Praise and Prayer

Whether or not we are ready, the summer here is drawing quickly to a close.  We are grateful for your prayers over this summer and praise the Lord for the way He is working here.  One way the Lord surprised us was in the opportunity that He gave us to share the Gospel at the end of the year Barbecue party.  Just before the meal, I was asked to give a short speech and then pray before the meal began.  My silent prayer was “Help, Lord!”  We were impressed by the silence and attention of the 30 plus adults and children seated around the table.  Then during the meal there were several more opportunities to share as we were asked a number of questions, some specifically regarding our faith and the Gospel. 

Activities this summer have included a weekend trip across France for my cousin’s wedding, a 2-day trip to Paris to renew Josiah’s passport at the American Embassy and hosting a teenage girl from a French Christian home who is with us this week.  We picked up a nasty stomach flu on our trip to Paris and spent a week recuperating appetites and strength.  

As time and energy have permitted we have been working on some indoor and outdoor projects here at home.  One of those was completing the sanding and refinishing of our staircase that we’d begun last fall but never had the time to complete.  Another has been working in the yard and garden.

At church, despite the absences due to travelling members, we were so encouraged two Sundays ago when the Lord brought not only M, the lady that has been studying English and the Bible with Cherith, but also her two sons and her sister.  This was the first time for them to be at our church, except for M who had come for the Christmas program.  Her sister and her son listened intently to the message from Galatians 1 on believing the pure Gospel, while M accompanied her 3 year old to the junior church class which Cherith taught.  They seemed interested in returning and we pray they will.

Praise for:

- the great opportunity to share the Gospel at the end of the year Barbecue party for the Soccer club.

- Timothée Letellier’s release from the hospital in early July and for the good month that he has had while the chemo has been lighter for a few weeks.  He has regained quite a bit of strength. 

- the healing the Lord gave our family and for the health our family is enjoying.

- safety over many miles travelled and for special opportunities to serve the Lord this summer.

- the Lord bringing M and her family to church.

- opportunities to connect with the people of our neighborhood, including a supper invitation we received from one of our neighbors last week.

Pray for:

- opportunities to water the seed that has been sown and for opportunities to keep planting the seed. 

- Timothée Letellier as he will begin a more intensive phase of chemo the beginning of September.

- our teammates, the Christys, as they have put their house on the market.  Pray that the Lord would provide the right buyer in His time and that He would lead them to just the right place in Saint Medard where they will have further opportunities to reach out to the lost of this community.
- peace and stability to return in the CAR.  While some of the violence as subsided, the two rebel militia groups continue to battle for control, bringing death or suffering to the rest of the people.  Word came from a Bambari pastor this week that our five churches there have been meeting on Sundays, though many people are displaced, including some of the pastors.

Praise and Prayer

June turned out to be quite a month for our family and we are thankful to be arriving at the end!  The Lord has answered prayer in so many ways this month and we are so thankful for all He has done as well as for the prayers of God’s people. 

Little Timothée Letellier has handled the weeks of isolation and responded to the chemotherapy at the hospital very well.  His grandparents from China have been a wonderful help to the family.  This week Timothée was able to move out of isolation into a regular single room where he will remain as he continues chemotherapy.  Blood and bone marrow tests have shown that the treatments have been successful thus far.  His parents testify of God’s grace and their confidence in Him and desire to be used of God to bring His light and hope to those suffering around them.

The Lord gave a very good response to the invitations for the English adventure club outreach that we held on June 18 here in our home.  Our teammates, the Christys, and the F.O.F. team joined us in praying, preparing and executing the outreach.  Based on the reactions of the parents and the kids present, it looks like there is enough interest in this type of a weekly club this fall to make it a real possibility.  It is hard to describe the joy that we had to be able to share the Biblical account of Creation to these adults and children, most of whom had never heard it before. 

The F.O.F. team completes their five weeks of interning with several of our teammates across the country this week, and is returning one by one to the US.  Last week they helped us with our mailbox campaign, getting church flyers into the mailboxes of every home in Saint-Medard-en-Jalles.  We covered some good ground with them and only have about ¼ of the homes left. 

Praise for:

- God’s hand on Timothée Letellier’s life and the chemotherapy treatments he has received.  Praise too for the safe and timely arrival of his grandparents from China and for the precious help they are to the family.

- the opportunity to share God’s truth at the English club and for the very good response of those who participated. 

- the help of the F.O.F. team this summer and for the various churches and ministries they have been involved in including ministries in new areas, helping with established churches and helping at the Bible institute.

