Praise and Prayer for December 15, 2016

Thank you for your prayers for us and for the people of this land.  As you would imagine, Christmas is a big event here in France and the stores and shops are bustling with business.  We appreciate seeing manger scenes for sale in stores and hearing Christmas Carols sung over store loudspeakers.  Just today we heard “The First Noel” in a huge shopping center.  

We as a church have been preparing for a Christmas outreach this Sunday with a showing of the film “The Nativity”.  Nearly 1000 people have received invitations and a number of neighbors and friends have said they plan to come. 

Continue to pray for the Lord to lead and provide us with a building where He would have us – in His perfect time.  As we gathered information to determine whether the buildings up for sale could work, someone else came along and offered cash for them.  There were some factors that had raised questions, and now we have the Lord’s answer regarding those buildings.  We will continue to look for a building as we work on church documents that will permit us to seek official status.

Praise for:

- God’s directing regarding the buildings that we were looking at for our church.

- renewed contact that God has given us with the family of one of Jonathan’s unsaved classmates from French language study in Nancy – after losing contact for 13 years!

- the good attendance of our English club and for a new parent that approached us about having their son start coming to our club in January.

- some good contact with one of Josiah’s former teachers resulting in her expressed desire to attend Sunday’s film outreach.

- the wonderful week that Adrianna had at the Missionary Teen Retreat in Spain, and for God’s helping us to survive a week without her here (her presence and help was missed greatly at home and at church!).

Pray for:

- the unsaved family that has been attending our church as they move to a house in Saint Medard this Saturday – we will be helping as a church and providing meals.  Pray that God will make His Word clear to them as they study it with interest.

- good attendance at this weekend’s Christmas outreach (film and refreshments) and for good contacts with those who attend.

- God to use the goodies and especially the Gospel calendars that we share this year with teachers and neighbors.

- peace and security to return to the Central African Republic which has seen a number of rebel attacks in the past few weeks, including churches burned and one Bible School destroyed.  Life is very difficult for Christians in our former home of Bambari.

- God’s leading and provision of a new building for our church.

- us as parents to be able to faithfully teach our children to love God and put Him first in their lives.

Prayer and Praise November 30,2016

We are excited to see God's hand moving here in Saint Medard.

Please keep our church in your prayers as we look into the possible purchase of a part of an office building right in the center of our town.  Several properties were recently put on the market for very interesting prices.  We visited each one last week and are seeking information that will either confirm that the building would work for us as a church or that it wouldn't.  The location is great and several are priced at under 100,000 euros.  Some work would need to be done, however, in order to turn the former offices into a church.  Please pray that if one of these properties is what God would have for us, that He would hold that property for us, open the doors before us to be able to go through in His time and in His order, and that He would provide the finances necessary for the purchase and renovations.

Please continue to pray for the unsaved people that are attending our services and English outreach clubs including a recent visitor to our Sunday morning service.  We continue to see hunger for spiritual truth, for which we praise the Lord.  Pray for God to guide and help us in our preaching and teaching ministries, as well as in giving encouragement and counsel.  Pray too for our members that God will continue His work in each individual.  The past two Sundays there have been some refugees from the Middle East that have attended our services.  They were saved in their country before fleeing to Europe where they stayed for the past year.  Recently they were moved and are still in temporary housing.  They immediately sought out a Baptist Church and were able to make contact with our teammates.  Please pray for them with all of the hardship they have known and pray that God will use us to minister His love and grace to them.

We will be having a special Christmas outreach at 4 p.m. on December 18.  Flyers have been ordered and we will be inviting a number of our friends and acquaintances.  Pray that God will bring people.

Please pray for Adrianna this week as she will be participating in a Missionary Teen Retreat December 1-7. The stated purpose of this retreat is "...to challenge missionary teens with practical teaching on the truth found in Luke 12:48: TO WHOM MUCH IS GIVEN MUCH SHALL BE REQUIRED. We want to direct missionary teens' hearts to their unique privileges and responsibilities, and away from the largely mistaken view that they are somehow missing out by not being able to live in America. We believe that being born or raised in a missionary home is a privilege of the highest order and -- at least during the years at home -- constitutes a calling from God all in itself." This will be her first time and she is excited about this opportunity.  We will be taking her tomorrow and then returning to Bordeaux.  We won't be home in time to pick up the boys from school, so our good friends the Bixbys will be picking up Caleb and Josiah and taking them home to wait for us. Thank you for praying for each of us tomorrow, and for Adrianna's week at the retreat.

