Search results

Wow - what an incredible journey we have had! We are full of gratitude as we write these lines. After three unforgettable years, we have now officially graduated from Bible College ! What began as a calling turned into a life-changing time of growth, learning and powerful encounters with God. When we look back on the last three years, we see more than just lessons, exams and lectures. We see God's faithful guidance. WE see Him changing hearts, confirming callings and aligning lives - especially our own. Every moment has been a preparation for what is ahead... What began as a simple “yes” to God's call has led us through deep times of learning, growing and serving. Now this stage is coming to an end - and it's time to: Move on! Our next stop: WISCONSIN! Yes, you heard right! On May 28 , we are heading out and moving to Wisconsin. This move marks the beginning of a whole new chapter - full of change, new ministry opportunities and exciting prospects. A lot will change in our lives - new surroundings, new responsibilities, new challenges. Soon we will be posting a big update about Wisconsin and our plans there. So stay tuned - it's going to be exciting! We know: Where God guides, He also provides. Where He leads, He prepares the way. We are grateful for everyone who walks with us on this journey in prayer, in dialogue or through financial support. We are already working on a “new” website (with domain 😊) and will send you the new link as soon as possible. A sincere thank you We would like to take this opportunity to say thank you with all our hearts: To our family , who has carried us. To our friends who believed in us. To our loyal supporters who have stood by our side with prayers, encouragement and finances. And to you , who is following our journey - whether from near or far. Without you, this journey would not be possible. You are part of what God is doing - in us and through us. "I thank my God every time I remember you... because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now." – Philipper 1,3+5 P.s.: Betty is currently working on a blog post about her mission trip. This will also be published on this website soon.

If you were expecting an interpretation of Revelation and the subject of the end times, we're sorry to disappoint you... ;-) In fact, the end of our time at Charis Bible College is approaching. A chapter is coming to an end - with all the memories, insights, challenges and spiritual growth phases that we have shared with each other. But every end in God's kingdom is also a new beginning. The question is not just: What has been? But much more: What comes next? Seasons end - calling remains The Bible is full of transitions. Abraham left Haran to move to a new land. Moses left the sheep in the desert to lead Israel out of Egypt. Elijah left - and Elisha entered his ministry. Even Jesus ended his earthly mission with the words: „It is finished! “ – John 19:30 … only for the greatest movement in world history to start after that - the church . These examples show us that seasons are important, but they are not the whole story . God's calling on our lives and yours goes beyond programs, groups and studies. He leads you further - deeper, higher, closer to Him. Looking ahead - with hope and expectation The conclusion of our Bible Studies is not the end of our fellowship with God - on the contrary. It is the starting point for a deeper journey. A journey with more questions than answers, but with the certainty of continuing in the right place. A good reminder from the Bible: the disciples were not left on the Mount of Transfiguration forever. Jesus led them back down - into the world, to the people, into everyday life. This is exactly where faith works and where we will soon continue. „And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." – Matthew 28:20 Encouragement - For you Maybe you're reading this and feeling tired. Spiritually exhausted. Maybe you were a motivated follower of Jesus, part of a group, had great expectations - but now you've run out of steam. Others follow Jesus, fit as a fiddle, but in your case it feels like there's sand in the gears. You ask yourself: Is it still worth it? WE tell you: Yes. More than ever. Because your life is not about a dead faith or a few religious phrases - it's about a real relationship with a living God who never gives up on you. Who doesn't say: “ You weren't constant enough.” But rather: „My grace is new every morning.“ – Lamentations 3:23 Your next step counts So start again. Get up and let God's strength fill you instead of your own. Go back to where you left Jesus the last time. He is waiting and looking forward to seeing you! Pray a real prayer or call a faith friend. Start being thankful for the things that are positive despite the difficulties. Take one small step - and God will use it. Because in the end, it's not how often you tripped that counts. It's that you got up again and again. „ For the righteous falls seven times and rises again.“ – Proverbs 24:16 Don't give up now. Your run is not over - and the best is yet to come. Blessings, Johann & Bettina

We had been praying, talking and dreaming for months. What was the next step after Bible school? Is God calling us to a certain place? Are we going back to Europe? And why can't we get rid of the thought that there is not just one right way - but several? What made the decision so difficult was this: there were actually several doors open to us. Doors that we could have walked through with a whole heart. But over time, some paths led to nothing - until in the end there were only two options left. Germany or the USA. How we dealt with this tension, what thoughts, prayers and conversations guided us - and what ultimately sealed the outcome... that's what this blog post is all about. Decision at a turning point: Germany or the USA? We would have welcomed a very clear sign at one point. A door that opens by itself. Or a thought that would give us great peace. But instead: silence. Questions. And the tension between two completely different paths. Germany would have meant: working in church planting with: Being close to family. A well-known language. An environment in which we know our way around - a familiar lifestyle and securities. Finally having a job again and a steady income. The USA , on the other hand, stands for: Participating in church planting with: The risk, but also the freedom to grow into something bigger than ourselves. New opportunities. A new environment. Still no jobs where we could earn an income - but more time to be in the Word. As we thought about it, we kept coming back to the same point: that calling is first and foremost an attitude of the heart. No matter where it goes or what it is about, the relationship with God is all we need. All other answers flow from this relationship. We began to no longer just ask: “What should we do?” but: “Where does your way lead, God - that's where our journey should continue!” That was the turning point. And with this perspective, it became clearer. Not necessarily easier. But clearer. Suddenly there were conversations that fit together like pieces of a mosaic. Doors that closed almost unnoticed - without disappointment, but in peace. And a certain direction became clearer and more vivid from day to day. The pressure was no longer on our side, but rather calmness. Our decision was suddenly no longer based on an uncertain foundation (“What if we do the wrong thing?”), but on trust: “Even if we have to correct ourselves along the way and go through difficult times - HE is with us and will not let us fall.” That's how the decision was made. Not out of a “What would be better or easier for us?”