Praise and Prayer for December 13, 2010

Warm wishes to your house from ours for a blessed Christmas and New Year. Thank you for your prayers for us. The Lord blessed the Bible study on Tuesday. We thank the Lord for safety as Reims (and much of France) was hit with a snowstorm Wednesday and Thursday, the worst they have seen in many, many years. One of the high school seniors in our church who lives out of town spent Wednesday night and Thursday with us as her train home (and all public transportation) was out of circulation. Her parents were happy that the roads allowed them to get into town Thursday afternoon to pick her up. Cherith surprised me with a surprise 40th Birthday party on Friday evening and we were joined by a number of friends from church.

In Sunday School we had 22 children present (including babies) for a special program with a film (L’enfant de la Mansarde/The child from the Attic). Some of the children had not been in Sunday School at all this school year. We were surprised and encouraged at how well the children sat and listened carefully and did well answering questions afterward. The Christmas program was Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. with a very full church. The Lord blessed in so many ways as many people took part. There were several first-time visitors present who heard the Gospel clearly presented in a variety of ways. The choir did a great job with the two songs they had prepared. Adrianna and Caleb did very well with their duet. It was the first time for me to speak for the Christmas program here, and I was so thankful for the Lord’s help. Several comments afterward encouraged me that the message was clear and appreciated. We pray that there will be eternal fruit.

Lord willing, we will be flying out of Paris tomorrow at 8:30 p.m. heading to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The trip will take more than 27 hours from our front door until we are met by Cherith’s parents at the PP airport. We are all looking forward to celebrating our first Christmas together with Grandma and Grandpa Broeckert since 2006! Thank you for praying for our health and safety, and that the Lord will use us to encourage and bless those we will be with. We look forward to the opportunities that we will have to minister: Cherith teaching a ladies’ SS class, me preaching, giving some help with music, etc. We plan to return to Reims December 29 and will try to get an update written soon after that. May God bless your Christmas season as you celebrate the greatest Gift of all, Jesus Christ, the Savior.

Praise for:
- God’s help for Jonathan as he led the Bible study Tuesday and spoke for the Christmas program. Praise for good attendance.
- the help and strength God gave us with all of our responsibilities for Sunday’s program in the morning and afternoon.
- God’s blessings so evident throughout the Christmas program and for the visitors that were present.
- safety throughout the snowstorm that hit Reims.

Pray for:
- those who have heard or will hear the Gospel this Christmas season to open their hearts to receive God’s gift of salvation.
- many around us whose hearts are cold to the Gospel.
- our trip to Cambodia and our time there with Cherith’s parents and the people they are working with. Pray for the ministry that we will have there.
- the family of Mr. Earl Dannenberg (formerly in the CAR and missions professor at FBBC) who was promoted to Heaven on December 9. Son John and his wife are currently serving in the CAR.

Praise and Prayer for December 6, 2010

The Holiday season is here with all the color, the glitter and the lights shining above the streets, in the stores and from the windows and porches of homes and apartments across the city of Reims. Reminders of the Reason for the Season can be seen everywhere if people have heard and take time to remember. Angels and stars help us remember the announcements God gave to Mary, Joseph, the shepherds and the wise men of old when “the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us”. How many people in Reims will see these symbols of the God’s Gift to a lost world and miss the meaning because they have never given a second thought to the greatest Gift of all. Our prayer is that here and around the world, hearts would be opened to hearing and receiving this Gift, and that believers would be faithful to share the news this Christmas season and in whatever time that remains before our Lord’s return.

Since we moved to Reims in the Spring of 2007, the winters have seen very little snow. This past week has given us our fill of snow and slippery roads, and we were happy to see the last of the snow disappear today. The Lord has given safety on the roads. There were six at our English Encounter on Thursday evening. The church counsel met Saturday evening and had a profitable time working together and planning. On Sunday, the choir met early for practice and presented one of the songs they have been working on in the morning service. There was a good group out for Sunday school, though there was a bit of distraction from kids whose attendance has been very irregular. The GBS (Sango group) met Sunday evening for a special Christmas Bible study and celebration. Cherith had prepared quiche and goodies to pass that everyone enjoyed. There were 12 of us present including children. The church has its Christmas program this Sunday (December 12) and many will be participating through song, skit and Scripture. I have the special privilege and challenge of giving the message this time. We are praying that there will be visitors who will come with open hearts. I will also be speaking at prayer meeting tomorrow evening (Tuesday).

