Praise and Prayer for November 22, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving Day! Sometimes when we live in a foreign land, we lose some of our own traditions and celebrations. While some traditions are perhaps best lost, there are others that we do not want to lose and we do our best to celebrate them whether in the USA, the CAR or in France! One of them is Thanksgiving Day, which is a reminder to give thanks to God for His many blessings and His grace bestowed throughout the year. It would be impossible in this short update to share all of those blessings, but we would like to take the opportunity this week to mention just a few of them. First of all, we join Paul in 2 Cor. 9:15 saying “Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift.” Praise God for Jesus Christ and the salvation that He provided for us at the Cross. Praise God for His Word through which He speaks to our hearts as we read it and study it. This year, at our Thanksgiving table, there is a fifth member of our family. Praise God for His gift of Josiah to our family, and for His protection and healing of Josiah when he experienced such great difficulty after his birth. Friday, Cherith’s Birthday, was a reminder to our family of the special blessing that God has given us in a wife and mother. Our family and friends, those who support and pray for our ministry, our health, the food we eat, our apartment, etc. The list goes on. May every day we live be a day of thanksgiving to God for His daily blessings.

Praise for:
- the innumerable blessings that God has given us throughout the year.
- good attendance in Sunday school and church, and a good evening Sango service.
- several of the Central Africans that Jonathan was able to have contact with this week who have not been in our Sango service.
- those who are part of a special Christmas chorale ensemble, as we prepare a part of the Christmas program for December 13.

Pray for:
- good attendance this weekend for our services, and for the Lord to work in hearts.
- the church leaders as they meet this coming Thursday (26).
- our intern and pastoral candidate Emmanuel and his wife as they participate in a special Q & A time this coming Sunday as the January church vote approaches.
- the rest we need at night!
- God’s direction to be clear to us for our next term of ministry (after home ministry in 2011).

Praise and Prayer for November 13, 2009

God blessed our church with the visit of all but one of the student body from the Bible Institute in Algrange on Sunday. Spouses and children also came along. It was a personal blessing for us to see our former students, their growing children and to introduce them to Josiah. The students led the singing and meditation, gave testimonies, sang special numbers, played an instrumental number and preached. Cherith and I both taught our Sunday school classes, partly while holding Josiah! After the service and a time of fellowship, our family hurried home so that we could be ready to return to church for the evening Sango service. However, when we returned for the service, nobody else showed up. We spent time singing and praying, and then had a special treat on our way home: supper at McDonalds.


We are thankful for the health and strength the Lord continues to provide for us, especially with all of the interruptions to good rest at night for our newest family member’s feeding. We are learning once again to work our schedule around the regular feeding schedule of a newborn. For Cherith, it can be frustrating to recognize that her responsibilities to Josiah take up a good part of each day. Still, the Lord has helped us to make some good progress in some of our projects this week, including correspondence and birth announcements. Yesterday, Josiah turned one month old and the Lord has provided him with very good health. His doctor was very pleased with his progress when he saw him today for his first month checkup. How thankful we are for God’s goodness to us.

Praise for:
- the ministry of the Bible Institute students last Sunday, and for the very good attendance we had (every seat full!).
- good health and particularly the good report for Josiah’s one month checkup today.
- good attendance in Sunday school.
- progress in projects this week including correspondence.

Pray for:
- the various groups in the church as we prepare our part of the Christmas program scheduled for December 13.
- the Sunday School ministries, for regular attendance and for each member of the teaching team.
- good attendance at the Sango service this Sunday night and for Jonathan as he preaches.
- wisdom and God’s help to reach our neighbors for Him.
- continued adjustments to scheduling around a newborn and his needs.

Praise and Prayer for November 6, 2009

On Sunday, one of the youth shared a testimony of the special trip to Saint Dizier for the Concours Biblique. One of the special blessings mentioned was the opportunity to get together with so many other youth in an evangelical setting. This has been especially important, since the youth groups are typically very small and although there were certainly some unsaved present, fellowship with so many other Christian young people is rare here in France. We were proud of our own youth group placing third in the quiz team competition.

This Sunday will be another big day at church. We will be welcoming the student body from the Bible Institute (Algrange) for the morning service. They will be leading the service, sharing musical numbers and one of the students will be preaching. We will miss part of the service since we will both be teaching Sunday school classes, but we look forward to having a few guests in our classes as some of the students will be bringing their children. This Sunday evening, our Sango service will be meeting again after two weeks off as folks were off on vacation. Last Sunday one of the Central African families was back in church after a long absence. We are praying for more regularity in attendance to the Sango service. Jonathan will be preaching on God’s help in living the Christian life.

