Youth Convention

November 14, 2015 By in Blog, Events Tags: , , , , , 3 Comments

Stop the Presses…

IMG_5004

… before I do or say one more thing, I have to stop and say…

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

…to my number one baker and “French Painter”… Timo.

Since arriving in France he has become an incredible drummer, taken great interest in baking, cooking and making authentic Italian pizza crust from scratch (he rocks). People love being around him and he’s making more friends than he probably realizes. He’s a JOY and we are so proud of this AIMKid!

Today is the actual day but we celebrated with friends earlier in the week because dad teaches at the Bible School today. Incidentally, he is holding a home-made backboard for the basketball net that we picked up in the summer. Our next door neighbour made it for him… how cool is that!?

Youth Convention

Dammarye-les-lys, European Youth Convention, EPUFrance, Église Pentecôtiste Unie, Baron Jen Carson, AIM, AIM2Go

Last weekend we were in Melun for the national youth convention (YC). It actually doubles, somewhat, as a European YC since there were people there from Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Estonia, the UK and all over France.

Rev. Chadwick King (Santa Rosa, CA) was the guest speaker and was tremendous. In the top picture you’ll see that I was translating for Bro. King. What an honour to help in the area of translation.

Not only did our kids enjoy being around other youth, but we had a couple of young people with us who were there for the first time. They too enjoyed it much and are already excited to come back next year. Praying at the altar, they were so hungry for the presence of God and the gift of the Holy Ghost: I’ve said it before God is doing a great work in our Sunday School kids!  Thank you Jesus.

Little touch of Holland

We’d been looking forward to meeting fellow AIMers Baron & Jen Carson of Bosier City, Louisiana and it happened at YC (see pic above). They assist at the church in Dordrecht Holland and what a pleasure to serve on AIM with such great folks as them.

If you have an interest in, or burden for, Holland… check out their site: HopeforHolland.com, and consider partnering with them.

Monday Monday…

Châtellerault, la manufacture, cheminéeAfter a busy YC weekend, followed by a 3.5hr drive back home Sunday night, Monday was a low-key day at home for the most part. Only at around supper time did the whole family venture out together to watch the sunset from the old smoke-stacks at la Manufacture downtown, normally a great vantage point. With winter time now in effect and the sun moving quickly, we actually arrived just after it had set, but still enjoyed getting out in the fresh air together.

We weren’t alone up there however, there happened to be another family… a mom & her two boys who spoke English. We struck up a conversation with them which lasted nearly an hour and a half. They too were an ex-pat family who’d moved to Châtellerault from Melbourne Australia. They’d been here for roughly a year and a half and were homeschooling their kids until just recently when they’d enrolled them in school. In short… there were tons of parallels between our two families (right down to having left behind a flock of backyard chickens!!).

We may have thought we were going down there for a sunset, but I think it was definitely a God-moment and the real purpose of our jaunt down there was for that meet-up. Thank you Lord!

#ParisShootings

Bataclan, Paris , Shooting, Terrorism

Photo Credit: CNN

I didn’t want to lead off with this, because Timo & all the good things that God is doing take priority.

Nonetheless, many of you reading this will have already heard about the shootings in Paris last night.  As I write this 129 people died in shootings at a famous nightclub, a restaurant and, incredibly the national soccer stadium where France was playing an exhibition game against Germany with the president in attendance.  As a result the city of Paris will largely be “closed for business” today: any place where crowds can gather.  It’s likely not a coincidence, but France resumed passport control at the borders yesterday in the lead-up to the global environmental conference to begin in a few weeks.

Know this: Although I’m in the Paris region for Bible School, I’m some 50km from downtown so quite sheltered. Thank you for those that have emailed, tweeted or inboxed through Facebook.

Do this:  #PrayForParis #PrayForFrance … there is perhaps no day when it is more appropriate to place a call out for prayer for this country. Once again, the nation has been hit at its heart and will be seeking solace. We know the peace-giver.

Everything that happens has SOME-thing to do with the Kingdom of God…pray that God helps us recognize and seize each opportunity in the coming days & weeks.

