My first Pastor's Conference this week in Siegen, Germany was no let down.  It was an amazing time getting to know all the wonderful people there.  David Guzik (Calvary Santa Barbara) returned with guess speakers again and brought some great messages.  But as David so well put it "the real confering takes place between sessions."  I was so incredibly encouraged to hear of what God was doing with simple guys in Germany.  Several of the other youth pastors I spoke with kept saying "I don't know why the kids keep coming.  I can't figure it out.  We just meet and eat together and teach the Bible and they keep coming and getting saved."

No wonder God is using such people.  No "Ten Steps to a Cooler Youth Group" or "here's how to try and be as spiritual as me" but rather simple guys preaching the Word to the best of their abilities and God is blessing it.  I don't want to belittle their efforts or acheivements.  The churches by and large are not growing by the numerical leaps and bounds standards of American churches but they are growing!  In an increasingly post church culture where church membership is annually dropping off by several percent these brave warriors are seeing gains.  I spoke with one extremely faithful man from Kosovo who has been serving for the last fifteen years and has an attendance of 25.  One could jokingly say that such growth is about as fast as the birth rate.  That is until one considers that in these countries the population due to the low birth rate is actually declining at 1.3 children per couple in Germany.

No I am afraid things do not look good here.  I often feel as one in Constantinople about eight hundred years ago.  But God's Kingdom does not stop advancing.  Even if God sends his people into exile his Kingdom advances as he makes them a lesson for the ages.  Please do not cease pray for us few soliders standing in the gap for the thousands here in Europe.  Pray that God continues the steady growth of true believers here.  May he be gracious with us and may he spare America from the darkness that is still presently decending upon this land.  May he awaken the hearts of many through your prayers.
Pray specifically for Martin and Anastasia (JW friends who we meet with), Mark (a curious seeker) and K. (will soon be a teen parent).  Finally pray for our boldness especially in reaching youth and college students at the new college.

Grace and Peace be with you all in Christ Jesus,

Mr. Snyder in Him