Praise and Prayer for August 30, 2010

It feels like fall is already in the air. I don’t know if we’re ready for that just yet! We are thankful for God’s grace this week through His answers to prayer. We’re thankful for you, too, taking time to read these updates and to pray for us. The Lord gave us the opportunity this past week to discuss ministry and doctrine for several hours with an individual who had some rather strange ideas concerning the Bible. We came away fatigued emotionally but confidant that we had presented this person with the truth from God’s Word in a loving manner.

We praise the Lord that yesterday there were quite a few visitors in the morning service, including several students that have arrived for the school year. There was also a young family from out of town that is looking for a church. We hope each one found a warm and caring church family eager to welcome them. We were glad to see several people back from traveling too, though there were still several people out. A., who moved to Canada in June for further education, was back Sunday to welcome his sister who arrives this week from Africa. He returned for a couple weeks to help get her installed in Reims where she will pursue her studies. Sunday afternoon a few of the men from church (including Jonathan) helped move one of our families to their new apartment. Although it was a big job, it was obvious that there was a great job yet to be done after we left them in their new apartment.

Praise for:
- the Lord’s help in sharing truths from His Word at length with an individual.
- very good progress with reports and correspondence this week.
- healing for Caleb’s perforated ear drum, confirmed by his doctor on Friday. Also, we praise the Lord that Caleb and Josiah are both breathing much better.

Pray for:
- guidance as we pray about and seek God’s will regarding our future ministry.
- wisdom and ability to communicate clearly as we talk with people both in and outside the church about their questions concerning the Bible.
- Jonathan as he gives the Bible Study Tuesday evening at church and as he prepares to preach a week from Sunday.
- us this Friday evening as we have the Sunday School teachers over for a meal and planning session. We may have 14 besides our family.
- us to be a blessing to one of the Central Africans in our church and his Mom who is visiting, as they come for lunch tomorrow.
- C. and her family, as they go through a time of grieving following the recent death of C.’s mother.

Praise and Prayer for August 23, 2010

After weeks of sunshine and near drought conditions, God is blessing our area with refreshing rain showers. Sometimes looking out through our window and seeing the clouds and the pouring rain can dampen the spirits a bit, but how thankful we are for precious rain and the water needed to sustain life! As children of God, we need daily refreshment from “the fountain of living waters” through His Word!

We arrived home last Thursday afternoon thankful for all that the Lord did for us during our 8 day trip of more than 2500 kilometers (1553 mi.). He gave us safety through various conditions, including highway traffic jams and hard rain. The main objective of our trip was to visit two other couples working in different areas and learn of their burden and the great need for help in these areas. Our eyes were certainly opened much more to the particular needs in these areas. Jonathan had the privilege of preaching in BMM’s first church plant in Bordeaux last Sunday. As we traveled, we were also able to have either a meal or an overnight with friends in Poitiers, Terrasson and Rieux.

This past Wednesday, we were particularly in need of help when we were awakened at 3 a.m. by Josiah’s noisy, quick breathing and loud barking cough while we were staying with our friends south of Toulouse. We ended up taking him in to Emergency an hour’s drive away from where we were staying. He was treated for bronchiolitis and laryngitis and we were able to get home by 8:30 a.m. We were told that it was best we had come when we did as the condition can worsen quickly, especially in babies, and they were able to treat him right away. He and Caleb continue to struggle with coughing and congestion. Caleb seems to have caught what Josiah had, and is having his first asthma attack since March! For the long time since his last attack we are very thankful.

Praise for:
- a good trip to southern France to visit two couples and learn about two possibilities for future ministry.
- God’s help for Jonathan as he prepared and preached Aug. 15 in Bordeaux and Aug. 22 back here in Reims.
- the blessing of having some of our family from Nancy come visit us this weekend.
- the healing that God has given to Caleb’s perforated ear drum, and the protection of his hearing.
- God’s help in getting Josiah good treatment in the middle of our trip and far from home and familiar territory!
- Jonathan’s Mom and Aunt’s safe return to Grand Rapids this past week.

