Newsletter 39 (May-June 2008)
Dear brothers and sisters,
We are grateful for every kind of support from you and we know that we are in your prayers. We also want to express our special thanks to those who have made Thun their mission place they want to continue to support financially. I regret that I have to say that in spite of your and our efforts, the financial aspect of our work is becoming even more difficult. The reason that we still have enough finances at this time is because of our one time contribution fund. However, this fund runs out before the end of this year unless we receive new funds. I am once again attaching the letter that I had already sent to you in spring for your information about our financial difficulties (“SituationSupportMay2008”). In short, our goal is to raise enough monthly support, but we are in the meantime even as much as $600 away from that goal (and the one time contribution fund is soon empty). As our finances become critical we trust that God will provide.
Meeting Places of the Church in Thun
The church continues to meet in a restaurant and in a room of a women’s association (with restaurant service on Monday). What has changed is that we now meet more often in the women’s association room because it costs less. Unfortunately, it can get quite crowded, when nearly all the church members and a few visitors are present. It is only good for the time of transition, but for long term we are better off renting the room at the restaurant in Thun. On Wednesday evening our class is now in different homes each Wednesday. Obviously, this also is just a short time solution. When we have more than 15 people at a Bible study, it gets really crowded in anyone’s home. We are looking for other options.
Our constant moving certainly has the downside that a visitor cannot just drop into the worship service, but has to check where we are meeting. We were sorry to hear that while Lena and I were in the Ukraine in summer, the Sanderson’s from White Station in Memphis tried to assemble with the congregation, but because of changes from our side went to the wrong place. We hope that in the future we will have one assembly place again for the church.
Our Visitors and Contacts
The five teenagers from two families, long term members of the church, attend church nearly every Sunday. Their names are Benjamin and Rahel (13 and 11 years old) and Anna, Matthias and Maria (19, 17 and 15 years old). Lena and I will start a Bible study with Benjamin and Rahel while the older teenagers are busy with their studies (Anna), apprenticeship (Matthias), and preparation for moving to the French part of Switzerland to learn French for one year (Maria). We hope that in time all of them will become ready to submit their lives in baptism to Christ.
James Ferguson [ed: baptized March 8, 2009] continues to reflect on the harder questions of Christianity. He continues to attend church often on Sunday morning and on Wednesday evening. Right now he is struggling on business issues which will be brought before court in England in August.
Ruth is our new contact, about 60 years old, who was brought in contact with the church through Margrit. Margrit and Johanna continue to go to my parents to study the Bible. Lena and I were part of the Bible study until the middle of last year, when we became too busy with other commitments and left this responsibility up to my parents.
My Parents Moved to an Elderly Home Area/Lena and I Are on the Move
My father turned 75 this past winter and my mother will turn 80 on September 23 of this year. Since the operations of my mother’s leg and back did not make any improvements, my mother is still handicapped. She needs a stick to support her body, when she walks. That has made it more difficult for her to keep the four and a half bedroom apartment (living room is considered one room) clean. As a result, my parents decided to move to a nearby elderly home area where they have only a two room apartment and a kitchen. Nurses and doctors are in the elderly apartment area and can get to my parents’ apartment within a few minutes in case of an emergency. My parents attempt to sell their apartment in which they used to live in the past 20 years and continue to be generous in their contributions for the work in Thun.
Lena and I decided to move out of our apartment before our one month trip to the Ukraine (more on our Ukraine mission in the next newsletter). Agreeing with my parents that we could stay at their apartment until it will be sold, we moved there for the time being. We do not pay rent while we stay there. At the same time we are looking for an affordable apartment with more space for future years. We are looking into the option of perhaps moving out of the city area into the countryside where prices for apartments are more affordable, but good transportation is needed to reach the city area of Thun. By the end of fall we hope to have found a suitable apartment. Our short term address is:
Ivan + Lena Voser
Ziegeleistrasse 34 a
3612 Steffisburg
Prayer Requests
- – James Ferguson continues to grow in his faith. In August he has to be in court in England as his company is put on trial.
- -our five teenagers who nearly every Sunday attend church, but have not made a commitment to Christ in baptism up to this time.
- -Margrit, Johanna, and Ruth
- -our situation with different meeting places
- -our efforts to look for financial support
Please, send any one time or monthly funds to:
Park Avenue Church of Christ
5295 Park Avenue
Memphis, Tennessee 38119-3543
Grace and Peace,
Ivan + Lena Voser, ministering in the Church of Christ in Thun, Switzerland
E-Mail Address: voserivan@hotmail.com
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