Pray for France

Working for Fellowship

November 7, 2015 By in Blog, Events Tags: , 2 Comments

Good news: Early this morning, we hit the road on our way to Melun for the National Youth convention. The bad news… you’ll have to wait until next weekend’s post to hear about it except for some sneak-peak snippets on Twitter:

Work and Fellowship

Église Pentecôtiste Unie, Châtellerault, UPCI, France, Church Work Day

Wanting to have a lot of last minute things tidied up and in good shape for Bro. Brochu’s arrival, the entire church congregation stayed last Sunday after church and spent the afternoon together.

We started off by having dinner (Domino’s Pizza – How French is that!?) then proceeded to work. One team tackled the inside of the building while the other went after the outside, and everyone helped; even the kids hauled branches, whipper-snipped grass, etc.

The expression “Many hands make light work” was once again proven right!  We had a pile of work to do, but were done shortly after 5pm… early!

Bonfire Ministry

I joked to someone afterward about our bonfire ministry… because this was now the 5th time since Spring that we all gathered ’round a bonfire to finish off the day… roasting marshmallows and making smores (unknown to the French).  In fact… there is some legitimacy to what I said in jest; there really is an element of ministry there, because it brings people together to relax after sharing a common accomplishment.

Not only is there an aspect of fellowship, but working together fosters a shared sense of ownership with regard to the church building & property. We had a wonderful afternoon together and accomplished a great deal!

Pastor Brochu’s arrival

Missionary, Paul Brochu, Châtellerault, France, UPCI

On Tuesday afternoon, Bro. Brochu arrived after several days of meetings in the Paris region, but even his days in Châtellerault were far from restful. There were a number of files to get caught up on, people to catch up with and he spoke in our mid-week service on Wednesday.

You know, sometimes you wonder what missionary life is like and suppose that it’s all Bible study and preaching. The reality is that there are many practical questions to manage just as there would be in a North American setting with this difference: French bureaucracy.

For example: there is some painting to be done on the front of one of our buildings but due to zoning requirements, a project plan needs to be drawn up including photos & paint samples. It must be submitted to a committee of the Architects of France who will take 2-3 months to grant permission to PAINT the front of your building. Such mundane details are also part of missionary life (I’m SO glad the Bro. Brochu is here to work through that file).

It was good for the church to hear the voice of their pastor. We’re thankful that the Lord allowed him to come back, if only for a short visit. It’s good to reconnect face-to-face.

Looking Ahead

France at a Glance, Top 15, 2015, Missionary Newsletter

One of the other things I’ve been working on this week is a 4-page PDF document entitled Top15 in 2015: highlights the top 15 moments of ministry involvement and family life during our first eleven months as AIMers in France.

It’s something that will be available later in December to those who follow the blog via email. If you’re interested in receiving it simply click on the link below & you’ll receive one when it’s launched:

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 Prayer…

This weekend, you can support us by praying for the youth convention happening today & tomorrow. There will be 5 from our church that are hungry to receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost and grow in Christ.

Thanks for stopping by to visit.
God bless your day!

Sunday School Sings

October 31, 2015 By in Blog Tags: , , Leave a comment

HUGE shout-out to Bro. & Sis. Kabasele who look after our Sunday School! Further down, you’ll see the fruit of their labour… via video. First, a run down of the week.

Fall-Back…

Last weekend we officially “Fell-back”… meaning that rather than a 5h time difference with the folks from home, there is only a 4h difference (until North America “falls back”). We appreciated the extra hour sleep… it’s like a “mini-vacation of wonderfulness” that happens once-a-year.

Other people’s kids…

Back home it was a Sunday afternoon tradition. During Sunday School, at least one of our kids would get in cahoots with a friend and, before leaving church, we’d hear:

“Can so-and-so come over for the afternoon?” or
“So-and-so invited me for the afternoon… can I go?”
(pleas were followed by “puppy-dog-eyes”)

This past Sunday, for the first time since coming here, that happened & we had someone else’s kids in our house for  the afternoon. I can’t tell you what it meant!  It’s something pretty small really… but for the kids it was like a taste of home.  It did our hearts good!

