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L’ABRI FELLOWSHIP
Chalet Bellevue , 1884 Huemoz , Switzerland
TEL: 41-24-495-2139
Fax: 41-24-495-7647

www.labri.org/swiss
swiss@labri.org



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May 2010 Newsletter

Dear Friends,

We are nearing the end of the 2010 winter term, though it seems like not long ago that we were ushering in the New Year! The snow is almost gone and we are experiencing clearer days, which make the mountains appear all the more stunning. We are constantly thankful, not only for the location of the Swiss Branch, but also for the visitors that show up on our doorstep, and for the way God weaves daily events and conversations together to impact people on a regular basis. Though we sometimes feel a bit isolated and unnoticed in the Swiss Alps, we are confident that God is changing lives and making Himself known in the simple ways that we live together as a community.

When it comes to God’s work in transforming lives, consider the story of a student named Jen (not her real name) who came to L’Abri a few terms ago to study the topic of love. Jen came to us as a struggling Christian. She knew intellectually that she was “supposed” to love others, but she was continually frustrated with failed attempts at expressing that love in a practical way. She desperately wanted the truth of God’s love to penetrate her heart and change the way she treated others. Over time, it became evident that an excessive self-focus was at the root her problem. This focus made it difficult for her to see others as others, with their own needs, feelings, goals, and dreams. It was a sobering insight for Jen, but she found encouragement in the idea that all Christians struggle with this problem in different ways and that she didn’t have to get “completely fixed” in order to grow spiritually. She could embrace the fact of being a sinner alongside the more profound realities of divine grace, new identity, hope, goodness, and redemption in her life. In all, Jen benefited from L’Abri because she gained a clearer understanding of her own sin but with the hope that gradual change could be a positive thing. This gave her enough freedom to take more risks in loving others without needing it to be perfect. Let us celebrate what God has done in Jen’s life!

This winter term has kept us on our toes. Though student numbers have been fluctuating, we were delighted to have high numbers earlier in the term and are thankful that students are choosing to visit us despite the financial difficulties of travel, issuing from the current economic situation. Financial gifts, especially recently, have been way down, and there is no doubt that many people and ministries are struggling in similar ways, but we are still very grateful for what God is providing.

As usual, the students are asking very complex questions that defy simplistic answers. Many are asking about the nature of forgiveness in a world where the consequences of our actions can go far beyond what we intend to do. Others have been seeking clarity on the meaning of Christian faith, its relation to hope, and the importance of repentance in receiving God’s grace and following Jesus. Please pray for us as we face the daunting but rewarding task of formulating and communicating honest answers to the questions that come our way.

This term’s lecture circuit has added further depth to our students’ questions. We were delighted to have Professor Cees Dekker of Delft University, Netherlands, come to speak in mid-January on the interface between science and religion. The staff have also been offering lectures on a diversity of topics such as art, gender roles, the resurrection of Jesus (very appropriate for the Easter season), the nature of hope, and the status of theology today.

As ideas are circulating throughout the community, we are keeping busy with several projects. Grounds crews have been clearing and moving wood and branches to create more space around various chalets. We’ve also been doing some spring cleaning in Chalet Bellevue over the last couple of months, such as clearing out junk in old storage compartments and replacing some worn out furniture. It’s been a challenging but worthwhile process. As many of you well know, we are anticipating the yearly members meeting which will be happening in mid-April of this year. This means that L’Abri members from branches throughout the world will be gathering together in Huémoz Switzerland to reconnect, share ideas, and assist each other in creatively moving forward in the work. This takes a lot of preparation and we ask for you prayers that this would be a fruitful time for everyone. Honestly, with all of these projects on the go, there have been numerous occasions when we have not been as patient or wise as we should have been. It is easy to slip into the tendency to try and organize everything without waiting for God to lead us forward, one step at a time. We need strength to trust that He will guide the future of the work in His good time.

Many of our newsletter subscribers ask about Mrs. Schaeffer, so we are happy to inform you that she has been doing quite well these days. Continue to pray for her, as she is slowing down, but is otherwise in good health. We are also thankful that George and Eileen Diepstra, who went back to the United States for family reasons, will be returning to serve at our Branch in Chalet les Mélèzes at the beginning of May. We miss their presence here.

In all, we would like to thank all of you for continuing to be interested in the work of L’Abri and for supporting this Branch through the years. We would not be able to move forward without your generosity, compassion, and encouragement. Most of all, we would like to send Easter greetings to everyone, as this is a special time of year when we get to celebrate the hope we have in Christ – his resurrection being the “dawn” of a new world promised to us.

Yours in Christ’s service,

Thomas Rauchenstein
(Staff in Bellevue)

*All address changes and requests for the Swiss Newsletter and Prayer letter should be sent to our Swiss address or to by email to swissmailings@labri.org .

**Tax-free receipts for gifts meant specifically for the work of the Swiss branch are available from Switzerland when the gifts are sent either to Huémoz or to the Rochester address with a note specifying its designation for Swiss L’Abri.

*** Swiss Address: L'Abri Fellowship, Chalet Bellevue, 1884 Huémoz, Canton de Vaud, Switzerland. Our U.S. Address: L'Abri Fellowship, 1465 12th Avenue N.E. Rochester, MN. 55906, USA.