and new responsibilities
Wow! 7 months in Linz and 6 months into our roles with OM in Austria. We’re definitely in that weird season where it feels like we’ve only just arrived, but also like we been here for years and not months. Adding to this feeling is the fact that summer has brought with it a whole new city to meet and get to know. Gone is the quiet, muffled grey of winter. The weather is now warm and sunny (most days), the streets are bustling and the days are much longer. This has caught us by surprise and actually took a few weeks for us to adjust to, but we like this new part of living in Linz.
New Responsibilities
In addition to a new city, we have both taken on some new responsibilities. Due to some health challenges with one of colleagues, I (John) have taken on the responsibility for overseeing the application and sending processes for Austrians going overseas with OM. I am very grateful for my experience in Personnel on Logos Hope, which gave me a lot of skills which I am now using. It has been very helpful for me in my responsibility as a mobiliser in Austria to learn our processes and procedures for sending people. Dane has also taken on more aspects of People Care for those we send globally and has been responsible for the recent Einführungseminar (Introductory workshop) that took place and making arrangements for 3 participants going to the GO Conference (OM’s central orientation conference for those going longer than 6 months) at the end of August.
Schladminger Jugendtag
We had a great opportunity to partner with OM in Germany during this year’s Schladinger Jugendtag. About 400 teens and young adults from Lutheran churches across Austria come together for 2 days in the beautiful town of Schladming to spend time having fun together, growing in their relationship with God and being challenged to think deeper about how to live their faith outwardly towards those that don’t know Jesus.
As an OM team we were able to engage over 100 young people in 3 different ways:
- We had our OM stand, with two fun competitions which encouraged participants to think about going to the ends of the earth and praying for the least reached people there.
- Our colleague from OM in German brought a very effective interactive activity from One Hope, based on the Global Youth Culture research, which drew a lot of people into conversations about the state of Christianity among youth today. (If you are at all interested in today’s youth and the complexity of their lives and faith this report is worth reading.)
- We also ran 2 workshops, based on the book Surprise The World! by Michael Frost, challenging and equipping those who attended to live out their faith in their context in simple, practical, doable ways.
One Missions EscapeRoom
In the middle of June, we were able to run 7 rounds of our One Mission Escape Room with about 30 teens from a few different youth groups in and around Salzburg. The Escape Room lets participants experience a very small part of what its like to be part of an underground church, while having to solve a series of puzzles to contact a local pastor and finally discover the hidden message. It was great to be able to talk with the groups afterwards about the reality of Christian persecution in many countries around the world, to reflect on the freedoms here in Austria and to challenge them to think about how they might respond.
Cori and Lily
As the end of the school year rapidly approaches, I (Dané) am so overwhelmed with gratefulness for our girls. They have stepped up to the challenge of a new life, in a new country, with a new language and culture in a way that I am astounded by. While things have by no means been easy for them, they have flourished, like pieces of carbon turning into diamonds under the pressure.
We have had such encouraging conversations with their teachers about their progress in German (Cori will not have to return to the Integration class for the new year), their confidence and their ability to make new friends and adjust to the different ways of doing things here.
With 9 weeks of holidays ahead of us, the girls are looking forward to a bit less routine, and endless days of cycling, swimming and playing… Austrians are extremely outdoors and nature orientated, and we have embraced this part of their culture.
They are also looking forward to Nanna and Pompa (Benn grandparents) coming to visit for almost 3 weeks at the end of summer.
We are so grateful to have each of you with us on this journey. None of us should be working along to do our part in God’s mission and we are so thankful to be connected with so many Jesus followers around the world.
We would love to hear your stories or prayer requests too, so please do feel free to send us an email or WhatsApp.
in His light and love,
Zippy, Dané, Cori and Lily
Here are some additional reports and links from the broader OM work that we, together, are a part of:
OM Ships could be a great step out of your comfort zone
We see and hear, over and over again, how serving on board one of OM’s ships challenges, grows, shapes and propels Jesus followers into deeper relationship with God and bolder lives that proclaim the Good News.
You can find more information HERE or reach out to us for a conversation about our experience on board
OM Annual Report for 2022
A thought-provoking interview with Trizenia, a young, female South African serving on the OM Africa Area Leadership Team:
The Benns 