As of July
I recently sent this update out to our financial 
supporters and wanted to share it with a wider audience. I hope it will bless you.
After the update I have a few more recent additions. So please take the time to read it and pray.
Gary and Tina
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All I can say is wow! Things have been so hectic, wonderful, crazy and full of attack.
Ashley and Elijah are here for the summer. They needed to come to renew their visas, escape the heat in Jordan and avoid Ramadan. They came with another friend of theirs who is also working in Jordan. Shortly after they arrived, we had a special night where they made an Arab meal for our church and shared about the work they are engaged in. I was struck by one story they told of one of the Sudanese refugees that we have been supporting as a church. They told how he was being tortured for his faith and knew that if the torture that he was enduring was going to continue, he would loose his sight. The next day they came and they brought him out to torture him and they did some other type of torture. What stuck me was his response. He thanked the Lord for the different form of torture. His sight was not endangered any more. I was left wondering how I would have responded?
Ashley and Elijah, Tina and I, along with Sami, the girl that came with Ashley and Elijah, took a Saturday and went to Prague. It’s one of our favorite cities and it’s close by. We don’t always have a chance to get away and just relax, so it was a welcomed break.
That’s the five of us just goofing off.
We had our first church baptism June 28th. We had a baptism and church picnic. It was wonderful. I was privileged to baptize a sweet couple in our church, Ashley and Emir, along with Matthias, a German guy who is really more a part of our family than anything else. He has been her since the beginning, and we have had the chance to disciple him and see him graduate Calvary Chapel Bible College, attending the Bible college here in German, in York England and in Montebelluna Italy. We have had the chance to see the three of these guys grow like no bodies business in the Lord.
Praying with Emir
Emir and myself praying with Ashley before we baptized her.
Matthais
While at the baptism, one of the guests invited by Ashley and Emir asked if I would baptize him. We talked about his faith for a while, what baptism was all about and then Thomas and I walked into the water and I baptized him also.
And Thomas
One of the older kids in our church, Christian age 8, also wanted to be baptized. So I called his dad to bring him down and we baptized him too.
That night, the Sunday of the baptism, Ashley, our Ashley, was hurt at the city pool and was transported to the emergency room. She was in the pool when Elijah came down the slide and crashed into her back. I rushed to the pool to be with her and then followed the ambulance to the hospital. After 4 hours, she was 
released and sent home. For the next week she was unable to walk and was pretty much bed ridden.
The following Monday, the day after the baptism, I was writing on Facebook to ask people to pray for Ashley, and literally, just as I hit send, Bryan ran through the door and said Tina broke her arm. Tina, Bryan and Austin were picking cherries and Tina fell of the ladder and broke the two bones in her arm, near the wrist. We raced to the emergency room again. After 4 hours Tina was released. They told us that she would need surgery within the week to correct the radial fracture. The fracture to the ulna would be left alone since it was just the tip of the bone. Surgical intervention for the ulna wouldn’t be worth it.
It couldn’t have come at a worse time. The following weekend we had a planned retreat with the church. Every year we try to get away with the church to just spend quality time together to bond and enjoy each others fellowship. I also want to take them to a Calvary Chapel that is thriving to show them what God has done and what He can do with our little fellowship. So about 10 of us went to Budapest for the July 4th weekend. God blessed our time together so much, and as an added bonus, while we were coming out of the underground I heard, “Gary is that you?” I turned and saw a young girl about 20-21 or so. I didn’t recognized her, but she said it again, “Is that you Gary?” I said, “It’s me!” She said, “I can’t believe it! I went to one of the English camps in England and it changed my life. I just wanted to say thank you!” I asked her where she was going, since we were going to Calvary Budapest to have a coffee, I wanted to invite her along to try to figure out just exactly who she was. She said that she was going to work and just wanted to say thank you. She asked if she could give me a hug and she was gone. It’s crazy how God can use us to seriously impact hearts and lives without even knowing it. It was a blessing for me to see her, although I didn’t recognize her. I haven’t done a camp in about 7 to 8 years. I’m looking through old camp photos to see if I can see her.
Our group in Budapest
The day after we got back Tina had surgery. It was supposed 
to be a 30-45 minute procedure and an hour in the recovery room. Well, the doctor came out and said everything went perfect, but the plate they put in her wrist was too big and would have to be removed in 6 months instead of a year as planned. Tina was in such tremendous pain after the surgery she had to remain in recovery for 3 hours. She’s doing a lot better now.
In all of this tremendous blessing, there is bound to be attack and discouragement. Austin went to England to help out the church in York during the summer retreat and conference season. He also was leaving because his time here in Germany was up since he currently does not have a visa. So, if he left the country for a few months he could return and have 3 more months before he has to get a visa. Well, when he was at the border in the London Stanstead airport, they asked him the purpose of his visit and he said he was volunteering at the church. They said that constituted a job and he needed a visa, so they detained him and denied him entry to England. The next day he had to fly back. So now we are praying about what the Lord would have us do for him.
