Praise and Prayer August 16, 2019

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. (Psalm 136:1) How thankful we are for God’s goodness to us, for His blessings and answers to prayer.  Thank you for your prayers for us over these busy summer months.  We have been blessed by all of the special visitors He has sent us this summer while our teammates are away.  They have been a help to us and a blessing to our church through ministry and fellowship.  God has also seen us through some of the hottest days we have ever faced, including our years in the heart of Africa! As the ground and parched grass are refreshed by the long awaited rain showers, so our hearts are refreshed by God’s Word and the fellowship with His people.

Besides the visitors we have had from the USA, we recently enjoyed a two-week visit from the R family from Paris who chose to spend their vacation in Saint-Médard. 

This family continues to grow in size as God blessed them with a new baby the end of June. But even more encouraging is the spiritual growth that we see, particularly in both parents’ lives evidenced by their love for the Lord and His Words and their desire to serve Him. Knowing how much the ministry weighed on me (Jonathan), he had offered several months ago to help out by leading the worship service for one of the Sundays that they were here.  He had begun to share in this ministry in their church in Paris over the past year and was eager to serve.  Seeing God use him in this way was a great blessing to us and to our people.  Before the R family returned to Paris, they invited the church family to their home (the Christys’) for a fellowship dinner.

Praise for

• the R family’s recent visit and for what God has done in the parents’ lives.  Praise for the new baby’s safe arrival and for spiritual growth and a desire to serve God.

• the work God is doing in the lives of S’s two children who attended VBS in June, and for their recent church attendance.
• the good Bible studies Cherith had with S, for her spiritual growth and desire to follow the Lord in biblical baptism.
• God’s helping Jonathan in preparing and preaching this summer, as well as in his preparation for the two modules he’ll be teaching in the CAR in October.
• all the help and blessing we have received from the visitors God has sent us this month, including the Gadbois family, Vienna Benedict and Cherith’s sister Hannah and her children.

• the great progress and near completion of the mailbox campaign of our neighbouring town of LeHaillan with all of the help from our visitors this summer.

• a couple that visited our services recently in direct response to a flyer in their mailbox this summer as well as for other visitors. Attendance has been above 20 for all but 2 Sundays!

Pray for

• God to continue to bless the R family as they seek to help their children understand His love and their need to yield to Him.
• God’s help as we study and teach and preach each week, and that we would be effective instruments in His hands.
• God’s direction for P, and that if it is His will, He would provide him with permanent work here in Saint-Médard after his internship is finished and that he will be able to continue to grow and serve the Lord here.
• Cherith and all three of our kids as they begin the new school year (homeschooling) on Monday, as this is Josiah’s first year and our first year to have three at home.  
• preparations and provision for Jonathan and Caleb’s trip to CAR in October for a two week module at the FIBAT seminary in Bangui.

Praise and Prayer July 1, 2019

The month of June is now history and July is upon us.  We are thankful for your prayers and for the help and strength that our Jehovah Jireh has provided through a very full month. We have been studying through the names of God in our Wednesday evening Bible studies and   are grateful for all that God has revealed to us about Himself through His names in Scripture.

One of the ways God is helping us is through those He has and is sending to partner with us in person this year.  Our last post stated that the Gadbois family was here to help out for 6 weeks, but they are actually here for two full months. They have been a great blessing and we will be sorry to lose them when they leave July 18. Among other computer related issues, John has helped us to learn the ropes and begin recording our Sunday sermons and get them posted on our church website.  He has also lightened my load through help with the preaching and teaching, as well as leading the worship service.  Having their children around has been a delight.

Praise for

• the expansion of our church website ministry through the help of John Gadbois to include Sunday sermons. 
• God’s help in preparing for VBS and for sending two of our Aunts at just the perfect time to be able to help us with preparing props and decorations (along with showering our family with love for a few days!)

• the wonderful ministry of Duane and Vienna Benedict during our week of VBS, for several unsaved kids that attended, including three that we had never seen before. Praise for extra help from the Gadbois family and from John’s cousin Julie and her husband Lee who were visiting and pitched in to help on two of the days.

• the help and sweet encouragement that Vienna is to us and to our kids as she serves with us this month.

• a special addition to our worship services as Adrianna has begun to accompany the singing on the violin.

• souls that are searching for spiritual truth that God is bringing to study His Word with us, including a retired man who was born in the same country as Jonathan (Congo, DRC).  

