Bringing light to Germany: Elliot Bostel’s summer mission

By Renée Rucci

This summer, senior Physics major Elliot Bostel traveled with Global Outreach to Berlin, Germany. Together with a team of Cedarville students, he helped support two local churches by running an English camp and a student retreat. 

This past spring, Bostel met with a missionary, Steve Dye, who has served in Germany for the past 23 years. 

“I got really excited because that’s a place that is close to my heart, and I’m considering going long term,” Bostel said. “When I met him, he was excited to meet me and basically invited me to sign up for the trip to Germany.”

Bostel joined the Global Outreach team, and on May 24, they hopped on a plane to Berlin.

When the team arrived, they explored where the Berlin Wall used to stand. They learned that the Soviet Union tried to erase God from everything when it controlled East Germany, which still affects many people today.

Bostel observed that there are still distinct cultural differences on either side of the city. The few conversations he had with people in former East Berlin said they had never heard the gospel.

The team was able to share the gospel before their main ministry started. On one train ride, he and his friends discussed German history and economics. To their surprise, a gentleman in his fifties asked if he could participate in their discussion.

“The conversation was exciting because we were able to share the gospel with the man,” Bostel said.

The Global Outreach trip served at two churches, Crossway Church and Saddleback Church, during Christi Himmelfahrt, a week-long German holiday that celebrates Christ’s ascension to heaven. The group ran an English camp for the elementary school kids and helped at a middle and high school day retreat. 

Because public schools, the only legal type of schooling in Germany, teach a false version of Christianity, the retreat worked to clearly present the gospel message to the 42 students in attendance.

Bostel spoke in the chapels alongside Zach Dye, Steve Dye’s son, and Leah Knight. He spoke on what biblical friendship looks like among peers and in the church, drawing truths from passages such as John 15. To be a good friend, believers must abide in Christ and love one another well. He taught them how to apply these verses to everyday life.

“We have [a choice] in every interaction, whether it’s impressive to appear impressive or to be known,” Bostel said. “[Are our friends] pushing us towards Christ or pulling us away from him? Are we friends to others in a way that we’re pushing them towards Christ or pulling them away?”

Throughout the trip, Bostel found that God was working on his pride. He learned how important it is to see the individual parts of the body of Christ instead of the body as one whole. He performed behind-the-scenes jobs, such as making sandwiches for everyone. Even though it felt menial, it was a task that is just as important as sharing the gospel and gives glory to God.

“The Lord was opening my eyes to the fact that even though small things, a burden is being  lifted off the long-term team,” Bostel said. “They can [now] spend [time] resting, pouring in others, ministering or preaching the gospel when they would normally be burdened with that task.”

Bostel also saw God teaching him humility as he assisted with crafts and games to entertain the students, while church members could share the gospel with the students’ parents. Since the Cedarville students took over some of the responsibilities of the retreat, the church members were able to invest in the parents who stayed for most of the day.

The trip opened Bostel’s eyes to the need for the gospel in Germany and Europe as a whole. Even though Germany was the birthplace of the Reformation, Europe is a dark place spiritually.

“Germany needs the gospel, and Europe needs the gospel,” Bostel said. “We need to pray that the Lord would send workers into that field. It’s hard soil, but it’s not too hard for Him.”

*This article was featured in Cedars’ fall 2025 edition of the print magazine.

Renée Rucci is a Professional Writing and Information Design major with a minor in Editing and Publishing. In her spare time, she enjoys singing, playing her flute, reading historical fiction novels and traveling with her family.