Dear Partners in Mission,

Sometimes we underestimate our strength and possibilities because we underestimate the Lord.

“[T]hey who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” (Isa 40:31)

The last three to four months have been such an endurance run for us. And indeed, God has given us strength to do everything He has prepared.

Among other things, we have made preparations to travel to China to visit Xiaodan’s parents in the coming August and September. Philipp will soon be able to finally meet his parents-in-law in person and visit China for the first time. He is also taking his penultimate course in his Master’s program until the end of July.

Xiaodan faces several dental surgeries in the coming months. Several teeth need to be extracted and replaced with new implants. Pray for good procedures and healing.

• One man has been attending our events often since the Welcome Project last fall. He is not a believer. In a thank you card to us; he wrote that he is grateful to have met our group. He appreciates our hospitality and love and says he wants to take an example from us. However, he is not yet ready to believe. Please pray that God will gift him with faith and trust in Jesus through all his questions and concerns.
• At the moment we are in Toronto until the end of the month, where we visit partner churches, look for new mission partners, and meet employees of our sending organization CBM. Pray that through our encounters and church visits, new mission partners will be found or even called into mission service or for a short-term assignment.
• During our absence in August and September, several pastors and missionaries will be pastoring the church in Marburg. Pray that the church will continue to organize itself stably and grow spiritually during this time.

“[The LORD] does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.” (Isa 40:28-29)

We look back on the recent months with gratitude that God strengthened us in body and spirit. May God also provide you with all the strength you need.

Thank you for your partnership,

Philipp and Xiaodan