There is always a lot of action when the children meet during their weekly Kids Treff in Schwamendingen, a suburb of Zurich. Children from different nationalities mix with children of Swiss background. Some are well behaved, while others are definitely not; some are downright naughty. Often the MDT team struggles to keep control, and the noise level may become be so high that it becomes impossible to give instructions.

But then, towards the end of the afternoon, the mood changes completely. It is time for the benediction: each child receives a special blessing. The blessings are not ‘off the rack’ but composed by the leaders to reflect the need of each child. Each blessing is different, just as each one of the children is unique. It makes no difference how raucous and rackety the group has been, when the blessings are passed out, everyone sits quietly in anticipation. They listen attentively, making sure that no two blessings are alike.

“You should see the anticipation in the children’s eyes as they wait their turn,” says MDT participant Nora.

This is the moment when each one, irrespective of their ethnic or social backgrounds, receives the full attention of their leader. Eye contact with a leader makes this ceremony very personal indeed.

One boy admonishes his leader, Matthias: “I want a different benediction than last time…!” Children smile. They know they are special.

A little mishap turns into a blessing in itself: A leader, Debi, forgets the name of one of the children she is going to bless. She looks deep in the girl’s eyes and says: “God will never forget your name as I just did!” Then she continues with the blessing: “I will bless you with the assurance that you will always find your home with God!”

It is God’s blessings that bring peace and tranquillity into this group of wild little people.

At the close of each one of these sessions of blessing, an eight-year-old boy always ends with: “Matthias, we bless you also!”

Rose continued: “I met two teen girls from Saudi Arabia on a park bench and asked them in English if I might sit down. Then I asked if they knew Jesus. When I changed from English into Arabic, their eyes grew big. I told them of Jesus' power to heal and how He was even able to raise Jairus’ daughter from the dead. The girls listened attentively.”

She presented them with a micro SD card for their telephone. On it, the girls would find the whole Bible in Arabic, worship songs, The Jesus Film and many more valuable files. “Just a few years ago, it would have been unthinkable to get a chance to talk to teenage girls about Jesus. Now they will be able to read, hear and see everything on these SD cards for themselves,” Rose said.

'I would like to receive a clean heart'

Thunderclouds covered the sky, and just a few last rays of the sun found their way through a break in the clouds. The famous Jungfrau mountain was veiled in a thick haze. About a dozen tandem paragliders – buffeted by gusts – attempted their last landing on the big grassy field in the centre of Interlaken. Thunder rolled from a distance, but the tourists didn’t seem to mind as they continued their strolls.

Jane* and Joe*, also outreach participants, walked slowly along the tree-lined boulevard conversing in English. Every so often they handed a card or a flyer to an Arab visitor.

A young woman, accompanied by her bodyguard, showed an interest. Soon, the three were in a lively conversation. Although the thunder kept rolling, the rain held off. The Arab woman read the famous ode from the third chapter of the first letter to the Corinthians off the card she had just received. “That is deep!” she commented. “May I read these verses in the Injil?” referring to the Arabic New Testament the couple had given her. Many verses were sought out and read aloud and tears fell as the truth sank in. An hour later, the young woman understood the good news. Joe asked: “Is there anything we should pray for?” “Yes,” she answered. “I would like to receive a clean heart.”

Take a book

In a niche on a crowded sidewalk, Hans*, another participant, played his guitar and sang well-known Christian praise songs in Arabic. In his open guitar case were some coins and small bills as well as pamphlets, booklets and DVDs. A note declared in both English and Arabic: “Take a free book or DVD!” Most people walked by, but some waited or even talked for a while. Others walked away with a booklet or a DVD.

A block further, in an open space beside a busy street, there was a market stall loaded with books, pamphlets and DVDs. Many tourists circulated up and down this street – most of them Arabs. They looked at the displays of expensive Swiss watches, Swiss army knives and handbags. Most women and older girls were veiled in colourful – but mostly black – burqas. An Arab man scanned a huge QR code printed on the tarp of the stall with the words: "Did you ever have a dream of Jesus, the Messiah?" The code would activate The Jesus Film on his cell phone. On the other side of the tarp, another member of the team conversed animatedly with two Arab ladies, while a man dressed in a signal vest, also printed with the QR code, passed out welcome pamphlets.

