Praise and Prayer March 28, 2013

Happy Resurrection Day!  “Jesus Christ is risen… and He liveth for evermore!” These words are spoken near the end of the Easter Cantata (“The Centurion”) that will be presented three times this weekend, once in each of the three sister churches that have a part in this joint ministry.  The Centurion himself makes this declaration when he has finally accepted this truth and received the forgiveness of sins, including participating in Christ’s crucifixion.  Last Sunday was the dress and final rehearsal.  We would appreciate your special prayer for this special Easter outreach that the Lord will enable and give His blessing.  We need healthy (and present) choristers and actors, and are depending on the Lord for the ability to sing and recite lines clearly and for God’s glory.  Many have been invited and we are praying for filled auditoriums. 

We have had further evangelistic Bible studies with T. and N. and are asking the Lord to open their hearts to the truth of the Gospel.  Though N. is Mormon, she has shown willingness and even interest in participating in the Bible study. 

Our friends from Reims arrived on Monday and are in the process of settling in while continuing their search for work.  L.’s parents are visiting from Asia and have been a huge help during this transition.  Cherith picked up a bag of groceries for them and prepared a welcome meal for their arrival, which I took when I went to help unload the truck when they arrived.  Last evening we had a special visit when the family came for supper.  Although the grandparents don’t speak a word of French, we were able to have placemats on the table with Bible verses in their language that Cherith’s sister had sent to us several months ago.

Praise for:

- the safe return of Pastor Christian and for the opportunities that he had to share with his unsaved family members in Guadeloupe.  Praise for the Lord’s help in the various ministries here at the church in his absence.

- the good attendance and participation in the ladies Bible study on March 19.

- the Lord’s protection of our teammate, Ed Christy, who was hospitalized for several days this month with some worrisome symptoms.  A heart cath revealed a nearly blocked coronary artery and a stent was placed. 

- the evangelistic opportunities the Lord has given us recently and for all that have received invitations to the Easter Cantata.

- the safe trip that our friends had in moving from Reims, though they encountered potentially serious risks when the engine of their rental truck caught fire about 30 minutes from Reims.  We marvel at the way the Lord protected and sent help through Pastor Emmanuel and other brothers in the Reims church.

Pray for:

- the 3 back-to-back presentations of the Easter Cantata this weekend, for strength and stamina and ability, that the message would be clear through the music and the drama.  The program which lasts for nearly 2 hours, is demanding and we need to stay strong through the final performance!  Pray that many will respond to the invitations and that hearts will be touched through the message.

- T. and N. and others attending services that need the Lord.

- the Lord to lead and provide jobs for our friends from Reims in the very near future.  Pray for the salvation of L.’s parents.

- us as we prepare to begin an evangelistic Bible study in our home.

- the Lord to help us to find a house to purchase exactly where He wants us to live and minister from.

- the Central African Republic that is facing yet another Coup d’Etat as the capital has now fallen into the hands of the rebels and the president has fled the country.  There has been a lot of looting over the past few days as law-enforcement has been minimal.  Pray for peace and stability to return, and for God’s solutions for the future of the government of the country.

Praise and Prayer March 13, 2013

Yesterday would have been my father’s 75^th Birthday had the Lord not called him Home nearly five years ago.  I miss him dearly but am so thankful for his teaching and example to follow the Lord and serve Him faithfully.  How thankful I am for God’s promises and for the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Because He lives, we shall live also!

Spring is coming to Bordeaux, evidenced by bushes and trees beginning to burst into bloom.  This is a welcome sight, but even more welcome, are the answers to prayer that we are seeing in the work here.  Thank you so much for your prayers for us and for this work that God has called us to.  You prayed for children in our Sunday school, and we have seen three families bring their children during the past few weeks.  They haven’t been there every week, but some of them have come back.  On one particular Sunday, the Lord showed His sovereignty in very special ways.  Cherith was home sick that Sunday and I took Adrianna and Caleb with me to church.  There we discovered the senior pastor had fallen sick as well and was unable to make it to church.  I would need to preach.  This would have created a problem for Junior Church, except that the Lord had the other teacher already prepared to teach through a scheduling “error” the week before.  It was wonderful to be able to have three extra children present in church that day, and to see the children’s classes cared for. 

