- Details
- Paul Sudbrock
- Letters
- Hits: 239
- Details
- Paul Sudbrock
- Letters
- Hits: 233
Representing Christ as the Savoir is the point. Recently as I witnessed to an older gentleman, he proudly stated that he and his wife had just celebrated 62 years together. After a fist bump and congratulations for such an accomplishment, I explained that before Christianity, Israel, Moses, Jacob, Isaac, Abraham, and Noah, God created Adam and Eve. That relationship preaches the way to salvation. How often must a husband or a wife admit their failure and trust that they will be forgiven. It was not without reason that the relationship between Christ and the church is paralleled to man and his wife. In repenting and trusting the good news that Jesus will save, as He is the way, the truth, and the life, one is saved.
I explained to Herr S… how I trusted Christ and how He saved me. I shared with him John 3:16 asking him to promise me to read it as soon as he could. I begged him to consider trusting Christ. Explaining that He will not cast away a repentant heart, but rather save those who trust Him.
Nov & Dec were wonderfully packed with ministry. Chelli lead the 8th grade Christmas play at the school. It was so encouraging, within this atheistic community, to see the gospel shine so brightly through the presentation that these children created. We also put together care packages for needy families, passed out calendars with the gospel message to our neighborhood and delivered gift bags for the homeless in Wittenberg.
Please pray for our church people. We had a water pipe burst in the recent cold snap. It flooded our kitchen, main Sunday school room as well as part of the vestibule. The floorboards have taken in water and swollen to the point of hindering proper door function. The kitchen cabinets are a total loss as well as some furniture. I have an appointment with the contractors tomorrow. Once we have the needed estimates and the insurance signs off on everything, we can schedule the repairs. It means a lot of work for our people and a season when we will not be able to meet in our building. Pray with us that the time of fellowship as we work side by side will be fruitful and that God provides us an alternative meeting place while the floor is being replaced.
Please continue to pray for Samantha’s health. My eye has healed, but the operation has advanced a cataract. The eye doctor is recommending having both lenses replaced in Oct. After insurance, there is still our co-pay for the surgeries that I had in the fall which amounts to $3,200. With the war in Europe and the energy crisis in Germany, the cost of living has drastically jumped. If the Lord could use you to help with these needs, we would be very grateful.
This summer Sadie’s knee is needing to be operated on again, Samantha is doing an internship, we are picking up Elior and receiving recognition for 30 years of service as missionaries. That is a good deal of travel expense.
Special thanks for the support and the special offerings during these uncertain times.
The Sudbrock Family
- Details
- Paul Sudbrock
- Letters
- Hits: 599
This month has been full. Sadie, our youngest, graduated and is on her way to Liberty on a missionary scholarship. We had a goodbye service Sunday where teachers and friends heard the gospel one more time.
After services, we grilled and celebrated Sadie’s 19 years in Germany. With a complex mix of feelings, we release the last arrow of the Sudbrock quiver into the uncertainty of today with all the hopes and dreams that the Almighty will use her to change the world.
We are in the middle of preparation for summer furlough. It entails preparing our apartment, lining up guest speakers, and filling empty dates along our route.
In July, I have been on two class trips with the school as chaperoning pastor. We took the two 8th grade classes to the Berlin area. It is such a fantastic opportunity to share the gospel. Usually, the first night is a short one as they are full of trip excitement. The rest of the week is generally more restful, but . . . as with any youth camp, it makes for a tired group of workers. That aside, I wouldn’t give up the opportunity to give devotions, play soccer, listen, and counsel these young people for anything. What a blessing it is to be able to communicate the loving good news of Christ’s salvation to these young people and their teachers.
The second trip was with the 6th graders. I had over done it helping a friend over the weekend with his roof and that set the stage for a problem at the end of our first day with the 6A. After a 12-kilometer hike, my legs swelled and became feverous. Monday night, I slept with my legs and feet over a fan I had lodge between the wall and the bed to cool the beet red blotches. The next evening things had improved, and I was back in the swing of things. Due to my leg issue, it was decided that I would ride back with the A class and Chelli would then bring me back Wed evening. Suddenly it occurred to me that I had forgotten my dentist appointment and I would not make it back in time. I called Chelli and asked her to call the dentist only to have the dentist call me to ask if I could come 45 minutes later. God knows what we need when we need it. If I had not had a problem with my legs, I would have missed my appointment and He even changed the Dentist’s schedule to accommodate my need without me knowing I had a need.
