Hello friends,

Schmidt’s Prayer Letter 14/ April 2008

Dear Mission friends and prayer partners,

We thank you for your engagement in our work here in

metropolitan Berlin and we give thanks to God for you!

Hohen Neuendorf: Perhaps you have long wondered why we have written so little about our work here in Hohen Neuendorf. The reason is that the work here has simply not moved forward - at least not in the visible world. The church-planting strategy of DIM is that of multiplication, meaning that Christians multiply by pointing out Christ to others and helping them come to belief. The missionary is, after initial increased sowing of God’s Word, simply the trainer/mentor (2 Timothy 2:2) and strategy planner for the local believers. However, since no-one here in Hohen Neuendorf has come to belief through our work so far, naturally the question is: What’s going on? In the last two years I have guided people to belief – but not in Hohen Neuendorf! A further signal is that my health has gone down-hill since moving here to Hohen Neuendorf. We feel that our two years here were not a waste of time and resources. There has been abundant Gospel sowing (including around 300 New Testaments); a home Bible Study and a regular men’s prayer group have been established and will hopefully continue without us. We are confident that, especially, the Gospel sown and the men’s prayer group will bear fruit in the future.

Decisions: On one side, here the work is standing still. On the other side, the work with the Vietnamese has greatly increased. We ponder the consequences; what shall we do? Should we give up our work here and be 100% active in church-planting with the Vietnamese? Shouldn’t we be active where the Almighty God clearly blesses our work? And a move to an area where the air is cleaner would certainly help. Is it God’s Will for us to move, or just to move to another town, or just to another apartment? We wish to include you in these questions and decisions, and pray with us that we learn God’s Will! A further question would be, where in the greater Berlin area should we move?  We will continue working with the Vietnamese; however, it is not necessary to live within Berlin to do this. Our mission board has given us a free hand in the decision of where to live – as long we make the decision in the fear of the Lord, looking to Him, the Almighty God.

Comfort: In this situation, we are comforted by God’s Word: likewise, the Holy Spirit helps us in our weaknesses. We don’t know what we should pray, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered (Romans 8:26).

Baptisms: Easter Sunday six Vietnamese and one Chinese were baptised, the youngest 12, the oldest 54.

Asylum seekers: Recently Barbara, Joshua and I visited with Vietnamese detained in an asylum-seekers facility. Four were mothers with very young babies which had been intentionally conceived so that the mothers would be able to remain here in Germany until the children are 18 years old! What woe! Those who know the misery in Vietnam, who have reasonable insight into the Vietnam behind the curtain, and know the ethical position of the Vietnamese are able to understand the choice these women made.

Gods and Spirits: Generally, Christ is unknown or at best one of many gods and spirits. Christ must be proclaimed to these people! One or another of them may return to Vietnam and spread the Gospel. (Dinh’s abundant sowing of the Gospel upon her forced return has produced a cluster of churches with over 300 people.) Only the Gospel can alter the physical desperation in this land. These four young mothers turned their lives over to Christ after multiple visits. How serious they are and what their final motives were, only the Lord of Eternity knows! We pray that repentance was real and that they are not just Christians for the sake of material gain!

I’ll tell you about the request a Mafia gangster made to Joshua. This Vietnamese man came to Hue Nhat (Joshua) and confessed that he had recently killed his brother. Now he was afraid of his brother’s spirit and other spirits which would support his brother’s spirit. Since Hue Nhat is a pastor, he demanded that Joshua go to his house, build alters for each of the spirits, pray for this man and offer sacrifice to appease these spirits. Joshua would be killed if he did not do this; Joshua naturally refused and told the man why. Luckily for Joshua, this man was arrested by the German authorities shortly thereafter.

Family: Thiemo began his studies at the University this month! He wants to become an engineer for bridges and ecological buildings. The circulation disorder in his right hand continues; however, with renewed infusions, is much better!

Barbara and I persevere in waiting on guidance from the Lord.

Prayer Requests:

Clarity regarding the question of whether we should move and, if so, where…

Clarity about how to reach more Vietnamese…

Serious acknowledgement of sin among the Vietnamese we have contact with…

Please pray for rapid spiritual growth for those baptised…

Physical safety in the work with the Vietnamese…

Your thankful missionaries,

Albrecht and Barbara Schmidt  

Hubertusstrasse 3  

16540 Hohen Neuendorf 

Email: schmidt@dim-online.de

www.xanga.com/barbaluschmidt