. Nor which door opens or closes, but through the guidance of the spirit. «Not every opportunity is God's will - and not every challenge is an obstacle.» Conversations, prayer and peace as the judge During this time of decision-making, we have consciously sought out dialog - not only with each other, but also with people who guide us spiritually. We had conversations with the pastors, both here in the USA and in Germany. Openly, honestly and with the desire to not simply do the obvious, but to recognize God's heart. For us, it wasn't just about finding the “right” way, but recognizing God's heart in it. «Knowing God's will is not complicated - but it challenges us to trust HIM instead of ourselves.» Just as there are disputes in every sport that have to be settled by referees, the peace of God is the referee who settles all disputes about what God's will is for our lives. Human peace is only experienced in the absence of problems. But the peace of God is independent of circumstances and infinitely greater than any problem we could ever have. And the peace of God is not dependent on “good times” either. Everything around us can look good, but the peace of God for the situation is missing. The peace of God is something that every born-again believer has. It is a fruit of the Spirit. This peace is always there; we just don't always pay attention to it. «And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts...»  Col. 3:15 (ESV) We made a decision - and we chose the USA In the end, it was less a “logical choice” and more an answer from the heart. We didn't choose the easier way. Nor the safer one. But the one where the peace in our hearts said: “That's your place.” We are staying in the USA. Not because it's always easy. Not because we already see the big picture. Our next stop is not an end point, but a new beginning. A beginning that challenges us. A beginning in which we are dependent on God's guidance. A beginning where we have more questions than answers - but peace nonetheless!   More details to come soon. Stay tuned!

In seven weeks, this school year will already be over. Time passes so quickly that it doesn't feel like two years at all. As graduation approaches, the questions start to pile up - for ourselves and for the people around us: “What happens after graduation? Do you already have plans? You've already booked your plane tickets, haven't you?” When clarity is lacking: making decisions with care We face decisions every day - big and small, conscious and unconscious. From the first cup of coffee to life-changing decisions, our choices shape the course of our lives. Some are easy, others make us pause, weigh things up or challenge us to reach the next level. „Every decision you make shapes your future.“   – Deepak Chopra We are now approaching the end of one phase of our lives and the next is already waiting just around the corner. For some time now, tendencies have been visible as to how and where we would move on. However, we lacked the clarity to take the final step in one direction. When we took steps in the last few weeks in a direction that we were convinced was the right one, unrest made itself felt when we had almost booked the plane tickets. And this is one of the biggest lessons we have learned from our past and from other people. Taking a path where there is no peace has only ever caused us unnecessary problems and a lot of misunderstanding with other people. That's why the "lack of peace” was so helpful, as we realized that this would not be the right step, or at least a premature one. A living, holy sacrifice pleasing to God One of the keys to finding the right path is to live out the lifestyle of a living sacrifice that is pleasing to God. Supernatural peace and joy come when you and I are at the center of His will. But how is this possible? We found the answer in Romans 12:1 - A life of surrender. It means that we do not live according to our own wishes and desires, but let God be in control. This is not a one-time thing, but a lifestyle. Being a living sacrifice means raising the white flag daily. It is a decision to follow him in obedience, even if it costs us something. Sounds very much like Jesus' words that he chose when it comes to following him (Lk. 9 and Lk. 14). Knowing God's will is the beginning, but by no means the end of the journey. Some Christians receive a personal revelation of what God's calling is for their lives. But very few rely on God to fulfill it. Instead, they rely on their own understanding - which often leads to a lot of confusion, many headaches and usually missing the mark. One example from the Bible is Moses: he knew God's will for his life, but he tried to implement it in his own strength and at a time of his own choosing. This had far-reaching consequences - it cost him forty unnecessary years in the desert and the people of Israel thirty additional years in Egyptian bondage. The same mistake is made by many people today. Living God's calling without the power of His Spirit, without His timing and His way, is a recipe for disaster! Do we have a second chance? A second, third, fourth, fifth ... I mean, praise God that he doesn't just leave us out in the cold because we missed it somewhere. But many Christians don't even realize that God has a plan - and that his timing plays a crucial role. You will not discover or fulfill God's will for your life by chance. It doesn't just happen by chance or by the “sovereignty of God”. You must have a revelation of God's nature and His will - and actively seek Him to fulfill it. The good news is that the Lord wants you to find and understand His will for your life - even more than you want it yourself. It is not difficult to recognize Him. But it requires commitment on your part. If you search for it with all your heart, as for a precious treasure, you will find it (Jeremiah 29:13). As long as you can live your life without knowing God's will, you will. But if you want to recognize, follow and fulfil it more than anything else, then that is exactly what you will do. Between convenience and calling This is why we have a strong desire to take the right next step. One option would be to choose the easy and comfortable path. But is that also the path that God has prepared for us? In the next blog, we will take you on our journey and show you how we made our decision. Because the decision has been made - and preparations are already in full swing in the background.

