Monday, October 22, 2012

Good Problems

For once I start with prayer...we are seeing God plant, sow, and water...but He asks us to pray for fruit and we have several challenges to pray for right now:
Our main prayer request is that we have so many new believers or nonbelievers that we are praying all the time for God to raise up or bring leaders (trained or potential) to help with the work!
We also need prayer that our permit be approved as it is being handled by members of the upper echelon of government! We also pray our new families would become open to giving. We lack monetary resources for chairs, a safety fence for the kids playground and to "build" the parking lot!
Personal Notes:
I can't believe how many of the church family I have come to know in just 3 short months.
At the BiDieuDul, our kids show/sermon/extravaganza we shared the theme for the whole year:
 "We are Family-issimo"
I was so proud of how they didn't sugar coat it either:the script pointed out that families can be broken and repaired or take new forms that blend more than one family. No one's dysfunctional family was excluded. There were maybe 120 kids and parents (two-thirds kids and one-third adults)!
I was as excited as the kids to finally be here and see my teammates in action as the Spirit uses them to reach the Lost here! Wow!!!
As we gear up for services, small groups and youth ministry we are short-handed.
We don't have enough people in many volunteer positions which means we aren't able to apprentice many next-generation leaders yet. And no one gets one week off a month the way we'd prefer.
But our volunteers...they are faithful and while fully-employed in the private sector are volunteering and as engaged as full-time staff.
These videos show exactly why we do what we do here and a little of how : )




Photo Sets are:
1. Fall Ministry at Brie Church
2. Volunteering with Madagascar Choir
3.Alsace Youth Conference, small but powerful
4.My container arrived!
5.Vaux-le-Vicomte Chateau (Inspired Versailles)
6. Photos from MB : )

1.
 Staff meeting workin out small groups
 My favorite staffer, Tiana who likes to snuggle with her newest Bluncle


Sugar Free Worthers! What a taste of Home!

Things have taken off! And God is doing all the evangelizing, friends and neighbors are being drawn to Christ because they see Him working in the lives of the people who ARE the church. The building isn't Brie Church but it has been the perfect reason for all of us to unite and work together as one family!




Parking/Welcome Committee 


PS. Congrats to Josias on the birth of his daughter this past weekend. 3 girls. He's officially outnumbered : )














2.
Before the Fall Kickoff I was able to volunteer with an all girls choir from Madagascar! reminded me of my days in afterschool programs. I even washed dishes! Harris is the only boy, a special needs boy who sings as if he had no problems at all and touches hearts in a special way!



























Tiana again :)
3.
I also joined one of the staff/team members as she spoke in Alsace near the border with Germany to a Mennonite youth conference...
It was held on a farm and God truly planted and watered a harvest of young people. Apparently that corner of France has one of the largest contingents of youth for Christ. Small but with unlimited potential as tomorrow's leaders in France!













This is the family that kept the speaker and I from sleeping on the farm!
And their home.











Just before she closed the last of her 3 sessions in 2 days Sandrine asked if I had anything to share with the youth...
I borrowed heavily from those who have encouraged me and told them
"YOU are God's Plan A to reach the world and there is no Plan B"
4. My container arrived...here are some of the fruits  it contained!







5.
The Furrs took me on a tour of the Chateau that Louis xiv, I think, out of Jealousy copied but on a larger scale in building Versailles. The pictures don't lie because it was every bit as beautiful as it appears!






















































6.