Rozmiarek Reflections

One Day at a Time

2011-12-14T00:12:00.000-08:00

My family and I are walking through the grief of losing Jessica. We are approaching our first Christmas without her. We have experienced some pockets of joy in this holiday season, but we also have dealt with loss and despair. Daily I cling to the truth that God is in control, God will bring peace & comfort, God does have a plan. Yet, sometimes my emotions still fight this truth.

I've been reading through a devotional book by Frances J. Roberts, titled Come Away My Beloved. Today really hit home and I thought I'd share it with you. The scripture reference is Matthew 6:34, Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

Frances Roberts writes - the text is written as if God is speaking to us:
O My child, have you not known the way of the Lord, and can you not trust Him now? [I must admit I'm not sure I feel like trusting God in this current valley.]

Be content with what each day brings, rejoicing in your God, for surely He shall deliver you. [I have experienced this in the past, but again getting my emotions to line up with truth can be difficult.]

His way is discernable to the eye of faith. His heart is surely your strong tower. In His affection you have security. In His love are your hope and peace. Each day holds some small joy that shall escape you if you are preoccupied with tomorrow.

Nothing daunts your Father. Nothing can restore the past and nothing can bind the future, but today you may live in the full blessing of the Father's smile. Hold to His words, for they are like a nail driven into solid wood. All else may seem shifting and transitory, but His Word is firm. [I know this is true -- my feelings and emotions do shift, but God's word has been faithful to me.]

His word is a rock that shall not be moved. It is a firm place to stand. Do not walk in the path of human reason, and resist the pressures that would project you into conjectures about the future. Live one day at a time! For you know that He loves you, and you will find your peace as you rest in Him.

I choose today to remember that no matter how my emotions may shake me, my rock is God and I can trust His word. I will walk day by day, remembering who He is and knowing He will bring peace and healing to me and my family.

Reflections on turning 50!

2011-11-04T03:12:00.000-07:00

Lou & I both turned 50 this year! Unbelievable, where does the time go? When I turned 40, I could see myself turning 80. I know that sounds silly, but it brought some comfort to know that I was not quite "over the hill". It was my way of rationalizing getting older.

Now that I'm 50, I do have a hard time seeing myself turn 100. So, the realization that I'm in the latter part of my life has hit me. Don't get me wrong, I'm not discouraged over this. I am thankful for good health and hoping to age gracefully. My forties were my best decade to date; so who knows what will happen in my 50's!

I have been evaluating what have I done so far with my life and what will I do with the remaining days I have. This has struck me more so in the past few weeks as I have been walking through the valley of greif again. I know that God numbers my days, but it becomes more real when you lose someone. [At least it does for me]. Jessica was only 18 when God called her home; Chris was only 27. How many more days do I have before I go home?

I don't have any answers yet to any of these questions. But, I am clinging to the truth that God has ordered my steps; God will never leave me and is faithful; and God will never hide from me, no matter how dark my journey seems. I have made some mistakes in my first 50 years and I will make some more mistakes in the next 50 years. But, as I continue to grow older, my desire is to serve God and bring Him glory with my life, love Lou & my family with all my heart, support my friends as they walk through life and to finish the race well.

Please continue to keep my family in your thoughts and prayers as we move into the holiday season. It will be difficult since Jessica won't be here to celebrate with us. Yet, we have confidence that she is celebrating and enjoying her eternal life and we cannot wait to see her again soon.

Jessica JoLinn Collins

2011-10-09T13:58:00.000-07:00

On 1 October, I (Cathy) was cleaning up after our normal Friday ministry night. The phone rang and it was my father. My dad told me that my niece, Jessica JoLinn Collins, had died. She was 18 years old, a recent high school graduate and my brother's only child.

I sat there numb as I began to realize that I won't see her until I leave this world; as I began to realize that my brother won't see his little girl get married; as I began to realize that we won't hear her laugh again. Is this really happening?

God was so gracious to us. Lou began to call people to see if we could get help with running our ministry. I called United to see if we could get a flight home ASAP. Within four hours, we had our ministry covered and a flight to Denver the very next morning. The tough part about living in Germany is being so far away from family. How I wanted to be right there giving my brother a hug and crying with the family as we began to grieve the loss of sweet Jessie. Fortunately, I was home within 24 hours.

It has been a tough week as we said good-bye to Jessica. She was a relational young lady, who was deeply loved. She never met anyone who didn't become her friend. She had a heart of gold, a smile that would brighten the room, and loved life. She was creative, loved to bake, enjoyed volleyball, singing in the car, loved animals and really brought joy to our lives.

Now, we begin to live without her. I know God will continue to bring comfort and peace as we deal with this tragedy. We are trusting in God's soverignity and that He is in control. Our prayers is that He will be glorified through the homecoming of Jessica. But, right now, our hearts ache, in time we will heal...it will be a long time.

We do remember...we will never forget!

2011-09-11T00:34:00.000-07:00

As we get ready for church this morning, we are discussing the fact that it is 911. We reflected on where we were 10 years ago and what we have done in those 10 years. 911 is my generations "JFK assassination." Everyone remembers where they were and what they were doing.

10 years ago, we were waiting to meet our movers as we were settling into our home in Colorado Springs. 10 years ago, we sent our new middle schooler off to 6th grade at Challenger Middle School. 10 years ago, we were excited to see what doors God would open up for us in ministry as we began to look for a new church community.

As we were sitting in our driveway, waiting for our movers, we were listening to the radio. The unthinkable occurred....a second plane had hit the World Trade center. WHAT?! We didn't even know there was a first; was this a joke? Throughout the day, with no TV, we listened to a portable radio that one of our movers had. We listened to updates on the pentagon, New York City, Flight 93. We listened to local reports that our bases were being locked down. We were in a daze! What was going on, America was being attacked. Lord, protect our country was our cry!

As the years went by, we all returned to our "normal" lives. Katie continued in school, we continued to work and serve our church. We spent time with family, enjoyed wonderful vacations, life went back to "normal". But, just like every tragic event -- there is always an anniversary.

Now, here we are 10 years later: 9-11-11. Katie is no longer a cute 6th grader, but a senior at University of Northern Colorado. We are no longer living in our nice home in Colorado Springs, but in a ministry home in Kaiserslautern, Germany. We no longer minister to 20 somethings that are just getting ready to start their lives after college; but we minister to the US military as they continue to protect our borders and our freedom.

We are proud to be Americans. We are proud to see how our country has handled this act of war -- it has been a testament of our people's character and resolve. We are proud to be serving God and our country in a very unique way as we open our home to servicemen and women and their families. Despite the fact that our enemy meant harm to us as a nation, we have persevered. God is still in control, He still reigns and He continues to have a plan for the American people.

Pause today and pray for those people who lost loved ones 10 years ago. Pause today and thank God for our freedom. Pause today and pray for the men and women who are currently serving in the military and a special prayer for those who are in Iraq and Afghanistan. Pause today and remember.

What do you do?

2011-09-04T07:38:00.000-07:00

We get asked this question alot: What do you do? We explain to folks that we are military missionaries. We provide a home away from home to military personnel and their families, lead Bible studies in our home, meet one-on-one with people, basically, we just do life with folks, and pray that our lives glorify God in the process. After we answer, people look at us very strangely.

The next question, as they wrestle with trying to understand what we do, comes quickly. What does a typical day look like for you? Boy, that's quite a different question. It's different because it's not easy to answer. Lou was home in Colorado this summer for a family celebration and he was asked this question a lot. So, we have been pondering a good response.

The bottom line....we don't have a typical day. We study for four ministry nights. We study for our discipleship and mentoring relationships. We maintain a home that averages 100 people a week through its doors. We cook meals for our ministry nights. We have commitments for the military chapel that are part of our weekly tasks. To facilitate getting to know people better, we lead off-base excursions. It's amazing what you can learn about someone on a 2 hour car ride to see a church in a cute German town.

We then move into the non-recurring type of activities. Things that just crop up. Sometimes, they are major things -- like our basement flooding or rushing to the hospital to be with someone after their child has attempted suicide.

Two weeks ago was a perfect example. We got home from our vacation to learn that there was a going-away ice cream party for one of our guys who was deploying - THAT NIGHT! We spent some time eating ice cream and hanging out with Chris.

We woke up the next morning to have an email waiting for us from an old co-worker. Her son-in-law had been injured in Afghanistan and was at Landstuhl. We were able to visit him and meet with him a few times that week before he was sent back to the States.

We capped the week spending some time with some friends who were having some struggles.

We experience many joys, lots of laughter and some sorrows in our job. But, it is different every week, every day. We are so grateful for the opportunity do serve our U.S. military and the Lord. It is an honor and a priviledge. All we know is our lives are fun and fulfilled and NEVER DULL!

Cathy turns 50!

2011-07-27T00:24:00.000-07:00

Unbelievable! Where does the time go? 50 years!! When I turned 40, I remember thinking "I can see myself living longer than 80, so I'm not middle aged yet." Now that I'm 50, I can't really see myself living to 100, so I guess I'm officially middle aged.

I must say turning 50 has been great. I have enjoyed a month of celebration. So, I guess this is a big deal. I really don't feel much different than when I turned 30, despite when I look in the mirror and I see some affects of aging (wrinkles, some gray hair, more aches & pains).