In Preparation:

This was a week of preparation for 3 things in particular:

1. Bro. Brochu’s return: Though not yet returning definitively, Bro. Brochu arrived Thursday for special meetings and will come to Châtellerault Tuesday. In preparation, we’ve continued working on the church grounds (we have 2.5 acres) and will all stay after church tomorrow… eating together and doing the last bit of clean-up.Starbucks, Paris, France, Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe

Also, I made a quick trip to Paris on Wednesday to take his car up for use during his time back. I returned by train later that evening.

Note: I may or may not have visited Starbucks. (shhh… don’t tell Liz & the kids!)

2. National Youth Convention: November 6-8 will see 800-1,000 young people from across France and throughout Europe come to Melun for the annual youth convention. There were some logistical things to work out to get our group there.

3. New Year PIM Effort: In the New Year, I’ll be launching tools for existing and prospective financial partners. I began working on those this week.

Note: We live off of roughly $1,500 USD ($1,900 CAD) per month but several “annual costs” either have recently or will soon put pressure on our finances:

– 2015-16 Homeschool curriculum & shipping: $5,000
– Family health insurance: $3,000
– Car insurance: $1,500
– Car inspection & any repairs: unknown

Oh yes… it was also a “Pentecostal Messenger” week so that took up a good day and a half as well.

A Good Feeling

One of the things I’ve noticed over the past two weeks is a bit of a shift during our services. Last Wednesday night (Oct.21) was a prayer-focused night and then this past week, on Tuesday, was a regular Bible study. In both of these services however… the presence of the Lord was incredible.

And finally…

This is a 2min video of our kids’ contribution to service last Sunday.
Thank you for praying for them… some really great things are happening with our young people!

 

Prayer

If I could ask you to be in prayer about one thing this week it’d be this. During Bro. Brochu’s time in Châtellerault this week, we will also be mapping out what happens upon their return to the field (expected in March). Pray for the hand of God to direct those conversations.

Thank you for visiting.
Let what you read inform your prayers for us and for France!

Toronto Maple Leafs & “Hambourgeois”

October 24, 2015 By in Blog, People, Places Tags: , , 1 Comment

Châtellerault is the LAST place I’d expect to find Toronto Maple Leafs memorabilia on public display…. but I did! Keep reading to find out where…

Family Time

As you know from last week’s post, Liz’s parents were here visiting from Belgium.

Île Cognet, Thanksgiving, Landscaping, Nonno, Nonna, NonniIt was their first time to visit us here in Western France and the first time that we’d had a bit more of a prolonged visit since our arrival in Europe last January. We visited Châtellerault, walked through Île Cognet and shared Thanksgiving dinner last Saturday.

Note re. Thanksgiving…
Canada = 2nd Monday  of October
USA = 4th Thursday of November

Liz’s dad also helped me one afternoon down at the church doing some landscaping at the church to help “dress up” the front of the building.  We planted a boxwood hedge accented with lavender in front, cypress trees on the ends and two miniature apple trees that we’ll train into standards. The bowed out center section will eventually be filled with roses or some other flowering shrub. (see photo)

Finally, we took them on a short jaunt to Angle-sur-l’Anglin. It was one of the warmer days during their visit and we walked down to the lower part of town (near the river) before gradually making our way back up. Tourist season is over, so the little village was pretty quiet.

Taste of home

Caribou Café, Châtellerault, Quebec, Sirop d'Érable, Hambourgeois, CanadaWhile Liz’s parents were here, we also tried out a special little restaurant for the first time: Le Caribou Café.

The atmosphere is built around tons of Canadian icons… cedar strip canoes, a framed RCMP uniform, old Quebec license plates, skis, snowshoes… etc. And the bare wood walls & floor make it feel like a good ol’ fashioned cabane à sucre (maple sugar shack).  Speaking of which… lots of their dishes feature maple syrup (like the tiramisu I had), and it’s the real-deal… O. my. word. …So good!!!

Three funnies we saw there:

  1. “SVP enlevez vos caoutchoucs” sign (literally: “please remove your rubbers”). It’s funny because here they’d definitely translate “rubber boots” or “bottes en caoutchouc”.
  2. Rather than “hamburgers”, they serve “hambourgeois” (Jr. High French immersion joke). The French here, unlike the Québecois, would normally just go with the English “hamburger”.
  3. A hockey jersey was on display… but it was from the Toronto Maple Leafs (hockey fans will understand the irony). If anything, I’d have expected to see a Habs jersey.