Pray for:
- guidance as we pray about and seek God’s will regarding our future ministry.
- good progress in work with correspondence and reports this week.
- plans and preparations for fall ministries (Sunday School, Sango outreach, English outreach, etc.).
- continued healing for Caleb’s ear and for Caleb and Josiah to get over this bout with coughing and asthmatic systems.

Praise and Prayer for August 7, 2010

On Sunday morning, we met our neighbor in the parking lot and were able to show her the way to the church. She was welcomed warmly and we were pleased that she seemed to enjoy her time with us Sunday morning. After the service she was given a tour of the church and we were able to tell her about some of the church’s ministries, including the children’s work. She complimented the level of organization as well as the number of people that were involved, happily serving the Lord, and was surprised to learn that the people serve on a volunteer basis! What a great testimony. We were more than a little bit proud of the reception she received by the church family. To top it off, she said that she would like to come back, though said it wouldn’t be every week. We would love to see her tomorrow.

We invited two of Adrianna’s school friends and their sisters over for a special tea party on Thursday. They all came (five besides Adrianna) and seemed to enjoy themselves very much. Cherith did each of the girls’ hair up fancy before they sat down to “tea” with a couple special goodies we’d made up for them to eat along with their Moroccan tea. We had some good opportunities to visit with parents when they came to pick up the kids.

We have been planning a survey trip to Bordeaux (in southwestern France) next week to learn more about a possible ministry opportunity for us in the future. On Thursday, we received a call from another couple that is serving in the Basque region of France who is also looking for help, inviting us to come and see the work they are involved in too. Lord willing, we will be visiting their work first, then traveling north to Bordeaux where we will be through next weekend. We are really looking forward to these opportunities to learn more about our hosts and the work they are/will be involved in. We also want to stop and see two families that used to be in Reims at the church here until they moved to different areas in the south.

Praise for:
- for M. coming to church and for the warmness she sensed from the people there!
- good Sunday school lesson Sunday with the six kids present, and for some good questions from one of the preteens.
- more good contacts with neighbors, and with other parents from the school after the girls tea party.
- the opportunity to make a trip next week to check out two possibilities for future ministry.
- Jonathan’s Mom and Aunt’s safe arrival in PA, and for the opportunity they had this week to travel to Lancaster to see the story of Joseph presented at Sight and Sounds.

Pray for:
- M. to return to church, and to want to know more about the Good News.
- Jonathan as he prepares and will be speaking at next Tuesday prayer meeting and on Sunday, August 22.
- our trip to Ustaritz and Bordeaux next week and for the Lord to give us wisdom and guidance as we look at these possibilities for ministry.
- guidance as to our future ministry.

Praise and Prayer for July 30, 2010

Last week, we were finally able to get the little strip of ground behind our apartment looking like a flower garden again. We have the only back door in our big building, and are therefore the only apartment with a strip of actual ground (the upper floor apartments all have balconies). So our strip of earth is a luxury for us, but also a bit of a responsibility since the common driveway and foot entry to the building all pass beside our personal back entry. We really do want to honor the Lord with the appearance of our back entry, and are glad to get caught up on its care! There were a few miscellaneous maintenance jobs to do yesterday (not too complicated for me!), including replacing a wall electrical receptacle, a door handle, an insulation strip around the front door, and the filter on our bathroom sink. Not too complicated, but necessitating a little time and the right parts. When we took our car to the garage for it’s annual checkup Wednesday, they found a few things that needed to be addressed, including replacing tires and a belt that they did not have in stock. While we waited, we visited a few sights in the area including the impressive Chateau Thierry American Monument, the medieval ruins of the castle behind City Hall, and the home of the fable writer/poet, La Fontaine (The Tortoise and the Hare). We ended up leaving the car at the garage, and are expecting to pick it up before the weekend.

