Easter Sunday in France where God is praised in Montceau-les-Mines

Easter Sunday, April 20, 2014-- 

"Il est ressucité! Il est vraiment ressucité! "He is risen! He is risen indeed!"

Post service soiree

We greeted one another in French and in English this glorious morning. The church was filled to capacity. We numbered 53.  The service was worshipful. The message was clear, "Jesus is risen!"

Twenty-two years ago Grace Church helped renovate the building for the church. Duane Steiner and several others worked very hard to make the adjustments for the budding church. 

 

Samuel, Pastor Daron, Cecelie, Dominique

Duane Steiner stayed with a family from the church. We got to meet them. They recall his work of service. Their son, Samuel, happened to be back in town for the church service too. Together we shared fond memories of how far God has brought the church in Montceau-les-Mines.  "Our labor in never in vain!"

Today, the church has filled the space with believers and seekers.  Many fully devoted followers of Christ are growing in the Montceau-les-Mines Church. 

After church, we took a hike. A walk is a Burgundy region custom. We traversed to two old churches--one from the eleventh century, the other from the twelfth century. Both were relics of a church dormant and cold on the mountains.  Yet, in the city of Montceau-les-Mines, a growing church shines.

On our walk, we took time for coffee, cafe-au-lait, and hot chocolate in a small shop in the old town of Mount St. Vincent.  Time slows down on a Sunday afternoon in France. No rush. No fuss. Just time to talk, to laugh, to reflect.  Time to build relationships. 

We praise God for the people who served over the many years in France.  God has used the Hoberts over 32 years.  Then, the Henchoz have started their work in the last decade.  Grace Church is grateful for missionary partners who develop fully devoted followers for Christ.  

Tomorrow we join in an Easter outreach.  In St. Albain, the people celebrate Easter Monday (the day after Easter) where the Chateau hosts an egg hunt and fun activities for children and families. Pastor Daron will share about Navajos as one of the stations.  Please pray for sunny, dry weather. Thanks.

A walk in the past to make new friends in the present

Saturday, April 19, 2014--You can inform me that France is an old country, but when you encounter historic churches and buildings and towns from 800s then you gain a larger perspective of the history of this country.  Moreover, when you engage the people you yearn for them to know Christ or to grow in Christ.
 

Pointing to reference of Charlemagne

In our travels we have been blessed with excellent translators and tour guides.  After a late night in Montceau, we got to sleep at the Henchoz home.  In the morning we enjoyed fresh, baked bread with a black courant marmalade. The warm bread steamed when I cut it and the courant melted on the slice. I truly enjoyed the breakfast prepared by Gwen for us. 

Melissa and Daron are staying with the Henchoz family in Montceau while Jim & Stephanie are enjoying time with the Hoberts in Paray. The drive is about 30 minutes between the two towns. Hobie and Susie drive the distance many times a week. 

So, the drive is like commuting from Mansfield to Wooster. In fact, it would be like living in Mansfield, OH and driving to Wooster, OH for church work.  I praise God for the added sacrifice of time, gas expenses, and safety for every believer who seeks to enjoy fellowship.

Vendor from Basque region selling goat cheese in market

Next we took a drive to the market. Gwen does all the food shopping at a grocery store near their home. But they wanted to take us to the market downtown. 

We gained insight into the challenge of making contacts. In the US, you can strike up a conversation with any stranger.  Whereas in France, to do so is highly unlikely.  You go to the market with friends. You don't go to the market to find friends. So, the difficulty of building relationships is heightened. 

After the market we ate an appetizer before enjoying a wonderful lunch. Gwen prepared Beef Burgundy. Wow! She also purchased a strawberry tart for our dessert. If I lived in France, then I would gain 20 pounds in the first 6 months.  

In the afternoon, we joined a faith walk. The church in Paray started this walk as an outreach to the community. The church team prepares a walk of 6-10km. Midway through the walk they stop for a snack of cookies, hot tea, or hot coffee. Next, a bible lesson is shared and dialogue is opened. In this non-threatening atmosphere, relationships are enhanced and movement towards the Gospel is initiated. What pleasure to witness God's people in action! The church in Paray is developing fully devoted followers of Christ. 

