I had a fun beginning this week in preparing for the episode. I had just listened to a recording of Thomas from the summer of 1975. Since it was a beautiful summer morning here, I decided to sit out on my patio. I could hear the birds chirping in the trees and then the nearby church bells started ringing. This was a nice reminder, of our early days, living in Nienburg, Germany.
Speaking of the bells, that's how Thomas began his tape recording, to his mother. He says its is 4:50 am and he is sitting under a tree listening to the birds. He was in the town center of Kloppenburg, with Peter, for the flea market. They had a long wait until the official opening time at 6:30 am. So this is how he started the day;
“I was able to recognize God's workings in my life and give Him honor, and thank Him. I experienced that the key to finding joy is to give thanks in all things. For all things, from the depths of my heart. Because He is good and He holds us in His hands.”
Because the town Kloppenburg, was 60 miles away from Nienburg, Thomas and Peter, arrived the night before and slept in the van. They went every weekend, to a different town, to sell their leather wares. They travelled at night, so they could be first in line, to get a good spot for setting up their table.
Thomas had gotten in the habit, of taking our little tape recorder with him, knowing they would have a long wait. He had started doing that, back at Living Waters, when he went alone on a trip to Eureka. He was always looking for an opportunity, to encourage his mother, and share with her what he was learning.
In closing today,
That month of August (1975), was quickly bringing new
developments, for our ministry goals. Though our circumstances in the farmhouse were pretty good, there was still the question; "Where could we house more people when a second team comes from California? And the most important question was; "Is Nienburg the right place to start a church in Germany?"
Bye for now friends!