One of our Central African friends who has not been coming to church was in an accident last week Friday, in which his right leg was badly broken below the knee. I found out about it Tuesday and went with Emmanuel to visit C. after our weekly meeting to pray and discuss the church and her needs. I went back to see him yesterday afternoon and found him a little more encouraged than on Tuesday. He is dealing with a lot in life and really needs to yield himself to the Lord. I was happy that he gladly accepted the French version of Max Lucado’s booklet “He Did This Just for You” and he assured me that he would have plenty of time to read it while he awaits release to go home. We’ve had more contact with our neighbor, M., who we hope to see in church this Sunday.


Praise for:
- the way the Lord blessed Adrianna’s Birthday party, for good participation and cooperation from the kids, and good contacts with parents and grandparents. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, especially the Birthday girl, whom we thank the Lord for!
- an excellent soiree with the meeting and dinner at our house for the church council and their spouses.
- Catherine Daily being well enough to travel with her whole family from Germany to the States for Home ministry on July 26.


Pray for:
- C.’s long recovery ahead, and for a tender heart toward spiritual matters.
- our neighbor M. to be in church this Sunday, and that the Lord will work in her heart.
- Jonathan’s Mom and Aunt Mary Lee (Teachout) as they travel to Ely Lake (in PA) this week for a three week visit.
- our Sunday School summer ministry, and for us as we are the team teachers this Sunday.
- guidance as to our future ministry.

Praise and Prayer for July 19, 2010

We have much to be thankful for this week! The closing service for our Sango outreach on July 4 was blessed with good attendance (20), good fellowship and good food, spiritual and physical! It was great to see one man come to service for the first time and one who hadn’t come at all this year. The Lord helped Jonathan with his preaching in three services. We had four young singles from church over for homemade pizza and a movie on July 9. The movie they chose was Flywheel and there were some good discussions about our walk with the Lord before the evening ended around midnight. : ) After church Sunday, one of the church families invited us for supper last night. We enjoyed visiting for several hours as our kids played together with their kids.

This past week, the Lord made it possible for us to make a trip to southern Bavaria, Germany to meet our friends, the Don Waite family, who had a longer drive than we from their home in Slovakia where they are serving the Lord. We enjoyed hiking up a mountain to a church pilgrimage site, touring a couple castles, and eating delicious German food. The highlight however was just being together with dear friends and sharing and receiving encouragement in the Lord regarding our ministries. We learned more about their great need for help. The kids enjoyed being together too, especially Adrianna and Vivian Waite who were pretty inseparable during waking hours! An added blessing was being able to spend Tuesday evening with fellow BMM family, the Todd Dailys, who are scheduled to leave for furlough/home ministry next Monday.

NEEDED: We are still looking for an English song/chorus book to use with an English outreach. If you or your church has from 15 to 20 songbooks that are no longer needed, and you would like to see them put to good use, please contact us for further details.

Praise for:
- those who came to the closing Sango service who we had not seen in a long time.
- the Lord’s help as Jonathan has preached.
- time with several of our church people.
- a refreshing and encouraging time with the Waites in Germany.
- the safe birth of Joshua Broeckert to Cherith’s brother Hans and Thuy.

Pray for:
- our contacts with friends and parents on Friday as we have Adrianna’s 7th Birthday Party.
- good progress with correspondence and projects this week.
- our preparation for having the members of the church counsel along with spouses for dinner this Saturday evening.
- Catherine, the 12 year old daughter of Todd and Dawn Daily, who is recovering from surgery and appendicitis, and for wisdom for the family as they prepare to leave.
- guidance as to our future ministry.

Praise and Prayer for July 1, 2010

The weather here in Reims turned HOT this week. We are thankful that our apartment has stayed below 80F (91F outside) and that the humidity hasn’t been high. The movie “Flywheel” was very well received Sunday night, though there were only 16 present. The spirit was good and I believe we were all challenged to examine our lives and make sure we are living for the Lord. This Sunday night we are having our “cloture” or closing service. It will be held at one of the member’s homes and I will be bringing the challenge. We are very thankful for the good progress that has been made this week on important paperwork, including much time working with our mailing list and expense reports. The Summer Sunday school program will be beginning this weekend – and we are finally ready for it. The schedule for July and August includes 17 volunteers willing and available for the selected dates! Praise the Lord for faithful helpers! We told the children in opening exercises last Sunday that while school was letting out this week and they would have vacation from school, there would still be Sunday school throughout the summer and we hoped they would be there regularly.