Praise for:
- the Reason for the Season and the blessing of celebrating CHRISTmas.
- God’s protection over slippery roads this past week.
- the meetings and outreaches that we were involved in last week.
- the good health the Lord has given us, though Josiah has a runny nose.

Pray for:
- extra opportunities this Christmas season to share the Good News with those around us.
- the Christmas program at church this Sunday afternoon, for each one participating and for the visitors.
- me as I lead the Bible Study Tuesday evening and speak for the Christmas program Sunday.
- preparations for our trip to Cambodia to visit Cherith’s parents (Hubert and Dr. Mary Broeckert) December 14-28. We are excited about some of the opportunities we will have to minister to the church there as Cherith will be teaching the ladies’ Sunday school class and I will be preaching on one of the two Sundays we are there.

Praise and Prayer for November 29, 2010

Happy Thanksgiving (belated)! Although Thanksgiving is not a French holiday, we were determined to celebrate it as a family and to share its meaning with those around us.We were encouraged to have 24 present for Tuesday night Bible study where we considered the response God expects from us for His blessings even in our times of difficulty. It’s amazing how when you begin to “count your blessings” it does “surprise you what the Lord hath done!” Among the blessings God has given us is a host of family and friends who pray for us and give to our ministry to make it possible for us to be here where God has called us serving Him as He guides and provides. We thank Him and we thank YOU for your part in our lives and in our ministry.

Along with unexpected joys and trials each week, each day even, come opportunities. There were several opportunities this past week to pray and offer counsel to those with special needs. How we need God’s wisdom and grace to give the right words at the right times to those in need of hearing them! Thank you for praying for the A.E.E. (Child Evangelism Fellowship in France) seminar on Saturday. Two A.E.E. volunteers came and were with us the whole day to offer teaching and counsel for working with children in ministry. There were 16 participants, including one from a sister church. The seminar given was excellent and our people came away motivated, excited about the opportunities to work with children. On Sunday, one lady shared that she was eager for her turn to teach again and could hardly wait to minister to them again and put into practice the things she had learned. We marvel at God’s leading and how He is raising up willing workers within the church who are ably taking responsibility in this ministry.

On Sunday, five of our Sunday School kids from 4 years old to 11 had a special part in the worship service as they quoted the books of the Old Testament from Genesis to Malachi in front of the congregation. It was an encouragement to those listening to follow the example of these children and learn the books of the Bible. The Lord’s leading was evident as the Pastor’s message continued with the theme of the importance of children in the Bible. On Sunday afternoon, we had seven adults from church over for our Thanksgiving dinner. Each of them has family in the USA so they had a previous connection to this celebration. Although we missed our own families, the Lord gave us a precious time of fellowship with our family in Christ. Yes, we did feast on a very American Thanksgiving dinner with all of its trimmings, thanks to the many hours Cherith spent in the kitchen on Saturday while I was at the seminar.

Praise for:
- our Savior, our family, our friends, our home and our food.
- for the good group out and God’s blessing in leading the Tuesday Bible study.
- the ways God blessed the A.E.E. seminar on Saturday and the good participation.
- the five kids who got up Sunday and said the books of the O.T.

Pray for:
- continued growth of new believers.
- the good attendance in our services to continue.
- for those who took the A.E.E. seminar to be able to apply the things that they learned, and that God will bless the children’s ministries at our church.
- the Lord’s direction as we prepare for opportunities to speak in December.

Praise and Prayer for November 22, 2010

As the days seem to fly by, we are reminded that the coming of our Lord draws nearer and that the time we have to give to Him is limited. We recognize our own limitations and that we couldn’t handle more hours in a day (He knew best), but sometimes we just wish time wasn’t so fleeting. Thank you for praying for us this past week. Good progress was made on our reports and we’ve mostly recovered from the time we lost when we were sick. There are ongoing preparations for upcoming ministry opportunities, including Bible studies, the Christmas program, and speaking opportunities for both Cherith and me to minister in Cambodia when we are there over Christmas.

On Wednesday, we were invited to the home of one of the young ladies in our church. She had invited another young lady that is here as a student, and we enjoyed the good fellowship as well as a delicious genuine Japanese dinner – fill and wrap your own sushi with a dozen options for fillings. I accompanied Adrianna’s class to their gym session (the gym is at another school down the street) Thursday afternoon. That evening we had our second English Encounter. Attendance doubled and there were 8 present this time. One lady even brought a colleague from work who seemed to be attentive to the Bible study and indicated that she would be back next time. Cherith worked hard to prepare two beautiful picture collages to hang up at church, one on the Jesus Film outreach and one on the Ladies Outreach. On Sunday, we were happy to see that they were well-received and bringing encouragement to several people.

