It’s just after 5:00am in Berlin. The birds woke me up after a short night.

Ann, Charissa and Davin were due to land in Frankfurt in just about an hour and a half.

But only Charissa and Davin are on the flight! Somewhere in the rolling turbulence of the last months, we misplaced Ann’s passport!

I have a distinct memory of putting it in a “safe place”…

After an entire night of looking, however, and phone calls from Boise to Berlin and back, it couldn’t be found. It was really hard for all of us to accept the fact that she would have to delay her departure and come on a later flight, probably in 5 or 6 days.

I am extremely sad not to have her here right now, but the embarrassment makes it worse. We’re supposed to be the “professional travellers”, experienced missionaries… etc. etc.

Well, God reminded me (through Ann): it’s not because we’re cool, or successful or spiritual super-stars that God chooses to work with us and through us. It’s because He loves us and wants us to magnify His Name. (Think of a magnifying glass making something clearer and larger to the eye of the user.)

So, I’ll be meeting Charissa and Davin at the train station today (they’re taking the express from Frankfurt).

Please pray that Ann will be able to either find her passport or that we’ll be able to expedite the application for a replacement one quickly.

Update on the bank: Matthias’ appointment Wednesday with the credit representative here at the Berlin branch of the bank went well. Now, everything will go to the board of directors in Cologne (we thought until recently that our file had already been passed on, but that was not the case). Please pray that they will say “Yes!” SOON, so we can begin the major renovation work on time. We’ve been given a green light to start some of the initial work today.