- the many opportunities the Lord is giving us at the end of this school year to connect with people and invite them to church, including at my roller blading club and Caleb’s soccer club.

Pray for:

- the continued contacts that we will be having this summer.  We have had good contacts with two of our neighbors in the past two weeks.

- Timothée Letellier and his family as he completes the hospital treatments and looks forward to being released from the hospital to continue treatment from home.

- God’s protection for our F.O.F. team as they return home and His blessing and direction for their future involvement in ministry.  As many on our small France team near retirement, pray that God will sent more laborers into His harvest fields in France.
- peace and stability to return in the CAR.  Our former hometown and base of ministry in Bambari is just this week experiencing great insecurity and thousands have fled their homes.  More than 50 have been killed since Monday.

Pray for Timothée!

The F.O.F. team is now into their second week in France.  One of the things they helped our church with last week was distributing flyers in mailboxes and at the market place in our town on Saturday.  Then on Sunday, they were involved in our morning services and helped with the children’s ministry.  Steve shared his testimony and all three sang a special number.  What an encouragement it is to see three young people preparing to serve the Lord in missions who have a clear burden for the people of France.  This week they have been helping some of our teammates, Jean-Jacques and Valerie Cheloudtchenko, near the Spanish border.

Our small church family was hit hard this week as the Letellier family has dealt with the hospitalization of their 22 month-old son, Timothée, and his unexpected diagnosis of leukemia.  This family is the one that moved to Bordeaux from Reims last year to help us with the new church plant in Saint Medard en Jalles.  Both Jean-Charles and Longjia are first generation Christians, so do not have family members that can encourage them in the Lord.  In fact neither of their families are even close enough to help in a physical way either, since Jean-Charles’ family is in Reims and Longjia’s parents are in China.  The Christys and us are trying to do everything we can to help.  In His wisdom and foreknowledge the Lord had already directed in the timing of Longjia’s parents coming from China for a visit, as they are scheduled to arrive in Bordeaux next Saturday, June 7.  Just this week, they received their French visas, which was a real answer to prayer.  Both Jean-Charles and Longjia have testified to the peace that the Lord has given to them as they have adjusted to this unexpected change, and their trust remains securely in their Lord.  They have asked that we share this need and ask for prayer, and are so grateful for your prayers for them and their children, Timothée, and 3-year-old Louis Gabriel.

Praise for:

- the work the F.O.F. team has done since they arrived in France and for the way the Lord used them here in Saint Medard last week.

- the strength and peace the Lord has given to Jean-Charles and Longjia Leterllier as they face this storm. 

- God’s timing in bringing Longjia’s parents to France at a time that their presence is greatly needed and for the granting of their French visas.

- our wedding anniversary on May 26 and for the privilege God has given us to serve the Him together these past 13 years.

Pray for:

- Timothée Letelllier as he remains hospitalized and receives chemotherapy for leukemia during the next 6 to 8 weeks.  Pray for strength for his family and that the Lord will bring his grandparents to faith in Christ.

- our church family as our small body is affected by the challenge the Letellier family is facing.  The need to be with their son will surely have an effect on their faithful presence and participation.

- preparation for a special English adventure club outreach that we are planning to have in our home on June 18.  Pray for a good response to invitations.

- peace and stability to return in the CAR .  Our former co-workers, John and Paula Dannenberg arrived back in Bangui this week to continue their ministry.

Praise and Prayer May 22, 2014

The Lord greatly blessed our travels last month.  We were back in Reims for Easter weekend, attending the wedding of two of the young singles that had been a part of the church when we were still living in Reims.  It was wonderful to be able to preach in the church on Easter Sunday and see many of the church family again.  

We enjoyed having dinner with Pastor Emmanuel and Sylvie, as well as time in the homes of three families.  We were encouraged by what God has done in the church there since we left in 2012 but were also reminded that the enemy is not at rest when God’s work is moving forward.  We need to keep the church there in our prayers.  Another highlight of our visit there was the opportunity to visit with two of our BMM retirees, one of whom had knee surgery in March.

The Baptist Mid-Missions French field conference went very well, and though we came home exhausted, we had received great refreshment from the Bible messages by our speaker and from the wonderful fellowship with our coworkers and the BMM Germany team that also joined us this year.  Our field business meetings went well and Cherith and I were both happy to get through another year of our responsibilities as the treasurers of our French field associations.  Since our return, some of our time has been taken with dealing with field business as well as preparing and filing our tax documents for France.

