Dear ChristChurch,
We’re writing to you from a rather grey, cold, snowy Herrnhut!
It’s hard to believe it’s been almost five months since we left, and in that time, we’ve successfully moved our family to East Germany and begun the long, sometimes challenging process of integrating into the German culture and doing our best to learn the language.
The children are all doing well. Anna is set to start a new school this month, where she’ll receive daily German lessons. Arthur is enjoying his school, and Elsie, of course, is happily attending kindergarten. She already seems to understand basic German and chats away to her friends in a mix of both languages!
When we arrived, we had a lot of work to do on the house before it was livable, which absorbed our summer. In October, Sara began working at the Jesus Haus, the large church building in the town center with 25 guest rooms, seminar rooms, and meeting spaces. She’s busy cleaning and making beds every morning, Monday through Thursday. Last week, I started volunteering as well—helping with building work, not cleaning!
The church here is vibrant, with a true heart for the nations and a strong emphasis on prayer. They run a prayer-house ministry, so we often meet guests from all over the world who come to visit either for the church or for the town. I forget people’s names almost instantly, but it seems I get away with it because I’m English! The church community is full of dedicated people who love prayer, and there’s an amazing culture of fellowship and family. Responsibilities, from cleaning to other work, are willingly shared, with everyone giving their time regularly.
Moving countries and cultures has come with its own pressures. After four months, we’re certainly feeling the effects of withdrawal and culture shock, though we’re very well supported here. It has been a humbling and thrilling experience to depend on God so fully for every need. When our visa situation became complicated, I was talking with my dad, and he said, “Well, you just need to stand back and watch God do a miracle.” During a worship service last week, the church gathered around us and prayed for breakthrough. At that exact moment (18:09), the visa office finally got in touch with us about an appointment! So while we face daily challenges with language, culture, and life, we see God providing in remarkable ways and know He cares for us. This verse has been our anchor:
“So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” (1 Peter 5:6-7)
Coming here has created many needs along the way—everything from furniture (we had to leave most of it in England) and a kitchen (German landlords don’t typically provide them!) to winter tires and school arrangements. Since we aren’t permitted to earn an income here, we rely on our savings to cover these needs. Yet, we’ve been blessed to see God meet our needs through the generosity of others, both from home and here in Herrnhut. It’s been nerve-racking but also incredibly rewarding.
It’s an exciting time for the church as well. The old eldership team recently handed over leadership to a new team—three couples, one of which is David and Marie Haupt. We are currently in 40 days of prayer and worship, reading through the Gospels every morning as a church, with two evenings of worship each week. On Fridays, everyone brings a dish, and we celebrate the end of the week with a Shabbat meal, breaking bread and sharing wine together. It’s my favourite time of the week, as communion is shared over a meal with great fellowship. Roast potatoes seem to be a huge hit—I can’t cook enough of them!
Although Sara and I volunteer at the church every morning from Monday to Friday, we both have more time at home, which is novel for me after leaving senior management. My phone doesn’t ring, and my inbox doesn’t pile up! But with family and marriage requiring more time, I still find each day filled with things to do.
Even though we’ve been here for almost four months, we’re in no rush to “start” or “do” anything. We had a wonderful evening with the elders a few weeks ago, and they reassured us that there’s no expectation for us to jump into anything. We’re encouraged to take time to adjust as a family. I regularly pray that God will show us where He wants us to direct our energy when the time is right.
We miss you all dearly. Please, someone eat Marmite for me—and have a Full English Breakfast in my honour! I’ve seen photos and heard about the building work, and trust you are all now safe and warm with the work completed! Si’s told me about your 40 days of prayer over the summer and the new sanctuary meetings, which all sounds amazing. I pray God continues to meet with you powerfully! Be careful though, sometimes he makes you do crazy things!
If you’d like to reach out, it would be wonderful to hear from you. Every month, I email a list of prayer points to several people. If you’d like to be included, please email me at tbmsimmons[at]gmail[dot]com. Or, you can read more about our journey here: https://herrnhutdiaries.wordpress.com/.
With love,
The Simmons Family
