God is at
work in France! We are also aware
of the evil one’s desire to keep people from Christ and are reminded of the
vital importance of God’s people praying for this work. The Musical Missions Team from BJU was
a great blessing as they ministered in various ways, including full concerts in
two sister churches here in Bordeaux, impromptu mini-concerts at tramway stops
and handing out Gospel tracts and invitations to the concerts in downtown
Bordeaux.
Our family enjoyed
having three of the team members stay with us, a special delight to our
children. One of our neighbors had
told us that they planned to attend one of the concerts and we prayed that
there would be no obstacles.
However, as we drove toward the concert on Saturday afternoon, we hit
nearly stopped traffic along Bordeaux’s outer highway ring. The traffic filed down to one lane over
the huge bridge over the Aquitaine River where we saw the accident that caused
the backup. The cell phone rang as
we pulled up to the church. Our neighbors
en route with their 5-year-old granddaughter were several miles back in the
stopped traffic and had decided to turn around. While disappointed that they were unable to attend, we were
encouraged to know that our God is in control, and that even this accident did
not take Him by surprise. We could
see that our neighbors were certainly willing to attend and would have if it
were possible. Other neighbors and
our landlord also indicated interest though they already had other plans. We continue to pray for other
opportunities. The Team’s ministry
did bear fruit and we know of at least one decision for salvation that was made
at one of the concerts.
The Lord has
sent us special help and encouragement this past week through this year’s
FOFer, Esther S. FOF
stands for Focus On France, and is a program that has been set up for College
students (and others perhaps too) to come and experience missions first-hand as
they spend time with various servants in this country. She is with us for several days now
before she leaves on the TGV train Wednesday for Algrange to visit the Bible
Institute ministry there. Her
servant’s heart has been a blessing to our family, as she gets involved in
various areas of our life and ministry.
Last week she helped us organize several boxes of Sunday school resources
at the church, sort and classify flannelgraph, prepare several songs on poster
board for Sunday School (all of our others in Reims were left for the church
there and its Sunday School program).
On Saturday, Esther helped Cherith prepare some desserts for our Sunday
picnic with the Corenthin family and the family of a visiting pastor.
Between prayer meeting Friday evening and
the Sunday services, she met and encouraged many of our people. She shared her testimony in church
Sunday morning and helped Cherith with Children’s church. She has been a huge help with the children
and they have enjoyed every minute she has had to spend with them. Yesterday, Cherith and I were able to
make a couple trips to the local government office regarding our residency
papers, while Esther watched the kids at home. Last night we took her up on her offer to babysit the
children so we could go out on a long overdue date, the first one in six
months! What a special blessing
that was to us.
Praise
for:
- God’s
blessings of the Musical Missions Team’s ministry in Bordeaux and for all of
those who heard the Gospel clearly through their ministry. Praise for at least one man’s salvation!
- God’s help
for our full weekends of preaching and teaching in the absence of Pastor
Christian, and for his ministry in Algrange for graduation and in a church nearby
that Sunday morning.
- a visitor
in church Sunday morning who had attended the church’s children’s program as a
child years ago.
- the
opportunity to attend the monthly English service at the church in Pessac,
another suburb of Bordeaux, and to fellowship with other believers. We were all challenged by the message
on forgiveness that was shared by a Pastor from the USA who is here visiting a
family whom their church helps to support.
- the help
and encouragement that Esther has been to us and to many others in France this
month.
- our
celebrating eleven adventurous years of marriage with God’s marvelous blessings
and faithful care.
Pray
for:
- the visitor
last Sunday to return this next Sunday and that God will work in his life. Pray too for the mother and 6-year-old
child that came for several weeks to come back to church this Sunday.
- the
spiritual growth of the man who accepted Christ at the concert by the BJU
Team. Pray for the Musical
Missions Team as they continue their very full travel/concert schedule around
France, Switzerland, Germany, and Czech Republic.
- Esther’s
train trip to and from Algrange and for her ministry there.
- continued
opportunities to reach out to our neighbors.
- the renewal
of our residency papers and for the installation of a telephone line.
- Jonathan’s hernia
surgery June 22.
It was before
7 A.M. on Friday morning when Jonathan and I were standing in front of the outpatient
door at the hospital, waiting for the door to be unlocked. By 8 A.M., he was taken from his day
room to the surgery ward. By
11:30, he was once again back in his room, slowly waking from the general
anesthesia. He was in and out of
sleep for the next several hours and finally after a visit from the surgeon and
anesthesiologist, we were free to go.
The doctor
instructed Jonathan to wait for two weeks before again engaging in regular activities
(including lifting our 40 lb Josiah)!
Healing seems to be progressing well. The pain is lessening each day. He is appreciating our couch and the extra time to read.
