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Well, summer is practically over for us (back to school in 2 days). It was marked by several things for which you all prayed. A resume of the high points/prayer points:
- Family time - Each weekday morning, we gathered as a family to read The Final Quest by Rick Joyner
 and Praying the Bible by Wes and Stacey Campbell. This was some of the sweetest time we've ever spent as a family and the last prolonged time we will have with all 5 of us together. Very rich!
- In the afternoons, I was at school working on configuring a new server for our computer network. I did not succeed in getting it in place for the beginning of the school year, but I made huge progress in my understanding of the technologies involved and plan to continue the work and implement the changes at the end of October during the first big school break.
- I led a 1-hour worship/intercession time at church 3x/week. Because the French take their summer vacations seriously, I was often alone or just with 1 or 2. But the goal was to fill that void with prayer and worship for coming school year, and we had some very memorable moments in the presence of the Lord! Rachel and Angela joined me the last couple of weeks, helping to inject some extra "punch" into the group prayer along the lines of what we learned in the Praying the Bible book. Excellent! I also see this as planting seeds for a "house of prayer" in the future.
- Intercession walk - A great time for Rachel and I to participate in group intercession for France and Switzerland. My full writeup can be seen in my blog here.
- Annual YWAM France Staff Conference - a very significant 3 days. Olivia and I had a wonderful time, as the conference took place where we lived 3 years ago, (Valence, France) allowing Olivia to be reunited with her old school friends. I was able to deepen several relationships with other YWAMers that I don't see on a regular basis. Our guest speaker was Roger Mitchell this year. He is perhaps not well known in the US, but in Europe his role is important in helping the Body of Christ align itself with the purposes of God during this season and understanding issues in the history of the Church which need to be addressed. His word for YWAM France was timely and I believe, and hope, very well received. I think this will mark an important transition for YWAM France.
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- Trier Germany - Angela and I will be participating in a worship/intercession time in Trier, Germany, Sept. 6-9. Trier is celebrating its connection with the Emperor Constantine this year. As Constantine ushered in some very damaging things to the Church, we are going to participate in a worship event where God is lifted up, not the spirit of Empire. Please pray for our travel safety, our time together as a couple in a worship/intercession action, our connection with others there and the kids, who will be staying with friends.
- Worship/Intercession sessions at church - Now is the time to change to a school-year schedule and hopefully integrate other people. I still see this as foundation-laying activity that needs to deepen during this season of "enlarging the space of our tents." Please pray for a wise decision of what our involvement needs to be and for the right additional people to join in.
- Technology Work - Postponing the change of the server until October took some pressure off, but I still need to progress in that area and now I still need to deal with the daily issues of the computers and the network. I hope to create more of a volunteer team to help with more things this year. Please pray for continuing ability to learn and implement new things and for the creation of a committed team.
- Health - Both Angela (headaches, body aches) and I (body aches, left knee and general weakness) are in need of God's intervention. I know that there are issues of fear (i.e. we can have fear about committing to various activities because of not knowing how we'll feel, etc.) and leaning on the Lord in all circumstances and letting His strength flow through us instead of our own strength. On the other hand, we're not into letting the enemy use us as his doormat either! Please pray for our strength to stand together in the things that God has called us to.
- Church Steps of Faith - Come October, our church will begin paying rent on an additional building. It is an answer to prayer, but as with most answers to prayer, it brings need for more prayer (which is, ideally, how we stay in a place of prayer!) It is also a big step of faith, as we will need lots of additional finances and manpower to finish the interior. Our desire is to see this building used as a tool by the Lord to touch the community in various ways and hopefully with a broad cross-section of the Body of Christ. If the name of our church was never associated directly with it, we'd be thrilled! We desire this to be God's space. Please pray for the God-ordained connections for the work and finances so that He would get the glory, and that the Kingdom of God would be built, not buildings!
- Back to School - Rachel was so excited about returning to the same school for the first time in her life, and she just finished her first week of classes at Black Forest Academy. We start Monday, with our roles very similar to last year. Please pray for: Olivia's 1st year in middle school and the associated adjustments; Noah's year - that it would be a positive one...especially in the class ambiance after last year's very difficult one; Rachel, who desires deeply to make an impact for the Lord as a senior ; Strength for Angela for teaching; Wisdom for me for necessary technology evolutions; Inspiration for us both to help kids learn how to come into the presence of God.
See you in a month!
David
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