Praise for:
- the good participation in the Concours Biblique by our youth group and several others.
- the good health God has given our family.
- a Central African family’s return to church last Sunday.
- each one who helps in the Sunday School ministry.
- projects completed this week including the next SS teacher schedule.

Pray for:
- the students from the Bible Institute as they come and minister in our church on Sunday.
- the Sunday School ministries, for regular attendance and for each member of the teaching team.
- good attendance at the Sango service Sunday night and for Jonathan as he preaches.
- our family’s adjustments, and the need for good rest, especially for Mama and Papa.
- the financial strain we are having due to the fall of the dollar ($1.48 to 1€).

Praise and Prayer for October 30, 2009

The Lord answered prayer for Josiah and made it possible for him to be released from the hospital on Thursday, October 22. The blessing is indescribable of having our family once again under one roof. We are also thankful to the Lord for sending Mom Broeckert to us for most of the past two weeks. We were sad to see her go yesterday when she continued on her travels, this time to the USA to visit her other children, grandchildren and her Mom. Her presence and help was a huge encouragement and blessing to us during a very difficult time.

The Lord has brought some new visitors to church, some who have found out about it through the Internet and the church’s website (eglisebaptistedereims.net). Pray for J. who began attending just a few weeks ago and continues to discover more about who God is. The church youth group and their leaders will be traveling tomorrow to Saint Dizier for the Concours Biblique where Bible quiz teams from around the area will be meeting to fellowship and compete for first place. Pray that the Scriptural truths that these youth have learned will be more than head knowledge, that they find their place in hearts and lives for the days and years ahead.

Praise for:
- opportunities to share with many around us of God’s grace in our lives through Josiah’s birth and the events since.
- Josiah being home with us and for continued healing for Cherith.
- the Lord sending Mom Broeckert to us for the past two weeks.
- for visitors in church each week.
- the work Emmanuel puts into the church’s website each month.

Pray for:
- Cherith’s continued recovery, for the Lord to strengthen each of us after bringing us through the last two weeks.
- J. and others that are discovering more about God each week at church.
- the youth group as they participate in the Concours Biblique and that the truths learned will bear fruit whether the competition is won or not.
- Mom Broeckert’s continued travels, and for Mom Teachout as she moves this week from her home in PA (Ely Lake) to a new apartment in Grand Rapids, MI.
- the financial strain we are having due to the fall of the dollar ($1.48 to 1€).

Praise and Prayer for October 21, 2009

Praise God for the safe arrival or our precious son, Josiah Dale Teachout, born Monday, October 12 at 12:06 p.m. We were unable to update our blog on Friday due to the unexpected turn of events last week after Josiah’s birth and our time and attention being occupied with the care of our son. For those of you who have us on Facebook, you have been following the progress that Josiah has made since his breathing difficulties began an hour after his birth. The Lord has truly been good to us, and through the difficult days that followed, we have seen His hand and His provision of grace each day. Josiah was diagnosed with pneumothorax on Tuesday noon, and after getting the special care that he needed and being hooked up to a respirator, he was transferred to the Children’s hospital five minutes away where he was admitted to the intensive care for babies and children. God made it possible for Cherith to be transferred to that hospital on Wednesday and even though we couldn’t hold him or have him in Cherith’s room, we were so thankful that we could visit him and spend time with him. Cherith’s healing from the c-section has progressed well, despite the extra fatigue from all the visits to see Josiah. Cherith was released from the hospital on Friday and on Saturday, Josiah was well enough to return to the Hospital where he was born for continued care until he is ready to come home. Throughout the difficult days last week, the Lord sent us special help and encouragement through our co-workers, the Farrells, through the timely arrival of Cherith’s Mom from Cambodia on Friday, through the assurance of prayer by so many of our family in Christ both here in Reims and overseas, and also through the encouraging words and interest shown by many in our neighborhood. We are thankful for the opportunities that our situation has given us to witness of our faith in God.


By Tuesday (yesterday), Josiah’s final feeding tube was removed and he was unhooked from the monitors. He is now nursing well and taking a bottle when Mama isn’t present. We are all very tired, especially Mama, and the instability at home is taking its toll even on the kids. The Lord surely knew how much we would need Mom Broeckert during these days when He led her to plan this trip. We are so thankful for the good care Josiah has received and most of all for the Lord’s healing hand upon him. Now we are trying to be patient for his release from the hospital so that our family can once again be complete.

