Meet Baby Artur!

Welcome to the World Baby Artur!

You would think Kathy, Oasis David, and Jeni gave birth to this bouncing little baby boy as much as they are gushing over him!

Please pray for him and his mom Tamara.

What a blessing the Oasis was to this young woman - she received a baby bag and clothes for her son thanks to their baby bag program and their clothing room. Though Kathy and Jeni were the blessed ones who got to deliver the gifts to Tamara, I know she is very thankful to the Oasis! May the gifts given to her plant a seed of Gods love in her heart everytime she sees her baby boy!

Final thoughts of Austria from Jeni

Make God Famous today... words I heard several time from our team leader throughout the two weeks. He used them in different ways, but in general the words meant the same. When we left for Austria this time I wasn't sure what God had planned for us. I knew personally in my life things were flipped upside down and the only thing that made sense to me was to go to Austria. My role in Austria was to simply serve God in what ever He had planned for me... No More, No Less and Nothing Else but what He had planned. I know people laugh at me and say that is a Tall Order to keep, but after what had happened to my family in the last few months I knew that those words were my simple but clear directions from God.

So as I headed on the plan, off to Austria and not really knowing what God had planned for me I could feel instantly that I was on the path He had set for me... which was an awesome feeling of peace to have. Along with peace, I also felt him preparing my heart for something bigger than what I experienced on last year's Austria trip. Last year I learned how to be a listener, and not always a teacher... I was molded and shaped by my experiences that I had with the Oasis team and not so much with the refugees I met.

This year the trip for me was all about relationships... new relationships with our team, deeper relationships with the Oasis team that taught me so much last year, sharing and caring relationships with the refugees and most of all a closer relationship with God. Today I was asked by David (an Oasis missionary) what was different for me... I told him that expressing what I felt was so much harder for me. Last year I was able to share experiences I had and I was able to talk about how much I learned from the Oasis team. This year I should be sharing about the amazing refugees I met and how they spoiled me with special meals, how we had long talks about their families and their futures, but all I can think of is how much they need us to pray for them. The most important thing we can do for them is to pray, and never stop praying for them.

This year I was blessed with the opportunity to meet several refugees and spend time talking with them and what I saw was... I saw hope, I saw sadness, I saw fear, I saw their futures, I saw faith, I saw love, I saw anger, I saw prayers being answered, and I saw God working in each of their lives even if they didn't see Him themselves. I saw God! I saw God being made Famous in every word that was spoken, every action that was taken, in every story that was shared.

So my final thoughts of Austria comes in a prayer request... please continue to pray for the Oasis team - for they have the blessing and the burden of every day lifting up the refugees spirits, and sharing God's love with them even when they don't want to hear it. Please pray daily for all the refugees that have been at the camp, are at the camp and will be at the camp in the future. Pray for their hearts to be softened so they can see God in their lives. Please pray for our team as we continue to take the new gifts and skills God has blessed us with and learn how to use them back here in the United States.

Thank you to each one of you that have supported us in prayer and financially... each of you were an intricate part of this trip. Plus Each One of you literally played a part in helping us Make God Famous!

Serving Him Faithfully,
Jeni

Final Reflections of Austria from Sue

Rose and I met a young refugee woman from Armenia who was just placed in the village of Altenmarkdt. She looked weak and sick. She told us she's on dialysis. An ambulance has to come 3 times a week, take her to dialysis in Baden (the biggest town), and return her late at night. There is no train and only limited bus service to that town. I asked why did they put her in a place so far away from the hospital? She is hoping for--and they have talked about--relocating her in Baden. We were eager to listen to her story, but she did not want to talk of her experience in Armenia. Her eyes showed a hopelessness I had never before seen. What could I say?