If that wasn’t enough, we currently have a really bad mold problem in our house and it has been going on for a very long time. Our landlords are saying they are going to take care of it but they also seem to be dragging their feet. In the meantime it is affecting Bryan’s health. Elijah has had a very difficult time here since he is very allergic to the mold.
“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into varies trials, knowing the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have it’s perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” James 1:2-4
So that’s it for now. Thank you so much for your faithful prayers and your support of the work God has called us to. We are so thankful to stand with you in the work of sharing Christ with people across Europe and bringing solid Bible teaching the the US Military and German people. We know we are representing Christ as we go forward, but also believer we represent you as we serve the people here. Thank you for being part of the work.
Please continue to pray for God’s heart and His hand to be upon us. Pray for vision, direction. Pray for healing for Tina and wisdom to know what to do for Austin, his visa and for Bryan, they both have a desire to return to the states and attend college.
God bless,
Gary and Tina
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Since that update, Tina’s hand continues to be sore and swollen. The doctor says it looks okay. She will go back to the doctor for another x-ray in a few weeks to check on the healing.
When Austin was denied entry into England and sent back to Germany, when he arrived they stamped his passport,. That means he has three more months before he has to leave of get a passport.
Bryan is preparing to return to Jordan with Ashley and Elijah shortly after they return.
I was recently contacted by a German pastor I know and he has given us a lead on a place to meet in the city. Please keep that in prayer.
The church is growing while it is shrinking. Many Americans here are leaving, being stationed in new areas while the US Army is reassigning it’s assets. At the same time though we have had a few more German families begin to attend regularly.
Thanks again for all your prayers, love and friendship. May the Lord be magnified.
God bless,
Gary and Tina
Posted in Uncategorized by Gary Barrow with 1 comment.
Happy, Merry, Happy and February
To everyone, we want to wish you a belated, yet none the less heart felt, Happy Thanksgiving! Merry Christmas! and a Happy New Year!
That’s how long it’s been since we have written an update, and it’s a sign of just how busy we have been.
We have praises to share with you and prayer requests for you, trusting you will stand with us in prayer.
We had a great Christmas even though it was the first Christmas we have had without Ashley. We had a couple of our German friends over for Christmas dinner and we enjoyed a wonderful meal and great fellowship.
We looked forward to the New Year but we were faced 
with a problem. We needed another car. We had been praying for a long time that the Lord would give us another car and as time passed, it just seemed that the need grew greater and greater. Well, God blessed. We found a 2004 Ford Focus Kombi (station wagon). It was driven by an older gentleman to go back and forth to his doctor. As a result it has less than 50,00 kilometers. It’s like a two year old car. It is really nice because it’s an automatic. They are rare in Europe and it’s what Tina has really wanted for a long time.
February 2nd through the 6th, I attended the Western European Pastor’s Conference at the castle in Milllstatt Austria. I asked one of the guys who is serving in our children’s ministry to accompany me. It 
was a tremendous blessing. There were pastors from all over Europe. David Guzik and Brian Broderson came from the states to lead it. The pastor’s Conference is probably the most refreshing time of the year from me. Not only do I get to sit and be taught, I get to reconnect with pastors that I have made friendships with over the years, but don’t get to see during the year. It’s also a great time to catch up on what the Lord is doing in our sister churches across Europe, and to get away with the Lord to hear from Him, receive encouragement and strength.
Calvary Chapel Ansbach is doing really well. There 
are always challenges and struggles, but when you take a look at the overall picture, the Lord is to be praised. Our little fellowship is made up of about 25 adults and 15 or so kids. As you know it’s primarily American Military and people connected to to military, but we also have expats, Germans and a British family. We continue to meet Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights in our home. That’s one of our challenges. We just don’t have the space any more. As you can see we have people in the hallway, in the entry way, which you can’t see, and behind the camera. The kids meet downstairs in our basement. Just after the new year we started the Books of Acts on Sunday mornings. We also started the Book of Leviticus a few weeks ago.
We started “2:42 Thursdays” back in October. Acts 2:42 says, in regards to the early church, “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.” So every Thursday we meet and have dinner together, fellowship, have a short devotional time of teaching and then we go to prayer for God’s heart, vision and direction, for those in the church, for missionaries we support and others we know. Then we pray for friends and families. It’s been such a blessing. I only wish that everyone in the church could make it on Thursdays. Unfortunately, many drive a great distance to come to church and can’t make it during the mid week.
News about Bryan and Austin: Bryan just recently 
took a job on one of the posts working in the bowling alley. It’s a blessing because he does not need a visa to stay in Germany. Even though that is good news, Bryan’s heart is still to return to the states to further his education.
