Greetings from Saint Medard en Jalles.  God has blessed us with many faithful prayer warriors through the years, some of whom have partnered with us in other ways as well. We rejoice to share with you some of the ways that God has been working this month.  There have also been some challenges that we continue to face, and we share some of them with you here so that you can be praying for some specifics. 

One of the matters we have asked prayer for in the past is for God’s continued working in the lives of the family that came to Christ last year, as they grow spiritually.  We were thrilled Sunday when we received a message they sent us from Paris in which the parents eagerly expressed their decision to follow the Lord in believers’ baptism.  They had already spoken to the pastor of the local church there.  They mentioned the opportunity they will have to give a testimony “before the whole church” to thank the Lord for having guided them without their knowing it toward Him through the church of Saint Medard.  The message closed with a prayer that the Lord would bring other families to the truth.  Our hearts were so encouraged and we wanted to let you know how God is answering prayer in their behalf.

This Sunday after our morning service, we will be leaving for Malaga, Spain and the Africa and Europe Enrichment Conference that our mission has planned.  Held every three years, this will be the fifth such conference though the first one to include Africa.  It will be the third time for our family to attend.  We look forward to the fellowship with other missionaries, some we haven’t seen in many years, including our former teammates in CAR, the Jewells and the Dannenbergs.  There will be special services and sessions designed for refreshment and renewal in ministry for the adults and the children will be ministered to by a full team coming from a church in Michigan.

Praise for:

- the good news from the R family and for the work God is doing in their lives.

- all of the visitors that have attended our services in January, including several that have returned.  One of them, a friend of Caleb that has been invited many times, came last Sunday for the first time.  On two occasions, we had to set up extra chairs!

- the steady attendance at the English club outreach for the first half of the year, and for better listening and behavior from the “active” kids since we divided into two groups.

- more than one hundred 2018 Scripture calendars that have been given out, including more than fifty at the St Medard market last Saturday to those who were interested.

- the mutual encouragement and blessing provided by the pastors’ fellowship from the four Bordeaux sister churches that meets once a month.

Pray for

- a new building for our church.  The space we have now was nearly maxed out twice this month.

- the unsaved visitors to continue coming to church and for wisdom and guidance in the Sunday school ministry with the new dynamic.

- an evangelistic film outreach planned for March 3.  Pray that we will have sufficient manpower to get out several thousand invitations. Pray for lost souls to turn to Christ, including our Muslim friend in the Middle East.

- continued improvement in our health, especially for Cherith who is slowly regaining strength.  Also please pray for Adrianna who will be having oral surgery to remove four impacted wisdom teeth on February 15.

- safety travelling the 750 miles by car to the conference in Spain this next week, and for its impact on our whole family.

- God’s direction and provision as we seek to replace the tile flooring in our dining room/living room.  A large area popped loose from the cement and has been deteriorating since the first of January.

Praise and Prayer December 30, 2017

God has brought us to the end of another year and we are again amazed at His mercies, new every morning.  With His promises to guide and care for us we need not fear what is waiting for us.  Since He is already waiting for us there, there are no surprises waiting, no unknowns.

We are so thankful for the special opportunities this Christmas season to share with those around us.  The Christmas program for our English club went very well and the children did a great job with their lines and acting as they portrayed the story of the birth of Christ.  The parents and one grandparent that came were delighted and very appreciative.  Each family received a nice children’s book from the Bible bookstore in Bordeaux as well as a Scripture calendar.  The kids were already devouring the books before they left for home!  

Also, our neighbors all happily received the goodie plates and Scripture calendars that we delivered to them before Christmas. More have expressed gratitude for the calendars this year that previous years!  

Keep praying for my friend A from the Middle East.  God has given me some great opportunities to share the Gospel in more detail with him.  His family is facing some pretty complicated things regarding work and residency.  Please pray that God will use various means to bring this family to faith in Christ.

 

Praise for:

- good opportunities for community outreach this Christmas and for the good reception of Scripture calendars this year.

- visitors that have come to church, including one couple that has returned.

- the improvement in our health over these past few weeks. 