Yes, today is the final day of school here in France for the kids. Jonathan accompanied Adrianna’s class Monday on the last field trip of the year: the Library. Adrianna and Caleb both made special thank you cards to give to their teachers (and the teacher’s assistant in Caleb’s class) along with a jar of homemade strawberry jam (which Caleb also helped pick the strawberries for!). It is hard to say goodbye to teachers, parents and children knowing there will be little contact or opportunities to witness now until school reconvenes in September. We are looking forward to seeing several children and their parents at least once during the vacation as Adrianna has invited several friends to a special Birthday party on July 23.

NEEDED: We are looking for an English song/chorus book to use with an English outreach. If you or your church has from 15 to 20 songbooks that are no longer needed, and you would like to see them put to good use, please contact us for further details.

Praise for:
- contacts made this school year.
- the good reception of the film “Flywheel” Sunday evening at the Sango service.
-good progress made on important paperwork this week.
- church members who are willing to serve in the Summer Sunday School program.
- the safe arrival of Anita in Australia, Arnaud in Canada and Lin and her daughter in China.
- a safe move for Jonathan’s Mom and for good help from family and church family.

Pray for:
- a good turnout Sunday evening--the closing service for the Sango outreach.
- Jonathan as he prepares messages and Bible studies.
- good attendance in this summer’s Sunday School program.
- strength for Jonathan’s Mom for unpacking and getting settled in a new place.
- guidance as to our future ministry.

Praise and Prayer for June 25, 2010

Do you ever get discouraged looking at your to-do list at the end of the week compared with what it looked like at the beginning of the week? That’s something we struggle with, especially when the list is long (like right now!). Unexpected interruptions to the week plan, tasks taking longer than planned, difficulties contacting people, meeting the needs of our own children, etc. We are reminded that although we may plan our course (and seem to revel in being in control) it is the Lord who directs our steps (Proverbs 16:9). With God’s intervention and by His grace we can see the “interruptions” and would-be “wastes of time” turned into means of giving God glory. Whether or not everything on the to-do list is finished by the end of the day or week is really neither here nor there. I should be more concerned about whether or not I allowed God to use me for His glory throughout my day or my week. When I get my focus back where it should be, on what’s truly important, my day-to-day frustrations get fewer and less significant!

Yes, our to-do list is still long with what we see as important jobs still awaiting attention. However, the Lord has filled our week and we have seen His hand at work. On Sunday, the children took part in a special presentation in honor of fathers. We have had several good contacts with neighbors and school parents, including through Birthday celebrations that Adrianna has been invited to attend and Jonathan’s accompanying Caleb’s school on the field trip to Paris on Monday (both time consuming ventures!). E-flyers have been sent out and contact has been made with a number of Central Africans regarding a special outreach this Sunday evening where we will be showing the movie “Flywheel”. The summer Sunday School program is taking shape, although it is on hold while we continue to await confirmation from a number of people who we have asked to take part.

NEEDED: We are looking for an English song/chorus book to use with an English outreach. If you or your church has from 15 to 20 songbooks that are no longer needed, and you would like to see them put to good use, please contact us for further details.

Praise for:
- the reception we received Wednesday as we requested renewed one-year residency cards.
- opportunities for contact with friends and neighbors, including children’s Birthday parties and school field trips.
- those who have been contacted about the special film outreach Sunday evening.
- church members who are willing to serve in the Summer Sunday School program.
- Josiah’s first two teeth finally popping through this week after a bit of suffering and interrupted nights!

Pray for:
- a good turnout Sunday evening for a special Sango service film night.
- our Australian friend Anita as she travels home this weekend and for our family (especially the children) as we say goodbye to another friend.
- opportunity to work on important paperwork and reports.
- Jonathan’s Mom as she moves today into a new apartment nearby with special facilities for seniors and without stairs.
- guidance as to our future ministry.