Germany - SEU Missions 2023

Hey Everybody!! I hope you've had an absolutely fantastic day - I am currently trying to come to terms with the fact that summer is almost over! That seems ludicrous to me! But, I couldn't be more thankful when looking back on the incredible things that have happened this summer and all of the things the Lord allowed me to be a part of! SEU Grace's mission trip to Germany is for sure one of those things!

If you didn't know, I lived in Germany for five years of my life - it truly is my second home, but I hadn't been back in four years, so to hear that we were going on a mission trip there was very surreal. I was blown away that the Lord was allowing me to return, and on a mission trip no less. I was so beyond excited; I was really interested to see how different it was to be there on a mission. And while it was a bit different, there was such a sense of relief as soon as I stepped off the plane, seeing things in German, eating all the foods I grew up eating, and drinking all the German soda's that I desperately missed. 

The organization we partnered with is called European Initiative; their goal is to share the gospel all over Europe. Because while generally you would think of Europe as a "religious part of the world," it really is a desolate place that is desperately in need of Jesus. Not just religion, not just rules, but a spiritual awakening to the relationship that their Savior wants for them.

While in Germany, we spent our time in two cities, one smaller one called Mainz and then Berlin, the capital. I am so incredibly thankful that we started in a smaller town before heading to the capital. I think we all needed a few days of ministry under our belt before we took on a city that was so spiritually challenging. European Initiative is an evangelistic organization, meaning they lead teams to areas and train them on how to do street evangelism. Like, you walk up to a stranger and ask them, "do you know Jesus" kind of evangelism. We also used dancing and skits to share the story of the gospel before we'd embark on our conversations. 

This trip truly was the hardest thing that I've ever done. Walking up every day and knowing that we were going to be having life-or-death conversations with people, not knowing how they'd react, was scary. But to our surprise, we really had very positive encounters. For me personally, there were only a few people that I talked to that didn't want to hear me out - everyone else was so open to hearing our personal testimonies and why we were there. 

I think that something that I didn't expect was for everyone to be so incredibly open. I don't know if it's because of the stigma in America to mind your own business or just how fast paced life is, but all of these people that we met - college students, teenagers, families, kids, all took the time out of their day to stop and talk to us. And even when they didn't agree with us, we left conversations going, "I might not agree with you, but you know what? I can respect you, and you can respect me!"

Now, hear me out when I say this. There is 100% a time and place to bring down the gospel hard on someone, in love, sometimes you have to look someone in the eye and say "What you're doing IS sin. Because of the way you're living, there will be eternal consequences!" But I learned that more often than not, people just want any glimmer of HOPE and PURPOSE that you can give them.

My favorite conversations weren't the ones where we had deep theological conversations or had debates on how the earth was created. But rather the ones where I just got to look the person I was talking with in the eyes and say, "Just so you know, whether you agree with me or not, there is a creator who LOVES YOU. Who knows you better than anyone, and who wants a relationship with you." 

How often can we get so caught up in religion that we forget that the beautiful thing about Christianity is that it is a relationship with the person who knows us and loves us more than anyone else? How often can we overcomplicate things, and become scared to share the gospel, when all that anyone ever needs to hear is that they have a purpose? That no matter how far they go, no matter what they've done, WE AS THE BODY OF CHRIST are going to be there for them. To meet them where they're at, to recognize that we all started as filthy rotten sinners, but that because of Jesus, we have been redeemed and are no longer separated from Him.

I really hope that today you will take just a minute out of your busy day to remind someone that they are loved by God. That they have a reason that they're here! To look them in the eyes, to step into their life for a few minutes, and help them see the love of a Savior who is trying to reach them.

Or maybe it's you who need to hear that today. Let me tell you, dear reader - YOU ARE LOVED. You are SEEN by God. He cares more about you than anyone else ever can and ever will. You are beautifully created and wonderful. 

God loves his people. He delights in relationship with them - and His plans are greater than anything we could ask, think or imagine. 

Love, Sav

Romans 10:9 - If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.