Since the last blog post about our student life, many things have changed around us. Donald Trump is the new president of the USA and there will also be a change in leadership in Germany. We are significantly busier than we were last year. Here are a few stories and insights from the last three months. Change Our babysitter gave birth to her third child and for a few weeks we and the other student family watched our two boys ourselves in the mornings. It was great how understanding Charis was in supporting us in this situation. Simply missing out is not an option here. Over the last 6 weeks, each of us has missed at least one day a week at school, sometimes even two days, and spent the morning with Elijah and Matteus. We are so thankful for the three students who let us use their apartment in Woodland Park for the mornings. It made the whole situation so much easier. And then we moved! Even though it's close to the end of the school year and our time here in Colorado, we started looking for our own apartment and found one that works well for us. Why? Testimony time of Betty: By now I am convinced that God has not called us to live in the same house this school year as last year. The people we have lived with so far have a place in our hearts and are precious to us. However, the last few months have shown how different our life situations currently are. We are the only ones with a young son and our housemates have other needs, that are absolutely justified, but we are unable to accommodate them. We tried to make it possible for too long and created problems for ourselves that were unnecessary. Johann and I talked about moving out again and again and also looked around for suitable apartments. However, I was never at peace about making the final decision. In the last few weeks, there were a few events that simply brought me to the point where I could only give up. And I had to realize that I had not been listening to God in this matter. My feelings of obligation to our roommates, as well as my people-pleasing tendencies, had hardened my heart and I wasn't looking out for the best interests of my family or listening to the Holy Spirit in this regard. On Sunday morning, I told Johann that we should move out (something he had known for a long time). The sermon in the service spoke so much to my heart and our pastor said, “Often we face a warfare, but beyond it is peace.” But we have to face the battle in order to experience peace. In this case, it took place in my heart and I decided there that I am not obligated to anyone except my husband and my son. I want to be ready to obey immediately when God calls us into or out of a situation. Within the last week, God has provided us with a furnished apartment where we can live until May. We have a beautiful, large, fenced-in backyard where Elijah can play. And we have already met the neighbors above us. A lovely young family. We are looking forward to what awaits us in the near future. Growth We love student life here. It brings challenges, but we are always able to experience that God's hand is over us. For us, there is nothing better than knowing that we are currently in the right place at the right time. Living in the will of God has changed every area of our lives. Last year was the first time we went to a marriage conference together. It literally knocked us out of our chairs. And in a positive way. Some of the topics were a refresher for us and it was good to be reminded of them again. On the other hand, some new spiritual principles were explained and given to us. Truths that we wished we had heard before our marriage. Once again, we realized that if we in the body of Christ remain silent about certain topics or do not provide answers, the world will! Since the beginning of this year, Johann has been working almost entirely on project management. Working on projects is a big part of the third year. Every third year student has the opportunity to submit their God-given calling in the form of a project. In Johann's class, which consists of 94 students, 67 projects were submitted. Of the 67, 24 were selected by a committee of faculty to give a presentation to the class and committee. All students were then allowed to vote on which project they would like to work on, with only 15 projects remaining at the end. Johann's project proposal was chosen and he is now working on it as a leader with six other students. As you might guess, he presented our intended church plant as the project. Now the team is working on presenting the project at the end of the school year and handing it in as a final project. Johann has therefore been given the opportunity to take on the role of project manager again, which has led to a major change from our student days. Once again, he has had to leave his comfort zone, which has led to new paths and encounters that have allowed us to grow. New Paths One of the most important lessons we learned for our time here and the time after our graduation was from Elijah in the Bible. The Bible gives little background information about Elijah. It wasn't his family tree or his education that put him in a position of influence and power. Elijah was a nobody until he received a word from God. It was the revelation God gave him that put him in a position of leadership. When Elijah spoke the prophecy to King Ahab, he didn't have all the answers and he especially didn't know what was going to happen next. (1 Kgs 17:1) He had received a word from God and acted on it, even though Ahab had forbidden the worship of the true God and introduced the worship of Baal. He killed the prophets of the Lord and Elijah put himself in danger by obeying the Lord and giving the word to Ahab. After Elijah delivered the word of the Lord, God spoke to him about how He would protect and preserve him. One of the great lessons we can learn here is that God does not reveal his entire plan immediately. He reveals His will to us step by step. After we have followed the first step, He shows us the next. Why would the Lord show us step two or ten if we haven't followed step one? That would only put more responsibility on us. So we don't try to figure out the next step if we have not yet obeyed and carried out the current step. We also learn from Elijah that that the needed provision of God is where His way passes. God called Elijah to the brook Crit, where he was fed by ravens. Elijah did not experience his miracle where he was, but where the Lord provided it. He then went on to a widow, who also had the task of providing for Elijah. God's provision often comes in unusual or new ways that he offers us. We need to remain open to his words and not build in our own ways or get stuck in a circumstance that seems comfortable for us. God does not leave us hanging in our situations. If we stay connected to Him and are obedient, we can expect God's provision in every way. At the end of January we had the pleasure of enjoying the company of Betty's siblings for two weeks!

