CSM 2008Finally an update from our great experience once again at CSM- College of Student Ministry- 2 week training for students in SFC groups around Europe as well as for SFC missionaries like us. It proved to be a growing time for us all and we left being both encouraged and strengthened. The SFC Europe community is such a privledge to be a part of. We are continually amazed at the hearts of those we are working with and how God is moving in the hearts of students. I don't know if we've ever experienced the Kingdom of God here on earth as expressed through this multi-cultural community. It truly is heavenly to all be joined together, lifting one another up, with the shared purpose of worshipping Jesus!

Kelly and I with Siri Helene- freshman student from Trondheim- 1st Norwegian student at CSM and on fire!

Johnny- works in Trondheim and is involved with our ministry, sharing the inspiration God had given him to draw this picture at the Talent Night

Visiting Brugge, Belgium on our free day. Were able to be together again with our friends Phil and Katja who were interning in Duluth with Brett. They just arrived in Sweden this year as fully appointed missionaries to the university students of Stockholm.

Some of us in our night out in Brussels

Some scenes from our day trip to Brugge, a beautiful canal city

Nothing like Belgian Chocolate mousse to add to the Belgium experience- there are no words...

Inspiration: Two single missionaries committed to reaching students- Nadine in Spain and Krystal in Greece- they are amazing!

Finnish missionary to Thailand, students from Germany, Africa, Czech Republic, and Iran

Us at the bi-annual Flower Carpet in Brussels

**************************************************************************
Tribute to Joe Zickafoose
During CSM we lost a dear friend and collegue. Some of you may remember our requests for prayer for Joe who with his wife and 2 teenage boys were student missionaries to Scotland. Joe was diagnosed with bone cancer this past January. We only knew Joe since becoming a part of SFC when we moved to Norway, but were blessed to become friends with him over several of our Europe gatherings and even visited him and his ministry in Scotland last year to glean from his years of experience in reaching students and his innovative ideas doing ministry in Scotland. We appreciated his humor and his wisdom so much and he was dearly loved by many around the world who have been praying for his healing. We spent a lot of time praying for him while at CSM and felt encouraged about the ability of God to heal him. However, God had other plans that we will never fully understand and the SFC staff all received the sad news together that he had gone home to be with the One to whom he had dedicated His life. This experience of sorrow brought our community together even more and though it is difficult for us to understand this loss of such an amazing man too early in life, we felt God comforting us and know that Joe is now truly free, healed, and in all fullness of Joy. It is in times such as these that we must choose to trust God. Please pray for his wife and boys as they deal with this incredible loss, as well as all those who knew him. We are truly blessed to have known him.

We will miss you Joe....