April 2021 — The Gfeller Family

Have you ever looked at an old photo album or maybe had a picture pop-up on Facebook that immediately brought back strong emotions of a specific day in your past? It is interesting how God has made us to see certain pictures or smell certain things that bring us back to specific moments in time. It might be a special memory of the day you were married or something that has been etched into your memory of the trauma of a day you wish you could forget.

This picture recently popped up on my Facebook feed. It was the night before we moved out of our house as we prepared to move to Berlin. Cherry would be quick to admit that the emotion of moving out of the house we had built for our family to grow up in is something that she has struggled greatly with as God has taken us down a different path than we had imagined. I have tended to be more resilient to this over the years, but seeing this picture hit me pretty hard.

The emotions of looking back on that day washed over me, as I reflected back on the past four years. I know now the hard things that were to come. The saying goodbye to friends and family. The struggles of what was to come of living as a foreigner in an unusual land. The tough things that I was to put my family through for the sake of what I believe God had called us to. This is what really got to me as a father, looking back at this sweet picture of the ones God has given me to care for, I wondered if I had really cared for them.

My question looking back at these pivotal moments that make up my family’s story always tends to be “Are we better off now than we were at that moment?”, did the things of that moment work for the good of our family?

I think the answer to that question is defined by what we find valuable. It is defined by what we find at the center of our hope. Am I focused on what is temporal or eternal? If my perspective is temporal, then those pictures that have adversely affected by temporal standing are tough to look at, but if my focus is on eternal things, then those hard things become cherished memories.

They become testaments that I can look back on that recognize the hurt of the situation, but count it all joy because they are helping me gain a clearer perspective of the One I follow. Something amazing happens as I set my mind in this way. When I look back on these hard things knowing that they are meant to turn my eyes to what is eternal, my heart increasing overflows with thankfulness for how God is moving on behalf of my family.

I start to recognize that I would not want to be anywhere else than exactly where I know He wants me. I begin to understand that my purpose as a father is to point my family to what is eternal. I become convinced that the short time I have here is just the beginning of something greater and that this light and momentary affliction, regardless of my circumstances, can in no way compare to the glory that is to be revealed.

'For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, '
2 Corinthians 4:17

So, looking back on this picture I can gratefully and joyfully say, thank you Father! Thank you for taking us through these things, so that we could experience what we are experiencing now and for giving us a glimpse of what is to come. Thank you for the life you have called us to and the people you have placed around us that we love so much and would never have known if you had not brought us here. You are good and worthy to be praised.

Ministry Update

The past month has been filled with good gifts from the Father. April 17th, we held a baptismal service by a cold lake on the outskirts of Berlin. We witnessed six people follow Christ in believer’s baptism and we were reminded that even though you may be able to lockdown a country, nothing can stop the gospel from breaking out in hearts when the Spirit moves. We praise the Lord for His protection and the favor He gave us among those who were passing by, curious to see what was taking place. I had the great honor of baptizing my friend A. from Iran. We have been studying God’s Word together over the past year and I praise the Lord for how He is working in his life.

Another blessing followed the next day, when our congregation voted to confirm me as an elder in our church. This has been in process for over a year, and I will continue to oversee community and outreach within our body, as well as continue teaching regularly.

New opportunities for outreach are beginning to become clearer. Along with our sports ministry with children in Reinickendorf, we are continuing to pursue opportunities to reach into refugee communities. We have seen a door close in the refugee accommodation we have worked in the past two years, but the management we have grown close with is in the process of moving to a new location and we hope to work with them once they have settled.

We have also made new contacts in our local area and we are praying about which open doors to pursue to keep our church family connected with refugee families. Much of my time in recent weeks has been spent one-on-one with three men in discipleship. A. and K. from Iran and O. from Afghanistan have asked me if we could study the Bible together. Two of these men are also attending our church regularly. Please also pray as I meet with an organization this month that would like to fund a soccer tournament into a local community with many immigrants.

Family Update

The girls are continuing in a hybrid educational model. They are at school two hours a day for English, German and Math education and then study Social Studies and Science online. They are required to take Covid tests two times a week at school. We are so proud of them for their resilience in constant changes throughout this school year. They are doing well and Gracie just received her Seepferdchen (Seahorse) certification. All third graders are required to learn how to swim in Germany as part of their education. Quinn is doing a similar training in learning traffic laws on her bike this year, so she will be certified to ride on the roads alone:)

Cherry and Jeannie continue to reach out and encourage others in special ways. Jeannie recently spent over 100 hours making a special quilt for our youth ministry director as she stepped down from this position after 17 years of service. Cherry is constantly welcoming others into our home to encourage them. We look forward to doing this with larger groups again as restrictions are lifted.

Thank you for those of you who prayed for my back. The recent injections have mitigated much of the pain and I am working on strengthening my back in the coming months. I also am thankful for finding a good dentist who was able to give me relief from a tooth that had cracked and required extraction.

Annual Report

We recently put together an annual ministry report with a reflection on the past year and goals for the coming year. We wanted to provide this to those of you who are specifically investing in our ministry with the hope of giving you a transparent look at how we are seeking to invest the resources you have entrusted to us for God’s glory. You can find that report here if you would like to know more about our ministry focus in the coming year.

Prayer Update

Praise for God’s protection on our community and a spirit of unity in recent events and decisions that will affect our community for the future.
Praise that my back seems to be doing better and surgery has been taken off the table for now.
Wisdom for recognizing where we should spend our time as restrictions are lifted Lord-willing this summer.
Prayer for Quinn. We have finally been able to secure an appointment to do an allergy therapy for the purpose of improving her breathing. Please pray that the treatment would be effective in helping her in this regard.