The Scoop

Our first Reformation Festival since the onset of Covid was a success.  We passed out many hundred tracts and had helpers from the Baptist Church that Skyler and Eva are members of. It is always a blessing to share Christ, even more so when people stop and discuss. Many such opportunities availed themselves during the day-long festival commemorating the Reformation. It is a lot of worthwhile labor to be a part of the event that we utilize for evangelism. We even received acknowledgment for the first time from the organizers in the form of a thank you card.

We no sooner put the festival behind us than we were deep in our Christmas outreach. The benefits of this outreach are not only for the kids who receive a gift, or for those who help but it is a witness that Christians don’t just talk the talk, but we walk the walk.

At the school, our outreach has been stifled by corona regulations, but we were blessed to be able to teach a 45 min class about respect to each of the 8th grade classes. Chelli spoke to the girls, and I with the boys. Chelli posed the question to the girls, “Are you a china cup, or a paper cup.”  To the boys the question was, Are you a Maserati or a manure wagon. I started with Christ’s answer about the law: Love God and love others.

I often talk about my coming message with people I have contact with as an invitation to our services and more importantly as an opportunity to evangelize. During the Christmas outreach, I was out and ran into a Lady to whom we have influenced for many years.  I was working through the application of Joshua and Israel’s crossing of the Jordan. I communicated to her that Israel, like so many of us, easily got caught up in the literal and missed out on the spiritual. We quickly become hypocritical rather than truly walking with a full heart with our Lord.

The way that archaeologists found the crossing was the fact that Israel took God so literally that they built the encampment in the shape of a right foot: “Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.”

As I told her that people need to see that we are truly walking with God. We don’t need nominal Christians. The world needs practicing Christians. She interrupted me with tear-swollen eyes and stated, “You and your family are exactly that to me.”  What an honor! It is a great blessing to see that God is working through us in the lives of others.

Maybe you have had the chance to read my Joseph post.  Before I posted “The Three Josephs”, I used it as a soul-winning opener for weeks and preached it as a sermon opening the traditional four Sundays of the Christmas Celebration Season.  Everywhere you go, use every opportunity to tell of His loving salvation!  If you missed it, you can read “The Three Josephs” on our Facebook page or newfire4germany.org.

Merry Christmas!

Discovering something new in God’s word is always exhilarating. It occurred to me the other day as I was reading the Gospels that the life of Christ is bookended with two Josephs: His earthly father Joseph and Joseph of Arimathea.

Read more: The Three Josephs

It is so encouraging when someone “gets you” or when you realize you are not the only one.  When the prophet was at his lowest, God said, “…I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal…” I Kings 19:17. We live in a time when satan, the contrary accuser, appears to have the upper hand.  Do not be discouraged, but rather rally unto your local church and go out with the gospel.  It is the only light. It is the point of it all!  It will pierce the darkness and the gates of Hell do not have a chance!

In their zeal, the disciples admitted to reproving one for casting out devils in the Savior’s name.  Christ was clear,”…Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me. For he that is not against us is on our part.” Mk 9:39-40.  In the Hebrew language, “Jesus” can be broken down into two roots; Jehovah and Saves.  It literally means Savior.

Read more: Unknown Fan of the Savior

An update on Sadie. Her surgery went well.  It took longer than expected as there was extensive scar tissue that needed to be removed; however, it is healing nicely.  She is now in rehabilitation for the next three weeks.  At the end of those three weeks she is scheduled to go without her bionic looking knee brace.  Please continue to pray for healing.  When this knee is at 100%, the right knee is to have the same operation. This is to avoid the damage the left knee sustained through the weakened tendon which should hold the kneecap in the proper position.

The last few weeks of school, before the summer break, I went with two different classes on three different day trips.  Two were with Chelli’s class; one to Berlin and the other was a 6.7-mile hike to Bergwitzsee.  The other class took the same hike.  These class trips are a great way of building relationships.

Please pray that the school chapel service can be restarted in the fall.  Though I have been making videos for the teaches to use at their discretion, “live” is always better.  For the last five years I have been doing the chapel services and the trust that was built was key this year. 

The tenth graders were the first class that I began ministering to through chapel services all those years ago.  They were asked who they wanted to preach their tenth grade commence-ment.  They requested me.  Despite Covid regulations, I was blessed to preach the Gospel to over 200, consisting of students, faculty and family members.

God opens doors when you least expect it. A day when my plate was full of prep, God led me to take a break from the brain work and go take care of some business at the church.  Underway, God let me see a man walking in the rain toward the train station and told me to stop.

