TOBIAS LANDMAN

I met a dreamer all the way over in Germany!  How did I meet someone all the way over there?  Facebook and HLE Radio.  I love how Social Meida connects us dreamers and lovers of God together.

Over the last couple of years Tobias Landman has mentioned a Cowboy Church in Germany.  I did not know till recently that this is only in the dream and planning mode.  I am writing this blog to ask all of you to pray with us for this exciting dream for the first Cowboy Church in Germany.  Higher Ground Cowboy Church!!!!

Tobias were you born and raised in Germany?  

I am born in January 1981 in east Germany. I raised there in a christian family with my mother, my sister and my grandparents. My father left when I was 6 years old

If not how did you come to locate there? 

Unfortunately we had to move a lot of different reason in the last 2 years. In May 2016 we found the property we are living in now and we are very grateful for it although we have some trouble with the landlord again but GOD is in control.
We don’t own a church building. We meet in our house.

At what age did you give your life over to Jesus? 

I gave my life over to JESUS in a youth camp when I was 13 years old but it felt so strange it was a real conservative church without the Holy Spirit and with preaching the punishing God. My present wife took me to a church that was totally different in January 2012 and I was touched by the Holy Spirit and started after the sermon totally new with JESUS. That was January 16 th 2012

You and I met through social media, I remember from the beginning you saying you had a dream to start a cowboy church in Germany. What inspired this dream in your life? 

Yes. God spoke to me in a dream in early summer 2014 and I woke up with this question in my mind : “Who cares about the lost western riders here in Germany?”

I have many friends on facebook who are Bullriders or Cowboys or Pastors, Preachers or members of Cowboy Churches and I liked every page of a Cowboy Church to see and find out how they do it. And I started do ask some Pastors and church planters how it could work for Germany and I got many helpful tips and now I try to make it fit to the German horse and rider culture because it’s completely different than in the United States.

You now have the start of this vision Higher Ground Cowboy Church, can you tell us the mission behind this church and vision?

We have not started yet. My wife and I have a weekly prayer meeting and bible study to pray for the realization of the vision

We are waiting that GOD works and gives HIS “GO” to start

We want to reach the horse people here in Germany. To spread the gospel at horse events, competitions or invite the people in our Cowboy Church to worship and have Church with us.

My wife wants to do the kids work with ponys and telling the kids about JESUS

What stage is this dream currently in?  

I would call it the planning phase.

As far as you know are there any other cowboy churches in Germany?

As far as I know not one.

What can we and others do to support this vision?

Praying for this vision here for Germany

If someone has a word or impression from GOD for us please let us know

I need a bible teacher to grow and become stronger in the word of GOD and equipping for this work

I asked Tobias to tell us about his life.  I have not altered any of his wording,  I feel it is best shared in true format. 

• I´d like to write something about my life the years before, how I started again with JESUS and what I´ve experienced with our Lord so you can better understand the whole Story. .. I grew up in a Christian family in a small village in east Germany. My parents got divorced when I was six years old. I finished school with a secondary school certificate and learned the trade of agricultural machinery mechanic. Then I changed to the sale of agricultural machinery in different companies. Since I was 9 I was active in the brass choir in the local church. But mainly I went every Sunday to a Free Church congregation and there was also active in the youth work. When I was 14 years old, I gave Jesus at a youth camp my life. But my life as a Christian was kind of strange to me, and I got always a punishing God preached. The Holy Spirit seemed to almost never. If you had sinned you waited always crouching on the punishment of God. So I went more often again in the Local Church. The local ancient churches in Germany are relatively dead. Without awakening, without conversion sermon and without people. In 2004 I married and in 2006 our son Daniel came to world. Shortly before I started a new job as a salesman for tractors and harvesters. I worked 24/7 for the CLAAS brand. CLAAS is the market leader for harvesters in Germany. I was very successful but the family has been totally ignored by me. This was followed by a lot of parties, I cheated on my wife. But to my son, I built a very close relationship. I went because of another woman but also that relationship failed. Together with my wife we wanted to try it again with each other also because of Daniel. I found, however, again no middle ground between family and work. So we parted again-forever. My mother and my sister with family had already turned away since the first separation from me. Now I was alone again, and Daniel was with me on the weekends. Three or four friends held at the time to me. In November 2011 after the ice hockey training (9.00 pm) I got terrible heartbeat. I had over 300 bpm !!! I drove the car to my house and after 2 hours with the heartbeat I drove to the hospital. The doctors were overwhelmed and tried a lot. They gave me six or seven medicines – without success ! Now all that remained was the electric shock to bring the heart under control. I was under anesthesia. After 30 minutes I woke up and my heartbeat was normal. later, a nurse told me that they had to make it twice. The first time the heart stops beating completely. Now it was 3.20 am next morning. At 10.00am the Doctor brought me with the ambulance in a special clinic. No one believed me that I had heart racing so long. Next day (a Friday) I was operated on my heart. A heart-line has been cut. Later in the afternoon the doctor tells me that the line was cut incorrect. On Monday they will do it again ! This weekend, I thought a lot. I had great fear. In my longing grew to near Jesus. Jesus was calling me. In the second operation, I woke up in the middle and talked to the doctor and the doctor asked me things. Then I fell asleep again. Now the line was cut correct and after a few days I was back home. The relationship with my wife and my family was affected by allegations. We decided to separate and she also met another man quickly. Later I met my current girlfriend in west Germany. She took me with in January 2012 in the Christ Center Ruhrgebiet. There I met Jesus and God as he really is. And of course the holy spirit that was previously unknown to me. I gave my life to Jesus and gave my entire debt to the cross. I know that all is forgiven and I was able to restart. It is living a completely different and new. I realize every day how much God bless me. I also feel like Jesus changed me and working on me every day ! Our LORD is sooo great !!!! Now I have many friends in the church. In July 2012 I got baptized. I’m excited to see how God’s plan goes further with me. The relationship with my son is still the best. Daniel is with us At the holidays. My mother and my Sister see my change but do not understand much because they are missing the Holy Spirit…In July 2013 I married my wife before the law and in September 2013 before GOD…

   In January 2015 we moved to east Germany end of January to get my mothers house and land. The day we arrived we had lots of trouble with my mother. She left her house there and lives with my sister and my brother in law two villages away. She has so much unforgiveness and bitterness within that I’ve been in West Germany the last three years. They all looking for our mistakes and judge and condemn my family. They see my/our vision to plant a cowboy church and build up a horse ranch to evangelize the youth and the old as spinning and crazy. Several attempts to lead a quiet and substantive discussion failed. It escalated much more. We wrote a letter and explained with a lot of scriptures that they shall forgive us and not judge and that the past has gone…no reaction…no letter back…no call…silence. In June 2015 we moved back to west Germany and lived 1 year with the stepfather of my wife in a house that was much too small for us. All our stuff was in the barn. The Kids had no Owner rooms. We were really frustrated and down. It was a really hard and tough time. We were looking for a new home for one and a half year !!!

  In May this year we found a new home in north Germany only 1 hour always. A farm house with 2 horse boxes in the stable and a farmer who gives us a 5 acres pasture for free because we only shall take care a little for his cows who are standing next to us. You can see some pictures At my FB profile or the HGCCG site on FB. We are blessed now and all the waiting was worth it…

  PLEASE HELP US SHARE THIS DREAM! BE A DREAM CATCHER AND LETS HELP TOBIAS AND HIS WIFE RUN WITH THIS!!

  I HAVE A DREAM TO TAKE A TEAM OVER THERE TO MINISTER AT HIS CHURCH!!!

  Blessings,

  Cassie Nations

  Dream Catcher 3:20