The Pfennigers – Fred and Lydia

It is easy to get caught up in the troubles and the worries of this life.  To get so buried under them that it seems suffocating.

the Fog covering the valley

 This morning there was a very thick fog that covered the

View across the valley

mountains.  It was not in Les Ponts de Martel, but as you started to go down the mountain, it became very heavy.  Even the bus driver, who has driven in very treacherous weather up and down this steep road, was slowing down more than usual as he went through this dense fog and approached certain curves in the road.  Sometimes, it seems like that in our lives.  Don’t get me wrong, the chocolate and cheese are still in wonderful supply!  But between the increased challenges of routine things in life because of language barriers and cultural differences and the intensity of the language study, it has at times seemed overwhelming –and we’re not even in Africa yet!!

 I wonder if Christ felt this way at all in the days or weeks before Calvary?  I know I have no comprehension of the stress and strain that he endured hours before all this was to pass. “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.” Mark 14:34.  “And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood. . . .” Luke 22:44.  But in all of this Jesus did not waver, he cried and prayed to God for strength, but he did not turn from what He knew God had called him to do.

There have been times over the past few weeks (even in the “vacation” week!) that we’ve just wanted to cry or just wanted to have someone listen and hug us and tell us (in English) that “It’ll be alright.”  That what we’re doing will make a difference, will somehow down the road make an impact on someone’s life for eternity.  That we are learning the skills that we need while in Switzerland and in Togo so that we can be a blessing wherever God would place us.  That, in the meantime, we’ve been able to be that “wonderful” doctor, parent, spouse, friend, sibling, and daughter/son.

Gee, that’s not too much to ask, is it?!  Not for God, it’s not.  Jesus, you’ve been there and directed me in the past and taken me places and had me meet people that I would never have imagined.  You haven’t failed me, please help me to have faith, even the size of a mustard seed and please help my unbelief!

I am reminded of 2 Corinthians 4:17-18, “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary but what is unseen is eternal.”

God Bless

(We’ve added pictures and updated our prayer requests!!)

Short Story #1 – They are smiling because I am making progress!!! 

I am making progress; this is what I choose to believe

The other day in class we read general information about the economy of the European Union.  In completing this assignment, I would read a phrase and ask, “What does this phrase mean?”  My professor kept laughing because I kept saying, “What does this raspberry mean?”

Later that day in class we started to read about an issue the Swiss are voting on: mandatory public day care for all.  I read the first page of the document prior to the end of class.  As I finished the professor was smiling and my classmate said I was funny.  I know what I read, and I know what I understood, but I am left to ponder what they heard me say.  I like to believe they were smiling because I am making progress.

Short Story #2 – The Nature of Noah

Noah waving with Dad on the bus

For the most part Noah does two things when he is on the bus.  The first is to sleep.  The second is to interact with people.  He will watch, wave, smile and laugh at them.

The other day, on the way home, the bus was nearly empty except for us sitting in the middle of the bus and three teenagers sitting at the back of the bus.  The first thing that came to my attention was Noah’s laughter.  The second was the teenage girl who was smiling and waving at Noah.  As this is what he normally does in the bus I paid no real attention and re-focused my attention to the scenery.  Then something caught my attention, and I looked back at the teenage girl just as her and the two teenage boys were ducking there heads behind the bus seats.  Within in seconds, their heads popped back up again with smiles looking at Noah.  Noah laughed, I laughed, and when they noticed me watching them they became embarrassed –the teenage girl hid behind the seat (who said the Swiss are reserved?!).  It is a moment I will not forget.

Is this the nature of Noah? How do I encourage it? Will it change?

A few days latter while waiting for the bus in Neuchâtel, Noah was once again waving and smiling at people.  He caught the attention of an elderly lady who laughed and said something in French about his laughter and smile.  Another lady, waiting at the station, spoke up and said “I have seen him before, and he does this all the time!”  We all laughed.

Will the terrible two be the laughing two’s?  If he changes, will it be something I did?

Sometimes all you can do is pray, trust, and believe. “Train a child in the way he should go, and when his is old he ill not turn from it.” Proverbs 22:6

Short Story #3 – A Valentine Day Gift?

