Praise and Prayer

Thank you very much for your prayers for us this past month.  It has been a very full month and we depend on you, our faithful partners in this work. We had asked for prayer for the Easter outreach with two showings of the “JESUS” film.  With all of the flyers that were distributed and posters placed around our town and three neighboring towns, we were praying expectantly for God to fill the seats with people in whose hearts He was at work. We did have people from our church attend, including several that are unsaved, but we were saddened by the lack of interest from so many in a community in desperate need of hearing the Good News.

That same weekend the Lord gave our church some unexpected encouragement with the arrival of P., a young man who just moved to the area for an internship related to his schooling.  While his church involvement the past few years has been minimal, he was raised in a Christian home and was eager to get involved once again in a sound church. He has been coming each week since his arrival, eagerly drinking in Bible studies and fellowship, and quick to help out in any way he can.  His arrival also coincides with the departure of N. who has been faithfully attending this past year and a half, as he moved this last week to Paris to begin a training program for a new job.  He had been planning to be baptized on May 5 along with our son Caleb before he received the summons to make the move to Paris. We were sorry that he was not able to go through with his baptism before leaving.

Praise for

• the few that did attend the JESUS film, including several unsaved, and for the work God is doing in hearts.
• the good turnout (including several visitors) for our Easter breakfast and special service.  

• the arrival of P and his hunger for spiritual matters. Praise for other new visitors as well as those who have been attending regularly, some unsaved.
• the final club and closing program for our English outreach club this year.  Praise that the children did a great job with their memory work and songs and that we saw three parents in attendance for the very first time.

• a good annual Bible conference and team business meetings in Freiburg, Germany.  Praise for spiritual refreshment through Pastor Bob Cowman’s ministry, for a great children’s ministry by Pastor Bob’s team and for the blessing of being with our team France and our team Germany for several days. 

Team France and Team Germany

Team France

• our son Caleb following the Lord in believer’s baptism. Praise that Jonathan was able to baptize him on May 5, in a special service held in a borrowed church building with 39 people in attendance (including several from sister churches).

Pray for

• our teammates, the Christys, as they prepare to leave for three plus months of furlough/home ministry, and for us as we continue with a heavier load without them here.
• the Gadbois family who arrives May 22 as they come to help in various aspects of the ministry here for six weeks.
• those coming to France on missions trips this summer, and for the various ministries they will be involved in, including a VBS with children in our area.
• God to provide our church with a new building with sufficient facilities and space.
• healing for Cherith as she continues to suffer with sometimes painful congestion and respiratory issues as the specialists continue to seek a solution.
• God’s direction and provision for Jonathan and Caleb’s trip to CAR in October, where Jonathan has been asked to teach a two week module at the FIBAT seminary in Bangui.