If we follow God's leading, even when the path seems challenging or unclear, His provision will always precede us. In other words, if we live in God's will, His favor will go before us and open doors that can never be opened or broken down by anyone. Especially in the area of finances, God has led us marvelously during our time in Bible College. A brief recap It will soon be a year since we decided to spend another school year in the US. At the time, we didn't have the slightest idea how we would finance this school year. Our savings were slowly coming to an end and we had no chance of generating income through a job due to our visa. Knowing that we were in God's will if we stayed at Bible College for another school year, we trusted in our heavenly Father - who created the heavens and the earth - that His provision was already there, even if we couldn't see it yet. This decision was immediately followed by the first obstacle. In order for our student status to be approved for another year, we had to show a large five-figure sum ($46'730) in advance, which we didn't have. The amount was even a lot higher than in the first school year because we also had to pay school fees for Betty and Johann's fees for the 3rd school year are slightly more expensive than for the 2nd. What sounds like a bigger challenge, and actually was from a mental viewpoint, God used to speak to us through the story of 2 Kings 4:1-7. Once again another example that God speaks and gives guidance in our lives through his word about 95% of the time. The Bible passage is the story of the widow who came to Elisha and asked for help. 1. Make use of what you already have! Instead of relieving her need and giving her money, Elisha was inspired by the Lord to ask her what she had in her house. She replied, “ Nothing but a jar of oil!” We stumbled over her answer. Because, literally, this was exactly the same answer we had given when we were faced with our money problem. “Nothing but...!” Suddenly, needing more money than we had, we no longer appreciated our current account balance. So - we believe we heard from God - God said: “ Treasure what you already have and use it so that I can multiply it. ” In our eyes, it was nothing special. In God's eyes it is valuable and if we have faith in Him, He can multiply it! And we acted accordingly. From then on, we adopted a thankful attitude every day and spoke blessings over our account balance. What may sound a little strange to you was the reality for us. We realized that we could not handle this situation in our strength (which was never supposed to be the plan, by the way) and that God had to be our source. A temporary solution would not get us far. We learned to focus on what we already have and not on what we don't have yet. God uses what we currently have and multiplies it in His own way. The widow must have had faith, otherwise she would not have followed Elisha's instructions. Obviously, the little bit of oil wasn't even enough for the one jar she had, let alone the others she was to borrow. The meaning was clear. God would multiply the oil if she took the step of faith to take the little she had and pour it into other jars. And that is exactly what happened! 2. Act where you can. God has already spoken his blessing! If we have a word from God, we can do it because it has already been placed in us and been blessed. We can rely on God's promises and assurances. “It is the LORD'S blessing that brings wealth, and no hard work can add to it. - Proverbs 10:22 (ERV)” This does not mean that we simply overlook the reality of life. But we do not allow circumstances to dictate how we proceed. We must recognize that God's word is above everything and will certainly come to pass. If you look at an airplane and see how it flies in the air, you will notice that the force of gravity is not suspended. It is more that another law of nature, namely the principle of “ buoyancy”, ensures that an airplane flies. It is the same with blessing and faith. Reality is not invalidated, but the blessing will trump reality. But for this to happen, we also have to let the plane take off. We didn't just sit back and do nothing. Rather, our prayer was that God would give us favor with people and create opportunities that did not violate the laws of the government. There were opportunities here and there for us to help people.   3. Start right where you are! We tend to look at what we don't have instead of what we do have. Jesus' disciples looked at the crowd and not at the boy's lunch. They thought the five loaves and two fish would not be enough. But when they gave Jesus what little they had, he gave thanks and it was blessed. What they had rejected fed the whole crowd afterwards (John 6:1-15). Just like the widow, the Lord has given each of us something that will multiply if we give it to the Lord in faith.    How our story turned out... Just a few days after we decided to do another school year, two people contacted us who were willing to lend us the money we needed to stay safely in the US. We took this offer into our prayers and this is what we believe we heard: “Take it, you will need it for the visa, but you won't have to use a penny of it during your time in school.” Again, an answer for the current situation but no information about what happens after that. And that's exactly what we did. A few months later, we were contacted by the Swiss tax authorities. As we had paid taxes for the previous full year, we were credited with a larger amount after filing our tax return. We had not been aware of this and were of course very happy. With the help of our monthly partners and this amount we would be able to cover 75% of our costs. Many thanks again to all those who support us financially every month! Then, at the end of November, the surprise! Our school contacted us to let us know that an anonymous donor from the US had given us a large sum that will now cover 100% of our costs until the end of our school year. Once again, something we absolutely did not see coming. At first we thought it was a SPAM mail. But the school confirmed the donation the next day. As if that wasn't enough, two days later we received another large donation from Germany. We gratefully accept these blessings from the hand of our Father and pray that this financial blessing will come back to the donors in a great way. God writes his story with each of us in his own way, if we let him. As with the widow or the feeding of the 5,000, “little” is much when combined with faith. In our guestbook you can read from Ronja from Switzerland how God helped her and her family financially. We pray that this testimony will bless you. Ps: Speaking of finances, Betty is fully funded for her mission trip! Wohoo - we thank God for each and every one of you who contributed. God will surely repay you!

