Praise and Prayer May 27, 2013

We are so grateful for the freedoms that we enjoy, and today we remember in a special way all those who have sacrificed so that we can enjoy this freedom.  News headlines these days remind us just how much the world is in need of freedom in Christ through the Savior who showed us not only how to live but also demonstrated God’s infinite love by dying for our sins so that we could have eternal life.  God has given us the privilege of being His ambassadors in a corner of our globe where He is unknown to most people. 

Your prayers for us and for our ministries are so vital and we appreciate them so much.  Each week comes with new challenges, opportunities and blessings.  We enjoyed a very special blessing in welcoming Lane Elmer and his daughters Charissa (18) and Liz (16) for 10 days this month.  Lane’s wife Valerie is Cherith’s cousin, so not only was it a great encouragement and help in our ministry but it was precious time to connect with family from home.  They were an encouragement to our church family and Pastor Christian as they shared in church in both the French and English services and helped to get a lot done at church for a work day (deep cleaning, painting, and even cabinet making as Lane built a custom fit kitchen cupboard from raw materials).  Their main ministry was to the 9 mks during our annual team conference, which was a great highlight for the kids.  We were also blessed this month by the visit of Charles and Babs Anderson, who before retirement served as the pastor of the downtown Bordeaux church before Pastor Christian.

Praise for:

- an excellent French team conference.  We were blessed by the good Bible messages on the life of Hezekiah by our speaker, good music, good fellowship, and good food.  Praise for God’s protection when our car was hit by a tourist train on the special visit to Saint Emilion that many of us at the conference made.

- good progress made at a planning meeting for the new church plant project on May 18.  We were thrilled to have two French brothers join the Christys and ourselves as we discussed and formulated the mission and purpose of the church, discussed the search for a place to meet, and outreach strategy.

- those in whom God’s Spirit is working through one on one Bible study, Ladies’ Bible study, Adult Sunday School, English Outreach, etc.  For the Living Bible presentation for May, Adrianna and Lydia C. each quoted half of Exodus 13.

- the acceptance of our loan application by the bank and that we are moving forward on the purchase of a new (to us) home.  Final signing is scheduled for June 14.

- Mothers everywhere!  We know that this title represents much challenge in our world, but I am so thankful for the godly Mothers in my life. 

- for God’s goodness and our celebration of our 12^th Anniversary on May 26.

Pray for:

- the Lord’s leading to the right place and His financial provision for us to rent a meeting place for Sunday services beginning this Fall.  It may cost up to $300 a week to rent a meeting room in a Hotel just for Sunday mornings. 

- all of the details to work out and plan regarding the new church.

- guidance and wisdom in the opportunities God is giving us to teach His Word, and for the Lord to give understanding and acceptance of His Word.

- the spiritual needs of B. a high school senior who was highly involved in the church.  His struggles and the influence of an atheistic philosophy professor have brought him to the point of turning his back on spiritual things including church.  Pray for his family and that the Lord will increase the faith of His children.

- Mr. and Mrs. C. to soon be given placement in a retirement facility where they would receive the care they need.  They submitted their request some time ago, but so far nothing is available.

Praise and Prayer April 23, 2013

While our hearts ache from reports of suffering in the CAR, in Boston and Texas, we are reminded of Paul’s encouragement to be faithful serving the Lord where He has placed us.  “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” (1 Cor. 15:58)  We do praise the Lord for His help and the work He is doing in hearts here in France.  His blessing was evident as we presented the Easter Cantata “The Centurion” three times during Easter weekend.  There were numbers of visitors present for each presentation, many for the first time, and the Gospel was clearly presented through music and drama.  We pray that God will continue to work in those hearts who heard His Word there.

It has been exciting to see the thirst for spiritual things that T. and N. have exhibited in my weekly Bible studies with them.  I believe the Holy Spirit has been working in their hearts, and at least N. seems to realize that she is not ready to die.  Her sectarian beliefs and connections are definite roadblocks to her understanding and acceptance of the Gospel of saving faith in Christ.  Trusting one’s own works for salvation is so much easier for them to accept than trusting the finished work of Christ on the Cross.  This week N. flies back home and we don’t know if we’ll see her again.  She is taking her own copy of the study we have been doing using “Stranger on the Road to Emmaus” and is determined to continue going through the study.  T. wants to continue the study for now, though that may change if he can’t find a job in this area.

Praise for:

- the good presentations of the Easter Cantata.  Praise the Lord for His enabling for all, including Adrianna who had a significant part in the drama.

- the Lord helping Cherith and one of the other ladies in our church as they recited Exodus chapters 11 and 12 respectively on Sunday as part of the “Living Bible” presentation after our fellowship dinner.  What a blessing God’s Word is to our hearts as we memorize it and as we hear it recited.

- the work God is doing in several lives here.

- God’s amazing provision for Lane, Charissa and Elizabeth Elmer to come from Michigan to minister to our children at our annual French team conference in May. 

- the answer to prayer in L. finding a job/internship.

Pray for:

- an end to the violence in the CAR and that a viable government would be set up soon.  Pray for many who have lost so much, including many Christians.

- those who are studying God’s Word, that the Lord will open hearts to understand and receive His truth.

- jobs for Pastor Christian, our friend J. from Reims, and for T.

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

- the Lord to open the door for financing for a house that we have found.

- preparations for our French team conference that we will be having in Bordeaux this year.  Besides logistics for housing, the music ministry, and the children’s ministry, there are also annual financial and ministry reports to prepare.

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.