Revival Village

On Tuesday, July 28, 2009, I was witness to and participant in an appointed time from God. A deeply significant day in which we connected with God’s divine purpose and heart for a nation, a region, a village, and our own lives. This day began at 7 am when our team walked together with Pastor Frank and Heribert and Andrea Binder into the forest to the spot where, in 1722 Christian David felled the first tree to begin building a place of safety for the religious refugees who would become the community of Herrnhut. In Cyprus, the Lord spoke to Norm Frederick about the pouring out of wine and oil as we ourselves are being poured out. We brought with us from Cyprus a local bottle of wine and a bottle of oil from our own olives on our land. In this spot in the forest so many years ago, Christian David performed an act of faith in obedience to God for a purpose deeper than he himself could know. And so we also took a step into a destiny wider than ourselves and deeper than our hopes. As we stood with our hands open and Norm poured out the wine and oil into our hands to flow onto the ground, we cried out for His oil of healing and anointing and His wine of new life and His precious blood to go deep into the soil, bringing healing to this land and a restoration of its purpose and destiny. Heribert shared with us from the story in Luke 10 of the Good Samaritan who, though he was a stranger, poured out wine and oil on the wounds of the man and brought him to a place of security and healing. Though we are strangers in this land (those of us who are not German) we want to pour out our lives and see God’s healing in this nation.




After a time of prayer, we walked back through the forest and got in our vans to take a day trip to the village of Pölzig. This is the village where 7 of the 9 Heidel children were born and where their father pastored for 35 years. There have been many, many seeds planted in this soil, and yet the harvest has been delayed. The Lord spoke many years ago that this was a “revival village,” and through the years of disappointment and lost zeal it became a place of pain. BUT, God’s words are true and His calling irrevocable. A few months ago, the Lord gave dreams to Norman, Ruben, and Joel Heidel, each about Pölzig and about what God still desires to do there. Deeply stirred, but unsure of what exactly they were to do, they planned to take a trip with our team just to be there and pray and see what God would say. A few days before our excursion, Norman heard from two of his sisters that they had heard we were going and wanted to come too. One of these sisters had also received a dream about this village where she had lived and ministered with her family for so many years. We all met up in Pölzig Tuesday morning without any real agenda other than to be led by the Spirit.

We first went to the place where the castle once stood. We learned that this village was born when in the twelfth century this castle was given as a gift to a count who had gone to Jerusalem to fight in the crusades. As we stood in this spot, we were awakened to the amazing goodness of God to bring things full circle. Long ago someone went to Jerusalem on a quest to bring salvation, but instead bringing destruction and devastation. Yet God will have the victory and has now sent out multiple missionaries from this same village to go to Israel in humility, love, and service. To show the people how they can receive their own Messiah and His salvation and new life. We stood on the castle grounds and prayed out blessings over Israel. We also learned that there is a connection between Pölzig and Herrnhut—two places that would seem to have no connection. We learned that Count Zinzendorf and the count at Pölzig were friends, and Zinzendorf used to make visits to Pölzig and have revival meetings with the count. The revelation Zinzendorf had regarding the Jewish Messiah and regarding the outpouring of the Holy Spirit overflowed in this friendship, and there has been a long history in this little village of seeds of revival and prayers for Israel. In those days, they were rejected by the church and the villagers and so had to hold the revival meetings in the castle with mostly people from outside the village participating; however, we know that there is still a revival to come that we believe will be birthed from within the village itself.

But it was not only for intercession for things yet unseen that God brought us to Pölzig; He had prepared a time of breakthrough in the here and now, in a very tangible way, for the members of the Heidel family who were present. The night before, the Lord put it in our hearts to cry out for 2,000 salvations in a day. And though we did not preach the Gospel and lead thousands in prayers of repentance that day, I believe that the prayers of repentance and forgiveness, and the healing that was received were such that unlocked the door in the heavenlies, and that truly 2000 souls will come to revival as a result of these events, not only of this day, but also of the years of sewing and watering and the centuries of faithful people doing the same. I want to share the testimonies of the two Heidel sisters who were with us—Marit and Claudia.

Claudia invested many years seeking revival in this place and she shared with me the reasons why she needed to go back to Pölzig and what the Lord was speaking to her for this place: “God is so full of love and mercy for the people there and is longing for them so much. He has called us to bless the people there and to release them into God’s purposes. God wants to receive His honor also in Pölzig. Isaiah 42:9 says, “Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.” God wanted to open our/my ears there. And He gave me a new promise there: Isaiah 48:6b-7, “I have made you hear new things from this time, even hidden things, and you did not know them. They are created now and not from the beginning; and before this day you have not heard them.” In Pölzig, God closed a part of my life story. Now I’m not walking in old paths anymore. He creates new things from now on, hallelujah!”
Marit is the 2nd oldest of the family and spent many years leading worship in the church in Pölzig. She also shared what the Lord did in this day: “I just can say, ‘thanks to Jesus,’ for He brought back what I thought would be all lost. All these years of my childhood and even all the time through my youth, I served Jesus in my home village— Pölzig. I invested as much as I could and expected a revival to break out; I expected God would do much much more than I could see at this time. After years I just gave up at this place. But on Tuesday God restored my hope. Nothing was in vain!! The hidden seed in Pölzig (and there is a lot of seed) will have fruit. And I am so glad Jesus knows every single hurt inside and does not stop until His work is finished. When we prayed in our old church, Jesus came to every single one of our family and comforted, healed and restored in a powerful way. He is God of restoration. Now I am once again in great expectation of what’s going to come. Thanks to God and thanks to everyone who was a part of it.”

