As our world faces storms of various kinds, we thank God for the assurance of His presence and help for each person who puts their faith in Him. I love the words of the hymn “Day by Day” written in Swedish by Caroline Sandell, the “Fanny Crosby of Sweden”. The second verse reminds of some promises God has made to us that we must remember and believe. And Caroline knew the truth of these words as she had witnessed the tragic death of her own beloved father.
Every day the Lord Himself is near me,
With a special mercy for each hour;
All my cares He fain would bear and cheer me,
He whose name is Counsellor and Pow’r.
The protection of His child and treasure
Is a charge that on Himself He laid;
“As thy days, thy strength shall be in measure,”
This the pledge to me He made.
Thank you for your prayers for our family and for the ministry here in Saint-Médard-en-Jalles. Through particularly challenging times, God continues to provide strength and blessing. Our numbers at church fluctuate from week to week, but we are grateful to see evidence of God working in hearts. S continues to grow spiritually as she faithfully attends Sunday services and continues regular Bible studies with Cherith. Her 12 year old daughter also shows spiritual growth as she listens attentively to the Sunday sermons and actively participates in Sunday school and English club. L, who has been searching and attending services fairly regularly for over a year has recently found assurance of her salvation, though still struggles in many areas. An elderly lady with a strong Catholic background has visited our church a few times with a friend. She has asked some good questions and is obviously thinking.
Praise for
- God’s presence and help as we navigate the storms of life.
- the completion of the mailbox campaign outreach in the neighbouring town of Le Haillan. Praise for a visitor from another neighboring town responding to an invitation in his mailbox!
- L’s salvation and for other individuals making spiritual progress. Praise for Mrs. T and her joy in the Lord though her physical strength is so limited and she isn’t able to attend services.
- small improvement for Cherith’s respiratory system after 6 weeks of special treatments.
- completing our meeting itinerary for the 6 months we will be in the US for home ministry/furlough (August - January). Lord willing, on this trip we will be able to visit each of the churches that are partnering with us.
- the Dunlop family that will be coming to help for a month during our absence.
Pray for
- God’s grace for us with a heavy load of church ministries this weekend filling in for our teammates who are away. Pray for grace and strength for each day and challenge.
- a door to open for our church to be able to move to a more permanent and practical building.
- continued healing for Cherith’s respiratory system.
- a young man, Y, from our sister church in Pessac who was baptized this month. Pray that God will continue to work in his life.
- God’s provision for our transportation and housing needs during our 6 months in the USA.
