Good stuff happening. Bad stuff not happening
May 1st report:
(Walpurgis Night and 1st of May)
This 1st of May was the most peaceful since almost 20 years" the Berlin press reported. The night before May 1st was almost completely peaceful, attempts to cause violence failed. One amunition depot (cobble stones) was discovered beforehand.
On May 1st it was peaceful throughout the whole day, with tension rising in the evening and some people trying to start street fights. There was one car that was turned over, a little damage on police car, but no comparison to the past years were almost 180 (2003) policemen were injured and damage worth 1 MIllion Euro was caused.
The prayer people who were out on the streets are tired, but happy - it was great fun to see answers to prayers right before your eyes. And some could even share the Lord with young people who had come to throw stones, but left with John 3, 16 written on their hands and hopefully on their hearts, too.
The police had acted so wisely already in 2004 that this year policemen from Holland, Switzerland and the Czech republic came to learn from them. Maybe we should tell them that at least some of the secrets of the success of the police lies in the fact that they were covered in prayer. We had prayed specifically that God would give them wisdom and of course we prayed against violence on the streets. We are all happy - in spite of some "casualties" on our team: One girl twisted her ankle badly and another one lost her internet shop in a hacker attack the day after the prayer. We pray for full restoration of both and protection on the team!).
May 8 report:
(Memorial Events for the 60th anniversary of the end of WW 2)
A big thank you to everyone who prayed for us on May 8. The situation was tense. On the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II 3000 Neonazis (less than expected) and 6000 left wing demonstrators (about 1500 of them were considered to be militant anarchists) came to Berlin to use the celebrations to propagate their ideas. Because Germany is a democracy they were allowed to demonstrate - even though they were not welcomed by most people. It looked as if violence was inevitable. However: God answered all of our prayers:
- The memorial celebrations were good and in some ways even prophetic. The speakers like President Koehler and Bishop Huber spoke about the guilt and the pain of the past (Huber: "If you believe it is easier to admit guilt"), but also about the responsibility and role Germany has to play in the World of today. All over Berlin people celebrated peacefully.
- The "barrier" which the police built between the two groups of demonstrators remained firm and could not be broken through.
- There were peaceful protests against the Neonazis. Thousands of people blocked the road where they had wanted to march. So in the end the Neonazis had to cancel their demonstration as it was impossible for the police to clear the road for them (not that they had wanted to do it anyhow!)
- There was no violence (exept a few stones that were thrown) and nobody was injured and nothing was damaged.
- The Nazis did not mention to draw the attention of the public (nobody was there) and the (international) press did not zoom in on them, but reported mostly about the democratic celebrations.
- We could share with a number of journalists and policemen that we were there to pray for peace. Some were surprised "do you think this helps" others reported positively: "There is a handful of people standing on the empty place in front of the Townhall. "We pray that things remain peaceful" sais one young man. They are part of "Together for Berlin" an association of Berlin Christians. "We pray that God would give wisdom to the police!" a woman sais. It looks as if their prayers are being answered. (reported in Weser Kurier, Bremen)
What more shall I say. I do not have time to tell about Rosemarie, Markus, Julius, Michael, Christine and all the other intercessors, who through faith conquered anarchist and nazi kingdoms, administerd justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of angry witchcraft demonstrators, quenched the fury of the flames of agression and escaped the edge of the Sword and the flying stones, whose weakness was turned to strenght and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies" (Hebr. 11, 32-34 in the New Berlin Translation)
Thanks again to all of you who joined us in prayer! We would not have been able to cope with all of this pressure and potential for violence without your help.
It is our desire that Berlin would become a city of light and that May in Berlin would be the month where God is meeting people. Feel free to join us in Berlin in prayer and action and feel free to pass these good news on to others who care about our nation.
(Walpurgis Night and 1st of May)
This 1st of May was the most peaceful since almost 20 years" the Berlin press reported. The night before May 1st was almost completely peaceful, attempts to cause violence failed. One amunition depot (cobble stones) was discovered beforehand.
On May 1st it was peaceful throughout the whole day, with tension rising in the evening and some people trying to start street fights. There was one car that was turned over, a little damage on police car, but no comparison to the past years were almost 180 (2003) policemen were injured and damage worth 1 MIllion Euro was caused.
The prayer people who were out on the streets are tired, but happy - it was great fun to see answers to prayers right before your eyes. And some could even share the Lord with young people who had come to throw stones, but left with John 3, 16 written on their hands and hopefully on their hearts, too.
The police had acted so wisely already in 2004 that this year policemen from Holland, Switzerland and the Czech republic came to learn from them. Maybe we should tell them that at least some of the secrets of the success of the police lies in the fact that they were covered in prayer. We had prayed specifically that God would give them wisdom and of course we prayed against violence on the streets. We are all happy - in spite of some "casualties" on our team: One girl twisted her ankle badly and another one lost her internet shop in a hacker attack the day after the prayer. We pray for full restoration of both and protection on the team!).
May 8 report:
(Memorial Events for the 60th anniversary of the end of WW 2)
A big thank you to everyone who prayed for us on May 8. The situation was tense. On the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II 3000 Neonazis (less than expected) and 6000 left wing demonstrators (about 1500 of them were considered to be militant anarchists) came to Berlin to use the celebrations to propagate their ideas. Because Germany is a democracy they were allowed to demonstrate - even though they were not welcomed by most people. It looked as if violence was inevitable. However: God answered all of our prayers:
- The memorial celebrations were good and in some ways even prophetic. The speakers like President Koehler and Bishop Huber spoke about the guilt and the pain of the past (Huber: "If you believe it is easier to admit guilt"), but also about the responsibility and role Germany has to play in the World of today. All over Berlin people celebrated peacefully.
- The "barrier" which the police built between the two groups of demonstrators remained firm and could not be broken through.
- There were peaceful protests against the Neonazis. Thousands of people blocked the road where they had wanted to march. So in the end the Neonazis had to cancel their demonstration as it was impossible for the police to clear the road for them (not that they had wanted to do it anyhow!)
- There was no violence (exept a few stones that were thrown) and nobody was injured and nothing was damaged.
- The Nazis did not mention to draw the attention of the public (nobody was there) and the (international) press did not zoom in on them, but reported mostly about the democratic celebrations.
- We could share with a number of journalists and policemen that we were there to pray for peace. Some were surprised "do you think this helps" others reported positively: "There is a handful of people standing on the empty place in front of the Townhall. "We pray that things remain peaceful" sais one young man. They are part of "Together for Berlin" an association of Berlin Christians. "We pray that God would give wisdom to the police!" a woman sais. It looks as if their prayers are being answered. (reported in Weser Kurier, Bremen)
What more shall I say. I do not have time to tell about Rosemarie, Markus, Julius, Michael, Christine and all the other intercessors, who through faith conquered anarchist and nazi kingdoms, administerd justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of angry witchcraft demonstrators, quenched the fury of the flames of agression and escaped the edge of the Sword and the flying stones, whose weakness was turned to strenght and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies" (Hebr. 11, 32-34 in the New Berlin Translation)
Thanks again to all of you who joined us in prayer! We would not have been able to cope with all of this pressure and potential for violence without your help.
It is our desire that Berlin would become a city of light and that May in Berlin would be the month where God is meeting people. Feel free to join us in Berlin in prayer and action and feel free to pass these good news on to others who care about our nation.
posted by Kerstin Hack at
2:20 PM
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