Praise and Prayer March 22, 2017

Adrianna and Caleb with the Bixbys in 2008

We are so thankful for your prayers and for God’s enabling over these past several weeks.  Nearly one month ago, on February 26, we were sitting with our guests around our Sunday dinner table when we received the word that our beloved friend and BMM teammate, Bob Bixby had suddenly been called Home to Glory.  He had preached the sermon that morning in his church across town.  We had been looking forward to having the Bixbys join us for supper that Tuesday evening, and seeing pictures of Bob’s January ministry trip to Chad, Africa. He was “Uncle Bob” to our family and with Aunt Bonnie, they were adoptive grandparents to our kids.  We were in shock, along with his wife, their family and his church family.  Our Bordeaux team lost a strong leader and mentor.  His example of loving God and His Word as well as people of all ages has had an impact on our lives as long as we have known him (Jonathan was 4 when his parents worked together in Bangui, CAR). 

Aunt Bonnie with her "kids"

In the days that followed, each of the Bixbys’ five children was able to join her here in Bordeaux.  There were more than 200 people present for a wonderful service here in Bordeaux celebrating Uncle Bob’s life and sharing the Gospel message that marked his life.  The Lord allowed us many opportunities to come alongside Aunt Bonnie and her family over the following two weeks through visits, meals, hosting, childcare and cleaning.  One of the blessings that the Lord gave was a special reunion of a number of us who had been together with the Bixbys in Central Africa when we were kids.  We continue to grieve, along with many others, but not as those without hope.  We know that Uncle Bob is with his Savior that he loved and served and that we will see him again.  And how thankful we are that the God of all comfort comforts us in all of our tribulation, preparing us to share God’s comfort with others in their time of trouble. 

Praise for:

- God’s comfort and grace that He has given to Bonnie Bixby, her family and the church in Pessac as He walks them through these difficult days. 

- the visitors that we have had in church services and Bible study recently.  Praise for the record attendance that we had recently with every space filled.

- God’s working in all five members of the R family through Bible study both at church and at home. 

- for good attendance and growth in our English club, and for God’s help as we work with a large diversity in age and level in English.

- God’s help as we had our first pastors’ meeting in March without Bob Bixby.  Praise for the leadership at the Pessac church that is determined to remain faithful in service.

- a prospective building that may be available for our church to rent.

Pray for

- the Bixby family and the church in Pessac who are most affected by the sudden Homegoing of Bob Bixby.  Pray for God’s grace and guidance for Bonnie’s future, and that God will provide the church with a pastor and a building.

- God to open the spiritual eyes of lost souls in Saint Medard.  Pray for those who are hearing the Gospel at church, English Club and personal Bible studies. 

- our displaced family who have been living in poor conditions for over four months awaiting the refugee office for a move to a better place.  Pray for S who is having some critical health concerns, that God will give them answers and relief to these problems.

- God to open the doors for our church to be able to move into this new building if this is where He wants us.

- the church in Central African Republic which continues to face great hardship with rebels controlling much of the country.

- preparations for our home ministry this summer and for our need of additional support.

Praise and Prayer update February 17, 2017

As summer looms closer, we are making plans for a two-month trip to the USA for July and August to connect with churches and individuals who have partnered with us in this ministry.  We are eager to reconnect with many on our home team and share what God is doing here in Saint Médard, France.  We have our tickets in hand and a number of meetings lined up.  Please pray that God will use this trip to challenge hearts to greater service for Him (maybe even in France) and that He will provide for our needs through both churches and individuals.  We need to see an increase in our monthly support, which registered at 82% when our support estimate recently underwent a long overdue revision.  Increased ministry expenses, increased health insurance fees and inflation are all part of the increased need. 

Praise for:

- the good response of a new unsaved family to the most recent English club outreach, bringing our number present to 27 as the parents both stayed for the entire club. Praise for a good pizza and film night prize for the most faithful participants.

- the good start to the Christianity Explored series at church, and for several who are going through it for the first time.

