| Thank you so much for your prayers for the 4 weeks of construction work at our school. The second EuroTeam group leaves tomorrow. In the wake of the two teams is a transformation that's well on its way, but still has a long way to go before being ready for September. My own estimate is that the project is about 2/3 done. It's been a joy to have the energy and diversity of two different teams here working throughout the month of June. Angela and connected a bit more with the first group as the leader didn't speak French and the experience was new for all of us. The second team has a team leader who speaks French and the routine of the first two weeks carries forward. Additionally, we had the end of the year school festival that occupied us quite a bit. The first team blogged about their experience, including some photos here: http://teamfrance2009.blogspot.com/ The first team also had a few folks who want to be "career missionaries" so we had some really good time talking with them and answering a whole range of questions. Our missionary odyssey is 10-years-old now so we're starting to have a few things to hand on to those coming after us. Thank you Lord! |
- Construction - The remaining 1/3 of construction needs to be ready for September...don't really know how that is going to get done and by whom. Please join us in asking our Father for His solution and His intervention to complete the project of classroom construction and prepare the students and teachers who will fill those rooms this fall.
- Worship - "Summer worship" has started! It's been on the hearts of many among us that some sort of regular prayer and worship (that is not necessarily a "meeting") be established now. It's clearly to be the building block of something much larger (house of prayer? school of worship?) but the point right now is to establish some regular times each week. Our dear friends Rusty and Janet Richards (living in our community from mid-June to mid-September...yea!!!) have already begun this week. I see this as an evolution of what I did the last two summers. We'd like to keep something going after summer ends though. Next week I plan to take the week "off" and concentrate on family and on spending time in worship. Please pray that Angela and I find the right rhythm for our participation in this initiative. Pray also that more and more people would catch some aspect of a vision to participate in purposefully establishing God's presence in worship (Psalm 22:3) in our community.
- Health - My levels of energy have been much more stable as of late and I feel that I can correlate most of my "valleys" with layers of stress. This gives me more insight into things that God is putting His finger on in my life. Angela is still searching for solutions for migraines and general fatigue. Health details become tiring even to talk about over and over. So, suffice to say, please continue to pray for our health and for enlightenment as to what is going on in our bodies right now.
- Direction - Angela is also taking a step back right now from various responsibilities to seek exactly what God would have her be about, both immediately and farther in the future. Her health certainly plays a role in this as do her relationships, both horizontally and vertically. It seems to be a time of adjustment and seeking. Angela and I are both, by nature, task-oriented. Times of waiting and not knowing what we're about are difficult for us, though we know that God is working something in us through it. Please pray for a peace for Angela to wait on the Lord and the light of transforming revelation to go to a new level in God.
- Discipleship - One of my IT clients has some significant IT needs to organize his business. I'm not in a position to give him all he needs right now. There is a young man in our fellowship who has just completed first year of IT studies at university. He needed a 3-month internship so I hooked them up together and we started 2 days ago. I'll be guiding Samuel (the intern) in implementing the tools necessary for my client. I'm really looking forward to this opportunity to work with him and to give to another generation many of things I've learned. My client is a Christian and has a desire that in growing his business, he can give opportunities to brothers and sisters in the Lord at the same time as he serves his clients. Please pray for joyful wisdom (Proverbs 8:22-31) as I help guide Samuel and help establish the infrastructure of this business.
- Establishing - Yes, we're here for the long term. Yes we have the right to work and to any number of things. Establishing a "business" has been done thanks to relaxed bureaucratic rules that went into place in January. BUT...we've still got a few other hurdles to jump over to really have it all in place (taxes, social security, etc.) The number of organizations with which we've got to be rightly related is mind-boggling at the moment and we're still not all there. It's becoming quite a burden for me and I have the feeling that there is a need for another bureaucratic breakthrough to see us fully rooted here. Please pray for more "joyful wisdom" and perseverance to break through the fog of French bureaucracy for our tax and social security situation.
- Reinforcements - I mentioned Rusty and Janet Richards joining us for 3 months. They will be giving a seminar at the end of July at church in addition to helping out in worship and other ways. This is a time of spying out the land for them before they return for another year of training at Bethel Church in Redding, California. They hope to return next year to be established permanently in Europe and probably among us specifically. This fall, another lady, Alana Smith, will be coming for 3 months as well to serve and live among us. She just finished language school in Paris and is looking to be established permanently somewhere in France. Both Alana and the Richards will need immigration direction and provision. We see them both as answers to our prayers to send reinforcements to Europe for the work of His Kingdom. Both Alana and the Richards are very "catalytic" people. Their activity won't be in isolation, touching only a small amount of people. They will facilitate the Lord's work in many different ways. Please pray for their path to be laid out for them with respect to immigration and for their provision. Pray also a peace and grace on their hearts for living in Europe and a specific grace for learning French.
- Summer purpose - School is out and our children need a purpose in life ;-) Please pray that we would be able to give them the direction they need for a summer filled with purpose.
- Hippo birdie two ewes - to our dear Rachel on the 10th of July...the 20th anniversary of her delightful arrival on this terrestrial ball. What a full and wonderful 20 years they've been. Pray the Lord's rich blessings on her life and her relationship with Him. Happy Birthday darling!!!!
Until next month,
David |