Perfect timing

Outreach participant Helga* told of one of her experiences: “As I strolled along a lane, I passed a couple sitting on a park bench. The woman was clothed all in white and did not wear a veil. I stopped, greeted and bid them welcome to Switzerland. Immediately they got up, came up to me and shook hands with me. ‘Is it not beautiful here?—a gift of God,’ I commented. ‘Yes it is! We believe in God too! It is our sixth time here in Interlaken,’ she explained. After some further talk we exchanged phone numbers and email addresses. ‘I will wait for you here when you come next year! Then I will have a DVD with the Matterhorn (a DVD explaining Switzerland today and its Christian history) for you,’ they said as we ended the short visit. The timing was just perfect!”

During the last decade some tourist spots in the European Alps, particularly lakeside resorts, have become increasingly attractive for tourists from the Arab Peninsula. Burqas and abayas often in black, but also in all colours of the rainbow, dominate the alleys, lanes and boulevards in towns like Interlaken, the Austrian Zell am See, or Montreux. About twelve years ago, some Christians realised the invaluable opportunity to present the good news to men and women from closed countries in a neutral environment. In several cities and towns, outreaches were organised to make contact with Arab tourists to talk with them — and if there is an opportunity — to present them with a Bible.

Currently OM works together with several Christian organisations and local congregations to host outreaches in Geneva, Montreux, Interlaken, Lucerne, Zürich, Interlaken and even in the 'Heidi Village' of Maienfeld. Similar outreaches take place in the Austrian Zell am See and in the German Garmisch and Munich.

*name changed

Debora Lamprecht is student of theology and, during her internship, co-leading the MDT Hope for Zurich. She relates, “We are at the Kids Treff in the Zurich suburb of Schwamendingen, a neighbourhood with a high percentage of people with [an immigrant] background. Many of them have never heard of the good news of Jesus Christ.”

The kids come from many different cultures, various countries and completely different religious backgrounds. The combination is not always easy as frictions are pre-programmed. The OM team finds it very interesting to share God’s love with such a group, but they admit it also takes a lot of energy and is very tiring.

Debora continues, “It was one of these afternoons again. This time, the teasing and fighting went so far that it became impossible for the staff to explain the rules of the next game. Don't assume that just kids hailing from other countries were causing unrest; the Swiss-born kids behaved just as poorly.

“We, the team, met in prayer, to ask the Lord to help us find new ideas to meet the challenge we were facing. Somebody came up with the idea to design a Kids Treff T-shirt to create an identity: a feeling of belonging. Kids Treff values would be communicated by wearing such a shirt. The shirts would be worn to all our meetings. Our idea was meditated on and finally dropped—too many unsolved questions, especially in accommodating the requirements of different seasons.

“Instead God gave us a new idea: We would braid some nice, wide bracelets, complete with a clasp to facilitate putting them on and taking them off. The bracelets were for wearing only during our meetings. During the braiding, we could teach them our Kids Treff values: respect, honesty, fairness. In German, the beginning letters spell REF (respekt, ehrlichkeit, fairness). ‘Ref’ in the German short form means 'referee'. It’s a nice play on words; a word-play the kids understand!”

Deborah shares a little, rather funny incident that happened on the day of braiding: “Everybody was excited about this afternoon of braiding, and each one of our team thought someone else was doing the teaching. With great surprise, we discovered that nobody had ever braided bracelets before... Consulting the internet, we found simple instructions, and, together, we learned how to do the craft—and how to teach it.”

Although the team leader had to ask somebody else to go out to the streets to invite children in, they were ready in time to teach. There was something else that Deborah wanted to highlight: “There was just no time to prepare a 16:00 snack. But God had provided—why else would a mother have brought along a cake for the children, just today?”

The team agreed that braiding bracelets was a total success! Everyone did their best, and everyone had a good time.

And the bracelets worked! “Our next meetings were truly blessed; the children were quiet and attentive! Nobody wanted to have to take off their bracelet and be excluded for bad behaviour. The games and activities could be explained. The afternoons became a success!” Deborah says. “Through the bracelets God had caused a big difference.”

In this way, children coming from all over the world, from different backgrounds and from many religions, melted into a one functioning, teachable group, tied together by a simple bracelet.