Residency is in the bag!

It wasn’t so much a question of IF it would happen but rather WHEN; it was just a matter of working through the paperwork and red-tape. There were a few minor snags along the way but here’s how I felt on Thursday night:

https://twitter.com/RevMikeLong/status/657307211195092992

 

No Comparison…

To be honest, there are times when I struggle with what to write you. A quick scan of social media gives instant access to great reports from across the globe; miracles that God is doing, new ones being baptized or filled with the Holy Ghost, etc. It is wonderful to experience, but when you’re looking on from the outside, it can be a bit intimidating due to the temptation to compare.

At this point in the life of our little church in western France, life is pretty quiet. We are not seeing the “highlights” mentioned above, and we deal with the challenges of a small congregation. On one hand I’m dissatisfied by this particular quiet but I also know that God does His work in His time, so we simply do our best, knowing that we’re in His will and avoid the temptation to compare.

Tonight:

Liz is off to a Tupperware party in Poitiers… bring on those bowls & lids! It’s being hosted by one of the ladies from our church and it’ll be a great chance to meet some new people.

Thank you for being a faithful reader.
Let what you read inform your prayers for us, for the church here and for France.
God bless your day today!

 

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Mortified

October 17, 2015 By in Blog, Events Tags: , , 5 Comments

I will refrain from giving too many details, but suffice it to say that it’s been a long time since I’d been mortified. I got reacquainted with the feeling earlier this week, but happier things first…

Festival du Chocolat

Festival de Chocolat, Chocolate Festival, Châtellerault, NougatSunday afternoon we attended a local chocolate festival.

The highlight of which for Timo was getting to work with a chocolatier and make his own chocolate creation… for only 5€. He chose his base (milk chocolate) as well as a number of decorative garnishes (teddy bear, race car, leaves & lady bugs) and cemented them to the base using chocolate. It went into the fridge to firm up a bit and we got to take it home when we’d finished making the rounds.

The second photo shows great big rounds of home-made nougat. Oh. My!

Liz, too, got a little spoiled because we managed to find a few cheeses and an olive merchant as well.

The Hedge

Hedge Trimmer, Chain Saw, Hard work, Hedge, Châtellerault, UPC, EPU, Église Pentecôtiste UnieWell, I promised it to you a little while back, and here it is:  a “before & after” pic of the hedge at church. It had gotten out of control long ago and being along the front road, really needed to be done.

Together with 2 other men, 2 chain saws, several afternoons worth of work and a couple of trips to the hardware store to sharpen the chains… we managed to tame it. The “before” pic shows a good 25′ (8,5m) of tree height with a span of roughly 11′ (3,5m).  The “after” pic shows the hedge trimmed down to the same height as the chain-link fence.

What a HUGE job!  Thankful to the Lord for his protection while getting this done!

Special Visit

home-made pizza, gramma, grandma, grandmother, nonna

This week we also had two very special visitors as Liz’s parents arrived from Belgium.

Although we’d seen them twice since coming (albeit for very short visits each time) this would be the longest visit not to mention their first time in our neck of the woods.

They got the guest room meaning that Sophie bunked out with the boys (you can see a picture of what the kids’ room looked like) and among other activities & time spent together… Timo learned how to make home-made pizza with his Nonna (grandmother in Italian).

Very good to have them with us!

Last night we had a good evening with our neighbours, who came over for tea and dessert. These are the neighbours that we’ve connected particularly well with.

Mortified?

So with all the positives… why on earth entitle this post “Mortified”?  Because of the way the week began.

We’d been having plumbing issues last week which led to the garage being partially flooded, twice, and it wasn’t rain-water.  The pipe which carried away all  used water had become plugged meaning that nothing was going through… not water from the bath tub, the washing machine, the sinks or…. the washrooms.

God bless the plumber who came to resolve the situation. He checked the drain (through an access point in the lawn). As he he began unscrewing the lid, all that had been backed up began to overflow the access point… at least 15 gallons worth.

Someone needs to invent pipes that don’t clog… that’s all I’ll say. Once again, God bless that plumber!