I pulled into a driveway along his path and offered him a ride.  He was a bit shocked at first, but happily climbed in out of the downpour.  He immediately noticed the cross embroidered on my shirt and exclaimed that he was a Muslim.  I asked him if he was also a human.  Astounded and humored he answered, “Yes.”  I then shared with him the meaning of “Adam” (one blood) and Acts 17:26-28.  I took his hand and proclaimed that we were created equal.  Blown away by how I disregarded the divisions of skin color and religion, he became an attentive and excited listener as I told of our need and of the only one who can save, Jesus.

As we pulled into the train station, he hurriedly wrote his name and Tel No. on a scrap of paper.  He exclaimed, “I have never experienced anything like this!” Before he exited my car, I took his hand again praying that he would trust Jesus for salvation.   Please pray for David!

Be open to God’s leadership by praying without ceasing.  God has a plan.  Be a part of it!

As Sadie is in her last two years of school and her left knee locked up on her, I took over delivering her paper route.  The contract had already been signed, so… 

Anyway, my knees are improving, and I am enjoying all the opportunity to talk with people while getting in some exercise (the gyms has been closed for a year now due to lockdown).  It is amazing how many soul winning opportunities have arisen.  One man in particular, got a double dose.  Both times were part of my prep for Sunday.  The first time, he closed the conversation with, “Due to our conversation, I am going to go inside and read the 10 Commandments again.”

The next time, I was able to pray with him.  Can’t wait to see him receive Christ!

Another lady always stared at me as I put the paper in the door slot.  The Saturday before Palm Sunday, I met her at her gate and shared with her how the Palm symbolized Jesus as being the victor over sin and the savior of the believer.  She now meets me at the door with a smile.

Horst, stopped me.  I have no Idea how he knew that I am an American.  He had to show me the inground swimming pool he was putting in his garden.  Little did he expect to hear the gospel that day.

R received Christ last Wednesday.  It was 12 years in the coming.  His daughter was in the 1^st grade with Sadie.  We planted seed, watered, composted, fertilized.  Serenity and Sadie spent time with their daughters and the girls visited us.  They attended church on special occasions and the girls came to youth meetings.  There was a closedness about Rick.  Some is his personality.  Yet the rest was spiritual.  Contact had waned over the years until his daughter asked about confession and if I could bless a house.  Out of the blue. I received a message from an unknown number. 

It was R.  He had been messing with spiritual darkness and was afraid to sleep in his own bed.  I met with him Wednesday morning at 7:30. He was so repentive and so ready to fall into Jesus’ hands. We then prayed that God would also cleanse his house and bless his family.  We have a new brother and we are going through discipleship in preparation for baptism.  He brought his family to church Sunday.  It took 12 years.

Next week, the lockdown loosens, and the Chapel services start back up at the school!  Another blessing, I have been asked by the graduating class to speak for their Commencement.

Please pray for Sadie’s knee surgery tomorrow and healing.  Her knee problem has been seen by many doctors since she first hurt it in the 2^nd grade.  Getting the right doctor is not always a simple thing.  It takes time – God’s time.

A special thanks for the special offerings, especially during these uncertain times.

The Sudbrock Family  

Every time we reorient on a new end date for the lockdown it is extended. There are many adjustments that we have made.  Thankfully, the German court opposed some of the obvious anti-constitutional measures. At one point, we were not allowed to travel more than 15 kilometers from our residence.  That was quickly revised to 15 Km from the city limits and later overruled.

Non-essential businesses have been closed since before Christmas.  Building supply stores are closed to the general population.  They have developed a slight workaround.  You can order via the internet and then pick up your order via appointment only.  If I only had a construction license it would make our many church and school projects so much easier.

We are endeavoring to get the gospel out despite lockdown. Chelli came up with the great idea of a Neighborhood Free Library. So, I set out to build a little weatherproof book box during Covid Lockdown to house a Little Free Library as an outreach.  The adventure took a little while to get it finished and hung on the fence, but it is a success.  We have stocked it with Bibles, children’s Bibles, devotionals, books by Christian authors, and classic literature as well as some of the children’s books that our children have outgrown.  It has been well-accepted in the community and we are beginning to see a rotation of the materials.  If you would like to help us keep this library stocked, please mark your donation: “Bibles”. We are planning to open two more of these little libraries: one at the school and then one at the church as well. 

