Praying for our #AIMKids

December 20, 2014 By in Blog, Process Tags: , 2 Comments

Today I’m serving up another infographic for you. The last time you saw one was on October 18th and it detailed the Timeline of the Call.  In today’s post, we’re focusing on the kids and a tool I developed for Sunday School personnel and youth pastors who would like to adopt our kids as a “Prayer Project” during our time on AIM.

AIMLong.ca/Kids

We’ve launched a new Top-level page on this site:  AIMLong.ca/Kids

This new page will serve as a) a general introduction to our kids for those who don’t already know them and b) will have links to 10 AIMKids Missionary Moments: 5-min long, France-related object lessons that will help kids pray not only for our kids  but also for their own outreach potential.

Why?

…largely as a result of the following quote:

“In some churches you will raise support and in others you’ll raise supporters.”

I read that quotation in a book by Steve Shadrach, The God Ask, and so, our goal in developing this infographic is to not only garner prayer support for our kids but also to give leaders tools that can help them connect their kids & youth to missions.  If these young ones can feel a connection to missions from their youth, then there is a greater chance that they will be open to either giving or going themselves as they get older.

Feel free to download and print the graphic below. Use it in your Sunday School classes, Kids’ Prayer groups, Youth classes, etc., and connect kids to missions!

AIMLong.ca, France, Châtellerault, #AIMKids

 

 

 

 

5 Weeks & Counting!

December 17, 2014 By in Blog, Process Tags: , , , Leave a comment

I’ve stated that the goal of AIMLong.ca, during the time leading up to our departure, is to keep you up to date on the progress of preparations. So for now… here’s how the hive has been humming!

Day to day

House & Car: The house is still for sale and while there is no firm offer, there is someone who wants it but they will have to sell their own house first & it goes on the market in January. That can cause us some anxiety if we focus on it, but we try simply to stand still, and trust in God’s faithfulness.

We’ve bought a storage shed & have a place to put it. We’ll store some furniture and other items that don’t require heat.  Liz has been doing a lot of the packing and sorting but I started a couple of my bookshelves and did a large part of the garage some weeks ago. (There’s waaaayyyyy more yet to do!)

We’re thankful to already have a buyer for our car.

Work:  My replacement as Assistant to the Pastor at Mission Point is now onsite. Pentecostal Messenger, Atlantic District UPCIMark Robertson (originally of Hatfield Point but most recently of Miramichi) and I have been working very closely in an attempt to get 8 years worth of stuff out of my mind and into his (poor guy!). I can tell that he is going to do an incredible job and is a credit to the pastoral leadership that has trained him to-date.

Pentecostal Messenger: For those unaware, I’m editor for a 12-page printed publication that goes out to our churches in the region, with a readership of roughly 750.  While in France, others will look after logistical details, but I’ll still look after editing and layout of the content.  I’ll be putting together the better part of both the January and February issues prior to my departure.

Missionary Lynne Jewett

Missionary to Guatemala, Lynne Jewett, with our #AIMKidsOn Monday we got to spend the afternoon with our friend and missionary to Guatemala, Lynne Jewett. What an inspiration!

She came for lunch and since she is synonymous with kids’ ministry, we wanted to chat with her about:
a) building a church through kids’ ministry &
b) doing all we can to set our own kids up to succeed on the mission field.

She had some GREAT advice!  Including preparing them for the effect that distance will have on their friendships… some will undoubtedly fade a bit over time, but the true ones will remain.  That’s straight-talk and she is bang on!  She also encouraged them to see themselves as missionaries…

Looking ahead

Departure: We’ve tentatively set our departure date as somewhere around January 25-27.
AC-Flight“Wait, what? …no specific date?” ….We’re going to fly stand-by, which means that, yes, we’ll save money on airfare but we’ll fly according to seat availability.  (If there are seats available, we’ll seat our seats on the plane, if not… we try again next flight). That may seem stressful to some, but it’s how we traveled the whole time Liz worked for the airline, so we’re used to it.

Final Mailout: We’re on the verge of doing our final mailout prior to departure. It’ll be an oversized postcard for Sunday School & Youth Staff, focusing on “adopting our kids as a “prayer project” and various way to pray for & connect with them / us. Look for the infographic in this Saturday’s post.

Thanks in advance!