Austin just took off for Jordan. He is going there to serve the Lord and see what the Lord will do for him. He was able to get a job teaching English in a language school. He has a class of Iraqi’s students scheduled to start later this February
An England Update: We announced some six months ago, or so, that it seemed like the Lord was not going to open a door for us to go to England. It was something we really wanted to see the Lord do for us, and when it didn’t seem He was going to open that door for us, we surrendered it to the Lord knowing He had His reasons. It was something though that we didn’t really understand. The invitation was there, our hearts were there, all we need was the Lord to take us there. This week we learned that the British government, for political reasons, has revoked the visas for Calvary Chapel missionaries, Wycliff missionaries and YWAM’ers. Not going truly was the Lord’s protection for us. We would have been right in the middle of this mess, trying to figure out how we were going to leave the country on extremely short notice.
1) In spite of all that is going well for us, we still face attack and hardships. Tina and I could really use your prayers. We need the Lord’s hand on our marriage, protecting it from attack. We need times of refreshing, renewal, revival, and rejoicing.
2) We’re asking the Lord to give us a place to meet in the city. It’s quickly becoming a need and not just a desire. We need a place that is affordable, has parking and would also have a main room and a couple other rooms for Children’s ministry.
3) We need a worship leader and a middle school/teen pastor.
4) Please continue to pray for Ashley and Elijah in Jordan, and now Austin. Even though it is relatively safe there still, there is potential danger. Pray for wisdom and safety for them all.
5) Please pray for Bryan and for open doors for him.
6) Most of all, pray for our walks and for those in the church, that we would continue to focus on and follow hard after Jesus. Pray for surrender, growth, refreshing, humility, faithfulness and boldness. We want to see Jesus exalted in all we do.
We thank you for your love and prayers. As always we’re interested in hearing from you.
One last thing, we would encourage you to share this update with your friends, family and church, repost it and like it. We want to introduce others to the work the Lord has entrusted to us, to get others interested in missions and the work here in Europe.
Thank you all.
God bless,
Gary and Tina
Posted in Update by Gary Barrow with comments disabled.
Praise and Prayers
It’s amazing how fast time can slip away from you. There has been so much go on since I last wrote an update, I don’t really know what to share with you. I guess I’ll just stick to the basics and not let so much time pass till I write again.
First, Tina and I celebrated our 
30th wedding anniversary. September 1st marked the milestone for us. God was so gracious to allow us to get away and spend time together in Rome. We took five days to just get away and refresh. It went by all too fast. We walked all around the city and saw as much as we could. We got to go into the Vatican museum and the Colosseum. We walk around the Roman Forum and Circus Maximus. We went into the Pantheon, saw the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain (under restoration) as well as visiting as many churches as possible. It’s really amazing to go into churches that are not well known and see the art that is in them. Best of all, we got to share Christ with a few people. It was an amazing time that we will never forget.
Calvary Chapel Ansbach is experiencing God’s blessing. We have had a mini explosion in newcomers lately, who have decided to make CCA their home. It’s neat to see people from different walks of life come together to learn about Jesus and His heart for them, and the world
After five years, we are about to finish our Sunday morning series “The Life and Ministry of Jesus Christ in Chronological order.” It has been a tremendous blessing for everyone to see how all the gospel accounts fit together to portray Jesus Christ as the Savior of the World.
We continue to meet on Wednesday nights for prayer and Bible study through the Old Testament. We’re currently midway through the Book of Exodus.
Even though we have been experiencing many blessings, we still encountering many trials. Just because you’re not right here with us, it doesn’t mean you can’t play a big part in the work. We need your prayers, for so many things, as a couple, as a family and as a fellowship.
1. Tina and I could use your prayers. Marriages are always a target for attack. Pray that God would keep us in love and sensitive to each others needs. Please pray that I could love Tina with the same sacrificial love that Christ has for the church.
2. Pray for Bryan and Austin. Both of them would like to get back to the states and pursue their education. They also have a desire to hear the Lord’s heart for the next step in their lives, and to see Him open doors so they could take those steps. They both have sacrificed so much for the cause of Christ over the last 13 years.
3. Pray for Calvary Chapel Ansbach. 
-We have been looking for a place to meet in the city of Ansbach that would accommodate our growth and be more convenient for people to get to, both Germans and Americans.
– Pray for a worship leader for us.
– Pray that God would show us how He wants us to reach out to the community around us
– Pray that God would continue to add to our numbers.
– Pray that God would bless my study times and let me deliver His mail to His people.
– Pray for God’s anointing, to hear His heart, to serve and love His people.
– Pray that He would pour out His Spirit, that He would fill us and overwhelm us.
And as usual, if there is a prayer need you have and want to share, we’re happy to pray for you.
Thank you for your love and support.
God bless,
Gary and Tina
Posted in Update by Mike Thiemann with comments disabled.