Update May 30, 2023

We praise the Lord for blessing the music recital Friday evening, May 29. The Lord helped the participants to do well and we were encouraged to have several of the church family join us for the evening.

One of the senior couples in our church were moving on Saturday morning, May 20, at the same time as the first Saturday street evangelism at the Moncton market this summer. Our family split up with Cherith and Caleb helping with the move while Josiah and I joined the team at the market.  Seeing uniformed military on street corners, we soon learned that Princess Anne was in town to celebrate the 175th anniversary of Canada’s oldest military regiment, which is based in New Brunswick.  The planned open air evangelism changed to an opportunity for handing out tracts.  We followed the crowd to City Hall where we were able to pass out a few hundred tracts to those attending the ceremony. It would be wonderful if some of those who came to see the sister of an earthly king accepted the Words of Life and became sons and daughters of the King of Kings! 

The EBBI team (with Caleb) traveled to Sourris, Prince Edward Island Saturday evening and presented the school in the church there in the morning service.  In the afternoon, they traveled to a church in Summerside, PEI where they were also joined by members of a church in Charlottetown. So God made it possible for them to actually share with three local churches that Sunday.

M arrived from Quebec last Wednesday, here for the summer to take the responsibility of our French ministry in our absence.  He is staying with us and will continue to live in our home while we are gone to the US.  We are furiously preparing to leave Thursday, June 1 for a full summer of visits, seminars, meetings and conferences. 

Cherith had her final Bible study with D last Tuesday, and the final Ladies’ Bible study was Thursday evening.  

Caleb and Josiah left for the Maritime Games at Forest Glen Bible Camp Thursday afternoon.  We followed them early Friday morning, arriving in time for the adjudicator meeting and orientation just before the first session of musical entries.  We took part adjudicating vocal and instrumental presentations by teens from several Maritime churches, with the goal of providing constructive and encouraging feedback to these young people to use their gifts and talents for Christ.  Our boys both had entries, Caleb (preaching and vocal solo) and Josiah (trumpet and Christian service). 

Caleb led the Bible quiz team from EBC (with two junior high girls and Josiah) as they prepared and they did a great job, especially for their first time quizzing against other experienced teams. Our group came in 3rd place out of 5 teams.  

It seemed strange yesterday as we had our French service and took part in the other services, to think it was our last Sunday at EBC until our return to Moncton in August.  We will miss our church family and ministries here where the Lord has enabled us to serve every Sunday since our arrival in July 2021. We look forward to seeing our family in GR and being with the church family in our home church in Grand Rapids, MI next Sunday.  Then begins a full summer of visits, meetings, conferences and seminars.  We appreciate prayer that God will give protection over the miles and that we will be used by Him to accomplish His purposes.  We are planning to attend BMM’s School of Church Planting June 5-7 in Grimes, IA in order to be better equipped for this ministry. One big prayer request is that God will call more laborers and send them into His harvest field in French Canada.  The francophone people of New Brunswick are in desperate need of hearing the Gospel with very little opportunity.  We need help and pray that God will lead others to join us in this work. 

Praise for

• 
  God bringing M safely back from Quebec to begin a summer internship here at Emmanuel which includes the French ministry. 
• a special opportunity for sharing tracts with the crowd gathered to see Princess Anne. 
• God’s blessing and protection of the EBBI ministry team (which included Caleb) as they ministered in three Maritime provinces this month.  Praise for good contacts in the churches.
• God’s blessing of the Spring Music Recital, for the opportunity to glorify God through music, for His help for each of the participants, and for their growth musically this past year.
• a the spiritual growth in D’s life through her Bible studies with Cherith this year, and for a good finish to the Ladies’ Bible study. Praise for the positive feedback Cherith has had from a number of the ladies.
• all of the preparation the youth put into preparing entries for the Maritime Games, for the opportunity we had to interact and encourage participants toward excellence in the use of their God-given talents for His glory.

Pray for

• M as he takes responsibility for the French ministry, and that God will help him with each of his responsibilities serving and helping the ministries of EBC. Pray too for B as he begins an internship in Saint John with a local church and summer camp ministries.  
• the hearts of those who have heard or received Gospel literature to be tender and responsive to the Holy Spirit. 
• God to direct in lives to bring new students to EBBI to study His Word and to prepare for ministry. Pray that God will send laborers to French Canada (NB and Quebec), and specifically that He will add to our team in this ministry.
• God to move our paperwork along for Canadian residency without long delays and without much greater cost.
• God’s protection as we travel this summer, that He will bless as we connect with so many people and that He will sharpen us and refresh us for the work He has for us here.