I found out later that she probably had one or both kidneys removed--not from disease or illness, but to raise money to help pay for her journey out of Armenia. It's quite common to sell a body part for this purpose. I was shocked. How desperate they must be! I say now that I would never do that, but under her circumstances, would I be tempted? Could I be tempted? Or is it not even a matter of choice but of necessity?What necessity will drive people from their homes, homeland, family? What would drive me? How desperate would I have to be to leave all I know? May we never have to face this decision, but what would God have us do for such as these?

Final thoughts of Austria from Kathy

A SWEET BABY BOY

Here it is, day 5 of being home, and I am waking up every morning 2:30 or so, to start my day. My heart and spirit are still at The Oasis. And I am so thankful for it. God has lead a beautiful team of missionaries there, that he continues to Bless in His Magnificent ways, as they pour out their hearts to those they were called to serve. I have been Blessed by God to have had this opportunity to be in their presence.

My preparation for the trip started here at home along with a great team from FBCG. For months, we lifted our hearts and souls up to God as he paved the wayfor our 2 weeks there. I was amazed, and still am in awe and will continue to be, of our Lord and how he works His Ways in us, through us and all around us.

As I look back now, I see that God also prepared me on my job, as a nurse, before I was to head off on my trip. I work as a nurse in one of the poorest communities in suburban Chicago, in the Pediatric area. There was this 2 month old little boy in for his Dr's visit and to receive his first roundof immunizations. When the Dr. was finished, and I was called in to get the baby's chart, I saw a mother with her teenage daughter standing quietly at the littleboy's side. I caught a glimpse of the baby and noticed he had a cleft lip. As I headed out of the room, I felt Mom and Sister looking at me, waiting to see my reaction to the baby's face. My heart ached for the baby and family.

One of my first days at the Oasis, I saw a mother with her baby heading around the corner toward our open doors, with her husband walking close behind. As she entered, I noticed a beautiful little boy, who had a cleft lip and palate. I held him and hugged him and thought of the little boy back home. How these parents must hurt for their little ones, who expect to bring a perfect baby into the world, and God has another plan. And how Perfect His plan is.

You see, I poured out my heart as God led me to tell these families, of our own family story of a little boy being born with cleft lip and palate, my nephew,who is now 26 years old. I explained how today, you would never know he was born with such a defect. With the help of translation, I spoke with the Mother from Georgia. I went away that day and prayed for her and her husband and their precious little boy.

The next time I saw her, I grabbed my cell phone and pulled up a recent picture of my nephew and showed her. Her face lit up, and she took the phone to her husband for him to see. She brought the phone back to me and said "thank you", and I choked back tears. I held my arms out for the baby and Mom handed him tome. I didn't want to let go.

God orchestrated my meetings with these families, should there be any doubt. No, there is only hope; hope that can only be found in Jesus. God works in amazingways...sometimes they are grand, often times they are small and might go unnoticed. They are small steps that are taken towards God's grander plan for each of us,who choose to call Him, Lord and Saviour.

The Oasis is a beautiful and perfect place where those that have hit rock bottom, are hurting, and searching, can come to open arms ready to take them in, lovingly,as God has planned. How perfect God's plan is.

May God continue to Bless the Missionaries at the Oasis and the Ministry; May God Bless their families, and, their extended families who no doubt, miss them dearly; and last but not least, May God Bless those they serve.

Kathy Geiger

First it was puppets and now dancing?!?

Not a Turkish Coffee, but still yummy!

We found Waldo!

Yes that is Alex... he found a scooter in the garbage early on in the trip and he has been using it to scoot his way to the train station!

They are just like us!

Some of the team stated today the biggest surprise to them over the last 2 weeks was that they realized the refugees are just people like us. Men and women with dreams, and hope... not men and women wanting to bomb us, kill us, threaten our lives.

How did we get that way? How did we to this point in the world that we fear another person before we even meet them? Why have we stopped looking at people for who they are and not what we assume they are. Why have we stopped looking at people like Jesus looked at people... with mercy and love, with patience and caring... why is that not our first instinct to be the same way?

