God has absolutely fantastic ways of leading His people! For years I have dreamed of living in Germany in order to serve Him there. Yet health problems over the past several years had caused me to largely abandon this dream. But God had other plans. When two different IBC churches in Germany tried to call me as pastor in the late 80s and middle 90s, and God closed the door to both, I thought that pastoring again was a closed door for me.

Then God gave Claire and me the experience of a lifetime this summer in helping a small IBC struggling church find new hope and life. And in all places, in Cologne near where we had been planning on retiring to in the summer of 2010! In July the IBC church Cologne called us as pastor. God has blessed the small congregation of a hand full of dedicated folks in the five months since in moving from a very uncertain future to a thriving congregation of almost a hundred people. We are in a new church meeting place and are looking toward a bright tomorrow with unlimited possibilities for growth and ministry. God opened the door for the founding pastor of the church in the early 90s, Calvin and Betty Ann Hogue, to come back to lead the church this fall while we are wrapping up things in North Carolina. This has enabled us to move into retirement eighteen months earlier and to help rebuild a vital congregation in the west central part of Germany.

I especially want to pay tribute to the First Baptist Church of Shelby, NC for their significant role in all this. God used this very mission minded congregation, and especially the M. Christopher Whilte men's SS class that I teach along with the couple's class that Claire and I hold membership in, to provide much of the financing for the trip this summer. Their prayers and support have played a significant role in God opening up this opportunity. The men's class also has contributed to helping the church in Cologne with ongoing needs this fall. For this Claire and I are profoundly grateful.

Leaving our church home here is the most difficult part of the move to Germany. We have come to love and deeply appreciate the folks at FBC. And yet, as I check on airline fares to Germany for December, I have discovered a round trip ticket from Charlotte to Frankfurt and back to Charlotte is a whole lot cheaper than a one way ticket. God is telling us something here about coming back periodically to visit beloved friends! So we anticipate a visit next September to family and friends!

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