• good progress with our mailbox campaign in the neighboring town of Le Haillan with all of the help this summer.

Pray for

• God to continue to work in the hearts of the kids who came to VBS, and that He will open more doors for ministering to them.

• God’s enabling for various ministries this summer, both for us and for our visitors. Pray for sufficient health and strength for the tasks He gives us.
• Jonathan as he studies and preaches on the Knowledge of God this summer.
• Cherith as she continues one-on-one Bible studies with S who is eager to learn but married to a man who wants nothing to do with God.

• Cherith’s sister Hannah who will be bringing three of her children toward the end of July, to see the ministry and get involved as God allows. 
• preparations and provision for Jonathan and Caleb’s trip to CAR in October for a two week module at the FIBAT seminary in Bangui. Pray for Jonathan to have wisdom and somehow find the time to prepare for these classes, including the notes for the students in French.

Praise and Prayer Update May 30, 2019

We cannot repeat it enough: Thank you so much for your prayers for us and for this ministry.  We are grateful for God’s help and for His answers to prayer for the work here in Saint-Médard.  Not a day passes by in which we are not given or shown a reminder of why God has called us to serve Him here.  From society in general turning away from God and righteousness to various events occurring around the world, we are continually reminded that Jesus is coming again and it could be very soon.  May He help us to redeem the time that He gives us for Him.

The Gadbois family arrived in Saint-Médard last week, a day prior to the Christys’ departure for furlough/home ministry.  We are so thankful for their willingness to come and help out for 6 weeks.  Today they helped with distributing flyers in Le Haillan, one of the neighboring towns.  They will also be helping in many other ways, including Sunday ministries and website and other technical issues while they are here.  

Praise for

• a good end-of-year American picnic for the English Kids’ club families despite rainy weather, and for good contacts. 
• the arrival of the Gadbois family and for their help in the work here. 
• several new visitors that have been in church this month and for the spiritual hunger we are seeing in several people!

• A conference on God’s plan for the family that was recently held at a sister church in Pessac (another suburb of Bordeaux) and for good attendance and excellent teaching on such a crucial subject in our world today.
• the arrival of two Bible College students from the US to do month-long internships in missions here in France (Focus on France with BMM).

• the recent visit of Jonathan’s cousin Pam and her daughter Alyssa, and for the encouragement and blessing it was to our whole family.

• God’s faithful help and blessing over the 18 years since we were married on May 26, 2001.

Pray for

• wisdom and enabling to accomplish everything the Lord wants us to in the next few months. Pray for the Gadbois family as they serve our church and community, and pray for the Christys as they travel to visit and report to their support team back home.
• God’s working in the hearts of our people and that He would reveal Himself to those who are yet unsaved. Pray for Cherith as she has begun weekly one-on-one Bible studies with S, and for S, that she will continue to grow in her faith and knowledge of the Lord. 
• Olivia and Bryn (missions interns) as they travel and serve in various ministries around France.  Pray for Vienna and Duane as they prepare to come June 15 to help us with a VBS children’s club June 17-20.
• God to lead us as we give out invitations for the VBS, and that God will move hearts to respond favorably.  This type of club is extremely foreign to the mindset here.

• a larger building for us to meet in, and for wisdom while we are waiting, in setting up the meeting room to make more seats available.

• preparations and provision for Jonathan and Caleb’s trip to CAR in October for a two week module at the FIBAT seminary in Bangui.

Praise and Prayer

Thank you very much for your prayers for us this past month.  It has been a very full month and we depend on you, our faithful partners in this work. We had asked for prayer for the Easter outreach with two showings of the “JESUS” film.  With all of the flyers that were distributed and posters placed around our town and three neighboring towns, we were praying expectantly for God to fill the seats with people in whose hearts He was at work. We did have people from our church attend, including several that are unsaved, but we were saddened by the lack of interest from so many in a community in desperate need of hearing the Good News.

That same weekend the Lord gave our church some unexpected encouragement with the arrival of P., a young man who just moved to the area for an internship related to his schooling.  While his church involvement the past few years has been minimal, he was raised in a Christian home and was eager to get involved once again in a sound church. He has been coming each week since his arrival, eagerly drinking in Bible studies and fellowship, and quick to help out in any way he can.  His arrival also coincides with the departure of N. who has been faithfully attending this past year and a half, as he moved this last week to Paris to begin a training program for a new job.  He had been planning to be baptized on May 5 along with our son Caleb before he received the summons to make the move to Paris. We were sorry that he was not able to go through with his baptism before leaving.

