Summer Plans Shaping Up

- Summer Young Friends Team planning on coming to Ghent -

This past year the church here in Ghent took a break from inviting a group of campaigners over from the States. It was a refreshing summer of talking about who we are and how we can serve in our community. For the coming summer, when we heard of people wanting to come and help in Ghent, we jumped at the opportunity.

These groups give up their time, do fundraising, and come and serve in a city that they barely know, and come and give their efforts to share Christ with people who have not had the opportunity to hear His real story. This is done through advertising, through personal contact on playgrounds, train stations, and meeting places. We use English classes, Teen activities, discussion groups, and social gatherings to get to know the people here in Ghent.

We are blessed that there is a group of 4 young men preparing in York, Nebraska to come for 6 weeks this coming summer. The group has been preparing to teach English classes while they are here. We have used this opportunity in the past to get to know more people in Ghent, and we have continued contact with several due to these classes. We will advertise before the group comes, and they will give classes the whole time they are here. An extra blessing here is that a missionary to Belgium, Larry Good, is helping train this group, and will help them in Ghent when the project starts. We are blessed when others who know the Belgian work come to encourage and strengthen the work.


- The 6 week team -

We are also blessed that there will be a group of 9 coming for a 11 day visit to come and encourage the church, reach out to the community, give English discussion groups, and host a retreat for teens. A real treat is that it is lead by teens, and for teens. We like working with young people. It also helps that the "older" people on the team happen to be grandparents of the kids in our home.

I share this with you as we are in the throws of working out logistics for these groups. We are so thankful people are willing to give up their time to come and serve in our city together with us. We are excited of what God has in store for what people will be met, and what relationships will grow. Please be praying with us for an effective preparation for the teams coming and for open hearts for the people in Ghent.