Leigh Family Prayer Bulletin - May 2006

Feedback...

Well...it's out early this month as a sort of "make-up" for February and March!

Really though, we have some dear friends coming to stay the weekend tomorrow and I wanted to clear my plate a bit for them.

• Health - Good news for Olivia's teeth. We finally got a bad tooth pulled and the dentist change has been very positive. This pleases both Olivia and Angela who had to battle with a very resistant Olivia for these visits!
  
  I was to have my final cardiology test on the 20th. I called the clinic in a neighboring town to confirm and get directions and they had no record of me on the list and said not to come. I called back my cardiologist the next day and they said that the clinic didn't handle their appointment list. So I had missed my appointment. This just adds to my frustration of sometimes feeling "ok", often having difficult-to-describe sensations and feeling weak and having pretty inconvenient health insurance. I battle with faith for awhile, then get "punched" and have to get my self back up again to battle some more. I will say that it's a good time of learning for me!
• Immigration - The person who was doing research for us finally responded and indicated that with our current situation, we couldn't really contest the immigration decision for the specific request we made. He gave us some other possible avenues to explore which generated more questions in me (all dialog via e-mail). I sent these questions back and have not heard from him yet. I will be hopefully spending time with some folks at our church to go over his recommendations and see where we go from here. Not terribly encouraging but not conclusive yet either.
• Worship Workshop - Well I had the first worship workshop session. One of the 6 students was absent so the class was missing a bit of the "bang" of enough people. It went well from the perspective of presentation, though I can't say that I had 5 "obviously motivated" kid who were eating out of my hand! ;c) I did, however, have honest responses and for that I'm particularly thankful as the journey of learning to worship is nothing if not a journey of learning how to come with honest and open hearts before our God.
  
  We've been on school vacation and that has been a time where I could work on preparing the next two workshop sessions. That's been a personal battle of motivation and time-management but I have succeeded and preparing at least 2 of the remaining 4 sessions and have simmering ideas for the last 2. God is faithful!
• Ministry - I had been asked to lead worship at a weekend seminar of the "International Christian Chamber of Commerce" in Colmar. I barely knew the guy who contacted me and don't know a whole lot about the ICCC other than in principle, I like what they are about. My impression, however, was that the local group was not quite as dynamic as the vision of the ICCC internationally. I went not really knowing what to expect and asking God to make His purposes manifest for the weekend. He did! While there I met a Christian Banker that two different people had recently encouraged me to meet and spent some time getting to know him a bit. It turns out that he recently has started attending our church as well. I also strengthened the relationship with the guy who had invited me and I look forward to working with them in the future. God is good!
  
  We had a beautiful moment of "serendipity" for leading worship last Sunday at church. It was a weekend in the middle of a 2-week school vacation so there were several folks missing, including all our keyboard players. Normally when we're "up" on the list to lead, we fill the holes with the youth worship band. Well it looked like all the melody was going to be coming from my guitar and we'd have a bit of percussion rhythm too. We decided to go over as a family on Saturday and I'd use the time to "disciple" the rest of the family on setting up the equipment and how the sound board worked, etc. That went well and helped us get set up. The next morning (Sunday), we got there early and it was obvious that the worship team was going to be the Leigh Family. In the end, Olivia didn't play or sing, but while we rehearsed she sang some and played a bit of piano.
  
  Rachel has been wanting to learn to play the drum set for some time now but we've not really been able to make it happen. She's quite good with a djembe but the 4-limb action of a drum set is something a bit different. Well she's got great rhythm and music "feel"...more so than anyone else in the family at a natural level. So I showed her some beats she could do for some songs and we rehearsed with her on the drums for a couple of songs. During the service she actually played drum set for a few songs...in addition to djembe and violin duty. Noah played djembe and Angela added harmonica on one song. On that song we had Angela on harmonica, Rachel on violin, Noah on djembe and me with guitar and singing. While we've orchestrated a few times very specific roles for our kids in worship times, this was really the first taste of "full family participation" in worship for me and it was such a huge blessing! I'm really looking forward to future developments in this area!
• Establishing - As I mentioned last month, I've been considering what it means to be "established" here as opposed to seeking a particular immigration status so that we can live our little lives in peace where we darn well feel like it. To that end, as I mentioned, I've met this Christian Banker, who may play a key role in financing "Kingdom projects", in which I hope we can play a part. Additionally, yesterday, the Christian Architect that I mentioned last month came over and did house measurements and we started the process of how we can make our one big asset more than a passive investment, but a tool for these aforementioned "Kingdom projects". I'm also working on establishing a "council" of men who will meet with me on a regular basis to pray with us and for us and to counsel us on the various aspects of being "established" here to bring God's Kingdom presence in the various areas of life that he is calling us to.
  