It goes without saying that, with all of these things going on… we need your prayer. It all comes at a busy time of year and if I were to focus too much on it, I would be overwhelmed. We take one day at a time and rest in the assurance that, if the Lord tarries, we will be there in just over 5 weeks from now!

 

I’m Nostalgic

December 13, 2014 By in Blog, Places Tags: , Leave a comment

I’ve been working on project for the past week or so and it has gotten me looking back through old photo albums on my laptop… yes. photo albums…. on my laptop.

(Note: I am the guy who originally resisted digital photography, scoffing at those who stored all photos on their computer, rather than in a handy-dandy “hard copy” photo album… Now, I have joined your ranks… with nearly 20K pics on my hard drive… end of admission)

First Family-Visit

ChateauMotte06The first time that we visited Châtellerault as a family was in 2006. I had been there previously by myself and then with a friend, but in 2006… we went together.

Timo was not quite a year old and still had be propped up with pillows or be sandwiched between his siblings in order to ensure a steady pose for the camera.  We stayed in the 15th Century Château de la Motte Usseau for a couple of nights and enjoyed the comfort of the Ysabeau de Poitiers Suite… where   we could have our own lovely room and the kids had their own spot right through the large arched doorway.

If you’ve never done a chateau-stay before, you need to give it a go!  Seriously… you’ll pay 130 euros/night in the equivalent of a “shoe-box” in Paris… or, for less than that, you get a 15th century castle in the country with incredible hosts and a breakfast fit for a king (or at least a count)!

ChateauChenonceau06

During that trip, Bro. & Sis. Brochu also took us to visit the Château de Chenonceau which is reputed to have the 2nd or 3rd highest number of visitors of any monument in France, only behind the Eiffel Tower and Notre-Dame cathedral… both in Paris. This Castle, one-time home to Catherine de Medicis and her rival Diane de Poitiers, gracefully spans the Cher river.

 

Church

We visited church the Sunday morning of our visit and at that point it was still meeting in the home of Sis. Cécile Leday on ave. Aristide Briand, right downtown and not far from the monument to the French Revolution. Twenty or so very basic chairs were set up in the Living Room and a simple wooden cross adorned the wall above the unused fireplace. A music stand served as the pulpit and the only instrument was a keyboard in the corner. There was nothing all that fancy about it, but we felt the presence of the Lord… we were worshiping God, in French, in the heart of western France.

French Provincial Countryside

ChateauMotte_landscape06

For those of you who are wondering what the area will be like… take a look at the picture to the right. This photo is taken from atop the Château de la Motte, looking out over the rich agricultural land that surrounds Châtellerault.

You can barely make it out, but behind what looks to be a hedgerow in the middle of the picture, is the A10 highway that leads from the North down to the South-west of France… present, but barely visible.

This is the area that will be home for us beginning in the new year… and we can’t wait!

Although it looks pretty deserted in this picture, remember that the city of Châtellerault itself is a city of roughly 27,000 people and that, within a 25km radius there are some 94 villages… all of which house souls, some of which are hungry and/or hurting… not completely satisfied with where they are spiritually.

It is for them that we are leaving home & homeland.
Please pray for us… for them.
Pray for #Revival_inFrance.

Thanks for stopping by today… I appreciate your visit!

 

Don’t Kill Hunger!

December 11, 2014 By in Blog Tags: , 2 Comments

*Sorry folks… usually my midweek post falls on Wednesday, but it occurred to me that I’d not “bumped” this one from saved-draft status to scheduled status… so it didn’t publish this morning.*

I’m feeling something that I haven’t felt for a while… it’s both familiar and rather new at the same time.  Let me give you the background.

Visit to the Family Doctor

Last year at about this time, my family doctor did the run-through and indicated (in no uncertain terms), that she would like to see me lose 10lbs because it would be better for my overall general health & energy level and would set a good example for my family.

I’m neither dangerously overweight nor even close to being obese, but there are several inches and pounds that could be shed and I seriously wouldn’t miss them. In younger years, I could eat whatever I wanted in just about whatever quantity I wanted and the scale wouldn’t budge from 145lbs… then the upper 30’s hit!

In my most recent visit to the doctor, in preparation for our departure to France, she noted that while I’d gotten the 10lbs-thing right… I’d headed in the wrong direction… gaining since last year rather than losing (she was not impressed).

So since then, I’ve been eating less. And I’ve experienced a feeling that I’d not felt in a long time. Hunger.