Why do we fear people before we meet them just because we know they came from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Somalia, Kosovo, Chechyna, Ghana, Kurdistan, Nigeria, Syria.... is it possible for us to not judge each other by the country we live in? As for this team - these 2 weeks have forever changed how we will see people. We pray that for each of you too!

God Bless,
Jeni, Tom and Sue, Alex, Dave, Kathy and Rose

Being in the Moment

To be in the moment...Their Moment, means you are a listener and not a teacher for that moment. That you don't assume you know what that person is going to say, you don't presume to know how that person feels, and that you are Still enough to not just hear that person's words, but you are also Still enough to hear God guiding you on how to respond back.

See... what we quickly forget is That Moment was not created by us, but it was created by God and He has plans for That Moment to make an impact on that person and/or on you! So being in the moment means you won't miss God working in That Moment.

Some of our team and individual Moments over the two weeks:

*Julie's story about her grandchildren led Jeni to realized God was telling her to have peace about her family back at home.

*Young refugee man stopped on the side walk to say hi to a couple members of the team, but we forgot his name and he asked us "How can you forget me? I remember your name?"

*During women's clothing day a 19 year old Afghan girl was managing to keep four children in order and entertained... at that moment team members realized that this refugee is just like us.

* Rose and Sue met a young woman who was on kidney dialysis because she sold her kidney!

*The team has met a family of 3 who have until Monday to find a new home because Austria has allowed them temporary time to stay in Austria. The young women also sold her kidney too for money for the family! But the several moments in time we have had with this family has always been of them praising God! They know their path is hard, they don't wonder why God has them on this path, but ultimately they know and pray daily that God will continue to guide them

*Two weeks in a row, Rose and Jeni have been blessed to have two young men help us in washing cups, and during those moments the boys were able to share how much they missed their family, their mom and their sister!

*When Dave, Kathy and Jeni met the young couple in Graz they realized in that moment that getting asylum in Austria doesn't mean you have the freedom to live your dreams as you thought you would.

There are several more moments that have occured, but we think you get the point. Be it big, or little, every moment in ourlives is created by God, and it is our duty to Make Him Famous in those Moments and we can only do that if we are physically, emotionally and spiritually in the Moment Everytime!

Serving Him Faithfully,
Tom and Sue, Rose, Dave, Kathy, Alex and Jeni

The Refugee Highway didn't end in Austria

Here are two stories of two women that Rose and Sue met on their trip to Altenmarkt and at the Oasis:



There was a young refugee woman from Armenia in the village of Altenmarkt. She looked weak and sick, and she is on dialysis. Sue asked her why did they put her in a place so far away from the hospital? The young lady said an ambulance has to come 3 times a week to take her to dialysis in Baden, and then she returns very late at night. She is hoping they will relocate her to Baden. She wouldn't even talk of her experience in Armenia, and her eyes gazed out in hopeless.

Sue and Rose also met a young Kosovar family last week that is in the camp; the mom had just had some surgery. Sue said she just found out today that both women (the woman at Altenmarkt and the one at the Oasis) had a kidney removed!!--not from disease or illness, but to raise money to help pay for their journey from their own country to Austria. It's quite common to sell a body part for this purpose. Sue said, "I was shocked. How desperate they must be! I say now I'd never do that, but under their circumstances, would I be tempted, or is it not even a matter of choice but of necessity."



Prayer request: Please pray for the families that are currently on the refugee highway and those that are here in Austria, that feel they have to sell their body parts, and sometimes their body, just to survive.



God Bless,
The Austria Team

We're walking, we're walking!

So the title of this post is an inside joke for the 2009 Austria team - so I apologize, but I just couldn't resist. Actually today we were blessed with the awesome opportunity to do a prayer walk around the camp. Julie asked us to split up in to 3 groups and go different directions, but we all had the same mission - to pray, praise and give thanks to God as we walked.