Our next brainstorm was a postcard with links to several sites such as Bible apps, the series "The Chosen", devotional sites, and our church's digital contact information.  Sadie did the artwork for the front. It includes the phrase, “Be merciful…” from Luke 6:36. We are currently in the process of canvassing our city with these since, here in Germany, we can place materials in mailboxes for free.

Thankfully, we are still permitted to meet in person at our church building for Sunday morning services.  In addition, I am doing a daily 3 min video devotion available over our church’s site.

Our postcard offers further contact to our church with the option of a free Bible, Christian video, and other literature.  Pray that God will use these outreaches.

Pray as the schools begin to open again that our openings there will be effective as well.

A special thanks for the special offerings, especially during these uncertain times.

So thankful for all you do to help us do what we do,

The Sudbrock Family  

Merry Christmas

As we continually consider how best to minister despite covid, we are at times surprised at God’s providence!

We truly thought that our Christmas outreach would be severely curtailed. We were hindered from promoting the outreach as the two city festivals were cancelled this year. As the donations started coming in, our feelings of resignation went from hopefulness, to excitement to jubilation as the Lord provided by moving hearts of the people living in our county. Our total was 774 gifts, which is 64 above our total from last year! God doesn’t need us; He just chooses to use us for His glory.

Please pray as we endeavor to get the gospel out during lockdown. The powers-that-be have tightened the regulations, but we are thankful that we are permitted to hold services. We are passing out tracts door to door. Chelli came up with the great idea of a manger scene in front of our house. She pulled out her pattern file that she created for one of Mitte Mitchell’s classes during our Bible College days and I enlarged them with an overhead projector onto some plywood that I had recovered from pallets. Now we have a manger scene proclaiming the Lord’s birth in front our abode. Please check out the Sudbrock Scoop on Facebook for pictures.

My outreach in the school has become restrictive as the Covid rules don’t allow for such a large group to assemble. I attempted using Zoom, but the internet connection at the school is not adequate to broadcast into each room simultaneously. Facebook live was out of the question for multiple reasons. My only option was to create 5 min devotion videos and load them up to the school’s server. The teachers then use them at will.

With the lack of the live services, you naturally feel a disconnect. A blessing came when one of the teachers approached Chelli and asked her to thank me for the devotions. It was a simple straight forward Christmas presentation of the gospel, closed with a sinner’s prayer for salvation. The teacher said, “Tell Paul the devotion was great. I referred to it repeatedly, all day long with my class!” What a blessing to be used of the Lord.

Skyler’s final surgery was a success. It will take some time to heal, but along with his wife, Eva, we were able to pick him up at the Charité Hospital in Berlin and bring him back to his apartment. We are so thankful for the Lord’s healing. Please pray as he adjusts to his “New Normal”. His body must train his newly converted section of small intestine to do the job of a large intestine. He is young. The doctors are positive. And our God is good.

A special thanks for the special offerings, especially during these uncertain times.
So thankful for all you do to help us do what we do,

The Sudbrock Family

Many inquired about our international travel experience.  We were able to travel to America, being American citizens.  We could travel back to Germany, as we are German residents.

Chelli, Sadie, and I were required to get tested upon arrival with the possibility of a 2-week quarantine.   Thankfully, we tested negative and did not need to quarantine.

As I traveled back to Germany almost a month after Chelli and Sadie, I was fortunate to have a non–invasive test. Chelli and Sadie endured the more uncomfortable COVID test.

Within two weeks I was on a class trip with the two fifth grade classes and two seventh grade classes.  Usually, you try and wear them out the first two days, so they sleep at night, but because of COVID restrictions, every group came for one night.  Therefore, every night was the first night for three nights in a row. Such a schedule means little sleep for teachers and counselors.

I taught the kids how to make paracord bracelets using:

James 4:6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

Every knot they tied, they quoted this verse as I taught the gospel, starting from the need of repentance to the faith in God’s gracious salvation in Jesus.  Everyone who made a bracelet heard the gospel multiple times and has a bracelet to remind them of the need to repent and to believe.  Please pray that the planted seed will bear fruit.

As our city festivals were cancelled due to COVID, we have been creatively striving to find other ways of spreading the good news.  We have stepped up door to door tract deliveries and 5 min Facebook devotions.  Thankfully the school has remained open.

I am very open to video conferencing.  I have found an incredible OT Missions text I would love to share with your church!

Please check out the Sudbrock Scoop on Facebook.

A special thanks for the Special offerings.  So thankful for all you do to help us do what we do,

The Sudbrock Family