Praise and Prayer July 21, 2020

Roman Arena in Arles

Finally, an update long overdue!  And what better way to use the time of waiting as the oil is changed and tires balanced on our car so we can get it on the market hopefully sold in the next few days.

“Yea, though I walk through the valley…  I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.”  (Psalm 23:4). We are so grateful for God’s presence, His Word and His help as we follow His leading through this valley. In 17 days, ready or not, we will Lord willing be boarding the flight back to MI.  The whirlwind continues as we continue to progress in our preparations for this move.  

I just shared the following to our prayer group on FB:

Our heads are swirling with so many details, but the stack of boxes in the garage is growing and the house is emptying.  The emotions are everywhere, with full days and short nights, anticipation and joy for the future God has for us, and stinging pain for all that we are leaving.  God is good and He is faithful as He gives us strength and help each day.  Only 17 days until we board the plane August 6, Lord willing.  

Despite being a bit overwhelmed with all of the work to do and details to be arranged for this move, God’s grace and guidance have been abundantly clear, and for that we praise Him.  He provided a buyer for our home without a “For Sale” sign ever being posted.  Within three days of our signing with a realty agency, there were two offers on the house.  We signed the preliminary sales agreement on July 7, though the final sale won’t go through for 2 to 3 months per French law.  The final signing should be able to happen without us present.  

God has given us some precious visits with friends and church family as well as missionary colleagues. 

While it breaks our hearts to leave, we are comforted and encouraged by the expressions of love and sorrow at our departure.  We have been given several invitations to consider for future ministry and have made a survey trip here in France.  Although we do not yet know for sure where the Lord will take us next, He has given us clear direction and peace about leaving France and returning to North America.  Please pray with us that God’s will be clear to us as we follow His leading.

Praise for

• God’s help as He leads us through this valley.  
• Good contacts with unsaved neighbors and friends, including my friend in Saudi Arabia over Skype who is also going through big changes.  

• Precious visits with Christian friends and opportunities to continue to minister to these dear ones, some with great needs themselves.

• The children finishing up their school year in June as scheduled and for the help they are able to give.  Praise for good contacts and visits that they are having with unsaved friends here.

Pray for

• God’s enabling for these final short days before departure.  Pray for His will regarding our flights and arrival in MI, regarding COVID-19 possible cancellations, quarantine, etc.
• Each of us as we feel the stress of the times. Though there is acceptance, we know that each of the kids are also under new stresses.
• God’s help with all of the details for preparing this move involving our shipment, the sale of our car and house, the trip, and the details (and provision) for housing and transportation on our arrival.  Praise the Lord for Cherith’s parents opening their home to receive us on our arrival in MI!
• God’s provision for all of the special expenses due to this unexpected move. If the Lord moves you to help in a special way, please feel free to ask for more details.
• Relief and healing for Cherith’s respiratory and sinus problems that have been aggravated by the extra dust as we sort and clean in areas that have long been untouched.

Praise and Prayer May 25, 2020

James 4:13-14 says “Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” We like to add the phrase “Lord willing” when we make plans, knowing that God is working out a plan much greater and wiser than any that we can imagine.  Even as lives and economies around the world have been  disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic these past few months, our family is facing other life changes reminding us that God is working out His own purposes in our lives and that He is ultimately responsible for us.  

Just one month ago we were thinking, just as we had thought ever since we moved here in 2012, that we would be living and ministering here in Saint-Médard for many years to come.  However, the Lord has shown us that our time in this ministry is over and that He is moving us on.  When God clearly closed the door for us to return to Africa after 11 years there, He clearly led us to France, first to help for four years with the final stages of the church plant in Reims, then to team up with the Christys to plant a church here on the west side of Bordeaux in a town we had never heard of.  All along the way, we have been able to see God’s faithful hand helping and guiding and say with Samuel “Hitherto hath the Lord helped us.”  Now, as we face an even greater upheaval as a family, as we are uprooted from our ministry, our church family and our home, we are confident that our God, who has led us up to now, remains faithful. He is our Comforter, our Provider, our Help and our Healer.  He had already taught us that the ministry is His and our lives are His to use and move as He pleases.  We knew in our hearts that we would be here just as long as He wanted us here and that we needed to guard against thoughts of our own indispensability in His work.  