Our prayers were for the refugees... the men, women and kids, for the police and the goverment who oversee the camp, for the Oasis team (their individual needs), for the ministries they run, for our team and for our families, for those people in the world who look down or are fearful of refugees, and for the future of those that come after us.

We sang, we praised, we prayed, we had tears... and we ask now that each of you join us in continuing to pray for all the refugees in the world! Please pray for those that have given their life to boldly proclaim the truth! Please pray for those who know the truth, but are fearful of being persecuted if they share the truth.

God Bless,
The Austria Team

An amazing sight to see!

As a team we have all been bleesed to travel from Graz, to Baden, to Vienna and to other little towns that house the refugees... we have seen amazing, an awesome buildings, statues, and structures... we have gone on hikes through the woods, walked up MANY steps and we've see ancient ruins. We have seen the mountains in the beautiful blue sky, we've seen the mountains in the rolling clouds, we have even see the beautiful rolling hills... but nothing could compare to what we saw at the Oasis! The pictures attached to this post are pictures of all tracks written in all the different languages and all the bibles in different languages too. It is hard not to be in awe when you see how many ways the truth is being written... these pictures shows that Gods word cannot be stopped and no language will stop it from being spoken.

Prayer request: Please pray for the refugees who receive a bible and pray for every refugee that enters the Oasis and hears the truth in one of the ministries that are run.

Puppets found there way to the clothing room!

Monday was clothing room for women and children... though not many woman and kids are currently at the camp, we did have a steady trickle of women and kids flow through the Oasis door. Too the kids surprise (and much delight!) there was a puppet show today! Tom, Dave and Alex spent the morning diligently preparing the puppet stage, making sure it was just right and bright! The children were so excited to see the show, but also be a part of the show too. We had cloth puppets that they could decorate themselves and each kid got behind the screen and did their own puppet show to the music too! It was not only fun for the kids but also a lot of fun for all the adults!!

Prayer request: Please pray for the children that are currently in the camp, that were in the camp and will be in the camp in the future. We have heard many stories of how scary it is in the camp, when being deported and at the other camp housing. Please pray not only for physical protection for these children, but also emotional and spiritual protection too.

Serving Him Joyfully!
The Austria Team

In the midst of work projects at the Oasis

Jause and a little hike to Burgruine Rauhenstein

Sunday equals a day of rest, maybe a day for a nice walk or maybe a little hike... how about a Jause? Translation: snack time.

For part of the team (Alex, Tom and Sue) there was a nice 3 hour Jause at a little, quiet cafe. They spent the time drinking coffee, reading books and just enjoying nice converstation with each other. As for Dave, Kathy and Jeni... well their 3 hour rest wasn't a Jause - instead it was what first called a "leasurely walk" through the woods, but in truth is was a total of 3 hour hike up the mountain! We were off to see Burgruine Rauhenstein, which is a Roman Ruin. Once we reached the top... we knew that the hike (climb) was totally worth it!

Vienna anyone

Well since the team really got a great jump on the kitchen on Thursday and Friday, they men decided to give up their free Saturday in Vienna to stay and work at the Oasis. So Kathy, Jeni and Rose headed to Vienna for a bit of sight seeing and shopping. We hope you enjoy the photos!

God Bless

Rose, Kathy and Jeni

Coffee or Chai?

Thursday night consisted of the Coffee Bar Ministry... a night were people (men, women and kids) come to hang out, have some coffee or chai (tea) and play games, share stories, do puzzels...
We were blessed to meet all the young men that we met at the Men's clothing room and at the Wednesday night ministry. By now the refugees have seen us several times at the Oasis and on the streets so they are getting more comfortable with us and sharing more of their stories.

We met one man that came that day for his interview for potential asylum. He said his meeting went well, but he won't know anything for a while. He wanted to know who was in charge of the Oasis, was it run by the government or by a church. He first was skeptical about the place, but he showed me his cross necklace and said he wanted to know of more places like the Oasis. He said his muslim friend brought him that night! So I asked Thomas, one of the Oasis missionaries to speak with him and help him becasue the young man was heading back the next morning and would not be able to come back to the Oasis again.