For those of us standing along the Heidel family at this time, it was truly a great privilege to be witness to this time of healing and breakthrough. We could literally see years of pain and disappointment being wiped from their faces and replaced by fresh joy and faith. We are honored to stand alongside such a family of God and we agree with the Spirit that their time is not over, but this is a day of new beginnings and greater hope.
I am sure that everyone reading this blog has experienced some level of hurt and disappointment in their lives, and I want you to know that it is not too late. God placed seeds of destiny and purpose in each of our lives, and if we will turn to Him and allow Him to do a deep work in our lives, He will see to it that these seeds break forth from the ground.
Have a blessed day in the love of the Father,
Hannah for the GBI Germany team

A Week of Encounter

“Oh, that You would rend the heavens! That You would come down! That the mountains might shake at Your presence” (Isaiah64:1 NKJV). “Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the LORD” (Psalm 31:24).

These two scriptures offer a glimpse into the cry that has been stirring in our hearts as we (our group and those from Herrnhut) have been coming before the Lord in worship this week. On Monday evening, after a work day of practical service, we had a time of worship with just our team. This was an intimate time and brought a great release to our team. We had several young people from the region who were with us as guests this week, and the Holy Spirit encountered each of us in such a powerful way. The Lord really came to encourage and break off heavy burdens and shadows of discouragement that have attempted to trap and torment young men and women of purpose. Not only did our great God come to set us free, but also to set us free into abundant life, into joy, and into the hope of the more that is on offer. After such an encounter on Monday night, we were stirred and ready to go for it every day with our friends here in Herrnhut. During our morning and our evening times of worship, we have cried out for God to come and shake our lives, and His Spirit has brought courage and strengthened our hearts to a greater measure of hope in our LORD. Thursday evening was especially beautiful as one of the Jesus Haus staff played out prophetically on her flute while people were singing the song of the Lord. We are blessed to see the Lord draw his servants into their identity as lovers. And as we continue to live the lifestyle of worship and prayer we have cultivated in Cyprus, we are committed to living out the fullness of what God has placed in us and not relenting until we see the release. Join with us in praying for even greater breakthrough, that every wall and limitation would be completely devastated, and that the German people would be free to arise and shine.

As those of you who have spent time in Cyprus know, our spiritual life does not end in the worship room, but it carries into every aspect and action of our life and day—that scrubbing toilets can be an act of intercession, sanding walls a prophetic picture, and painting benches an expression of worship. This is some of the ways we were blessed to be able to serve the Jesus Haus this week. I was so impressed with the hard work put in by our guests who did not hesitate to commit their energy alongside us. It was a great experience to see the way the community here reaches out to the government workers, most of whom are unbelievers. We started our work day together with a short time of worship followed by an evangelistic testimony. Then we all had breakfast together before setting out for the day’s work. We worked alongside these men and ate with them again at lunch. I was really grateful to see the efforts taken to reach out relationally to them.

During our times of prayer and preparation throughout the year, we received many impressions from the Lord regarding our time here. One particular night in April, the Lord stirred us in a deep way as to His heart for this land, and we began to burn with a vision for what He desires to do. A phrase from that night has become our theme for this trip: “Forgotten Seed: unveiling the treasures of our inheritance.” The seeds of revival have long been in the soil, and though the ground may be hard and cracked, we serve a God who brings streams in the desert. And when the rain of God pours upon this land, those seeds that have lain dormant and silent WILL spring forth from the ground and bear a mighty harvest. We did not want to just have this vision in our heart, but we wanted to “write the vision and make it plain.” We wanted a banner cry to proclaim in faith; thus, through the creative gifts of Rachel F. and our guests Sietske and Livia, we now have that banner to inspire us to greater faith every time we see it. In the picture at the top of this post, you can see our banner and the fire that is in the seed. The seed has mighty roots that are grown deep into God’s love, and it is breaking forth through the ground.

