Day 2 of our time with #AYCFrance19 took place in our little corner of France – Châtellerault, but Day 3 would take us to the 6th largest city in the country with some 800,000 people: The city of Bordeaux.

Bordeaux

If you ask the average person, whether in North America or Europe, Bordeaux is mostly known for its production of red wine from the cabernet and merlot grape varieties.

It takes roughly 3.5 hours to drive to Bordeaux in a tourist bus (which is limited to 100 km/h on the highway).

Unlike the other days, Liz was accompanying the group, not me. Sophie had an important school exam that conflicted with the departure time, so I stayed back, picked her up after the exam and the two of us drove down together – arriving just as the rest of the group were finishing lunch and preparing to go sightseeing downtown.

The Church in Bordeaux

Bro. & Sis Paul & Melissa (Hardin) Majdling pastor the work in Bordeaux and have done so for over 25 years. Years ago there had been an American missionary there who began a work, but he eventually returned to the USA. The Majdlings were asked to go there as home missionaries and have been there ever since.

“It’s not always been the lively apostolic church that you see today,” says Pastor Majdling, “there were many times, in the early years, where I preached only to my wife. Over the years though, God has added to his church and done mighty things.”

Mighty things indeed!

Due to extensive municipal construction around the church (located in a previously declining, formerly industrial area), the city needed their land and offered them significantly more than what they’d paid for it.

Pastor Majdling’s response?

“Thank you, but we’re not interested in the money. You’re building 5,000 apartments in this area and those people need a pastor. We won’t be selling.”

As a result, the city is going to rebuild the church, with a parking area underneath (that local residents will be able to use during the week) and multiple facilities that the church currently does not have. Not only that, but during the two years it will take to complete construction, the city will provide a new meeting space – rent-free!

What an incredible God we serve!

Service

After a quick sightseeing trip into Bordeaux by tramway, the team got ready for an evening service with the believers from Pastor Majdling’s church.

The group sang. Chaperone and West Virginia Youth President Roger Zimmerman preached and people responded. One young lady was filled with the Baptism of the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues – as the Spirit gives the utterance (Acts 2.4).

The team ended the evening prayer walking around the city block occupied by the church and sharing a meal with the Majdlings at the hotel.

The next day, Day 4 saw an early departure… Off to Bourges, home of one of the largest cathedrals I’ve seen, dwarfing Notre-Dame de Paris in its footprint!