Hunger

This has been my rhythm for the past few days:

  • Limit of 1 slice of bread per day (heaven help us in France… baguette-land) and have eaten a very light breakfast.
  • Lunch has been 3 pieces of fruit.
  • I’ll have my “meal-meal” at supper time (I know… not the best, but it’s what fits the work schedule).
  • and yes… I’ll still have a snack or dessert at some point in the evening.

Overall… the quantity of food has diminished and I’ve been better about not snacking on junk. which leads me to this strangely new (re-discovered) yet familiar feeling in the pit of my stomach… hunger.  It’s kind of odd to feel that feeling, yet it’s surely there. The growels can attest to that.

…and in an odd way, it kind of feels good.

Absence of Hunger

Hunger is something that is, by and large, absent in most of the homes & families that I’m connected to on a daily basis. Generally speaking, we. have. plenty!

– Oh we may have cravings, but that’s not hunger.
– We may be dying for a burger, but that’s not hunger.
– We might kill for a good steak because we’re famished…
but is it a hunger or simply a craving…
is it a need or a want.
– I would love a bag of chips… but that won’t nourish!

We satisfy our wants before our needs.  In this manner, hunger is masked by shallow satisfaction, and true nourishment is sidelined in favour of the sweet & salty snacks.

Suite 88, Montreal, Belgian WaffleIt’s the morning coffee syndrome:

  • Wake up… Not hungry enough to eat, but not awake enough to leave without coffee (which stifles appetite).
  • Grab a cup of java & head out the door.
  • Mid-morning… a little hungry but not enough to really eat-eat and since it’s not lunchtime, we don’t want to ruin lunch.
  • Grab another cup… get caught up in work
  • Mid-afternoon…. “Man that pastry / bag of chips / chocolate bar is looking good!”  you have one or two… after all, no sense eating now. You’ll be off in two hours and it’ll be supper time.

C’mon. Don’t act like that’s never happened to you!

Spiritual Hunger

Have you ever felt the same way spiritually?

There’s a hunger there deep down inside…

  • Hunger for a meaningful walk with God.
  • Hunger to accomplish something meaningful for Him.
  • Hunger for meaningful relationships in the church.
  • Hunger for a better prayer life.
  • Hunger for a deeper understanding of and relationship with His word.
  • Hunger to see someone close to us experience salvation and start a walk of their own.

We’re hungry.

But we’re not always satisfied.

Why?

Could it be for the same reasons as outlined above?

We know what will truly satisfy our hunger, but in the meantime, there’s a snack over here and a treat over there. Something that will temporarily abate the hunger and take the edge off… “dulling” the pangs so that we don’t feel them as keenly… but it doesn’t really nourish, give our bodies what they need.

There’s something actually kind of nice about feeling a hunger pang or two. It tells me that I’ve not over-eaten... and have you ever noticed that when you’re truly hungry… healthy food tastes better… you’re glad to have it?

Thanks…

…for stopping by again today!
My wish for you?

… just enough hunger to keep the edge on.
… just enough hunger to help you appreciate the good food.
… just enough hunger to let you know that you’ve not eaten junk.

Both physically and spiritually!
Don’t kill the hunger!

News from “our Missionaries”

December 6, 2014 By in Blog Tags: , , Leave a comment

Today we want to serve up to you some news directly from Pastor & Mrs. Paul & Darla Brochu.

Why do I refer to them as “our Missionaries” in the title of this post? Many of you know the Brochus already, but for the benefit of any who may not, these are the missionaries whose shoes we will be trying to fill during their deputation travels in the United States. We have had the privilege of working with them in the past, enjoy an important friendship and look forward to carrying forward their vision during the time of our stay in Châtellerault, beginning in late-January.

 Focus on France is the title of their Partners in Missions newsletter.
You can also connect with them via their Focus on France FaceBook Page.

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Focus on France, UPCI Global Missionaries, Paul & Darla Brochu

Greetings, Partners and Friends !

As it pertains to the work of God, great, great things are happening in France and throughout Europe! What a privilege it is to be about God’s business in these last days. The darker the obscurity of this world, the brighter the Light of the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ!

Regional Evangelist George Craft, UPCISince hosting a group of young intercessors from Mission Point Church of Saint John, NB last summer, prayer walks and prayer drives have continued each week in and around Châtellerault with amazing results. We’ve had trained Apostolic help move in from other parts of France. We’ve had an increase in church attendance. We’ve made new contacts and have had several new Home Bible Studies. God is impacting these new attendees, and the local church has also been impacted in a very positive way. Please keep the work in Châtellerault in your prayers. Planting this church in the West of provincial France has been no small challenge!

