Salut!

In the UK I have never had a planning meeting outside in the evening sun while eating nutella pancakes…mmmmm!!!

Hey there!  I’ve made it back to Orleans after a 2 week evangelism campaign with France Mission in the North of france.  It was EXCELLENT! 

The mornings were dedicated to worship and teaching within the team and the afternoons we were out doing the evangelism thing!  It was so great to be with a group of, mostly young, motivated people who simply wanted to share Jesus with the French people.  I thought I would leave feeling drained and exhausted but instead I feel envisioned and refreshed!  Hurah!

I was in the direct contact team which was wonderful.  My fellow team memebers were a great bunch and I was so thankful for their friendship and encouragement.  We had a old London bus that had been converted into a coffee bar.  We would roll up in the afternoon on the sea front with the bus, puppet show, clown, jazz musician and a graffiti artist and set up stall.  Soon there would be all sorts of people coming to watch or talk.  I was in the bus team.  People came in and talked over a coffee - how French!  It was so fantastic being able to meet so many people and have tens and tens of oppertunities to share how Jesus has changed my life and how they can have a living relationship with their Father who loves them.  Most people were very open to discussion and quite a few went away with a Gospel or a New Testament.  Please pray for these seeds sown into people’s lives.   The bus was always full of young people and it was so great to be able to share and listen to them.

Another event was the Gospel Concerts.  A choir was formed specially for the campaign.  Gospel music is REALLY populare here in France and everybody was interested by a free concert!  We encourged our contacts to go along and they heard great music with the French translation projected behind and a wonderful testimony of Jesus’ transforming love.  It was amazing!

So, now it’s back down to earth…living on my own again and trying to stay motivated.  I have renewed vison for evangelism here within the church and my next move this time next year is becoming slowly more clearer.  I love how God leads us on step by step as he unrolls his plans for our lives.

This time I’m to the North of France for a 2 week mission trip with France Mission.  I wil be taking part mostly in direct contact evangelism using a London bus!!    I might be doing a bit of children’s work in the streets too…we’ll see!

I’m looking forward to going.  Evangelism is the thing that excites me the most, so to know we have 2 weeks dedicated to sharing the Amazing news of Jesus is really cool!  Please pray with us that things run smoothly, that relationships in the team work well, that the authorities are accepting and that lives our changed.

If you want to keep up to date there is a web site that will be updated throughout the next 2 weeks with photos and news:

www.odds-france.com

A bientot!

Especially at the end of the school year!

Yesterday (Saturday) was spent rehersing today’s service…except I was really ill and spent most of the time shivering in the corner!  At 4pm I was the taxi service to drop of kids and to pick up others, from my Sunday School class, for a pancake and bowling party.  We had a really good time and I managed to get hold of some medicin so I felt slightly better.

Today has been a huge celebration becuase 2 of the youth group got baptised!  The whole youth group worked really hard to put together the service - music, drama etc.  I did my first real ’speaking thing’ in front of the church.  It was a children’s talk explaining what is baptism.  I was seriously nervous but talking to children is always nicer than talking to adults!  It was wonderful to hear Caroline and Dulcey speak openly about their trust in Jesus Christ.  There was an African choir, champagne, lots of young people and a huge meal for about 100 people.  Phew!  I got to hold many cute little babies and most of them didn’t cry.  Life is good!

There has been another birth in the church - I think we need to pray for all my girlfriends to stop having babies, it’s getting a bit of a habit!

This is Rose, Christoph and little Adrien.  Cute!

And this is Ok, Ester, Daniel and Samuel.  They are the Nigerian refugee family whom I visit.  OK is now working pretty consistantly with the same company and they are talking about giving him a longer term contract.  This would be great because then he could put the family on the list for a council flat and get out of the one room in which they live at the moment.  Both OK and Ester need to make real progress with their level of French as well.  Please pray for this family.