A heart for france

Thanks to SIM Australia's Kookaburra newsletter for Aussie missionaries.

"I have discovered that much of the enemy’s plan to destroy us has to do with wearing us out. The missionary life is not a sprint; it is a marathon.

Did you have a tough day? Get some space. Take a nap. Take a walk. Listen to some music. Don’t overact to the day. Rather, respond by the Spirit. Instead of reacting to the daily fluctuations of the “spiritual stock exchange,” choose to be a long-term investor in the Word of God. If you remain faithful, your ministry will reap eternal dividends.

The enemy loves to place a large map of the Sahara Dessert in front of your face and remind you how difficult your journey is going to be. As you look at the many challenges set before you, a demon whispers in your ear, “Even if you make it through this day, look how far you still have to go. It is going to take you weeks,  months, even decades to get across this desert and you are thirsty already. Give  up now! Turn around! Go back to Egypt!” Discouragement is a powerful weapon.The enemy wants you to become overwhelmed and to give up the ground you’ve worked so hard to gain. Remember the Lord’s words: “Do not  worry about tomorrow...each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34).  When you are weary, don’t think too much or talk too much. Don’t even glance at the big map when you’re tired. Set your sites on getting to the next shelter where  you can rest."

~ Dr. Robert S. Miller, Spiritual Survival Handbook for Cross-Cultural workers   (p. 37)

Tatyana, the Ukrainian lady who is very artistic and very evangelical, gave me this angel as a gift after her time in the Ukraine.

 

Her reason? "This looks like you, thinking hard about what you could be organising for Lamastre ! "(meaning evangelical and outreach activities).

 

I may not be an angel, but I do think hard about what we could be doing to open up the way for people to hear about the Lord God. Sometimes, I don't even have to think hard - the ideas come as I wake up or go to sleep and I have to write them down as quickly as possible so as not to forget them.

 

The next stage is the hardest - praying about the ideas and being patient in waiting for the Lord to direct. Then 'selling' the idea in order to build a team, getting it past the Church Council, having their approval and understanding.

 

The easiest bit is the actual organising.

 

My latest idea - organising a St Valentine's Day dinner for couples - firstly in our church, then for so many others whom we know. The French Alpha Course organisation has a package we could use. As a Christian Counsellor and pastor's wife, I'm in touch with so many heartbreaking stories of couples breaking up that I have a real burden to organise things that will help couples.

 

Please pray with me that this idea can come to fruition.

Last Monday teachers and students went back to 'normal life'!

Ours reported being very satisfied with their teachers and having the relevant important friends in the class with them.

I've finished planning the first term's Youth Group activities/themes. I found they almost all fall into the category 'Social Justice, Integrity and Commitment'. We've lost a couple of excellent elements in the group - one girl is in Canada for 3 months on exchange, another has to stay in Lyon for her studies - and our group is mainly boys 14-17/18 years old! Mmmm....... I'm not exactly the sporting type, so I'm hoping that lively discussions will do the trick.

Our boys can be quite cynical about the world. "It's not worth it the effort!" is the phrase I hear most. They are not very idealistic and not yet all convinced that Christianity is the way to go. I'm hoping the themes will broaden their horizons, will show them that even a drop in the ocean is worth it, and that they will be convinced that committing to Christ is vital as well as a commitment that translates into action and compassion.

Apart from my programme (my co-worker has a heavy workload this year and can't be as involved), the teens have a combined youth group 3 times a year (Sept/Feb/May) and will participate in our Church Union's Youth Gathering beginning Nov. The theme this year: "BE YOURSELF, BE FREE!" - yes, the title is in English - it's cool to pepper one's conversation with English words! Based on 1 Cor 10: 31 '..whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God' and will be about creativity, art, dance, music - expressing oneself and one's faith with the idea of witnessing.

There are 2 generations of French who have no contact with real Christianity. Pray that we can inspire our youth to explore their faith and be relevant to their generation.

We had a pleasant 3 weeks, staying in our home, enjoying the garden and the things that our lovely Ardèche area of France offers to holiday makers (of which there are 1000s at this time!)

Now back to work.

The following quote comes from a Catholic Christian magazine editorial, but dates from 28th August, 2008. I'd obviously kept it (found it while sorting out all those papers you accumulate...) because it rang true for me. And now I've re-read it (should I keep it? throw it out?) it still rings true. Here's an extract:

 

The famous French angst is probably rooted in a kind of anguish at the thought of failure, a contradictory fear of the future which leads straight to disillusionment. It's the same in all areas of life: economics, psychology, in one's private life as in public life. We have forgotten the road to confidence and trust. Obviously, there is much to be anxious about [....] But maybe our good resolution for the return to work and school should be to stop this spiral of lack of confidence. And to put into motion that which struggles to exist in each of us. Let's try to find the naïve freshness of faith, this simplicity which allows us to be open to the beauty of things around us. In other words, the capacity to be amazed.

Jean-Pierre Denis

Editor, La Vie magazine.

 

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday a team of 12 French missionaries are contacting holiday makers here in Lamastre, inviting them to speak about their ideas on God, inviting them to a concert Tuesday night and an art exhibition Wed and Thurs. Please pray we can speak to those who are seeking, plant the seeds of faith, encourage those who have lost faith and be part of God's touch on their lives.

My sending church, Hamilton Baptist Community Church, sends me its weekly church bulletins. It's great to keep up with their activities and some news. I like reading the Pastor's Pen - how many times has the subject echoed for us here in France? - our Western society is so going down the wrong path in many ways!

For prayer, they list the members of the church family by family, individual by individual and also give a specific prayer point for each day. This coming Sunday's point is:

Ask God to strengthen your faith when evil seems to triumph

This seemed so appropriate to me because, although we are not in direct persecution or physical danger here in France (or in Australia), every day we are confronted by evidence of evil and the consequences of evil. I can be very evangelical in saying that we can easily find evidence of badness in our own lives - deal with the log in our own eye before trying to get rid of the piece of straw in another's - but the good news is we CAN deal with this evil and get rid of it. However, French Christians are feeling overwhelmed by the evidence of evil in our own country (sexual scandals, gay marriage, financial corruption, power plays, bizarre conception of democracy, lies that certain are particularly keen to pass on to our youth and the list goes on...) Our pastoral role is to encourage Christians to pray and to act as written above. This joins what we were saying at the Pastoral meeting. See previous blog entry.

This Sunday is also our Church Union's Evangelism Day to raise awareness in our churches about the continuing need to do our part in witnessing. Pray that our church service this Sunday will keep the fire burning in our small community. We have work to do!