Praise for:
- good progress on reports this week, as well as the preparation of the picture collages for church.
- good attendance in church (both prayer meeting and Sunday service) and for a good choir practice.
- three more kids saying the books of the Old Testament this Sunday (including four year old Caleb).
- the opportunity the kids and I had to spoil Cherith as we celebrated her Birthday Saturday. I praise God for such a wonderful help meet in life and in ministry.

Pray for:
- me as I lead the Bible study Tuesday evening (on Thankfulness).
- the A.E.E. (Child Evangelism Fellowship) seminar all day Saturday with those who have signed up.
- the Lord’s direction as we prepare for opportunities to speak in December.

Praise and Prayer for November 15, 2010

Last week we asked for prayer as Cherith and I were beginning to feel ill. Little did we know at what force that bug would hit us! I was in bed with a fever, out of commission, from Tuesday morning through Friday and Cherith was down for two days. Praise the Lord for His strength as when Cherith could no longer work with the kids, I had enough strength to take over until she was back up again. Josiah began coughing this week and when we took him in, both Josiah and I were diagnosed with bronchitis, complicated with asthma. Our family doctor was happy to solve the mystery of where the boys’ asthmatic tendencies come from! Cherith is nearly over her bronchitis. Caleb showed signs of not hearing well and when we visited the doctor, he found an ear infection. One of the benefits of being out of commission is extra time to read. I was delighted to read a gem of a book that I’d brought back from CAR, nearly a century old: “In the Twinkle of an Eye”. You have probably already guessed that it has to do with the Lord’s return for His own. It was a thrilling way for me to spend the time when I could do little else. Now this week is catch-up week as we try to scrunch two weeks worth of work into one.

Even with bronchitis, Cherith was still able to put in a number of hours last week working on recording a CD with the choir songs we are working on for Christmas. She sang each voice part and recorded accompaniment. It is a big job, and I am so proud of the good job the Lord enabled her to do, despite her cough, etc! The CDs will be a useful tool for the members of the choir who do not read music to help in learning their voice parts at home.

Sunday was an exciting day as we watched another young woman follow the Lord in baptism. She is a university student from Chad, Africa.

After the service we enjoyed a fellowship dinner together with a number of people who were able to stay. That evening we had the Sango meeting with twelve of us in attendance. We spent some precious time together in prayer, which was an encouragement.

Praise for:
- the Lord’s enabling this week as well as His healing.
- strength the Lord gave Cherith to be able to accomplish the project of recording the voice parts for choir.
- the young woman who was baptized this past Sunday.
- those who came out for the Sango service.

Pray for:
- the second English Encounter we will be having on Nov. 18.
- preparations for the A.E.E. (Child Evangelism Fellowship) seminar on November 27 with special training for those in our Sunday School program.
- good progress this week on reports.
- Chuck Frost, an 89-year-old prayer warrior and faithful servant of God in OH who lost his wife and home in a house fire this week. He himself was very badly burned and remains in critical condition. After retirement, the Frosts invested their lives and their home for the mission work in the CAR.

Praise and Prayer for November 8, 2010

Choir practice Sunday morning


Sunday morning service

Thank you for praying for our very hectic weekend! The Lord answered prayer in so many ways for which we are thankful. Cherith and C. (one of the ladies from church) worked hard Saturday morning baking goodies for the Ladies Tea. Cherith continued working at the house while Adrianna, Caleb and I went to pick up to Aunt Margaret (Stauffacher) in the afternoon. Her visit, though short, was such a blessing to our whole family and we are so thankful the Lord enabled her to come. It was like having a visit from our own family in the USA. We made it home in time to get in on part of a surprise 25th Birthday party for a friend.