Stories are not something unique to OM. They are everywhere in the world. Every movie, book or song tells a story. They all have a beginning and an end. When a song ends, the story seems over. When the killer is found at the end of that thriller, the movie ends. When the couple is finally together and they kiss on the last page of that romance novel, the book ends.

But in life, the end of a story is never the end of it. It always goes on. When that book or movie is over, time seems to freeze and life as we know it seems to stay exactly the same. But our life never stops, time never comes to a halt. It always, always moves on, because God always continues writing it.

When we tell a story, life as we tell it will not stop where the story ends. When our project seems to take a bad turn, it will not stop there either. When we meet someone and miss the exact right thing to say, it is not the end of it. If a chapter in our life closes, there is always a new one coming. Transitions–small or big–can be bittersweet. Moving on from a work can be difficult and we might miss all that we knew, but life goes on, and there are new things waiting around the corner. Life brings us people into our lives, and sometimes life parts ways again. But there is always a way to walk, even if it’s two different ones.

There is a song in the Bible that talks about God’s deliverance and restoration after we sinned. Many have sung its words: “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” – Psalm 51:10 (NIV). Beautiful words that have touched many people’s hearts. This Psalm in itself is a beautiful song with a great ending. Zooming out a little, we know that the Psalm is written by David after he has been convicted of a terrible sin: adultery with a beautiful woman named Bathsheba. The story would make a great movie: lust, intrigue, murder, a tragic loss and a seemingly happy ending for the leading characters who become a family with another baby. Switching perspectives to Uriah’s story, a man of incredible integrity, we have the tragic ending of his murder to tell. Zooming out a little more, we know that those stories, that couple and their baby, are beautifully woven into a much bigger story that eventually led to the birthing of another baby who is probably now the most famous man in the world’s history: Jesus Christ! It was all part of a greater story, a greater plan: A song of restoration, a man’s tragic ending and the new beginning of a family. 

Thankfully, those stories were not a movie. They never stopped. They moved on. Just the same, our stories do not end. Our lives never freeze in the best or worst moment. Our own story only ever comes to a halt when we move on from this earth, but even then, THE story will go on. God’s ultimate story will go on until the glorious victory and triumphant ending, until we all sing songs of praise. 

In times of loss or transitions, when we don’t know the grounds or don’t see the direction of where we are going, it can be scary to take the next step. In those times, we can remind ourselves that our life does not freeze. It is made up of different chapters that entail a whole lot of different moments and stories. We should never be afraid to turn to the next page, because God’s story has not yet ended.

This challenges me to greater joy in times when the happy-ending movie would stop, because I know life is not only made up of happy endings. And it gives me hope: hope in difficult times, because I know that God is writing a much bigger story, hope in times of doubts, because I know He is in control, and hope through goodbyes, because I know that the bitter will be replaced by sweet through new hellos.

Anja has previously been overseas but now works with OM Switzerland in her home country. She appreciates the variety of different things she gets to do in her work in public relations and always loves to learn new things.

At a recent Kids Treff, HfZ invited some of the children’s parents to the church-run café across the street. “We arranged for a woman and her son to be there at 16:00. Exactly on time, the mom stepped into the café with her son. They had dressed formally. They addressed me with the polite Sie-form [of German], normally used with strangers. She had even made the effort to find out my family name that accompanies this formal address,” Debi recounted.

To Debi, it looked as if the mother believed that the reason for this meeting was that her son had committed some kind of misdeed. But the staff of HfZ just wanted to get to know the parents of 'their' kids, the children attending Kids Treff.

Debi sat with HfZ staff, the mother and her son sat in the shade under the trees in front of the coffee shop. “Slowly, the ice seemed to break as we explained to her why we were here,” Debi continued. But the atmosphere was still tense and every time Tom*, the son, coughed, his mom, Elena*, instructed him: “Behave yourself!”

During the conversation, Elena shared that she had been suffering from depression. She explained, in fairly good German, that her parents were Tamils (an ethnic group from South Asia), but that she wanted to integrate into the Swiss culture. Since she wanted to be accepted by the Swiss people, she made an extra effort to speak German properly. Elena is married and has one child. However, her husband is away a lot, so she spends much time home alone with Tom.