- the special opportunity to celebrate Christmas with our colleagues here in Bordeaux on December 26, and for the opportunity to join a sister church in Bordeaux for their New Year’s Eve service Sunday night.  Jonathan has been asked to lead the singing. 

- each church and individual who the Lord has led to partner with us in this ministry, and for the increases and new support that brings our support level to 91%.

Pray for

- God’s work in hearts through the English outreach and contacts with family members.

- God to work in several of our neighbors’ lives.

- our family to shine God’s light brightly in the New Year.

- complete healing for each of us after the sickness that we have been fighting.

- our Christian brothers and sisters in the CAR as they face great unrest, especially in the areas where we grew up and ministered.

- God to continue to put together our team of ministry partners and that our support level will soon be up to 100%.

Praise and Prayer November 30, 2017

Psalm 103:1,2 says “Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.”  For Thanksgiving this year we joined several other missionary families from both France and Spain at Bonnie Bixby’s for a special time enjoying good food, warm fellowship and celebrating God’s faithfulness and goodness with singing and testimonies.  We miss our family greatly on special occasions like this, but we are so grateful for the spiritual family that God has blessed us with. 

Our family has continued to fight sickness over the past several weeks, and we are finally seeing some increase in health and decrease in illness in our bodies.  We have been to the doctor multiple times in the past few weeks, and he has been working with us to find a treatment that will knock out this terrible bronchitis and sinusitis infection.  While we have lacked energy and had some miserable days, the Lord has provided us with the strength necessary to be where we needed to be and to fulfill all of our responsibilities.  We are so grateful for our prayer warriors who bring our family and this ministry faithfully before the Lord, and for the help God has provided. 

Praise for:

- God’s blessing of the multi-church Retreat November 3-5, for the strength He gave each of us for the various responsibilities as the hosting church, especially for Cherith who spent many hours each day in the kitchen!  Praise for messages both edifying and evangelistic, for the good children’s program, and for good fellowship.  There were 68 of us present, including the R family and Jessica who came all the way from northern France just for this Retreat.

- the healing that God is giving to our family after fighting sickness for the past two months.

- God’s blessing of the Reformation Exposition outreach this past weekend (November 25-26) here at our church, for the 1500 invitation flyers given out and for the 19 people that came by, including neighbors and unsaved friends. 

- a family who brought their son, one of Josiah’s friends, to the English club last week for the first time. 

Pray for

- all of those who came to the Reformation Exposition, that they will think about the things that they heard and saw, read the literature they received and open their hearts to Christ.

- God’s help with special opportunities for outreach during the Christmas season, including preparing a small program with our English club for the parents to attend.

- God to work in the hearts of several visitors that have come to our church recently and for lost souls to be saved and discipled.

- God to open up a door for us for a new building soon.

- complete healing from the acute bronchitis that our bodies have been fighting for so long. 

- new churches to join our support team, for God’s continued provision for our needs.

Praise and Prayer November 1, 2017

By God’s grace and with His help, we have made it to November!  In the weeks leading up to our trip to northern France last week for my block course at the Bible Institute in Algrange, there were many times that I wondered if I would be ready.  Many of you were praying and with God’s help we were ready for the trip and the notes, quizzes, exercises AND professor were ready for our trip!  We are thankful for God’s protection over the many miles of travelling, as Algrange is in the northeast corner of France and Bordeaux is in the southwest corner. While our family has been fighting a resistant strain of bronchitis and an intestinal flu, the Lord gave me adequate strength for my classes and helped Cherith and the children as they battled the viruses at the home where we were staying.  My students were a retired couple that got saved later in life that has just begun Bible school. Well into their 70s, I was greatly touched by their eagerness to learn all they can about the Bible so they can share it with others and serve the Lord in the time they have left on this earth!

God’s provision for our housing through the kindness of missionary friends gone to the USA for a few months of home ministry saved us from having to cover our own housing expenses.  Since none of the expenses for this trip are part of our monthly budget, we are especially grateful for this provision.  We continue to trust Him for His provision for the travel expenses and other needs as we are functioning with a substantial shortage in our committed support.

