Well, we knew before Drew came that he would only be here for 2 years, but my how those 2 years flew! On July 15 we had the sad task of putting Drew on an airplane to return to the US. Drew blessed the Rhino team in many ways, particularly with his joy, humor and musical talent. The Legend of Drew will live on in Austria... because Austria will never be the same again after Drew! The funny jokes, the quotes from movies, the newly invented German words, the sound effects at the mention of tasty foods, the pure silliness, and the great love for the Lord all combine to make Drew a Legend in our hearts and in the hearts of Austrians who know him. We pray the Lord's blessing on Drew for the next era in his life, where he will undoubtedly rise to legendary status among those around him ;-)
Once again God opened the door for us to be extra-active in the lives of several young ladies who play softball in the area. Andrea and April were ready and available to be used by God for the summer, so when we got a true last second opportunity to help out the softball team by finding American players for the summer, these 2 young ladies responded in record time! Within just a couple of short weeks they finished school, packed up and waited for the Lord to provide airline tickets to get here. Sure enough, He came through in the nick of time and the girls boarded a plane for Austria!
Because we only had about 2 weeks to prepare, Andrea and April arrived in Austria literally not knowing what they would find. After a week of wide-eyed wonder at the sights and sounds -- and the lostness of people around them -- the girls got used to the surroundings and spent the next 3 months playing softball, praying for souls, and witnessing to everyone they met.
Not only were April and Andrea great in their role of being a Christian witness on the softball field, but they also blessed the Rhino team and our family immensely. They have become wonderful friends to us all and tremendous encouragers to us as we minister to the baseball and softball players! The only "bad" aspect of their service on the Rhino Team is that they had to leave :-(
For the 3rd year running, the Rhino team put on a baseball camp for the kids of Langenzersdorf. With all we had learned in the previous 2 tries, we were able to put together a camp this year that enabled us to share the Gospel more clearly and on a more personal level with all the kids. Our team this year was made up of several of us local missionaries, plus Austrian and German young people, plus baseball coaches from Fredonia Hill Baptist Church in Nacogdoches, Texas. The complications of putting together such a diverse team were well worth it, as the team itself worked beautifully in the camp! As far as baseball goes, the camp could not have been better!
But of more importance, our team did a fine job of sharing the love of Jesus with the kids and their parents who had come to watch! We are seeing that our consistent efforts to minister to the community through fun activities like this is that we are gaining a level of trust and acceptance, breaking down the "sect barrier" that so often prevents people from hearing the Gospel from us. In fact, one of the highlights of the whole week was when one of the moms gave her life to Jesus.
The most fun Lance had all summer was getting to lead "Baseball Chapel" for his baseball team! With the level of trust he has earned on the team and the encouragement of April and Andrea, Lance invited the team to come 30 minutes early to the games for a short Bible study. Not sure what to expect, Lance, Mike (an MK who plays on the team), Andrea and April prayed (and so did many of you!) that at least SOMEONE would come. Well, you know how it is. God is prone to surprise us by blessing beyond our wildest imagination. On the very first day, 3 of the guys Lance figured would show up were out of town, but there were still 4 others! In fact, after being prepared not to get discouraged if nobody came, every meeting was attended by at least 3 (usually 4 or 5) of the players who are not yet believers. WOW!! And to top it off, the guys are not only enthusiastic about the whole thing, they seem to want to have some studies during the off-season as well. It just goes to show us that God is able to bless and surprise us at every turn!
Several days of intense rain in mid-August sent torrents of water rushing through the Austrian countryside, resulting in a flood catastrophe beyond comprehension. The floods destroyed more than 10,000 homes in Lower Austria (our region) alone, leaving many of these families at the edge of ruin. This has been described as the worst damage since World War II. Even though we live just a few feet from the Danube River, we benefitted greatly from the flood control measures that protect nearby Vienna, and our house was spared. But it is overwhelming to know where or how to begin to help. Pray for us as we look for opportunities for Christians to get involved in helping rebuild homes and businesses, and most importantly, lives.