The 6b was a joy. When I arrive Wed evening, I sat with a group of kids and started to share Bible stories. The group grew and I lost track of time. They were like sponges. Afterwards, I walked around meeting the rest of the class and more questions ensued. There is no greater joy than sharing Christ!
A special thanks for the support and the special offerings during these uncertain times.
The Sudbrock Family
Received May-June Support:$100 Spec:$ Designated:$
Subscribe: http://go.gl/pym7x8. Facebook: TheSudbrockScoop
- Details
- Paul Sudbrock
- Letters
- Hits: 365
As I sat in the waiting area for a minor ear opening procedure, this little jingle came humorously into my mind as I considered the happenings of late.
The last two months have been exciting, health wise. I had outpatient surgery in Iowa 10 days before returning to Germany. Two weeks and three days ago I had emergency surgery on a detached retina in my right eye. Two weeks prior to that surgery, I had a head cold that led to an inner ear issue.
I had tried everything to clear up that ear, to no avail. While being detained in the hospital, post op due to some inflammation, I decided to go see the resident ear specialist. She gave me nose drops and sent me on my way. I used them with no success. A week later, Chelli stopped by our local specialist, and I made an appointment. Success! The next day, the doctor made a little hole in my eardrum and extracted the fluid. Voila, I can hear again. PTL!
I can hear and my sight is improving. The doctor took away two of the meds on Friday. One was a pupil dilation drop. My right pupil is slowly becoming active again and my vision in the right eye is less blurry. The stitches in the eye are softening as well as the pain at the op sights are lessening.
Our Reformation festival was a feat of the Lord. While my eye is healing, I am not able to lift anything. If it was not for those who stepped up, we would have been forced to cancel our outreach. Skyler called and said, “Dad, I have organized two teams from our church; one for setup and one for manning the stand.” Fantastic!
Then Skyler fell ill Saturday. He was to drive the rented Sprinter. Without a driver, we were back to cancelation. Nick, a young man who had helped before, called, and asked if we needed help. His father is a good friend. He suggested we use his Sprinter and that Nick could drive it. The festival was on again.
Not only did it all function well, but the young people who came to help pass out tracts were energetic soul winners! I am not sure how many people our thrown-together group witnessed to, but happily we greatly depleted the gospel literature that we had brought that day.
He is mighty in our weakness!!!
Please pray for Samantha’s health.
Special thanks for the support and the special offerings during these uncertain times.
The Sudbrock Family
- Details
- Paul Sudbrock
- Letters
- Hits: 628
I cannot think of a better testimony. A man who has been watching our ministry for several years and has witnessed the lives of our family on a daily basis, made me smile. As I was chatting with him and steered the conversation to Christ, he interrupted me and stated positively, “You all live the faith”. It is so nice to get positive feedback. Thank you, Lord, for making the years of serving You, visible to our neighbors.
Since the end of February, we have been actively reaching out to the Ukrainian people, both in our city and throughout eastern Europe. We invited the refugees who have relocated to Wittenberg to attend a cake and coffee fellowship and BBQ. We had 30 RSVP to our invite, so we planned for 40 and purchased for 50. Ninety-five showed up!!! Just as the grill ran out of food to serve, a young lady from Chelli’s ninth grade class appeared with a gorgeous layer cake from the bakery where she works. “I was wondering if you could use this?”
The Lord multiplied our “loaves and fish” and fed the multitude! I was able to share Christ with a few people by drawing pictures in the sand while I was grilling. Some spoke English. Some spoke German. But everyone has mastered the translation apps on our phones since all of this started. At the end of the evening, a man who spoke some English expressed his thankfulness. He was so grateful for the opportunity to be distracted for a while and to enjoy life and hope for an afternoon. We gave out backpacks filled and donated by Samaritan’s Purse. Everyone had a great time and went home with the Gospel of John and our contact information. Please pray for open hearts as they struggle to make sense of their world.
On the family side of things, Serenity is with us for the summer. She has an internship at a local engineering company. We will be headed to the states in July to drop off Sadie as she starts at Liberty University on a Missionary Kid Scholarship in the fall. That means we will be empty nesters.!
Please pray for Sadie’s left knee. If the tendons do not heal properly, she will need to undergo another surgery.
Pray for the health of churches and our support level as well. Two of our supporting Churches have disbanded and closed their doors this spring.