Praise for

• the few that did attend the JESUS film, including several unsaved, and for the work God is doing in hearts.
• the good turnout (including several visitors) for our Easter breakfast and special service.  

• the arrival of P and his hunger for spiritual matters. Praise for other new visitors as well as those who have been attending regularly, some unsaved.
• the final club and closing program for our English outreach club this year.  Praise that the children did a great job with their memory work and songs and that we saw three parents in attendance for the very first time.

• a good annual Bible conference and team business meetings in Freiburg, Germany.  Praise for spiritual refreshment through Pastor Bob Cowman’s ministry, for a great children’s ministry by Pastor Bob’s team and for the blessing of being with our team France and our team Germany for several days. 

Team France and Team Germany

Team France

• our son Caleb following the Lord in believer’s baptism. Praise that Jonathan was able to baptize him on May 5, in a special service held in a borrowed church building with 39 people in attendance (including several from sister churches).

Pray for

• our teammates, the Christys, as they prepare to leave for three plus months of furlough/home ministry, and for us as we continue with a heavier load without them here.
• the Gadbois family who arrives May 22 as they come to help in various aspects of the ministry here for six weeks.
• those coming to France on missions trips this summer, and for the various ministries they will be involved in, including a VBS with children in our area.
• God to provide our church with a new building with sufficient facilities and space.
• healing for Cherith as she continues to suffer with sometimes painful congestion and respiratory issues as the specialists continue to seek a solution.
• God’s direction and provision for Jonathan and Caleb’s trip to CAR in October, where Jonathan has been asked to teach a two week module at the FIBAT seminary in Bangui.

Praise and Prayer March 27, 2019

In less than two weeks we will, Lord willing, be projecting the Jesus film in two different showings at our church.  We have put up posters in ten locations around Saint Medard where there are announcement boards for the use of local organizations.  Our manpower and time is extremely limited, but several of us are working to distribute invitation flyers in a mailbox campaign in parts of Saint Medard and a neighboring town.  Several of our church folks have taken flyers home to distribute in their neighorhoods.  One of these is L., a woman who began attending our Sunday morning Bible studies after coming to our Christmas outreach.  She seems to be growing in understanding and is eager to share these invitations with those in her apartment building.  

Praise for

• the opportunity to distribute flyers and put up posters for the Jesus film around Saint Medard. Praise the Lord for a recent phone call from someone wanting to reserve 17 seats for the showing of the Jesus film !
• a number of visitors recently on Sunday morning, for L who has been coming regularly to Bible study, and for S who has now come twice.
• a good ladies’ Bible study in early March.
• The children attending the English club outreach and for their keen interest in learning about the Savior.
• God’s protecting our current meeting place, though we learned last week that at least one other renter in the building (a M-lem) is not happy with our showing the Jesus film there.

Pray for

BMM Team France at our Annual Conference in 2018

• our Easter outreach, showing the Jesus film April 6,7.  Pray for God to fill the room both days and prepare the hearts of those who attend.  Also pray that God will keep our doors open and that we will have sufficient space for all.
• God to lead us to a new building with plenty of space for welcoming visitors on Sunday, having our children’s ministry and hosting outreaches without such a limit on our space.  A potential building we looked into recently, though it seemed to be ideal for our church in many ways, was denied to us by the owner.
• our annual team and Bible conference scheduled for April 22-26. The BMM Germany team will be hosting the conference this year in Freiburg, Germany. Pray for our team as we continue to work through documents to facilitate ministry.
• those who are preparing to come to France this summer on missions trips.
• healing for Cherith as she continues to battle congestion issues and seek relief.

Praise and Prayer February 2019

Spring has sprung in Saint-Médard.  Daffodils, hyacinth, Japanese quince, camellias and yellow Mimosa are blooming, reminding us of the wisdom and love of our Creator, both of which have not changed over the past few months as these same plants lay dormant through the cold of winter.  Our church family is memorising Romans 8:28-39.  God, in His great love and wisdom, is working for our good through circumstances we cannot understand, and nothing we face in this life can ever separate us from this love.