Then, Elena told her story: “It was a cold evening in November. I felt really bad; I felt forsaken. I took Tom and left the house. I had not taken time to dress him properly for the cold, and so he walked beside me in his rubber boots, without any protection against the cold. I did not know where I was going but ended up at the church. However, on a Sunday evening, nobody was there... Everything was wet, the rain had just stopped falling, but my tears kept running down my face.”

Debi offered Elena the children’s book “Josi at the King's Castle,” the book Tom knew already from Kids Treff. The story goes like this: A boy, not accepted anywhere, flees into the king’s castle. He is invited to stay there. He takes the offer but hides his bleeding, hurting heart. But the king knows! He heals the boy’s bleeding heart.

Elena accepted the booklet with the comment that she would love to have it, as it might help her to learn German properly.

Just then, Emil* arrived at their table. Emil has a mental disability and is often a guest at this café. During his frequent visits, he joins guests at their table and talks to them. Debi thought that this might not be the right time for a visit and said, “Emil, we are right in the middle of an important conversation.”

Emil answered, “No problem, I will not disturb you!” And then he began to talk.

“He started to talk exactly where we had left off—it was so cool!” Debi related. Emil talked about hurting, injured hearts. This caused Elena to open up and tell them more about herself.

“We saw once more how God uses people that not we, but He Himself, had chosen to do a given job,” Debi said.

The following week, Elena came to the coffee shop again. “I have read the whole book and have learned a lot of German while doing it!” she told the OM HfZ staff.

As she continued to talk with the OM HfZ staff, they saw that the book had also reached Elena’s feelings, her emotions. Elena recognised herself in Josi’s story and identified herself with him.

“It is amazing how a story, written for children, speaks to the needs of adults just as well,” Debi marvelled. “Now we are all curious how Elena’s story will keep on unfolding.”

*Name changed for security

Febe grew up as a child of missionaries. Her parents were serving in the north of their own country. She shared that, early in life, she had problems with her self-confidence, so it took quite a while for her to accept herself the way God had made her. Now she understood that God had made her beautiful. Since then, Febe’s heart beat for youth and children. She wanted to pass on the message she received: God made you beautiful!

For years Febe had desired to come to Switzerland—she wanted to serve in that country. Therefore, being accepted by OM was the fulfilment of a dream. Upon arrival, Febe soon realised that the pressure, especially on young people, was very high in Switzerland. One had to perform and show results to be accepted. So her message seemed to be very appropriate for the children and youth in Zurich: “Beauty and money will not bring happiness. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness—the fruits of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:22—are the key!”

Still, in the moments before she needed to speak to the group of about 30 children from grades one to six, Febe was afraid. She wondered if she would be able to tell a story—in German—dealing with the theme of the day, ‘Trusting.’ Febe prayed quietly for guidance, while the lively, frolicking group became quiet. Then God reminded her of an event that took place many years earlier.

“I was seven years old and lived in Argentina. My country was in economic crisis at the time, and my family also felt the impact. My shoes were all worn out, but my parents told me that there was no money to replace them. But I needed new shoes; I wanted new shoes. But I didn’t want just any new shoes; I wanted running shoes, and they needed to be pink! I told this to my parents, and they advised me to pray about it,” she told the students.

“I did pray,” she continued. “I prayed very earnestly. The following Sunday our family went on an outing. We were to have a barbecue at a nearby forest. While the food cooked over the coals, we children went to play ‘Hide and Seek.’ I sought out a big tree and hid behind it. As I waited, I noticed something between the roots. It was a box. I bent down and lifted the lid. I could not believe my eyes: a pair of running shoes! Pink running shoes! I lifted them out and tried them on. A perfect fit! God had answered a seven-year-old’s prayer. I never knew where the shoes came from, but I knew that God heard my prayers.”

The children, normally lively and inattentive, were very quiet, touched by the story. They not only understood her presentation, but two seven-year-old girls also approached Febe to speak about prayer. “Does God really hear? Does He even listen to normal, everyday requests?” they wanted to know.

Febe encouraged them to trust in God and have faith that He would answer, just as He had heard and answered her own childhood prayer.

Jana*, a student at Hope for Zurich, OM’s Missions Discipleship Training (MDT) programme in Europe, wondered if she would be successful—if all the newfound knowledge would help her to lead people to Christ.

At MDT in Switzerland, participants are prepared to be witnesses for Christ; the training ground is a suburb of the city of Zurich. While there, Jana was teaching the German language to Dahab*, an immigrant from Egypt. Dahab told Jana she loved to learn German with her because the method was based on conversation.