Decorating for the Ladies' Tea

Games


Sunday began early and by the time we fell into bed at the end of the day, we could only praise God for His guidance and for His provision of strength throughout the day. Choir practice went well with a good turnout a whole hour earlier than people are used to getting to church! The auditorium was nearly full for the morning service, and it was good to see some faces that haven’t been there in a while. I was very thankful for God’s help in preaching Sunday morning and for a good response from several people present. After the service, several of the men began helping the ladies who were working on transforming the auditorium into a beautifully decorated place to hold a Ladies Tea. Cherith was thankful for all the good help she had, and for the good spirit of joy in serving the Lord that was evident in the setup and in putting the auditorium back in order. There were 34 ladies and girls present for the meeting, including at least one lady that hadn’t been to church in many months. The theme was encouragement and Aunt Margaret’s challenge from God’s Word very apropos, warmly shared and sprinkled with personal experience. The craft that the ladies did was creating an encouragement card to take home to share with someone. Aunt Margaret, Cherith and Adrianna arrived home in the rain a little after 6 p.m, where Aunt Margaret’s daughter Jeanne and her family picked her up to take her home.

Praise for:
- strength and the Lord’s enabling this weekend for us and for Aunt Margaret Stauffacher.
- God’s blessing as Cherith coordinated the Ladies Tea and for all of the good help from other women and a few men too.
- the people that came out for Choir practice Sunday morning, and for the Lord’s help for me as I preached.


Pray for:
- good health for our family as some bug is working on Cherith and me.
- continued fruit from the Ladies’ Tea Sunday.
- the Lord to bless the baptism service Sunday and the testimony of a university student from Tchad, Africa.
- good progress this week on reports.

Praise and Prayer for November 5, 2010

This update has been pulling on us since Monday when something came up that kept me from getting it written. It has been a busy time and we have felt like we are clinging desperately to the protection bar on a roller coaster trying not to let go as it swoops and swerves around each turn. There is much going on this weekend for which we need prayer, so we do want to get this out, even if it is late. We met with a couple of the lead Sunday School teachers last Wednesday to begin handing over some of the responsibilities for scheduling. Cherith also met with the pastor’s wife and the wife of one of the deacons to plan out the details for the Ladies Tea coming up this Sunday. On Thursday we travelled four hours to Bergen Op Zoom, Holland where we enjoyed some good fellowship with John and Anna Kay Haskell (serving with BMM) and did some desperately needed clothing and shoe shopping for the kids.

Our Christmas choir began preparing on Sunday with a good number of people, though the man to women ratio was greatly in the women’s favor. On Tuesday we visited a good size (for here) Bible bookstore in Paris to check out their selection of Bibles for children and to visit with newlywed Mrs. Jennifer Dusseaucy (whose wedding we attended in Caen in September) at her place of work. The kids went back to school Wednesday after nearly a week and a half of vacation. That day, Cherith and another lady from church worked on gathering materials for the Ladies Tea. Last evening, we held our first English Encounter with four in attendance. Our next one is scheduled for November 18.

Tomorrow, I will be driving to Chauny to pick up Mrs. Margaret Stauffacher and bring her back to Reims where she will spend the night with us. She is the keynote speaker for the Ladies Tea Sunday afternoon. We are looking forward to a blessed time with “Aunt” Margaret. Pray that she will have the health and strength necessary to be able to come and minister to the ladies. There are nearly 40 that have signed up to come, mostly from our church and a few from the sister church in Laon. The choir will be practicing before the service this Sunday (and each week), so we hope that everyone will be able to make it to practice. Cherith has been working hard to record voice parts in some of her not so spare time! I will be preaching Sunday morning so would appreciate special prayer for clarity of thought and speech and that the Lord will use me to clearly present His Word. Cherith is responsible for many of the aspects for the Ladies meeting so is also in need of your prayers.

Praise for:
- good health and strength and for the Lord’s help with each of our responsibilities.
- the willingness and desire of several in the church to serve the Lord in new capacities, for the good number willing to sing in our Christmas choir.
- safe and profitable travelling to Holland and Paris.
- a good first English Encounter.
- God’s help for both Cherith and myself as we have prepared for ministries this Sunday.

Pray for:
- me as I preach on the Apostle Peter’s “Three keys to a successful Christian life” this Sunday morning.
- Mrs. Stauffacher, Cherith, and many others as they work together to honor the Lord and ENCOURAGE one another at the Ladies’ Tea.
- good attendance Sunday for choir practice, the church service and the Ladies’ Tea.

Praise and Prayer for October 25, 2010

We praise the Lord for the way He continues to work in our lives and in the lives of others around us. Thank you for praying for Adrianna’s ear infection. Her fever finally broke on Wednesday and she was able to go back to school on Thursday. Her congestion hung on for a few more days, but now seems to be gone. It seems her only remaining system is a reduced level of hearing. We have an appointment for her to see our family doctor tomorrow to check out her ears.