A big prayer request regarding beginning a new work in the Merignac area has been for the Lord to provide some mature couples and singles to form a core group for this work.  This month we have learned of one of the ways God is answering this request.  When we learned that a young couple from the church where we worked in Reims is moving to Bordeaux at the end of this month for career opportunities, we asked them to pray about joining us in this new work.  They prayed and responded with interest and last night we learned that the Lord is providing them with housing on our side of Bordeaux.  We were present at their wedding in Reims several years ago (Adrianna was their flower girl), and both of them were involved in the Sunday school ministry and choir, as well as serving on the church counsel.  They have two small children.  This Sunday, the husband will be coming to Bordeaux for a work interview and will be spending a couple of nights with us.  We look forward to the opportunity to discuss the opportunities with him this weekend and thank the Lord for sending this couple to us.

Praise for:

- opportunities to preach and teach the Lord is giving us at church, especially these two weeks that Pastor Christian is gone to Guadeloupe to visit his family.  There have been some returning visitors, some unsaved.

- opportunities to share and teach the Word of God here at home as we have hosted T, a young man interested in spiritual things, although comes from a background with much spiritual confusion.

- the help of a young man who is teaching the Adult Bible study these two weeks of Pastor Christian’s absence, when I am preaching in the morning service.  M. did a great job last Sunday.

- the way the Lord has brought children to church and for the way He provided for their class when neither Cherith or I were able to teach.

- the young couple that the Lord is bringing to Bordeaux that will be able to help us with the work in Merignac.

- a number of good visits recently, some with church family, and some with neighborhood contacts.

- the health the Lord is giving to our family after several of us battling colds and flues which are going through our area.

Pray for:

- the Lord’s help during this time of replacing Pastor Christian during his absence.  Pray for each one who will be teaching, preaching and leading singing and that the good attendance will continue.

- the opportunity to have T and his girlfriend N for lunch Thursday and for the time of Bible study that we will have with them. N is Mormon but has come to church several times and is interested in spiritual things.

- the couple from Reims as they make this move to Bordeaux, for the Lord’s provision of work.

- us as we prepare to begin an evangelistic Bible study in our home.

- the Lord to help us to find a house to purchase exactly where He wants us to live and minister from.

- the rehearsals in these final weeks for the Easter Cantata/Drama “The Centurion” for the choir and for the actors, including Adrianna and Jonathan.  Pray for the invitations that are given out to the three performances in each of our three churches.

- peace and stability to return to the CAR as rebels continue to wreak havoc and control large portions of the country.  Pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ that are caught between factions, many who have lost nearly all they own.

Praise and Prayer February 22, 2013

Your prayers have been so appreciated and so needed recently.  This past couple of weeks have been particularly difficult as we learned of the serious illness Cherith’s cousin Bob was facing, and as his status worsened till the Lord called him Home to Heaven this past Sunday.  The pain of the loss and the distance separating us from Bob’s family at this time, has been hard, especially on Cherith, as this family has taken her in as a daughter and sister when her own parents were on the field.  Bob is missed by all, including Angela, his wife of 22 years and his children Patrick (19) and Katie (16).

God is at work in our church ministries.  We are encouraged by the addition of a Sunday school teacher to each of our classes, giving us someone to share the responsibilities with.  Cherith held the Ladies’ Bible study on February 12 and was grateful for the healthy discussion and for the way the study is impacting lives.  She was encouraged to have one of the young single ladies attend for the first time.  The Adult Bible studies on the Christian walk continue to see God’s blessing.  After the fellowship dinner last Sunday, Adrianna participated in the “Parole Vivante” or Living Bible as two more chapters of Exodus had been memorized and were quoted from memory (in French).  Lydia C. (the pastor’s daughter) and Adrianna split Exodus 10 and Adrianna quoted vs. 16-29 flawlessly.  Lydia and the young man who quoted Exodus 9 in its entirety also did an excellent job.  Cherith is preparing to quote Exodus 11 at the next fellowship dinner.