Thanksgiving

Finally… Canadian Thanksgiving was last weekend so we’re taking advantage of Nonno & Nonna’s visit to have a Thanksgiving dinner together later today. We couldn’t find a Turkey (they’re really only somewhat common here at Christmas) so we’re going to have chicken in stead.

Interesting fact: When you buy poultry at a local market (whether duck, chicken, quail, etc.) it’s not uncommon for it to be “intact”: meaning that the head and feet are still attached… so you’ll know you’re getting the real thing. It takes some getting used to, and I’ll spare you the picture. You’re welcome. 🙂

Pray

If you could pray for ONE thing this week, it would be for our youth. There are a couple of them that are asking million-dollar questions about God and tomorrow, Bro. Kabasele will be speaking to them on the oneness of God. Pray for wisdom and understanding among our youth!

Thank you for visiting, God bless you today!

The Sort of Great Escape!

October 10, 2015 By in Blog, Places Tags: , , , Leave a comment

God is good… All the time;
and All the time… God is good!

Bi-Monthly Newsletter

Mike & Liz Long, UPCI Global Missions, France, Église Pentecôtiste Unie, ChâtelleraultThis week we published our bi-monthly newsletter for August and September. It can be downloaded in .pdf format by clicking the link on this page.

Wondering how to use a newsletter beyond simply reading it?

  1. Cut the top header off and stick it on your fridge as a reminder, “at a glance” to pray for France.
  2. Pray for anyone mentioned by name in the newsletter: In this case… Miranda Carter and Kevin & Crystal Wallace.
  3. Pray for those mentioned by circumstance: in this case… the youth, the friends who have been helping us clean up the hedge and Bible School students.
  4. Our financial account is listed. If you are unable to give financially yourself, pray specifically that our financial needs would be met.
  5. Share it with friends who have either an interest in missions generally or an interest in France specifically – ask them to pray.

twitterIn fact… let me make #5 easy for you…
Click the bird to tweet a direct link
to the newsletter page.

Family Day Away

This is an IBF weekend… so as many of you are reading this, I’ll be teaching 2 Timothy to the Bible School students.

Starbucks, France, ParisMy involvement in IBF, gives me a chance to get out of Châtellerault each month; to see other places and spend time with different people. Pastors can relate to this and particularly home-missions pastors… sometimes you need to connect with people outside of your local congregation.

IBF gives me that opportunity regularly, but not so for Liz and the kids. Since Bible school students usually travel with me, there is not enough space in the car for the family… but this weekend is a break from that.

Yesterday was “field trip day” as far as school was concerned and we left in the morning, arriving early afternoon in Paris. We roamed, lauged, “selfie-sticked” and lounged at Starbucks (a real treat as there are none in western France) and then met up with friends from the Melun church for supper and a stroll.

But Why???

Liz’s time is spent between overseeing 3 grade-levels of homeschool, maintaining the house, preparing a songlist for services, leading worship and getting to church an hour early each time, for music practice with the kids. Once they have gone to bed for the night… she sets about marking any assignments and preparing the next day’s overview. She NEVER stops!

The kids start each day at 7:00am, start school at 8:00am  and go full out all week so as to be able to go into the weekend with little to no homework. Soph is in grade 10 and Dominic in grade 8… so the workload is definitely increasing!

They needed a break from the regular routine.

We would’ve liked to have been able to stay overnight tonight as well and attend the service in Melun tomorrow, making it a full weekend away… and a good, full, break. But alas, it wasn’t possible this time. We’ll aim for another time. …On the upside though, we’ll be back in time for the…

Festival du Chocolat, Chocolate Festival, Châtellerault, Thank you!

Thank you for your support. It means a lot.
I pray that God blesses you richly today!

Chainsaws & Crême Brulée

October 3, 2015 By in Blog Tags: , Leave a comment

Those who know me well will understand what an accomplishment it is for me to use a chainsaw… I’m not exactly the “chain-saw type”, more on that below…

Sunday

École du dimanche, Sunday School, birthday, EPU Châtellerault, United Pentecostal Church, Châtellerault

Once monthly, we have our Sunday School kids sing or present a little something before leaving service for their classes. Last Sunday was the day (Sophie’s was playing keyboard)! As you can see, they’re not numerous but they make up for it by asking questions beyond their age. In fact, Sunday School ran long because there was engaged discussion about salvation and growing in God.