After our 10km walk (6.2 miles) we returned to Paray for a meal with the Hoberts. Thanks to the Fidelis ABF we were able to take them out to eat. The local restaurant served a great steak with a cheese custard-like dish and an amazing chocolate cake. The meal took about 2 hours to eat from being seated to finishing our dessert. I found that meal time is extended and often does not start until 8pm or later. Moreover, we took a walking tour of the town as the Catholic church, the order of Sacred Heart began in Paray, conducted midnight mass to celebrate Easter.  

The challenge of spiritual darkness is real in the towns where our missionary partners serve. It is palatable. Please pray! Keep them in your prayers always. We are so proud of Hobie & Susie and Dom & Gwen.    

Church of the Sacred Heart

Smoked salmon with fries & green beans

White Cheese dish, an after dinner appetizer before dessert

Dark Chocolate cake with cream in a delicious white sauce

Local grown steak in red wine sauce with fries & green beans

Sharing in Montceau-les-Mines, France

Tonight as I bring in the next day (12:35am, France time), I praise God for His ministry through us.  We got to sleep in earlier today. We slept from 1:30am to 12:00 noon. I have not slept that long in ages. But we needed the rest.

Moreover, we got to share tonight in Montceau-les-Mines where our missionary partners, Dominique & Gwen Henchoz and their family of five kids serve.  

We enjoyed a wonderful meal. We tasted a dish translated as "the queen's morsel."  The presentation was divine. The taste incredible. A hot flaky biscuit, cut open in the center was filled with a wonderful, creamy white sauce of mushrooms, dumplings, and chicken. A side dish of rice and a dark, green bib lettuce salad with a tasty vinaigrette accompanied the meal. Dessert was a delightful sweet sauce with raspberries and a heart candy served in an edible, chocolate waffle dish. Yum!

For the evening meeting at the recreation center we had two dozen people.  We had two new people show up--the newspaper reporter and a lady from the community who attended because of the newspaper article. Typically, it is difficult to get just one new person to show up for an outreach event. But praise God Dominique and the people of the church in Montceau invited everyone. They used flyers, personal invitations, and a newspaper advertisement.  

I got to meet everyone and to take a photo with everyone. We intend to give them a picture and get their email address so that we can ask if they want an invitation to our next event. 

We chose to make a serious face

I praise God for the opportunity to conduct outreach events for our missionary partners. We rejoice that these efforts may bring two new people closer to Christ.  Please pray for the follow up on these two new people. Ask God to bring each one closer to Himself. What a great God we serve! 

Longest traveling day ends with great ministry

Friday April 18, 2014 The weary travelers lay their heads down on the soft pillow, with visions of buttery croissants dancing in their heads. It was a long journey, but God is already doing amazing things.

The team left Wooster OH at 08:15 Wed Apr 16, headed for the Chateau  in France. Along the way we encountered an emergency detour and landed in Newfoundland for a very ill passenger. This caused a missed flight, a longer layover, and a very tight schedule upon their arrival.

After a two hour drive and quick change for Pastor Daron (in the car), we arrived at the “community center” where Dave and Susie Hobert are working in Paray-la-Monial. On Thursday night, nearly 50 people attended. Pastor Daron shared his Navajo Nation ancestry traditions, and beliefs.  He shared how God has woven Himself into his family’s life.  

After the presentation, Melissa spoke with many in more detail explaining the Navajo culture, lifestyle, and the items they brought.

Jim & Stephanie spoke with some adults about Jesus. Those who attended the presentation were far from Christ to followers of Christ.

Jim particularly enjoyed a conversation with a tall, dark French woman and her pastor. Quickly into their conversation, she boldly asked him if he was a believer. He was a bit surprised by her directness so early in their conversation. It is said to be a “dark” country spiritually. 

And while we knew what she meant, is that the best approach, or question? 