Praise and Prayer October 27, 2016

We appreciate your prayers for our ongoing building search for our church here in Saint Medard.  Since our last update, we visited a promising prospect that was well situated.  However, with no second exit doors, the building doesn’t meet code requirements for a church meeting place.  So the search goes one. 

At church, we have been blessed to see God working in the hearts of several unsaved people that are attending.  Continued interest in studying the Bible and the children’s keen interest in the Sunday school lesson encourage us and remind us to pray that God will apply His truth to hearts.  Of course we need His help to faithfully and clearly teach and preach His Word!

Praise for:

- good attendance and particpation in the English outreach club, and for help in our organization with the increased numbers.

- the good questions that we are hearing from adults and children as they try to comprehend and assimilate spiritual truth from the Bible with the things that they have been taught in a secular society.

- the good contacts with five families for Josiah’s Birthday, including some we had not met before.

- the visit of an unsaved grandmother from Reims, for her interest in what she saw and heard in our services.

- the baptismal service last Sunday at the Bordeaux center church for a teenager and a woman in her fifties, and for the Gospel announced in testimony, song and message.  Praise for the unsaved present who heard.

Pray for:

- God’s work in the hearts of the unsaved individuals that are hearing the Gospel.

- the grandmother as she returns to her town that she will pursue contact with the church there where we used to be involved.

- the annual four-plus church retreat this weekend.  They expect over 60 in attendance.  Pray that God will use the retreat to speak to hearts for salvation and for spiritual growth.  Pray for safety, good fellowship, and spiritual refreshment for believers.

- God’s provision of an adequate building to meet our growing needs as a church.

- the Central African Republic that continues to face much turmoil, both in Bangui, the capital and in other cities around the country where we have brothers and sisters in Christ serving Him.  There have been senseless attacks on some of our people, and some of our friends have been killed in the past couple weeks.

Praise and Prayer update October 13, 2016

In the midst of a world in turmoil, isn’t it encouraging to remember that God is on His throne and worthy of our confidence in every aspect of our lives?!  Here in Saint Medard, we have seen His hand at work these past couple weeks.  Thank you for your prayers for us through these challenging days!

The first English club outreach of the year was held Friday, September 30 and we were thrilled to have a number of new families get involved.  In fact, there were 23 of us at one point crowded into our living room!  

Some were checking it out and we trust they will be back tomorrow evening for our second outreach.  One family contacted us to say she did want her son to participate in the club this year.  With the increase in participants of various ages (from 2^nd grade to adult) we have decided to split the group and have one group learning the Bible story while the other group is having their activity/game, and then switch groups.  

For our Bible theme this year, we are going through the 7 C’s of History from Answers in Genesis.  We need the Lord’s help as we prepare and teach God’s truths, and for the participants to see their need to put their trust in Christ.

Preparing for the evangelistic film outreach on October 8 included getting out more than 2000 invitations.  These were shared with neighbors and friends, distributed to homes and handed out at the Saturday market the week before the film.  

We didn’t know if there would be an overwhelming response and we would be scrambling to find more seating or if, as in some of our past outreaches, there would be almost no response.  

God brought 10 visitors to see the film, from four different families.  One of them was one of Caleb’s friends from school who came with his mother and younger brother, a family that we have been praying for and reaching out to over the past couple of years.

It was a great opportunity to introduce these people to our church ministries and everyone enjoyed a time of refreshments and visiting after the film.

Praise for:

- the great attendance for our first English club outreach, and for the need to split into two groups for the activities.

- good contacts with neighbors and for the visitors that came to the evangelistic film outreach.

- those attending our Sunday school and morning service, both saved and unsaved.

- Josiah’s seventh Birthday this week and for the work that God is doing in his heart to help him to grow to love and obey Him more.

- Cherith’s Mom’s safe return to the USA from Romania and for the opportunities that God gave her to serve Him there.

Pray for:

- The English outreach club tomorrow evening, and for wisdom and help in preparing and teaching.  Pray for the contacts with each family.

- God’s work in the hearts of the unsaved individuals that have heard the Gospel.

Adrianna helping to prepare for the Retreat

- us this Saturday as we will have contact with the families of five of Josiah’s friends that he has invited to celebrate his Birthday.

- the annual family retreat that our church participates in along with the three other Bordeaux churches and a few others.  It will be the weekend of October 28-30.  Pray that God will use the retreat to speak to hearts for salvation and for spiritual growth.

- God’s leading and provision of a new building for our church.

