God has sent
sunshine to Bordeaux for which we are very thankful after more than three weeks
of daily showers. Spring flowers
are everywhere and in our yard, grass planted in February lengthens and
thickens needing a lawn mower before it gets permanently out of control.
The Lord
answered prayer in a very special way concerning our France field
conference. On Sunday before
conference, Cherith felt like she was coming down with something. By that afternoon and night, she was
having full-blown flu symptoms with fever and aches over every inch of her
body. Monday morning she still
felt weak, but felt like we could make the six hour trip that afternoon. About half way there, her achiness was
bad enough that I began to wonder if we weren’t going to have to turn around
and head home. In the meantime,
teammates who knew, and Facebook friends were praying. By the time we pulled into the
conference center in Le Puy en Velay around 9:30 p.m., Cherith was feeling very
noticeably better. Her strength
was increasing and the ache was gone!
She was able to participate and enjoy the conference through the end,
and all we missed was the first evening supper and service.
We had a
surprise phone call from the pastor’s wife at our church in downtown
Bordeaux. Pastor Christian had
thought that he was going to be well enough to be in church for the Bible study
and preaching Sunday morning, but was forced back to bed with a bad migraine
and weakness. The deacon would
cover for Sunday school but would I be able to fill in for the message? I had just enough time to pull the
notes for a message I had preached before and skim through them before we left
for church. Seeing a few visitors
in the service, we learned that two of them were university students who were
doing research for a class assignment as they studied different religions. As they took careful notes of every
detail of the service in this “Evangelical Baptist” church, I prayed for help
in preaching. After the service, I
had an opportunity to talk with several there, including the two students who
posed a number of questions both on the message as well as on a number of
doctrines that churches like ours teach.
It was a joy to share with them from the Bible, in response to their own
questions, though their main motivation had been research for a class. They were welcomed warmly, invited to
return, and given our contact information. May the Lord work in their hearts as they work through the
things they heard.
Praise
for:
-
the university students in church Sunday as well as a friend of one of the
members who came with her to church for the first time.
-
good health the Lord gave to be able to attend the France field conference, and
for very good meetings and fellowship with our team mates and with our speaker
and his wife. The children enjoyed
their sessions with their teacher and the two other children their age, as well
as seeing their friends from across France.
-
God’s goodness and work in Caleb’s life as he celebrated 6 years on April 25,
also the anniversary of our arrival in France for ministry in 2007.
-
the opportunity to see one of the families that were in the church in Reims for
our first couple of years there, as they were in Bordeaux visiting family and
were able to come over for a visit Monday afternoon.
Pray
for:
-
God to work in the hearts of the visitors who heard the Gospel clearly on
Sunday.
-
health and strength for each of us.
-
wisdom and guidance as we seek to organize and implement the Sunday school/Junior
church program at church, and that the Lord would provide helpers to disciple.
-
our telephone landline to be connected soon.
-
God’s provision for our regular support needs, as well as one time expenses
like a lawn mower which we are now needing for the first time. We are also praying for a table and
chairs for the patio where we could entertain guests once the weather warms up.
-
our residency cards to be delivered soon.
-
Cherith’s Mom and her Aunt Sue Meerman as they travel to Cambodia, visiting a couple
of Cherith’s siblings along the way.
No comments:
Post a Comment