On Tuesday evening, the Lord answered prayer as I led the Bible study and I felt that the Lord helped me to share with liberty, even without great limitation with the language. There were 18 present and one young man shared that on Monday, he had trusted Christ as his Savior. He asked for prayer for guidance in sharing the news with his unsaved family. Then on Saturday, Cherith and I (along with Josiah) attended an 8-hour training seminar as one of the requirements for our residency papers. There were 18 others taking the training as well, and each of us were asked what we did for a living. A young lady approached me during a break to ask for more information about our church, which we happily shared. She said that she would be in church Sunday with her aunt. Sure enough, on Sunday morning she came in with both her mom and her aunt who is visiting from Africa. She is very interested in coming back and we pray that she will. We were happy to meet the woman who had called on Monday as well and to hear of her desire to return.

France has been exper-iencing a lot of demon-strations and strikes due to decisions the government is making regarding retirement. We are so thankful for God’s provision for us and for His protection. We have not experienced too much inconvenience other than long lines at the gas station and even closed gas stations.

Praise for:
- the work the Lord is doing in the hearts of people here in Reims.
- the young man who trusted Christ as his Savior this past week.
- the contact made with a new family at the required training seminar on Saturday and for their presence in church on Sunday morning.
- Adrianna’s improved health.
- God’s blessing of the Bible study on Tuesday evening.

Pray for:
- the discipleship of new believers and for at least one baptism scheduled for November 14.
- the first time visitors to return this Sunday and to keep coming.
- us as we start up the Christmas choir and begin preparing for the Christmas program on December 12.
- order to return after all of the demonstrations, and that vandalism would stop.
- the Ladies Tea coming up on November 7.

Praise and Prayer for October 18, 2010

Thank you to each one who prayed for our special outreach on Sunday with the showing of the Jesus film. The rest of the invitations were given out during the week, including more than 20 of our acquaintances from the neighborhood and the children’s schools. Special prayer meetings were held on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday for Sunday’s outreach. Much work went into preparing the hall on Saturday and Sunday afternoon, and by 4 p.m., chairs were set, projector, dvd player and sound system were all checked, coffee was perking, baked goodies covered three tables, special guests from our sister church in Chalons were set up with keyboard, two violins and a guitar to provide beautiful music as people entered, and the welcome crew was ready at the door, waiting for the crowds to begin flowing inside. While I can’t honestly say the numbers were staggering, we must say that we did see God at work. The crowd that gathered barely topped 60, with perhaps around 50 from the churches. In that number, however, were a couple that have yet to accept Christ. Invited guests were around 10, and none of those we’d invited had come. We were thankful that the guests who were there had good opportunities to speak with church members and leaders.

One of the most encour-aging parts of the event was the way so many individuals in the church came together to serve happily in this endeavor. We believe Christ was glorified yesterday, and we continue to pray for fruit. Those 10,000 invitations that were distributed throughout the city of Reims bore a witness to Christ and included contact information and the church website. Just today, I received a call from a woman who had heard about our church and was interested in coming to our services.

Another very specific answer to prayer and witness to God’s power marked our weekend. Adrianna came down with a fever and an earache, which resulted in my running her to the emergency clinic in town Sunday morning before church. The doctor diagnosed a viral infection but then decided to do an additional test to be sure it wasn’t bacterial and in need of antibiotics. The test revealed a bacterial infection surprising the doctor and changing the diagnosis. As he wondered to his assistant why he had even run the test when he normally wouldn’t have, I told him that we had prayed on our way in that the Lord would give him wisdom in diagnosing the problem and in treating it. He acknowledged immediately that God must have heard our prayer, and that we now had the proper diagnosis and treatment. Praise the Lord for showing His power to the doctor and his assistant, as well as to our little 7 year old and her papa.

Praise for:
- those who did come to see the “Jesus” film on Sunday, and for the excellent teamwork by so many who were eager to reach out to Reims.
- new visitors in church on Sunday.
- the woman who called Monday interested in coming to our church.
- the answer to prayer on Sunday morning in the doctor’s office and the demonstration of God’s power to even work through the doctor.
- Josiah’s 1st Birthday on the 12th and for all God has done for us since those very difficult days with him in intensive care one year ago.
- Baptist Mid-Missions celebrating 90 years of ministry.