Stephanie met a young gal and they hit it off. She had  the most intriguing eyes. She introduced her friend who spoke some English. This young man told of having respect for his grandmother and her Catholic religion but it wasn’t for him. He told of the “spirituality” and “culture” and how the young people don’t learn religious stuff in school anymore. He said he has read the Bible, but doesn’t understand it. Stephanie shared about Jesus and hour it is a relationship and not a religion. They talked about faith and how it is obtainable. 

The night winded down eating marshmallows around the indoor “campfire” as Pastor Daron shared Navajo words and a dance. The young people loved it. Many young people searching –they just don’t know what they are searching for.

Relationships –Isn’t that the best way?

Please pray for Yoran and Isabella, and many others. Pray for their continued interest, for their ears to be opened, for a lasting relationship with Jesus. Pray for the ministry work of the Hoberts and others with them. Pray for health of our team and the future contacts and relationships that will be built.

Thanks for your thoughts and prayers. From St. Albain, France 

Getting to the airport, ready to fly to France

We are so excited!  

We said our goodbyes to family and friends. Now we depart for France. Our travels will take us from Cleveland, OH to Atlanta, GA; then on to Paris, France; with one more short flight to Lyon, France.  

We want to express our thanks to our church, Grace Church in Wooster, Ohio for helping us get to this point. We are grateful for Pastor Steve Kern, Jess Artrip, and Chuck & Margie Buriff for praying for us and transporting us to the airport this morning. We want to also say thanks to Duane & Annette Steiner for their help too.

We will try to post on this blog and on our Facebook event page. 

Develping fully devoted followers of Christ in all the nations of the world

Grace Church is sending a team of four to France to stay connected with our missionary partners. We intend to encourage our missionary partners on this trip as well as help with the 50th Anniversary Celebration for the ministry of the Chateau with Encompass World Partners. We get to connect with several missionaries in France.  You can join our prayer group on our Facebook event page. Please "like," "join," and "share" our page.  

Grace Church seeks to develop fully devoted followers of Christ in all the nations of the world. We not only strive to reach our neighborhoods with events like the Easter Egg Drop on Sat Apr 12 at 10am, but we also send people to the world. 

In the past several months our church has sent the following people to reach the nations (you can read about them on this blog):

• Tim Harley to the Central African Republic (March 2014) with Water for Good, 
• Pastor Bob Fetterhoff, Jim Pike, Roger McManus, Glenn Sewell to SE Asia (February 2014) to encourage our orphan rescue homes with Asia's Hope and G.R.O.W.
• Scott Simms, Mark Simms, Tom Cavalier, Rick Shilling, Nic Schwartz, Rod Williams, and Carl Calhoun to Battambang, Cambodia (January 2014) to tile the walls for the Battambang Ministry Training Center with Encompass World Partners. They got to encourage Kevin & Jill Kane as well as Kent & Becky Good.
• Tim & Jeana Harley, Liz Waggy, Torrey Furr, and Nathan, Valerie and Zac Harley to SE Asia (December 2013).
• Pastor Nick Cleveland, Rachel Snyder, Steve & Pat Knight, Julia Massary, Kyle Moomaw, Benjamin Engle, Kelsey Eberly, Aaron Richardson, and Patrick McCory to Thailand (November 2013) to encourage our orphan rescue homes iwth Asia's Hope and G.R.O.W.

The Chateau in St. Albain

Please pray for our team. We depart on Wed April 16 and return Wed April 30.  The team includes Pastor Daron Butler, Melissa Butler,  James Fish, and Stephanie Coleman Fish. 

Please pray for:

• safety in travels
• good health for team and missionaries
• deeper connections with missionaries 
• catalyzing of new friendships, and 
• having a servant's heart . 

We will post updates on the blog and/or on Facebook page.  So, please keep us in prayer.

