Better than Being a FIFA Referee

Balatonszemes,Spring 2020

Sebastian kGeorgina EdelmannArea Directors for Central Europe

Email: edelmann.cef@web.de

www.cefcentraleurope.org

Kölcsey u. 1/B H-8636 Balatonszemes +36 20 775 9310' +36 84-361 367

Ruchtastr. 7 D-94161 Ruderting

Visiting the Field Together with Brother Darko

Central Europe 2019 in a Few Numbers

Darko A., the former CEF National Director of Serbia, has been my ministry assistant since October 2019. We started out by visit-ing the CEF teams in all the different countries of Central Europe together.

In addition to getting to know the mission teams, he is respon-sible for parts of various areas. We are very grateful that we can share the tasks and responsibility at this stage.

Regular Visits at the Car Repair Shop

Darko A. with Brother Nelu, the National Director ofMoldova, at the home of a local Good News Club®

The ministry of 188 CEF co-workers was assisted by 2,317 vol-unteers and more than 13,000 prayer partners. Once again, the Lord blessed their work abundantly: The local mission teams were able to reach more than 250,000 children in Central Europe with the Word of God. 1,693 prayed with counsellors asking Je-sus to grant them a new life in Him. Among the numerous ministries, 868 GNCs were held and 303

Bible camps were organised. In various training courses, 5,429 Christians were equipped for

children’s outreaches.Please join us in giving thanks for what was achieved and pray

that the Lord will provide further opportunities to preach His Word.

For years the small CEF team in Croatia has organised and carried out Good News Clubs® (GNCs), open-air summer outreaches as well as camps for children and teenagers. Lately, local co-workers and I have been visiting churches where we offer training for child evangelism.In January and February 2020 our co-workers travelled regularly to the

capital city, Zagreb, to train a small group of new born-again believers. Their church was started just 3-4 years ago through a missionary outreach by a pastor.During a visit when I attended a special worship service at which the

CEF certificate was presented, the pastor expressed his sincere gratitude: “I have already planted more than 20 churches, but this is the first time that I was offered help to evangelize children.”A young father, who together with his wife completed the Teaching Chil-

dren Effectively™ Course 1, is already putting in a lot of effort and dedica-tion into evangelism and assists at CEF outreaches. He gave up his career as a FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) referee be-cause he would far rather teach the Gospel to his own children and to many other children, too.May the Lord bless these believers with endurance and abundant fruit

when they share the Gospel with boys and girls.

Good News Club in Moldova

No, unfortunately we could not plan children’s ministries or training sessions at the car repair shop. Our regular visits were caused by techni-cal difficulties in the old mission car. Sometimes, even the manufacturers had to rack their brains to try and find the cause of the fault.

The CEF mission board approved the exchange of our car although the full amount for the replacement had not been collected yet.Can you please pray with us that the Lord will soon provide us

with the outstanding amount of approximately 2,000 EUR so thatwe are not in debt with CEF for long?

A ministry to children in Central Europe

The CEF logo is a registered trademark of Child Evangelism Fellowship Inc.

We had already had a few years’ experience in the CEF minis-try but felt the need to share the joys and burdens of our ministry with brothers and sisters in the Lord. With the help of the Lord, an advisory group was established for our ministry.This group has existed since 1992. Twice a year we spend a

Saturday together. At the meetings I give a detailed report of our personal ministry and we discuss the different aspects of our work.This group has been the incredibly strong backbone of our

personal ministry. Through the support and help from these brothers and sisters, the Lord has enabled Georgina and me to continue to do the work of the ministry even in challenging times. We have received a lot of encouragement and new mo-tivation to carry on. They do not speak of “your” but of “our” ministry. At the moment the group consists of ten married couples even if

not everyone is able to be present at every meeting. I wish that a lot of missionaries could have the support of such

a group for their ministry.

Dates for Prayer

(Due to Coronavirus we had to rework our ministry schedule and it may not be the final version.)

31.03. Chairing an internet conference

17.-23.04. Ministry visits in Kosovo and Montenegro

26.-27.04. Ministries in Croatia

Beginning of May: Various Ministries in Bereg Camp (Western Ukraine)

18.05. National Board meeting in Czechia

23.05. Membership meeting of CEF Hungary

08.-10.06. Board meeting in Bereg Camp (Western Ukraine)

19.-21.06. Ministries in Germany

21.06. Preaching in Niedernberg, Germany

22.26.06. Area Advisory Group meeting of CEF Europe (Southern Germany)

28.06. Preaching in Konstanz, Germany

05.-09.07. Teaching at the CMLC in Romania

23. to 27.07 Ministries in the Kosovo

Dates subject to alteration at short notice

Dear Brothers and Sisters,The joy of the Lord and His work continues to spur us on to give children opportunities to get to know the one and only Saviour and to receive new life from Him.Your prayers carry us and your gifts enable us to carry out the ministry. Many thanks for your dedication and commitment. May our Lord be with you!

In Him

Advisory Group: Faithful Companions News in Brief

• There are only a few places left for the CMLC (Children’s Min-istry Leadership Course™) in Sibiu, Romania in summer 2020. Please pray for the training course. Several students would ap-preciate our prayers for their travel expenses and course fees (the latter are actually the costs for board and lodging).

• In Bereg Camp (CEF camp in Western Ukraine), Bible camps were held throughout the winter. Please pray for the prepara-tions for the summer camps and also for the building work (new kitchen, dining room, meeting hall). May the Lord pro-vide the remaining amount required to complete the work (ap-prox. 500,000 EUR). We are also praying for a car (pickup) for the camp.

• Daniel, our son (23), had meningitis at Christmas. We are grateful that the Lord provided good medical care in the midst of the severe and dangerous illness and a quick recovery with no complications.

Time Schedule

Some dear friends, who do not see us regularly, pose the question: “Are you already retired or when will you be?”Here is our current plan:• Until May 2021: Giving leadership to the CEF ministry in Cen-

tral Europe • Summer 2021: transition tasks in the office • From September 2021: Sebastian is planning to carry on doing

some work for the CEF but reduce his hours. We will write about the nature of this work in greater detail in the next prayer letter.

• Georgina will only reach retirement age in spring 2022. She is to continue her ministry (office administration, online correspon-dence with children, etc.) until then.

Thus, we still depend on the loving support from dear brothers and sisters and are extremely grateful for it.Our meeting in October 2019

Address for contributions in GermanyKEB-Deutschland e. V.

IBAN: DE66 5206 0410 0004 0004 55BIC: GENODEF1EK1

Designation: Edelmann (or name the project)

Address for contributions in USAChild Evangelism Fellowship Inc. P.O. Box 348,

Warrenton, MO 63383E200 3123 000 (Sebastian Edelmann)

In other countries:Through the CEF National Offices

Please designate the contributions for “Edelmann” or a special project.