Praise for:

- the healing that God gives in sorrow and for the comfort that we receive knowing that Cherith’s cousin is with Him in Glory.

- opportunities that God has given to witness to those around us.

- God’s continued direction in our search for a house as He has closed another door that seemed to be open.

- the attendance and participation in our Bible studies and services of those who need the Lord.

- Mr. C. being able to return home, and for the help at home that he is now receiving from aids and nurses who visit each day.

- God’s  protection and healing for two of the ladies in my sports club who were injured last week when they collided and ended up in the emergency room.

- the good progress in preparing for the Easter Cantata with weekly Saturday practices.  Adrianna is memorizing to take part as one of the main characters.

Pray for:

- God’s continued working in hearts at church through His Word and His Holy Spirit.  Pray that God will give encouragement where it is needed and help each one to focus on what God IS doing and not on what is not happening!

- the Lord to send children to church that can learn about Him and study His Word with us.

- God’s healing and comfort for cousin Bob’s family, for Cherith and her family that are separated by great distances from most of the family in MI.  Pray that God will continue to use Bob’s testimony to bring others to Himself.

- the Lord to provide direction and a long-term solution for Mr. and Mrs. C.

- direction and provision in our search for a house in the place where God wants us to live, with our low budget in a very expensive area.  Houses that meet our needs and our budget are available within 20 miles of our target area, but the distance would have many negative effects on our ministry.

- Cantata practice Saturday evening, services Sunday morning and the English Encounter outreach Sunday afternoon.

- the Word of God to dwell in us richly.

Praise and Prayer January 31, 2013

Happy New Year!  This first month of the New Year seems to have gone quickly, but the Lord has been at work and we praise Him for His answers to prayer.  Along with our various ministries we have continued our active search for a house to purchase.  We have found what we believe to be God’s provision for our need and are moving ahead in this process.  In the meantime we continue to pray (and covet your prayers) that the Lord would continue to go before us, opening the doors for the purchase to go through IF this is the house God wants for us, and closing the doors to this home IF this is not the house God has for us.  We want His will to be clear in this matter. (UPDATE: I just got off the phone with the realtor who told us that the house was taken off the market, and therefore it is NOT the house God has for us.)

Another development in the past couple of weeks has been the hospitalization of our elderly friend and brother in Christ.  I had been taking Mr. and Mrs. C. shopping every other Thursday evening.  Mr. C. entered the hospital two weeks ago for testing and treatment adjustments for his Parkinson’s, making life an even greater challenge for his wife (86) who depends on him in so many ways.  Our teammates, the Christys, have been organizing the schedule to have someone take Mrs. C. to the hospital every day to be able to spend some time with her husband.  Both of the times that I have taken her have been greatly appreciated, and I have enjoyed the sweet fellowship in the Lord with both of them.  We are concerned about the days ahead, even after he is released, as their health declines and they live alone.  We pray for God’s direction to be clear to them as well we try to help them in this difficult time.

Praise for:

- a new visitor at our English service last week, a contact through the sports club that I am part of.

- God’s blessing and direction of the Adult Bible studies Sunday mornings as we study the Christian Life.  Praise for the questions that have come up that have lead to spending a greater amount of time studying the New Birth.

- the Lord’s help for Caleb at school as he has faced some big challenges.

- the word that our drivers licenses have been approved to be exchanged.  This is a huge answer to prayer.

- improved health for Claire Corenthin.

Pray for:

- continued contacts and for God to work in the hearts that have heard the Gospel.

- God’s direction and provision of a house in our price range.  We almost saw this prayer answered and know that He is able. 

- Mr. and Mrs. C., for their health and for wisdom for the future.