Jana and Dahab talked with each other and told stories from their lives. “I was in the process of seeking a new job, a teaching position in a primary school. I applied at several places and got turned down everywhere,” Jana recounted.

Her job hunt became part of the two women’s conversations, and Dahab took a real interest in the process. She got emotionally involved in Jana’s search and disappointments. She even scolded Jana for teaching German instead of more actively seeking employment. Dahab really wanted Jana to get a job so she could stay in Zurich and continue teaching German.

“Then the perfect opportunity arrived. The school seeking a teacher was built on biblical principles, and it seemed a perfect fit for me,” Jana said. She applied—and waited. Dahab fretted alongside.

By chance Dahab met two other women from MDT at a supermarket. She told them, “I really want Jana to get this ‘perfect’ job. But what can we do?” The women suggested they could pray. Dahab agreed to do so. As soon as she arrived home, Dahab, a Muslim, prayed for Jana to get the job.

Jana was subsequently selected to teach a trial lesson at the school. She impressed the selection committee and soon received a note of acceptance.

“I needed to tell Dahab and wrote her the short message, ‘God heard our prayer!’” Jana said.

Dahab answered, “You are a good person! God will do good to you! May He bless you!”

Jana marvelled at how far her relationship with Dahab had developed. “I learned a lesson”, she said. “It’s not strategies and tools that reach people; it is sharing my life with them, which does it.”

*Name changed for security

OM Switzerland, together with APP Europe and local churches, organises an outreach every summer to share the Good News with those people. Brenda* and her husband Rob*, from Canada, were part of an outreach team in Interlaken.

The couple had been assigned to watch the book table, to give out materials and to talk to interested people. The table displayed DVD’s, Injils (New Testaments) and literature in Arabic, as well as honeymoon gifts for young couples. At the booth hung a sign reading ‘Have you ever had a dream about Jesus?’ A barcode led to a website, where people could watch the Jesus film and find Christian literature.

A softened heart

On Brenda and Rob’s last day on the outreach team, they were standing at the book table when they observed a woman standing at a short distance. Watching her behaviour, they thought she seemed rather rebellious and therefore not very open to them. Still, Brenda prayed inwardly: “Father, if you want me to talk to her, let her come over here.”

Soon, the woman approached the table and Brenda explained to her, that they were here because they wanted to share Christ. Then they explained more to her about the literature displayed. The woman, who was from Bahrain, gratefully accepted different items, and even took an Injil.

God has great plans for you

After giving away literature to many people, Brenda approached two mothers with their two sons. The mothers did not speak English, so Brenda talked with the boys. One of the two asked about the book she was holding. She explained that it was an Injil, which tells many stories about Jesus—“stories that bring life,” she said.

While they were talking, Brenda saw a vivid sparkle in his eyes. This prompted her to say: “I believe God has great plans for you. You are going to discover them through this,” while she handed him the Injil. He gladly accepted it and his mother’s eyes were gratefully smiling.

Making heart connections

Soon after, Brenda approached another family: A mother who introduced herself as Savannah*, and her daughters. The mother looked very stern, so Brenda started the conversation by sharing where she was from. Then Savannah looked at the book table and Brenda noticed that she was reading the sign on the booth, so Brenda asked her whether she had ever had a dream about Jesus. The Saudi Arabian woman responded by indicating that, as a Muslim, she didn’t want to talk about Jesus.

For about half an hour, they talked about different things. Savannah shared that because of her faith, she loves everyone. Brenda offered her an Injil, but Savannah thought this would make a better gift for someone else.

Then Brenda started to pay closer attention to two of her daughters, Anna* and Leah*. She shared with them more about truth and life. The daughters pointed out that not all Muslims were bad. Brenda agreed: “I know. My heart breaks for what is happening in the world. I am sure it’s even more devastating for you.”

That moment was so special that they all cried and hugged each other. During all this, their baby brother did not stop crying. Brenda was allowed to hold him for a short time. Within two minutes, he was fast asleep in her arms. The whole encounter was very precious. After taking a few photos together and exchanging Facebook contacts, they bid farewell.