- new church flyers that we have designed and begun to distribute to the people of Saint Médard.  The new flyers include a small map to help people find the church, rather concealed in its current location.

- the pastors’ prayer breakfast that we hosted last Saturday with the four other Bordeaux area pastors.

- God’s provision for the purchase of airline tickets for our summer of home ministry.

Pray for

- God to use the remaining Christianity Explored sessions to bring people to faith in Christ. 

- for God to work in the hearts of unsaved visitors that attend services: this Sunday we are expecting a family of four as well as a single lady, each related to people in our church.

- God’s leading regarding a building for our church and for His help in the redaction of the statutes.

- the English club outreach, for wisdom in leading and keeping the attention especially of the younger children.  Pray that we will be able to share God’s Word freely and that God will cause it to bring light to hearts in darkness.

- God to provide for our lack of support.

Update January 26, 2017

Caleb helped out by making cookies for club

It seems like there is never enough time in a day to accomplish all that we want to.  With our limited time and energy and the to-do lists that seem to grow rather than shrink our need is the same as Moses in Psalm 90:12, for God to “teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”  Life is short.  Life is fragile.  When it is over, what fruit will remain? 

We are grateful for the opportunity that God has given us to serve Him here in Saint-Medard.  For our church plant documents, we are currently preparing the statutes.  We continue to check into potential buildings.  Recently one of the buildings we had been checking into purchasing was put back on the market so we are back to looking at the feasibility of it, and seeking professional help.

The English club outreach continues to grow.  At our last club, we had a second little girl in kindergarten attend whose brother in 2^nd grade has been attending this year.  The interest of the younger ones (there were 6 children age 7 and under) has caused us to make some organizational changes, including moving the 6^th graders up to the older level.  

Then Tuesday, another mother of one of Josiah’s friends approached Cherith to ask about her son (second grade) and his sister (fourth grade) coming to our club.  She had been talking with the two other mothers and was interested both in the English as well as the Bible lessons for her children.  We are thrilled to see the interest and to have the children attending but we do need much wisdom in our planning, teaching and structure so that we can get through to these children. 

Praise for:

- the building that has come back on the market that our church is looking into.

- parents that have come to us to request that their kids come to our club, and for their interest both in English and the Bible.

- for a number of clubbers that will be joining us for a special film/pizza night tomorrow night, a prize for those who have worked hard and been faithful in attendance.  We expect to be 17 in all.

- answered prayer for our displaced family, that a school has been found for the son.  They recently turned down an opportunity for housing that would take them to another town, preferring to wait for an opening nearby where they continue to be involved in our church.

- a special get-together that we attended last Saturday with people from our neighborhood (five homes in our cul-de-sac represented!), hosted by one of the neighbors, with each family bringing something.

Pray for

- for God to help us and guide us as we share His Truth in the many opportunities that He is giving us. 

- health and strength for our family as we fight colds.  The flu has hit many in France (epidemic proportion), including many in our area.  Pray for strength and health to accomplish God’ will.

- God’s leading regarding a building for our church and for His help in the redaction of the statutes.

- us to be able to begin a Christianity Explored series soon, and for the participation of several people from outside the church.

- two families in our church facing very challenging situations.

Prayer and praise update January 11, 2017

Happy New Year!   We are so thankful for God’s help and blessings in 2016.  I am still adjusting to this New Year and I’m so thankful that despite all the turmoil and change in this world, God has not changed one iota and He has not given up on us, or our world.  What does He have planned for us this year?  How will He surprise us this year?  As we think over this past year, we are amazed at some of the ways that God has worked.  Even the way He has lead some people to our church while others have left has surprised us.  He keeps reminding us to keep our attention focused on Him, and to not be swayed by the circumstances.  He is God and He is faithful. He is sovereign. He is wise and He is good.

 At church, we rejoice in seeing God working in the hearts of several unsaved people that are attending.  Just Sunday, an unsaved man attended the Bible study hour (he’d come one other time).  We have been greatly blessed by having the displaced family among us.  They do have special needs including permanent housing, and with no car are dependent on us or our teammates to drive them to our church services and activities.  They are believers and show great joy in the Lord and His Word, despite the great trials that they are facing. 