My birthday has been celebrated in many fun ways. The people in our ministry threw me a surprise party. We had a fun BBQ, played some softball, volleyball, and corn hole. We ate good food and had super conversations. Of course, no 50th birthday party should be without a pinata! [Don't you just love the great form I had swinging the stick to break the pinata?!]

I was blessed with some fun and special gifts. I received many birthday cards in the mail. I am the oldest grandchild on both sides of my family. My mother decided to remind all of my cousins, family and close friends that I'm the first to turn 50. So, I received several cards from folks that I typically don't get birthday wishes from. It was really special!

My dear hubby took me on a 50th mini-moon to Slovenia. We spent 2 days exploring Lake Bled. A quaint town with a beautiful lake and mountains. It was wonderful to have a few days to totally relax and be together.

I wish I could say that I have great words of wisdom as I begin this new decade. I have learned that relationships matter most...not my job or my ministry. Relationships are what gets me through the joys and sorrows of life. My relationship with God, my amazing husband Lou, my daughter Katie, my friends! So, as I begin this next phase of life, I look forward to many more years growing deeper in my walk with Christ, loving my husband and daughter more and strengthening the bonds of friendship that I have been blessed with over the years!

4th of July Reflections

2011-07-04T02:00:00.000-07:00

What does patriotism mean to you? Don't we usually think of that on the 4th of July. Patriotism, fireworks, freedom, independence -- these are the thoughts & ideas we reflect on this special day. Webster defines patriotism as love for or devotion for one's country. I love my country, I love what it stands for, I love the hope it gives me and others. I appreciate my country more now that I'm living in Germany. My pride for my country has deepened since I've been serving the military. Our freedom does not come without a price and I hope we never forget that!

As a child, my parents hung the flag on every national holiday. This was a family tradition and it instilled in me a sense of honor for our country and its flag. Here in Germany, it's very different. In the two years we have lived here, the only time we have seen flags flown is during the Soccer World Cup. Right now, the Womens World Cup is going on in Germany. Now, I must confess we don't know much about soccer. We are a baseball & football family. [I know my brother Chris would be very sad -- since he played soccer.] But Germans love their soccer! They love their teams and when the soccer tournaments are going on -- their patriotism shines.

Here is a picture of one of our neighbors cars. Bob & Liz Motley live right across the street from us. Bob is a retired Army servicemen and Liz is a German national. As you can see, two flags -- American & German -- being flown to show their allegience to their country soccer team.

Yet, it has caused me to think why this is the only time that their flags are flown. Outside of this sporting event, there doesn't appear to be the same love of country among the Germans. So, today as we celebrate our independence. Reflect on what our freedom means to you, reflect on what our freedom has cost others and be proud to be an American!

Fun adventures

2011-05-25T05:30:00.000-07:00

When we decided to move to Europe, one of the things we evaluated was our savings. We decided to set some money aside to be able to enjoy some special trips while we lived here in Germany.

One of those trips of a lifetime was golfing in Scotland. A few weeks ago, Lou got to experience that with some very special friends. Roger Nielson (Spangdalem House Director), Marko Gittens (friend of ours) and Lou tackled three courses at St. Andrews in Scotland.

Roger really was instrumental in getting this trip off the ground. He found a nice bed & breakfast, worked the tee times and was able to get them on the "Old Course". For those of you who aren't golfers -- this is a really BIG deal.

The weather in Scotland can always been a little iffy. They enjoyed golf in cool, primarily sunny weather. But, they did have to dig out their rain gear for a few holes and when it rained -- it really rained!

We are truly blessed to have a good family, special friends and to be able to explore Europe while we are working with Cadence!

Missing family!

2011-05-25T04:32:00.000-07:00

It's been a few weeks since my (Cathy) family has left. We enjoyed three weeks with them. The weather was absolutely amazing -- sunny & warm. The Spring time in Germany can be hit or miss. So, I'm thrilled that they experienced lots of unusual sunshine.

We did do some fun sightseeing and exploring. We nursed my mom's foot back to somewhat normal health. (Long story -- if you didn't hear, let me know and I'll fill you in). But, what was most significant and special to me is what I miss most about not living in the States. I truly miss our talks.

I am very fortunate to have a truly wonderful relationship with my parents -- frankly my entire family. I love the fact that my husband is treated like their son/brother not an "in-law". When I get caught up in my day-to-day routine here in Europe, I don't appreciate this truth. But, after spending those three weeks with them, I was reminded how much I truly miss my family.

Here are some fun memories from our time together. This picture is us exploring Worms, where Martin Luther stated his infamous "Here I stand, I can do nothing else."

We spent some time exploring Bastogne and learning more about the Battle of the Bulge. Here are the "band of sisters" [Aunt Penny, Aunt Mertie & my mom] checking out the actual foxholes that were used during this significant and very difficult battle.

One challenge we had was determining where we were exactly. Sadly my father wasn't a navigator for the Air Force and I'm very directionally challenged. Because of these factors, it made for some fun and interesting days together.

I'm grateful that we had such a wonderful time with them and I can't wait to be reunited again. Looking forward to more special talks and memories!

What a way to start a week of vacation!

2011-04-23T05:38:00.000-07:00

It has been an enjoyable week with my family, but it didn't start out that way. My parents (Cathy) - Chuck & Pudge Collins - along with my two aunts, Penny & Mertie arrived for a vacation in Germany. We were excited to show them some sights in Germany, as we continued to run our ministry. On Monday, we woke up to my dad washing the kitchen floor. When asked to explain why he was washing the kitchen floor, he stated "I'm cleaning up your mother's blood." What?!!?

As the story unfolded, we learned that Pudge fell down the stairs. She cut her foot and was extremely bruised. All this started around 4:00 a.m., I had arose at 6:15 a.m. It's amazing all the stuff that was going on while I was sleeping. We convinced my mom to go to ER, because we were pretty sure she needed stitches.

What I have learned is that it is true - It's much harder to watch someone you love go through pain that to go through the pain yourself. We were at Landstuhl - where most of our military personnel are cared for if wounded in combat - waiting to see the doctor. My mom was truly hoping that she would get a pass on the stitches.

Needless to say, the doctor agreed with the rest of the family. The hardest part was washing out the wound and getting the foot numb. It was really hard for me to see my mom so uncomfortable and in pain. Fortunately, she only brused up her legs and received five (5) stitches. We were grateful nothing was broken or fratured.

This little "trip" cost us a delayed start on our sight-seeing; but Pudge has been a trooper all week. She is a little slower than normal, but we have been enjoying many spiritual, historical and fun sights.

Favorite Night of the Week

2011-04-12T02:42:00.000-07:00

We truly enjoy our Sunday nights! We host two different studies. On the first and third Sunday's of the month, we are studying The Sacred Marriage, by Gary Thomas. We have 8 couples that are involved in this study. On the second and fourth Sunday's of the month, we are facilitating The Truth Project. We have about 20 folks involved in this study.

What we love about our Sundays is that we have a great time of discussion and learning, followed by a yummy meal and then dessert and fellowship. We get to connect at a deeper level with the folks that attend these studies. We get to love on our kiddos more. We have so many little ones that have grabbed our hearts: Kaden & Noah, Adde & Micah, Meadow, DJ, Joy, Greta, and so many more.

The folks that participate get more opportunity to get to know one another and develop some strong Christian friendships. Plus we have fun!

It is amazing the type of conversations that happen over a game of Rummy Kube, Hearts, or Telephone Pictionary. Where else can you go from having a discussion about Intelligent Design and then enjoy a game of Spoons? Only at the Rozmiarek's on Sunday nights!

Cadence Family

2011-03-24T08:09:00.001-07:00

Once a year, the Cadence Adult ministries gets together for a Staff conference. All of the European House Directors and Womens Ministry Personnel spend time hanging out, studying God's word, and relaxing.

The format is usually the same...we travel on Monday, start our first session on Monday night. We have sessions every morning and evening, with the afternoons open for rest and spending time together. We head back to reality on Friday. Sounds kind of mundane, doesn't it?!

But it is so much more than that! It is amazing to us how many quality people we work with side-by-side. Men & women of integrity and they possess a deep love for our military. At times, we are surprised that we are part of this team -- the people of Cadence are Godly folks and sometimes we feel that we have so much to learn! We are grateful that our leadership team and peers are very patient with us! :-)

The conference is a very special time for us. No one else - besides another Cadence worker - understands the crazy schedule, the demands of ministry, the sacrifice of our families. It's great to get ideas from one another. It's nice to play together and have time with our Cadence colleagues. It is a wonderful reminder that what we do for a living is fulfilling, and challenging; but we wouldn't have it any other way!

Pink Eye...what has it taught me?

2011-01-23T02:18:00.001-08:00

I woke up on Friday morning feeling like I had fallen asleep with my contacts still in my eyes, especially in my right eye. When I discovered that my contacts were indeed in their case, I thought that maybe I had scratched my eye somehow. I spent the rest of the day dealing with a watering eye and it becoming very sensitive to light.

When I woke up on Saturday morning, I discovered I couldn't open my right eye. It was swollen shut. Lou suggested that I call the doctor. As you know we live in Germany now and things are much different here. I said "It's Saturday, there is no way the doctor is going to be in." Well, we called and Dr. Schmith himself answered the phone. I told him what was going on and he said to come on in the office. [It turns out he lives right about his office so he had a short commute.] He determined that I have pink eye. Gave me some drops, told me to rest and that it would take 3-5 days to get over.