Please pray for the young man, and for all the young men that we met tonight. Each one of them has their own story, but they are all looking for the same thing - a new life. May they find their new life not in a new town, but in God!

God Bless
Austria Team

Oh what did we start here?

Dear FBCG team, would you mind doing a couple of work projects while you are here for 2 weeks? Well that is what the email said originally, but i don't think the Oasis team thought we would go this far with work projects!

3 rooms have been painted
downstairs kitchen cabinets scrubbed

the trim around the cabinets taken off

orange stripe painted out side

oh! and yes, we ripped their kitchen a part too! Yes, you read that right.

The Oasis was blessed with a donated kitchen so they asked us if we could help them to get the kitchen, but I don't think they imagined us putting in the kitchen?!? or maybe they did :-)

At least we know God had it planned, because after two days of working on the kitchen it has been AWESOME to see the skills that God gave Alex and Tom in full action.

Prayer request... it is important that we get the kitchen completed before we leave, so please pray that everything goes smoothly and that all the items we need to purchase are in stock. Time is not on our side, so everything needs to run smoothly.

God Bless
Austria Team

What were you doing at 16 years of age?

On Wednesday the ministry activities included an open house where "teenagers" could come and play games, do puzzels, play ping pong... The last few weeks not many people have attended this ministry, but yesterday the room was packed with excitement. Everyone of us were in full interaction with 2 or 3 refugees at a time. I wish we could post the great ping pong game that Sue and Dave played with the refugees!! Lots of laughs were heard and great stories were shared.

In the evening there was the "Wednesday Night Program (also could be called Bible Study night). Once again the room was filled with men willing to hear more about the truth. Luke 5:27 was being taught... so you might ask how do you teach a bible lesson in so many languages? Well for this bible study it takes bibles of every language to be first passed out. It was awesome to see God's truth in so many different languages!

Once again as a team we were going to be able to show these men God's love through our actions by singing, by serving coffee/chai, by serving cake, and by helping each other out. Once the evening was coming to a close a few of us started to work in the kitchen cleaning up, washing dishes... to our surprise a few of the refugee men joined us too. One young man started to help dry dishes, and the other men teased him a bit for being in the kitchen but then they realized that was the best place to be becasue we were all having fun sharing stories.

The young man drying dishes said he was 16 years old and that he had traveled with out his family to Austria because he needed to start a new life here... the young men had the same story, one after another. See they are sent her to start a new life, to hopefully get asylum, get a job and then bring their family here. For such young men, these are big burdens on their shoulders. To hear their stories of how they struggled to just get to Austria, the danger they encountered... then to arrive to Austria and still struggle daily. There is no wonder that faith, patience and hope is low on their list. What is strong is their perserverance... so we ask that you pray for them, pray that they stay strong, but that God can use the Oasis to plant the seeds of faith, patience and hope in their young hearts.

God Bless
The Austria Team

We're having a baby this week!

Tuesday night we met a Chechen woman who is having a baby in the next couple of days! She is also living at the pension by herself... the family that had us over for dinner introduced us to her because she knew the new mom was in need of baby items. The mom told the young mom-to-be all about the Oasis and how they will help her get a few items for the baby. The cool thing is just that morning Kathy, Rose and I spent the day making baby bags for new moms!! So Wednesday night Kathy and I was blessed to return back to the pension so we could give this mom a special gift... We were able to bring her a baby bag, filled with items she will need for a newborn. Plus we were able to bring the mom some warm baby clothes and a winter jacket for her. I can't even imagine being just a couple days away from giving birth to my first child, having no family and no support, no supplies and no clothes ready. Thanks to the Oasis, this mom will know have what she needs for her brand new baby boy!!