This past Friday, we had 22 people present for our English club outreach, including 10 who are not saved.  Two of them were a friend of Josiah from school and his younger sister.  Their Mom had heard about the club from the mother of another of Josiah’s friends who has been coming. She approached us before Christmas to ask about it and if her child(ren) could participate.  The parents are not believers but they were willing, even favorable to have their children come and learn the Bible lessons that we are teaching.  We are so grateful for this opportunity to teach God’s Truth and for His blessing. 

Praise for:

- those who are attending church services and Bible studies and English outreach faithfully, a number of whom are searching spiritually.

- the opportunity to help the R family move to Saint Médard, and for their deepening spiritual understanding.

- the good attendance of the Christmas outreach film, including neighbors of several of our families (including one of our neighbors).

- the opportunities that we have had around the holidays to share goodies and Scripture calendars with neighbors, teachers and other contacts.

- a special Gingerbread house decorating party with the children from church and their families.

- renewed contact with another former classmate of Jonathan’s from language school days.

- a blessed New Years Eve service at a sister church where people from three churches met to celebrate God’s blessings and seek His guidance.

Pray for:

- God’s Truth to penetrate the hearts of those who are searching.

- for God’s guidance for us as we interact with those around us, as we prepare for teaching and preaching ministries and as we share.

- God to use the goodies and especially the Gospel calendars that we have shared this year to point people to Him.

- God’s leading and provision of a new building for our church.

- our children to continue to grow in their relationship with the Lord and in His wisdom.

- us as parents to faithfully model and teach the truths of God’s Word to our children.

- more good contacts with former unsaved classmates, and for God’s wisdom in communication.

Praise and Prayer for December 15, 2016

Thank you for your prayers for us and for the people of this land.  As you would imagine, Christmas is a big event here in France and the stores and shops are bustling with business.  We appreciate seeing manger scenes for sale in stores and hearing Christmas Carols sung over store loudspeakers.  Just today we heard “The First Noel” in a huge shopping center.  

We as a church have been preparing for a Christmas outreach this Sunday with a showing of the film “The Nativity”.  Nearly 1000 people have received invitations and a number of neighbors and friends have said they plan to come. 

Continue to pray for the Lord to lead and provide us with a building where He would have us – in His perfect time.  As we gathered information to determine whether the buildings up for sale could work, someone else came along and offered cash for them.  There were some factors that had raised questions, and now we have the Lord’s answer regarding those buildings.  We will continue to look for a building as we work on church documents that will permit us to seek official status.

Praise for:

- God’s directing regarding the buildings that we were looking at for our church.

- renewed contact that God has given us with the family of one of Jonathan’s unsaved classmates from French language study in Nancy – after losing contact for 13 years!

- the good attendance of our English club and for a new parent that approached us about having their son start coming to our club in January.

- some good contact with one of Josiah’s former teachers resulting in her expressed desire to attend Sunday’s film outreach.

- the wonderful week that Adrianna had at the Missionary Teen Retreat in Spain, and for God’s helping us to survive a week without her here (her presence and help was missed greatly at home and at church!).

Pray for:

- the unsaved family that has been attending our church as they move to a house in Saint Medard this Saturday – we will be helping as a church and providing meals.  Pray that God will make His Word clear to them as they study it with interest.

- good attendance at this weekend’s Christmas outreach (film and refreshments) and for good contacts with those who attend.

- God to use the goodies and especially the Gospel calendars that we share this year with teachers and neighbors.

- peace and security to return to the Central African Republic which has seen a number of rebel attacks in the past few weeks, including churches burned and one Bible School destroyed.  Life is very difficult for Christians in our former home of Bambari.

- God’s leading and provision of a new building for our church.

- us as parents to be able to faithfully teach our children to love God and put Him first in their lives.

Prayer and Praise November 30,2016

We are excited to see God's hand moving here in Saint Medard.

