Port Contact: Ecki Breitenmoser
Email: ecki.breitenmoser@scfs.org
Country: Germany (DE)
We are Ecki & Nadine Breitenmoser and have been married since 1998. We have four boys. We started the work among Seafarers in February 2005 and live just minutes away from one of the biggest ports in Europe.
Originally we are from Hamburg, where we also met Martin Otto in 1997. During a jobless period just weeks after Nadine and I got married I met Martin again and joined him one day as he visited ships. From the first moment on I was fascinated how open those people were for the gospel. Nadine and I had interested in Mission before but didn't have any particular vision. From now on we did, because Nadine was amazed by this kind of "World mission".
In 2000 we made the step of faith and resigned from our good paid jobs and joined a mission minded bible school in the Netherlands for two years. A year of Internship with Martin and Volker in the port of Hamburg followed in 2002. Eighteen months of further discipleship in the States followed as well. Although all these past years we had the vision to start one day with the port ministry, we did not know where God would send us. During our time in the States in 2004 we found out that a couple in Bremerhaven already prayed for more than two years to God to send somebody to minister to the seafarers in Bremerhaven, (this guy was introduced to the Seamen's Mission by Martin and Volker during a mission conference in Germany). Through their prayers we felt called to move to Bremerhaven at the end of 2004 and started the ministry among the seafarers in the beginning of 2005. God provided for us the perfect home out in the green, away from the busy city and just three minutes away from the port, I can even see some of the port out of my window.
As I go fulltime on the ships, Nadine is staying home and is reaching out to our boys 24/7. She is very supportive in this ministry and if time allows she joins me, which is unfortunately quite rare.
After having a period of five years with lots of changes and moves it is still quite a challenge for us to do a fulltime ministry. Praise God, for giving us many spiritual guides, mentors and counsellors to support us not only in the work in the port, but also to keep us in check. And I don't mean that negatively ? Mission is not a one man show, it is a component of many different individual who need to come together and work hand in hand, although they might never touch each other physically. Having these peoples in our lives is a huge help and blessing. Here you can find out more about the ministry in Bremerhaven and us: http://www.scfs-bremerhaven.de
Being new in this ministry we need lot of wisdom and guidance in the port and in our family life and marriage as well.
If you want to be informed about the ministry and our family we are sending out newsletters every quarter. Just send us an email at ecki.breitenmoser@scfs.org and we will put your name on the mailing list.
May the Lord bless you!
Seafarers Resources for Port of Bremerhaven