Praise for:

- God’s enabling and protection for our trip to Algrange for my class at the Bible Institute.  Praise for His provision for our housing.

- Mr. and Mrs. S., the retired couple now studying at the Bible Institute, and for their desire to serve God and study His Word.

- the time we had at the church in Reims on our trip north, and for the way God continues to build the church, six years after our departure.

- a good beginning for the English Club in October, with a new participant.

- the new signs for our church, and for the revised church website that is now online.  Praise for a woman that has already made contact with us through the website.

- the contact we have with an unsaved family from Reims who has sent their 13 year old daughter to spend a week with us in order to practice English.  Praise too for several visitors that have been to church in the past few weeks.

Pray for

- the restoration of good health, especially for Jonathan, Cherith and Josiah who continue to fight a virus that doesn’t want to give up. 

- the 23^rd annual spiritual multi-church Retreat this weekend (November 3-5) that our church is planning for the first time, including the details for the meetings, the food and the accommodations.  We really need God’s help!

- Pray for God to use the retreat to refresh and impact the lives of all in attendance. Pray for the R. family and Jessica that will be travelling down from the Paris area for the retreat.

- God’s work in the hearts of the unsaved people we are in contact with, both children and adults.

Praise and Prayer September 15, 2017

Greetings in the Lord from Saint-Medard!  We returned to France on September 1 after a packed two months of furlough/home ministry.  Thank you for your prayers for us as we traveled more than 4,000 miles and visited churches and individual supporters in eight states.  Through the generosity of dear friends, the Lord provided us with the loan of a spacious minivan for our long road-trips, which helped to make the hours on the road more pleasant.  

As we traveled, our children counted license plates from 47 out of 50 states! What a joy it was to connect with so many dear people in such a short time.

On August 26 we joined all of Cherith’s siblings and many friends and family at Grand Valley Baptist Church to celebrate God’s faithfulness to Cherith’s parents over the past 38 years of full-time missionary service.  This was the first time for all of Cherith’s immediate family to be together since our wedding in 2001, and that was before any grandkids!  

We praise the Lord for the many ways that He has used their faithful service in both Africa and Asia and we know that He will continue to use them as they continue to serve in retirement. 

Upon our return to France, we hit the ground running as we took part in the wedding reception for Pastor Christian’s son Timothée on Saturday and jumped right back into church ministries in the midst of unpacking and jet lag.  

The kids began school that Monday and since both Adrianna and Caleb are homeschooling this year, that has required many hours of Cherith’s time each day, especially as Caleb adjusts to a new system.

Praise for:

- God’s protection and blessing on this past summer of home ministry, for the loving kindness shown to us by so many loved ones, and for precious time with family and friends. Praise for God’s provision for our airline tickets and the children’s BJU Homeschool curriculums.

- each of the churches and individuals who faithfully partner with us in this ministry, and for the opportunity to present our ministry in two new churches.   Praise for those individuals who have increased their support and others who have begun to partner with us, bringing our current support level to 86%.

- the opportunity to participate in the celebration of Cherith’s parents’ retirement.

- the R family’s safe arrival and settling into their new place in the Paris area.

- a good opportunity to connect with the neighbors in our cul de sac for a little potluck lunch and afternoon of visiting, including formally meeting two of the families for the first time.

- some good progress these past couple weeks for increasing the visibility of our church (website, pens, signs). Praise for good help with the website from John G. and Kéran X.  Praise too that we were able to find a place in Bordeaux center to laminate some Scripture verse posters to use to cover wall advertisements in our church auditorium Sundays.

Pray for

- continued health and that we will know God’s enabling when our strength is small! 

- the R family to be able to find a good church near their new home and to continue to grow in Christ.

- the preparations for beginning another year of the English outreach on October 6. Pray for all of our contacts with unsaved friends.

- more churches and individuals to partner with us through prayer and financial support as God leads, and that He will continue to help us through each month.

Praise and Prayer July 7, 2017

Greetings from Tipton, IN where we are enjoying a brief visit with Cherith’s sister Hannah and her family.  We drove down from Grand Rapids yesterday, one week after our arrival from France.  God blessed our flights and has given us many opportunities over the past several days to connect with family, church family and other friends.  Thank you for your prayers for each of us during these next several weeks, that God will make this a time of refreshment and growth and that He will use our family to bless and impact others for eternity. 