We are driving to Marienberg today, where we will spend the weekend with the church there. We look forward to sharing with you. Also, you can look forward to a soon-coming post about the deeply significant and transforming day we had on Tuesday. It was such a special day; I thought it deserved its own blog post.
Many blessings and Shabbat Shalom,
Hannah for the GBI Germany team

What a Weekend

In our first weekend here in Herrnhut, we already have been encouraged to see the very words birthed in our hearts in Cyprus so evidently align with God’s heart for this region. Thursday evening we had our first “Staun Mal” (Be Amazed) worship night with the Jesus Haus. This is a worship gathering that we will be participating in Mondays through Fridays. On Friday we hosted an erev-Shabbat dinner and were about 50 people total. It was a great time of fellowship and getting to know people, and the presence of the Lord was sweet throughout the evening. The church usually gathers for a meal on Friday evenings and then has an open time of fellowship and worship. This is an unstructured event that is meant to feel more like a family coming together than a regular “service.” We liked this, and were blessed to see community in action. Ruben and Joel led us in a time of worship, and Melissa coordinated a very entertaining, audience-involved Bible story for the “children”—though the adults perhaps laughed the louder. The story was narrated in German, and the English speakers were instructed that they must watch and guess the story at the end. Helmut (founder of House of Mercy Ethiopia) played a convincing Ethiopian, Ruben played Philip, and Norman and Joel were very lively horses pulling the chariot.

On Saturday Norm F. had the opportunity to teach in Pastor Frank’s Bible class he holds once a month. Those who come to the Bible class are from all different ages, but they share in humility and hungry hearts for the Lord. The focus was to be on the supernatural, and Norm shared personal testimony and inspiring stories from Scripture and life about how God does not need scholars or great and mighty men, but delights in using each of us for His Kingdom. Throughout the teaching, Norm led the room in declaring aloud that “God can use me,” and the cry grew louder and more confident as the teaching went on. We could see on their faces that the people were greatly encouraged by the teaching. This is exactly what the Lord has placed on our hearts, to see Germany rise up in her identity and allow their gifting and callings to be released.
Saturday evening we joined with the YWAM students for a night of worship and intercession. Our team led from 6 to 9pm, and then a YWAM student took over for the rest of the evening. The beginning of the time was definitely an opportunity to “press in,” but the Lord came with His sweet presence in such a beautiful way. After close to 3 hours of worship we had a short time for people to share what the Lord had been speaking and doing in their heart. It was so great to hear some of the guests and students testify with joy. Pastor Frank had a word of the Lord and two people responded. We had a time of praying over them, and the Lord broke through in their lives in a powerful way. We thank God that He is eager to come from the very beginning, that we don’t have to plea and beg, but just seek His face and desire His presence.

Sunday was a delightful day. We went to the church service and then enjoyed a peaceful afternoon. Some of the guys played some soccer while some of the girls enjoyed a long walk through the forest. We had several guests join us this weekend, and it has been such a blessing! Dan and Kristina Hippman and their daughter Truth joined us from Texas; Sietske and Sem Schaap from Netherlands; Michael and Kristina Mehner and Elias from Marienberg, and Livia from Dresden.

Since I wrote this text on Sunday evening, already so much has happened! Just looking back to this morning seems like long ago because God has done so much in just one day. I am so joyful to keep you updated through this blog, but I confess I will really have to stay on top of it because there is so much to testify every single day, praise the Lord! So, I desire to write often and capture the moments to share with you. So, please check back often and feel free to leave your insight. I will try to get many pictures posted along the way. Many blessings, and thank you for your continued prayer.

Hannah for the GBI Germany team

Together in Herrnhut

After almost a week scattered throughout Germany, our team has finally come together in Herrnhut--almost, for we are still eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Frederick family. It is so good to finally be here after the months of prayer and preparation. Before we came together, we each had our own itinerary of visiting family and friends. Norman and Kerstin and family visited different family members, as did Marissa, and I (Hannah) was in the region of the Ore Mountains taking in the serenity of the small villages, the beauty of the rolling hills, and the majesty of the forests. I also spent time with three of the students from this year’s GTS, Michael, Kristina, and Katharina. We all enjoyed our time and were very happy to reunite and at last begin our time in Hernhutt, a place very dear to our hearts. We arrived in the evening on Wednesday the 22nd and were so happy to get to see Pastor Frank. We had our first meal together as a team and enjoyed the fellowship. This morning we started off with a powerful time of worship and prayer. Norman spent time praying for several of us individually, and we were greatly encouraged and strengthened. Already, prophetic songs and pictures are being released. We had a team meeting today and went over the many details of our upcoming schedule. We are already grateful for the abundant grace that will be poured out for us as we embark on a very busy schedule. We look forward to our time of worship this evening with the Jesus Haus.

We are full of anticipation at what the Lord has in store for this time and for this region. We appreciate all of your prayers and support. Some specific ways you can be praying for us are as follows: Norm and Norman as they lead this team; strength and health for the entire trip; a greater level of prophetic insight and works of the Spirit; a full release of financial provision; and team unity of heart and mind. We love you and pray that you will be encouraged and stirred through this blog. May you feel the love of Yeshua deeply today.

Hannah for the Gateways Germany team