Praise and Prayer for March 29, 2011

This has been another eventful week for the church here. I picked up a Chinese couple at the train station on Friday who were here to speak to the GBC (Chinese outreach) that evening. Although we were not present, we were encouraged by the report of the meeting, for those who attended and had an excellent opportunity to ask questions and hear answers from the Bible in their own language. One young lady prayed to receive Christ. The team from the Baptist Bible Institute of Algrange arrived on Saturday for the week, and has been busy every day. Included are the director and 5 students. They met with the youth group on Saturday, and then on Sunday led and preached in the morning service, followed by the fellowship dinner. Yesterday, they began stripping and re-painting the doors and doorways in the church (there are quite a number of those) and presented the Institute in the evening, along with a special course sample. I helped out some in the afternoon before hurrying home to help Cherith with the kids and with getting supper on for the whole group by 5:30. This morning, they continued the work at the church and this afternoon canvassed one of the villages outside Reims. They will lead the mid-week prayer meeting and Bible study this evening, and their program continues through Friday.

Yesterday, we learned the devastating news that S lost the baby that we have been asking prayer for during her fragile pregnancy. Please keep this family in your prayers as they face the days ahead, that the Lord would provide His comfort and that we as a church would surround them with love.

Praise for:

- a special GBC outreach with the guest speaker, and for the young lady who prayed to accept Christ.

- the good attention of the seven children in Jonathan’s Sunday School class as they learned that we need to trust God in both the good times and the tough times.

- the safe arrival of the team from Algrange, for their hard work and the encouragement to the church here.

Pray for:

- S and her family.

- the team from the Bible Institute with us this week, for the blessing they are to the church, and that the church would be a blessing to them.

- those who received brochures today in the village that was canvassed to read them and that there would be eternal fruit.

- hearts to be willing to respond to God’s call for His service and for deepening their knowledge of His Word in Bible School.

- our residency permits to be renewed as we submitted our applications last Thursday. Pray especially that our request for 10-year cards would be granted and that we would have the cards in hand before our trip this summer.

- a scheduled visit over Skype with a supporting church this Sunday as part of the church’s first missions conference in a number of years.

Praise and Prayer for March 23, 2011

Spring has arrived in Reims and we are enjoying the many evidences of God’s love through the warm sunshine and beautiful flowers. We appreciate your continued prayers for us. The Lord helped me prepare and preach for the Bible Study Tuesday and for the morning service Sunday. After many hours of research and study for my message Sunday, I began to wonder if I’d not bitten off more than I could handle. I had felt led to speak on a subject that is a bit of a touchy theme in any culture: money and church giving. The Lord answered prayer in guiding my preparation. He also provided extra strength for Cherith as she too had extra work with the house and with the children to make it possible for me to study in as secluded and quiet an environment as we could come up with (our dining room).

We had a special guest here for supper on Thursday. At the invitation of the GBC (Chinese Bible Study outreach), several of us from the English Encounter participants attended a special meeting Friday evening with a Gospel message in English. Cherith visited one of the business associates, of a lady from church, on Saturday in the hospital after recent surgery. She isn’t really interested in spiritual things but did accept a booklet that Cherith gave her. She told her friend from church that she has read nearly half of the booklet.

Sunday afternoon we were given a rare treat of meeting with our church family at Springville Baptist Church in Pennsylvania, over Skype. It helps the miles that separate us not seem so far.

Praise for:

- Springtime and the signs of new life all around.

- God’s help to Jonathan in preparation and in preaching Tuesday and Sunday.

- the group present at the GBC meeting Friday, and the good discussion after the message.

- God’s healing for Josiah after a bout with a virus over the weekend (with high fevers).

- that M is reading the booklet Cherith gave her.

- for a good visit with S when we took a meal to her Tuesday, as she is on bed rest and faces complications with her pregnancy.

- for the safe return of our pastor and his wife after a refreshing week away.

Pray for:

- God’s Word to work in hearts and lead to greater commitment among believers.

- a safe pregnancy for S, and for strength as she cares for a 3 year old as well (with Dad gone to work every day).

- the English Encounter Thursday evening.

- the 5 students and Rich Visser of the Algrange Baptist Bible Institute as they arrive Saturday for a week of ministry with our church here. We look forward to having Rich with us for the week while the students will be staying with other families.

- the students’ testimonies and time here to encourage others to commit to preparing for ministry in Bible School. “The harvest truly is great but the laborers are few.”

- that many around the world would turn to Christ in these days of uncertainty and danger in Japan.

Praise and Prayer for March 14, 2011

The chairs at church were nearly all occupied yesterday morning with both regulars and a few visitors. The man who led us in the worship service shared a few passages of scripture reminding us of the uncertainty of life. With the political upheaval and natural disasters filling the news it is so good to know that God is sovereign and lovingly extends His hand to all who suffer and yearn for peace. May the events of recent days cause many to seek God and accept His offer of forgiveness of sin and eternal life through simple faith in Jesus Christ.