- God’s help and guidance in our teaching ministries (Adult Bible study, Ladies’ Bible study, Children’s church, Merignac Bible study, English Encounter, and English tutoring for neighbor girl.

- our children and for the challenges they face at school.  They are concerned for their classmates, and long for Christian friends at school.  Pray that God’s light would shine through them though they are greatly limited on what they can say about the Lord at school.

Praise and Prayer December 31, 2012

We trust that you are enjoying a happy holiday season, and that your celebration of our Savior’s birth was special indeed.  This evening we will be attending a special New Years’ Eve service at a sister church in Pessac where people from the three Bordeaux churches will be gathering for a special time of celebration and fellowship.  We want to take this opportunity to wish you a Happy New Year in the Lord.  Watching world events certainly makes us wonder how much longer until we see our Savior face to face.  We are certainly listening for the sound of the trumpet!

These have been very busy weeks for us and we are so thankful for your prayers and for God’s answers.  The Lord truly blessed the Christmas Concert in a wonderful way.  His blessing was evident in the ministry and the Gospel was clearly presented in various ways.  I had the privilege of bringing the message.  The Lord filled up our auditorium, with several standing in the back.  Among the many visitors who responded to personal invitations that were given out, we were thrilled to have seven of those we had invited attend, including our landlord and his wife. 

Praise for:

- God’s blessings in the special services this month, including the Ladies’ Bible Study, the Christmas Concert, the Christmas dinner and the English service last Sunday.

- the health that we have had through these weeks, especially while Pastor Christian was ill, as I have had to replace him on several occasions.

- all of those who have heard or received the Good News this Christmas through church ministries as well as through the goodie platters we prepared to share with our neighborhood contacts with calendars and Christmas tracts.

- improved health for Pastor Christian.

Pray for:

- the Lord to continue to work in the hearts of those who have heard the Gospel for the first time this Christmas.

- improved health for Claire Corenthin, and for wisdom for the doctors as they work with her treatment. 

- Jonathan as he prepares to teach another series of Adult Bible studies on Sunday mornings, and Cherith as she prepares and leads the Ladies’ Bible study on January 8.

- our French Drivers Licenses to be granted soon and for our search for a house to purchase in a very, very hard market!

- the Central African Republic that has been experiencing political unrest, with rebels taking cities around the country, including the places where we lived and worked (Bambari and Ippy).  Pray for our colleagues, the Jewells and the Dannenbergs that are still in the country.

- the church plant project in Merignac and for committed prayer partners.  Pray for the Bible studies this month and for contacts that are being made.

- wisdom and grace for each contact the Lord gives us, that His love and light would shine through our family to those around us.

Praise and Prayer Dec. 6, 2012

The Holiday Season is upon us and with it come further opportunities to minister to those around us.  How thankful we are for Thanksgiving and for all that God has done for us.  We celebrated this holiday with American friends serving the Lord here in Bordeaux.  It was good to remember that first Thanksgiving Day when the Pilgrims gave thanks to God for his protection and provision.  The Christmas season is a special opportunity to reflect on the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ and to celebrate God’s wondrous Gift to man.  There will be a Christmas Concert held at our church on December 22, in which Jonathan will be taking part, in a brass ensemble and singing.  Thank you for praying for the preparations. 

Thank you for praying for the Ladies’ Bible Study that Cherith has been leading at our church.  It has been encouraging to see the women that have been faithful in coming and participating in the discussions.  There have been many good questions each time.  Please continue to pray for strength and clarity of thought, particularly as we translate the workbook questions each month from the English version into French. 

God has provided a house for us to rent here in the Bordeaux area since we moved here last February.  It has been evident that we need to begin house hunting.  So much of our ministry is done from our home.  Not only is our location difficult to get to since we are not near a bus or tram stop, but it is also too small for us to accommodate groups of people for meals or Bible studies.  Now that we have a clearer picture of the area and ministry God has called us to, we are looking for a house to buy.  Pray with us that God would lead us to the perfect house for us and for our ministry. 

