Welcome to the last week of September. This is the place where I distill “the week that was” … making sense of it in my mind and sharing it with those who follow our story on a regular basis. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Châtellerault
Building God’s Race
As I sit here to write you this morning, I have a hot chocolate sitting beside me (mornings are getting cooler), Sophie has just returned from walking Pollux, the boys are still “cocooning” (after a week of a 6:30 “rise-&-shine time”), Liz is doing the same and the chickens are emerging from their coop to spend the day roaming about the yard. Continue reading
Happy Birthday Sophie!
Today is another Bible School Saturday (last one before summer break) so I’m there this morning and will travel back home this afternoon. Looking back on the week that was… we celebrated another birthday… that of our first-born, Sophie, and we did so… in the tree-tops!
Happy Birthday Dominic!
Got to have coffee with this guy yesterday morning… just a bit of exclusive time out together (of the non-punitive persuasion)… he’s the real-deal! Continue reading
France under Water!
Several months ago, we were able to baptize Danielle in Jesus’ name for the remission of sins (Acts 2.38) and Sunday she was able to be with us in service for the first time!
A Living Christmas Tree… literally!
Downtown Paris was eerily quiet…
Last Sunday in 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.
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Beginning to look a lot like…
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…
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
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!
Paris Tomorrow
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.
Even 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.
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”
Given 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!
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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
Tomorrow 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!
Sunday School Sings
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.
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!
From Paris to Châtellerault
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
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:
<
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
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
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.
Busyness to Madness
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
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!
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.
AIM Long 