Our blog is kind of like a diary for us - and wow, another 4 months of the school year have already passed. At the end of November, we had a break for a week around the Thanksgiving holiday. We enjoyed the relaxing days, sleeping in and simply having some rest. After the final three weeks of school for 2024, we are now in the middle of the Christmas break.   We are grateful! How God made this school year possible and simply provides generously for us. A big thank you to everyone who thinks of us and builds us up in prayer. It is an intense time and we would not have come this far on our own. Incredibly grateful for Sunniva, who looks after Elijah every morning. We can tell that Elijah is doing well and is thriving. The other three children are like big siblings and he talks about them a lot. We are very grateful for our home situation, where we can welcome friends and serve others. Thank you so much for all of you who let yourselves be led and support our studies here financially. These are your treasures in eternity and seeds in this time from which you can expect a great harvest. Thank you so much! for all who are involved in sending Betty and her team and basically all second year students to the mission field. We are convinced that in heaven you will be thanked by the people we are able to meet and serve. We are so grateful for all the people here who are on the same journey with us. With whom we can share and build each other up. Two weeks ago we were able to celebrate Johann's 29th and Elijah's 2nd birthday with some friends. I (Betty) am very grateful for the lives of these two!😉   Right now we are very grateful for a week in a vacation home in the mountains in the forest. For us, it is a week of focus, recharging and lots of time as a small family in a small space. That's how we love it. While we hang around a bit between the years and wait for the new year, the question of what happens after we graduate in May is also lingering in the air for us. We know that God is calling us back to Germany for the long term with a mission and we are looking forward to telling you more about it in due time. We are currently listening to what God has planned for us until He places us in this calling. Thank you for praying with us for clarity for this time.   We hope you had a wonderful Christmas with your families. Jesus Christ, our King, came into our world as a baby. We celebrate this gift from God! A new, blessed year lies ahead of us all. We are committed to walking in God's blessing and sharing it generously with those around us. Above all, we want to help people to enter into this blessing themselves by bringing God closer to them and sharing His love. We invite you to join in too. Share God's love with the people around you by doing good and speaking kind words. Invest your finances to expand God's kingdom by supporting people or organizations that are committed to doing so. Let's be faithful in the little things in the coming year, whatever that means for you personally. Every effort for God's kingdom counts and will expect a great reward.   God is with you in the year 2025. As your Father (Isa. 63:16), your God who saves you (Psalm 68:21), who sees you (Gen. 16:13). HE is your healer (Ex. 15:26), HE is your strength (Psalm 28:7), HE is your righteousness (Jer. 23:6) and HE is your helper (John 14:16). We would also like to take this opportunity to reiterate that we are here for you if you need prayer or have any questions. We are not very geographically close to most people, but you can find our e-mail addresses on the contact page and you can also reach us via all the other usual channels. And if you would also like to contribute to Betty's mission trip, you can do so via the following link. Alternatively, you can also send us the amount via Paypal or to one of the accounts under the Donate tab. https://grouprev.com/charismissiontrip-bettina-nachtigall

Most of you know that Johann also made his mission trip to Wyoming in December 2023. That's one of the reasons why this trip is so exciting for me. I have a certain idea of the trip - but who knows that image and reality are often very different?! 😉 In the first weeks of school we had a course called “Mission Trip Vision”. Several teachers introduced us to the vision and heart behind missions trips. In the first lesson, Carrie Pickett shared with us God's words from Jeremiah 1:4-5+7-9. God doesn't waste time and resources. Not even mine. Where He sends me, He prepares encounters, prepares hearts so that the people I will be speaking to are ready to receive His Word. In the last blog, I wrote that mission is not optional. Jesus calls us to do so in Mt. 28:19-20. It is about the hearts of the people we reach with the message of Him. It's about lives that are radically changed because they experience how much God loves them. After his missions trip, Johann and I had talked a lot about the mission field in Wyoming and the people there. As a result, I already have an insight into the living conditions of the Native Americans on the reservation where we will be serving. Nevertheless, our missions and activities will be different, particularly because Johann left in December and I will be leaving in April. Before we knew which outreach each student would be going on, the missions coordinator shared with us that she and her team are praying over each student and asking God what the right outreach location is for them. So when we met in our groups for the first time, each of us had the task of sharing our salvation testimony in 4 minutes. And it was just so exciting to hear how every one of those testimonies fit so perfectly into the environment we were going to be in. Native Americans are a very nature-oriented, spiritual people. However, because they have been practically locked up on reservations, have their own legal system and are paid monthly by the state, they also have major problems. Depression, hopelessness, apathy, domestic violence and abuse of women, children and drugs are prevalent. We will spend a lot of time with children and young people, but we will also go to elderly and rehabilitation centers and possibly more. The majority of our group grew up Christian and accepted and strongly experienced Jesus as children. Some have strong stories of how they sought fulfillment in alcohol and drugs until they realized that Jesus is the only answer to the question of purpose in life. Others came into contact with the supernatural world at an early age, sometimes in a negative way, through parents who