Institut Biblique de France, epufrance.orgThe international work known as the “UPC of Paris Centre” is thriving, with 7 water baptisms since our last newsletter, and new ones receiving the Holy Ghost regularly. Our numbers there are also up with an average attendance of close to 70 people in our worship services. Currently limited to meeting just a few hours together on Sundays, we’re seeking a bigger place to rent that we can have throughout the week. Will you help us pray?

Thank you for the role you play in making all of this possible.
God bless you richly for your faithful support and prayers!

Euro Youth Convention, Melun, Chadwick King.

For more information on “our missionaries” you can click here.
Want to support “our missionaries” ? Click the “Support Us” link on this page.

The End of Deputation

December 3, 2014 By in Blog, Places Tags: , , 2 Comments

Well… at the risk of sounding grandiose, we have come to the end of an era! Sort of.

We are through running the roads of the Atlantic District for the purpose of raising awareness of, and support for, our AIM term in France.  This doesn’t mean that we’re at 100% of our budget yet, we are still accepting both one-time support as well as monthly Partner in Missions commitments, but it does mean that we will be home on weekends and better able to focus on the practical preparations involved in getting ready for departure.

Last Service – Temperance Vale, NB

Rev. & Mrs Terry Brewer, Atlantic District SuperintendentPerhaps it’s only fitting that our final service be in Temperance Vale, NB with our Atlantic District Superintendent and his wife. We drove up on Sunday afternoon, after having attended morning service at Mission Point and had no trouble finding the church, although we’d never been there before.

Besides being with the Brewers, I was also looking forward to being in Temperance Vale for another reason as well. Early on in my experience of Pentecost, Sis. Laura Priest would visit the church in Saint John periodically and Bro. Goddard would always have her sing.

What a lady!

There was something very appealing about her – without question the hand of God on her life after a lifetime in faithful service to God. United Pentecostal Church, Temperance Vale, New BrunswickI was a bit disappointed when I learned that she wouldn’t likely be there that night due to fragility and advancing age, but my spirits soon lifted again when her daughter Ann (also mother of our District Youth President, Bro. Paul Thornton) got up to lead worship. She looks so much like Sis. Priest and sang with just as much gusto!

Afterwards, we headed back to the Brewer’s home in Nackawic for a short bite to eat and a bit of fellowship before hitting the road home. The kids, too, enjoyed sweet moments of fellowship…. playing “Crossy Road” an iPad / iPod app by Hipster Whale (a.k.a modern youth fellowship). 🙂

Glad to be done

Although we’ll miss the opportunity to spend time visiting & fellowshipping with other pastors in the region, we are glad to now begin focusing a little bit more fully on preparations for our departure (storing some items, shipping others and preparing the house).  It has been tiring to travel and be away from the house pretty much every weekend (although full-time missionaries must do much more than we did and are to be commended).

Training Program @ Church

One of the other things that will be a focus of my attention this month is handing off responsibilities to various people who will be taking my place. Bro. & Sis. Mark Robertson (formerly of Miramichi, NB – although Mark is originally from Hatfield Point, NB) moved to the Port City on Sunday and have been spending their days unpacking and preparing. As the dust settles for them, I’ll begin attempting to get a lot of what I know out of my head and into Bro. Robertsons.

Pray for he and his wife as they makes the transition.

There will also be a couple of other individuals relieving me of some responsibility regarding the Pentecostal Messenger – the official publication of the Atlantic District, of which I’m the editor.  I will continue to do layout and editing of this 12-page paper, but will need others here on site in Saint John to handle the logistical details (picking up the finished papers, preparing the mailing and handling finances and subscriptions).

News from “our Missionaries”

I encourage you to come back on Saturday morning to read some good news of what God is currently doing in France through the hands & lives of “our missionaries”.

Thank you for your support on every level.
God bless & strengthen you today!

I Wonder…

November 29, 2014 By in Blog Tags: , Leave a comment

After a productive couple of days, I found myself – yesterday – sitting alone in the office for a few moments.  The white-noise machine was humming and there was nothing else but the rhythm of my pulse ringing in my ears and the clicking of the keyboard beneath my fingertips… the steady staccato interrupted periodically by the need to backspace or select & delete to correct an error or a misprint.