Praise for:
- better attendance in the Sango service last Sunday evening (15 present).
- Josiah’s safe delivery and for Cherith’s progress healing.
- God’s special care for Josiah through the pneumothorax, for excellent medical care that He has provided, and for healing for Josiah.
- all of the help and encouragement the Lord has given us in the midst of this storm and for Mom Broeckert’s safe arrival.
- the opportunities that Josiah’s problems have given us to witness and for the opportunity for so many to see God’s grace at work.

Pray for:
- Josiah’s soon release from the hospital and for our family to once again be together.
- the Lord to use our situation and Josiah’s struggle to open more doors to witness and for people to see God work.
- continued healing and strength for Cherith; for grace and rest for each one of us.
- Dad Broeckert as he ministers alone in Cambodia in Mom’s absence.
- the financial strain we are having due to the fall of the dollar ($1.49 to 1€).

Praise and Prayer for October 9, 2009

There were quite a few in church Sunday morning including a few visitors. Jonathan taught Elva’s primary SS class, as she had just returned from the States Friday and Cherith had one baby in the nursery. The other two children’s’ classes had good groups and the teachers were well prepared. The visitors Sunday included two children that came to SS. There were only nine at the Sango service Sunday evening. Jonathan spoke on the Armor of God at prayer meeting Tuesday where there were 13 in attendance, including two visitors. One of them has just accepted the Lord very recently.

We are thankful to finally welcome our Baby this week. Cherith, who hasn’t had a good night of rest in a long time, is especially eager to have Baby in our arms. She enters the hospital Sunday afternoon and is scheduled for a cesarean delivery on Monday. This will be the first of our babies born outside the USA and without any of our family with us. We are thankful for the many offers to help that we have had from our coworkers, friends from church and even from parents at Adrianna’s school. Another very special blessing God is giving us will be Mom Broeckert’s arrival on Friday. She will be a tremendous help and encouragement to us while she is with us for two weeks. Our children especially need prayer this week as they will be experiencing great change. Caleb has never spent the night away from Mama and he is about to have nearly a week of nights away from her.


Praise for:
- the French I.D. cards that we were able to pick up Thursday for Adrianna and Caleb, which gives them legal documentation here in France.
- the Sango hymnals being on their way to the CAR.
- a fairly swift solution to the major septic problem our 11 story apartment had on Tuesday (we are on the ground floor!).
- good attendance in the Sunday morning service and at prayer meeting.
- the many offers from friends to help with the kids this next week while Cherith is in the hospital.

Pray for:
- attendance to pick up in the Sango service and that those who need to make decisions for the Lord will make them.
- young believers to be protected from attack by the evil one.
- a safe delivery on Monday and a swift recovery for Cherith; pray also for a healthy baby and for Adrianna and Caleb as they experience some upheaval this week.
- Mom Broeckert as she flies alone from Koh Kong, Cambodia to Paris this week.
- the financial strain we are having due to the fall of the dollar ($1.47 to 1€).

Praise and Prayer for October 2, 2009

Last Sunday afternoon, the Church met for the conclusion of its business meeting to go over the remaining the church document (the Confession of Faith) with the members. It took all afternoon, but the congregation accepted the documents, and there were more than 30 charter members that signed them. Monday morning the documents were submitted to the proper government office and the Eglise Evangelique Baptiste de Reims was officially born. Praise the Lord for allowing us to make this step in becoming recognized as an officially chartered church and for the members who have diligently worked alongside to complete the necessary documents. We are so privileged to have been able to take part in this exciting process.

We received an email this week from a Christian organization that is willing to help us ship the Sango hymnals to CAR this month. It is great to have this answer to prayer after more than six months of waiting and praying. After numerous emails between the one in charge of shipping and the printer, where the hymnals are being stored, we are encouraged that all of the details for shipping have been worked through and we were able to give the go ahead to the printer to ship the hymnbooks from Ann Arbor, MI to Hanover, PA. The hymnbooks are finally on their way to the CAR where they have been long awaited.

Praise for:
- the members’ review and acceptance of the Church Constitution, the Statutes and the Confession of Faith proposed at the Church business meeting this past Sunday afternoon, and for the official birth of the Eglise Evangelique Baptiste de Reims.
- provision of a way to ship the Sango hymnals to the CAR.
- the return of Elva Farrell after a month in the USA helping her Dad.
- God’s protection when Adrianna fell while ice-skating and hit her head, resulting in a trip to the ER and a few hours of concern.

Pray for:
- Jonathan as he preaches both Sunday and Tuesday nights this week.
- the deacons meeting on Thursday and the decisions to be made.
- final details and safety in shipment as the Sango hymnals are shipped to CAR.
- our final preparations as we anticipate ten more days until Baby is born.