We appreciate your prayers for our family and for this work here in Saint Medard.  With the beginning of the new school year, there are always lots of changes at church and at home.  Through the changes, God’s hand has been evident and we are grateful for your prayers and for His answers.

We took a hit when one of our families announced this month that they would be leaving our church to find another one closer to their new home. Already, we knew that one of our singles who has been such a faithful part of the church for the past two years would be leaving for a missions trip to the Netherlands.  Yet God continues to show us that He is in charge and that He is at work in our midst.  This month He has brought an unsaved family of five to us that we had been in contact with when we lived in Reims and our children attended the same school.  They have been in church the past three Sundays and have shown interest in Bible study and in the children being in Sunday school.  The kids, especially the older two, have actively participated in the Sunday school class “hanging on every word” as Cherith put it. 

After the fellowship dinner last Sunday

This past Sunday, with two other visitors that were present, there were 25 present for our morning service, and every seat that was set up was filled.  One lady was there for the second time, a baby Christian expressing a need for spiritual food and growing in her new faith.  Another lady found our church online, and though she isn’t part of any church now, knows that she needs to be in church.  We don’t know how God will continue to work in the hearts of these people, but we long to see each one in a growing relationship with the Savior.  Cherith continues to have contact with “A” over the telephone as she calls for information from the Bible and advice, though she hasn’t dared come out to church. She continues to keep a low profile to avoid getting into trouble with those that do not want her to be a Christian. 

Praise for:

- the visitors that God has brought us, including a family of five, and for the interest in studying the Bible.

- God’s leading in J’s life as she leaves us to serve on a missions project in the Netherlands.

- the good start to the kids’ school year and for renewed contacts with parents and teachers.

- God’s protection through the knowledge that our second car was determined to be undependable and irreparable.  Praise that our other vehicle is running well.

Pray for:

- God to continue to work in our church, and that we would see lost souls saved.

- the startup of our English outreach club, with the first gathering this Friday evening.  We are expecting a number of first time participants.

- the evangelistic film outreach on October 8, for a good response to the invitations that will be given to friends and the people of Saint Medard, and for space to seat everyone that comes.

- God’s provision of a larger, more adequate building for our church, and for His grace and wisdom to use what He has provided in the meantime!

- Cherith’s Mom (Dr. Mary Broeckert) who is currently in Romania on a BMM medical team missions trip.

This week we said goodbye to Cherith’s parents as they boarded their plane for the USA.  We are so thankful for the time that God gave us with them here with us.

The children were able to really get to know their Grandparents as they spent lots of quality time together.

We were able to take a trip to Holland with them where we made some wonderful memories together including visiting the hometown of Cherith’s grandmother.  On the Sunday we were there, we travelled to Bergen Op Zoom for the morning services of the BMM church plant where Daniel and Heather Boyd are serving.  Seeing God at work in Holland through the Boyds was a blessing and an encouragement to us as we returned to Saint Medard. 

Cherith’s parents jumped right in to help us in any way they could.  With their help, we were able to do the long overdue project of sanding and repainting our chipping shutters.

They were able to encourage our folks at church too.  They took part in our services, participated in a fellowship dinner and afternoon together, and Dad even preached for us.  We were also able to visit some unsaved friends together.  

Praise for:

- safe travel and a time of blessing and encouragement with Cherith’s parents during their four weeks with us.

- the progress made in our mailbox campaign for church flyers this summer with help from Cherith’s parents.  We are now over halfway through Saint Medard with our second flyer.

- God’s healing for little Timothee Letellier after a bout with fever.  It was feared to be a relapse of the leukemia but ended up being a virus.

- the work that God is doing through the Boyds in Bergen Op Zoom.

Pray for:

- Cherith’s parents as they begin their ministry of travelling and reporting in churches in the USA.  Pray for God’s direction for future ministry opportunities in Michigan.

- A, a young person newly arrived in the area, recently saved through the ministry of fellow missionaries in another country.  Pray that God will help her to grow in her faith as she faces all the changes of a new country, and that she would be used of God to bring her family to Christ.

- God’s wisdom and enabling as we minister. Pray for receptive hearts in church and that God would draw more people to Himself.

- planning for our English outreach and a film outreach this fall.

- God’s provision of a larger, more adequate building for our church.

Praise and Prayer July 21, 2016

Thank you for keeping France in your prayers, especially after the horrendous attack of civilians watching fireworks in Nice on Bastille Day.  God only knows how many of those killed were prepared for eternity.  I wonder how many of them had even been given the opportunity to hear the Gospel message.  Please pray that God will cause the hearts of people across France (and the world!) to realize the brevity of life and the need to prepare to meet their Maker when death comes.  Pray too for believers in France and elsewhere to take seriously God’s call to be His watchmen, sharing His message.