Many tasks had been scratched off of that day’s to-do list and as for the greater list… the one that’s still looming, well… there’s still work to be done. But for a few moments, the weight of that list was offset by the thoughts… the hopes… the dreams… the promises of what will begin two months from now.

I wonder…

  • Châtellerault, by Night, kiosque à musiqueI wonder what it will feel like when the plane touches down at Charles-de-Gaulle, knowing it’s not for a 2-week stay.
  • I wonder what it will feel like when the car exits the highway into Châtellerault for that first time.
  • I wonder what it will feel like to take an early morning walk down by the Vienne River, breathe in the musky air as the current ripples and bubbles its way downstream and pray over the city that God has called us to…
  • … to greet the boulanger (baker) or the caissière (sales clerk) at our local grocery store for the “Nth” time… to get to know their name and to somehow be both an example and conduit of God’s love.

I know that I have the opportunity to do that in the city where I live now, and I do. But this is my hometown. I didn’t choose it… I chose to stay. Our family will be in Châtellerault, not “by default” but by choice… God’s choice and our agreement with that choice.

(btw… that bandstand photo, that’s part of our city, Châtellerault… by night. Isn’t it beautiful!?)

…and I wonder!

I wonder… and I wonder. Oh the two words look the same, but put together in that short sentence, they don’t mean the same thing.

  • I wonder = I try to guess, to imagine… to conceive in my mind what it will be like.
  • …and I wonder = I’m a bit… no, let’s face it, a lot in awe of what we’re on the brink of. To think… that we get to be part of God’s great Kingdom and secondly, that we get to play such a part in it, through our involvement in Short-Term Missions… and I say like the Psalmist:

“What is man, that thou art mindful of him?“
Psalm 8.4

It’s like that song that Jason Crabbe sings… “Who Am I?”

.

Enjoy your day today.

Whoever you are and wherever you are reading me from … know that you are important enough for a “King to come and die for.”  For that very reason… be conscious – today – of what you do by default and what you do by choice for they are not the same, nor do they produce the same result.

You are too important to simply live by default.
Live by choice. Lead.

 

 

Almost done Running…

November 26, 2014 By in Blog Tags: , Leave a comment

Three things to give you an update on where things are at:

#1. Taymouth, NB

IMG_6028I’d like to give a huge shout-out to Pastor & Sis. Michael Trail of Nashwaak Valley Pentecostal Church… an absolutely BEAUTIFUL church located in Taymouth, NB, a community situated along the picturesque Nashwaak River.

Although I had met the Trails on a couple of occasions it was our first time to really spend time together (as has been the case with many of the pastors that we’ve connected with during our mini-deputation). What wonderful people!

We had the morning service together followed by a wonderful meal and a short Sunday afternoon nap – you know you feel at ease with folks when they let you take a nap and entertain (or are entertained by) the kids. After the evening service we drove back to Saint John (about a 1.5hr drive), arriving around midnight to 3 deer on our front lawn… quite perturbed that we’d interrupted their midnight snack on our shrubs!

#2. Breaking 70%

Not only was the building beautiful… the people were as well. They took up an offering for us and through their generosity, we were able to just break the 70% mark in our fundraising. Little by little we are getting there, but we still require the remaining 30% to be committed. Breaking it down, it would mean, for example:

– 30 donors* at $50/month  or
– 15 donors* at $100/month
* (Where donors could be individuals, groups or churches)

If you would like to financially support us during out time in France, please click here.

#3. Near Future Focus: KIDS

If anyone saw the blog post which mistakenly came through to your email box yesterday (AIMKids Missionary Moment on the Eiffel Tower)… you’ve already had a glimpse of something that coming “down the pipes”.

Prompted by an email exchange with Sis. Joni Owens, Children’s Pastor at New Life Center in Bridgeton Missouri (Rev. Garry Tracy is her pastor), I will soon be adding a section to the website focusing on kids. The goal is two-fold:

  1. Solicit targeted prayer for our kids while in France
  2. Provide tools for Sunday School & Youth workers to help grow a sensitivity to missions in the hearts & lives of kids / youth under their care, and to help them develop their own capacity to impact their part of the world.

… Like I said, I have been pulling those posts together for a launch through December and inadvertently published one yesterday by mistake.  I have since unpublished the post as it was not yet complete and I prefer to do a more thorough launch within a few weeks.

