Category Archives: AIM – Missions

A Living Christmas Tree… literally!

November 28, 2015 By in Blog, Places Tags: , , Leave a comment

Downtown Paris was eerily quiet…

Last Sunday in Paris

Eiffel Tower, Carrousel, Trocadero, Paris

Although I shared some photos with you, earlier in the week, I didn’t talk too much about the day.

I caught a 6:41am train in order to be in Paris for morning service. Arriving around 8:30, I took advantage of the beautiful sunny morning to walk to church. As I walked, I prayed: Prayed for the service that would soon begin and prayed for this city… recently brought to its knees and still recovering.

Service went well. There were probably about 60 people and though they said that there were a lot missing, when you’re used to a “home-missions-sized” crowd… 60 is a full house!

Ambassadors

I spoke on the apostle Paul as an ambassador. God said of Paul that he was a “chosen vessel”, chosen to bear the name of Jesus (Ac.9).  Just like Paul, each born again Christian, is a chosen vessel… chosen to bear the name of Jesus to the world around us. If ever a city was in need of such ambassadors… Paris, in November 2015, is such a place. Lord help us to appropriately bear your name… bringing hope.

After Church…

Following service I had lunch onsite, had coffee & dessert downtown with one of the church families then spent 4-5 hours walking. I wanted to pick up a few things for Christmas and I wanted to continue to spend time praying in the city… connecting, feeling…

Five things I learned or noted:

1. Downtown hotels are eerily empty (with some at 35-40% capacity).
2. Streets are pretty empty
3. Security personnel are EVERYWHERE… and heavily armed.
4. There were crowds at Paris’ Christmas Market, otherwise…
5. Pre-Christmas retail sales were down 30% last week & 17% this week

People have been affected by the attacks! I’m glad we know the peace-giver.

.

Beginning to look a lot like…

Châtellerault, Pont Henri IV, La Vienne, Chateauneuf, Noël

While many of you celebrated US Thanksgiving this week, here it’s beginning to look like Christmas (The Thanksgiving holiday isn’t celebrated here).

City crews in Châtellerault have been putting up lights for weeks already, but this was the first week that we saw them lit up. Here you can see some located just on the far end of the Henry IVth bridge.

Speaking of Christmas…

Christmas Tree, Sapin de Noël, Jardiland, Châtellerault, 2015

We picked up our Christmas Tree this week.

It’s the first time in a long while that we’ve gone out and bought one, having caved in a few years ago and gotten a fake one back home. We’d actually gone out to pick up a few trays of pansies (a common source of colour in winter gardens here) when I saw that trees had arrived at the local Jardiland.

Timo & decided compromised between cost and eco-friendliness: for the first time ever, we have a living Christmas tree (it’s in a pot and can be planted outside after Christmas… how cool is that!?).

Reality Check: I think a good church fundraiser might be to plant Christmas trees on our huge property, then in 10 years or so, we can sell ’em!  A 6-foot tree like we’d typically get back home runs for 75 euros ($105 CAD or $79USD)… this little guy was no where near that amount.  Good heavens!

Outreach

PrayforParis, Châtellerault, UPCI, Église, pentecôtiste

Our printed cards arrived this week which means that we’ll be able to begin handing them out in the next couple of days. The idea is to “strike while the iron is hot” so to speak… to get these into people’s hands while everything is still fresh.

The cards simply give people 3 verses to contemplate as they mourn the attacks and question the uncertainty of the days in which we live. It also gives them the church’s Facebook and web pages should any want to connect with us afterwards: This is the goal. Pray with us that these make their way to people who need a touch from God and are hungry for Him.

That’s all for today

If you missed the gallery of pictures that I posted earlier this week, you can see it here.
Thank you for praying and giving financially… your support is causing growth in France.

If you’re in the Atlantic District… look for an article written by Sophie, Dominic & Timo for the November issue of the Pentecostal Messenger (for those not in the Atlantic District, I’ll be posting it here in the next few weeks).

If you’re in need of Christmas gift ideas and are reading from Saint John… our home church, Mission Point (130 Mark Drive), is having their annual Christmas Craft Fair: 28 tables of crafts, home baking, preserves, etc….

God bless you today, now go be an Ambassador!