God used our friends, the Mackeys, in amazing ways on their missions’ trip to Saint Medard.  God blessed the American picnic that we had for our English outreach club with excellent attendance and beautiful weather. 

There were 18 of us present, including an unsaved dad – the Mr. D. that many have been praying for.  One of the highlights was having a sharing time when each kid shared (among other things) one of their favorite parts of the club this year.  More than one indicated that their favorite part was hearing the “stories of Jesus”.  Hearing that did my heart good and encourages us to keep on. 

When we planned to have a three-day VBS with the Mackeys’ help, we truly had no idea what kind of response there would be.  But you prayed, and God blessed.  

There were 5 outside kids that joined us on the first day, 10 on the second, and 14 on the final day!  What might have happened if we had been able to have club for five days?! 

Each day also gave opportunities for great contacts with parents with whom we had only limited contact with earlier.  We hosted the VBS at our home since our church facilities are too limited and only available on Sunday and Wednesday. It rained on the first two days of VBS, but we were able to handle the smaller numbers indoors.  Then on the final day, with the largest group, God gave sunshine and we were able to use the patio and the yard.  The ages of the kids varied from preschool to 7^th grade.  Michelle and her girls did an amazing job of helping us put on a full-blown VBS with signs, skits, exciting Bible lessons, memory verse activities, crafts, games and snacks.  

What a joy to see the kids excited about learning Bible verses, answering questions and inviting friends.

When the kids were asked if they would like to participate in another VBS if we were to have another one some day, there was a unanimous “Oui!”, including the two 7^th graders that came on the last day.  

Parents too were extremely appreciative of all of the work that went into the program and seeing their kids so motivated, and some even brought gifts of appreciation.  

Each child went home on the final day with a letter giving information about the various opportunities and ministries that we are involved in that are available to them and inviting them to church.  We praise the Lord for all that He accomplished through this first VBS, even more than we had hoped for including good contacts with more families.  One of those families has invited our family for supper this week in order to get to know us better.  Pray that God will cause the seeds planted to fall on good ground and produce fruit for eternity.

Praise for:

- the blessing and help that the Mackeys were to us and the people of Saint Medard. 

- all who participated in the English outreach picnic and our first VBS ministry, and for all who heard the Gospel message for the first time.

- Adrianna completing her 7^th grade material and for the good contact we have had with a dear neighbor lady who has been helping Adrianna with French this year. Praise that the Academic inspection went well and that we are approved to continue homeschooling Adrianna next year.

- the wedding of our teammates' daughter Jana on July 2.  Praise for this couple's involvement in our church.
- the time that Cherith’s parents will be spending with us on their way back to the USA from Cambodia.

- a new visitor at church last Sunday, and for progress in our mailbox campaign.

Pray for:

- God’s Word planted in hearts through the English and VBS ministries to bear fruit for eternity.

- Mrs. S., our neighbor, to open her heart to God’s Truth and come to Christ through faith. 

- God’s wisdom and enabling in our preparing and ministering of His Word. Pray for receptive hearts and stronger commitment for some of our people.

- planning for fall ministries including Bibles studies, English outreach and a film outreach.

- the lost to come to Christ, that the Lord would add to our numbers at church, and that He would provide us with a church building in His time.

Praise and Prayer June 8, 2016

These past several weeks seem to have evaporated!  I apologize for the lack of updates here.  There have been several on our Facebook page, but if you don’t have access to that, you are probably wondering what is going on.  If you would like to get our Facebook updates, please email us (jteachout2@cs.com) and we will be happy to make that connection available to you.  We are so grateful for your prayers for our family and for this ministry. 

God blessed our BMM team as we met for conference in April.  

Upon our return, our son Caleb (10) had an asthma attack, which landed him in the hospital here, in Bordeaux for the weekend.  He was started on asthma treatments again (first since he was 6) and has responded well.  Since then he has had one more attack, which we treated at home, and thankfully, there was no hospitalization. 

We enjoyed a visit from one of our Central African families from Reims last month.  

A highlight of their time here was a special evening reunion with 16 people that were connected (or had been) with the church in Reims, including our former teammates, Mike and Elva Farrell who are currently in Bordeaux for two months to serve at the Pessac church while the Bixbys are on a brief two month furlough. 