Pray for:
- ongoing fruit from the “Jesus” film outreach and the 10,000 flyers that were distributed.
- the woman who called today for more information about our church to come to church this Sunday.
- me as I lead the prayer meeting and Bible study Tuesday evening.
- opportunities to witness to result from my participation on the elected parent-teacher counsel at Adrianna’s school this year.
- the Ladies Tea coming up on November 7.
- Ippy, CAR where our BMM hospital work continues to minister under African leadership and where there are four churches in our fellowship of churches. Rebel factions took over the town on Saturday (October 16) causing locals to flee to the bush.
- guidance in making decisions concerning our future ministry.

Praise and Prayer for October 11, 2010

Thank you for your prayers for us this past week! We are thankful for the Lord giving us good health again and for protecting the children from coming down with the flu/cold that we had. This Sunday, October 17, our church will be hosting an evangelistic outreach where we will be showing the “Jesus” film. It has been fun to watch different ones in the church getting excited about this opportunity and to see the willingness of so many to get involved. Even if nobody from outside the church comes, it seems like the experience and blessing of embarking on such a project will already have been worth the effort and expense. But we are counting on the Lord to bring in enough people from around Reims to fill the 250 chairs in the community hall that City Hall has given us the use of for this outreach. Many from church have been distributing invitation flyers in their neighborhoods and beyond. In two afternoons last week, Jonathan and Emmanuel placed more than 1500 of the flyers in mailboxes, announcing the showing of the “JESUS” film. As a church, it looks like we will reach our goal in placing the 10,000 flyers that were printed. It is a little frightening to think about all that could go wrong Sunday, but we are depending on the Lord for enabling, for protection, for blessing, and most of all for fruit! Thank you for praying for us this Sunday and for this special Outreach for our church!

We had our first Sango service last evening. Numerically speaking, we could be disappointed as there was only our family and one other couple there with their children. We understood that some were absent due to sickness and travelling, but some of those we expected to see were not there. However, the Lord gave us a good opportunity to share with the couple that was there who is struggling in many areas. They need prayer, but we were so thankful for the opportunity to give biblical counsel, which seemed to be well received.

Praise for:
- a couple of individuals who are preparing for baptism.
- a number of first time visitors in church on Sunday.
- the good participation of many in church in the evangelistic outreach, for the willingness and the desire to be a part of what God may choose to do through this effort.
- the friends and neighbors of ours and others in our church who receive invitations to see the “Jesus” film.
- the good health the Lord has given our family at this time.

Pray for:
- the church-wide evangelistic outreach this Sunday, October 17. Pray for God’s blessing on each one from church that will be helping with set-up, welcoming, cleaning, preparing and serving food.
- the Central Africans reached through our Sango language outreach, that hearts would be receptive, resulting in changed lives.
- more opportunities to share the Good News.
- the Ladies Tea coming up on November 7.
- guidance in making decisions concerning our future ministry.

Praise and Prayer for October 6, 2010

It has been a busy time for us, comp-licated last week by both Cherith and myself being down with this flu/cold. We are thankful for the Lord’s sustenance through it and that He enabled us to fulfill each of our responsibilities including walking the kids to or from school four times a day. We made it to the important appointments last Tuesday that involved Adrianna and Caleb’s papers for their official status in France, and by Friday had all of the documents in hand that we have been waiting on for nearly a year. We did learn of an obligatory all day appointment set for the day of the Ladies Tea. Our protests weren’t sufficient to have the date changed. Just the day before we had learned that Emmanuel’s wife was also being required to be at work the day of the Ladies Tea. So with both of the pastors’ wives out of the picture, Emmanuel made the decision to postpone the Tea until Sunday, November 7.

It was good to catch up by phone with Mike and Elva Farrell in Michigan on Thursday. They have enjoyed the meetings they’ve already had and the safety God has given over the many miles of travel. We are thankful to the Lord for a full auditorium Sunday for the missions presentation and excellent challenge from the Word by our own supported missionary, Eric Hossack. From here he continued on to Algrange for a week of classes at the Bible Institute. We welcomed Mr. Vernon Rosenau from BMM’s Home Office for a visit this week from Monday until he continued on his travels this morning (Wednesday). We were encouraged through the fellowship and counsel that he brought, not only as our administrator, but also as our “Uncle” Vernon since childhood days in CAR.

Praise for:
- a young lady who has been coming to our services who accepted the Lord this week!
- good attendance these past two Tuesday evening prayer meetings, especially last night with 19 present!
- good progress with our children’s official documents, and for the interest of one of the agents in coming to church.
- conversations the Lord has given us opportunities to have with those around us, and for a request from the director of Adrianna’s school for Jonathan to serve on the parent/teacher counsel.
- a good visit with Mr. Rosenau and for God’s guidance.
- much improved health for both Cherith and Jonathan, though we still aren’t completely back on our feet yet.