After service and over lunch we celebrated Bro. Andy’s birthday which had been earlier in the week. He is our Bible school student and he also presents a short devotional message in service each Sunday morning. Thank the Lord for quality young people.

Pray: Tomorrow, Andy is hosting a Bible study in Tours (1hr away) for fellow university students. It will be held in the same hotel conference room where the Lord made his call clear to me in 2012 (incidently, Andy’s sister was the student present that day in 2012). Pray for this endeavour.

Chainsaws…

hedge

Surrounding about half of the church property is a tree line of evergreens that at one point were merely a hedge. Typically these types of trees are maintained at a height of roughly 8-10′ (2.5 – 3.5m) but as near as we can tell, this hedge was last trimmed 12-15 years ago.

Beginning in July, a couple of friends helped us bring down the bulk of the overgrowth (everything above 12′ tall) on the portion of the “hedge” that borders the road. Once on the ground however, there was still a LOT of cleanup required.  While I wasn’t about to bring down tree-tops, I figured that I could surely de-limb the trunks and section the remaining logs & branches… slowly but surely. I spent about three afternoons doing that this week. Check back in the coming weeks for a “before & after” pic… once final shaping is completely finished. My dad would be proud… scared, but proud!  🙂

Bible Study & Bonfire

bonfire, campfire, church fellowship, Châtellerault, roasting marshmallowsSince we now had an abundance of 4′ logs, branches & brush, we thought it’d be fun to have our midweek service by the fire and make it a time of extended fellowship as well.

Our worship was “unplugged” as Dominic, on his guitar, was the band. Liz led worship and I spoke on the effect of trials in our life; like fire, it can either consume or purify us. I figured the object lesson would be unmistakable.

Evenings here are getting down to 11-15 degrees so it was still relatively comfortable fireside. It’ll undoubtedly be our last though. Fall is in the air!

Counsel & Practice

coffee, dessert, la coupole, Châtellerault, date nightThursday night we spent the evening counseling a young couple who were in need of  a nudge in the right direction. It was a positive time and opens the door a little bit wider for the Lord to work in their life. Following our time with them, we stopped by a local restaurant to put into practice some of what we’d advised them to do… take time together.

Liz had the “café gourmand” (2 types of mousse and two cookies with coffee) while I opted for my dessert of choice, crême brulée, accompanied by a Lavazza.

I’m thankful for a godly wife and time alone together!

Website Updates

Sidebar Photo imgIf you’re familiar with the front page of AIMLong.ca you’ll note the absence of the mini-gallery in the sidebar and the addition of the Photos image. Clicking on that photo (whether here or on the home page) will take you to an updated photo gallery of our time here.

Thanks for your visit again today… God bless your day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Week 39 and #UPCIGC15

September 26, 2015 By in Blog, Events Tags: , , 2 Comments

Did you know that we’re starting week #39 of 2015?
Week 38 was pretty cool, if I do say so myself…

Ziplining & Bonfire

Aven'Thuré, Acrobranche, Ziplining, Thuré, Châtellerault, Église Pentecôtiste Unie, United Pentecostal ChurchLast Sunday after service, we embarked on a much anticipated afternoon!  We’d planned a youth outing which included 4 hours of ziplining, followed by a bonfire back at the church for roasting marshmallows and hot-dogs (generally uncommon for most European kids).

It was a bit of a task because I was the only participating adult that day… so it involved balancing the younger ones’ need to remain on easier courses and the older ones’ longing for death-defying heights!  We struck a good balance. There were 9 kids in total which was awesome!  First time we’ve had that many since the Spring.

Between the “Tip-toeing through the tree-tops” and “fire-side fun”, it was a great bonding time for this group of kids.

Mid-week Prayer

#UPCIGC15, Châtellerault, EPU, UPC, United Pentecostal Church, General Conference, Nashville TN, PrayerOur midweek service is typically a Bible Study format. This week, however, we did something a little different:

We’d been looking at prayer for the past couple of weeks, so we took a time and focused on prayer. Each one present wrote down a couple of key prayer requests, sealed them in an envelope and we’ll open them up in several months to give God glory for answering specifically.