Upcoming events: Luther’s Wedding Festival (street ministry), 6th grade class trip (5 days), 8th grade class trip (5 days), Graduation Sunday.
A special thanks for the support and the special offerings during these uncertain times.
- Details
- Paul Sudbrock
- Letters
- Hits: 468
August and September were filled with changes, adaptations, and new opportunities.
We landed in late July in Des Moines, IA. Skyler and Eva renewed their vows at Newton Baptist Temple as the family was not able to be a part of their German wedding.
They went east to visit friends and family and we went south visit some of our supporting churches. We all met up again in MO to spend some time with Samantha at College of the Ozarks. We then parted ways as Skyler and Eva made their way back to IA then back to Germany. A special thanks to all who helped them along their way. Blessing our kids is a blessing to us.
After being in a few churches, we made our way to Indianapolis, where Guy Solarek and his church blessed us with fellowship and a generous love offering.
We then spent a few days with Chelli’s family and visited old friends. We were then on to Cincinnati to meet new friends before heading off to VA to drop Sadie off at college.
The following Saturday, I took Chelli to the airport. She had to be back as school was starting up in Wittenberg. A few days later I was driving to Cincinnati with tears running down my face. Letting your kids go is hard, but the finality of the last one starting college is just tough.
I went on to IA where I visited a few more churches and had an out-patient procedure with 10 days of healing before the long fight back.
As the kids are on their own, we are adapting. One of the adaptations came in the form of four legs. Thanks to a generous Christian dog breeder, we have a new child. Elior (My God is light) will be joining our team as a therapy dog. Lord willing, he will open doors for many new soul winning opportunities in hospitals, care facilities and orphanages.
We also have several needs. Samantha and Serenity have medical bills that need to be paid off. As you know, the cost of travel has become difficult to bear, this was never more evident than when you are traveling between faithful churches. We are excited about the new opportunities with the K9 Chaplain ministry, but this as well comes at a cost. Elior will be spending the winter with a professional trainer in MO. We are feeling the cost-of-living increases brought on by the energy crisis here in Europe. Would you consider increasing your commitment to our ministry. If you are not supporting us, would you pray about taking us on?
In May, we are to be honored for thirty years of service as missionaries to Germany. It is amazing how the time has passed. It promises to be an exciting week as we see many of you again. We will also be able to see Samantha again and pick up Elior. He will officially be joining our team in May as we endeavor to reach the lost until HE comes again.
A special thanks for the support and the special offerings during these uncertain times.
The Sudbrock Family
- Details
- Paul Sudbrock
- Letters
- Hits: 656
Being present and living a Christian life opens doors. Nothing can replace the power of a good testimony as it develops trust. In March, I was out and about when I saw a familiar face. This kind gentleman and I had become friends through my car. He had owned the same model. I had shared the gospel with him in passing, but this day he was noticeably busy in his thoughts. He told me he was on his way to see his doctor about his blood pressure. I asked him if I could pray with him before he left. He agreed and I took his hand and brought him before the Lord. With tears welling up, he gratefully thanked me. Being present is so important!
I was recently on a group trip where a young person demanded that I agree with “bi” sexuality. She had become the alpha in the group and was demanding that I subject myself to her viewpoint. I stated that I can respect her as a person. I can love her as a human being, but I will never agree with her view of sexuality. The conversation ended in her frustration, but I lovingly stood on truth.
The next day as we embarked on a 7 km hike through the woods, the coolest thing happened. Six young men who had witnessed the previous day’s confrontation walked along side me and began showering me with questions spanning from life and death to faith and salvation, extent of salvation, life after death, who can be saved, are bad "Christians" in heaven, memory of former life and the list went on and on. They saw my biblical stand the day before. They had a hunger for truth!!! I call miracle! God is good!
Our family has now all been through Covid. One of the young men on that hike shared it with me. I naturally gave it to Chelli and then Sadie tested positive as well. The timing could not have been better as we had a planned trip that would have had to be cancelled if it had come any later. Now that I have had it, I am free from any Covid restrictions in our area. Germany is slowly dropping its restrictions. God’s timing is always best.
Please pray for my eyesight. During my COVID experience I suffered a tear inside the eye. This caused blood to build up and now I have a permanent ring-shaped floater in my vision. The doctor said the small blood drops will go away with time, but the ring is permanent. Please pray for my eye health that there be no further deterioration.
A special thanks for the support and the special offerings during these uncertain times.
The Sudbrock Family