During the past years many supporters, in and outside Germany, have responded to our appeal for help at the building sites and summer camps. The spiritual fellowship shared by volunteers and parishioners was an additional blessing of the work projects.
We thank you!
The Children’s Camp in Döbbrick in 2005
„To explore God’s gifts to us, who are His unique creations.“ This was the theme of one of the camps that were led by a team from St. Luke’s Lutheran Church (LCMS) in Meza, AZ, USA, and from St. Peter’s in Döbbrick.
The Team:
Robert and Rita Flohrs, Nate and Robin McAvoy, Don and Mary Smith, Sarah Hoffmann, Ryan Dandy, Regina Niche, Andrea Hilscher, Sylvia Thomas und Holger Thomas
Servant event camp 2005
„The Gospel for Children“ was the camp’s theme in 2005. The story of Jacob the deceiver illustrated for the children how the Lord deals with human beings. Of course it was necessary for us adults to explore Jacob’s life for ourselves. Every evening we studied the chapters in Genesis and applied their lessons to our lives.
These persons worked very hard while taking part in the servant event 2005:
Katy Anderson, Barbara Bowlin, Julie Bowlin, Rachel Carrizales, Kim Derr, Kylie Kindred, (USA, Morrill NE); Kathy and Sarah Duvendeck (USA, Ypsilanti, MI), Debbie Folks-Huber (USA, Le Roy, IL) Brandon Folks (USA, Terrace Temple, TX), Brendan Reichert (USA, Bloomington, IL), Julianne Young, (USA, Belton, TX), Daria Bujok, Agata Bury (P, Wisla), Ewelina Lata (P, Ostrow / Wielkipolski), Estera Majtczak, Monika Niedziela (P, Ustron), Anna Olewinska (P,Wroclaw), Itala Balaschk, Sabine Herold, Charlotte Müller, Hinrich Müller, Tabea Niche (D, Cottbus), Dr. Christoph Barnbrock, D, Bad Emstal), Simone Borrmann (D, Berlin), Daniel Förster (D, Göttingen), Charlotte Mogwitz (D, Potsdam), Kerstin Tietz (D, Neuruppin)
Servant event camp 2004
„Daniel in the Lions‘ Den“ was the theme of the camp in 2004. The story was adapted for the children who took part in the second week of the camp.
Here you have those hard working people:
Rebecca Somers (CAN, Montreal), Alicia Starret (USA Belvidere, NJ), Julianne Young, (USA, Belton, TX), Krzystof Dana (P, Lask), Ewa Gawlowska (P, Czechowice-Dziedzice), Oliver Franken, Claudia Hedderoth, Sabine Herold, Marina Bußmann, Charlotte Müller, Hinrich Müller, Stefanie Röder, Tabea Niche, Holger Thomas, Sylvia Thomas, Jessica Wolanczyk (D, Cottbus), Elisabeth Hofmann (D, Schmalkalden), Ulrike Mogwitz (D, Potsdam), Melanie Schlosshauer (D, Luckenwalde), Kerstin Tietz (D, Neuruppin)
Servant event camp 2003
St. Peter was the spiritual focus of the camp in 2003. By studying St. Peter’s life and his experiences as Christ’s apostle, the youth could discover important truths for their own lives.
They took part:
Jacob Fulcher (USA, Heyburn, ID), Ewa Gawlowska (P, Czechowice-Dziedzice), Katarzyna Heinrich (P, Swidnica), Dominika Pilch (P, Czechowice-Dziedzice), Leslaw Uggla (P, Konstancin-Jeziorna), Daniele Bartl, Melanie Schlosshauer (D, Luckenwalde), Johanna Benhöfer (D, Hildesheim), Sabine Herold, Judith Meyer, Gabi Benhöfer-Müller, Hinrich Müller, Sibylle Müller, Holger Thomas, Sylvia Thomas (D, Cottbus), Andrea Holland (D, Wahlsdorf), Christof Kaminski (D,Verden)
Servant event camp 2002
Volunteers at the camp in 2002 worked at the building site in Doebbrick or assisted with the children’s camp in Doebbrick.
