The 'normal' life

Our window is open and fresh air comes in. Outside it is 2 degrees Celsius. Even though it is warm, the fishermen are standing on the ice and I am wondering if that is safe. “They know what they are doing”, was the answer. “But severe accidents happen easily here”, I replied.

In the last week we received message about two young people who committed suicide. I heard from someone that in his circle of friends and family already nine people committed suicide. Also we heard the story of just one person whom had a miscarriage on her 15th, eventually followed by six abortions. We have the choice to simply let these stories fly over our head, or feel with and be touched by the sadness and grieve, while God’s forgiveness and healing comes in.

The lady, whose family member committed suicide last week, came to our church meeting last Sunday for the first time. There she met Jesus Christ and He gave her deep peace and healed her back pain. Is her loss gone than? No. But she has experienced what it means to seek refuge with God. I am experiencing more and more how God does not take away brokenness with just a snap of His fingers. He comes into it and the pain, the loss and grieve is being absorbed in His peace and love. That gives space to breath. Of course I still trust God for big miracles, radical healings and deliverances. But how “normal” and pleasant is the communion with God who feels with and carries our burdens and pains. Jesus cares!

On the other side, we enjoy life! We expect a baby in June, my parents are visiting in March and Thursdays we are having Bible school. We are also simply enjoying our marriage. Yes, that may also be said. We are laughing heartily together and we hope to never lose that J. Last Sunday we also enjoyed meeting God with 16 other people, who came to the service. And this year two people have decided to follow Jesus. I would like to zoom in on that.

I received a call from Anitse, because someone had asked her to come and pray inside their house. A friend of the owner had seen a shadow in the corner, which grabbed her leg. From that day on her leg hurts every day. A strange story? Some of us ignore this too easily but where should people than find help with these kind of problems? The owner had already tried calling a ‘healer’ who would ‘clean the house’ (which costed money!). Well, we went there. When we arrived I could present them the Good News and she seemed to be acquainted with that (she actually turned out to be a Christian). Her husband decided to follow Jesus and we prayed for them. Earlier that week he had a severe car-accident through which his back was damaged. When we prayed for that problem, he felt the pain decrease. They both came to the last Bible school lesson and told us that his back was healed and that the house became peaceful. It was Jesus who gave them direction. Will they continue to grow? Please pray for this couple.

Furthermore I hoped to have heard more about the ‘yellow house’. But unfortunately we are still in the waiting room. We are waiting for the papers to be made ready in Nuuk. But until the missions house will stand we will continue with teaching and sowing Gods Word. We can already see growth taking place! “The harvest is plentiful”. Will you pray with us?

Next month Katharina will start a course with three women. This course helps to bring pain from the past to God, so healing can take place. This will take three months. We will also work on starting up regional programs in the Christian radio.  These programs could help to reach people in Tasiilaq that we do not know personally! But more on that in the next update :).

Last but not least, a link to a documentary of fifteen minutes that describe the problems well here in Tasiilaq.

Warm greetings,
Peter, Katharina and Joël