Please keep our church in your prayers as we look into the possible purchase of a part of an office building right in the center of our town.  Several properties were recently put on the market for very interesting prices.  We visited each one last week and are seeking information that will either confirm that the building would work for us as a church or that it wouldn't.  The location is great and several are priced at under 100,000 euros.  Some work would need to be done, however, in order to turn the former offices into a church.  Please pray that if one of these properties is what God would have for us, that He would hold that property for us, open the doors before us to be able to go through in His time and in His order, and that He would provide the finances necessary for the purchase and renovations.

Please continue to pray for the unsaved people that are attending our services and English outreach clubs including a recent visitor to our Sunday morning service.  We continue to see hunger for spiritual truth, for which we praise the Lord.  Pray for God to guide and help us in our preaching and teaching ministries, as well as in giving encouragement and counsel.  Pray too for our members that God will continue His work in each individual.  The past two Sundays there have been some refugees from the Middle East that have attended our services.  They were saved in their country before fleeing to Europe where they stayed for the past year.  Recently they were moved and are still in temporary housing.  They immediately sought out a Baptist Church and were able to make contact with our teammates.  Please pray for them with all of the hardship they have known and pray that God will use us to minister His love and grace to them.

We will be having a special Christmas outreach at 4 p.m. on December 18.  Flyers have been ordered and we will be inviting a number of our friends and acquaintances.  Pray that God will bring people.

Please pray for Adrianna this week as she will be participating in a Missionary Teen Retreat December 1-7. The stated purpose of this retreat is "...to challenge missionary teens with practical teaching on the truth found in Luke 12:48: TO WHOM MUCH IS GIVEN MUCH SHALL BE REQUIRED. We want to direct missionary teens' hearts to their unique privileges and responsibilities, and away from the largely mistaken view that they are somehow missing out by not being able to live in America. We believe that being born or raised in a missionary home is a privilege of the highest order and -- at least during the years at home -- constitutes a calling from God all in itself." This will be her first time and she is excited about this opportunity.  We will be taking her tomorrow and then returning to Bordeaux.  We won't be home in time to pick up the boys from school, so our good friends the Bixbys will be picking up Caleb and Josiah and taking them home to wait for us. Thank you for praying for each of us tomorrow, and for Adrianna's week at the retreat.

Praise and Prayer October 27, 2016

We appreciate your prayers for our ongoing building search for our church here in Saint Medard.  Since our last update, we visited a promising prospect that was well situated.  However, with no second exit doors, the building doesn’t meet code requirements for a church meeting place.  So the search goes one. 

At church, we have been blessed to see God working in the hearts of several unsaved people that are attending.  Continued interest in studying the Bible and the children’s keen interest in the Sunday school lesson encourage us and remind us to pray that God will apply His truth to hearts.  Of course we need His help to faithfully and clearly teach and preach His Word!

Praise for:

- good attendance and particpation in the English outreach club, and for help in our organization with the increased numbers.

- the good questions that we are hearing from adults and children as they try to comprehend and assimilate spiritual truth from the Bible with the things that they have been taught in a secular society.

- the good contacts with five families for Josiah’s Birthday, including some we had not met before.

- the visit of an unsaved grandmother from Reims, for her interest in what she saw and heard in our services.

- the baptismal service last Sunday at the Bordeaux center church for a teenager and a woman in her fifties, and for the Gospel announced in testimony, song and message.  Praise for the unsaved present who heard.

Pray for:

- God’s work in the hearts of the unsaved individuals that are hearing the Gospel.

- the grandmother as she returns to her town that she will pursue contact with the church there where we used to be involved.

- the annual four-plus church retreat this weekend.  They expect over 60 in attendance.  Pray that God will use the retreat to speak to hearts for salvation and for spiritual growth.  Pray for safety, good fellowship, and spiritual refreshment for believers.

- God’s provision of an adequate building to meet our growing needs as a church.

- the Central African Republic that continues to face much turmoil, both in Bangui, the capital and in other cities around the country where we have brothers and sisters in Christ serving Him.  There have been senseless attacks on some of our people, and some of our friends have been killed in the past couple weeks.