a

XwUiQ U/aier
IN THE MIDST OF A DESERT

Volume 12, Number 2

July - December,1976

AN INTERN SPEAKS
HiaU,

Haying departed Greensboro, North

was that Ken and I were involved in start

ing a congregation for the American service

Carolina via Piedmont airlines on the morn

people in the area. From reports I now re

ing of May 31, 1975, Kenneth McFarling

and I found ourselves enroute to a summer

ceive this congregation is growing and souls

are being immersed into'Christ for remis

as exciting and funfilled as any we had ever

spent. As we sat in the plane and as I was

sion of their sins and for this, we can praise

finally deciding the pilot COULD fly the

craft and that the wings WEREN'T going to
fall off, I began contemplating our en
deavor. Here we were at 35,000 feet, two
students of a little West Virginia Bible col
lege, actually crossing the great ocean in
response to Christ's commission "Go ye
therefore and teach all nations. . (Matt.
28:18-20). There's no description of the
excitement we experienced. Now, I'd
never been up in one of those big planes be
fore so Ken had a time keeping me calmed

I figure that, as well as more interns, are

needed; those considering becoming one
should be willing and able to cope with the

down. However, after some 20 hours of

flying, changing flights, waiting on planes,

the Lord.

''

differences in customs and culture. This is

important. A desire to serve the Lord is all

that is really necessary, but, a bit of skill in

teaching, "kid" handling, elementary me
chanics, politics, and high finance, book
keeping and various other little chores ARE
beneficial.

An internship program such as this

should be as beneficial to others as it was
to me. It allowed me to become better

and more flying, we agreed that it didn't

take long for the newness to wear off.

acquainted with the work and responsibili

ties of a missionary on the field, which is
useful in relating to others exactly what the

Well, the trip over was only the first of

many thrills involved with my summer in
ternship with Alva and Janice Phillips of

to know that I had accepted the responsibi

the Black Forest Christian Mission. Tliere

was the thrill of observing and assisting in

the work of a missionary. There was the

thrill of observing and assisting in the work

of a German people, their customs and
their language. There was also the kids. I
did a lot of work with them and really en
joyed it. I feel that the most thrilling thrill

mission's needs are. It was gratifying to me

lities of such a venture and succeeded

through to the completion of the summer.

As far as a disadvantage, all I can come
up with is that a summer is not really
enough time to grasp fully the "whole

role of a year round missionary but it does

give a pretty good picture.

V. B. S. IN BERLIN

children's Easter vacation. We worked with

joined in with little odd jobs to put the

finishing preparation on V.B.S.
After a good night's rest, we faced the
wonderful challenge of sharing Christ with
each child who was willing to listen.
Praises be to God, the attendance improved
each day and so did the challenge. Chil
dren, the world over, want to be loved,
needed, appreciated and cared for. Oh,
how clearly our wonderful Lord drove this
point home during the week. We con
cluded the week with 29 children, and just
thanked God for each one of them, no mat
ter how difficult they tried to be. It is now
our prayer that God will continue to nur
ture the seed that was planted during this
week. These precious lives, if nurtured and
taught properly can be the church of
tomorrow, or they can be left to starve
spiritually and become Berlin's biggest
gangsters. What are you doing to help nur
ture children in the right way? Are you
setting a Christ-like example for them? Do
you accept the challenge of teaching them
in the way of the Lord? Do you pray for
them daily to be nurtured in God's love?
Do you see the point I'm making? It re
quires each of us working together, in our
own small or large ways, to train them up
in the Lord. God can and will do great

Dale and Barbara Mallory and David and

Marge DeVilder. The joy truly was ours.

things"even for the children ~ if you and

I will let Him. Pray for these needy souls.

FFPVNKT

Berlin V. B. S.

>

Have you ever stopped to think how

valuable or important the training of a
child really is? Have you ever accepted the
challenge of sharing Christ and His will for
their life with them? Why not? It ia a
most rewarding challenge.
God opened that door of opportunity to
us the last of April, from the 26th through
the 30th. We were asked to come to Berlin

to conduct a week of V.B.S. during the

Weeks in advance, we made up the handi

craft projects for the week and then trans
ported them with us.
We arrived in Berlin by British Airways
on Sunday afternoon. Of course, we had
helped hold services that same morning in
Gechingen. Ray Piper rushed us to the
plane following services. Upon arrival, we
were met by Dale Mallory and Dave De
Vilder, who grabbed our luggage and swept
us off to Dave's apartment. Marge was
finishing up the trimmings on a delicious
supper. Yummy! We helped what little we
could by putting the food into our stom
ach. We left the empty dishes and hurried
off to evening worship services where Alva
preached in German. It was such a joy,
:being with our brothers and sisters in Christ
in Berlin.
After services, each person

Alva teaching the children

HELP! WORKERS ARE NEEDED!

Since the first part of December, our
workers on the field have been slowly
dwindling in number. Miss Jill Farmer is
now working with Sid and Mary Allsbury
in the Frankfort area, in the town of Oberursel. Lord willing, Linda Dayhoff will be
joining the Mallorys in the Lord's work in
Berlin around the first part of July. For
this we are also very thankful.
Rick and Delia Deighton, who have
labored together with us for about six
years, are now making plans to move to
Heilbronn, to work with a military group
of believers there.

