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I want to start out this month with some "Thank yous!". First of all to God who answers prayer and then to you all who pray the prayers that He answers. It's very much appreciated and I can see the partnership that God desires between Him and us for bringing His Kingdom here on earth.
Here are some of the prayer answers we've recently experienced: Our health is strong right now. Angela and I have found wonderful agreement about our future and you've read some about some of it in Angela's update the other day. The time of teaching and leading a time of intercession that I did in the School of Reconciliation went very well. Angela's residence permit finally came without any trouble (other than the delay). We're now working on preparing the paperwork necessary to see if there are any benefit that we qualify for. Angela is also working on getting her Colorado driver's license replaced with a French one. The conference in Brussels about African-European reconciliation was wonderful and very eye-opening and "heart-opening" for me and important for Europe and Africa.
It's good to remember God's faithfulness to us!
And now on to prayer "assignments" for March...
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- Slavery-Colonialism Theme - This week at the School of Reconciliation the topic/theme is "Slavery and Colonialism". Our speakers are a husband-wife team where the husband is from Cameroon and the wife from Martinique. They are uniquely qualified to treat this combined subject as they have grown up in countries where they have lived the long-term effects that colonialism and slavery, respectively, have had on the people and the land. This is a huge issue in the world and represents strongholds of the enemy that have been particularly effective and devastating. For this reason, we are asking for specific prayer coverage for the 1st week of March as we shine a light in a very dark area of sin and injustice in the world's history. Pray for the staff, students, speakers (Paul and Monette Tapa), and seminar participants from outside the school. We will all need strength to really address these issues and see their effects in our lives and in others. Those of our company whose ancestors, in particular, were victims of slavery and colonialism will need special prayer too as they carry the collective memories of what their ancestors have suffered and they can still feel the same rejection today as blacks in a white, European society.
- Relationships in the School of Reconciliation - The Lord has been showing us, as a school, that we need to work in the areas of relationships and true commitment to one another as an expression of the Body of Christ...a healthy and whole body. Pray for us to be able to really "go the distance" with each other in transparency, commitment and love.
- Lodging for School of Reconciliation US Outreach Team - The Outreach or practical phase of the School of Reconciliation starts the beginning of April. There is a team from the school (I'm not part of this team) that is going to the USA...specifically in Louisiana and Florida for the month of April. They need inexpensive lodging during their trip (e.g. with families or on church floors, etc.). Please pray for their provision in this area and if any of you know of people that could respond to this need for lodging, please let me know.
- 40 days of prayer/fasting for France - This initiative which was started in 2000 I believe, is continuing this year as well. It begins March 2nd and if you are interested in participating, you may download a prayer guide in English. Go to http://www.objectiffrance.org/ and click on the British flag. On the English-language site you can find the links that lead you to the prayer guides for downloading. We encourage you to pray for France as the Body of Christ and the world in general need a revived France...not to mention France herself...because of the unique redemptive purposes that God has put in this nation and this people.
- 40 days of prayer for Noah for breakthrough - As Angela and I were discussing the future and our concerns about Noah's struggle with the French language (and all the issues that this struggle creates), we realized that the enemy doesn't want the gifts and calling of Noah to be realized here in France. Interestingly, Noah has had a prophecy spoken over him that he will be a gifted teacher, and that is one of France's redemptive callings too...coincidence?...I think not. Consequently, there is a battle for Noah right now and Angela and I feel that part of praying for France in this year's 40 day initiative ought to be specific prayer for Noah for language breakthrough and general school breakthrough. Won't you join us in interceding for Noah this month? We believe that God wants to do something major with him.
- Provision for our future - We believe that God wants us in Alsace, France, and as such we need the Lord to pave a way...in a number of areas. First of all, Angela and I feel convicted about the education that our children are receiving...particularly with respect to the world views and systems of thought that are being passed on in the French public school system. We want to be, as an entire family, those who stand as salt and light for God's perspectives in a world (and especially a French world) whose secularism is increasingly aggressive and where we have become increasingly unaware of the erosion of our own foundations. We want our children to be part of the reversal of this process. As part of that objective, there is a Christian school in Alsace that we would like to put all 3 children into. Our prayer is that there will be room in the school and provision to pay for it. The next issue is housing. Again it's an issue of provision...the Lord providing the house He wants for us and the money to buy or rent it. Finally there is the issue of relationships in Alsace. We know some people but not a lot. We desire that the Lord bring us into contact with His key relationships for us that will help guide our ministry direction there. It's our desire to impact France in 3 ways: In the lives we live; In ministry targeted specifically to the family; In saturating the physical and spiritual atmosphere with continual praise and worship to the King of Kings.
- Angela - She hits the big 42 this March 22nd. Pray for a blessed celebration for her!
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