I have discovered I'm quite a wimp when it comes to my health. I have been so fortunate to have good health. When I get mildly sick, I become very wimpy and complain a lot. As I was dealing with the fact that I couldn't see well, I was reminded that this is a VERY temporary thing. A inconvience of maybe 5 days! I began to think about my friends and family who have had to deal with much worse health issues and their attitude has been a true inspiration.

We have a dear colleague who has been fighting brain cancer for over a year. Lou has a professor whose wife has struggled with chronic illness most of their marriage. Our daughter has rheumatoid arthritis and has since she was almost 2. Yet, she doesn't let it slow her down much. We have a nephew who has partial blindness in one of his eyes. He is nine years old and has been dealing with this all of his life; I have clouded vision for two days and I am nothing but a whining mess. I have been convicted by the fact that I am quite a weak vessel. A mild thing like pink eye and I found myself full of self-pity. What is wrong with me!

As I have reflected on my friends and family these past few days, I have prayed for them. God has reminded me that I have a blessed life. Yes, it's had its ups and downs, but I'm blessed. I know our Cadence friends have struggled with the whys of her cancer; but we have seen them be honest with their emotions, rely on God and I have learned much from them this past year. They have been a true inspiration to me and many others.

I am very thankful that God has given me good health. I soon will enter my 50's, I hope that He will continue to bless me with good health. More importantly, may He continue to work on my character. I know there will be other things that I will walk through as I continue this journey of life. I want to be able to handle whatever crosses my path with honest emotions, with grace and strength. I know within a few days I will be able to see out of my eye, but I hope that I will see the bigger picture of what God has in store for me.

A Joyful Christmas Season!

2011-01-05T00:59:00.000-08:00

We have made it through another holiday season. It was a great time. We had fun serving at the Miskolc Orphanage. The kids taught us Silent Night in Hungarian; we make ornaments and cookies; we decorated the tree and opened up gifts. For some of these kids, this was the first Christmas gift that they ever received!

We followed our trip with a busy Christmas weekend and we might add snowy! Unfortunately, we had so much snow and ice that our Christmas Eve service was cancelled. It's the first time since we have been married that we have not been able to worship and celebrate the birth of Jesus on Christmas Eve.

We spent Christmas morning with the singles in our ministry. Folks came over for pancakes & presents. We opened presents, ate pancakes & other yummy breakfast fixins! We watched - what we were told would soon to be a Christmas classic - Elf. [Yet we still think It's a Wonderful Life or Miracle on 34th Street are still the winners!]

We ended our day with a traditional Christmas dinner with about 60 folks. Turkey, ham and all the yummy sides and desserts were available for people to enjoy.

We enjoyed a fun time with our Cadence colleagues. We had a party a few days after Christmas. We spent time playing games, eating some amazing food and enjoy the company. We had people from Cadence House ministries, along with Cadence Student ministires. Can you tell which people might be associated with youth? Needless to say, we had a great Christmas season! Despite Bailey's desire to nap after all of the activity; we feel blessed to have so many dear friends here in Germany!

Remembering Chris

2010-12-06T01:06:00.000-08:00

Today is December 6, 2010 -- this date might mean something to you. It might be a celebration of your wedding anniversary. It might mean a birthday -- yours or a loved one. But, to me and my family it means something very different. 13 years ago, my (Cathy) youngest brother, Chris stepped from this early life into his eternal life in heaven.

I am grateful that the Lord is healing my heart from the day-to-day ache and grief I felt 13 years ago. I still miss my brother immensely. I think of him every day. But, I'm grateful that - for the most part - when I remember Chris, it brings joy to my heart. Not too say, I still don't struggle with grief & sadness from time to time, but I'm thankful that my heart is healing from this tragedy.

I am also thankful that I have the confidence that I will see him again some day. Because of the relationship that we both have with Jesus, I know when I pass from this life to my eternal life, I will embrace my brother once again. What a comfort! God provides reminders to me on a regular basis, his life didn't end 13 years ago...just his time on earth. I can't wait for that reunion!

Chris was a good man, a loyal friend, a deep thinker and a laughter maker. He touched many peoples lives -- in many different ways. He was deeply admired by those that knew him. He was deeply loved and is greatly missed. I trust that we all have allowed God to touch our hearts with peace, comfort and healing. So when we think of Chris, we can smile and anticipate the joy we will have one day when we see him again.

A brief update

2010-12-04T09:24:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since we have blogged and a lot is going on! We have experienced some fun things in the past month; but now we are entering into the busy Christmas season. We will have a busy month with ministry, studies, events and celebrating the birth of Jesus! We thought we better get you caught up before we lose another month.

We are grateful for the special memories that we are developing here. We are also challenged by the things that come our way where we feel totally in over our heads: helping with broken marriages, talking to a young woman who doesn't know if she believes in God, dealing with troubled teens, the list goes on & on. It can be very overwhelming! We appreciate your love, prayers & support!

Over Halloween weekend, we went to London with some of our Cadence collagues and friends. We explored London, enjoyed fish & chips, ate Chipotle (first one in Europe), took in a couple of plays and watch the Bronco-49er game. It was a fun weekend - despite the Bronco loss! We enjoyed sweet conversations with our friends, a nice time of worship & study and toured London in primarily sunny weather!

We had a special treat and connected with John & Megan Paasonen. John was involved in the 20 something ministry we supported while living in Colorado Springs. He lives now in London and recently got married. It was a pleasure having dinner with him & his bride, Megan.

In November, Lou stayed in Germany and held down the fort with Bailey. Cathy was able to return to Colorado for a few weeks. She surprised her sister for her 45th birthday. She was also able to celebrate with her brother for his 48th birthday. She spent time with all of our family, friends and some supporters. It was a good trip!

Now we are entering into the Christmas season. We are returning to Hungry to facilitate a Christmas party for the kids at the Miskolc orphanage. Many of you sponsored "orphans"...we are so grateful. Each child will be getting a few presents to unwrap. We had one special family send a new coat, hats & gloves for EACH child. We are going to bake cookes, play games and share the love of Christ. We are excited to see how God continues to unite our hearts with these kids.

We trust that you & your family will have a joyous Christmas season. We'll be in touch again soon!

Hospitality -- what does that mean?

2010-10-25T04:52:00.000-07:00

Lou & I have been running the Hospitality House in Kaiserslautern for over a year now. In the past year, we have been asked "What is a Hospitality House"? We have described it as a "home away from home", a "safe place for folks to explore Christianity", a "place where folks can come and fellowship and study the Bible", etc. But, I have been meditating on the meaning of being hospitable.

As part of my devotions, I read Our Daily Bread, published by Radio Bible Class in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Not too long ago, there was a day devote to "Pursuing Hospitality". As I reflected on the Romans passage and the I Peter passage dealing with hospitality, I found myself wondering if I'm truly hospitable.

The author, David McCasland, was stated that "hospitality is a hallmark of Christian living...and is commanded for every follower of Jesus as an expression of love." But what does that truly mean? Is hospitality just opening up my home and welcoming people? Is it being friendly to those who enter my home?

Mr. McCasland showed me that the Greek word for hospitality means "love of strangers". God is calling us to pursue relationships with people in need. But, who is in need? In our ministry, Lou & I practice hospitality by spending time with military personnel and their families. Some of them are married with children, some are married with no kids, some are single. They all come for various backgrounds, different upbringings, women & men, Hispanics, African Americans and Caucasians -- all enter our home. Yet, how do they leave?

For us, our hearts desire is that people feel welcomed, loved, supported and treated as family. Our hope is that our home and ministry will allow them to connect with other people, experience the love of Jesus and their needs - whether physical, emotional or spiritual - are met. And leave being a friend and no longer a stranger.

Serving our German Neighbors

2010-10-09T05:35:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, we had an opportunity to serve our German neighbors. We received a phone call informing us that a local vineyard owner had been killed in a freak tractor accident. His wife had no way of harvesting the grapes in time to make the deadline to create the wine. This is her livelihood and if the vineyard wasn't harvested timely, she would not have any income for the next year.

We teamed with the Spangdahlem hospitality house and took about 20 folks to this vineyard. We picked grapes for a couple of hours and enjoyed a nice lunch. We finished the afternoon picking more grapes. We worked along side about 20 other German folks. Some were her neighbors, some were professional "grape pickers" that were donating their day to her, some were her family. Vido - the man that was our point of contact - kept telling us that the Germans were shocked to see Americans giving up their day to help with a woman they didn't even know.

We worked along side them all day. A couple of them spoke English, so during the lunch time, we sat together and got to know one another a little more. The widow made us a lovely meal. We were initially told to bring a sack lunch; but she was so touched by the generosity, she cooked for us all. We ate at the top of a hill within the vineyard. We learned that her husband would eat lunch there every day and rest inside the Chapel. She told us that it was a special memory for her and it touched her that we all were able to see something that was special to her husband.

We hope by serving just for a few hours at this vineyard that people could see something different about us. We didn't do it for the thanks we received, for the yummy food and wine we enjoyed, but hopefully to touch a widow's heart and to help support her in a tangible way. We hope she experienced a bit of Jesus' deep, deep love for her through our service.