The needs here in the

Stuttgart area are so very great. Rick is

truly going to have his hands full with the
work in Heilbronn. But that leaves a great
need for someone to work full time at Ech-

terdingen with the military people. Then,

too, there's the Lord's work being carried
on here in Gechingen. This involves Eng
lish and German worship services being

held simultaneously plus Junior Church for

the children. As Deightons plan to mOve at
the end of June, this will leave only Alva,
Janice and Debbie Phillips in charge of the
leadership. We need your urgent prayers
that God will grant wisdom each step of
the way.
The Phillips have three youth groups
under their leadership, the Children's Bible
Hour, the German Adult Bible Study, and
requests have been made for the beginning
of an English Bible Study during the week.
Of course, we do not want to overlook the
great need in the Augsburg area either.
There are spiritually hungry young men in
this area, too. We have been going down
once or twice a month to spiritually uplift
and encourage them. Your prayers on be
half of these

Christians

would

also

be

greatly appreciated. God will meet every

need we lay before Him.

IT'S A NEW FORD TRANSIT BUS

Yes,it is! It's a neat blue bus which God
has made possible to us through you. His
children. Praises be to God, we can now
travel anywhere we need to go for the
Lord without any hesitation. It rides so
much better, gets much better gas mileage,
and makes every trip a joy to face. How
can we ever thank you or the Lord enough
for all that has been done for us.

The bus is used for each of the youth

groups, for Sunday services, the Children's
Bible Hour, for the Bible students, and for
the camp program. Needless to say, it
truly gets a good working out. With the
present payment having been made, the

bus is now 2/3 paid off. Praises be to God.

Keep up the good work. God will richly
repay you for it.

The Bus

Jay Enck has been a Christian since

A FEW OF THE

September. That was truly a thrilling day

for all of us here. Since that day, Jay has

G. I.'S

grown quite rapidly in the Lord and is

Jack Dewson, better known to us as

J.D., has been meeting regularly with us

since last fall (1975). He was immersed in
to Christ then and has been witnessing for

Him right along. He serves as an M.P.(Mili

tary Policeman) and enjoys his work very
much. Just recently we have all become
quite concerned about him and his co-

now working with the idea of presenting a

lesson or a sermon once a month for the

English services. Please pray for Jay,as he

continues to let God use him. Jay was
responsible for winning Ray Piper to
Christ. It's so thrilling to see God take His
babes and use them to reach the lost. Jay
comes from Pennsylvania.

workers, because of bomb scares. We hope

no bombs turn up. Pray for J. D, as he
grows in God's love. He has been respon
sible for bringing another young man to
Christ and desires to always be used of
Him. J. D.comes from California.

Jay Enck

Ray Piper

Ray Piper comes from New Hampshire

and has been a real encouragement to the

congregation here, too. He has had a rough

background, but God is molding it into
something very beautiful - as He is doing
also with J. D. and Jay. Ray is a helicopter
mechanic and Jay is an airplane mechanic.

Please remember these fellows in your

Jack Dewson

prayers, as they daily rub shoulders with

those who need Christ.

Mr. and Mrs. Alva Phillips

7261 Stammheim/CALW
Postfach 15, West Germany

FORWARDING AGENT:
Black Forest Christian Mission

c/o Mrs. Wilbur Saph

4760 Curtis Avenue

Dearborn, MI 48126

Printed by Mission Services Press P.O. Box 177,Kempton,IN 46049

BLACK JfOBBKT CHi:ilSTIi.H MISSION. INC.

Forwarding Agent:
Mrs. Wilbur G. Saph

Mrs*^Alva'^A*^PAillip8
Po^tfacb 815 A. P 1 p

?ii'

'

West Germany

FALL NEWSLETTER - 1976

Dear Co-Werkers in Christ,

i.

The Lord has opened up a wonderful opportunity for us to purchase

a printing press, and equipment for a print shop, in two price ranges.
We will either purcnase an A.B. Dick table model press and equipment
needed at the moment for approximately $A,000 or an A.B. Dick floer
medel which does a better job and will help the printing ministry to
broaden its effortsalong with the needed stencilling machines for

approximately $8,000. The A.B. Dick Co. requires us to go to school to

learn to run the machine for the final arrangements are made for set
ting up the print shop. They require a minimum of 2 to go for schooling.

Lord willing. Jay Enck will be attending the English printing classes in
Oct. which are more inclusive than the German classes which Janice
Phillips will be attending in latter part of Sept. Please be in prayer

for both of them. BUT even greater yet, remember the press and print shop

needs in your prayers, because the final answer as to which press we 11

be paying cash for must be decided by
15th. We are confident this is

what the Lord wants us to do as He has been laading each step of the way.
All of this equipment is usednew equipment would more than double the.
purchase price.

Praises be to God-Alva is slowly on the mend. From what? Well, he

had a circulatory collapse. It reacuea iuuv^u iixe an epileptic

except it lasted for about 2 hrs. He was taken to the hospital ^d kept
for 5 days while all kinds of tests were taken. Tests were negative so
Janice brought him home to rest.The family doctor. Dr. Goldbach, for
whom many of you have been praying, said Alva must have complete ^st
for one month-which means no preaching, no studying,
manual labor
to make him tired. He tires easily ana this is good as
^
easily. Lacx of workers and Alva*s illness has caused
to cancel the
Children's Bible Hour and 2 Youth Groups. Pray with us that this will
be temporary. The Germans have been helping with the German uervices
and the Americans have been helping with the English Services. God is

working it out so that everyone is being placed in some type of leader

appointed when German Camp was rained out after three days but t"
children enjoyed it as long as it lasted. We thank God for those few
days granted to the children to learn more about Him and His way for
ship, which helps them to grow. Our Lord is wonderful. We

their

patient with usthe financial report will be in the

next newsletter. Alva's illness has placed more demands on J&nice and
her time is limited. Please be in prayer for all of us as we seek to
continue to do His work and His will. Thank you all for being so
understanding.

.-u , a.

Let us always remind ourselves of the honor and responsibility

it is to share His work and word to those about us.
In His love.

The Phillips

Alva, Janice and Debbie