What I can tell you though, is that the tools will have a lot to do with Raising Children with a Global Vision; a blog post from earlier in November and which came out of a workshop at General Conference in St. Louis.

So…

My apologies for the mixup… keep an eye out for that focus area in a short time.
Shout out and Thank you to Sis. Owens for the great idea!

Prayer Focus

We are now pretty much down to the 2-month mark. Please keep us in your prayers… there’s lots to do in the coming weeks! This weekend… our last scheduled service will be in Temperancevale, NB with our District Superintendent, Rev. Terry Brewer.

Thank you for following!
God bless you today!

 

Afraid of Change

November 22, 2014 By in Blog Tags: , , , , 1 Comment

Some call it a fear, others a phobia. For some it’s a dilemma and for others, an outright disorder. But regardless of the setting… whether in the workplace, in relationships… even in personal style or habits, change is not easy!

Fear of the Unknown

I have stared change right in the face over the past two weeks and have survived to this point (we’ll see what tomorrow holds)… I updated the operating systems on both my iPhone and my MacBook Pro.

Don’t check-out just yet… I’ll get to the “meat” in a bit… I promise.

  • Why did I wait so long with my phone that the iOS went from 6.1 t0 8.1?
  • Why, on my MacBook, did I have to jump from Mountain Lion to Yosemite without even looking at Mavericks?

Because I dislike change. I’m uncomfortable with the unknown.

Have you ever heard the old classical musician’s quippy pun?
“If it’s not Baroque, don’t fix it!”  (word play on ‘broke’)

Dealing with Change, Afraid of Change, Uncertainty, Fog, Leap of FaithMy phone and laptop were working well enough for the most part, but then, in each case, there was an app that I wanted to use and was unable to because I’d so successfully resisted change. What if I did the update and it set off a domino effect, requiring me to update a never ending succession of programs and patterns?

Worst case scenario: Total system crash requires me to purchase new.
Definite scenario:  I might have to … ugh… learn to do things differently.

– and that takes time, which I don’t have enough of…
– and it takes effort, which I’d rather devote elsewhere…
– and it means accepting to become uncomfortable…

Dealing with Fear

Not only am I a Christian… I’m a pastor for heaven sake. So I am very familiar with the many times that Jesus commanded people to “Fear not!”, I’ve heard countless verses and messages that deal with putting things into the Lord’s hands and leaving them there, and I’m very familiar with Hebrews 11 that defines Faith as: the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

  • So why does fear still creep in from time to time?
  • Why will I avoid situations, actions or even people sometimes?

Because every day presents us with numerous opportunities to embrace change or to shrink back from it. Oh now I’m not just talking about updating an operating system… that’s just a lightweight example. This is the nitty gritty.

In short, I’d have to say that we don’t deal well with change because we’re still on the earthy side of heaven’s gate. You know, where weeds still grow in the garden and our flesh is not completely wiped out by our spiritual self. Our faith is still… being perfected.

Change-Related Stress

As I age I find I have less tolerance for change in general. Consequently, there are times when it amazes me that we are preparing to shove just about as much change into our life as can be imagined.

I did a quick tally on an interactive version of the Holmes & Rahe Stress Scale (try it out here) and scored 270. If you’re not familiar with the scale, the authors assign a numeric value to various life events, the combined total of which quantifies the level of stress that you are managing. It considers things like, in my case:

– Change of financial state
– Change of residence
– Change of responsibility at work

My 270 is not good. A score of 300+ generally indicates a high or very high risk of becoming ill in the near future and you must get below 150 to have a low risk.

Why on earth would someone who is increasingly averse to change consider willingly introducing so much change in their life?

Key to Embracing Change

I don’t know that you’ll be able to understand unless you experience it for yourself but in my mind the only reason that a sane person willingly introduces that much change in their life is that their minds are captivated by something that is worth much more than their personal comfort.

william barclayI call it being in the Will of God.

William Barclay put it this way:
“There are two great days in a person’s life; the day they are born and the day they understand why.”

When you know, beyond the shadow of a doubt that you are doing what you were created to do, it is much easier to embrace change and temporary discomfort.

That’s why we are preparing to leave a secure position in an established church, sell our house and move our family some 4,982km away to live in a new city, with a small church and depend on others for our livelihood.  Because we are in the will of God.

