Praise and Prayer Update May 30, 2019

We cannot repeat it enough: Thank you so much for your prayers for us and for this ministry.  We are grateful for God’s help and for His answers to prayer for the work here in Saint-Médard.  Not a day passes by in which we are not given or shown a reminder of why God has called us to serve Him here.  From society in general turning away from God and righteousness to various events occurring around the world, we are continually reminded that Jesus is coming again and it could be very soon.  May He help us to redeem the time that He gives us for Him.

The Gadbois family arrived in Saint-Médard last week, a day prior to the Christys’ departure for furlough/home ministry.  We are so thankful for their willingness to come and help out for 6 weeks.  Today they helped with distributing flyers in Le Haillan, one of the neighboring towns.  They will also be helping in many other ways, including Sunday ministries and website and other technical issues while they are here.  

Praise for

• a good end-of-year American picnic for the English Kids’ club families despite rainy weather, and for good contacts. 
• the arrival of the Gadbois family and for their help in the work here. 
• several new visitors that have been in church this month and for the spiritual hunger we are seeing in several people!

• A conference on God’s plan for the family that was recently held at a sister church in Pessac (another suburb of Bordeaux) and for good attendance and excellent teaching on such a crucial subject in our world today.
• the arrival of two Bible College students from the US to do month-long internships in missions here in France (Focus on France with BMM).

• the recent visit of Jonathan’s cousin Pam and her daughter Alyssa, and for the encouragement and blessing it was to our whole family.

• God’s faithful help and blessing over the 18 years since we were married on May 26, 2001.

Pray for

• wisdom and enabling to accomplish everything the Lord wants us to in the next few months. Pray for the Gadbois family as they serve our church and community, and pray for the Christys as they travel to visit and report to their support team back home.
• God’s working in the hearts of our people and that He would reveal Himself to those who are yet unsaved. Pray for Cherith as she has begun weekly one-on-one Bible studies with S, and for S, that she will continue to grow in her faith and knowledge of the Lord. 
• Olivia and Bryn (missions interns) as they travel and serve in various ministries around France.  Pray for Vienna and Duane as they prepare to come June 15 to help us with a VBS children’s club June 17-20.
• God to lead us as we give out invitations for the VBS, and that God will move hearts to respond favorably.  This type of club is extremely foreign to the mindset here.

• a larger building for us to meet in, and for wisdom while we are waiting, in setting up the meeting room to make more seats available.

• preparations and provision for Jonathan and Caleb’s trip to CAR in October for a two week module at the FIBAT seminary in Bangui.

Praise and Prayer

Thank you very much for your prayers for us this past month.  It has been a very full month and we depend on you, our faithful partners in this work. We had asked for prayer for the Easter outreach with two showings of the “JESUS” film.  With all of the flyers that were distributed and posters placed around our town and three neighboring towns, we were praying expectantly for God to fill the seats with people in whose hearts He was at work. We did have people from our church attend, including several that are unsaved, but we were saddened by the lack of interest from so many in a community in desperate need of hearing the Good News.

That same weekend the Lord gave our church some unexpected encouragement with the arrival of P., a young man who just moved to the area for an internship related to his schooling.  While his church involvement the past few years has been minimal, he was raised in a Christian home and was eager to get involved once again in a sound church. He has been coming each week since his arrival, eagerly drinking in Bible studies and fellowship, and quick to help out in any way he can.  His arrival also coincides with the departure of N. who has been faithfully attending this past year and a half, as he moved this last week to Paris to begin a training program for a new job.  He had been planning to be baptized on May 5 along with our son Caleb before he received the summons to make the move to Paris. We were sorry that he was not able to go through with his baptism before leaving.

Praise for

• the few that did attend the JESUS film, including several unsaved, and for the work God is doing in hearts.
• the good turnout (including several visitors) for our Easter breakfast and special service.  

• the arrival of P and his hunger for spiritual matters. Praise for other new visitors as well as those who have been attending regularly, some unsaved.
• the final club and closing program for our English outreach club this year.  Praise that the children did a great job with their memory work and songs and that we saw three parents in attendance for the very first time.

• a good annual Bible conference and team business meetings in Freiburg, Germany.  Praise for spiritual refreshment through Pastor Bob Cowman’s ministry, for a great children’s ministry by Pastor Bob’s team and for the blessing of being with our team France and our team Germany for several days. 

Team France and Team Germany

Team France

• our son Caleb following the Lord in believer’s baptism. Praise that Jonathan was able to baptize him on May 5, in a special service held in a borrowed church building with 39 people in attendance (including several from sister churches).

Pray for

• our teammates, the Christys, as they prepare to leave for three plus months of furlough/home ministry, and for us as we continue with a heavier load without them here.
• the Gadbois family who arrives May 22 as they come to help in various aspects of the ministry here for six weeks.
• those coming to France on missions trips this summer, and for the various ministries they will be involved in, including a VBS with children in our area.
• God to provide our church with a new building with sufficient facilities and space.
• healing for Cherith as she continues to suffer with sometimes painful congestion and respiratory issues as the specialists continue to seek a solution.
• God’s direction and provision for Jonathan and Caleb’s trip to CAR in October, where Jonathan has been asked to teach a two week module at the FIBAT seminary in Bangui.