School started back for the kids, including four round trips (walks) each day to get them to and from school each morning and afternoon. Cherith worked with another Sunday School teacher to replace the wall mural in the beginner class room at church last Tuesday. We made progress in planning meetings for home ministry and studying. Since we had the English Encounter on Thursday evening, we had that to prepare for as well (the house, refreshments and Bible study).

Praise for:

- God’s sovereignty and the salvation that He offers to all.

- the 7 that were at English Encounter this week and for a profitable time together.

- good attendance Sunday, and for the Lord’s help as we taught Sunday school classes on Sunday.

- the example and legacy of faith of Jonathan’s Dad whose Birthday would have been Saturday.

- the progress in scheduling meetings for home ministry.

Pray for:

- us to see and use the opportunities that God gives us this week to share His love and His Word with others.

- Jonathan as he prepares for and leads the Bible study Tuesday evening and preaches in both the French and Sango services this Sunday.

- for Cherith as she prepares and co-teaches Sunday School this Sunday as she works with training a new teacher.

- our pastor and his wife as they are away visiting family on a long-awaited vacation.

- God’s blessing and direction as we continue to set up meetings with our supporting churches for home ministry.

- all of the hurting families in Japan and that many would turn to Christ in this tumultuous time.

- preparations for the week that the students from the Algrange Baptist Bible Institute will spend with our church at the end of this month.

Praise and Prayer for March 7, 2011

The Lord gave beautiful weather this past week which we fully appreciated as the children were on winter vacation. We took a couple of days to do some special things with them, including riding their bikes and playing in a nearby park, eating at a restaurant, and taking a short train ride to visit a quaint little medieval town with a 900 year old cathedral and other ancient buildings at the top of a hill overlooking the valley below. I think the kids’ favorite part of the trip was the ride on the Poma 2000, a cable driven people mover that takes people from the train station below to the old city above every 2.5 minutes.

This week we began scheduling our first meetings for our home ministry that begins in July. On Saturday, the lead pastor, Emmanuel, held a seminar on Methods of Bible Study with nearly 30 people in attendance, representing three area churches. Along with helping people with individual Bible study, the seminar also sought to give tools to those who desire to or already do lead Bible studies. Attendance was good on Tuesday and Sunday, despite a number of folks being away on vacation.

We all appreciated a weekend visit from our family from Nancy, though their return to Nancy Sunday evening was very difficult, especially for Adrianna, who, along with Caleb had enjoyed every minute with their cousin Lea.

Praise for:

- sunny weather, some special times with the kids, and time with our family from Nancy.

- a good opportunity Cherith had this week to witness to a lady at the grocery store.

- the good attendance at the seminar on Saturday.

- the meetings we have been able to line up for home ministry this year.

- good health and strength for our family.

- God’s work in lives (ours and others’) through the daily reading of His Word.

Pray for:

- us to see and use the opportunities that God gives us this week to share His love and His Word with others.

- Jonathan as he prepares messages in French and Sango.

- both Jonathan and Cherith as they prepare and teach Sunday School this Sunday, for Cherith as she works with training a new teacher.

- our English Encounter Thursday evening, for good attendance and that God will minister to hearts through His Word.

- God’s blessing and direction as we continue to set up meetings with our supporting churches for home ministry.

- the church counsel as it meets this Saturday evening.

- preparations for the week that the students from the Algrange Baptist Bible Institute will spend with our church at the end of this month.

Praise and Prayer for February 28, 2011

The children were home this week for winter break from school (they have one more week off). This gave us some extra time with them and opened the way for us to be able to take part in some special occasions this week. After Bible study Tuesday evening we learned that one of our dear friends from Nancy had gone to be with the Lord that morning. We were able to travel to Nancy to attend the funeral services on Friday afternoon for Mrs. Charlotte Itty, where everyone present was challenged by her testimony of love and faithfulness to her Lord. On Wednesday afternoon, our family had joined others in our church family here to visit a lady who is shut-in and lives with her daughter who attends faithfully. On Thursday, we had the opportunity to take dinner to the home of one of the families that hasn’t been in church for several weeks due to the wife’s high-risk pregnancy. I took a lady from Romania and all her luggage to catch a bus back home on Saturday morning. We had time to visit and pray as we waited for an hour before the bus came, pacing the sidewalk to stay warm.

A young lady from China gave her salvation testimony Sunday morning, and shared her desire to join the church. After the service on Sunday it was encouraging to hear several comments on how the Lord had used the message to challenge hearts in specific ways. I had preached on reasons why God sometimes chooses not to answer our prayers the way we think He should. We were very encouraged to see the excellent participation Sunday in the information meeting for all the teachers and helpers who are involved in our Sunday school program. God is blessing as new leaders grow in their roles, and many members work together to do this important ministry.