Each one prayed on their own for 30min or so, then we came together to pray corporately. We prayed for the requests that had just been made and then capped off our time by praying around a map of the US (where we’ve been tracing the Brochu’s deputation travels). Specifically… we focused on Nashville, TN where Thursday night was the Global Missions service, the outcome of which would impact the Brochus return.

#IAmGlobal

#UPCIGC, #UPCIGC15, France, #IAmGlobal, Paul Brochu, John Nowacki, Missionary, UPCI Global MissionsThat Thursday night service was incredible. I caught the livestream which, with a 7hr time difference, meant that church for me began at 1:30am and went until after 4:00am (four late nights all in all and coffee has been my friend!).

Back to Thursday… I could listen to Bro. Mooney preach for hours! Pictured from the livestream are France’s two currently-deputizing missionary families, the Brochus and the Nowackis, on the platform. Results of the incredible #IAmGlobal offering are as follows:

  • $3,2 million dollars pledged
  • 22 missionaries return to the field
    (including the Brochus & Nowackis)
  • Combined 7 years of deputation travel eliminated.

We serve a great God and are part of a great body of believers!
I’m THANKFUL for the family of God.

Impact for us?

The next logical question is:
“What does an earlier return for the Brochus mean
for the length of OUR time in France?”

The short answer:  it’s a bit soon to tell yet, but we do know this:

  • Generally speaking, we feel like we’re just getting settled in!
  • We’d mentally prepared for 2 years and don’t foresee a return before then.
  • Interrupting the kids’ school year is not ideal so any return would likely happen outside of the kids regular school year.
  • There’s still lots of work to do in France… So for now, keep giving and keep praying.

Fall Garden

IMG_3855

In other news… I planted lettuce in the garden this week (surely different from back home). I turned over a small plot in the backyard so it’d be better ready for next Spring and when my neighbour noticed it, he asked if I’d like some lettuce: He was thinning out his and assured me that we could easily have another month or two of growing season. Very excited to see what comes of it.

Aside from our itsy-bitsy plot… our neighbours – on either side – have blessed us several times (including again this week) with overflow from their gardens: a couple baskets of tomatoes, apples, parsley, basil, zucchini, rosemary, cherries, and lots of tips. I love having such good relationships with our neighbours… they’re a little bit like family really.

À bientôt…

That’s it for today. Whether you’re reading this from home over coffee or in a plane somewhere on your way home from General Conference… thank you for checking in again this week. Let what you read inform your prayers for France and for us!

From Paris to Châtellerault

September 19, 2015 By in People Tags: , , 2 Comments

It’s the end of a hectic work week for many of you, yet here you are… touching base to find out what the Lord’s been doing in France. Thanks for that!

IBF… a Bible School weekend

IBF, Institut Biblique de France, 2 Timothy 2:15, UPCI, EPU France, Église Pentecôtiste Unie

I ended off last week’s post telling you that I was headed to Melun for the first Bible School weekend of the 2015-2016 year. Here are a couple photos of the prayer & devotional time right before lunch. To the right of the top picture you can also see fellow AIMer Crystal Wallace who, along with her husband (both originally New Brunswickers) are furlough replacements for Bro. & Sis. Nowacki there in Melun (follow their AIM updates here, on Facebook).

Here’s what a typical IBF* Saturday looks like:

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p style=”padding-left:30px;”>7:30 – 9:15    Classes (then coffee break)
9:35 – 11:20  Classes
11:25 – 12:00 Prayer & Devotion
12:00 – 1:00  Lunch
1:00 – 2:45    Classes (then coffee break)
3:05 – 5:45    Classes

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p style=”padding-left:30px;”>* IBF = Institut Biblique de France
For Andy and I… this full day is followed by a 3.5hr drive home for services on Sunday!

Pray for these students that God will use them as trained workers in their local churches. That is their desire and is key to the growth of the work in France.

Partners in Local Ministry

Église pentecôtise unie de Châtellerault, prédication, école du dimanche, sunday school

I want to brag for a moment on co-labourers Christian & Vanessa Kabasele. While they’re not mentioned in every post, they are invaluable to the work in Châtellerault.