First Year

2010-08-31T06:10:00.001-07:00

We can't believe it has been almost a month since we've blogged!! It has been a very busy summer: Cadence Conference in Wisconsin, Mission trip to Hungary, Cathy's parents 50th wedding anniversary, friends visiting, excursions with folks, and other various ministry opportunities. It has been a fun summer.

What's even more crazy is that we have been in Germany for over a year now. We arrived on 11 August 2009 and had our first ministry event on Labor Day last year. In our first year, we have learned so many things.

First, we are enjoying the relationships that we are developing with our German neighbors, our Chapel colleagues, and the wonderful folks that hang out in our home. We have walked along side folks through some fun and exciting things: promotions, new babies, getting married. We have supported people through some difficult challenges: break ups with boy/girl friends, problems with supervisors, moving and leaving people, teenage drama, deaths in families. Through each of these situations, we have grown as individuals and as a couple.

Second, this year has shown us how much we have taken things for granted. There is so much that is different here and, although it has been an exciting year, it also has been a year of loss and grief. We do miss the States and some of the comforts of home. We miss our daughter & families, our friends, our church, reading road signs in English, being able to navigate with a map and not needing a GPS, and so many other things.

This year has stretched us in our marriage almost more than any other year. We are realizing that we are madly in love with each other, and cannot imagine doing life without one another. Yet, we also have realized that we still have unique personalities and talents that we have been taking for granted. We are learning to cherish those differences - even though they sometimes drive us nuts - we are being reminded how important it is to respect how we are created. We are truly good for one another and are grateful for that!

We must confess we do enjoy our jobs and the perks that living in Europe brings with it. We have experienced travel to several towns and cities close to Kaiserslautern: Trier, Heidelberg, Worms, Baden Baden, Stuttgart. We have explored a little of Europe in this first year: Venice, Paris, Switzerland. We have been on two mission trips in Hungary, Cambodia/Thailand. It has been a whirlwind year!

So, as we get ready to celebrate our first year anniversary this weekend, we are wonder what is in store for us as we move into our second year of life and ministry in Germany.

Getting back into the swing of things

2010-07-19T02:16:00.000-07:00

We have been back a few weeks and feel like we are getting back into the swing of things. We have focused on getting caught up on things around the house, meeting with people and "easing" back into our ministry night. Our time back in the States was wonderful - busy - but wonderful. The sad thing is I (Cathy) took several pictures. I was a crazy snapping woman, but sadly I have nothing to show for it. At some stage, I wanted to download the pictures and realized that I had left my memory card in Germany. So, I have nothing to share with you from this trip -- at least visually.

We spent two weeks in Colorado reconnecting with friends and family. We had lunches, coffees and dinners planned almost every day we were there. As I have already reported, we enjoyed celebrating a milestone anniversary with my parents. This allowed us to see extended family and friends that we hadn't seen in years.

We then moved onto Wisconsin for the Cadence conference. I must admit I wasn't sure what to expect. We have attended work conferences in the past: some good, some not so good. Frankly, we really weren't too excited about it. Our experience is that conferences pull you away from work, usually aren't to beneficial and then we have a ton of stuff to get caught up on when you go back to work.

We were pleasantly surprised! There was a good balance of meetings, free time, fellowship and connecting with our co-workers. We have a deeper appreciation for the Cadence leadership team and are excited to see the direction the mission is going. David Schroeder, our president, accomplished all the goals of the conference: Honor our staff, connect the team, celebrate the vision and refresh our hearts. It truly was an amazing time and we are thrilled - more than ever - to be a part of Cadence.

As we finish the summer, we have some fun things planned. Our biggest deal is our Hungary Mission trip. We are taking 11 folks to Miskolc and Debrecen Hungary in mid-August. We will be working at a local orphanage and refugee camp. We will conduct a VBS for younger children, host sports camp for middle/high schoolers and spend some time assisting the staff with disabled children. We are really looking forward to this opportunity to serve, but to also see what God teaches us through this time. Pray for team unity, sensitive hearts, and safe travels. We hope you have a good summer...we will be in touch again soon!

Love, Forgiveness, Commitment

2010-06-23T15:38:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, June 20th, my (Cathy) parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. We enjoyed a joyous event with family & friends coming to honor and bless them. People came from all over to congratulate them: New Mexico, Texas, New York, Nebraska, Germany!

As we approached their big day, Lou & I spent some time reflecting on what my folks have modeled to us. My parents have had their ups and downs in marriage. They have had their joys and sorrows, enjoyed fulfilled dreams and have cried over disappointments and loss.

My folks have truly modeled love & forgiveness to me. My parents haven't had an easy - nor perfect - marriage. Through it all, they have taught me the power of love, forgiveness and commitment. When many others would have walked away, they have chosen to deal with their hurt & disappointment by forgiving each other and by staying committed. I have tried to incorporate these values in my marriage, my relationships, my ministry.

My parents have also modeled acceptance. My husband, in his toast to them, said that they had become "my mentors, my friends, my family". I am grateful that my parents have treated my husband like their son from the moment we were married. They have called Katie "granddaughter" from the moment we adopted her eleven years ago.

So, as I reflect on their 50th anniversary, I hope in 2025 (when I'm celebrating my 50th anniversary), that people will say that Lou & I have modeled love, forgiveness and commitment! Thanks mom & dad -- may God bless you with many more years of love, forgiveness and friendship!

Mémorial aux américains

2010-05-30T05:05:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day weekend -- what does that mean to you? We all look forward to a three day weekend, but do we remember why we have this holiday? Lou is enjoying the weekend on a Switzerland camping trip with about 15 folks from the Hospitality House. He is teaming with two other Hospitality Houses (Baumholder and Graf). they are enjoying some time to refelct on God and enjoy His creation; and to have an opportunity to rest and relax in the beautiful Alps.

Cathy is facilitating a Reintegration Retreat with the Ramstein Chapel. We have 40 families that have recently returned from deployment or are getting ready to be deployed. This retreat is to help them "reintegrate" as a family or to prepare for "separation" as a family. We are studying effective communication techniques, anger management and having some fun as a family at Euro Disney in Paris.

As Cathy was riding on the bus to Paris with this group of 160 folks, she saw a sign Mémorial aux américains. She found out that we were passing a town that has a monument built in 1930 that commemorates the offensives conducted ty U.S. forces during WWI and the eventual liberation from Germany. This reminded her to reflect on Memorial Day. This is our weekend to remember those who died in our nations service. This is our weekend to thank those who are currently serving our country, defending our Nation and its values and protecting those who fight for their individual freedom. Please join us in spending some time to thank a veteran! Happy Memorial Day!

Computers, Cars and Other "C"s

2010-05-05T07:46:00.000-07:00

It all started the week after Easter. Actually it happened all in one day. You start to question, is this a test, trial or just plain tribulation, when things happen all in one day. Lou began his day with his computer dying. It has been acting weird for about a week. We did what we knew how to do -- reboot several times, run our anti-virus software, take it to a computer expert -- the problem would only reoccur in our home. Then it happened -- Lou turned it on and it wouldn't reboot. Yikes!! When was the last time we backed up -- how am I going to get any work done -- I need to finish my talk for Friday night -- Yikes!! The day continued in frustation.

We tried to prepare our hearts and mind for Tuesday night. See Tuesday night are our favorite night of the week. Lou cherishes his time with the guys. He facilitates a Men's Study at our home. They eat dinner together and spend some time in study and prayer. He enjoys these evenings and was looking forward to putting the day behind him. While Lou is spending time with the guys, Cathy is involved in a womens study on base. Because of the craziness of the day, she was looking forward to seeing her friends and spending some time thinking about anything but the computer.

Cathy was driving to the base as she entered the base the car began to beep and flash a warning message -- in German! The message began with Halt! Halt! and was followed by something else she didn't understand. But, the Halt! Halt! was enough for her to say "Boy, this doesn't seem good". As that thought entered and left her mind, the car died! Right there in the middle on the busiest road on base. It was pouring rain, she had the main dish for the Tuesday night potluck and no phone!! She went to call Lou and realized she had left their cell phone at home. The car wouldn't start, wouldn't turn over, nothing....it was dead!

Why is it when we are in these situations we don't automatically turn to Christ? Why is it that we tend to let frustration and anger take over and not just stop and take a deep breath and cry out to God? I know we are all human....but the few times I have turned to Christ first, my emotions are calm and I can think more clearly. I remembered that we have been studying Philippians on Friday night. Interesting enough, Lou had just talked about "do not be anxious about anything!" Now is the time for us to put this into practice!

Computers, Cars and Christ....they reveal what we are truly made of -- what's really going on inside of our hearts. When Computers and Cars and their problems are the priority -- anxiety kicks in because of the loss of Control.

No computer, no car, now what? Cathy begins to walk back to the guard shack to see if she could borrow a phone. After just a few steps in the rain, a woman stops and asks if she needs help. She allowed Cathy to borrow her phone to call Lou. Another few minutes go by, the rain is getting worse, a man stops, wearing in a nice suit, he pushes the car to the side of the road. At this point, she begins to relax and remember that God is in control; while she was feeling totally out of control, God reminded her that He will talk care of us!!

Well after a month, we now have our car back and our computer. Dell fixed our computer at no cost. We had backed up the computer and had an extra one from our predecessor so Lou was able to get right back to work. So, even though it took over 3 weeks to get his computer back, we were blessed -- no cost and no significant loss of work.