After much prayer and hours of discussions, the Lord has led us to make the most difficult and painful decision we have ever had to make.  We have come to agree with our teammates’ desire for our team to separate and for us to leave the continuing of this ministry to them. Together, we realised that philosophical differences along with conflicting interpretations of team ministry make it impossible for us to continue as a team and limit the freedom in ministry that each of us desire.  

So once again we are facing an unknown future as we turn over our ministries, begin to sift through the contents of our house and prepare to put our house on the market.  We are so thankful for the knowledge that the Lord is our Guide, that He is in control and that He is working out His purposes for His glory and for our good.  Our plans at this point are to return to the USA in August, Lord willing, for a year where we will continue to wait on the Lord for future direction and healing. Please pray for His clear direction regarding the next step, especially regarding future ministry for 2021.  Our hearts desire is to know His will and to do it.  We know that this and the COVID-19 pandemic will have an effect on some of the plans that we have already made for meetings.

Praise for

• God’s guidance and sustenance as we navigate a difficult time in our lives and ministry. Praise for the peace that God gives as we cling to His promises.
• God’s help for Jonathan as he distance-taught his class to the four first year students at the Bible Institute (World of the Bible: O.T.), especially with the extra challenges of sharing quizzes and tests.  Praise for the good spirit among the students during Jonathan’s class and for the class being enriched by the fact that all four students had been to Israel!
• God’s healing of friends recovering from COVID-19 and for His protection of our family.
• for the end of the home school year approaching for our three children (5th, 8th and 11th grade) and for Cherith.  They will be finished, Lord willing, by June 12, with Adrianna finishing a dual credit module with BJU by June 26.
• God’s Word that nourishes, heals, encourages and refreshes. Praise for the encouragement and prayers of our pastor back home, and of friends and family.

Pray for

• clear direction from the Lord for our future ministry, especially regarding where He wants us in 2021.  Pray that He will show us if He wants us to remain in Europe or if He wants us elsewhere.  Pray too for His guidance regarding our previously scheduled meetings.
• God to help us with sorting and packing, maintenance projects on the house, and wisdom to know what to keep and what to get rid of.  Pray that the Lord will provide a buyer for our house.
• God’s provision for our transportation and housing needs for our time in the USA.

Prayer and Praise Update April 4, 2020

Greetings in our Lord, fellow quarantiners!  While the world seems almost at a standstill with COVID-19, singing birds and blooming flowers remind us of a Heavenly Father continuing to hold this broken world in His powerful hands as He reaches out again to those lost in sin.  Our hearts are heavy for those who are entering eternity every day because of this virus, who are unprepared to meet God.

We are grateful for God’s blessings and care as we go through this unusual time.  Now into our third week of complete lockdown in France, we are grateful for the goodness and mercies of our Lord.  With all activities outside the home cancelled, we do have more time with our children, though much of it is taken up with school.  We can still enjoy a lovely yard and the beautiful Spring weather.  Our family continues to be protected from the virus, with me going out alone about once a week for groceries.

Our church family is connecting through social media as most of them have either WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger.  We are grateful for the  edification, the fellowship and gathering together that is made possible through technology.  Today is the 90th Birthday of Mrs. T. who is off social media but able to be reached by telephone.  We thank the Lord for His care for this dear servant now even more isolated than before.

Next week, I am to teach a course to the first year students at the Bible Institute in Algrange.  I had to cancel my travel arrangements (train and air)  and have been working these past couple weeks to adapt the material to distance teaching/learning and get set up with an online classroom.  

Praise for

• God’s protection of our family and church family’s health thus far. Praise for healing for our teammates and for God’s help for several other friends in ministry that have been suffering with COVID-19.
• The technology available to us that has enabled us to continue to connect with and nurture our folks here. This has also made it possible for us to connect with family and friends in the US and should, Lord willing, make it possible for me to teach my class next week. It is also making it possible for Adrianna to continue violin lessons with her teacher via Skype.
• God’s help for Mrs. T. who is 90 today, and for His helping our other members too during this difficult time. 