Three American college students arrived in Bordeaux for summer missions’ internships.  Baptist Mid-Missions’ summer program called First Look (formerly the M.A.P program) becomes F.O.F. (Focus on France) for those choosing to get involved in ministries here in France.  These students will be spending time in at least four different homes, helping in at least that many different church planting ministries.  We are thrilled for the help and encouragement that they will be and pray that the Lord will use this time in each of their lives as He leads and prepares each one for the ministries He has planned for their futures.

Praise for:

- safety in travel over 1,935 miles, and for the special time to reconnect with our Reims church family.

- the spiritual refreshment and good fellowship we enjoyed at our annual conference.  Our kids were also blessed by the special kids’ ministry of the Gadbois family and the interaction with a nice bunch of fellow mks from both France and Germany. 

- the three unsaved guests that were present for our “Jesus Film” outreach before Easter, including one first-time visitor who received a Bible.

Pray for:

- God’s work in the hearts of ML, N, F and C, and that He will bring each of them to Himself through faith.

- preparation for a special English adventure club outreach that we are planning to have in our home on June 18.  Pray for a good response to invitations.

- peace in the CAR where killing continues.  As of today, shooting has begun in Bambari where we lived and worked, and people are beginning to flee for cover.

Evangelistic Outreach

Some dear friends of ours back home had sent us a DVD called “the Letter Writer” for Christmas.  After watching it together last week, both Adrianna and Caleb were motivated to make a difference in the lives of people around them at school.  So both have written notes in the past few days with words of encouragement including a promise that they were praying for the person.  We have all been encouraged by the response of both the children and their parents who have all expressed gratitude for the notes.

Tuesday, the Christys and the Bixbys joined us for lunch and a meeting to discuss some of the things we learned at the conference we attended in March at Saint Albain.  Cherith and I have prepared most of the reports that we will be sharing at our own Baptist Mid-Missions French field conference in less than two weeks (April 22-25).  We will be taking advantage of the kids 2 week Easter break to do some travelling.  Lord willing, we will be able to see my cousins in Nancy before heading on to Germany for a day to do some shoe and clothing shopping.  From there, we head to Reims where we will be attending the wedding of two of our friends from the singles’ group at church, one of whom is Central African.  We’ll be there for a few days, including Easter Sunday (with Jonathan preaching), so we will have some good opportunities to connect with our church family.  It has been over two years since we left.  We will be trying to see some of our contacts from outside the church as well.

Praise for:

- Spring and for new Life in Christ!

- the good reception of the flyers for the Easter outreach and that all the logistics are in place for the event tomorrow.

- the opportunities the Lord is giving with contacts around us and our children. 

- ML’s interest in hearing the Gospel and her acceptance of the books Cherith gave to her.   

- God’s help in the preparations for our trip to Reims and preparing the reports for field conference.

Pray for:

- the Easter outreach tomorrow, for good attendance and for no glitches!  Pray for eternal fruit.

- the special services for Easter here and in Reims where we will be.

- our travels, for safety and that God will use us to bless and encourage those we visit.

- ML to read the books she was given and that God would bring her to Himself.

- our French field conference April 22-25, for a time of refreshment and fellowship with our coworkers.  This year the German field team will join us.

- the CAR and for the return of peace.  Pray for our good friend Pastor Ngassiando whose wife passed away suddenly this week.

Praise and Prayer March 31, 2014

Yesterday was the second consecutive week of elections for mayor in municipalities all over France.  The winner in our town will replace the man who has held this position for the past 31 years.  Many people are tired of the politics, evident in the posters, flyers in mailboxes, meetings and even house calls by the candidates.  Although we have our own concerns and have been praying for the outcome, we do know that the Lord is able to raise up leaders and put down others.  Our times are in His hands and we are grateful.  We are reminded of the importance to pray for “all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.” (1 Tim. 2:2)

Preparations for our special Easter outreach April 12 are moving forward.  We will be showing the JESUS film.  The room is reserved for the afternoon. Flyers have been produced and close to 600 have already been distributed.  Last Saturday, we had a special distribution downtown near the market.  While some handed out flyers to shoppers, others were putting flyers in mailboxes and one was visiting small businesses like pastry shops to post the flyer and even request permission to leave some flyers on the counter for clients.  We have begun to invite our contacts as well, and though some have indicated they do not plan to be there, others have responded more positively.  Please join us in praying for good reception for these invitations, and that God will give us fruit.  The church website is on each flyer, with a link to a clear presentation of the Gospel.  Although our space will be somewhat limited for our outreach, we would love to see the available seats filled.