There has been a lot of preparation going on for some special ministries planned for this week and next, as we are joined by a special team of four (a mother and three daughters) on a missions trip from South Carolina.  God provided fully for their airfare and the Mackeys arrived in Bordeaux on Monday.  They return home June 17.  One of the things they will be involved in is our very first VBS outreach to our community.  We have been talking to parents from school and inviting kids, with some confirming that they will bring their kids.  It will be a three-day club beginning Sunday afternoon and ending Tuesday afternoon.  This Saturday we will be hosting an American picnic for our English club participants.  There were six unsaved kids that attended faithfully this year, a marked increase from the previous year. 

Praise for:

- the unsaved visitors that have visited our church services in the past month. 

- the close of our second year of English outreach club with higher attendance this year.

- God’s bringing the Mackeys to help us on a missions trip and for the special ministry opportunities this give us.

- the good Bible conference for our BMM team and for God’s help for Caleb through the asthma attack.

Pray for:

- God’s blessing of the Mackeys’ ministry, both in the lives of the French people they minister to as well as in their own lives.

- good attendance for the VBS ministry as well as a lasting impact on the hearts of those attending. 

- Adrianna who will be meeting the academic inspector of Bordeaux on Wednesday June 15 to be evaluated for her academic progress while homeschooling this year. 

Thank you for praying!

Please pray for our English club outreach this evening. We have the club again tonight, the second Friday in a row since the kids will then be on the two-week Spring break from school. Pray that the young people will be calm and attentive, especially during the Bible story (Jesus' parable on the unforgiving servant). There were some issues last week and I was reminded of the spiritual battle that is waging for the souls of these kids. PRAYER IS VITAL!

Tomorrow a number of us from our church will be going downtown to the city market for evangelism.  Pray for God's protection for each one on the team and for blessing in the contact with people.  Pray for God to move in hearts.

On Monday, our teammates and ourselves will be travelling to Larrode, France where we will be meeting with the rest of our BMM France team for our annual conference and planning meetings.  Please pray for safety for each one travelling, including our speaker Steve Gault who will be coming from the USA with his wife Beth.  Pray for refreshment for each one, both spiritually and physically.  Pray for the children and for those that will be ministering to them.

Thank you so much for being a part of this ministry.

Praise and Prayer March 30, 2016

Many thanks to all who are praying for our family and for our ministry here in Saint Medard.  We have seen some challenges during these past few weeks but God is faithful and continues to multiply His blessings and grace.  

Earlier this month our Bible Institute (Algrange) sent the student body to Bordeaux for a week of practical involvement in the four Bordeaux area churches.  Three students were with us on Sunday, and were involved in Sunday school, Bible study and preaching.  The students were involved in many projects in the four churches during the week, including helping to distribute church flyers here in Saint Medard.  What an encouraging boost this was to our small team that goes out regularly on the mailbox campaign.

Also that week, I made a trip across France to Saint Albain for a two-day leaders’ conference for foreign missions working in France.  Sharpening vision and ministries was one of the main goals.  Perhaps the most interesting session was a whirlwind tour of the influence of the true Gospel in France over the past nearly 2000 years. 

My (Jonathan’s) cousin Michael and his wife Sarah paid us a visit over one weekend, making this the very first time to welcome another Teachout into our home here.  We enjoyed the fellowship and showing them some of beautiful Bordeaux, and Michael shared his testimony on Sunday morning.  Michael also gave us some helpful technical support, his specialty!  

We also had the blessing of a visit from a dear friend from Pennsylvania here in Bordeaux on business.  What a treat that was.

Last Sunday, our church held a special Easter breakfast with our people.  Then for the service, the Lord sent us a first-time visitor.  That afternoon we enjoyed fellowship with a number of our folks along with the family of Pastor Christian Corenthin, from the church downtown Bordeaux.

Praise for:

- a number of good contacts the Lord has given us and to others in our church.

- the Bible school students’ time in Bordeaux and for their help and involvement in the four churches.

- the encouraging visit from Jonathan’s cousin Michael and his wife, and our friend from PA.

- the good attendance continuing for the English outreach.

- the completion of the Christianity Explored manuals, for one man who is going through the study with our teammate and for another that has indicated some interest.

Pray for:

- God to open a door for our church to be able to move to another location with more space.

- God to continue to give good contacts and to cause His Word to penetrate the hearts of those who are hearing it.  We have our English club outreach the next two Fridays.

- our BMM team as we meet for our annual French field conference April 11 to 14.  Pray for refreshment through the fellowship and ministry of the Word, and that the children will be blessed by the program this year. 

- Jonathan, who is being treated for scoliosis since it was discovered in February.