The Festaburg

Ellgens News: Weekend up Date

Brad Ellgen

We are finishing up another excellent weekend. Friday night we had a good crowd gathered as we look at Ecclesiastes 1 and thought about how meaningless life without God really is.

On Saturday we helped our good friend Rosie hang a banner on the front gate. Her husband and our good friend came home later that night from a year downrange.

After we hung the banner we rode off to Ramstein Air Base where we went rock climbing, enjoyed dinner together, did a little bowling.

We returned by 10 p.m. for a great home coming party.

On Sunday morning we attended Bible Class and Chapel and then spend a quite day at home in conversation.

We are looking forward to a busy week. We have our normal meetings on Wednesday night, Friday night, and PWOC on Tuesday. In addition we have meetings in Baumholder, Wiesbaden and a run to the airport.

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 :)