AN AUSTRIAN SUMMER by Ruth Barnes "Gruss Gott" must have been the phrase I heard most frequently during my seven weeks in Europe; the Austrians' word for "hello", the villagers would greet everybody they met in this fashion. As strangers to the village of Micheldorf we were not excluded. Ten young people from five different nations spending their summer in an out-of-the-way village tucked among the mountains of upper Austria. What had led us there and what did we hope to achieve? It all started in the German city of Offenburg, where 3,000 people from 60 different nations met together for a week of Bible teaching, prayer and practical preparation for the weeks ahead. We then divided into teams and spread out all over Europe - our main aim being to talk with people about the Lord Jesus Christ, who we had discovered was the source of life. The little evangelical church in Micheldorf had invited a team to come and work with them and had been busy making preparations for our arrival. They had arranged a series of evening events mid-way through our stay there, so we spent the first part of our time inviting people from the neighbouring areas to come along. We then helped with the running of these events - films, videos, concerts, lectures and a drama evening - and spent the remainder of our time doing mainly practical work for the people in the village. How then did people respond to what we had to tell them? We discovered that the Austrians are already a religious people and we didn't have to persuade them that God existed. Yet although they believe in God it seems that nobody has ever told them that they can know God. Similarly they are unaware that God is offering them eternal life as a free gift, and instead they feel that they must earn their way to heaven. Forgiveness is nothing they have experienced from God, and as we talked to some of the young people they expressed their longing to know release from the guilt of past actions. Many of the people we met found the good news we presented to them too revolutionary even to consider, but for some the light slowly began to dawn that this could be the answer they were looking for. Of course, all this took place 700 miles away from the place where I live - but it needn't have. For the offer of a changed life is as possible in my England or where you live, as in Austria and the decision to accept or reject it is as much yours as theirs.

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