A wedding day kiss to remember!

Two and a half years ago I took my wife out on a date that cost me thousands of dollars and lasted a week (some of you know it as a wedding & honeymoon).  How am I every to top that and should I even try??!!  (Husbands please note comments left on the website are not anonymous)

God Bless

We’ve been waiting for it and it’s finally here! People have told us to enjoy it while its not here, but we (especially Fred) have been anticipating this moment and wanting it to be here –now we may regret it later, but right now we are excited!!  What is all the excitement about?! Noah is crawling!! Ok, well maybe not all out crawling but he is moving (“Il bouge” as we would say in French)!  We call it the “inch-worm” or the “caterpillar” –see the video for further explanation.  In the meantime, thank you so much for your prayers!  French continues to be a challenge, but just as “God is bigger then the Boogeyman” so God is bigger then French!  We love hearing from you and see our pictures and prayer requests pages!  God bless and “Bon week-end.”

This weekend we traveled to Zug, Switzerland to visit a cousin of Fred’s.  To get there we traveled for about three hours on bus, train and foot. 

The first thing Lydia noticed was that she could understand the train station announcements that were in French –this was a great encouragement!  Fred noticed he could understand the Swiss-German language, it brought back memories of his time in Switzerland 10 years ago and of home (Fred’s parents and extended family are Swiss).

In Zug we visited Franz and Renata Muff-Muller and their three children.  These are cousins of Fred, who have a small farm within the township of Zug – fruit trees, cows, sheep, rabbits, and cats.  Fred had worked with them for a few months nine years ago milking cows, haying, picking cherries and playing with their three young kids.  The time was spent sharing stories, laughing and playing cards.  Renata had spent time in Ecuador working in a clinic for two years and the family had spent time in Papa New Guina for two years working with farmers.  Overall, it was a very enjoyable time.

During our stay we learned about an area in Switzerland known as the “Swiss Siberia” (La Brevine) that experienced -30.8 degrees C Saturday night.  We laughed and chuckled at the thought of it as we enjoyed the snow, sun and -5 degree C temperature of Zug.  Of interest, on our bus ride home to Les Ponts-de-Martel, we had a conversation with an elderly lady and learned the following things:

• Winter in Les Ponts-de-Martel lasts for 6 months (Nov to April)
• The temperature in Les Ponts-de-Martel dropped to –24.8 degress C during the night on Saturday (Yes we picked a good weekend to travel!)
• And La Brevine (“Swiss Siberia”) is just 10 km from us!!! (Yes, Fred is wearing shoes now and not sandals! For more information on Swiss Siberia – click here)

On a deeper note, our conversation with the elderly lady on the bus has been on my mind.  In particular, this lady, who worked very successfully with a large company and is now both retired and a widow, was in the process of telling a bit of her life story when she said “nobody remembers you any more when you are not working.”  Her statement reminded me of Psalms 103: 15-16 “As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone and its place remembers it no more.”  Transitions in life can be hard and more so if we place too much on our earthy successes and achievements.  The next question then is what should we strive for? Where is the line of balance?  In this, I often think of Galatians 5:16,22 “So I say, live by the Spirit . . . . . but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control”

(See our picture page and prayer request page for new pictures and updates on prayers) 

God Bless

 “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 

Thank you for your prayer and financial support!!!  We could not be doing what we are doing without first and foremost God’s help and second, your help.  God has us exactly were we are meant to be.  Samaritans Purse has provided a structure for us to experience Medical Missionary Work.  They and you have also provided the financial means for us to experience this with minimal financial constrains – including daily chocolate and cheese, a chauffeured ride to school (city bus), and a new appreciation for long underwear (it snows daily!) and we have 6 months of this!  “ . . . for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” Philippians 4:11b J Once again, we cannot say it enough, “Thank you!” to those who have made one-time donations and those who have committed to giving for 30 months.

It has been an interesting process for us so far.  Our fund raising goal was $1,200 a month.  To work towards achieving this goal we gave 20 individual and group presentations and sent out 4 newsletters (about 1,000 contacts by mail and email) over a 1-year time period.  This is only a fraction of the fund raising requirements of a full term missionary.  Full term missionaries in the field, we understand, are required to raise between $7,000-9,000 continuous monthly support and one time cost of $150,000-200,000.  Missionaries head to the field once they reach over 80% of their funding goal.  The funds are meant to provide a house, vehicle, medical coverage, daily living and savings for retirement.