Fwd: Monday update

> Happy Monday to you. Well, let me catch you up just a little. Sunday things were still unsettled in the city from the fighting on Saturday, so we decided not to go to church. But we were able to meet up with several of Water for Good's staff at the Grande Cafe'. It was great to have some social time with them and to treat them to some food and coffee. It was fun to see them laughing and having a good time because the night before most of them were listening to machine guns firing around their neighborhood. Please continue to pray for the guard at the Water for Good office compound as he recovers from a bullet wound to his arm as he was standing on the street. Also pray for Gerard's brother who was shot in the leg.
> After the crazy weekend here I figured we would not be able to work today. But to my surprise the guys said things were good for us to go. The Chadian military who caused a lot of the problems, left to head back to Chad. I heard the French military made their presence known to the Chadian soldiers to prevent further bloodshed like Saturday. So we proceeded to stop at the office and finish some things there including some explanation about how to care for the new water system. After this we headed out to PK 22 to see what we could do there. On our way there, we passed through the area which had seen the violence over the weekend. There were a lot less people in the market, and in the Muslim area, there was a very noticeable reduction in the number of people. The rest of our drive was routine. Thankfully, we were able to make some great progress today on our list of projects. During some of the looting that took place not too long ago, the overhead wires were stolen leaving PK 22 with no electricity for its garage area. Well today we got the power back on by splicing together some wire. We rerouted the wire from the generator so it is hidden and harder to steal. This allowed us to turn the water pump back on to the delight of the guards who have been without water for quite some time. We ran some more wires to be able to run some much needed garage equipment. We then worked on one of the drill rigs and got it running for the first time in probably in over a year. There are a few more things for Fabian to finish and then the rig is ready to drill some new water wells around Bangui. Because this is my last working day here I thank God for helping us get a lot done.
> One thing I reflected on today while I watched the guys work with me was how important it is for us to invest in PEOPLE. Some may question why I came during this challenging time. But I really believe these guys are the future of this country. They are learning skills to better themselves, provide for their families, and impact their fellow countrymen who are in desperate need of the basics; water, sanitation, and food. On top of that they can share the hope of Jesus as they work , the Living Water and the Bread of Life. As much as I am here to fix stuff, I am here to encourage these guys that they are not alone, and the legacy is investing in people, the impact is eternal.
> As I get ready to get on the plane tomorrow, I just want to ask you to continue to pray for the people of the CAR, and if you are able, donate to help Water for Good continue to impact this country. Continue to pray for orphans who are being cared for by VisionTrust and Project Hope and Charity. There are enormous needs here and incredible logistical challenges to offer help.
> We are scheduled to depart here around 5:30pm tomorrow my time which is 12:30pm your time. Thanks for your prayers!!
>
> Tim

Fwd: Picture

> Time with some Water for Good staff at the Grande Cafe

Fwd: Monday pics

>

Fwd: Monday pics

> You know it is time to come when snacks are almost gone!

Fwd: Starting to dig hole

Fwd: Big hole

Fwd: Hole finished

Fwd: Saturday update

> First off before I talk about our work, I want to ask that you all pray for one of the Water for Good staff members who was shot today while he was standing in the market area. Reports are that he is ok but will need to go to the hospital. Info is continuing to come in so we will learn more as we get updated information on his condition. Today was another day of fighting as you can tell. The big issue today seems to be the Chadian military soldiers who have come to escort more Muslims out of the CAR. It seems each time this happens the Chadians cause problems while they are here. Today is no exception it seems. We don't have a lot of info yet but there was lots of shooting going on between the Chadian soldiers and the Anti Balakas. So the relative peace that Bangui experienced the last couple days is gone and people in the affected area are either staying in their homes or they are going back to refuge areas for safety. This is the cycle of life for the Central Africans things calm down a little then things break lose again and people are caught in the crossfire, literally.
> Ok, one advantage of our work today was that we did a project on a military base so security was really good for us. Water For Good was hired to dig a bunker into the side of a hill to be able to store surrendered explosives more safely. Not something any us had done before but we have one of the only working backhoes in the country so why not. It was rewarding for me to help by operating the backhoe and helping Water for Good make some money. It was a very hot day again today and the sun was intense but we persevered and completed the project ahead of schedule. The organization representative who hired us was really pleased with how things turned out, so it is always good to have a happy customer. Unfortunately, there is a house near the sight of this bunker so the family will have to move out, not a good place to be once things are stored here!
> We only have a couple more days here so we will have to take things day by day as to what we will be able to do.
> Thanks for continuing to pray for Jim and me as well as our families!
>
> Tim
>
>
>