  It feels like a battle whereby, in arriving here, we "won a hill", but now we're changing our strategy from "winning a hill", to "establishing an outpost". Now we begin to look towards the long-term and plan for how we can do more than just "huddle in our foxhole" but establish a stronghold here for the Kingdom of God.

Please Pray...

• Family - In my desire to get us on financial footing that's more firm, I've been focusing on "the big bills" and getting them smoothed out with monthly plans. In all my focus, however, I've neglected setting aside for marriage focus time. In addition, I've not neglected more ministry oriented excursions. Needless to say, I need to work on my balance!
  
  Please pray that I'll re-find my relational balance and that we can find some creative ways to sow into our marriage while I work on setting some funds aside for a real, live marriage week-end.
  
• Friends - As I mentioned our friends are coming tomorrow. They are an American family who we served with in the UK and remain very dear to us. Due to health problems they are returning to the US after nearly 7 years abroad. We're looking forward to this weekend but we want to really be available to "love on 'em" too as they work on closure during this time and transition as a family back to the US.
  
  Pray that we would be sensitive to their needs and really be able to connect with them on a heart level to be a catalyst for whatever God is doing in their hearts.
  
• Health - Next visit for David is May 18th to have his (re-scheduled) final cardiology test.
  
  Still having trouble finding an eye doctor for an exam for Rachel and David.
  
  Please "prophesy" with me over our "dry bones" that they would live and join God's "exceedingly great army" (Ez 37:10) as in-shape soldiers!
  
• Worship Workshop - I have 2 sessions this month and need to continue to prepare for the 2 sessions in June. This month, they are Friday, May 5th and Friday, May 19th...both at 2:30pm our time for 2 hours. The first session will be on using an array of percussion instruments to worship God but to also represent our identity and the identity of others as we come before the Throne. It's as much a meditation on the issue of identity (huge in Junior High kids) and the Body of Christ as it is in worship. The second session will be on using Creation as a catalyst for our worship and teaching us about God.
  
  Pray for creativity! Pray for receptive hearts! Pray for the 6 kids: Claire, Mélodie, Naoumaï, Amandine, Myriam and Adrien!
  
• Establishing - I hope to move forward in the establishing of our "council" this month as well as learning what concrete steps are needed to move forward in investing our house in "Kingdom projects". At this point, it is more relationship building, and defining the goals and possibilities.
  
  Pray for God's wisdom and guidance and real ability to see His Vision for this "hill" we've taken. Pray for relationship depth that will allow God to manifest His Purposes through His People.
  
• Ministry - Next Friday begins a long weekend to which I've been looking forward for a long time. A year ago in April, I met with Martin Scott in England to discuss the possibility of him coming to our area with a team to begin a catalytic work of training the Body of Christ in how to come together for their region to manifest God's Kingdom. He and Steve Lowton came for a short but very sweet visit last June and from that we've been planning the next step. The next step happens May 4-8th when Martin brings a team of 10 from the UK to join with us here to learn how to intercede for the land that God has put in our hands. I'm really looking forward to this weekend...but it's a FULL one...with plenty of personal life going on at the same time! ;c)
  
  Pray for safety and health for all those traveling from the UK and various parts of France. Pray for relationship connections that are of lasting quality. Pray for Anglo/French reconciliation. Pray for the translation efforts; the food efforts; the logistical efforts; the worship efforts. Pray for a new perspective on how to view the work of God's Kingdom. For our family pray for the difficult logistics of a weekend where we need to be many places at once!
  
• Youth - The weekend of May 19th, I join Rachel and the youth worship team at church in a short excursion down to a church in Switzerland. This church has a strong worship ministry and a desire to disciple youth. They've invited our youth worship team to come down for a time of sharing and input to the lives of our youthful musicians (us 4 adults going are looking forward to it too!).
  
  Pray for traveling safety. Pray for open hearts to receive. Pray for strong relational connections that can be developed in the future...between individuals but also between our churches. Pray for those organizing our time down there.
  
• France - Thank you for praying for this country. The government has responded to the protests by repealing the "First Employment Contract" (CPE) law and working on another solution. While we may wonder at the message of "protest = results", a government that seeks to create a just situation and to listen to its citizens and to help the rising generation and those in a disadvantaged state take their place in society is always a good thing...as is the cessation of violent protesting. So we're at a point of truce now.
  
  Pray for wisdom for the government to act justly and Godly direction for the rising generation in France...because our Lord wants them!

David