Bauer Bulletin, July 2007

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Dear friends,

We feel bad for not having written in so long, even though that was what we had indicated in our last letter. So many times, we’ve sat down to write, and simply could not come up with the right words to relate to you how we are doing. Newsletters need exciting stories, and people like to read about results and fruit. Well, these last few months did not quite fit that description, though I am sure there are fruits that will become evident in due time. Now that it seems like we have crossed that valley, we will share with you some of the highlights.

Under Siege

There was a time when almost everything that can go wrong went wrong for everyone on the team, as well as in the lives of many of our friends here. There were emotional battles in relationship issues, things breaking and falling apart (like an infestation of termites in Norbert’s new office, destroying 2 bookshelves and 1/3 of his books), health issues and financial constraints, etc. These are situations that we are all familiar with, but we have never experienced them in such intensity in over 30 years of following Jesus. There were times we felt surrounded by the enemy on all sides, and it was only the fact that we knew many of you are praying regularly for us that helped us get through this intense season.

Springs in the Dessert

In the midst of all that the Lord allowed us the pleasure of some great highlights. For Norbert it was an invitation to attend the Vineyard Leader’s Conference in Anaheim, which was such an uplifting experience. Since already being in the States, he also got to reconnect with all the children there, and got to meet his 3 grandchildren for the very first time!

Shortly after that our youngest son Leif graduated from high school. A few weeks later we went through the emotional turmoil of seeing him leave the nest, and join his 2 brothers in California. The house feels quite empty with just the four of us left (plus the usual zoo…).

One great answer to prayer is the fact that we have been offered an official missionary visa through a Scandinavian Mission that kindly offered us one of their slots. We are now trying to get the necessary paper work going, and it will take another 6 months for sure, but the result will be a yearly visa and work permit without the need to leave the country every 3 months –
God is good!

Missional Community

For quite some time we had the impression that our church plant had developed in a way that was quite different from the original vision. The Sunday services were going well, and new people started coming, but with that also new demands for children and youth programs that we were not equipped to handle. We realized that we were in danger of becoming just another Sunday Church where people come to be blessed, but live their separate lives for the rest of the week. To make a long story short, we ended up cancelling our Sunday service, except for once a month, and decided to meet in different homes for the rest of the time. There is a lot that has been said and written about “Missional Communities” in recent months, and without using that term in the past, that is exactly what had moved us to plant this church in the first place. We will share more details about that in the future.

VinBiz – Your Chance to get Involved

With so many of us in need of added support and income, we have spent much time talking and praying about creating business opportunities. Most of these ideas involve export to other nations, and so we are searching for contact people abroad that would like to market some Thai products. If you are interested in supporting our tent making efforts, then please get in touch with us for more details.

There is much more we could share, and if you would like to know more, just contact us, and we will gladly elaborate on the various topics. We do want you to know that your input in prayer and giving is what keeps us going on the road we feel called to walk on – be blessed!

In His grip,

Norbert & Cathy

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