Pray for

• Jonathan as he teaches his class to the Bible Institute students this week from a distance (with all the challenges that involves!).  His class is on the World of the Bible (Geography, History and Culture). Pray that we will receive a refund for the airline ticket that was cancelled.
• God’s continued protection for our family and church family, and for continued healing for those suffering with COVID-19.  At least one person in our neighborhood has been diagnosed with it.  
• for the Central African Republic with 8 confirmed cases of COVID-19, where this pandemic could cause great devastation on many levels, if it spreads.
• God’s provision for our transportation and housing needs during our 6 months in the USA, providing our trip does not get postponed due to this virus.

Praise and Prayer update (COVID-19)

President Macron addresses the nation

As our world faces the world-wide pandemic of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) we are seeing people respond in so many different ways.  And though this virus has brought with it so much death and loss we know that God is sovereign and working out a greater plan that is for good for those “who love God” who are “called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).   Besides causing people to contemplate death and the necessity to prepare for that event (which, apart from the rapture, is coming to everyone), the faith of true Christians is being tried and tested like never before (and according to Peter, that is “much more precious than gold that perisheth”, I Peter 1.7).  And one of the greatest privileges we have as Christians is to meet together “at the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb.4.16).  So while government, safety and medical restrictions may keep us apart physically for a time, there is nothing that can hinder our meeting at the throne of grace.  Perhaps the Church (both local bodies and the universal Church) will be drawn even closer to its Head as well as to its other members.  

The pasta aisle in our supermarket

Thank you for your prayers for us here in Bordeaux, France. We want to give you an update as to how we have been affected.  As the numbers of confirmed cases has risen over the past week, our ability to circulate has quickly come to a halt.  As many ignored safety measures that the government had urged before the weekend, on Monday President Macron gave the directives that France is now on national lock-down. Only movement for work, health or necessary food is allowed and must be accompanied with an official declaration on a form provided by the government.  Even doctors’ appointments that are not urgent have been cancelled.

We have been able to keep connected with our folks through the technology that God has given us.  On Monday I was able to get a prescription filled for E., our oldest member who is 92.  Our church has a WhatsApp group that has become more active as members share Scriptures with promises and encouragement as well as prayer requests and news.  Skype permitted my regular “meeting” with my friend in the Middle East this week and God gave me a couple opportunities to witness to him.  

Our teammates self-quarantined with low fevers (though unable to be tested) since their return from Israel March 10.  They continue to recover, as do others of our missionary colleagues that have tested positive for this virus.  We are still as we were.  Due to her serious respiratory problems, we are trusting God to protect Cherith (and thus our family) from this virus.  She will face some greater difficulty breathing as her weekly respiratory therapy session is one of the things that has been cancelled.  Though it never resolved her issues, it did bring some relief.  Since our children are homeschooled, Cherith is able to keep up with their schooling which means that their days are not much changed.  Of course Adrianna’s violin lessons and groups with the music school are cancelled and none of the kids have their sports.  The music theory teacher is trying to figure out a way to have class at a distance.

Praise for

• God’s Word and promises, for bringing good from what looks very bad and for the privilege we have to come boldly before the throne of grace to find mercy and grace to help in our need.
• God’s protection thus far of our family, for the wisdom He is giving government leaders and for all who are cooperating to stop the virus from spreading.
• the technology available to us to keep contact and minister though we are unable to meet physically.  

Pray for

• God to accomplish His purposes through this global pandemic, both in the lives of believers and in the lives of the unsaved.
• Complete healing for our teammates and other BMM colleagues who are suffering.
• God’s protection for our family and our members, including elderly and those with respiratory issues.
• Wisdom and creativity in ministering to those around us as well as for Cherith and the kids with their heavy schedule.
• God’s provision for our transportation and housing needs during our 6 months in the USA, providing our trip does not get postponed due to this virus.