“It was such a treat,” Brenda shared. “I felt like the Lord just released me that night. I didn’t have many deep conversations, but felt I had made many heart connections throughout this evening. Each encounter seemed to me like a hug from my heavenly Father.”

Please pray for the different people Brenda encountered throughout the outreach. Pray that they meet Jesus and come to understand the truth and life that the Injil talks about.

*Names changed

Susanne and her husband, Kurt*, are deacons at a Swiss Reformed church. Together they are teaching a confirmation preparation class to 15 year-old youth. The course includes basic biblical knowledge and issues of the Christian faith, and as a requirement to graduate, the whole class participates in an outreach in Hungary.

That first outreach was a step of faith for the leaders because the students’ maturity level and faith differed a lot, but they took the risk. For a week they helped out in a camp for disabled people.

The feedback of the youth after the camp was very positive: they felt challenged in a new way and experienced things they had never experienced before. The two girls at Susanne’s door were two of these participants. It was exciting to see, how they still remembered and how they wanted to send presents to the people they had spent time with the year before.

Susanne and Kurt decided to repeat the experience and invited this year’s confirmation class to go to Hungary. During their time, they met a travelling team from Logos Hope who just happened to be at the same church that Sunday morning. The group listened to the exciting stories of the Logos Hope people. They learned about the ship, its ministries on board and on shore. One of the girls was so touched that she decided to join the Logos Hope crew as soon as she reached the required age of 18. “She is already budgeting her small apprenticeship wage to save money to make her dream come true one day.” shared Susanne.

Pray for group outreaches within different denominations, so that participants may have life-changing experiences individually and as a group. Pray for more congregations and youth groups to consider the opportunity to be an agent of change and be changed.

*Names changed

The team got to know Lawrence and Susan through their stirring storytelling, and they got a glimpse of OM’s future as Lawrence introduced his visions about the organisation. But more than just strategy and vision, Lawrence gave them a glimpse of his understanding of the heart of God through the parable of the lost son.

It was a truly amazing opportunity for each team member to be part of this retreat. People left with a renewed vision of their purpose as believers and were encouraged and ready for the next challenge.

The ‘Hope for Zurich’ team was encouraged to see leaders like Lawrence and Susan being so personable. The couple took the time to get to know everyone on the team. They showed excitement about the work that is happening in God's kingdom and they are living God-centred lives, displaying childlike faith in their everyday life.

Team members were made aware of a world of great potential, and reminded that things that seem impossible are not so impossible when God is there.

“It is so wonderful to be part of such a large movement of people who work together with one vision, goal and calling,” One team member shared. “To bring the gospel to the least reached and to change the world one day at a time.”

Soon, the team also noticed that he needed crutches to move around and that one of his ankles was wrapped in bandages. They asked if they could pray for his ankle to be healed. The boy agreed, even though it seemed like he did not completely understand the question.

The team prayed, and then asked him to try to walk without his crutches. First he was limping a bit but soon started walking normally. First, the boy couldn't believe that his ankle was healed, then started telling all his friends around him: “I don't know what happened. This man put his hand on my ankle and now I can walk!”

The team was able to talk about the Good News and about how Jesus is the ultimate healer. Though coming from a Muslim background, this teenager started to think about who Jesus really is. They gave him a bible, and now pray that he will discover Jesus in a whole new way.

After an afternoon at the kids’ club, when the leaders mentioned the next meeting, the two of them asked, “When is it again? Well, actually, we don’t have to know – you are picking us up again, right? We can just wait for you.”

OM Hope for Zurich, in partnership with a local church, initiated the kids’ club because the church recognised that they had very little contact with the neighbourhood, which is composed mostly of families from an immigrant background.

“We were also aware that a lot of these kids are bored and have a lack of good relationships with adults,” says OM worker Matthias Ettlin. “So, the programme is secondary, but the relationships to the kids, and through them to the local families, is very important. Although they live close to the church and in a so-called Christian country, it mostly is the first contact to Christian believers.”

Despite Issmail and Rasin being so eager to attend the kids’ club, the leaders have encountered a few obstacles. Recently, the club couldn’t take place in its usual location, so it was held in the church. The two boys asked immediately, “Are we allowed to go inside?”

After they considered their options and discussed it with the leaders, they decided it was okay to enter the room, especially because it was a side room without any Christian symbols. But one of them couldn’t help but peek into the main room – he wanted to know what a nave looked like.