were searching for truth themselves. All these stories and what God has done with them - how he has transformed our lives - will help us to bring hope where there is hopelessness. We are preparing together to bring the Light to the people of Wyoming. Jesus. He brings light into the darkness and gives meaning to your life. He did it for me - he will do it for you. This is not about me, it's about Christ in me. It is God's Spirit that brings life, that brings transformation. Through our missions trip, God will be magnified. We can't go in our own strength and God doesn't ask us to. He has equipped us with everything we need. We just need to recognize that and then act on it. Walk boldly and listen to the Spirit within us, according to John 14:26. Out there is a world that has been robbed, beaten and left half dead. Do we look away, do we change sides of the road? Or do we have compassion, clean and bind up the wounds and bring them to a place where they can heal? (Luke 10:25-37) The Samaritan and the innkeeper worked together to do this. I am convinced that God is also calling us to work together. Your financial contribution for the missions trip to Wyoming is worth as much as going yourself and serving with God's love. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your contribution - no matter how much it is. https://grouprev.com/charismissiontrip-bettina-nachtigall Blessed, to be a blessing. 🤍 Betty

In last Sunday's service we had a guest speaker. Dr. Jerry Williamson is the president of Go To Nations. An organization that equips both sent-ones and senders to spread the good news to the ends of the earth. Mission isn't optional! God loved the world so much that he - gave... He gave everything. To reconcile us with Himself and to turn hopelessness into hope. We have this message and the privilege, as well as the command, to tell everybody about it. In April, I am able to be part of a mission team and will be going to Wyoming, USA. We are being sent as a team so that the Holy Spirit can reach the people. And I am so excited to see what God will do through us. Every missions outreach includes those who are sent out and those who send. Our team of sent out ones is already complete 😉 But we do need senders. Partners who sow finances and thus also become a part of this outreach. If you would like to send me out financially, you can do so using this link. If you have any questions or difficulties, please do not hesitate to contact me. https://grouprev.com/charismissiontrip-bettina-nachtigall You can be sure that your financial seed will also produce a harvest. (2 Cor. 9:6) Over the next few weeks, I'll be sharing a bit more about our outreach. It's still quite a while until April and I will keep you updated with any news. Until then, my focus continues to be on experiencing more of God's love and being changed by His Spirit. God bless you! Betty P.s.: If you would like to support other members of my team, please contact me and I will send you the right links!

That's kind of what it felt like to start this school year. :-D We came back from Canada on Thursday evening and started school straight away on Friday. Johann spent the day at home with Elijah to give him some time before Elijah's everyday life would change so much. After the summer, we are living here in Colorado in the same house as last school year. Apart from the address, however, a lot has changed. In August and September, we had a young German family in our house who also came to the USA for Charis Bible College. They have since found a nice apartment for themselves in Woodland Park and moved there. With three less people in the household, things are a lot quieter in our house now. We are using the time to put invitations into action that were already extended during the last school year. Every now and then, we can also get rid of excess energy in the yard. We prune bushes and trees and tidy up leaves. In the process, we have discovered new residents. The little snakes feel right at home here and Betty has already rescued one from the basement shaft. The fact that we are both going to school this year has also changed a lot for Elijah. We take him to the babysitter every morning and pick him up again at lunchtime after school. Elijah spends six hours there from Mon-Fri. That's why we took this matter to God already a year ago. It mattered a lot to us that Elijah didn't get panicky when he was left with the babysitter. If that had been the case, one of us would have stopped studying. Our family is very important to us and comes before our studies and work. Saying goodbye was hard every time for the first two weeks and it also happened that we had to leave with tears in our eyes. However, our babysitter always texted us within 10 minutes that everything was fine and that Elijah was playing happily. We are incredibly grateful for Sunniva, she is such a blessing for us and we have great confidence in her! The way she organizes the day with the children has positively surprised us. We are always amazed at how many different play opportunities she creates every day to offer the children lots of variety. Meanwhile, Elijah is already asking about the other children (Sunniva has two daughters of her own and the son of another student family is also with her) and has the best time in the morning. We are so grateful that he has settled in so well and are convinced that God is with him during this time. In the last 6 weeks at school we have already learned so much and it is very important to us to use this year to allow ourselves to be changed even more by God's Word and Spirit. We are here because of Him. For Betty, the second school year has become a whole level more practical. This year includes a mission trip, about which we will share more. She will also be practicing sharing her testimony in interactive groups in a few minutes and also talking about Bible verses or topics in 3-7 minutes. These interactive groups are made up of the Mission Teams. This will help them get to know each other really well for the trip. What is more practical for Betty is all hands on deck for Johann. A lot is required in ministry class and Johann also has to invest a lot outside of school. In addition to exegesis of Bible texts and preparing sermons, he also has to invest 2 hours a week in a church or ministry and collaborate on projects. We are challenged, but we also know that we are living in God's will and therefore have grace for this time. It is an exciting time and there is nothing better than being on God's way!