Most missionaries go through 1 year of language training, if required, and then stay in the field for 3 to 4 year, prior to having a 1-year furlough.  During the furlough, the missionary returns to his/her country of origin and spends time visiting family, friends and supporters.  After this it is back to the field for another 3 to 4 years.  This cycle continues until the missionary is ready to retire and/or something changes that requires them to return home full term.

In these economic times it is hard to imaging people raising these kinds of funds.  But we are aware of multiple full time missionary couples, who in the last year have started their language training and are on their way to full time missionary work (see our web page, website links).  God moves in amazing ways!

We are blessed to be where we are today and ask for your continued prayer and financial support both for our present experience for the next 30 months and for the future. Over this coming 2 ½ years we are going to be earnestly seeking and praying for God’s direction about what He is directing us to do and if it will include full term medical missionary work. “And if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.” Proverbs 3:3-7. We ask that you would join us in seeking God’s will for us in knowing his direction for our lives.

God Bless

Lydia in front of Ponts de Martel

Switzerland!  Wow, I can still hardly believe that we are here –a very beautiful country! And French! –wow, is it hard! In some ways, it is similar to English, but in other ways vastly different!

I have to say the first week was a bit overwhelming with all the change.  Not having communication with home (friends and family), and feeling isolated because of not being able to communicate with those around me, I find challenging; however it is getting easier.  I’ve been very grateful for the few at church who speak English.  I’m still working on “My name is Lydia.  I speak only a very little French.” I remember the first time when I went to a store without Fred and the clerk asked me a question and I was excited to say my newly learned phrase; however, any pride I had quickly faded as it took me four times of saying that I only spoke a little French before she understood what I was saying! Hopefully in three months I will only have to say it once!  One of my friends said, “Chocolate is key for learning.” And considering the chocolate here, we should be doing great!  Maybe I just need to eat more?!

God knew what I needed one of my first few nights here when I came across Hebrews 11:1 (NLT), “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.”  Studying French is requiring faith!

Right now, I’m starting to understand what I’m reading in our lessons in French; however, being able to speak it and even more so being able to hear and understand it has been a real challenge.  Why do the French only speak half of the letters in a word?!  Fred says it is the “language of love” . . .  that is two people can hear the same phrase and yet understand two totally different things!

Where we learn French

Our classes  are small, but diverse.  Fred is in the level 2 class and I’m in level 1.  In my class there are 8 of us total, and my classmates are from Lithuania, Mexico, Brazil, Columbia, China, and Tennessee (the other missionary couple here with us).  It’s been amazing and humbling to meet these people (most my age or younger!) who can speak 3 to 4 other languages.  They are learning French in English, which for them is not their mother tongue, and they can speak and understand more French than I!  Most of them are here for work or studies and live either local or as far away as France (a 50 minute train ride).  I’m praying to get to know each one better as we study together,  although, this is not always easy due to  very limited time and to people having to make travel connections.

We have a lesson for 3 hours in the morning with about a 15 minute break in the middle.  During the break, I usually check in on Noah at the church next door.  The teachers, who alternate between classes, are local and also speak 2-3 languages. They have shown themselves to be encouraging and, overall, good at teaching; however, they are getting harder on us and are now expecting us to ask any questions we have in French and not English!

We would appreciate your continued prayers for our French studies!  And thank you so much for all your encouragement and prayers so far!  We pray that God is continuing to bless you with the faith needed for the challenges in your life.

(See our recent pictures and updated prayer requests!)

We have updated our prayer request page, please visit, so you can know how to be praying for us.  Thank you so much for your continued prayers!

The town is called Les Ponts-de-Martel (We do not know how to pronounce it yet!)  Les Ponts-de-Martel is located about 1000 meter above and 20 km from Neuchatel.  To get here you have to go up a mountain, down a mountain, across a valley and start up a mountain again.  The distance is just enough such we have snow when Neuchatel does not and we have more snow when Neuchatel does!  The say that more snow is coming!!