Our car took almost a month and came in about $500 under budget. Even though it was still a pricey fix, when was the last time you paid a mechanic less than what he estimated? Each week, someone had a car they would lend to us. We were provided for in very tangible ways.

So, Cars, Computers, Control, Christ. I know we will have another opportunity to learn the lesson to turn to Christ in all situations -- because we are human; but we are thankful that we saw God's provision and experienced His peace again in a time of frustration.

Easter Reflections

2010-04-05T03:08:00.000-07:00

We had a busy holiday week. We had a frustrating holiday week. We started our week with Lou's computer having problems. Next our van died on me when I tried to get to my Ladies Bible Study. Both have been with "mechanics" for a week. Isn't it funny when we have these life frustrations, we tend to get frustrated with one another?

As the week continued, we ended up having words with one another -- OK, in all honesty, a fight. On Thursday, I started to catch a cold. All of this heading into Easter weekend!

Easter weekend is my favorite weekend of the year! Actually Holy Week is my favorite time of the year. I enjoy Christmas, I LOVE Easter. So, heading into our first Easter in Germany, I was upset that the week had not gone as I would like.

Lou & I tend to talk and reflect during this week about what Christ did for us through His death and His resurrection. We try to think about why we love Jesus and meditate on our gratefulness to Him. But, this year, we were arguing over selfish things, frustrated that we didn't have his computer so I could finish our taxes and mad that we had to borrow a car. Time to reflect...no way!

Yet, God is so good, so patient, so kind! Thursday afternoon, while we were complaining about the week, the Holy Spirit reminded us that we have an opportunity to "practice what we preach". See, Lou has been teaching from Philippians and we are learning to have joy in all situations, especially during trials and tribulation. We were going through nothing, compared to what Paul was walking through when he wrote that book. God grabbed a hold of our hearts and we decided to PRAY!!

Through our prayers, God began to remind us that He is with us. He revealed to us that the enemy was pressing in and trying to discourage us. We were humbled - and embarrassed - that we had allowed these little issues to get us to lose our focus for the week. What a difference a few minutes can make by taking time with our Heavenly Father!

My cold was still lingering, our car and computer were still broken, we were anticipating a busy holiday weekend, but our spirits had been refreshed! The joy of Easter was in our sights again. We had a great weekend, we had a joyful weekend. We experienced God's power and touch in a personal way. God is good!

Where is God's Glory?

2010-03-06T07:20:00.000-08:00

God, where is Your Glory? Father, where is Your Hope? What are you doing Lord? These were some of questions that rattled through my brain and heart as I (Cathy) walked through the past two weeks in Thailand and Cambodia.

From 15 February - 1 March, I had the priviledge to join 13 women on a two week mission trip. We spent time in orphanages in Chaing Mai, a refugee camp on the Thai/Burma border, military communities in Cambodia and the bars of Bangkok. Our goal was to point people - primarily women & children - to the one true God that can bring hope to their lives. Yet, I must admit, I found myself questioning "Lord, how can they hope in You?"; "How are You going to shine in this situation?"

Despite my cries, fears and unbelief, I saw God bring comfort, peace & hope to people that should be angry & depressed. I was challenged to think past my own personal feelings and to see how these people would embrace the love of Christ. Not all did, but some did and some had in the past and were excited about what God was doing in their lives!! Amazing and beautiful!

I will share more stories and pictures with you in our next newsletter - for I could go on and on, but I won't bore you too much. It truly was a life changing trip.

Many times we go on these trips thinking we are going to be the blessing, we are going to serve and what ends up happening is we are blessed more, we are stretched more, we are taught more by the people that we go to minister to. This trip had the same outcome for me.

Our team had two primary goals: teach and spend time with the women and children at the places we visited. I was on the women's ministry team. I had two talks that I gave. First, I gave the "gospel message" to the ladies at the Minefield. This community is primarily Buddhist and most have not heard the message of Christ.

It was an honor to share part of my story, how Christ has changed my life and the love He has for them. God moved and a few ladies entered into a relationship with Christ that day. The challenge now is the discipleship and growth piece.

There is a small community of believers there. We learned that there are three women that are Christ followers. This lady is the only one who can read & write. I visited with her and I was touched by how much she loves God, despite her situation. She lives in a hut, with no running water, cooks over an outside flame, survived the Pol Pot regime and the "Killing Fields". She lived several years in a refugee camp after Pol Pot was over thrown before she was able to leave and be reunited with friends and family. She became a Christian in the refugee camp and is so excited that we came to spend time with them.

We had shared our testimonies with the ladies at the MineField. We asked her to give us her testimony. Here she is sharing with us about her life, her walk with God and what she is hopeful for!!

As an American, I'm so spoiled. I start to question God's goodness towards me if something doesn't go my way. If I struggle with sickness, or a bad job situation, or have an argument with Lou, I wonder why God is allowing this to happen. It is all so trivial compared to what so many other people have to deal with -- that's where God's glory comes into play. This little lady, from Cambodia, loves God, despite everything she has walked through, she brings glory to God and her life challenges me to reflect on God's goodness and glory. I thought I'd be bringing that to her and God used her to teach me about His character. Amazing!

Hanging out with God

2010-02-05T07:21:00.000-08:00

Since our move to Germany, I (Cathy) have been exploring this idea of what it means to enjoy the presence of God, to be in God's presence, to truly understand that the God of the universe loves me and wants to be in relationship with me. You would like at my life stage, the length of time that I've walked with God, this wouldn't be something I would be pondering. Yet, this is something that I have struggled with getting my arms around for most of my life -- what does it mean to be in God's presence? Is it spending 15 minutes in prayer, having a daily quiet time, singing to Him -- what does it mean to be in God's presence througout the day, throughout my journey.

I decided to read a couple of books that had been recommended to me: He Loves Me, by Wayne Jacobsen, The Practice of the Presence of God, by Brother Lawrence and Enjoying the Presence of God, by Jan Johnson. What I am learning is that I truly struggle with the fear of not knowing if God truly loves me. I mean, I know the right things to say. I know the Bible and I "know" that God loves me. For Heaven's Sake, that's what Christianity is about. Jesus enduring the cross so that I could be reconciled with God and enter into a relationship with Him. But, I'm still struggling with sin, I'm still very selfish, I choose TV over worship - I do wonder if He is tried of putting up with me. I try to stay busy to prove to myself that I'm worthy of love.

These books I've read have me meditating on this issue and grappling with the truth that God loves us and ME no matter what. Jan Johnson puts it this way God's love tackles us, telling us that we can quit asking what we must do to be loved and valued because His answer is NOTHING. I'm pondering this concept that He loves me and values me - no matter what I do, no matter what I don't do.

I don't have this figured out yet and probably never will this side of Heaven; but, I'm excited to be thinking about what it would mean to slow down and be quiet and reflect on God. How freeing it would be to truly understand that the things I do, I do to bring glory to God and not to try and earn His love. I'm considering what things truly refresh my soul and when I feel most loved by God: listening to music, laughing with my sister, praying with my beloved Lou or curling up with a good book. I'm thrilled to be on this journey, I don't know where it will lead, but I do desire to know Jesus as the dear Friend that I've longed for - I can't want to see how I learn to spend time with God all day.

Christmas in Germany

2009-12-29T04:25:00.000-08:00

We had a joyous & special Christmas season. Our daughter, Katie, was able to join us for a few weeks. We had a fun time exploring a few things in Germany with her and exposing her to our ministry. She made some new friends -- not surprising with her friendly personality.

We explored some sights with Katie, primarily a lot of castles & Christmas markets. Here are a few that we really enjoyed.

As we approached the Christmas celebration, we planned a fun excursion with folks from the Hospitality House. We took about 20 folks to Rothenburg and Nurenberg for a weekend. Rothenburg is known for being Germany's best-preserved medieval walled town. It has some fun and interesting sights, like the Medieval Crime & Punishment Muserum, a walk along the city wall, and a beautiful Christmas market. Nurenberg is know for its medieval architecture, the biggest Christmas market in Germany, the tiniest bratwurst in Germany and its Nazi past. Folks spent time in the Nazi Documentation Center and explored the Christmas market. It was a fun weekend and we shared our time with the Baumholder Hospitality House as well.

On Christmas Eve, we began our celebration at the Ramstein Comtemporary Service (RCS) for a candlelight worship service. We had a nice dinner at home and had our family Christmas celebration with Katie. Christmas morning began with about 16 singles coming over for brunch. We fixed eggs, pancakes, bacon, all the fixins. Afterwards, they opened their presents. Many came in their pajamas to enjoy the morning. We moved into the afternoon with a Christmas dinner planned at 3:00. We hosted 81 folks as we celebrated the birth of our Lord. We had a time of worship and singing carols, followed by playing games and hanging out! We hope everyone truly felt like they were at home.

We feel like we are settling into life in Germany and a routine with ministry. We are excited to see what God will do in 2010. We continue to work on deeping our relationships with folks that are in our ministry. We hope you and your family had a blessed Christmas.

November was a blur!

2009-12-06T08:33:00.000-08:00

We can't believe that it is already December! November just flew by. We had a busy month as we began to get ready for the holidays. We attended our first Cadence European Staff Conference. We enjoyed spending time with our team and encouraging one another in our ministries. We dealt with the tragedy of the Ft. Hood shootings, death of a Chaplain here in our Ramstein community, people deploying to Afghanistan, family deaths and dealing with loneliness as the holidays approach. Yet, as Thanksgiving came, we were thankful.

