Salut!

A late post because I’m so excited!!  We had our little house group as usual tonight.  (We are a small group of 4 young people.)  One of the lads brought an ex-work collegue along.  She said in a very straight forward manner that she was searching for Jesus and couldn’t reach him.  "How can I have a relationship with Jesus?" she asked.  Wow!!  What a question!  You can imagine our reply, and if you can’t, we said, "You can’t reach Jesus because the wrong things you have done and will do, the bad things you think and say, separate you from his presence.  But if you recognise this, ask him to forgive you and help you to change, he will!  Jesus died on the cross to pay the punishment for the wrong things you have done so that you don’t have to.  All you have to do is believe this sincerely, turn away from the wrong choices you have made and turn towards Jesus and allow him to work in your life.  From the moment you say this to him he comes, by his spirit, to live in you and bring you into a fantastic loving relationship with your creator."  Wow!  I’m so glad we have a GOOD NEWS to share.  (I think it should maybe be called ‘the amazingly, unimaginably fantastic news.)

THEN…

One of our little group tripped in late becuase she had a phone called just as she was leaving.  Patrick was a man who started the Alpha course (an introduction to Christianity) last September but never followed it through because he found the message offensive.  Anyway, Patrick rang her at 7.30pm this evening to say that he has been battling and fighting with himself and with God but in the end he is exhausted and he knows that she has a peace that he hasn’t, and he accepts that it comes from her relationship with Jesus.  Can we talk?’  Wow x2!

Please pray for Patrick and Mavis…and that God would bring us more people like them, thirsty for the peace and the presence of a loving God. 

I was in Paris the past 2 days for a on-going training course.  Usually I feel very uncomfortable and put up all my barriers and end up angry.  This time I prayed, asked other people to pray and tried to go with a good attitude - and it worked!  I had a good time, got to know the other men more and learnt stuff.  Not bad!

2 days in Orleans and then  I’m off to blighty!  I’m visiting 2 churches in Northampton on Sunday, (BCF and CC if you know them…) and then Monday through Wednesday it is the British Missionaries retreat somewhere in the South.  I’m looking forward to catching up with people and eating jelly babies. 

I suppose I should write something about the elections…but I don’t have much to say!

Sorry. 

May the best man / women win!

We had a planning meeting at my place last night…and Marilen arrived with CRAWFORDS CUSTARD CREAMS!!!  You can imagine the squeals from me and Hilary, much to the amusement of everyone else!

Passing from the rooster to the donkey, as they say in French?!, with the start of summer and first sandal wearage, does anyone else have a crop of blisters, or is it just me?!

Yesterday I was in a rush but needed to stop and post some letters.  I spotted a yellow postbox on the other side of the road and without thinking twice I pulled into the middle of the road, banged on the hazard lights and nipped accross to post my letters.  It was only from the pavement looking back at where my little car was precariously parked that I experienced a rare moment of clarity; my cultural adaptation is going well!!

Sunday - of course packed!

There was the baptism of Rose, who managed to avoid giving birth in the process.  (!)

Then afterwards we had a church picnic in the beautiful heat next to a river.  It was to say goodbye to Simona, one of my best friends here.  (She was a student and is now going back to Rumania. Sob.)  We had a lovely day!  When all the ‘grown ups’ had gone off for a stroll a big water fight ensued and we were all suitable soaked!

After all that running about we were in need of a refreshing drink so we stopped in the city centre for a beer.  Lovely!  Sat outside in a street cafe, watching the sunset drinking a cold beer! 

I had cooked for a family of 6 on Saturday night and managed to seriously over provide!  So I was able to invite another ‘family’ of 5 singles to join with me for a late supper.  A very long but very fun day!

It’s the school holidays here so lots of youth around.  Did a half day baptism preparation with 2 girls today.  It was really encouraging to hear them vocalise their growing faith.  Tomorrow I’m spending the day with a young lad who wants to speak English.  We’ll see how it goes!

Today is good!  I got up early and went to the gym and noticed that my rear brake light wasn’t working.  I got back and started to ring the garage…then slowed down and realised I didn’t know what ‘brake light’ was in French…dictionary out, and for those who are interested it is called the ‘Fire of Stop’ "Feu de Stop" - which made me giggle…  Anyway, spoke to the lady, who remembered me, which made me feel good and she said come round in an hour.  So quick shower, down the obligatory brew and off I hop.  The garage man and his wife (I bought the car from them) remember me and the car and we have a little chat.  (Ohh!  Success!  I’m begining to settle in!!)  They fix the car for 4€ - bargin! 

I got back and telephoned Emmanuelle and Ester (the refugee family), and Emmanelle has found a job!!!  HURAHH!!  Praise God!  He starts on Tuesday, so I’m not going to celebrate until he has actually been there and started…but very very good news!

A few bits and bobs to sort out before lunch and this afternoon it is the cake making afternoon with the old ladies!  We are planning an African cake making event next month to which we can invite the people in the neighbourhood.

Well, it was beautiful!  The sun shone, the blossom was out, the crowds weren’t too crowdy and the sunset over the city was fantastic.  We had a few hiccups too…one driver got pulled over by the police and was awarded a 90€ fine, I was assaulted in the metro, we were ripped off in a restaurant and got very lost and only arrived back in Orleans at 2am.  A long, long day, but full of memories!!

  Team Paris : April 2007!

  Lunch break…can you guess where we are?!

Another long and exhausting Sunday!  But it was Easter Sunday so it was special!   I spent a lot of Saturday cutting out flowers from coloured paper and ataching wire to them so that we could make a prayer tree.  Here is the finished tree covered in blossom and prayer!

After this I sneaked outside with a few of the youth and we hid easter eggs for the kids.  Well, ‘hid’ is a bit too much…we had been given about 300 little eggs so we ’scattered’ (and ate!) rather than hid.  After the service the kids stormed out to search for them.  It was fun!

The weather was glourious and it enabled us to have our first church meal in the garden.  Always very nice.  We have over 30 different nationalities in the church, so ‘bring and share’ lunches are always interesting!

Next was driving some young people over to a huge park outside the city where another church had organised a football match.  I let them get on with it and enjoyed with sun with Myriam and beautiful baby elliette!  Lovely.   (While lying down with Elliette lying on my chest a dog sat on my head…that was not lovely.  !)

I’m off to bed now - shattered!  Tomorrow we have a RDV at 7.30am to go to Paris with our house group.  It should be fun!  You know what photos I’ll be posting on Tuesday!

Out of all the Evangelical churches in Paris, only 15% of the pastors are French nationals.  A startling statistic which really demonstrates the cronic lack of FRENCH church leaders.  Please pray.