These are not fairy tales but real ones. One sounds normal to us and the other is not. We'll call one of the men R and the other K. R is French and from the southern suburbs of Paris. He was actually raised with Christian Protestant parents. Protestants are few and far between. He's now 29 years old. He became a Believer at the age of 7 but as he grew up like most young adults he questioned whether Jesus Christ was really Lord, and his Savior; God. For him, He was. After university he began working in a science lab as a scientist testing nuclear materials for power plants. He began wondering what was his goal in life. He began to consider how he could use his life as a better steward for the Lord. After 8 years in the lab he decided to take advantage of a year long sabbatical that companies allow their employees to take if they wish. He wanted to explore what his goals are and go to a Bible institute. The employee has to give all his/her co-workers a dinner before he leaves. They get to ask him questions or have the employee share their purpose in this.
We are starting to hear more of young couples or singles even with atheist parents who have asked Jesus to be a part of their lives and to think about becoming leaders. They love to share him with their young children. This will help with the advancement of the work here. That would be a prayer for more and more young French to step up. We heard earlier last week that in the next 10 years, 50% of the full-time Christian workers in France will be at retirement age.
Our next story is about K from Algeria who moved to Paris with his family when he was young. Many leave their homeland for a better life. K had gotten into drugs and alcohol as he was growing up. His father would beat his mother and there was a lot of violence in their area. His sister got married and her husband was a Jesus follower. He gave K a Bible which made him disgusted. But his mother was depressed and he was a mess so he began to read it. He realized it wasn't about a religion but about God and how he thought. It was about how God wanted to have a relationship with the people he created. He said, "We didn't know anything about a God who relates."
K decided to become a believer after reading and realized it was the truth. His mother was worried about K's drug addiction. She was upset at him for becoming a believer. Their relationship became strained. His dad just ignored him. But she noticed a huge change in her son. She had been suicidal as well and seeing her son in a new light drew her to Christ and she also became a Christian. His father took more notice when she changed her heart. Even though he investigated into it he went back to his "magic". Many in their circle are into the occult even though some are very devout and pray 5 times a day and practice their religion. One night K went to a prayer meeting at his new church where the people in the church prayed for him and his drug and alcohol addiction. He was fully delivered from it!
K wanted more and is serving in a Christian ministry internship in downtown Paris now. There are over 200 neighborhoods in the Ill-de-France (Paris region that have troubled areas with large populations of K's people and other multi-cultural groups. This ministry he works for is an arm of CRU in Europe. They visit these neighborhoods and have BBQ's, free children's events, dance, street theatre, rap, you name it. They offer training in growing in God and help these people in many ways to try and find them new places to worship. It's an amazing ministry. Our own France Vie is going to begin working more with this group, getting leadership training and begin church planting. We already have a couple who is beginning to raise their funds to work with this people group. This is ground breaking work for us in France. We have this type of work in London and our Italian and Spain work as well will begin this too. Those of you prayer warriors: Please pray for our European and regional Directors to have the wisdom to implement and ask the Lord to bring workers to do this.
Pray for us to know which team we will be on and the exact town he wants us to be in when we return.
This week and last we have begun painting and sprucing up our France Vie office. There was a fire and flood from the Indien restaurant below which affected our office. We have plenty of work and language study between now and the time we leave to get home for our daughter's graduation May 11th weekend. Until later....
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