Dear Friends and Family,
When you think of Germany, the first thing that might come to your mind and probably the most popular would be; Hitler, Nazi Germany, The Holocaust, World War II, and the Berlin Wall. These are dark images in the history of Germany and part of their history that they want to both forget and remember; remember so that they never repeat those tragic times. However; from looking at the pages of history, there are wonderful things to come out of Germany such as; Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Martin Luther and The Protestant Reformation. One would think, with the latter two, Germany would be filled with religious ideology and devoted followers. Sadly, this is not the case. JoshuaProject.net notes that there are still over 4 million unreached in Germany and only 2.07% of an estimated population of 84.4 million are Evangelical.
This is not just a common trend among Germany, but it is spreading throughout the European community. God is seen as irrelevant or for the weak. Church is boring and only for the old people. My grandfather, Wayne Cline, who is a missionary based in Nice, France has made the statement that the majority of people in Europe enter a church building to be baptized and the next time they enter they come out in a wooden box. Even though Germany is considered to be a reached country, there are still unreached people groups (Turks, Kurds, Burmese, and Arabs just to name a few) living within its border that cannot be forgotten. The German people themselves must not be forgotten, lest we allow the reached to become the unreached.
My next step in this process with Pioneers is to become part of a team. On July 3rd I will depart for Stuttgart, Germany. There I will spend time visiting with friends and churches that I have partnered with in the past. From there, I will travel to Heidelberg, about 2 hours north of Stuttgart. While in Heidelberg, I will meet and introduce myself to Alan and Mary, who are Pioneer missionaries working there. I will be introduced to the work that they have been doing. Their work involves working with SAM International who works with refugees seeking to live in Germany. During this time, I will also be engaged in the college outreach that they do. Another aspect of their ministry is working with the YMCA in Heidelberg.
As I prepare for this trip, I ask for your help. Please join me in praying for the Lord’s will. The one thing that I hope this trip will allow, is for me to get an invitation to join this team to make my time with Pioneers official. Pray for travel protection and financial provision. As with any mission trip, they come with a cost. The total cost for this trip will be around $2,500. This includes airfare, train fare, and bus fare to get around during my stay. Over the past few years, the Lord has allowed me save on room and board as I have stayed with a wonderful Germany family.
I ask that you please pray and consider how much the Lord would allow you to give toward this trip. You may give online at www.pioneers.org. My Pioneers account number is 112086.
To learn more about Pioneers and their ministry around the world, go to www.pioneers.org.
It would be my privilege to speak to your church, small group, or youth group about the ministry that I will be doing in Germany. You may contact me at: Tylerabowman@gmail.com. Thank you for your continued prayer and support throughout the years.
In Christ,
Tyler A. Bowman