The building search continues for our church.  Despite our lack of space, God has blessed the work here with progress in several areas. Work on church documents goes forward and our church has legal recognition as a local incorporated entity as of the beginning of February.  Along with other legal protection, this status will also allow us to announce outreaches on outdoor announcement boards around town.  We are thrilled with this prospect as we gear up for our Easter  outreach with two showings of the “Jesus” film.  Along with the flyers we are able to get to mailboxes, there are 50 posters ordered that we will be able to post around town.

Praise for

• the beauty of God’s Creation!
• the progress in organizing as a church, including the forming of a legally incorporated entity opening up the opportunity for us to post announcements for evangelistic outreaches.
• a good annual meeting for our church, for the spirit of love and unity. Praise for the visitors we have had recently, some first time, others returning.
• the completion of the first mailbox campaign in Saint-Aubain-de-Médoc, a neighboring town north of Saint-Médard.
• some good opportunities that Jonathan has had to share the Gospel with his friend A in the Middle East over Skype.
• God’s healing for Caleb after a recent bout with a harsh stomach flu, and for God’s keeping the rest of us from coming down with it.

Pray for

• continued wisdom and guidance for the work on church documents and organizing with membership. Pray too for us as we work with our BMM France team in preparing by-laws to facilitate ministry and help us with legal issues.
• God’s work in the hearts of our people, visitors, children in the English club, friend A in the Middle East, others. 
• the mailbox campaign distributing church flyers to two neighbouring towns to the east of us, Le Taillan and Le Haillan.
• God’s provision of a new building for our church to meet in.
• Cherith to be able to get medical help that will provide needed relief for her respiratory issues.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!  We are so thankful that we can confidently say with Samuel of old “Ebenezer! Hitherto hath the Lord helped us!” (I Samuel 7:12) Just as God has so faithfully in the past, He still goes before us into the New Year and promises His help and His presence.  

The Lord greatly blessed our trip to Slovakia over the Christmas break. The purpose of this trip was two-fold, that God would make us a blessing to our missionary friends and to the Slovak church and that He would refresh and renew us by the fellowship and experiences He prepared for us in this time away.  Over the two Sundays that we were there and on New Year’s Eve, I had the opportunity to teach through a workshop on “Worship and the Christian”.  Kristian translated for three of the sessions and the final session was in English with the young people. 

Our children participated in a Christmas concert on Christmas morning.  

Our friends Don, LeAnne and Vivian Waite graciously hosted us and took us around their area to see and experience the beauty and the history of this beautiful country. 

Our hearts break with theirs over the spiritual needs in Slovakia, and for the lack of missionaries (they serve alone in Slovakia with BMM, in one of only a handful of works in the entire country).  The fellowship was precious with this family with whom we have been connected through ministry for more than 40 years. LeAnne’s parents served as missionaries in the CAR from our childhood through our adult ministry there.

LeAnne's parents were "dorm parents" one year at the boarding school where Jonathan  (front, center) and his brothers were sent for school in Kaga Bandoro, CAR.

Praise for

• a profitable trip to Slovakia and for the opportunity to teach and challenge the believers regarding real-life worship and honoring God in our choices.
• the refreshing time our family had with the Waites and for God’s protection and provision for our return home when a snowstorm in the mountains and treacherous road conditions caused us to miss our scheduled flights.  

• improved attention and behaviour for the children (especially the boys!) coming to the English club and for their good attention to the Bible lessons on the 10 Commandments.  

• Caleb beginning a three year allergen-specific immunotherapy (desensitization) treatment this month to help him build immunity for his severe dust mite allergy.  Praise too that our French insurance has accepted to cover the full cost of this costly treatment.
• the good health that God has given us with the full schedule we have had, aside from the asthma issues that Cherith and Caleb have. 

Pray for

• the Waite family serving God in Slovakia and for the people to whom they are ministering and those they are reaching for Christ. Pray for fruit and lasting effect of the seminar we taught there. 
• visitors that have been to church or to the film outreach to return.  Pray that there would be a few that would participate in a Christianity Explored Bible study. PRAY for God to open the door for a new building with more space.
• Caleb’s treatment to be effective and pray for the Lord to give Cherith improvement in her congestion and coughing.
• Pray for safety and provision for Christians in the Central African Republic (CAR) and for stability to return. There is much turmoil again this week in the area where we formerly worked (Bambari).