TheHope//Austria//Conference

The Hope

I was sitting at the local skate spot when a refugee from Sudan sat down next to me. I greeted him and started talking to him. I asked where he was from and how long he had been in Germany. As we talked he shared his story. When he was 14, he was kidnapped along with his school. He and a couple of the guys escaped and fled home, once he was home his parents gave him the money they had and he fled to Ethiopia, he spend a little time there and with a group of other people crossed across north Africa, through the desert before finally making it to Germany. 

We talked about religion, he had been raised a devout Muslim but now had left allot of the ways and was open to other things. He saw it as so much work and said that he would rather live his life. I talked to him a bit more and told him about what I believed and that I believed in Jesus, not Jesus as another good man but Jesus as the savior of the world. 

He was open, there wasn't fear in him listening to the Gospel. Hopefully in the next couple weeks I will see him and be able to talk more about it. 

The freedom of religion and speech in Germany is truly a blessing because it allows any fear people have from Muslim countries to hear the Gospel. 

Local

Local relationships have been growing stronger and I was able to talk about Jesus with 2 skaters this month. Its been really cool being able to be at this point and being. God has been building stronger community as well as stronger community and more connections with the christian skate community around Germany.  

Austria

For the last 10 days of the August I was on another mountain trip around the Alps. It was a great time being away from the city and surrounded in nature and mountains. Heres some 35m photos I shot you can enjoy. 

Conference

A friend who is involved in action sports ministry invited me to a national german conference for sports ministry. I was a bit nervous considering it was all in German and my german was slipping a little. I met some guys in Munich and road tripped up. The first day/evening was a little tricky with everything in German but by the end of the day I wasn't having many problems communication and by the second day it was normal. I ended up speaking maybe 85% in German which was the first time for me, so its rad growing in that.

It ended up being a great conference being able to connect with so many other people involved in sports ministry as well as the group of people involved in action sports ministry. It was defiantly another one of those moments where it was so encouraging being around other people who carry the same heart. God is doing allot of stuff across Germany and its rad to see the fruit. 

Update

In December I'm heading to an undisclosed location to work on a skate project with some others for a month and a half. But if you could keep it in your prayers that would be great or if you would like to know more please message me. 

I will also be State side the middle end of November for family time. 

Prayer Request 

Financial support 

Encouragement 

Local skaters

Planning out Winter outreach for open doors 

Berlin Outreach// Conference// Visa // Local

It has been a non-stop last couple week.

Conference 

June 29- July 2 I headed out to Kassel for a extreme sports gathering, it was really a really good time being together with others who love Jesus and are involved in extreme sports, as well as networking with them. I think one of the highlights was with my friend John. I’ve written about John a few times in my blog. He was planning on coming back to Norway from New Zealand, I texted him 2 days before the event and asked if he knew when he was returning to Europe, he said he comes to Germany on Thursday the day the gathering was starting. I asked if he wanted to come to the Gathering with me, he had no flight from Germany to Norway so he said “yes” and we got to spend a few days together before he to Norway. 

Local Ministry

Local ministry and relationships have been really growing and doing well. Daniel and I have been working allot on building stronger relationships with them. Six months months ago I was skating at the local park in Nuremberg, there was a kid there wearing a Chicago Bulls hoodie. I thought it would be a good conversation starter, our conversation didn't go that well and was pretty awkward. Fast forward to June, I'm skating and introduce myself to him not knowing I had already met him 6 months before but this time was different and we hit it off well. Maybe a week or 2 after that I was skating and he came up to me so happy and showed me a skate video he had made ands first kick flip he landed. 

Another day I was skating at the local spot with everyone, there was a guy that was there who didn't speak German. I started talking with him and low and behold he was a christian in the army who skates. I began to share what we do and about skate church. He was super stoked and wants to be involved in some way. This is another way that God is opening more doors. 

Zac

Zac came on the 4th, which was so great! It was the first time I've seen him since Christmas. It was so great hearing about what God did with him through DTS as well as with the Ireland event I organized. 

Zac and Daniel in Berlin being weird as always.

Ireland Event Recap.


It was really rewarding hearing the stories from Ireland. I really enjoyed organizing the skate park and the team for the event, even though it was hard not being there I was really stoked on the outcome. One of the skaters over there got to pray for many people and quite a few were healed, others gave their lives to Jesus over all it was a great opportunity to serve at the youth conference and see God work through our little mini ramp. 