Everything going wrong? Looks a lot like it, at least... There we were! Kind of speechless and looking at each other baffled. We had just finished the phone call with the lawyer and heard that our internship had apparently been illegal and that, from his point of view, we had no chance of getting out of here clean, except to leave the country as soon as possible. Had we made a mistake? No, we went into the internship with the peace of God. Even though we experienced many challenges beforehand, this peace never left us. And looking back, we can already see the blessings from this time, especially for us. Even before we left in August 2023, we knew that we would be spending the summer of 2024 in the USA. So we left and took one step after the next, often with the question, God, what next? Still right? Once we got to the point where we were already looking at return flight tickets to Germany. The next day, we got the confirmation for the internship. We wrote that we had contacted a lawyer and, with his advice, submitted our applications for the summer. What we didn't expect was the long processing time for the applications. The internship was almost over and still no progress. And here we are - three weeks before school starts and the lawyer we had just spoken to (the first one was on vacation, so here's another lawyer) informs us of our “unlawful presence”. Ha - how could that happen?   We refuse to get stressed, talk to God and to our roommates and Pastor John. Betty's parents are almost on the plane to spend two weeks with us. We can't do anything right now anyway and two or three more weeks won't matter. So we continue to wait, remain in the peace of God and listen to what He tells us. Again and again we ask whether our journey ends here and continues somewhere else. But we hear nothing. So we stick to what God has told us before: Two years of school in the USA including summer. We have made an appointment with the lawyer from spring to get a second opinion and are waiting for him to return from vacation. Until then, we are enjoying our time with Betty's parents. However, Betty's parents' vacation also gets off to a bumpy start. The landlord of the vacation apartment that Betty's parents had booked leaves us stranded. Twenty unanswered calls later - our parents are spending the night in a hotel. The next morning, we get in touch with the contacts on the booking site and after they are also unable to reach the landlord, they promise to refund us the full amount and also cover the hotel costs. Via the Charis Facebook page, we get in touch with a woman who rents out student apartments as Airbnb over the summer. She still has a vacant apartment and lets us use it for two weeks at a very generous price. We are incredibly grateful for that. We have a great time in Woodland Park and Betty's parents spend a lot of time with Elijah.   On Monday morning we have a video session with the lawyer from Spring. He doesn't see us in conflict with our status and assesses our situation positively. However, his recommendation to quickly return to student status would cost us around USD 5,000. Quite a lot of money... We are not sure that his recommendation will actually be effective and continue to look for a solution ourselves. We contact one office almost 10 times via the chat function and every agent gives us a different answer. It's not easy to stay calm in all this chaos. But very possible with God. And a strong testimony to praying in tongues. It builds us up again and again. Our contact person at the school is told by her advisor that we should simply cross the border into Canada or Mexico. However, we had read in advance that this would not be a good idea. Nevertheless, we set off in search of someone who could judge the safety of this route for us. Again, different answers from the same office. Betty waits on hold for over two hours to speak to the US border authorities. Here we get a generally positive answer - but for Betty a document is missing that we would not receive in time for the start of school. During the call, we come across a page on the Internet that it is possible to apply for a visa at the U.S. consulate in Canada. There may be greater obstacles for non-Canadian residents, but it is possible. We go with that. Betty fills out all the paperwork and gets to the point where she has to book an interview appointment in the system. 'System is busy.' She doesn't get in all day. Early the next morning, she calls the hotline and is told that because she doesn't live in Canada, she doesn't have priority and therefore has to wait until an appointment opens up. Doesn't sound promising. She gets a second number. She calls again and this time the gentleman on the other end of the line seems to really want to help. He searches until he is able to find an appointment and then explains the process for requesting an emergency appointment. The appointment he found is in August 2026 - lol. But we agree. It's the only way to have a chance of an emergency appointment. Betty fills out the next form and the emergency appointment is approved the next day. Hallelujah - the appointment is on August 27 at 7.45 a.m. in Calgary, Canada. We book plane tickets and an Airbnb. Unfortunately, we have to leave a day earlier than Betty's parents, but they enjoy their last day with a hike before heading back to Germany. Our trip goes well and we set off early on Tuesday morning. It's a 10-minute walk to the consulate.   "Everything that could possibly go wrong goes wrong here. Before I get to the interview, I have to go through 5 different checks. Either security checks like at the airport or documents that are pre-checked. I get into difficulties at 4 of these 5 stops. Everyone notices something that is wrong or not allowed... Especially me, who usually reads everything through to the end and also reads the small print, didn't see various important pieces of information. After the third check, I'm on the verge of tears. But no - I remember that my focus is on Jesus, that I am here because he has called me and opened the doors. He can make up for any mistake. As I sit in the waiting room, I build myself up on my most holy faith and pray in the Spirit. And I can then calmly take the next step. Again, this reveals a huge mistake that I absolutely cannot explain. But the officer is friendly and corrects the wrong number for me. The interview is short and after a few questions the official confirms that my visa will be approved. I ask how soon I will get my passport back, as classes start on Friday. She sticks an express note on my passport, but can't guarantee that it will be ready by Thursday. So we wait again. Nothing to do but trust God and use the time to explore Calgary. Our return flight is scheduled for around 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. The weather is nice again and we spend the morning in the city and in parks. I keep checking my emails