Aufwiedersehen - bis bald!

After handing over the house keys to the realtor

and moving our suitcases to church this afternoon,

we joined the others for a good-bye party,

Olga served desserts, fresh apple struddle and ice cream in the dining room.

We picked up our chairs and moved to the sanctuary...

for singing, special numbers and presentations;

many well wishes, prayers, hugs and tears.

We're going to miss our Berlin family - may God keep us all close to Himself!

Service in the new sanctuary today!

It was so good to enter the newly carpeted sanctuary this morning -

and be able to sense it had truly become a place to worship with God's people!

The lighting, the acoustics, the 'feel' or the room are great!

The group is looking forward this week's Christmas program in the room

and a Christmas Eve meal in the dining room.

Sanctuary focus this week!

(will post about Nov/Dec whirlwind of activity and changes when I get a moment,

for this morning - here's this week's highlights)

After weeks of endless hours of sanding, mudding, sanding and sanding some more...

many sore joints and muscles (ibuprofen) later...,

Gary and Kenton decided the walls were ready to be painted!

Juergen and Marcelo completed the electrical details for the lights...

What a change!!!

The many hands of 'team-work' got another job done yesterday!

They wasted no time, but began preparing the floor,

sanding, sweeping, vacuuming and painting 'Grundierung'.

Gary just called (8:10 am) that he and Kenton finished the last paint detail

(windows up top and last coat on the bottom 1/2 of the walls) and are ready for breakfast.

The aim is to get the rug laid before the end of the afternoon.

Asking God for physical energies, alert minds, good working spirits,

God's continued care and protection

for this last workday before Christmas 2009.

Brazil:on hold, - still processing decision;

Hard to believe it's already a month ago that we were at Recanto Barnabe,

the beautiful Adventure Camp setting

where Jim and Marilou Nightengale and their 2 boys live and work.

Blue skies, lush green, hot humid weather... and ... lots of rain as well...

Yes we had rice and beans, pastel and guarana at the feira, churrasco one night,

and thoroughly enjoyed the sights, sounds, smells of being back in Brazil.

Nature's tropical, coastal rainforest on the camp property is very, very beautiful!!!!

Jim took us down the paths to the water source and future recreation areas;

What an excellent setting, what incredible potential.

Amadeu and Yvonete came to spend two nights with us at the camp. What a rich blessing and encouragement to share how each has experienced God to be faithful, both in our families and the various ministries experiences since the Taguatinga chapter (Jan '81-June '84). Amadeu was the first to make a decision for Christ and be discipled. He brought his family members, many friends and acquaintances to Christ and to the church. He has trained leaders and is now retired from formal pastoral duties. They are active in the church, and Amadeu continues to serve on the national leadership directory of the AEM.

God bless our friends and colleagues in Brazil !

May HIS KINGDOM continue to grow among the people.

Pray with us that we hear clearly what God is asking of us

re: construction at the camp at some point 2010.

Sera Brasil ?

Wanted to let you know that MBMSI has invited Gary to consider helping with the building project of the Training Centre in Sao Paulo in 2010. We fly out for an initial visit on Wednesday evening, to visit Jim and Marilou Nightengale and get to know the work there and will return to Berlin in a week.

Once again our prayer is that we see things from God's perspective,

move at His pace

and function under His directives.

Our current Berlin chapter ends December 20th, and we look forward to spending Christmas in Abbotsford.

Please pray with us as we consider and discern what's next.

Thank you so much for your support.

http://www.mbmsi.org/projects/brazil/project-c0469-adventure-camps-brazil

Grateful for every task accomplished!

Working with the extra help from Lage (7) and Dresden (6)

was a huge blessing and encouragement this weekend.

The ventilation holes were secured with beams and 'finished off'...

(one in the kitchen, one in the nursery);

What a difficult, hard job - possible with extra help and personnel.

The drop-down ceiling is what Gary and the guys are working on tonight still.

The back entry, hallways and bathrooms were done this weekend.

What a change to hide all the wires and concrete behind clean white tiles!!!

AND

Did I say the hallway lights are on automatic sensors - that is really nice.

The door frames and doors are all in now;

and we're learning to work around them.

It's great to be able to close off sections

from the construction dust and dirt!

It's unfortunate the walls weren't already painted and electrical work done.

Vinyl tiles for the multi-purpose room and Sunday School rooms are done.

Some of the rooms were too cold, and needed to wait -

but Gary and Andre completed them last week.

The floors that still need to be done are:

- offices and boardroom which get rug

- the main sanctuary, after the walls are painted.

Ceramic tiles on floors and bathroom walls are now completed!

The 'base-tiles' (baseboard) now also have silicone sealant as well.

What a change to vacuum and mop level surfaces!

The basement hallway and bathroom are tiled...

offices and boardroom walls and floors need to be done there.

Plumbing and heating

(one step forward, two steps back)

BUT... we all love the functioning new bathrooms,

waiting for hot and cold water in all basins;

waiting for all toilets to be connected and functioning;

and YEAH for the three new showers stalls

waiting for water connection on two of them

So much work for only one employee.

Love the warmth we feel from the gurgling heaters (15 of the 52)

floor heat in the sanctuary and multi-purpose room is great!

A lot of work still left before all work as they should.

The 'conference room' was cleaned out on the weekend,

the heavy concrete slabs wheeled out

and 'garbage' removed;

Need to finish off the 'windows'

prepare the walls for wallpaper and paint,

complete electrical work,

install ceiling tiles

and level the floor, so the rug can be put in.

The 'Hausmeister' apartment now has a newly tiled bathroom,

it was cleaned on the weekend

and we can close the door!

Waiting for bathroom fixtures to be installed,

the new kitchen to arrive,

and the last part of the walls to be completed :)