They’re an example of why it’s important to pray for Bible School students; both are IBF graduates. God used that time to train them before sending them from their home church in Melun to the mission field of western France.

Christian is a huge help with the preaching load and is great with youth. Vanessa is gifted in all things “Sunday School” (she was Asst. Sunday School Director in Melun) and leads worship periodically. They’re a well-grounded apostolic family that makes a difference!  Pray for them… coming here was a step of faith for them as it was for us and they currently have a pressing need.

School Daze

2015_09_19a_sm

As of this week, all three kids are back to school. Sophie’s material arrived this week so she started on Wednesday (the boys began last week).

Here you can get a sense of the setup. Soph & Dominic share a work table on the upstairs mezzanine in the Brochu’s house (mezzanine may make it sound grander than it is… it’s just an open area at the top of the stairs).

Timo’s setup is a little different. We were able to tuck a desk in under the stairway (previously just a spot for a low bookshelf and shoe rack). It’s a cool spot really… like his own little cubby hole. It also means he’s close to the kitchen and the main living level, making it easier when he needs help from Liz.

Zip… swish… crackle!

Tomorrow we’re having an event to rally our few young people and create an opportunity for them to invite friends.  After church we’re going zip-lining nearby and then will come back to church for a bonfire. Pray for safety and for great connections among our youth. I’ll show you pics next week.

We appreciate your prayers. They are vital to what the Lord does here.

Finally…

On a cultural note… while driving someone home from church, last Sunday, I came across the gate house of the Château de Baudiment, about 10min away. I’d seen the towers from the main road many times and was curious. It’s privately owned and not open to the public so I couldn’t see much, but judging by the gate house… I bet it’d be nice.

Château de Baudiment, Beaumont, Vienne (86)

Busyness to Madness

September 12, 2015 By in Blog Tags: , 5 Comments

Thank you for stopping by to check in with us today!  I just have a short post as I’m up in Melun for the beginning of a new Bible School year.

Île Cognet

Île Cognet, Châtellerault, Pont Henri IV, La Vienne,Last week you’ll recall that l’Île Cognet is what put “exploration” into the post. Well… on Sunday afternoon, we decided to go back as Liz had not been with us on the previous trip… and we wanted to change that!

Once again, the kids split it up between looking for frogs, playing hide ‘n’ seek and climbing trees while Liz & I explored on our own.

Not only did we see a rat on one side of the island, but we saw another, on the other side, get this… carrying a piece of baguette!  I kid you not.

…must truly be a French rat!  We’ll call him “Ratatouille”.

Week of… “madness”?

Here are some positives of the week:

  • We got the lawn mowed at the church (HUGE lawn and using an electric-mower… slow and tedious, but a great time of prayer).
  • I got the remaining paperwork off to the government concerning residency. Please pray that it things go through there.
  • Dominic started school on Wednesday (he’s our “I like structure” kid… so he was glad to start back up).
  • Timo began his new school year on Thursday… someone say “AMEN!” for a staggered school start – this explains why Liz is still in one piece!
  • Sophie’s books were only shipped from Abeka this week so it’ll be a few days before she begins classes… she did, however, read a book that she’ll need to do a report for later in time.

Later on in the week though (Thursday & Friday) a few things just turned weird (not with us personally, but with some folks that we know in the community).  Please pray that God gives us wisdom in working through a few things with this family. To God be the glory, great things he will do!

Paris-Bound

Yesterday I headed up to Paris earlier than I normally would because there was a couple of errands that I needed to run in the city. When those things were done, I was able to spend about an hour in the Garnier Opera… my all time favorite place in Paris! It was my first time back inside since 2012… ahhh… like going to see an old friend. (see pics below)

Today I’m at the church in Melun kicking off the new Bible School year. There will be administrative things shared and then 6 hours of classes – of which I’ll have two… starting the Pastoral Epistles (I & II Timothy + Titus).  Looking forward to a great day!Opéra Garnier, Garnier Opera, Salon des Glaces, Ice Cream Parlor Opéra Garnier, Garnier Opera, Grand Escalier

Thank you again for stopping by… please let what you read, fuel your prayers for us, for our church and for the nation of France.