Here you have the team:
Amanda Ashman, Angela Ashman, Cherie Theis, Katrina Cramer (USA, Green Bay, WI), Drew Feller (USA), Carissa Williams (USA, Swanico, WI), Agata Chrobok (P, Goleszow), Wladislawa Cisowska (P, Glubczyce), Ewa Gawlowska (P, Czechowice-Dziedzice), Ewa Gojniczek, Krzysztof Wieronski (P, Cieszyn), Aleksandra Kohut (P, Debowiec), Wodynska Malgorzata, Johanna Niedoba, (P,Wroclaw), Karol Niedoba (P, Goleszow), Elzbieta Nowak (P, Jaworze), Leslaw Uggla (P, Konstancin-Jeziorna), Daria Waliczek (P, Bobrek), Friederike Achenbach (D, Seelze), Adeline Bäse (D, Haldensleben), Matthias Fricke (D, Scharnebeck), Evelin Graff (D, Guben), Sabine Herold, Steffen Herold, Jan-Christof Müller, Hinrich Müller, Holger Thomas, Sylvia Thomas (D, Cottbus), Tobias Möller (D, Soltau), Elisabeth Rehr (D, Gistenbeck), Johannes Simon (D, Berka)
more: Restoration of St. Peter’s Church
Servant event camp 2001
This group was the first to work on restoring the old church in Doebbrick:
Anna Car, Aleksandra
Fonfara, Barbara Idasiak, Anna Macura, (P, Skorzow), Wladislawa Cisowska (P, Glubczyce), Katarzyna Heinrich (P, Swidnica), Olech Kaczanowski (P, Radom), Aleksandra Kohut (P, Iskrzyczyn), Ursula Krol (P, Wroclaw), Wanda Kubik (P, Jaworze), Anna Marek (P, Krakow),
Emilia Moddelmog (P, Koniusza), Johanna Niedoba (P, Goleszow), Franciszek Undas (P, Zgierz), Krzysztof Wieronski (P, Cieszyn), Sebastian Anwand, Christof Müller (D, Dresden), Christel Barkow (D, Leipzig), Evelyn Graff, Miriam Süß (D, Guben), Andreas Häfner (D, Steinbach-Hallenberg), Steffen Herold, Hinrich Müller, Holger Thomas, Sylvia Thomas (D, Cottbus), Markus Mickein (D, Senftenberg), Tobias Möller (D, Soltau), Johannes Simon (D, Berka), Stephan Wisotzki (D, Wolfenbüttel)
more: Restoration of St. Peter’s Church
Projects with „Lutheran Hours Ministries“ of the LCMS
In 1995 a tradition began. Groups from the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, our sister church in the United States, came to Cottbus to work for two weeks on the building sites. Some volunteers were retired, others were younger people. All were willing to spend their own money and their free time on travelling to Cottbus to help our congregations with the building projects.
Additional activities, such as sightseeing tours and social gatherings with the parishioners, were planned. Many new friendships resulted, especially between the volunteers and their host families.Reverend Rudy Schaser from St. Louis, MO, USA, coordinated the Missouri Synod’s volunteer efforts until 2004. In this capacity he travelled to Cottbus regularly to plan new initiatives. The result was many years of successful cooperation between the volunteers from America and our congregations.
Nov. 1995:
Don and Marlene Brandenburg (Edgeley, ND), Bob Cubley (Columbia, MS) Robert and Doris Schneider (Hattiesburg, MS) worked hard to restore the parsonage. No one lived there then.
Mai 2001
A group of students from the Ann Arbor, MI, seminary made a stop in Cottbus during their stay in Germany. For three days they landscaped the grounds around the parsonage in Döbbrick. Under the leadership of Bill Wangelin, this group included Aaron Keup, Brandy Trimble, Jen Watenpool, Lindsay Rossow, Matt Peters, Michael Groves, Karen Schmidt (now Groves), Nate Keup, Scott Wilcox, Liz McDonald, and Kristin Dodge (now Wangelin).
Juni 2001
Stan and Diane Neitzel (Avon Park, FL), Bill and Carole Loll (Jackson, MI), Bill and Barbara Pohanka (Jackson, MI), and Bob Folkers (East Peoria, IL) built a carport, planted bushes, und did additional work at the parsonage.
Mai / Juni 2002
Kurt und Aileen Rutz (Columbus, OH) and Vernice Hartmann (Lakeside, CA) worked on the interior of the church in Döbbrick. They built a shelter for bikes, helped the roofers, and cleaned the indoor walls.
In May 2003
Kurt and Aileen Rutz stopped in Cottbus again while on their way to another assignment. They helped to erect a fence on the grounds of the church.
2004: „Working and exploring Luther Land!“
There were 13 persons:
Mary-Kay Harris (Robinsdale, MN), Bill und Joyce Mitchell (Pensacola, FL), Bill und Beverly Pasch (Waynesville, NC), Bill und Barbara Pohanka (Jackson, MI), Kurt und Aileen Rutz (Columbus, OH), Monty und Norinne Striegel (Mt. Olive, IL), Edward Swanson (Pukwanna, SD) und Paul Zeitler Luxemburg, WI)
Some of them had been project participants in previous years and were reunited with friends in Cottbus.The first week’s agenda included restoring the iron fence on the grounds of the Church of the Holy Cross. The fence had to be carefully painted with epoxy paint to prevent it from rusting. The color matched the original paint so that the character of the fence was preserved. The fence’s brick foundation had to be regrouted, also.
The second week was devoted to exploring cities that part of Martin Luther’s story—Wittenberg, Torgau, Leipzig, Erfurt, Eisenach, and Mansfeld. The trip was enhanced with devotional services, lectures, and guided tours, all of which enabled the participants to contemplate Martin Luther’s life and the effect of his teachings. It was great pleasure to guide such an interested group through Luther Land.