for a message from the consulate that my passport is ready for collection. If it doesn't arrive on time, Johann and Elijah will take the flight we booked and I will come after them. We are back at the Airbnb shortly before 12 noon so that Elijah can have his afternoon nap. While I give him something to eat, I call the consulate's call center to see if anyone has any status information. I'm still on hold when the expected email finally arrives: I can pick up my passport at the consulate at 3 pm. That's still fine! So Johann will take the bus to the airport with Elijah and our things and I will follow in a cab. It worked! There are hardly any people at the airport and I get through check-in and all the controls without having to wait. When I get to border control, Johann and Elijah are standing at a counter and we can go through together. Wow - we've never had it this easy before.” The 2-hour flight “ flew by” 😉 Elijah is a ray of sunshine and entertains our fellow passengers. After landing in Denver, we get off the plane and make our way to the exit. We still have to go through passport control somewhere to get our passports stamped. But as we go through the last door, we are already at the exit from the airport building. What now? Betty checks the status of our I-94 (documentation of entry and exit from the USA) online. Our status there has changed and our permitted length of stay has been extended for another year. So that probably will be fine. But Betty's admission class is again M2 (“ traveling companion of M1”) instead of M1 (student). Oh great - gone through the whole journey only to come back to the same problem! We are sure that the lady simply looked at the wrong visa when entering the country and that this problem will be resolved. 2 weeks, several phone calls and emails later, everything is indeed now corrected and the way we need it to complete this year of study. Thank you, God! Without Him we would not be here.   *P.s.: Many international students would like to spend the summer break between two school years in the USA. As we now know, this is indeed possible. However, the above is in no way legal advice. Please don't do this unless you have a clear call from God and good counselors at your side!

Even though the time seemed almost too short and we went through some challenges, it was not wasted. A short summary blog is not enough to describe the lessons I was able to learn and the practical truths that were imparted to me. While studying electrical engineering in Switzerland, I learned that you can't learn many practical things from everyday life at school. This also applies to ministry. This internship gave me the opportunity to combine the theological with the practical. I hope this post shows how beneficial it is to do an internship in your called ministry and to be personally mentored and taught by experienced, wise and God-fearing people. First of all, I would like to acknowledge that I have learned a lot from the RVFM pastors who have mentored me over the past few months. These men were always willing to help me in any way they could. I look forward to continuing to grow in my relationship with them, even though my internship is already over. Meetings Almost weekly I attended the prayer meetings of RVCC (the church during my internship) and all the prayer meetings of the pastors of RVFM as well as the weekly staff meetings and events. Each week I accompanied Pastor Jon to the pastors' personal meetings where successes and problems were reported. On Monday evenings, Betty or I took turns going to the young adult meetings (>18 years). And then from time to time I also visited a small group of self-employed business owners from our church who were studying a book and sharing knowledge. The MTC (Ministry Training Center) on Wednesday evenings was also part of my internship. MTC is a school for training leaders who support their local church and new church plants within the framework of RVFM. At the MTC, the individual areas of a church were highlighted. Each responsible person gave a presentation of 1x50min or 2x50min about the approach of the respective area. (This was one of my favorite parts of the internship besides my personal time with Pastor Jon). Ministry- and Leadership tasks Over the course of the internship, I was entrusted with more ministry and leadership tasks. At the beginning, all interns were divided into groups and worked together on the launch of the respective VBS. Once the planning and organization had been completed according to the framework conditions and the VBS had started, we continued to work weekly on fine-tuning the processes and ideas. Evangelizing was also a part of this. I was able to lead almost all of the giving appeals in the Sunday services, each with a short input beforehand. And at the weekly meetings, I was often given the opportunity to share testimonies. During the youth camp, I was also assigned daily as a mentor and prayer minister. Here, too, I was given the opportunity to share my testimony. I was trusted to minister with sermons at two Sunday services. What I have learned When I am asked what the best thing about my internship was, I like to say: "Sitting, watching and asking questions". Although the internship involved a lot of "work", the opportunity to see how work is done in the local church had the biggest impact on me. This summer I learned more about the love and care that a pastor should have for his church. Pastor Jon is a great example of this and lives out what he preaches. It was good to see theology being discussed, taught and practiced in the local church. I was able to experience how Pastor Jon faithfully ministered under stressful situations while balancing his family and making time for them daily. This gave me clarity on what a healthy church is and how a pastor serves the local church. The internship gave me opportunities to apply biblical things I had been meditating on for some time, practice teaching skills, and demonstrate faithfulness in ministry. It also gave me the opportunity to gain more maturity in life. Every opportunity I was given, I used to observe how they prayed, laughed, and handled upcoming and difficult matters. Closing words Looking back on my experience now, I realize that this internship accomplished what it was supposed to - and much more. Even before the internship, it was my prayer that God could use me wherever he wanted. I was able to grow in many areas and also bring many spiritual things together through the practical part. Thank you, Pastor Jon, for the opportunity to be a part of your vision. When I think about what it takes to make this internship program happen, to build relationships and create opportunities for learning, accountability and leadership, it makes me look back with much gratitude. All of this takes time and organization away from the daily needs of the congregation. Thank you for the time invested in our lives.