We celebrated with 74 folks at our home. We played games together, enjoyed lots of turkey & pie and learning more about each other. Lou & I reflected on how much we appreciate this opportunity God has given us to serve the men and women that participate in our ministry. We have grown to love and care for each one in a very special way. Our prayer is that we will continue to deepen our relationships with them as we move into 2010.

As December begins, we are busy with activities and getting ready to usher in the celebration of the birth of our Lord Jesus. It is hard to believe but this will be our first Christmas in 48 years (second for Lou) that we haven't spent it with our families. Yet, we are honored to try and create a home away from home for those people here that will not be able to spend - yet another - Christmas with their family.

We started the Christmas season by going to the Tubingen Chocolate Festival and Stuttgart Christmas Market. We spent the day with about 15 folks eating chocolate from various parts of Europe, sharing our hearts as we walked through the Christmas market in Stuttgart and just hanging out!

We are thrilled to have an opportunity to share our lives with these folks! We can't wait to see what God teaches us during this Christmas season. May we never forget the miracle that the creator of the universe chose to leave Heaven, come to reconcile us with Him through the birth of Jesus, His death & resurrection. God calls us to respond to this truth -- how will you respond this Christmas?

Approaching 3 months....

2009-11-07T04:10:00.000-08:00

We cannot believe that we have been in Germany almost three months. In some ways, it has gone by very fast; in others, very slow. Since it's been over a month since our last update, we have been busy - thus life is going fast. Yet, as we struggle to find our groove with ministry, our patience is being tried - thus life is going slow. We want to settle into life, settle into ministry, get past the transition phase. We want to obey God's leading in our ministry, yet when there is pushback from folks, we question if we are "hearing the Lord accurately". In all honesty, our emotions have been all over the map, especially for Cathy.

Change is always an interesting thing. Some people are open to the change in leadership and allowing us to do things differently than our predecessors. Some people want things to not change at all and are upset with the fact that we aren't Fred & Diane. We understand that, we want to be sensitive to that, but we also know we need to be who God has gifted and called us to be.

We are excited about how the fall has played out and looking forward to the holidays. We did have really had a good October. We had our first excursion with the folks from the House. We went to the Sunshine Pumpkin Farm near Landstuhl. We went and toured the farm, picked a pumpkin, had a BBQ back at the House and finished with a pumpkin carving party. It was really a lot of fun!

Lou managed to turn 48 this month. To celebrate, we went to visit the Vincenza House in northern Italy. Our friends, Steve & Teeter Mauldin, are filling in at the Hospitallity House, so we went to hang out and enjoy a quick tour of Venice.

We spent four days with the Mauldin's. Two days were seeing how the Vincenza Hospitality House operates, and picking their brains about doing ministry. We sent two days being tourists in Venice. It was a fun time!

We are so grateful that we serve a God who comes along side us, who uses us, who loves us: despite our fears and insecurities. We are so thankful for friends and family that love us, support us, pray for us. We miss everyone so much, but are thrilled to be here. We are excited to see what God has in store for us and the folks we are doing life with -- we'll be in touch!

Krazy K-town!

2009-09-25T05:16:00.000-07:00

We have been in Kaiserslautern for six weeks now. We can't believe how quickly time has flown. Sad to say that we have not been able to keep up with regular communication since our arrival. Some of you may know, we have been without internet connectivity since we have arrived. We finally got it hooked up yesterday (24 Sept). Without internet, we have been surprised how much that has affected our transition.

We have been reflecting on the importance of communication. When you don't feel like you can chat with people, connect at a heart level (even if it's through an email), the end result is you are isolated and lonely. At least that is how it has been for us. Isn't that true in all of our relationships? Whether it is a phone call, a chat over coffee, reading an email, you feel like you are connecting. We are made for relationship. Relationship with our God and with each other.

We truly appreciate everyone encouraging us and praying for us. We are starting to feel like we are getting into a groove with our ministry. Tuesday night, Lou leads a men's study and Cathy cooks for 15-20 guys. Lou is facilitating a character study on David. Friday night, we host a dinner and a study for about 80 folks. After a time of worship, we are viewing the video series by Francis Schaeffer, titled How Should We Then Live? and Lou leads a discussion afterwards. We are hopeful that this series will challenge folks to truly look at their world view and come to a true understanding of why they believe what they believe.

Fall has yet to start here in Germany. Mornings are cool, but for the past week or so, it's been sunny and in the 70's. Very unusual -- at least that's what we have been told. We will be sending more regular updates, along with video updates. We are excited to be hear and grateful to you all who have loved us, encouraged us, supported us.

We are own our way!

2009-08-07T18:26:00.000-07:00

Can't believe it! We are on our way to Kaiserslautern. Lou leaves on Monday, 10 August, with our dog Bailey. Cathy leaves on Wedneday, 12 August, with her mother. Her mom has graciously agreed to come out for a few weeks to help us get settled, paint/wallpaper a few rooms, unpack and get the house ready to go!

Our goods shipped about a month ago. We had a great group of guys agree to sacrifice their day and help us load a 20'x10'x8' foot container. The container was supposed to arrive at 8:30 and we were initially told we would have two (2) hours to pack it up. Unfortunately, the container didn't show up until 11:30. Because of the delay, the shipping company gave us more time to pack it up.

Our crew was ready to go at 8:30, but due to the delay, we were creative in how we killed our time. Lou's brother, Vince, decided to challenge Andrew Hess to a "chipping" competion. Katie and Jessica decided to tackle some Trivial Pursuit, which Andrew ended up joining in the game as well.

Finally, the container showed up and we worked hard to get all of our goods packed. We had a great team, but Clint Mahan was instrumental in getting it packed so everything would be get to Germany. We are so grateful to all that helped us! It is scheduled to arrive on Wednesday, 19 August. Hopefully, it will arrive with everything still in tact! :-)

We are very excited and a little sad. We are saying our good-byes to our family this weekend, which will be very hard. We appreciate all of your love, friendship and support! We'll be in touch again, after we get settled in K-town.

Make me patient

2009-07-25T10:48:00.000-07:00

I call to you, O Lord, from my quiet darkness. Show me your mercy and love. Let me see your face, hear your voice, touch the hem of your cloak. I want to love you, be with you, speak to you and simply stand in your presence. But I cannot make it happen. Pressing my eyes against my hands is not praying, and reading about your presence is not living in it. But there is that moment in which you will come to me, as you did to your fearful disciples, and say, "Do not be afraid; it is I." Let that moment come soon, O Lord. And if you want to delays it, then make me patient. -- From A Cry for Mercy by Henri J.M. Nouwen

As we prepare to leave in two weeks for Germany, we realize that we are truly struggling with mixed emotions. We are starting to feel the pressure of the enemy and are wrestling with being impatient, fearful, nervous. At the same time, our confidence in what God has called us to do fills our hearts with joy & excitement. We are about to embark on the biggest change and adventure of our lives. Some times we feel God's presence in our lives in amazing ways; other times we are in a quiet darkness.

We can relate to Nouwen's cry. We know God is with us, even when we feel alone. We know that God hears the cry of our hearts, even when we don't feel His presence. We will continue to cling to the Lord and know we will have that moment with the Creator of the universe where we hear him say, "Do not be afraid; it is I".

On the road again

2009-06-13T07:22:00.000-07:00

We are on our (hopefully) last support raising trip. We left on 30 May and won't return to Colorado until 25 June. We are going from Colorado to the Chicago area to New England to Washington DC to North Carolina and back home via Kentucky, Kansas, and Oklahoma!

The beauty of these trips is truly reconnecting with old friends and family. With our goal of moving in August, these visits are more precious. We realize it will be a long time before we see many of these folks again. We must admit the time in the car does get old very fast. Yet, our visits have been very amazing!

Here Lou is with our old friend Garret Maki. Garret and his wife, Min-Yi, live in Minneapolis - at least for now. They are moving to Houston in the next few weeks. It was great seeing Garret and catching up on life.

We also enjoyed seeing Elena Schlueter in Crown Point, Indiana. Elena is very special to us. She is the first born child of my cousin Debie and her husband Anthony. We prayed and prayed for her and she is a true blessing! Elena is investingating the fun behind watering flowers.

Our next visit came in Boonville, NY. I (Cathy) have a dear friend that lives there. It is a small town near Syracuse, NY. We had a great visit with Nancy and we saw our first woodchuck. The joys of living near woods. :-)

We have managed to enjoy a night at the ball field. As most of you know, Lou is an avid baseball fan! We had a night off and went to the Baltimore game. It was "floppy hat" night at Campden Yards. I'm not sure this is the best look for me, but we had a fun and relaxing night at the ball field.

Next stop....Washington DC. We will enjoy five days in the DC area visiting with friends and family. We are amazed how many people have entered our lives over the years and we cherish these relationships. With our move to Germany just around the corner, we are enjoying this opportunity to see folks before we head overseas.

May was a blur!

2009-06-01T19:26:00.000-07:00

We can't believe it has been a month since we have journaled. The entire month of May has been a blur. We returned from Germany and hit the ground running: meeting with more people, starting to pack for our move overseas, graduations, graduations and more graduations!