Please keep Tamara in your prayers, and her baby boy too. Please also pray for all the single mom and new mom's that are here in Austria - especially the ones away from their families, trying to raise their kids on their own.

God Bless,
The Austria Team

Dinner at the pension

Tuesday at the Oasis is a day set a side every week for the team to worship in the morning... this Tuesday morning we were blessed to join the Oasis team in their time of worship. We spent a great portion of the time sharing stories of "God Sightings". There were stories shared of how God impacted lives in small ways and in big ways too. It was so impactful for both teams to hear each others stories... and it was also a way God was using us to help each other. I love how God uses each of us to make an impact in others lives, sometimes with out us even knowing that we are do it.

The one comment that has stood out in my mind this week was that we were told the biggest impact our team could make on the refugees will be made by how we treat the refugees and how we treat each other. The missionaries said they hear story after story from refugees that what impacted the refugee the most at the Oasis was the merciful, loving and patient actions of the missionaries more then their words.

During our Tuesday morning worship I personally was blessed to see that in action... as we shared stories, one of the missionaries spoke about having comfort in her peace - as she said those words I felt God tugging on my heart to reach out to the team. See the night before I received word from home that my daughter was ill, and with her medical disorder any time she is ill it is a scary thing for us. Though I can admit openly now when I was notified about my daughter I was at peace with not being at home with her, but then guilt started to set in... how could I be ok being all the way in Austria when she was back in Amercia and possibly going to the hospital. I also felt guilt because several people have questioned my committment to by kids because I go on mission trips... Plus I felt guilt because I thought that is what I was suppose to feel.

After hearing this missionaries story I knew God was telling me the night before I should have comfort in my peace. I had know doubt God was completely in control of my daughters health, but it was all the other things that made be doubt the powerful peace I had in me. Once I shared the story with the team they stopped and took time to pray for my family - every prayer said by every person in the room made the peace in my heart grow stronger... When I talked to my daughter that night I told her many people were praying for her, she said that was great and she was already feeling better too. So thanks to God for surronding me by such merciful, loving and kind people... I know I have been changed by their actions.

So that was just Tuesday morning!!! Tuesday night God continued to work in our hearts by providing us the opportunity to meet a Chechen family. The photos above are of the family we spent the evening with. The family consists of a single mom and her 6 year old daughter, the mom's 2 brothers and her mom. The five of them share a one room apartment... not a one bedroom apartment, I mean a one room that consists of the kitchen in one corner, beds in another, one wall for cabinets to hold clothing, food and everyting else they own.

That night the mom provided a special Chechen dinner, but not just a simple dinner - but one that was made special becasue I have a food allergy. See weeks ago when David talked to this mom, she invited us for dinner but he told her I couldn't eat gluten... so what does she do - she went through her recipes to find something I could eat. Between her and David they found a meal that I could eat! How amazing was that... I am so thankful too. Once again it was the actions that spoke louder then any word could be said.

Prayer request: For the Chechen family, please keep them in your prayers because they mom has spent time being in a Catholic church so she has heard the truth about God, but the rest of the family are muslim and they challenge "this truth" she knows. We also ask that you please continue to pray for the Oasis team... that they continue to stay strong in their committment to be merciful to everyone that crosses their path.

Serving Him with Confidence!

Jeni

Where's Waldo?

With great love and respect for Alex - we have given him the nickname of Waldo because we keep losing him... from the first flight leaving America to everyday since.

Alex had the blessing of going to one of the refugees home yesterday for a bible study. David and Alex headed out to the young man's place for a bible study, but what they ran in to was a man who was very much depressed and needing a friend to talk too. This young man is fearful of being deported and emotionally tired of not having any thing to do. Each day his fears grow strong and each day he loses a little more hope... what a blessing the Oasis is to send one of their missionaries on a regular basis to check in with this young man to remind him to have faith! Please pray for David as he is the one who does the bible study with this young man, and please pray for the you man to find peace in his current situation and to lift his fears to God!