Pray for:
- good attendance to continue in our services, and that more people would come to Christ.
- the distribution of the 10,000 flyers for our October 17 showing of the Jesus film during this week and next, and for final preparations and logistics.
- more opportunities to share the Good News.
- the Ladies Tea coming up on November 7.
- guidance in making decisions concerning our future ministry.

Praise and Prayer for September 27, 2010

We thank the Lord for another week and for His care for us. On Tuesday, we picked up our new one-year residency cards at the district office downtown. After waiting for three months, we are relieved and thankful to have these cards in hand which are good through May 30 next year. With the vintage (grape harvest) in full force, our prayer meeting Tuesday night was missing several who have been very regular. However, it was encouraging to have a number of our newer people present for our time of prayer and Bible Study.

On Saturday, we made the trip across France to Caen for the wedding ceremony of Mathieu and Jennifer, two of our former students at the Bible Institute. We were thankful to arrive in time to attend the civil ceremonies at the City Hall, followed by the church wedding and reception, and finally a formal evening dinner for around 140 invited guests. Although it was a long, tiring day, we were happy to be present, in part to be able to see a number of other former students as well as a number of others who are working in this country. Most of all, we praise the Lord for this young couple and for their desire to honor the Lord in their marriage and in their lives as they serve Him in the days ahead. We felt that the Lord’s Name was honored through their strong testimonies and through the way the ceremonies and festivities were planned and carried out. Besides there being a great number of brothers and sisters in Christ there to support the couple, there were also many unsaved present to hear a clear presentation of the Gospel.

On Sunday morning, we had the privilege of attending the service in a new church plant, a daughter work of the Evangelical Baptist Church in Caen. Our trip home brought us through some hard rain and a bit of traffic around Paris, but we arrived safely in Reims about 6 p.m. We would appreciate special prayer for Cherith, who’d been fighting some cold symptoms and laryngitis before we left on the trip. She has managed to keep going, but continues to suffer. Tomorrow, we have an early morning appointment in town for Adrianna and Caleb with two administrative offices, which will take the whole morning.

Praise for:
- our new one-year residency cards that were delivered Tuesday.
- a good prayer meeting Tuesday night and for each one present.
- a safe trip to and from the wedding in Caen.
- the good example that Mathieu and Jennifer have given and for the way the Lord was honored at the wedding and in the festivities.

Pray for:
- good attendance and participation at Tuesday evening prayer meetings, especially by members.
- quickly restored health and strength for Cherith.
- the annual church business meeting this Sunday afternoon.
- ongoing preparations for the evangelistic outreach on October 17, and for the Ladies Tea October 23.
- guidance regarding our future ministry.

Praise and Prayer for September 20, 2010

Our Pastor, Emmanuel, has prepared a flyer and is having it printed for the evangelistic outreach October 17 when the “Jesus” Film will be shown. This morning, he and I visited the community hall where it will be held and found 4 huge windows without coverings as well as two skylights that will all need to be covered for the hall to be dark enough for the film. Pray for these logistics for this outreach, and others such as a large enough projection screen. There is room for 250 people. Cherith and a couple other ladies are working on plans for the Ladies Tea scheduled for October 23. This Saturday, our family will be making the trip to Caen to attend the wedding ceremonies of two of our former students from the Bible Institute (Matthieu and Jennifer). On Sunday, we look forward to attending the Evangelical Baptist Church of Caen, and seeing at least one member of our French Team, Mrs. Betty Lacey who works in the church there.

Separation from our family was perhaps more strongly felt this week as Jonathan’s Mom celebrated her 79th Birthday on Saturday and Cherith’s sister, Hadessah, celebrated her 25th. We thank our Father for His watch care over our loved ones, and that in Him we are one though there be oceans between us. Josiah had an asthma or laryngitis attack about midnight Monday night that nearly had us headed with him to emergency around 1 a.m. Praise the Lord for His intervention and for Josiah’s response to the treatment he was given. After a couple days the loud cough was gone, though he still has some of the chest congestion and a runny nose. Two of the evenings this week were taken up with meetings with the children’s schoolteachers. We took turns going to show our support and learn as much as possible about the school program that our children are taking part in. We are thankful for the good teachers the Lord has given our children, and pray the Lord will give us opportunities this year to share His love around us.