We have gone to three graduations. Andrew Hess graduated from Denver Seminary. Sue Smith graduated from UCCS with her nursing degree. Mike Laney graduated from the Air Force Academy. He will be reporting for pilot training in Mississippi later this summer.

When you attend three commencements and hear three speeches, you begin to reflect on life pursuits, dreams, goals and life in general. We began refleciting on our own life pursuits and dreams. When you graduate from high school (for us it will be 30 years this June), you have all these ideas of what you want to achieve, the person you desire to become, how life is going to play out.

When 30 years go by, you realize that the journey usually turns out very different. For us, we didn't think we would be about to embark on full-time ministry, moving overseas or spending a year preparing for this next adventure. But, here we are. Getting ready to move to Germany. It is exciting and scary! We are still amazed at God's goodness to us. We know that He will move and by His grace use us, despite our short comings. We are grateful, thankful and blessed! To be continued!

Germany...here we come!

2009-04-26T17:59:00.000-07:00

We just returned from two weeks in Germany. We had the opportunity to see the house we will be living and serving in, we met lots of super folks, served Easter dinner to about 100 people, and met the other members of the Cadence European team.

Here is our home. Fred & Diane Stock are the current house directors. They will be leaving in June and we are hopeful to arrive in July. The top floor is the living quarters. There are three bedrooms and an office. There is also a loft area that we will be able to convert to a nice study area for us.

The basement consists of two storage areas, a guest room, a teen room and a child care room. There is a ton of space and we will need it with the volume of people that come to the house.

The main floor is where the ministry happens. The house currently has a Couples Study on Sunday afternoon, a Mens Study on Tuesday nights and Friday Night Dinner and Study. On Friday nights, we are serving dinner for approximately 75 folks. We had an opportunity to serve over the Easter weekend. Check out the picture of some of the folks that were with us on Easter Sunday! It was an exciting time to be in Kaiserslautern!

We enjoyed meeting some of the folks that are part of this ministry. We had a special connection with three young men and can't wait to see them again this summer: Kyle, Nick & Jacob. Kyle is from Washington, Nick from Georgia and Jacob from Nebraska. They are stationed together, but in different jobs, yet they met at the Hospitality House. We truly enjoyed hanging out with them all weekend, hearing their stories and knitting our hearts with theirs. Nick is getting ready to be deployed but will be returning in the fall.

After spending these two weeks in Germany, we are more excited than ever to get out to the field. Please continue to keep us in your prayers as we try to finish our support raising so we can move this summer!

A Life Well Lived

2009-03-29T12:05:00.000-07:00

We are about to return back to Denver, after 3 weeks on the road. We have spent the majority of our time in California. We have seen many of our old friends and family -- from San Diego to San Francisco. During our trip, I (Cathy) have been reading a book entitled Breathless, by Gary R. Collins. As we are getting ready to move to Germany and enter full-time ministry, we have been discussing the idea of living a balanced life. Both of us have a tendency to get overextended and we need to learn to juggle our priorities better.

As I have been reading Breathless, I have been reflecting on what it means to live a life well lived. Isn't that what we all want -- to get to the end of our life and realized that it was well lived? The author challenges his readers to learn to turn our time-starved days into a life well lived. Well, what does that mean? So, I've been thinking about that on our trip. As a Christ follower, I have been thinking about reflecting on Jesus' life and how He modeled a balanced life. Jesus took time to relax, pray, spend time with friends, work, etc. How come I can't seem to live this life? What does this look like?

Last week, we visited a dear friend - Harle Damon. Harle is a retired army officer, who after retirement became a successful businessman and in his early thirties became a Christian. Harle values education, discipleship, the study of God's word, being a faithful husband and a good father. When Lou became a Christian, Harle reached out to him to disciple Lou in his faith. Harle is now 87 and his health is starting to fail. His life verse has become II Corinthians 4:16-17 - which he quoted to us at our visit - "Do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory."

We went to encourage Harle, Harle encouraged us. He reminded us that even though his outward man is starting to fail, he is being renewed because of his faith in Christ. He is still writing, reading, reflecting, studying and loving his wife. His energy fails him, but his heart and his mind are strong. Harle is not perfect, he has made mistakes -- but he has grown and is living a life well lived.

As I continue to meditate on this idea of living a life well lived, I'll finish the book and mediate on the ideas that Mr. Collins presents: developing my character, serving others, living a focused life, nurturing my inner world, sharpening my mind, managing life and leaving a legacy. I will also think about our friend Harle, who has modeled this to us so well.

Can you truly be obedient?

2009-03-14T19:42:00.000-07:00

As the economy has continued to struggle, we have been amazed at God's faithfulness in His provision. As most of you know, we joined Cadence last June. Cadence is a Military Ministry and we are going to be operating a hospitality house in Germany this summer. In September, Cathy finished her job, we began raising support as our full time job. Within 30 days, the economy began to tank.

We were very nervous to see how our support raising would go. We are embarking on an amazing opportunity, an area of ministry that we feel God has preparing us for over the past 10 years and now we are asking people to pray about supporting us financially during a time when the economy is falling apart.

Yet, God is faithful. We have begun to reflect on our faithfulness to Him. If Lou would be graduating this May, instead of last year, would we be going to the mission field, knowing what we know now? We'd like to think we'd be obedient to God's call -- but honestly, isn't it easier when times are easier. Would we have wimped out on serving God knowing that Cathy had a good paying job and Lou was offered a high paying job after graduating from Denver Seminary. Last June, it was much easier to think about answering the call when the economy was more stable; would we make the same decision if Lou would be graduating this Spring? We'd like to think so -- but honestly, we aren't sure.

We are thankful that God didn't give us that option. God know us and we think He knew that we needed to learn more about His character. This has been quite a faith building time for us. Some people have called us "courageous", but we don't think that's a fair characterization. Courageous people will follow God no matter what; courageous people will be obedient despite the outside circumstances; we're not sure we would have make the same decision this June -- knowing what we know now. Do you think you can be obedient, no more what...think about it...be honest.

Can you believe it is February already?!

2009-02-04T17:45:00.001-08:00

We just returned from another road trip. Our little Camry is taking a beating. We spent most of January in Virgina, Kentucky, North Carolina and South Carolina. When we are spending time with folks, time seems to stand still -- until we return home. Somehow it's February!

We had a blast hanging out with old friends from Northrop Grumman, Concerned Women of America and Cadence. We had great time relieving memories with family as well. We stand in amazement how blessed we are! Life is busy! Yet, people graciously make time to open their homes, share their lives and get caught up on life.

Our special friends, Eric & Moira McKerrow, have a little boy that has grabbed our hearts. We truly enjoyed our visit with them. They are dealing with the challenges of having an active 9 month old, fighting sleep deprivation and learning how to be great parents! [Which so far, we think they are.] We had fun watching a Washington Capitols Hockey game as Ronan cheered on his team -- checkout his hocky stick. :-)

We really had a great visit with Chris & Lauren Macedo. They are dear friends from Colorado that have moved to Charlotte, North Carolina. We had a great time joining them for worship practice - Chris is the worship leader at their church. We were thrilled that Kiya (4) and Caden (2) didn't forget us. Yet, the highlight was looking at pictures of the Cadence hospitality house they met at in Germany. Ironically, it is the same house we are going to be taking over this summer! God has an amazing way of orchestrating our lives. We are so thankful that Chris & Lauren introduced us to Cadence!

Check out Kiya and Caden playing Candyland with Mr. Lou.

Here's Caden rocking and rolling!

When we were in South Carolina, we had an opportunity to spend a few days with my (Cathy) aunt and cousins. I hadn't seen my cousins and their family in many years and Lou had never met them. We had a wonderful time of catching up, hearing about their families and seeing their girls.

We are thrilled to be on this journey and our excited to see how 2009 will continue to unfold. If all goes as planned, we are going to be in Germany this summer. We will be spending the Spring visiting with more folks in Colorado. We will be in California and Oregon in March and returning to the East Coast in June. It's a crazy time, but a time we will never forget!

Hearing my fathers' voice

2009-02-04T16:59:00.000-08:00

I (Cathy) walked into church a few weeks ago. I was running a little late, so there were quite a few people in the sanctuary. I was joining my parents and I was looking for them. As I was scanning the congregation, I heard my father's voice. He wasn't speaking to me, or even calling to me. But, I could still hear it.

Out of all of those people in the room, somehow I could hear my father speak. I began to look around and sure enough in the next section over and several rows down, there my father stood. He was talking to another person, he didn't even see me. But, I walked over to him and join my folks for the service.

That afternoon, I began to reflect on my relationship with my Heavenly Father. How could I find my earthly father in a crowded room -- just by hearing his voice? In the Gospel of John, John compares men to sheep. Jesus speaks and reminds us that His sheep will follow Him because they know His voice. The sheep won't go astray because they do not recognize a stranger's voice. (John 10:3-8).

Do I know my Heavenly Father's voice like I do my own father? I know my dad's voice because I have spent time with him. I have spoken with him, argued with him, laughed with him, cried with him. I know my dad. Can I say the same about God? Do I spend as much time with the Lord, talking to Him, pouring out my heart to Him, laughing or crying to get to know His voice? to get to know Him?