Praise for:

- all of those who have received an invitation to our Easter outreach April 12 including S, the physical therapist that Jonathan has been seeing for his knee. 

- the opportunities that Cherith has been having with ML, while they meet to work on English and as Cherith and two of our kids spent some time with her and her children at an equestrian event last Saturday.   

Conference in Saint Albain

- the safe trip the Lord gave us last week (1195 kilometers round trip) to the conference we attended in Saint Albain.  Although we went through rain and some snow as we passed through the mountains in central France, we did not have trouble with the road or delays.  We were glad to be at the conference and tried to absorb as much information as we could during the many hours of meetings.  We returned home exhausted, but praising the Lord for what He had done.

Chateau where conference was held in Saint Albain

- the way the Lord helped our children during our absence, and for the special help and care that He provided through the Bixbys for them.  

- the safety God gave to our CAR colleague, Charlie Jewell, on his recent trip to CAR, and that he is home safely after his three week trip, though the unrest continues.

Pray for:

- the newly elected mayor of our town, along with his team.

- our daily walk with the Lord, and for His guidance and blessing as we study, prepare and care for administrative matters.

- all who have been and all who will be invited to our Easter outreach April 12.  Pray for the special distribution this Saturday.  Pray for the outreach April 12, that all logistics will go smoothly and that God will use this opportunity to bring people to Himself.

- Cherith as she continues to work with ML.  Pray for her salvation.

- us as we prepare the treasurer reports for our annual conference April 22-25, including a report of the meetings we attended last week.

- the CAR and for those suffering with high blood pressure and diabetes as medicine gets more and more difficult to find.

- a stronger dollar, now lower than it has been in a long time.  We are feeling the strain.

Praise and Prayer March 20, 2014

The Lord has blessed us with beautiful weather leading up to this first day of Spring.  We’ve even been able to take advantage of it by getting out and doing some trimming in the garden.  Caleb’s soccer team has also been able to finally keep a scheduled Saturday game as many have been cancelled this winter due to rain or fields being too wet. 

The weeks are full of challenges and opportunities and the Lord continues to give His strength and blessing.  Last Saturday, our town held its annual Carnival Parade with many of the associations and clubs taking part with special floats and costumes.  It was good to see a number of people that we knew both in the parade and among the spectators, and note that this number grows each year from the first parade we attended two years ago when we first arrived.  Last week, Cherith began a weekly English study with one of the school moms who had approached her about studying with her.  We are excited about this opportunity and appreciate your prayers for wisdom and guidance as Cherith helps her using language exercises and Bible stories. 

Cherith and I will be making a road trip to Macon, France (a six hour trip without delays) next week for a one day conference regarding finances and French laws.  There have been some changes in some of these laws that will affect our team, so as the treasurers for our two associations, we will be there to learn what we can.  Our good friends and teammates, Bob and Bonnie Bixby, have graciously offered to keep our children for us and get them to and from school and sports clubs on Tuesday and Wednesday, since we leave early Tuesday morning and won’t be home till later Wednesday evening.   

Praise for:

- the pastors’ prayer breakfast Jonathan attended last weekend with the pastors of the four Bordeaux churches.  We rejoice to see God’s hand at work.

- God’s blessings for our church.  Last Sunday we hosted the fellowship dinner and were encouraged by time of fellowship and planning.

- further contacts the Lord is giving us with soccer and school families, kids Birthday invitations, physical therapist, etc.

- improved health for our family, and for healing for my knee.

- direction for our Jesus film outreach in April.

- our brother Pastor Goumba Pierre from Bambari who was able to travel to Yaounde, Cameroun this month for a module course for his DMin degree.

- the godly heritage of having Christian parents who love and serve the Lord.  Yesterday marked 6 years since the Lord called my Dad Home. 

Pray for:

- God’s blessing and guidance in our preparations and in our preaching and teaching ministries.

- the Saint Medard neighborhoods that are receiving church flyers at this time: Magudas and Caupian.

- safety for Cherith and I was we travel next week, for alertness and understanding for what we will be hearing.

- safety and help for our children and the Bixbys as we leave them Tuesday and Wednesday, March 25,26.  This is the first time we will have left our children overnight in almost 3 years.

- preparations for our Jesus film outreach April 12, and for guidance and blessing as we get out the word through flyers and posters.

- brothers and sisters in CAR who are having difficulty getting necessary medicines for high blood pressure and other sicknesses.  Prices for food and meds have gone up and pharmacies are not getting stocked.

- God to awaken the hearts of the people of Saint Medard to their spiritual needs.