Berlin Outreach

Two days after Zac came we headed up to Berlin for the skate outreach with Calling all Skaters. Ever since moving to Germany I’ve had the dream to see a skate outreach happen and it did. There were 15 of us in all including Zac, Daniel and myself, it was so great! We skated with quite a few Berlin locals and internationals that were skating there. 

Another dream was building a ramp at a refugee camp and teaching skating to the kids there. We did it!! The kids lined up and couldn't get enough of it, it was a dream come true seeing skateboarding used to impact the lives of refugees. Hearing the stories from the kids were intense and being able to show love made it really special because many didn't receive love at home. We also had a chance to build a wheel chair ramp for a new family at the camp, it brought so much joy to them seeing that their little daughter could now get into their home with a wheel chair. 

I wanted to challenge the skate DTS in a different way to serve and love outside the bounds of skate ministry. One morning we decided it would be a good idea to make a handful of sandwiches and hand them out to homeless people. We broke into a couple groups and headed out, so many good conversations were started. There were some that were sleeping on sidewalk, we left sandwiches on their backpacks as they slept. 

I sat down on the sidewalk and started talking with a guy with a shaggy beard and dog. He told me a bit about his life and how long he had been on the streets. When I asked if he knew Jesus he responded, yes. We asked if we could pray for him, he was so thankful. 

Ramp and skating at refugee camp.

I guess this is maybe one of those traditional outreach stories everyone might share but its still real life, he was a real guy that needed love. How many time do we walk by the homeless and drop a nickel in their cup and not even ask for their name. Maybe love is more powerful then money. 

Zac and I headed home the 15th and had a couple down days before Zac flew out the 19th. The 19th Zac got on a train for Frankfurt to fly home and I on a bus back up to Berlin to finish the rest of the outreach and do meetings about future stuff with Calling all Skaters. 

We finished the outreach the 20th as they flew to Latvia. It was such a great time with them and so rewarding to now begin to see God bringing more people to Germany and more stuff begin to happen. Its been allot of work over the past almost 2 years but now beginning to see more fruits.  

Calling all Skaters group singing for Encounter Night in Berlin

Visa

The day I got back to Nuremberg, I had a received letter from the foreign affairs office in in my city, I wasn't sure what to expect so I opened it a little hesitantly. It was a letter saying that my visa was accepted for another year in Germany! Praise God!!! Its been a long process but God came through!! Thank you all for your prayers regarding that! 

I would really like to thank all of your for your prayers and continued support, God is fully at work here and its so rewarding seeing the fruit of what he is doing. 

Prayer Request

Skate Ministry 

As skate ministry is growing here and as we work with partnering with others around Europe, the need for help is great. Please pray that God will send others to work along side us. 

We have started a network to gather christian skateboarders around Germany together. The goal is to search out the christian skaters in Germany and connect them with other locals in their city/area that they might not know about to connect and build relationships and be disciple makers in their community. Please pray that God will build this network so that skate discipleship can begin to take place in other German cities. 

Daniel and I are building stronger and stronger relationships with local skaters and are now at the point to take the next step. Please keep this in your prayers as we work towards starting a skate church and bring the Gospel more and more into everything. 

Personal

Financial support 

Clear perspective

Wisdom in leadership 

Encouragement 

May Update

Bible School Outreach. 

Last month there was an Bible School visiting the Base teaching, one afternoon they organized an outreach. I wasn't sure what to expect but decided to go anyways. The group I was with walked off and I decided to just sit on the stairs to a Church in the city center. 

There was tough looking man on my right, I noticed that he has a cross tattoo on one arm and a Chinese luck symbol on the other. I asked him, what the cross meant? (Thats always a good conversation starter.) He began to share his life with me and talked about his country. 

After talking for a while, I asked if I could pray for him, I watched a strong man look so broken in that moment. He asked “how did you know to Pray for me?” I responded it must be God. After I finished praying, he was so full of Joy and really glad. 

Skate Ministry

Skate ministry has been going really well, I'm trying to set more of a schedule to get stuff rolling  more evenly. Right now our ministry consist of three of us here in Germany, so we are growing. We skate with the locals as much as we can during a week and seem to be doing really well in building local relationships. 