Such situations can be a challenge for children whose reaction when Jesus’ name is mentioned is, “He doesn’t exist.” But there is hope in each challenging situation – and the OM team holds this hope for these children and their families.

Please pray for these children to come to know Jesus personally. Find out what God is doing through Hope for Zurich here or visit their website.

Petra is part of a team called Hope for Zurich, which runs a project called Träff International in the north of Zurich that strives to ease the loneliness of local immigrants and help them with the many struggles they face.

In this particular instance, though, Petra found communication with this woman difficult, as Edrita only spoke broken German and almost no English.   

The two ladies got to know each other through a visit organised by the reformed church. Through their interaction, Petra realised beauty was very important to Edrita. She wanted to be beautiful in the eyes of men. When Petra gave her a manicure, Edrita was happy like a little child.

There are Bible verses about beauty, Petra thought, and she asked Edrita at the next meeting if she could read her something from the Bible. While listening to Psalm 139, Edrita, who is usually loud and active, became calm and reflective.

Others who come to the café often feel disturbed by Edrita’s loud and pushy manor, but they saw her talking calmly with Petra, telling her about her life. Petra discovered that Edrita has dealt with a great deal of pain and misery, and she had the impression that people like Edrita are always eager to find someone to listen to their story.

After chatting with Edrita, Petra was confronted with the question: “How do I deal now with what I have heard?” Petra found Edrita’s core values and lifestyle so different from her own, but also felt she couldn’t judge her. Instead, she feels thankful she hasn’t had to go through the hurt and pain Edrita has suffered.

Petra is especially thankful God showed her a way to speak the language of Edrita's heart and encourage her to open up about her life.

Please pray God will open up Edrita's heart to receive his love and be healed. To find out more about the ministry of OM Switzerland, go to their news page.

*Name changed

The café is located in the centre of the area where the team lives and works and is also central to the people OM workers are trying to reach, as many immigrants have settled there.

The team hopes to offer a listening ear to the people they befriend, with the purpose of presenting real hope to broken lives.

One of the people the OM team met with was Edrita*, a woman who frequented the café. Often, other visitors found Edrita difficult to be with, but one of the OM team members named Petra* hoped to get to know the woman better.

“How can I reach Edrita?” Petra asked herself. “What is the language of her heart?”

As Petra began to spend more time with the woman, she soon learned that Edrita greatly valued beauty. Hoping this would be a way of connecting with Edrita, Petra read the woman Bible verses on the topic. Usually, Edrita was a loud and active person, but while listening to Psalm 139, a chapter about finding worth and beauty in the way God knows us, she became reflective for the first time. She even revealed a lot of the pain in her life.

Petra later gave the woman a manicure. She had found the language of Edrita’s heart.

Sometimes, however, team members just need to listen to form relationships.

Before the team goes to the café, they always pray. Sometimes, they ask God whom they should spend extra time with that day, and often, the person God put on their hearts is the first guest to enter the café.

Such was the case with Petra, who felt God telling her to give special attention to a man named Beat* that afternoon. Beat had become a regular visitor to the café, but the team had had a difficult time talking to him because he was always so restless.

“Oh, no, Lord. This challenge is just a little too big for me,” Petra thought when she felt God’s prompting.

But then another thought crossed her mind: the Joshua 1:9 verse:

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

The first person who entered the café that day was indeed Beat, but when Petra sat next to him, he told her, “I know who you are--you don’t have to convert me.”

Petra decided not to talk about her faith and chose instead to listen to what he had to say. Every now and then, he talked about God and the bad experiences he’d had with the church. And after an hour, Petra was amazed he was still talking to her. Beat, who never sat still, was calm and able to speak to her for an hour.

Petra learned something about the people at Träff International: that those like Edrita and Beat are often eager to find someone willing to listen to them. Sometimes, connecting with people is just paying attention to them.

OM's Hope for Zurich ministry has started up a new project, Träff International. Every Wednesday morning they offer the community an opportunity to meet in a small Turkish café, in a centrally-located strip mall.

During this time Debora, a Hope for Zurich leader, met Adelina*, a woman who grew up in the Balkans. She doesn't know how to read or write and suffers from severe depression. As Debora talked with Adelina about her finances, Adelina complained she felt cheated and people had been treating her unfairly. Then she asked Debora to help her find an apartment that would fit her needs.