Praise and Prayer February 29, 2020

As our world faces storms of various kinds, we thank God for the assurance of His presence and help for each person who puts their faith in Him.  I love the words of the hymn “Day by Day” written in Swedish by Caroline Sandell, the “Fanny Crosby of Sweden”.  The second verse reminds of some promises God has made to us that we must remember and believe. And Caroline knew the truth of these words as she had witnessed the tragic death of her own beloved father.

Every day the Lord Himself is near me,

With a special mercy for each hour;

All my cares He fain would bear and cheer me,

He whose name is Counsellor and Pow’r.

The protection of His child and treasure

Is a charge that on Himself He laid;

“As thy days, thy strength shall be in measure,”

This the pledge to me He made.

Thank you for your prayers for our family and for the ministry here in Saint-Médard-en-Jalles.  Through particularly challenging times, God continues to provide strength and blessing.  Our numbers at church fluctuate from week to week, but we are grateful to see evidence of God working in hearts.  S continues to grow spiritually as she faithfully attends Sunday services and continues regular Bible studies with Cherith. Her 12 year old daughter also shows spiritual growth as she listens attentively to the Sunday sermons and actively participates in Sunday school and English club.  L, who has been searching and attending services fairly regularly for over a year has recently found assurance of her salvation, though still struggles in many areas.  An elderly lady with a strong Catholic background has visited our church a few times with a friend.  She has asked some good questions and is obviously thinking. 

Praise for

• God’s presence and help as we navigate the storms of life.
• the completion of the mailbox campaign  outreach in the neighbouring town of Le Haillan. Praise for a visitor from another neighboring town responding to an invitation in his mailbox!

• L’s salvation and for other individuals making spiritual progress.  Praise for Mrs. T and her joy in the Lord though her physical strength is so limited and she isn’t able to attend services.

• small improvement for Cherith’s respiratory system after 6 weeks of special treatments.  
• completing our meeting itinerary for the 6 months we will be in the US for home ministry/furlough (August - January).  Lord willing, on this trip we will be able to visit each of the churches that are partnering with us.
• the Dunlop family that will be coming to help for a month during our absence.

Pray for

• God’s grace for us with a heavy load of church ministries this weekend filling in for our teammates who are away.  Pray for grace and strength for each day and challenge.
• a door to open for our church to be able to move to a more permanent and practical building.
• continued healing for Cherith’s respiratory system.
• a young man, Y, from our sister church in Pessac who was baptized this month. Pray that God will continue to work in his life.

• God’s provision for our transportation and housing needs during our 6 months in the USA. 

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!  As we embark on a new year, it is a real comfort to know that no matter what is going on in our world globally, nationally or personally, we can be sure of at least one thing: God “crowns the year with [His] goodness” (Psalm 65:11).  And His goodness is so evident as we look at the past, present and future.

The holidays again provided us with opportunities to share homemade goody bags and Scripture calendars with those around us.  One of the couples with whom we have had the least contact invited us into their home for a brief visit and willingly received our gifts.

God gave us refreshment over the Christmas season through the cards, letters and skype calls from distant family and friends as well as through the loving gifts we received.  Our friends and missionary colleagues, Don and LeAnne Waite with their daughter Vivian came from Slovakia to spend 12 days with us for a delayed Christmas break in January.  

While most of us came down with a nasty flu during their visit, God used their time with us to refresh us in many ways.  The boys enjoyed immensely the opportunity to set up shop and do woodworking with “Uncle” Don, a skilled craftsman.  

Since LeAnne’s sister is married to Jonathan’s brother David, our kids also enjoyed their time with their “cousin”.  Our church benefitted from their visit as Don challenged us from Psalm 119 and they both shared their testimonies with us and presented their ministry.

We continue to work on our itinerary for a 6-month furlough/home ministry trip beginning early in August this year.  Our desire is to connect with as many of our support team as possible during that time so we anticipate much travel.  Having three kids homeschooling will add a challenge so we know we will need God’s special help.  We appreciate prayer for our preparations for this ministry and that the Lord will guide and provide concerning a means of transportation and housing near Grand Rapids, MI for November, December and January.