I wish I could say "yes". But, there have been times in my life where I have gone astray, where I haven't heard my Heavenly Father loving directing me to go a different route. Where I have ignored the voice of God. Where I have just flat out missed His voice. As I reflected on that Sunday afternoon, I am grateful that God is a gracious and merciful Father. He is ready to spend time with me - just like my earthly father - any time I want. It's up to me to get to know Him, so I can follow Him more diligently.

What does Christmas mean to you?

2008-12-20T14:00:00.000-08:00

Every year we pray to remember why we celebrate Christmas, why this day is so special to us. As the world becomes more and more caught up in the commercialization of the holiday, we try to slow down the pace to reflect on why we love this time of year. What does Christmas mean to you?

We all have family traditions that make Christmas special. In the Collins family (Cathy's), we go to church on Christmas eve. On Christmas morning, her dad reads the Birth of Christ passage from Luke 2, we exchange gifts, laugh, and eat a nice meal. All to try and celebrate the birth of Christ.

It is an amazing thing, an incredible act of love. The God of creation comes to earth as an infant child. God incarnate, God with us. What a miracle! How can we grasp this? We love this day. Not because of time with family, not because of fun traditions, but because of the realization that God loves us so much that He sent His Son Jesus Christ to be born as a child, live on this earth, die on a cross so we can be reconciled with God and rise from the dead so we can experience true freedom and life!

Glory to God! Merry Christmas to you all! May you realize the true meaning of Christmas in a new and personal way this year!

A Season of Thanksgiving! A Season of Joy!

2008-11-26T15:23:00.000-08:00

We are entering a time of the year for us is a very special time. For many, the holiday season (Thanksgiving, the Advent, celebration of the birth of Christ) can be a busy season, a depressing season, a lonely season. For us, it is a time to reflect and appreciate the many blessings in our lives.

We appreciate the beautiful world we live in...here is Cathy at the Blue Springs State Park in Florida. We took a nice walk through the park, saw manatees, beautiful birds and gorgeous scenery.

We reflect on how thankful we are for relationships. As we have finished another road trip for Cadence, we are grateful for the people God have put into our lives. We have beloved family and cherished friends. But, most importantly, we have discovered how much we love our relationship with God.

We are amazed at how God has used different people in our lives to teach us more about Him. Over the past few months, God has used many of our friends and family on our travels to confirm our new direction in life, why military ministry is important, why sometimes rules are in our best interest and how much we are going to miss people when we go overseas.

Here are Brandon & Ashley Murphy, who have reminded us how exciting the first year of marriage can be. They are adjusting to living together, learning to communicate and just having fun!
Here is our sweet friend, Mandy Mueller. Mandy is currently in the Air Force and stationed in San Antonio. Mandy reminded us of what it means to truly enjoy serving our country and our God. She loves her job, but she also spends her time teaching 3rd graders Sunday School. She serves the poor and hungry in San Antonio. We were challenged by her example and reminded how service can be truly joyful!
As we enter the Advent Season, and the Christmas season approaches, may you take a few moments to reflect on what is important to you. For us, it is you! Happy Thanksgiving!

Godly Interruptions -- do they exist?

2008-10-30T15:37:00.000-07:00

As we are continue to develop our ministry partner team, we are also focusing on catching up on our reading. We are studying the book of Acts, reading books on Post Traumatic Syndrome Disorder (PTSD) and managing our time and avoiding burnout. One of the things that I (Cathy) have been meditating on - as I have been reading more about managing our time - is the idea of Godly Interruptions.

I've been thinking through how to discern when we need to take time out of our schedules to be available to God and people. We just read the about Philip ministering to the Ethiopian Eunuch and his willingness to obey and shared with the official. Philip ended up leading him to a relationship with Christ. I'm reminded about the women who touched Christ's hem, during His busy schedule, to be healed. Christ knew - despite people pressing in - that someone had touched Him. He stopped and engaged the woman. Jesus took time out of his schedule - He was on His way to heal another person - to engage her and minister to her.

I wish I could be that sensitive to know when I should leave my "to do" list and evaluate the interruptions in my life. As a Christ follower, I desire to minister to people, share my faith, lead people to the Lord; but I get so caught up in life, doing my Cadence partnership development and training, reading, hanging out with friends, serving my church that I know I miss the blessing of the Godly interruptions that He brings into my life.

As we get ready to run a hospitality house, we need to learn to be sensitive to the needs of the people that God brings into our lives. Pray for us that we can be available to take the time necessary to allow God to rule our lives and not our tasks.

We are back in Colorado!

2008-10-08T18:13:00.001-07:00

We made it back from our mid-west trip on Monday, 6 October. We had a wonderful time visiting friends, talking to folks about Cadence and seeing a few sites. We traveled from Colorado all the way east to Canton, Ohio and back through Madison, WI. We left on 22 September and returned on 6 October.

We managed to eat breakfast in Columbus, OH (Go Buckeyes!) one day and two days later eat breakfast in Madison, WI (Go Badgers!). We enjoyed time in Lou's old stomping grounds of Galesburg, Illinois and spent time with his little league buddy, David Walker. We toured the campus of Athletes in Action in Xenia, Ohio and had a personal guide, Clint Mahan. We enjoyed a wonderful steak dinner with Doug & Rhonda Hess and saw the Football Hall of Fame.

God was very faithful to us. He granted us great weather, extreme graciousness from folks that we shared the Cadence vision with, blessed relaxation and He maintained our health. We will be back in Colorado until 9 November. We then head to the southeast: Albuquerque, San Antonio, Alabama, Florida, North Carolina and back home via Dallas. We are excited about this time in our lives and feel very honored to have this opportunity.

The Journey to Deep

2008-09-30T15:20:00.000-07:00

We are still on our road trip. We moved on from Kansas City to St. Louis to Louisville to Dayton and now we are in Canton, Ohio.

We enjoyed our trip to Louisville and truly had a ball getting reacquainted with our nephew and neice. Raymond Miller Palmer is 3 and Avery Michele Palmer is 16 months. We learned that pumpkins and apples are fun to pick, but more fun with kids.

On Sunday, we joined Lou's family at their church. We heard the first sermon in their I Corinthians series, entitled The Journey to Deep. We feel like that is what is happening with us during this time in our lives.

As we begin discussing the vision of Cadence and why we are excited to be a part of the team, it is a faith journey to ask people to consider joining our team. Whether it is supporting us by joining the prayer team or by supporting us through financial gifts, we are on a journey.

Pastor Kyle Idleman reminded us to (1) Focus on Jesus; (2) Stand on God's Wisdom and (3) Grow in a Spirit of Humility. This last point was the most challenging to us. As we have begun this journey, we have been humbled by God's provision and the surprise of how our friends and families are joining us on this next adventure. Pastor Idleman reminded us the opposite of humility is pride.

Over the years, God has continued to deal with this sin in our lives. Kyle explained that Pride makes us selfish, argumentative, opinionated, defensive and prejudiced. We both were shaken to realize that we still struggle mightily with Pride. Think about it, pray about it, learn to be a person of humility.

As a man thinketh....James ALlen

2008-09-26T16:51:00.000-07:00

"The soul attracts that which it secretly harbors; that which it loves, and also that which it fears; it reaches the height of its cherished aspirations; it falls to the level of its unchastened desires, and circumstances are the means by which the soul receives its own. Every thought-seed sown or allowed to fall into the mind, and to take root there, produces its own, blossoming sooner or later into act, and bearing its own fruitage of opportunity and circumstance. Good thoughts bear good fruit, bad thoughts bad fruit."

We are learning to guard not only our hearts but also our minds. We are thankful for the reminders of Godly men and women that go before us to challenge us to become more Christlike. Take the challenge! Be unique and different! Become people of character!

Nice Night in Nebraska

2008-09-23T06:53:00.000-07:00

We spent Monday - the first day of our road trip - in Omaha. We were visiting with Cathy's aunt and her family. We had a super time visiting, getting caught up on life and of course sharing about what's next in our lives as Cadence Missionaries.

We enjoyed a great steak dinner and learned that Taylor doesn't like steak. So, she had a hot dog -- hot dog vs. steak -- we're not sure about that. Greg continues to do well his new found passion of cross country running. Tori seems to be settling into her high school career.

We are off today to Kansas City. We are looking forward to seeing Mike & Terri Murphy and Brittany Moore. Pray for good weather, Omaha is suppose to get rain. Stay tuned for more adventures of Lou & Cathy Rozmiarek. :-)

Getting ready to hit the road

2008-09-18T08:53:00.000-07:00

We are looking forward to going and visiting friends and family in the mid-west. We are leaving on Monday and heading to Omaha first. We will spend about 3 weeks on the road, visiting folks in Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Kentucky, Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin and back to Colorado.

The easiest way to reach us during this time is on our cell or by email. We know that God will give us opportunities to chat with people about Cadence and our role in serving the military. 2008 has definitely been a year of change for us!

The Next Adventure

2008-09-17T11:38:00.000-07:00

We just took a position with Cadence where will begin serving as Hospitality House missionaries to the military community. Our first assignment will be at Ft. Bragg in the spring of 2009. Our permanent assignment will be in Germany in 2010.

Cathy finished her tenure (21-1/2 years) with Northrop Grumman earlier this month. We will begin to visit friends and family to share about our opportunity with Cadence International. We are excited about the chance we have to serve God in this way.

Please book mark this page — you can check in on us and see what is happening in our lives and ministry. If you would like to track us down, check out www.cadence.org