During the three and a half years we were in Germany I kept up visits to our “focus groups” in the Balkans, T., Northern Iraq, Germany and our Iranian work. In addition, every January and June I would go to the States to train new workers for Christar. When she could, Barbara came with me. This kept us in touch with all aspects of our work.
One unexpected benefit to being in Germany was having time to write. In Turkey I had so many relationships that my days were often spent entirely in interaction with fellow workers, believing Turks and seekers.
Here in Germany I had fewer direct demands on a daily basis, so could dedicate an hour or two a day to working on the several books that I’d sketched out.
The first one grew out of classes I’d given for years on spiritual warfare. After about twenty revisions, it emerged as Knowing Jesus Is Enough For Joy, Period! Later I changed the title to Equipped! Ready for Every Day Spiritual Warfare. This and several of my other books are available on Amazon.com under s.m. wibberley
I was thankful to be able to pass on in that book the many lessons God gave us in the years of meditating on Scripture in the midst of the pressures of life in the Middle East.
Personally, I continue to use a good number of these lessons most every day: praying through the steps of “putting on” the armor of God; memorizing, meditating and praying Scripture; confessing in layers to get to the root my sins; forgiving in obedience; praising in and for all things; letting go of what is temporal, holding on to what is eternal and rising above circumstances.
Above all is choosing, moment by moment, to live in the truth that knowing Jesus is enough for joy in any circumstance. This is definitely a choice we can all make.
I continued to write daily an hour or so, working on the next three books simultaneously: a devotional book (EDIFIED!), a book on leadership (EFFECTIVE: Learning to Lead Yourself Well), and this autobiography.
On July 1 of our third year in Germany, I felt i should start writing this auto bio, and worked on it 30 to 60 minutes a day, until my inspiration for that day ran dry; then I quit and picked up again the next day. At the end of the month the first draft was fully finished.
I was amazed at how it poured out, especially as I had no outline. I had to ask Barbara at times which event came before another. And when I was done, Barbara said I should call it my “memoirs” because it was how I remembered things! And here it is, hopefully helpful to those who read it.
