The Festaburg

Ellgens News: Weekend up date

Brad Ellgen

Friday we had a great dinner and a Bible Study. We talked about how we start a relationship with Jesus and how we continue to grow in that relationship. We had some soldiers joining us for the first time and it was fun getting to know them.

On Saturday I joined 40 soldiers on a BOSS trip (BOSS stand for “Better Opportunity for Single Soldiers”). I was honored by the invitation to join this group. It was a good opportunity for me to meet some good soldiers who would not normally attend chapel or come to the house.

We left at 3:00 am and arrived at Dachau Memorial Site on the grounds of the former concentration camp about 9:30 am.

After a self-guided tour of Dachau we drove 20 minutes to The Deutsches Museum. The Deutsches Museum possesses over 100 000 objects from the fields of science and technology. The large number of valuable original exhibits makes the Deutsches Museum one of the most important museums of science and technology anywhere in the world.

After the museum we were on our own for 6 hours to explore downtown Munich. We got back on the bus at 10:30 p.m. arriving back in Bamholder at about 5:00 a.m. Sunday morning.

It was a great trip and I am thankful I was included. I met some new folks who I think will join us this week for dinner.

I am looking forward to this week. We will have dinner and discussion on Wednesday and dinner and Bible Study on Friday. On Saturday we’ll go rock climbing. It is such a privilege to be able to minister here.

Ellgens News: MLK Weekend 2012

Brad Ellgen

I had a great weekend with a great group of soldiers. We left on Friday and drove to southern Germany. On Saturday and Sunday we went skiing. In the evenings we gathered for Bible Study.

There were nine of us of the trip. A couple of the guys had never been to church, some were strong believers and some brand new to the faith. We had a great time exploring the faith together. I am praying that the Holy Spirit would make very real in their hearts some of the things we explored together.

While I was off with the guys skiing Debbie kept the house open and hosted / taught our dinner and Bible Study on Friday night. She did a great job! What a great gal.

This week we will have dinner and discussion on Wednesday and dinner and Bible Study on Friday night. How we thank God that He has opened the door for us to be here in Baumholder. Thank you all for your prayers for us and the soldiers God has brought into our lives.

Ellgens News: Weekend up date

Brad Ellgen

Things are busy here at the Festaburg. Friday we had a great Bible Study here with our good friends! I love dinner and Bible Study on Friday night.

On Saturday our founders Dick & Margaret Patty arrived and spent a couple of days with us. On Sunday after chapel we drove them to Kaiserslautern where they spoke to a group of Airmen and their families that were gathered for a Bible Study followed by a great dinner.

On Tuesday morning I had the privilege of speaking a PWOC (protestant women of the chapel). We had a good time in the Word as I talked about how we can let God lead us into the New Year. It felt like the Holy Spirit was working in a powerful way.

On Wednesday afternoon we drove to Spangdahlem Air Base where Dick spoke to another group of Airman and their families.

This morning I drove a family from Baumholder and Dick and Margret to the Frankfurt Airport.

Tomorrow it is Friday again. Debbie will be hosting dinner and Bible Study (She will not only be do her normal cooking & cleaning but she will be teaching the Bible Study as well). I am taking 6 soldiers to the German Alps where we will be skiing during the day and doing Bible Study in the Evening. It should be a fun weekend for both of us.

In addition to all that is happening here our son David & his wife Megan blessed us with another grandson, Matthew Lloyd Ellgen arrived on the 7^th of January. We are really excited and happy for them and are looking forward to meeting Matthew in March.

Thank you for all of your prayers for us.

Ellgens News: New Years 2012

Brad Ellgen

We have had a GREAT Christmas / New Years here at the Festaburg. This last weekend we had a great New Years party which featured home made pizza’s; sparklers and small fireworks for the kids and large rockets for the adults who stayed with us until midnight.

Monday was a federal holiday so we gathered a group and went to Trier for the day. It was a good day of shopping and sightseeing.

Things are back to a normal pace this week; dinner and discussion on Wednesday and dinner and Bible Study on Friday.

On Thursday I will take Laura to the airport. She has been here for the last couple of weeks making some videos for us. On our news page she has posted some video blogs and soon we'll post a couple of other video’s about the ministry here.

Ellgens News: Christmas Video Blog

Brad Ellgen

A great summary of our Christmas :)

Festaburg News: Christmas New Yeas and January

Brad Ellgen

Christmas / New Years / January

The Festaburg will be over between December 23 and January 1. We have some fun things planned as well as some quite time around the fire. Check the calendar page for details.

On New Years eve we will have dinner together and then “small fireworks for the kids at about 5:30 p.m. (we are thinking sparklers in the back yard). Between 7 p.m. and midnight we will play games and watch movies waiting for midnight and then we will pull out all the stops and shoot off the big rockets, firecrackers and other explosives which are legal at this special time of year.

In January we will return to a normal schedule of Dinner and Discussion on Wednesday night and Dinner and Bible Study on Friday night. Over the MLK weekend we will have a ski trip, we will announce details by the first week in January.

Call or write if you have any questions, suggestions or complements J.

Ellgens News: Weekend Video Blog

Brad Ellgen

Ellgens News: December Update

Brad Ellgen

We have been busy since my last post. We were in England December 5-8 doing team building with our newest missionaries on the field.

Last weekend we took a group on the train to Mainz. We have had dinner and discussion on Wednesday nights when we have been home. I have made a couple of trips to the airport (about a 5 hour round trip) and will make a couple of more this weekend. We are taking soldiers have Christmas leave and picking up folks flying in.

On Thursday I picked up Laura Cardy who has been here a couple of times before. She has come to update some of our video this is her video blog from this last weekend.

On Friday we had the annual Festaburg Christmas Party and then on Saturday we took a group to the Rothenburg/Wurzburg Christmas Markets.

We have a strong feeling that in the middle of all of our activity God is at work in our friends here. All of our discussions, trips, dinners have room for spiritual conversations. It is such a privilege to be here.

It has started snowing which is so fun this time of year. Sam and I had our first snowball fight of the season and once again he lost. But he is such a good louser.