And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28 NIV

Newsletter: July 2010 
 
Peace and Joy to All of You, Beloved Family in the Lord - and a Meaningful 4th of July!

May it be more than a day of camping, grilling food and serving punch and watching fireworks! The Fourth of July is also a day to remember the awesome sacrifices past generations made to give us a reason to celebrate!

Many of our next door neighbors and friends might not find much to celebrate about in this year, even here in Hawaii, the vacation paradise! So many homes are marked foreclosure or bank property and offered for sale, way below its value!

After returning home, I (Hansi) took a few extra moments to watch the news (whenever I was awake enough to understand what was said), and things have not improved!

Gratefully, I thank the Lord that the Iceland volcano had not stopped our flight home, but the present oil spill is more than one can comprehend!

I am praying for precious friends who live at those smelly beaches but I also asked the Lord to show me HIS purpose within these horrible happenings.

The Lord's answer surprised me! HE showed me that just a few years ago the prophecies in the Book of Revelation about the tribulation years sounded impossible
and irrelevant to our modern times. It's no longer so! Have you ever wondered how

the ocean could become like the blood of a dead man and every living soul died in the sea? (See Revelation 6.)

Folks, one little volcano stopped European air traffic completely; one broken oil well is bringing hardship and disaster to millions. And if the truth be told, mankind watches helplessly from day to day how the oil poisons more waters but also diminishes the already limited reserves of oil!

I am amazed that anyone will stand before a camera and promise to stop that thing and not rest until the Gulf is restored!

I could not help but think of the Bible verse from one of my favorite books in the New Testament, Philippians 2:3:

"Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory (ostentation) but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves!"

Folks, someone needs to have the humility and courage to call for a day of prayer and fasting, asking our Creator-God to either stop the spill or show people who humbly seek true solutions to come forward and be listened to!

Neither 20 nor 200 billion dollars will erase this disaster. The money will only open the poisonous wells of greed to new levels and most of the money will not be given to the "small people" who suffer!

But what is God's message to HIS children within the latest disasters?

It is time that we face a sobering fact: we do live in the end times and God is revealing HIS might by showing mankind how arrogant and boastful money-power is totally helpless in the face of even one tragic disaster! There is no guarantee that we see such things no more -- ! Yes, we will see more and more of our God's awesome power in every aspect of human life! And we as God's children are going to be part of all the problems that develop every day -- or we become channels to God's awesome solutions.

Sure, we can bring changes about at the voting booth and it is happening all over Europe. Suddenly, conservatives are trying to stop the crazy money waste which put several European nations into bankruptcy and economic collapse. It could be either too late or not enough to switch to leaders who put on the brakes. That is true for our own country also. Neither Democrats nor Republicans or even a third party can stop America from splintering into a divided nation where former neighbors suddenly smash each other's cars and windows and become political radicals and enemies.

Our land needs a leadership who declares humbly God's sovereignty and power and calls for a return to HIS moral rules and laws of life and liberty. We also need a government that will stand with Israel and not betray the Jewish nation! Israel will play a dominant role in these last days and the future conflicts, prophesied in God's Word.

Will God's children suffer as disasters increase and money loses its power? Yes, they do and I have observed in the U.S.A. and overseas how riches dwindle and fancy homes stand empty. On the other hand, I am also seeing a new Pentecostal power of the Holy spirit bring new revival and awakening amongst people who have lived in darkness for the last few generations.

I told you in my last newsletter that I would report to you what will happen as we traveled to the Czech Republic. To be honest, I didn't anticipate too much! I was sure that nothing could top what Jesus did for the meetings on the U.S. mainland and as I served the U.S. military in Germany. I looked for a bit of vacation and rest as I would serve a handful of believers I had corresponded with, after my Hansi book was translated into the Czech language last year.

Physically, it was a harsh time because we saw the sun two or three times in a whole month. It was cold, wet, muddy and so gray and depressing! The weather-people blamed the Iceland volcano for the unseasonably freezing and windy springtime!

Spiritually, the Lord overwhelmed us. Judee and I were guests of a small group of believers who did not belong to any church. They started during the Communist time and Russian occupation. A handful of young musicians had formed a rock and roll band to express their rebellion against the Russians who did not approve of Western music. One member of the group found Jesus and he witnessed to the others until the bandleader gave in and all seven of them had been converted!

There was no church to join under the Communist regime so they just would meet together and read the Bible and share what they believed the Holy Spirit was showing them. They patterned themselves after the first New Testament church and had their living as a common community which shared what they had. It was needed because they lost their jobs in the Communist educational system where they taught. The economic survival was hard but the greatest opposition came from their own families who had come of age under Communist training and were convinced atheists!

When the Russians left and the Czech Republic became a "free" nation (in 1989) it went to the other extreme and became so "free" of morals and restraints it prided itself to have a sex shop in every town and village and nightclubs galore. This is even true today!

The young musicians got re-hired and today they all work and teach in an art and music school which has 26 teachers. Twenty of them have become Christians by now and the small cell group has grown into a fellowship of more than a hundred believers.

One of them inherited a broken-down factory building which the Russians had claimed as a government possession. When the Communists lost power the Christians rolled up their sleeves, pooled their money and restored it into a "God-house" where they can fellowship and eat and sleep in their sleeping bags, if they can't return the same night to their own home. We stayed there!

I expected to speak to a handful of believers and found a packed hall of Czechs, a few Germans and Ukrainians, all united by the Love of Christ and totally focused on spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ to their families, neighbors and friends. They have no pastors, but deacons who look after the needs of each other. They come together to pray, share and sing -- and can they ever sing! I spoke in meeting after meeting, other groups are forming around that nation. They did a first when I was there: they rented the largest hall available in their town and invited the public, foremost their families and neighbors to come and hear me speak. The use my Hansi book in Czech as an evangelical introduction and to my amazement, their atheistic families read and identify with my story! To the amazement of all of us the hall was packed and the response was overwhelming!

God gave me a special message for the people I once lived with: The key to healing is forgiveness! You see, Germans and Czechs hate each other, especially the Sudeten Germans, Like I am, who had to leave everything after WWII while Czechs walked in and possessed everything that past German generations had labored and worked for. Nothing can heal such scars but the Love of God. I gave them the three steps needed:

First, I go to the Lord and ask Him to forgive me, since we all have failed HIM and sinned!

Next, I must believe and accept HIS forgiveness and accept God's remedy through Christ.

Third, I now turn around and forgive others who have harmed me! -- The healing begins!

I was totally overwhelmed by the eagerness the people longed for to hear my message of forgiveness. What I did not foresee was the presence of a Czech National TV crew, who not only filmed and recorded my message, but also filmed the cottage I grew up in, the rail station I left for Prague from -- and when I returned to Prague to speak to another Christian group they interviewed me for another five hours to put together a documentary for the nation.

If you get my SAIL letter, I gave you more details! Let me just say that I believe with all my heart that I see signs of a quiet but powerful revival in many nations! How I pray that our beloved U.S.A. will be not only part of it -- but may we be used to fan the fires of a new Pentecost not only here at home but abroad, where many people sit and wait in darkness.

Thank you, my Lord and Savior, that I am allowed to be part of it! Thank you, beloved partners, that your faithful giving makes it possible for me to do so -- and to go back! I promised them I'll return and help to spread the Good News that Jesus is coming soon for all of us! Maranatha!

Joyfully

Grandma Hansi

This newsletter can be found on our website: www.hansiministries.org and on the Hansi-SAIL website: www.hansisail.com. Please help us spread the Good News!

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