 

Day in Paris: Photos

November 23, 2015 By in Blog, Places Tags: 1 Comment

Thank you for all of you who were praying about my day in Paris yesterday, it went well. I’ll relay more details in Saturday’s post but I wanted to share more photos than I typically do.

If you know someone who loves Paris, longs to go or longs to go BACK…
share this gallery with them.

(NOTE: click on any photo to enlarge)

Morning walk to church, Ivry-sur-Seine
Industry along the Seine River, Ivry-sur-Seine on my walk to church
Worship Practise – Paris Centre
“Paris needs Ambassadors… to bear HIS name”
Crowds at Paris’ Christmas Market on the Champs Élysées
Roof of the Grand Palais
Dior Clothing Store at Christmas
Seen from a distance…
Sunset over the Seine
Getting wet feet to get a great shot of the Eiffel Tower
Spinning Carousel and the Eiffel Tower
Eiffel Tower and a spinning Carousel
Christmas decorations – Carrousel du Louvre

 

Many of you have already seen the kids’ evangelism ressource below,
but just in case some haven’t…
5 ways that we can all be like the Eiffel Tower and be a witness for God

Also… want to know more about what the Lord is doing in France on a regular basis?
Subscribe to this blog

Paris Tomorrow

November 21, 2015 By in Churches, Events Tags: , 2 Comments

Oh the difference a week can make!

France has been the highlight of so much attention over the past week and many, many, many of you have contacted us to say that you are praying: for us, for our church and for this country…

Thank you!

#ParisAttacks & Tribute

Although I was in Melun last weekend (50km from Paris), we live 350km away. Nonetheless, the entire nation has been affected and it’s been a little surreal to live here at this time.

La Mairie, Châtellerault, #PrayforParis, hommageEven in our quiet provincial town of 35,ooo, within hours of the attacks, people began bringing flowers, notes of tribute and lighting candles on the steps of La Mairie (City Hall) in memory of the victims.#ParisAttacks, Châtellerault, la France, Prière, #PrayforFrance

It was moving to walk by there on Sunday afternoon and see a steady flow of people, of all ages, making their contribution to the makeshift memorial… pausing to read and contemplate others’ contributions. This was part of mourning… part of grieving.

One thing that struck me was that, far removed from English-dominated world of social media or internet news, the English hashtag #PrayforParis would find its way onto handwritten notes on the steps of our city hall (English is not as common here as in larger centers). For the French to so openly evoke prayer is no small thing.

“Strike while the iron is hot”

PrayforParis, Châtellerault, UPCI, Église, pentecôtisteGiven the use of #PrayforParis… throughout the country, we’ve developed an outreach tool that we plan to use within the next two weeks.

It’s simply an oversized business card showing the Eiffel Tower and Châtellerault’s Henry IVth bridge. On the back it has 3 verses to communicate Christ’s care and purpose for us… even in the midst of troublesome times.

This will be a bold undertaking for our little church. Please join us in prayer.

Connecting Kids

Kids everywhere are aware of events in Paris this week. Would you like a ready-made, 5-min object lesson to connect kids & youth to their own missions potential?

Discover
5 ways that each of us can be like the Eiffel Tower
by clicking here!
.

Mission Conference at Home

Last night our home church in Saint John kicked off their annual World Missions Conference with guest speakers Raymond Woodward, Jack Leaman and Allan Calhoun.

This is the first time in 18 years that we won’t be at Missions Conference. Given our love for missions, this was always a highlight. What’s more… Bros. Woodward and Leaman were on staff in the Saint John church when Liz & I began attending back in the late 1990’s. I take comfort in the fact that, in one way, we’re closer to missions now than we ever were!

Paris Tomorrow

Eiffel Tower, Tour EiffelTomorrow I will be rising early and boarding a train for Paris where I will be speaking at the church in Paris-Centre (the other church over which Bro. Brochu has responsibility), I’ve been there before. In Bro. Brochu’s absence it has been pastored by fellow AIMers Dean & Loreen Byfield, who’ve been doing an excellent job!  Glad to go back there tomorrow.

Pray for traveling safety and for a powerful move of God in service there as well as in Châtellerault.

It will be unique to be back in the capital one week after the attacks, but I look forward to it.  As the song says… “You’re the God of this city”

Finally

Thank you for visiting today… let what you read inform your prayers for us and for France.
God bless you today!

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!