Praise for

• God’s faithfulness in crowning each year with His goodness.
• the blessings God gave our family over the holidays and for special opportunities to share with others. 
• the visit of the Waite family and for a refreshing time despite so much sickness. 
• A good finish to the first half of the year of English club with a special program for the parents that could join us.

• the healing of Caleb’s broken arm and that he has been able to return to sports activities this month.
• Adrianna’s good progress on the violin and for opportunities she has had to play in our services and in music school concerts.

Pray for

• God to open hearts to His Word, and bring conviction and salvation to the unsaved and that He would give growth to the believers. Pray for those in attendance who need to make decisions for Christ.
• Pray for wisdom and vision as we study and prepare and that we will be relevant in the way that we present God's Word.
• a door to open for our church to be able to move to a more permanent and practical building.

• God to bring healing and relief to Cherith who is undergoing treatments for acute sinusitis.
• God’s help as we plan for our furlough/home ministry later this year.  Pray for His provision of a vehicle for all of the traveling we will be doing in the 6 months we are home, and also for His provision of housing.

Merry Christmas!

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…” The bustling world around us seems to know so little of the Gift God gave so long ago that brings eternal life to all who believe.  How vital it is for us to keep Christ at the center of our own celebrations and to seek opportunities to share with others the Good News of the Savior’s birth.

On November 24, our family had the unique privilege of participating in a Central African gathering here in Bordeaux.  The group meets several times a year to pray for the CAR and to sing and study the Bible together in Sango.  

Ironically, it was while Caleb and I were in Bangui that one of the couples leading the group came to our church in Saint-Médard to invite me to preach at this service.  We were amazed by the large group of Central Africans that had gathered and I was thrilled with the opportunity to preach to them in Sango.  

Cherith was also delighted to use her Sango.  She saw S (with Cherith below) at the meeting, a lady she had just “happened” to meet in the hospital waiting room the preceding Friday as Caleb was having his cast removed.  Cherith had overheard her talking on the phone in Sango there in the waiting room.  When Cherith greeted her in her own tongue, her eyes got wide and she exclaimed to her son “This lady is one of us!”  They talked about many things including the meeting that Sunday.  

Our family will be travelling to Anglet (near the Spanish border) this Sunday where I will be preaching in the morning service and our family will take part in the Christmas Concert outreach in the afternoon before driving home that evening.  The Cheloudtchenkos (BMM colleagues) and the church there invited our family to help with this musical outreach.  With Cherith at the piano, Jonathan will be leading the choir which includes our children.  Adrianna will be part of a violin trio and also accompany a violin duet on the piano.  Additionally, we will also be singing an English Christmas carol medley and Cherith and I will have a piano duet.  We have been practicing here at home and have been able to join the Anglet church for two practices (November 10 and December 5).

Praise for

• good attendance of our special Christmas breakfast and service last Sunday (25), and for the work God is doing in hearts. Praise for the children attending the English club and for their good attention to the Bible lessons. 

• our Thanksgiving celebration as we hosted a gathering of 26 people, mostly missionaries from this area and as far away as an hour beyond the Spanish border.

• the good week that Adrianna and Caleb had at the MTR (Missionary Teen Retreat) in Spain last week, for the good fellowship with Christian teens (a rarity for our children) and for the spiritually challenging sessions.

• the good healing of Caleb’s arm after being in a cast for over 9 weeks.

• for the opportunity to share in a children’s church group in Connecticut over Skype !

Pray for

• God’s blessing on the Christmas outreaches, and for people to respond to the Gospel, both here in Saint-Médard and in Anglet.

• the ongoing Bible studies Cherith is having with S, and for the weekly contact Jonathan has with his Muslim friend.
• L’s salvation and for her adult daughter to begin to attend church with her.
• God’s provision of a larger building for our church, and for sufficient funds to be able to rent it.
• Cherith to get relief from the respiratory issues she suffers from.  She will be seeing another specialist Monday.
• the many details concerning our planned furlough/home ministry next year.  Pray that God will provide someone to replace us and for His help in the scheduling of meetings.