Thank you for praying for God’s leading regarding our future ministry. Through a number of ways He has shown us that it is not possible for us to return to the CAR for ministry next term, as we had thought previously. We have sensed clearly His leading to proceed from “on-loan from CAR to France” status to an official assignment to France. We are excited about the opportunities that God has given us here in France and about the opportunities that He has for us in the future. Thank you for continuing to keep our future ministry in your prayers!

Praise for:

- special opportunities God gave this week to share His love, to encourage and to challenge others on several occasions.

- better health this week and for God’s help for Jonathan in preparation and in preaching on Tuesday and Sunday.

- God’s work in C’s life and for her desire to join the church.

- God’s working in hearts.

- the clear testimony of Mrs. Charlotte Itty and the challenge that was shared at her funeral to a full auditorium.

- the way God is blessing the church here, especially through the participation of many in the Sunday school program.

Pray for:

- us to see and use the opportunities that God gives us this week to share His love and His Word with others.

- S. and her family, for God’s grace and protection as she goes through a very high-risk pregnancy.

- the family of Mrs. Itty, for God’s comfort and guidance.

- faithfulness and blessing for each one involved in ministries at church.

- Cherith’s sister, Hadessah, as she leaves for her field of service this week to begin her first ministry assignment.

- our family to be able to get rid of the stuffy nose and cold symptoms that continue to make the rounds in our family.

- preparations for our time of home ministry this summer and fall, and for our future ministry in France.

Praise and Prayer for February 21, 2011

I have continued to fight some type of bug, which has taken a lot of my strength and left me tired and uncomfortable. Yet God has provided strength as necessary and given Cherith and the kids good health. We rejoice that there were 25 present for prayer meeting Tuesday evening, including three kids, under 10 years of age. For the first time, Adrianna looked up passages and filled in a copy of the handout, and even volunteered to read Rev. 21:1-3 (and did a very fine job – in French). On Thursday evening, I attended the Parent/Teacher counsel meeting for Adrianna’s school, then left a few minutes early to get home in time for our English Encounter. It was great to have three visitors this week.

Sunday morning, seven of the children were eager to quote new verses. One of them finished the whole pack of 13 verses Sunday, and was willing to begin another packet with more verses! We met with the leaders of the Sunday school ministry after church Sunday and they will be meeting with all of the teachers and helpers next week to go over some reminders and details of the program. We are so encouraged at the way the Lord is helping to grow and strengthen this aspect of the church ministries.

Praise for:

- the strength that God has given, especially as I continue to fight a bug.

- the good attendance in prayer meeting, including three children!

- a good EE Thursday evening, and for the 3 visitors present.

- a number of first time visitors in church Sunday, including some from CAR.

- seven kids quoting verses Sunday in our memory verse challenge.

- the further contacts this week through the kids’ schools.

Pray for:

- the return of visitors in our English Encounter and in our church services.

- the children as they memorize God’s Word, that it’s truths would be understood and applied.

- Jonathan’s preparation and preaching Tuesday and Sunday.

- restored health and strength for Jonathan.

- opportunities to show God’s love to those around us.

- preparations for our time of home ministry this summer and fall.

Praise and Prayer for February 14, 2011

Happy Valentine’s Day! One of the greatest blessings that we enjoy is the love that we share both for the Lord and for one another. And we are acutely aware that the love we know is because of the love and grace that God showed to us first in giving His Son (Jn 3:16). How we thank Him for His Gift. Yesterday in the primary Sunday School class, one of the boys prayed to receive this Gift. We pray that G’s decision was genuine and that God will help his faith to grow. It was very encouraging to hear of this decision on a day when the attendance in his class was the biggest it has been, perhaps in years. There were 12 primaries present! We are confident that God was working in hearts among the adults in the auditorium as well. Attendance was good for the baptismal service, and included unsaved friends and family members. The testimonies, special music, baptism and message combined to give a clear message of God’s love for us despite our sin, and our need to respond to Him in obedience.

The church counsel met with the counsel from the church in Chalons at 10 a.m. Saturday. The meeting/fellowship continued even when I had to leave about 3:30 p.m. to come home to help Cherith. Besides having the three kids home all day, she was also preparing a main dish and cookies for the fellowship dinner Sunday and getting Adrianna’s room ready for an overnight guest. We had our company coming for supper and a time of counsel and prayer. On Friday, the Lord gave us a good visit with one of the hurting members.

Praise for:

- the profession of faith by an eight year old boy Sunday and the good attendance in Sunday School, including the family that we spoke about last week.

- the baptism of S and S Sunday and for all who heard the Good News.

- all of the kids who are doing well with their Scripture memorization, including several who quoted verses to us on Sunday.

- the strength and health the Lord gave for a busy week, though Jonathan could tell he was fighting something.

- the help that God gives as we counsel and encourage others.

Pray for:

- G, for growth for this brand new child of God.

- God’s continued working in the lives of those present Sunday.

- Jonathan as he prepares to preach this Sunday and for Tuesday Bible study.

- our English Encounter this Thursday evening.

- opportunities to show God’s love to those around us.

- preparations for our time of home ministry this summer and fall.