Praise for:
- good attendance Sunday, despite the beginning of the vintage - grape harvest - which gives temporary work to many people in our area and will last for at least a part of three weeks.
- God’s help for Jonathan as he prepared his message and preached Sunday morning.
- the word we received today that our new one-year residency cards are approved (word we have been waiting for since June 23!).
- healing of Josiah’s burns, and asthma symptoms early last week.
- care and protection of our parents and for the blessing and encouragement they are to us.

Pray for:
- opportunities to share God’s love with those around us this week.
- Jonathan as he leads the Bible Study Tuesday evening.
- our family travelling this weekend and that the Lord will be honored in all that is said and done in the wedding and festivities.
- healing of Josiah’s cough and congestion.
- preparations for the community hall for the evangelistic outreach on October 17, and for the Ladies Tea October 23.
- guidance regarding our future ministry.

Praise and Prayer for September 13, 2010

God continues His work in Reims. While one of our acquaint- ances gave his reason why he wasn’t interested in coming to church, other people have come. There was a good number out Sunday for the morning service, including for Sunday school where both classes had a visitor. The fellowship dinner had very good participation, and I think people went away with full hearts (and stomachs!).

On Thursday, we were once again reminded of our dependence on our Father for His protection when in a brief instant, Josiah’s lengthening reach had a hot cup of tea falling on top of him. He was burned pretty badly but we are amazed at the Lord’s protection of him and thankful for the calmness He gave us to respond quickly with cold water and aloe gel. Praise God for all the healing that has already taken place.

Praise for:
- visitors in church yesterday and for returning students and families after summer vacation.
- good attendance in Sunday School Sunday, and for two visitors.
- the good group that participated in Sunday’s fellowship dinner.
- God’s protection and healing of Josiah after his accident Thursday.
- a good meeting with the Church leaders on Saturday evening.

Pray for:
- the starting up of fall ministries, and continued preparations.
- Jonathan as he prepares messages for Sunday and Tuesday.
- continued healing for Josiah’s burns, and for protection of our children at home, at school and at play.
- good participation in preparing for an evangelistic outreach on October 17 with the showing of the film “Jesus”.
- Cherith as she and a few others prepare for a special Ladies Meeting/Tea scheduled for October 23.
- guidance regarding our future ministry.

Praise and Prayer for September 6, 2010

For prayer meeting on Tuesday evenings, Adrianna has been accom- panying either Cherith or myself each week. The other one of us usually stays home with the boys so they can get to bed before 9:30 p.m. As I led the meeting Tuesday evening, it was a joy for me to watch Adrianna interact with the others, by far the youngest in attendance. One person noted in her prayer what a huge encouragement it was for her to see Adrianna there. Praise the Lord. We had much to do last week to prepare for our meeting Friday evening with the Sunday School teachers. Among the documents we needed to have ready were a handout with reminders and instructions concerning changes, new attendance sheets for the two classes, forms for setting up the monthly program and more. Looking over the past two years, we are so thankful for all the good help the Lord has raised up from within the church for this program. We hope that it will be completely in the hands of church members within a few months, without giving any one person too heavy a burden. Thank you for your prayers for wisdom for us as we go through this process for the first time! Fifteen people, including the senior pastor and 4 children, joined us on Friday for our planning meeting and supper. The Lord blessed the evening with great fellowship and we felt the time was very profitable.

On Saturday, the church leaders drove to Chalons (about 40 minutes away) to meet with the leaders of a sister church in that city to discuss ministries and the opportunities there will be this year for joint activities. The time together was a blessing as both churches learned so much about the other one and discussed how we can be a help to one another. When evangelical Christians are so few in Europe, it is a blessing to see that God is working in other places not too far away. It is important too for youth and young adults to be able to have activities with other young people who share their faith.

Praise for:
- a good Bible Study Tuesday night with good attendance, and for the encouragement that Adrianna is to others.
- God’s help in preparation and for the profitable time together Friday with our SS teachers.
- the good meeting that the church leaders had on Saturday with the leaders from Chalons.
- the time with our Central African friends Tuesday and time Sunday with a student who just arrived in Reims.

Pray for:
- opportunities this week to witness to neighbors.
- preparations for different fall ministries that will soon be starting up.
- more families to come to church.
- the church leaders as they meet for a counsel meeting Saturday evening.
- the special fellowship dinner scheduled for next Sunday after the morning service.
- guidance regarding our future ministry.

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.