It has been a special treat to be a part of the July 4^th celebration in our own country as we were able to watch fireworks with friends, attend a parade and participate in a family picnic.  We have had some concentrated time of catching up with aunts and uncles as well as cousins that have grown and changed as much as our own kids. 

Praise for:

- the safe trip that God gave us to the USA and for all of the opportunities to connect with family and church family.

- the Gadbois family’s safe arrival and willingness to serve God in France during much of our absence.

- each person who is a part of the church in Saint Medard, and for the Christys’ presence there through the summer.

- the new believers in the R family and for their spiritual growth.  Praise that they are determined to find a solid church in the Paris area where they can continue to grow.

- the opportunity to present our ministry at the church Cherith’s sister Hannah and her family are a part of, and for the possibility of a meeting in another new church.

Pray for

- our family as we will be travelling many miles over the next 6 weeks and meeting many people.  Pray that God will help each of us to be useful instruments in His hands.

- the R family whose move to Paris seems to be quite definite as Mr. R has found a new job there.  Pray that God will lead them to a good church right away and help them as they grow as disciples of Christ.

- the Lord to send another unsaved family to our church plant and we will see more souls saved in Saint Medard.

- ongoing contact this summer with Jonathan’s friend in the Middle East.

- God to open a door for our church to another building in His time.

- God’s provision of new support, both prayer and financial, so that we can continue serving the Lord in France.  Our current support level is around 82%.  Pray for provision for additional expenses this summer as we travel and purchase materials for both Adrianna and Caleb’s schooling next year.

Praise and Prayer June 13, 2017

In just two weeks from tomorrow, we will be boarding the plane to begin the three-leg journey to Grand Rapids, MI to begin two months of mini-furlough and home ministry.  We look forward to connecting with a number of our support team of churches and individuals in Grand Rapids, MI, northeast and southern PA, Keeseville, NY, VA, Winston-Salem, NC and Parkersburg, WV.  Many of you we haven’t seen in nearly six years!  We also look forward to seeing many friends and family members.  There are three main objectives for this trip: connecting with our support team, seeking increased prayer and financial support and wanting God to use us to challenge His people to answer His call to serve in His various harvest fields and particularly in France where less than 1% of the population claim to be Born Again.  If you are interested in connecting with us while we are in any of these areas, please contact us! 

Praise for:

- God’s working in the hearts of the R family and for their continued thirst for spiritual things.  A third member of the family has recently trusted Christ for salvation.

- the hearts and lives that were touched through the English club outreach this year, and for a good finish to the year with an American Picnic.

- the continued regular contacts over Skype with Jonathan’s friend from the Middle East, and for some opportunities to witness.   

- news from the displaced family that moved away in April, that they have arrived in a new location and are being provided for.

- the opportunity to preach and minister to the church in Pessac recently, and for the help God is giving to this church whose pastor was called to Heaven in February.

- the details that God is working together for our mini-furlough/home ministry, including the provision of a vehicle for the time we will be home.

- direction regarding the building we have been requesting permission to meet in, though it looks like the door is closing due to a requirement for parking places (besides public parking) that are not possible.

Church Fellowship Picnic at the Park

Pray for

- God to bring out other visitors to our services, especially for Friends’ Day on June 25. Pray that a woman who recently attended and showed much interest would return.

- God’s direction for the R family who may be moving to the Paris area, if they find jobs for both parents there.  We would be very sorry to lose them but desire to see God’s will accomplished.  Pray too that God will show those who are saved their need for baptism. 

- the salvation of lost souls we are in contact with here, as well as Jonathan’s friend and his family in the Middle East.

- God to open a door for our church to another building in His time.

- God to help us to be ready for our departure June 28 and for our ministry in the US.  Pray that God will call laborers into this harvest field and that He will increase our prayer and financial support through partnership with others who share a burden for the people of this land.

- the Gadbois family as they prepare to come to France for six weeks this summer to help in these ministries.