Expressing Faith

When momentary fear tries to raise its ugly head, we remind ourselves of this fact. We express, whether silently or outloud, that we trust the One who is trustworthy; the one who does all things well.

*God, I trust you for the big things…. and the little things too.*

Thank you for stopping by again today.
Be strong and courageous…. you’re in good hands!

French Evangelism Conference 2014

November 19, 2014 By in Blog, Events Tags: , 2 Comments

A weekend in “The Word” is what we had in the city of Montreal!  For that was the theme of the 2014 French Evangelism Conference (FEC) at the Église Pentecôtiste Unie de Saint-Laurent, pastored by Rev. Dieudonné Kahozi, under the oversight of Bishop Rev. Paul Graham.

Guest Speakers

Services began Thursday and ran until end-of-day Sunday. We were privileged to rub shoulders with fellow guest-speakers:

Justin MacKenzie, OneHalifax.com, Rev. David Sagil, UPCI Ministry of Jewish Relations, Valérie Agba, Arras, Dieudonné Kahozi, UPC Saint-Laurent

  • Rev. Justin MacKenzie
    (Lead Pastor of One Church in Halifax, NS)
  • Rev. Valérie Agba
    (Pastor of UPC Arras, France)
  • Rev. David Sagil
    (Pastor of New Hope Temple, Chicago, IL and North American Director for the UPC’s Ministry of Jewish Relations) and
  • Rev. Dieudonné Kahozi
    (Host Pastor)

This was the first time I’d heard Bro. Agba and Bro. MacKenzie minister (although I’ve known of both for quite some time).  Bro. MacKenzie was the youngest of the group, but I can tell you my esteem for him increased yet more: What a profound young minister!

Rev. David Sagil, UPCI Minsitry of Jewish Relations It was the second time that I’d heard Bro. Sagil minister and as I said to a couple… it was like trying to eat a steak with no bone, fat or gristle…. 100% pure meat!  Incredible. So appreciative to spend time with such high calibre men.

As for Bro. Kahozi… there’s no question. Friends for a long time, he is doing an incredible job there in Montreal. There were 534 in service on the Saturday night service. A record for any French meeting in North America. God is raising up a French church in that city!  All in all… 28 people were filled with the Holy Ghost and 18 were baptized in Jesus’ name.  AWESOME!!

Surprise Offering

Our kids are homeschooled using the DVD curriculum from Abeka Academy  requires that they use a laptop computer. The ones that they’ve been using are roughly 8-10 years old and just before we left for conference, one gave up the ghost completely. Hoping to buy a new one before leaving for France, the handknit scarveskids were selling scarves that they’d knitted a while back (they probably sold $200 worth this weekend alone).

Bro. Kahozi indicated that Friday night he’d do a promo of the scarf table to let people know what it was for. In addition to doing that however, he took up an offering solely for the kids’ computer need. Over $1,700 was collected and we will easily be able to replace both of the old laptops. Thank you Pastor Kahozi… what a blessing!

Church Growth: a daughter work

Meubles Hochalaga, Église Pentecôtiste Unie de Montréal Est, 8729 Hochelaga MontrealSunday morning we attended one of Saint-Laurent’s daughter works… Église Pentecôtiste Unie de Montréal Est. I’d been there several times but it was a first for Liz and the kids.

They meet in the old Meubles Hochelaga building: nicely done inside, but they have yet to change the signage. It’s a young church with young teenagers playing music and twenty-somethings doing just about everything else. That morning 2 young people were filled with the Holy Ghost for the first time – after having attended for only about 3 weeks.

New European Citizens

IMG_5832Our main task for Monday was to visit Montreal’s Italian Consulate to get the kids’ passports.

Oh they do have Canadian passports already, but because Liz is an Italian citizen by birth and since, upon their births, the kids were registered at the consulate; obtaining Italian passports is simply a question of paperwork, which Liz had done in advance. We only had to show up with photos, sign some “autographs” and wait. In fact we were in and out in less than an hour… passports in hand.

Then, we celebrated with chocolate covered waffles at Suite 88 Chocolatier on de Maisonneuve. o. my. goodness.

Back to work

As I write this… my head is still somewhat in the cloud given that we spent just over 10hrs on the road, driving back. Just under two months to go and there’s still a lot to prepare. We appreciate your prayers for the sale of the house – and other preparations.

We’re excited about what God is going to do!