In May, Timothee came and visited for a weekend, it was great skating together again and awesome fellowship. 

In two weeks we are building a skatepark in Ireland for a huge youth conference and in three weeks have a skate outreach team coming into Berlin to do ministry for two weeks. So allot is happening, its pretty exciting. In Berlin the focus is refugee skate ministry and local skate ministry outreaches so hopefully the outcome will be good. 

I still cant leave the EU because of the visa so Zac is flying in to lead a team for the Ireland event, so prayers for him as he builds and leads. From there he flies here and will also help with the Berlin outreach. Our the outreach team will be around 15-20 people so it will be really exciting to see what happens.

Upcoming Events 

Ireland Summer Madness (June 28- July 4)

Summer Time Sports Gathering (June 29- July 2) 

Berlin Outreach (July 8- 22) 

Prayer Request

Encouragement 

Local skaters 

Next steps in skate ministry 

Financial support. 

Barcelona//SkateMinistry//Adventure

Barcelona 

March we flew out to Barcelona for 5 days to meet and skate with the Calling all Skaters crew. It was such a great trip, allot of walking but really good. I think one of the most encouraging things for me is knowing that there are other dudes that are close with a heart for the same thing that you are. Each time I'm there I get new vision for skate ministry here. 

They started the skate Discipleship Training School there a month ago, they have 9 students all hyped on skating and Jesus. We will all be heading to Berlin in the summer for 2 weeks of outreach there, super stoked on what God will do! 

Nuremberg

We have a team!! God has brought a couple of us together here in Nuremberg that are christians and skate. Im really excited about the next month as the weather gets better and the chance to skate more daily. Its really exciting! Please pray for this as we build more relationships with locals and start skate church hopefully in the next few months. 

The Alps 

Its been a really busy non stop time since moving here to Nuremberg so Naomi and I packed up our cameras and loaded up the car and headed down south. Nature is such a rad thing where I believe we can connect so much with God in a real and raw way. Spending a week traveling through the alps really gave me perspective on God and his beauty.

One night at a hostel somewhere in the center of Austria, we looked out the windows and saw the most amazing view os the alps and snow. I remember thinking how good is God. That the maker of the mountains is the lover of our souls. How amazing is that. 

I wanted to skate more on the trip but a few days before messed my leg up so it was good healing time as well. We drove past a small park in the middle of nowhere and stopped. I got out and there were a few high school guys there. I started talking with them about about life and everything. They all asked how to do this trick and that trick, it was so rad! and they were so nice. 

There are a few photos I shot on 35m.. 

Outreaches 

As you know a couple months ago I moved into my new flat share. I live with 2 german Christian guys. We challenge each other to grow deeper with God which is always great. Last Saturday we went our and prayed for people on the streets. Its a really humbling thing to ask someone if we can pray for them especially in Germany, most people look at you like “What?” but it was such an amazing time. I think we prayed for 5 people or so with a couple of them we could see how Holy Spirit went before us. 

Prayer Request;

Calling all Skaters DTS as I prepare teaching and organize Berlin outreach 

YWAM Nuremberg 

Skate Ministry here and building relationships

Encouragement 

Financial Support 

Thank you so much for your prayers this month! 

School//Life//People//Ministries

Language School.

Im proud to say that I have officially finished language school, it was a long 4 months but worth it. My german still isn't perfect but thinking back to a year ago I can really see how much I've improved and how God has opened my mind to remembering new words and growing. What a blessing! I still have a long ways to go to fluent but I'm moving forward. 

Skate Event.

A couple months ago I found out that a couple guys were flying out from the states to intern with a skate park run by Calvery Chapel a few hours north. I’ve known about the skate ministry and have been in contact with them for a while but had not made it out. They were having a contest the weekend the Americans arrived so I traveled up for the contest, to connect and see what they are doing. 

It was such a great trip! One of my favorites and so encouraging seeing all that they are doing up there. I had to walk a little ways to where I would meet them when my bus arrived, as I walked I was chatting with God and I could see it was gonna rain soon. I was in the middle of nowhere basically and had my computer, phone and skateboard with my and didn't want it to get wet. I prayed for Him to hold off on the rain and he answered my prayer and sent a really dry snow for a couple minutes before it stopped. How Good is God! 

The contest was really great! I was a judge with a couple other dudes and got announce some of it in german, which was also great. I spoke more german that weekend then I did English, I realized how God is opening my understanding more and more. 

