Markus and Liz Brandt - Directors of Das Kanada Haus
Let me tell you a bit about the phenomenal global workers that I will be supporting over the next three months. Markus (born in Germany) and Liz (a Canadian with German heritage) have a wealth of ministry experience spanning over 20 years. They have worked as local church pastors, kids' and youth camp coordinators, retreat center directors, and church planters in former East Germany (paoc.org). After serving as lead pastors in Southern Ontario for several years, God opened a door for them to return to Germany to direct the base of the PAOC Eurasia Region, 1.5 hrs from the Frankfurt Airport.
It's a big job! On top of running a guest house with 45+ beds and hosting Canadian short-term mission teams, they are active participants in the local German Pentecostal church movement. Their God-given vision has led them to initiatives in networking, leadership development, community outreach, and strategic prayer ministry in cities and neighbourhoods where a Pentecostal church has not yet been planted. To learn more about the Brandt's ministry, please visit their official global worker webpage at https://paoc.org/missions/donate/markusbrandt.
NOW... would you like to know about the crazy chain of events that brought us together? The first time I met Markus and Liz was at a Sunday morning service at a vibrant Pentecostal church in Bad Hersfeld (northwestern Germany). A good family friend, Rev. Cal Anthony, was sharing the Word that morning, with Markus interpreting. Over the course of my few weeks in Germany, I spent about half my time living with the Bad Hersfeld pastor's family - a remarkable experience in its own right! - and the other half at DKH with this fascinating couple.
Throughout the trip I had been praying for God to direct me to a ministry that I could see myself partnering with in the future. I can still clearly recall the day when Markus took me up to his office and showed me his "prayer map" of the nation - and yes, it was COLOUR CODED!! Looking at a vivid visual representation of communities where churches had been planted, outreach initiatives had taken place, and prayers had been offered up by short-term teams, it was evident that Das Kanada Haus (and Germany as a whole) was fertile soil. But beyond this, the Brandts' passion and energy was contagious. I knew I had found some special people!
Fast forward a year or so, and who do you suppose shows up in the town where I was working?! The world got a whole lot smaller when I found my northern Bavarian hosts suddenly sitting across from me at a Swiss Chalet in Paris... Ontario, that is :). When out-of-the-ordinary occurrences like this start happening, I can't help but think that this could be a God thing.
I am so thankful that the Lord has given me the opportunity to return to Germany and work alongside Markus and Liz. As you pray for my upcoming trip, I would also ask you to put the Brandts on your long-term prayer list. Things have not been easy for any global workers over the last two unprecedented years, and the current state of unrest throughout Eurasia has added yet another layer of uncertainty to ever-changing social climate. BUT GOD! In the words of a popular worship song written by Cody Carnes, "Evil may put up its strongest fight, but the cross has the final word."
Yours in the Great Commission,
Emily