Fwd: Friday

Fwd: Friday

> Today's update is not that exciting but it was a productive day. On our way to the PK 22 farm we passed all of the different main characters in the struggle here in the CAR. There was a large French military presence on the street today including a huge convoy of all kinds of vehicles heading out of town. Then we passed by the Seleka camp, then we passed through one of the main markets filled with Central Africans, then we passed through the Muslims only section of town, then a little ways out of town we pass by a couple machine gun toting Anti Balakas. So how was your commute today?!! We are thankful for God's continuing hands of protection each day as we try to accomplish our work. Once we arrive at PK 22 it's back to work. Today was really hot, my guess is over 100 but I know it has been cool at home so I won't complain too much. It is fun each day to work with the staff here and develop friendships while we work and even with the language barrier we have fun. Usually, I try to learn some Sango and then I try and teach them English, lots of laughter usually follows. In the afternoon Fabian and I got to take the tractor out to one of the fields and work the soil to make sure the tractor and equipment worked properly. I also wanted to continue training Fabian so he can run the tractor once I am gone. It was fun to see his smile as he saw each piece of equipment do its job, he commented that he wanted to now plant something in the nicely prepared soil. We in Wayne county Ohio or other rural places take it for granted what tractors can do. Most here have always cultivated by hand and have never seen a tractor work. We even drew a small crowd who watched us work in the field.
> Then it was back to our guesthouse retracing our interesting route, trying to see who would wave at me just for fun. Now it is time to try and relax and get ready for a busy day tomorrow. We will be doing a special project on a military base so it should be interesting. More on that in tomorrow's post.
>
> Thanks for your prayers
>
> Tim
>
>

Thursday, March 27 Back to Work!

  Today was a good day for making progress.  The streets were open and traffic was normal today.  On our way out to the Water for Good office we stopped to check out a job an NGO wants Water for Good to do at a military base.  The reason they called Jim is that Water for Good has one of the only working backhoes in Bangui and they have a special digging job. They wanted us to see if we could do it and how much it will cost.  So it was a little intimidating walking onto the military base with lots going on but we met our contact at the gate and he led us to where we could talk to one of the commanders to let him know what we were doing.  We looked over the sight they wanted excavated and it looks like we might do this project before we leave.
     After our stop at the military base, we proceeded out to the office to prepare the backhoe and tractor for the drive out to PK 22.  Finally, we headed out to the street.  As you  can imagine, it is not every day that a tractor and backhoe drive down the street so we provided a small parade for everyone with a Water for Good truck if front and one behind the tractor and backhoe.  The market was very busy today so we had to drive slowly to get through.  Then we drove the 10 kilometers out to the farm.  Finally, we were able to start on our list of projects out here.  So the rest of the day was spend working on the farming equipment getting it ready so we can start using it in the field.
     Each day we learn a little about the conflict here in Bangui.  Some of the tension and confusion for the people in town is they don't always know who is shooting at them or who will protect them.  There is the Seleka, the Anti Balaka, the French, and then there is the MISCA forces, which are a collection of African nations.  What they are finding is some of the MISCA forces are sympathetic to the Seleka and so they are giving some of the Seleka forces their MISCA uniforms and then they carry out attacks on the people or the Anti Balaka forces which is happened over the weekend.  During the battle some of the MISCA soldiers were killed but when they took their uniforms off they discovered that they were actually Seleka.
     Please keep praying for this country, the problems are huge and the road ahead is very unclear.
     Please keep praying for the staff of Water for Good as they seek to get back to their work which means traveling the roads.
     Thanks for your prayers for Jim and me!

Tim