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The Visitors.

There is a xtreme sports ministry school in Itily, that I've been in contact a little with. I got a phone call out of the blue one morning saying they were traveling through Germany and wanted to meet up for a hour. It ended up working out and 4 hours after the call we met up. It was so encouraging meeting other people from all over the world for a passion for skate and action sports ministry. Iron sharpening Iron. As I look over all the people I've met in the past year with a passion for life and seeing shredders come to Jesus it always stokes me up. 

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The Cafe.

Ive been working for the past few months in the YWAM cafe and it goes on, its been such a great experience making coffee and building relationships people. I was able to design the website recently so give it a click and check it out. Cafe Website

Prayer Request;

Local Skaters 

YWAM Nuremberg Cafe Ministry 

Barcelona Trip (March 25-29) 

Teaching (Im teaching on the Skate DTS in 2 months, so prayers as I prepare.) 

Nuremberg Trailers DTS (Im helping a little where I can with it.)

Fiances 

Encouragement 

Thank you so much for your prayers and support, it means more then you will ever know and I am so thankful for all of you and what God is doing. 

The News// School// The Food

Hi Everyone, 

It has been a busy month an a half. God never stopes in his faithfulness. One of the main things that God has been teaching me is faith. Thinking about faith can be challenging but I'm challenged by faith and how I can walk it out more and in it hearing Gods voice. 

The dude.

A few weeks ago I was walking back from a meeting, I walked through the city center like I did many time. As I walked through the city I walked by a homeless guy, I smiled and he smiled back. I walked maybe 10 meters and felt a strong leading from God to buy him food. I was hungry because I hadn't eaten yet that day and didn't want to. I stood there for about 4 minutes thinking about it until finally I walked over to him and asked if he was hungry? I walked to the corner Burger King and walked back with 2 burgers. I sat down next to him and we started talking, he shared about his life and I about mine. In his life he had lost everything but he talked about how he found hope in Jesus. It was encouraging for me hearing that. At the end I was able to pray for him. 

The Apartment. 

Over the past month I have been sending out countless emails about renting apartments or a room. I had some responses, some good but most didn't respond. I finally found a place that I thought would be really good but it had allot of problems and was more then I wanted to pay. I said “Yes” but because I was sick of looking. The next day I felt like it was the wrong choice and stepped out and said “no” it was scary cause I needed a place in 2 weeks. I got an email back from someone that day and looked but didn't feel like it was right, later that day I had another meeting for an apartment. I went and looked and it was amazing! The guys were christians and I had so much peace that it was God. So this past weekend stepped out and moved in. 

I was a hard step saying “No” but I knew God had a plan even though I didn't see it and by stepping out in the unknown God showed up. 

Language School.

School has been on going, I'm currently in A4 level which means I have one more level to go until I'm done. Its been super intense 4 months so far but I'm learning allot and growing in the language. Ive had more and more German conversations which really excites me. Its been a slow journey but I finally feel like I'm growing more and more in the language. 

YWAM Nuremberg.

Ive also been really involved here at YWAM Nuremberg, it has been amazing! God has blessed me with a solid community of amazing people. Im currently working 3 afternoons a week in the cafe. Its been really fun learning the art of good quality coffee and talking with customers in German. 

The Brand.
One thing I am super excited about is “RUN” this is something that God has been placing on my heart for the past year or so. Ive been resiling with the idea if its just me or God and after allot of prayer and other people confirming it I knew it was God. RUN is a board brand we are trying to start here in Europe. European skaters and American ones cary one thing in common and most don't want anything to do with God. This is our way of reaching out more into the European shred scene using this brand as a platform. 

The DTS.

This season is gonna be a busy one and your prayers are needed! I am going to be working with Calling all Skaters in Spain a bit, speaking on their DTS and organizing part of their outreach to Berlin this July. There are other events that are in the process of being worked  as well. 

Prayer request. 

YWAM Nuremberg as I get more settled in Nuremberg and for what God is doing here. 

Calling all Skaters DTS. For the skaters coming that they will encounter Jesus. 

Wisdom in planning out this season. 

Upcoming Events. 

Financial Support. 

Encouragement. 

For people who have a passion for skate ministry and want to get involved. 

Thank you so much for all your prayers and support!