In order to keep us covered in prayer, David posts a "Prayer Bulletin" every month with praises and requests. If you feel called to support us in this vital way, use the form below to have it sent directly to your inbox. Archives are included to testify of God's faithfulness!
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Leigh Family Prayer Bulletin - September 2005

Life takes on a new rhythm...

Vroom... Vroom... Here comes the year!

(Kizzy contemplates the coming year...)

Thanks!

Thank you for praying for our finances! God has brought us into a place where we can breathe more normally. We had a bunch of non-regular big bills come all at once and we ended up about 1,500 euros in the hole with no particular relief in sight! Thankfully, after being in this situation several weeks, we recently received several large non-regular big gifts came in too. God knows what He's doing!

This testing time had, I believe, at least two desirable effects:

  • Kept us in more constant contact with God
  • Kept us from saying yes to a few things on our schedule that would undermine some of God's other purposes for us this year.
God certainly uses finances as a powerful tool to align our hearts and actions more closely to His will.

I took our car to the annual YWAM conference near Paris. This was a 5-hour drive each way and I really didn't know if our car would do fine or not and the train was looking too expensive and complicated and there was no one from our area going there. So finally, I just went, and God blessed the trip. The car, which still needs some kind of significant repair, performed fine and the conference was a good time of re-connecting and further establishment of us in YWAM France. A definite blessing!

On the house front, we were able to make some small constructive progress during August. Now that school has started that will go a bit more slowly.

Please Pray...

As we start the school year all 5 of us have challenges ahead of us. School began yesterday and we have a bit of a tendency to react like our cat Kizzy at the left...a bit of incredulity as the school pace overtakes us!

I'd like to lay our prayer requests out for the school year by member of the family:
  • Olivia: Olivia probably has the least challenging year academically. for her, however, we have another concern. Sometimes she seems to have it "all together" and sometimes she seems to ready to "throw in the towel" spiritually. She's at that age where she can really begin to touch the Lord in a personal way and not just the faith of her parents. Pray for her spiritual growth this year. She needs a personal encounter with God to overcome her doubts.
  • Noah: Noah is making a big academic leap into middle school this year. He's looking forward to being challenged more in areas like science and math (where he excels) but he's concerned about other subjects...notably French! He will also have German this year and while he's still trying to get French under his belt, it could be a challenge for him. Yesterday, he complained that he could not hear very well in the classroom. Not the best environmental factor for learning. Please pray for his attitude: that he would be encouraged and hopeful about this year and not discouraged and doubtful. Pray also for his relationship with his teachers that he would open up to them and they would reach out to him.
  • Rachel: Rachel is also embarking on a significant change. To prepare her for an American curriculum that she will have next year at an academy that we plan to send her to in Germany, she is taking correspondence courses via the Internet at home this year. This will be a year to fill in some holes in her education and make the switch from the French to the American system. She will be much more self-directed and independent...also good preparation for next year when she will live away from home. Please pray for a diligent spirit in her to persevere even when she has no teacher directing her schedule. Pray for wisdom in her time-management. Finally, as she's at home most of the time, pray for new depth of relationship for Angela and me with her. We look forward to this "last year" at home and how we can sow into each other's lives.
  • Angela: Angela has some ambitious projects ahead of her this year. In addition to the introduction to English that she taught last year, she will also be teaching music to K-2nd grade. This was pretty unexpected but when the regular music teacher announced she was too busy to do all age groups, Angela was asked and she said she would. This will be a stretch for her, but we're all stretching this year so she's in good company. Pray for her time-management. Pray for her French as she has to do the music in all in French unlike the English class! Pray for her heart connection with these children. Pray for lesson inspiration that comes directly from heaven!
  • David: As I mentioned in the last newsletter, I felt that God was nudging me to step out and specifically teach on the subject of "worship" to the junior high-ers. My heart's desire is to really multiply the number of worshipers of God and the amount of worship here in Alsace and to prepare this generation to really enter into their God-given destiny. I have officially said I'll do this worship workshop (2 hours every 2 weeks). Now we wait and see what kids sign up. This is a big stretch for me as I know that teaching is a big part of what God wants me to do but I'm very inexperienced with lesson preparation and presentation to kids (I'm used to adults). Please pray for my lesson preparation. Pray that I would go beyond myself in creativity. Pray that my heart would be knit to these kids' hearts. Pray that the right kids would sign up.

Until next month!

David