Praise and Prayer October 6, 2015

Thank you for praying for us.  God has answered prayer in a number of ways and we want to share with you some of His answers. 

Concerning my health, the pain in my stomach diminished until it is now gone.  The doctor was unable to determine the cause for the attack that I had and the elevated numbers in my blood.  The last blood test last week indicated that the numbers are almost back to normal. 

Our atheist friend T and his family continue to need prayer.  God has given us a number of good opportunities to share with this family.  He is in the hospital now to begin a new treatment of chemotherapy, and hopes that the cancer will respond to the new treatment.  Please pray that God will continue to work in his heart, as well as the hearts of his wife and sons.  Last Saturday evening, we were invited to have supper with the family.  A.’s Mom asked me to pray before the meal and A. said that we had sung a song too (“God is good to me”, in French).  So she asked us to sing the song as well before prayer.  This family has been through so much and needs the Lord so desperately. 

We had the joy of having a visitor with us for several days last week.  Our Dutch friend, Hennie, from Pennsylvania came to Bordeaux for her work and was able to spend time with us in the evenings, as well as attend our Sunday services, fellowship dinner and prayer meeting.  What a privilege and encouragement to have one of our faithful ministry partners in our home.

Praise the Lord for the four kids that attended our first English Connection last Friday evening, one of them for the very first time. The theme for our Bible stories this year is the Parables of Jesus, and the first lesson was on the Sower and the Seed. Pray that God will prepare the soil of these kids' hearts to receive His Word! Pray too that He will help our teammates and us to reach more children and families this year through this outreach.

Praise for:

- the opportunities to share the Gospel that He has given us.

- the restored health that the Lord has given to me, and that nothing serious was discovered.

- the encouraging visit from one of our ministry partners.

- the four kids at the first English Connection outreach, one for the first time.

- the good practices for the Christmas cantata so far, with fairly good attendance.

- a blessed time together with the other pastors who were here in our home Saturday for the monthly pastors’ prayer breakfast and Bible study.

Pray for:

- T and his family’s salvation. Pray for God to guide our words and actions and that His light would shine through us.   

- the English Connection outreach, for good attendance and for God’s help for us to prepare, host and teach.

- our own study and preparation of lessons and messages for our church ministries.

- a special 7-week evangelistic Bible study that we will be starting at church for our own people beginning October 18.

- preparations for the Christmas cantata.  Pray for plans for a children’s choir to be able to participate in the cantata this year.  We have been asked to lead it.

- the Central African Republic which is going through more unrest and insecurity with fighting and demonstrating in the capitol city, Bangui.  Pray for God’s people and for those that do not know Him to turn from their wicked ways to Him.