriage). Even though she was nervous, she spoke with understanding, heart, humor and authority. 

It’s exciting to see women step out and use their gifts and see what God does!!!
Praise: 

Our first women’s evening, lead by Charis and Uli, at our local church on prayer mentors went well. Full house!  So blessed to watch the women talk and pray together.

The young lady in the middle is Sophie, the newest team member for this ministry -3 generations in the team is a wonderful way to naturally train trainers. 

Prayer:

1) Now that the boys are older I can do a bit more traveling. I’ll be flying may 19-29 to Toronto to visit two of my churches and family. 

2) New Inductive women’s Bible Study – 4 Tuesday evenings in May. Emma and I both have a passion for teaching women how to study God’s word for themselves. Please pray that God brings women to this study. It is so exciting diving into God’s Word. 

Also for a younger woman to join our team. (Yes, looking for three generations in this team too)

3) For Jonathan (19) and David (14) as they ‘man the fort’ and eat too many frozen pizzas, kebabs and the mandatory vegetables. 

Thank you for praying!!!!

big, little, laughing, praying, teaching, listening, working side by side, even standing on a mountain top together…we all need them!

andrea and tobi are married!!!

My boys have two big sisters here, Andrea and Jess. We were at Andrea’s wedding after Christmas which ended her six months of living with us and Jess is leading worship at our church’s young adult retreat right now. As you can see in the photo Jonathan is a ‘young adult’ at this retreat!! Andrea and Jess are godly influences in the lives of Jonathan and David! Sooo thankful!!!

Karoline and Charis are praying sisters, meeting weekly this past year.  They shared their story at our January women’s breakfast on encouraging one another on to love and good works. Note the purple megaphones and Pom poms 🙂

Karoline and Charis share their story

Charis is heading up a new women’s ministry in the church to help women grow in community. She has asked big sister Uli to join her in this work and they are praying for a younger woman to join them. Their first event is march 4 on being a prayer warrior mentor. Yes!!

sisters by choice 🙂

Leslie and I adopted each other decades ago. We both have sisters across the ocean that we miss. So we decided to be there for each other in everyday life. Like bringing my boys and a plate of thanksgiving dinner to the hospital two days after my accident. And she didn’t forget to bring desert!

We need to know each other in order to love and encourage each other on to love and good works. As women’s ministry leader, I desire to see all the women God allows into my life, grow in their love for the Lord and serve Him using the gifts He gives them.  From personal experience I know that even the ickiest task can be transformed into a joyful community experience with a sister working alongside you.

Thank you for your prayers for us and upcoming events!!!

Feb 17-18    Leadership Team of befreit leben (freed life) discipleship ministry. Planning meeting for September small group leader’s training  seminar

March 4 evening for women    Focus mentoring

March 25 mom’s conference

Sept – leadership training weekend

Oct – our church’s women’s retreat.

Christmas Now (2016):

Christmas Then (2015):

So, can you spot the differences between Christmas Now and Then?

Yes, much has happened in the last year and the boys and I thank the Lord that Christmas will be celebrated at home this time around instead of in the Hospital.

We wish you a blessed celebration of Jesus’ birth, and pray that you would discover new reasons to thank the Lord for his love and care.

Leanne, Jonathan and David

and Temmie and Max 🙂

On the road…

Jonathan passed his driver’s test. License already came in the mail!
Way to go Jonathan!!!!

Jonathan got his license!

David’s not driving yet (phew!) but he is heading into prep for this year’s school musical, Bye Bye Birdie. Auditions this week!

I will soon be the shortest one in the family!

On the road again…

I will be heading out Friday for a week. The boys are off school and were not sad at all to have a week of no one telling them to clean up and do the dishes. As long as they eat some vegetables and glimpse sunshine occasionally I’m good.

Friday to Sunday I will be at our local church’s ladies retreat. As women’s ministry leader I have walked along side our new team leader, Josefa, as her team prepared for the retreat.
Praying that the weekend will be full of learning and laughter and deepening relationships across the generations for all 59 of us.  Our small groups leaders are older women in the church who each invited a younger woman to co-lead with them. A good step toward mentoring in every day life. Please pray for many more steps like this.

Then on Sunday afternoon I drive on two hours towards Salzburg for a five day seminar on dealing with trauma. This time I get to be a participant. The leadership from ‘befreit leben’, the discipleship ministry I work with is sending me. I am so grateful to be able to attend and I expect it to be a time healing for me personally after this past very hard year and also enriching for my ministry to women.

Thank you for praying!

Leanne

Dani (right) and my friend Heidi will be co-leading a small group at the retreat

What is normal?

for David it is riding the train to school each day in Vienna -grade 8!!!

for Jonathan it is heading south from the same train station to go to college each day to become a kindergarten teacher!

for me it is moving towards the end of physical therapy as I recover from my accident last November when a truck hit me while I was riding my bike

AND

continuing with mentoring and leadership training including a four day training session next week an hour from here. So excited that we were able to translate, into german, Open Heart Ministries’ “The Journey Continues” for Befreit Leben (freed life), and to see it coming into the hands of leaders who will take it home and train new leaders!  Please pray for us!!! Sept 21-24

One year ago today was Warren’s Memorial Service.  I shake my head.  A whole year without him.  Friends tell me they have tried to picture themselves in my shoes.  They can’t.  My response is “Me neither”.  Although at some point every day the truth reaches me.  Then I can’t move, I can hardly breath.  Just a tiny speck of the truth reaches me.

It is like that with heaven too.  Maybe it is just an incredible sense of peacefulness in the face parenting challenges (is anyone really smart enough for that job?) or a belly laugh when I get David’s joke and he joins in the laughter.  This too stops me and I take it in.  Just a speck of what is to come.

I relish the heaven on earth moments that take my breath away.