Praise for:

- the good recovery of Pastor Corenthin’s wife, Claire, after the pulmonary embolism that she had last month.

- the healing the Lord has given our family after all three children became quite ill with colds, the flu and fevers.  Adrianna and Caleb are both back in school after missing several days.

- a new CD of Bible Stories for children that has just been produced in French that is available for 1 euro per CD.  We are so thankful for this excellent tool to help with outreach this Christmas season.

- progress in work on church maintenance that Jonathan has been able to help Christian with these past few weeks.

Pray for:

- the monthly Ladies’ Bible study (meeting December 11) and for Cherith as she leads.

- the granting of French Drivers’ Licenses.  They have been initially denied, so Jonathan has had to seek legal counsel as to our next step. 

- the addition of men and children to the downtown church, and for the Lord to send one or two families to help with the work in Merignac.

- the health of Pastor and Mrs. Corenthin.  Christian has been ill for several days, and Claire will be undergoing more tests at the end of the month.

- the church plant project in Merignac and for committed prayer partners.

- wisdom and grace for each contact the Lord gives us, that His love and light would shine through our family to those around us.

Praise and Prayer November 13, 2012

The Annual Church retreat on November 1-3 went very well with around 70 in attendance, representing our three Bordeaux churches (downtown, Pessac and Floirac) as well as a church in the Basque region down near the Spanish border who came for the first time.  The theme of the retreat was “A Dynamic Church” with messages on persevering in the apostles’ doctrine, fellowship, breaking of bread, prayer and passion for souls.  Acts 2:42 was the key verse.  

There were a number of unsaved people present, including some from our church, and we have heard reports that God continued to work in hearts during the retreat.  There was a great testimony also watching God’s Family working together, serving one another.  

We were responsible for the children’s ministries, and had help from several other church members.  There were 15 plus children divided into two groups: 0-3 and 4-11.  We learned about God and God’s Home (Heaven).  The kids listened intently, worked hard on memorizing verses and learning a song to present to the adults, as well as on their crafts.  

Our children were especially happy to make friends with children from Christian families and we were blessed to get to know many of our brothers and sisters in Christ from around this area.  The Retreat was held in the beautiful facilities of the Chateau Peyreguilhot about 2 hours from Bordeaux where it has been held for many years. 

Caleb came home from the Retreat with a high fever, which lasted for a few days until we got him to our doctor who discovered Strep.  We praise the Lord that he responded immediately to the antibiotic and the fever hasn’t been back.  It is also a big praise that none of the rest of us came down with it as the doctor reminded us that it was extremely contagious.  

On November 7, three of us met in Merignac to pray for the new church project there.  I led the Bible study on the Lord’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem, beginning the chain of events that would culminate in the sacrifice on Passover of the “Lamb of God”, providing for the forgiveness of sin for all who believe.  Please pray that the Lord raise up a team of prayer partners committed to pray especially for this work: for the spiritual needs of the people of Merignac and for the plans and preparations in process for this work.  

Praise for:

- God’s blessings of the Church Retreat in so many areas.

- the Lord restoring Caleb’s health after having Strep throat, and for His keeping the rest of us from coming down with it. 

- the Lord’s  help in our preaching and teaching ministries, and for His help in preparations. 

- the visitors that have come to church including two pre-teen unchurched girls that were in Sunday school last Sunday.  Pray that they will return!

- the prayer meeting in Merignac, and for the team of prayer partners for this work that God is putting together.

Pray for:

- the second Ladies’ Bible study this evening (November 13) and for Cherith as she leads.

- Pastor’s Corenthin’s wife, Claire, who was hospitalized last Friday evening with a pulmonary embolism.  She continues to have tests and treatment in the hospital, while her family gets along without her.  Cherith will greatly miss her at the Ladies’ Bible study this evening.

- the addition of men and children to the downtown church, and for the Lord to send one or two families to help with the work in Merignac.

- the church plant project in Merignac and for committed prayer partners.

- wisdom and grace for each contact the Lord gives us, that His love and light would shine through our family to those around us.