"Why do you think everybody should be helping you?" Debora asked. "Why don’t you consider how you could help others?"

Adelina did not like this challenge, but later Debora found out one of her teammates prayed with Adelina.

"I was happy to hear that, since it showed me that I was neither able nor required to do everything by myself," Debora said. "I often set myself this high goal as a Christian and forget that God uses me in different ways from my fellow Christians. We have different ways we work in people’s lives—we are a team!” 

Programme participant Siza added also that at first she felt disappointed when she saw Adelina’s son Aco* enter, because Siza had prepared how she wanted to lead the conversation and assumed with Aco present, she would not be able to share about Jesus.

However, Aco took the initiative, asking whether the Hope for Zurich team was "religious". Though he was Muslim, he said he did not believe the Qur’an, which sparked a discussion. After about an hour, Siza asked him about prayer.

"I do not pray to Jesus, I pray to God," he stated and then continued, "Do you pray Catholic or reformed?"

After that, Aco prayed for the first time and asked Siza if he had done it correctly. Before they said goodbye, he offered his help, wherever the team might need it, much to Siza's surprise. It is apparent to the team that God was working in Adelina and Aco's lives, even if it looked different than the OM workers had expected. 

Please pray for Adelina and Aco, and the work of Träff International. To read more about what God is doing through OM Switzerland, go to their news page. 

* Name changed to protect privacy

** Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

“When we walk through the area we see a lot of hidden needs,” said an OM Switzerland team member. “To encounter these needs and help the people form relationships with others and God, we started to invite everybody to a local café.”

This resulted in the birth of Träff International, OM Switzerland’s newest project. Every Wednesday morning OM workers offer hospitality to the people in the community at a small Turkish café.

“We imagine offering a link between cultures,” the team member said, “teaching Swiss or German, offering support to immigrants as they relate with the government or schools, or even giving practical help in everyday tasks.”

Last week, OM workers passed out flyers for Träff International for the first time. They started at the centre of their community, connecting with people outside a small grocery store. At the opposite side of the street, an African woman observed the workers. They crossed the street and invited her to come.

“She was so happy that she was noticed and contacted by a Swiss,” said the team member.

A conversation proved difficult, as they shared no common language. However, they believe she understood their invitation and will come to Träff.

The OM workers also rang doorbells and passed out flyers to invite people. Usually no one answers the bell, but at least two people took flyers, and one woman promised to invite others.

Please pray that people would attend Träff International and for connections between the Swiss and their immigrant neighbours. For more information, see www.omschweiz.ch and www.hoffnung-fuer-zuerich.ch.

The short-term ministry team in Switzerland recently moved to the outskirts of Zurich and are seeking God’s will for their community involvement and ministry. Recent encounters with locals have surprised and encouraged them.

While chatting together on a park bench one day, the OM team was approached by a teenager and asked whether they were Christians. When they responded positively, the teenager explained that he was a Muslim and then he started growling and barking at them, as though he wanted to devour them.

“The most amazing thing about this incident was that we had been simply sitting there,” said a team member. “We had not been doing anything that would identify us as Christians.”

A few days later, the OM team was talking to an elderly lady in the park when three young boys approached them. One of the boys interrupted the conversation and started telling the elderly lady about God.

“He told her how he prayed to God and that God was all-present,” said a team member. “For the next five minutes, he explained his relationship to God—it was great! As he arrived, so he left. From what we gather, neither does he have a Christian upbringing nor does he attend church. Someone once gave him a Bible that he has read by himself.” The boy was eight years old.

Sometimes we think we have to do something or organise a programme in order for God to use us. But I have learnt that God wants to use me as I am.

“Sometimes we think we have to do something or organise a programme in order for God to use us,” noted team member Larina. “But I have learnt that God wants to use me as I am. When I walk down a street or enter a shop, strangers approach me. Sometimes the first thing they ask is whether I am a missionary. Or they want to know whether I am a Christian, even though I have never met them before.

“Although such questions take me by surprise, they open conversation and give me the opportunity to share from my life. My only responsibility is to be available!” 

Please pray for more opportunities for the team in Zurich to express God’s love. Applying for visas for foreign participants still remains a real challenge in Switzerland. Please pray that God would open doors for foreigners to join the team.