Just Like a Tree, I Shall Not be Moved

The quaint town of Jübar flanked by its Linden trees. (Photo by Vanellus Foto)[/caption]

Because satellite dishes are not allowed in many cities in Germany, traditional broadcast of Hope Channel is not always feasible. And that’s why live streaming is so very essential to the work of Hope Channel Germany. Whether it be densely populated Frankfurt or the quaint village of Jübar, whether it be a satellite dish or an Internet browser, biblical truth is reaching many and making a difference in people’s lives.

Home to about 2,000 inhabitants, Jübar is steeped in history and tradition. From its first mention in the history books in 1308 AD, Jübar has been home to generations of families. One of the families is Mrs. P.’s.

Flipping through the channels one day, Mrs. P. was intrigued by the name of a show: faith.stories.* Klaus Popa, the speaker, appealed to her just as much as the name of the show. Something about his voice and his mannerism kept Mrs. P. from changing channels.

“Klaus Popa is a wonderful teacher,” says Mrs. P. “It is like sitting at the table with a friend.” Soon Mrs. P. became a Sabbath keeper. Every Friday evening, her home was blessed with her commitment to spend quality time with God.

But that wasn’t enough. Eager to find out more, she began browsing the Hope Channel Germany website. There she discovered the free enrollment to a Bible Correspondence school and asked for lessons.

But that wasn’t enough either. She then began searching the Internet for a Seventh-day Adventist church close to her. The closest church was 30 kilometers away. Suffering from multiple sclerosis, Mrs. P. could not tolerate the long journey to church. So she phoned the pastor to see if there was some way she could learn more about the Bible without being in church. The pastor replied saying he’d travel to her house and study with her. “I wanted to learn everything I could about the Bible,” recalls Mrs. P. “If I could have, I would have watched Hope Channel all day and all night.”

Mrs. P. just could not let her physical condition get in the way of fellowshipping with others. So she invited four of her friends to spend Sabbath in her home. Using Hope Channel shows that she records during the week, Mrs. P. now leads out in regular Bible studies. “I love to tell people everywhere about Hope Channel. I want to tell the world,” said Mrs. P. in a recent letter to Hope Channel Germany.

Mrs. P.’s determination to share God is much like the town of Jübar that has survived time. Mrs. P.’s story will live on in the annals of Hope Channel much like the famous two Linden trees in Jübar. Almost a thousand years old, the trees have stood through the test of nature and the test of time. They are so old that they are hollow inside. Yet they stand tall and green, harnessing the attention of everyone.

* a verse-by-serve explanation of the Bible, beginning at the start with Genesis 1:1.

For more stories like this one, check out the latest issue of HopeLink.