The town consists of about 1300 people, 2 bank, 2 butcher shops, a small grocery store where Gruyere Swiss cheese – 19.50 CHF ($21.66 US) a kg and lunch ham is 27.80 CHF ($30.88 US) a kg.  There are also 2 bakeries, a pharmacy, 2 restaurants, 2 gas stations (gas is 1.71 CHF a liter –around $6 US a gallon), a train station, and multiple other small businesses.  The area is popular for cross-country skiing.  We live within 100 meters of the small grocery store, a bank, the post office, and the police station. There is also a church 30 meters from us whose bells goes off every half hour and on the hour! (Lydia keeps thinking it’s her cell phone.)  Besides the bells we live in a very quiet and beautiful little town.

It takes us 40 minutes by bus to get to Neuchatel.  Every morning, except for Saturday, we are up at 5:45 am and at the bus stop at 7:40.  We arrive in Neuchatel at 8:20 am.  The language school is a 5-minute walk from the bus station.  Language training which started on Jan 14th goes from 9 to 12:15 Monday thru Friday.  Daycare is at the church next door to the language school.  Saturday is our day off and on Sunday we go to Church in Neuchatel.  We have not been able to fully start this schedule yet as Noah has been sick –he got sick starting on the 11^th and was sick for 5 days.  Now he is doing better (Praise God).

Our apartment is small (4 rooms – 1 bedroom 1, living room, 1 kitchen, and 1 bathroom) but is nice, as it has been newly renovated and has basic furniture (no TV).  Fred is having withdrawal from watching “Once upon a time.” Unfortunately we have been unable to obtain Internet access at our apartment. (However the Language school has set us up with limit free access 4 hours a week starting Jan21, 2013.  Praise God). Lydia is having withdrawal from talking with her mom.

So outside of the cold weather, 40-minute daily bus-ride, limited internet and 5:45 am mornings, the set up is actual very convenient and simple. We are blessed with beautiful scenery, very good cheese and chocolate, and a group of women who are working very hard to make us feel welcomed. We are missing home but feeling very blessed.  Thank you God for keeping us safe thus far!

Please see our updated prayer requests and pictures. (Will be updated in the next couple of days)

Well, we are 13 days from the start of our journey – 6 months in Switzerland and then 2 years in Togo.  As the last things are coming together, I am left to ponder the things I have learned and experienced over the last 3 months while studying, taking care of Noah, packing, and living in the USA. (Remember, I am a Canadian who was born in the USA and raised with a Swiss mindset).

• 41 years of life, 1 wife, 1 child, 6 suitcases, a job, our health, and faith.  Cost: priceless.
• There is nothing more time-consuming and tiring than managing an 8-month old with a fever.  Residents and doctors have it easy.
• A blowout has a total different meaning when talking about kids versus tires.
• The building blocks of society have to be family, followed by community.  For a Christian, this means Church.  In all our presentations, the Church has provided an efficient, effective connection to community with a common purpose.  For an atheist I am not sure what this means.
• What happened in Newtown, Connecticut was a tragedy.  A question was asked, where was God?!  We need to understand that this is not God’s world.  God’s plan was the Garden of Eden.  We chose otherwise.
• ATM cards have replaced travelers checks in Europe.
• International ATM fees from banks include the following –> a 3% transaction fee, a $2 to $5 dollar ATM fee for each ATM use, and a local ATM charge. (International ATM fees from Credit Unions include a local ATM charge only!!)
• The definition of a great deal — 3 pairs of jeans, 4 shirts, 2 pairs of socks, and 1 pair of shoes. ($30.00, thank you Good Will)
• The definition of a bad deal –hospital charges. (We are still receiving bills from the non-complicated birth of our son in March of 2012.  From what I can see to-date -> you are billed separately for the facility, the doctor, the service, and the supplies.  One only knows what we will get next month.)

As we start on our journey in January, our goal is to blog (with pictures) two times a month about our trip, as well as thoughts and feelings on our experiences and the events that occur around us.  We hope you enjoy it. Please feel free to comment.

We found out on Thursday of last week that we passed the Family Medicine Boards.  Thank you, God.