Gary & Tina BarrowLife and Ministry

Dec 22nd Merry Christmas

We want to wish you a VERY BLESSED CHRISTMAS as you celebrate the birth of our Savior. Our family is healthy and together, what a wonderful blessing that alone is to us.

This last month has flown pass. It seems to have been filled with many things that demand our attention, yet there doesn’t seem to be much to show for the activity. We’ve been trying to find just the right gifts and then get them wrapped and packed, hoping to getting them sent out to family members on time so they can have them for Christmas morning. Well, we didn’t make it. It’s 5 PM on Saturday night the 22nd and we’re still at it. I’m sure you’ve been there too.

We’re going to be having people from the church and friends over to share Christmas dinner. We’re looking forward to a wonderful time of worship and fellowship.

It’s easy to get lost in all the “stuff” of Christmas and lose sight of what is really important. God’s gift of Jesus and our families.

Ashley is excited about going to Jordan. If you haven’t heard, Ashely is going to Jordan for three months to serve with a Christian Missionary Alliance group reaching out to Muslim women. She will be teaching German/English classes and building relationships in order to share the Gospel. Her heart is to move to Jordan permanently.

Austin continues to work on post in Katterbach as the supervisor of the post theater. He has been wanting to go to Nepal to help a missionary friend we have there, but know he thinks the Lord may be calling him to attend Bible college to better equip himself for ministry.

Bryan is also working on post, but in Illesheim. He is the projectionist in the post theater. He really enjoys his job.

All three of the kids are a tremendous blessing to us. They have never given us a moment of concern. They all love the Lord and seek to serve Him.

Tina continues to be the greatest blessing in my life, apart from Jesus. I don’t know where I would be without her. I love her more today then when we were first married 28 years ago. Thank you Jesus for the blessing that Tina is, not just to me, but to our entire family.

Thank you for your prayers. I had surgery on my left leg last week and even though it was worse then they had expected I am a week down the road to recovery.

I hope you take a moment this Christmas and thank the Lord for what is really important in life, and the many blessings He has bestowed upon us.

Have a Merry Christmas.

God bless,

Gary, Tina, Ashley, Bryan and Austin

Posted in Family Blog by Mike Thiemann with comments disabled.

Nov 1st Half Full or Half Empty?

This was our back yard two weeks ago. I love the colors of Autumn. Bright yellows and golds, oranges and varying shades of crimson. The leafs, clinging for life on the trees, fighting against the wind to stay off the ground. It’s a losing battle. We all know winter is near.

This was our back yard last week. The leafs are now blanketed by the snow on the ground. The wind and the cold too much for them. The leaves won’t be back till the snow gives way to warmer temperatures.

When we woke I put Gunther (pronounced goon-ter) out to get to know the snow, it was the first time he had seen snow. He wasn’t sure about it at all. It took about 20 minutes for him to decided that the snow was nothing but a whole lot of fun. He can’t be outside enough now. All he wants to do is play, jump, and run around in the snow. It’s going to be a long cold winter this year I think, but Gunther is looking forward to it.

As I thought about the end of Fall and the coming of Winter, my mind began to wonder. I started to think about the temperature outside. Right now it’s 0 degrees. That’s 32 degrees Fahrenheit. I started to think about the differences. I mean, who would be crazy enough to go swimming when it’s 0 degrees outside, but 32 doesn’t sound so bad. I thought, if you had 32 of anything, you’d have a lot. Would you rather have 32 dollars or 0 dollars? I’ll take the 32 dollars please. If I had 32 cars, I would need to do a lot of oil changes. If I had 0 cars I would have a lot more time to do other things. If I owned 32 homes, I would be considered wealthy. But since I have no home, am I poor?

I guess it is whether you’re a half full guy or a half empty guy, because 0 and 32, in this case, is exactly the same.

October is one of the most beautiful months here, yet it is the hardest month for me. It’s the time of the year that most resembles Oregon.

It’s during October that I remember, with tremendous love and longing, our church and the fellowship we enjoyed back home in Corvallis.

Thinking about our church back home, it was nothing in the early days of Calvary Corvallis to see 10-20 people come to the Lord on a Sunday. Those Sundays that only 1 or 2 people give their hearts to Jesus seemed like a little bit of a let down compared to others Sundays. In reality, anytime the Lord draws someone to Himself it’s miraculous.

It may sound like I’m rambling, but there is a point. It’s easy to look back at “Better Times.” It’s easy to think of 32 as more then 0. But it’s not always true.

This month we have had a number of people, although not a large number, visit our fellowship. They found us on the web, they were invited by a friend, I talked with them and gave them a card, and they came. A girl from Corvallis came, a family that just moved here from the states, a teacher from a local school, soldiers from post with their families came. It has been a good month.

But in all this, sometimes I can still feel a little discouraged. 

But our God is so Good! He lifts us up when we are down, He strengthens us when we are week, and when we look to Him He leads and guides us. He hears our prayers and knows our hearts.

The other day in my devotions, I read 1 Cor 15:58, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”

The Lord has spoken to my heart and said. “Gary, it’s enough for you to be steadfast and continue with what I have called you to. Don’t get so caught up in the past you can’t go forward; and don’t be so concerned about the future you fail to see what I’m doing in and through you today. Let me take care of the church. You just focus on following Me.”

How good is our God?

A Quick Family Update

Tina, I’m so thankful for her, continues to be a full time mom. Even though our kids are older, they are at home and are living in a foreign country. Tina’s input in their lives is needed now more then ever. I watch her ministering and discipling our kids and I am blown away by her wisdom and love. Not only that, but her ministry of hospitality to church that meets in our home is remarkable.

Ashely has, for a long time now, sensed that the Lord is calling her to serve Him in the middle east. We have been praying about it for a while. It would seem that the Lord may be opening doors for her to go to Jordan. She is in contact with a ministry that teaches English and reaches out to muslim women. The Lord has uniquely prepared her through the years here in Europe for just such a ministry. She is thinking about visiting the ministry around February of next year till May.

Bryan, who turned 23 this month, continues to work on one of the Army posts in the area as a projectionist in the theater. He really enjoys it and has a great opportunity to meet people. Bryan is amazing, in that he is the quietest of our kids, yet has a big heart for God, and it is a blessing to watch how he reaches out to people because of Jesus is in his life. This is a picture of Bryan taking Austin for a ride on his Soviet era military motorcycle and side car. They crack me up!

Austin also works in the theater on one of the other Army posts in the area, as a supervisor. He has been praying about going to Nepal for a short term trip, however, I’m not sure. I feel like the Lord may want to do something else through him.

Both Bryan and Austin are looking forward to seeing what the Lord has for them in the next chapter of their lives.

God has blessed us with remarkable kids. They love the Lord and desire His will in their lives. Please keep all three of the kids in your prayers

A Personal Thank You

I want to thank everyone who takes time from their busy day to pray for us. You have no idea how important your prayers are to us and what a blessing they are to the heart of God. Please continue to pray for us and the work here. Pray for God’s anointing on us, that His love would flow from us, pray for wisdom and direction, and that He would establish Calvary Chapel Ansbach.

I want to especially thank those of you who have financially supported us over the years. It has been through your love and partnering with us that we have been allowed to share the love of Christ with so many people. You share in our rewards.

If you would like to partner with us in bringing solid Bible teaching to the American Military and the German people here in this area of Bavaria, you can arrange a one time gift or a regularly monthly contribution by clicking on the “Become a Financial Partner” button.

Thank you and God bless you all,

Gary and Tina

Posted in Family Blog by Mike Thiemann with comments disabled.