What if you kept a record?

Hi praying friends,

Thanks for praying for us last week! Our Art O'Clock event went great. Art O'Clock is our once-a-month event, where we offer 5 artists the opportunity to share their works! They are "on the clock" - they have 5 minutes to share, and then the audience has 5 minutes to ask them questions, and then comes the next artist.

It's such a great event for us, and for our artist community! People have the chance to talk about their works, to learn how to present what they do - and it is interdisciplinary! We have had people sing, read poems, read stories, show films, play music they have written, shown videos, show their latest textile work, show their sketches, bring pictures of murals, show their origami art, show paintings. It's amazing! We get the opportunity to let people show off their creativity - and the artists discover a supportive community. Last Wednesday the event lasted just under an hour, and people stayed and talked for another 90 minutes. It's such a wonderful way for us to build our community!

On Friday we open our next exhibit. - a fantastic burst of color from a local artist who goes by Co.Co. Segeltuch. I love his work!

One of the things he does is that he keeps a chornological painted record of every color he uses. He covers canvas after canvas with consistently shaped circles - for him, leaving a visual record of his artistic existence, development, choices. Instead of a written journal, there is a color journal of his work over time.

I think once in awhile about the record I am leaving behind. What will remain of my work 50 years after I am gone? Will there be a lasting spiritual impact in this part of thie city? That is starting to happen, but it is slower than I wish it were. There are certainly times I wish I had a painted record of things tried and progress made!

Friends - here are some more prayer requests:

1. Pray for our new residents! They are here and we are so excited to have them! Our next big step is to find more permanent housing for them.

2. Pray for our upcoming vacation. We leave in 10 days!

3. I think both of our boys have found apartments! Caleb will be moving to Leipzig after we return from vacation, but can start moving in after the 15th. Joshua has submitted an application for an apartment. Our lives are about to change again!

4. We have interns we are hoping to have arrive early October who are coming with a very different internship model. They are coming because they want to come for 11 months, but cannot until they have an A2 German certificate. They are coming to Berlin for 10 weeks to attend language school and try to get their German up to the level they need. It's am ambitious plan, which will require a lot of work on their part! Please pray for them!

5. Pray for the new exhibit opening on Friday! Pray for great conversations with the artist and visitors to the gallery.

6. One of our Berlin ministry colleagues was in a bad bike accident yesterday. Please pray for rapid healing (she broke an arm and needed surgery last night.)

Thanks for your prayers!

mike