Several weeks have passed since our last update and we need to share with you how God has been working and answering prayer. We are so thankful for your prayers for us and know that God has been responding to those prayers! As we continue to settle into our new home and ministry, we trust that more frequent updates will again be possible.
Our trips in February from Reims to Bordeaux, and also to Malta for the enrichment conference, were fairly smooth and without complication. Even as we experienced some sickness, we could see the Lord’s hand. As the stomach flu went around in both cities, we fretted about time we couldn’t afford to lose if we caught it as we raced to care for details and packing related to our move. When I did catch it, it was after we had been given the keys to our new house while we were waiting at the Christys to leave for Malta a couple of days later. With nothing to pack, I was able to recuperate restfully and was ready to go by the time our flight left. 
The Lord blessed our time at the conference as we enjoyed the messages and the sessions with the special speakers and the fellowship of many others ministering around Europe. The ministry of four young women who volunteered to come and work with the children was a special blessing to our children. All three of our kids also enjoyed their new friends from all across Europe.
Saying goodbye to our church family and friends in the neighborhood was difficult and there were tears. Several members of the church family came by to help with cleaning and moving things and we enjoyed the precious fellowship of these brothers and sisters in Christ. A few neighbors also came by to say goodbye and express sorrow at our departure. We pray we will be able to maintain contact and continue to share God’s love with them and that they will respond to it. Although leaving Reims was hard, the Lord has given us a warm welcome into our new neighborhood and ministry. A city of nearly 28,000, Saint Medard en Jalles is a fairly calm town just a few minutes west of the bustling city of Bordeaux. We have had a warm welcome by neighbors on all sides. Administratively, we have been working through the myriad of details necessitated by a change in residency in France. Among other things, we are still waiting for a telephone line to be installed to the house. For now, email and Internet connection is at the local golden arches and through the cell phone hotspot. The containers and cartons are beginning to clear out as things are unpacked and organized into our new though small house. The Lord provided through our landlord a little shed in our yard that has proved to be exactly the size we needed to store the things as we work our way through them. We continue to be amazed with God’s attention to details.
It has been a joy to begin to work with our new teammates in both the work in Merignac as well as the work in downtown Bordeaux. We are thankful for the quality people that God has given us to work with, and for the people that He has sent us to minister to. There is much to do and workers are greatly needed.
Praise for: - God’s protection in travelling and in our move, and for His help as we settle into our new home and ministry.
- the refreshment and blessing we enjoyed (and needed) in the middle of our move as we attended the conference in Malta.
- good contacts as we left Reims as well as in our new neighborhood.
- opportunities God is giving us to minister in Merignac and Bordeaux.
- the good progress in taking care of administrative details relating to our move.- the health and strength that God has given. Praise that the tests Cherith underwent this past weekend in an ER in Bordeaux showed her heart to be very healthy (symptoms were likely caused by a pulled muscle and stress).
- an increase in our support level bringing our support level to around 86%. Praise for our home church and for two individuals who have begun to support us.
Pray for:- the building of good relationships with our neighbors and with those we are ministering to.
- the Bible study and outreach in Merignac, held every two weeks. Pray for wisdom for our outreach and that those who have received tracts will read them and allow God to work in their hearts.
- the church in downtown Bordeaux where we are also helping out in several areas. Pray for some families with children to start to attend.
- the remaining details for our settling in, including a phone line to be installed and the transfer of our residency permit file from Reims to Bordeaux.
