June 28, 2012

by | Jun 28, 2012 | Letters to Epaphras

Dear Epaphras,
Last week I (Steve) spent time in Montpelier, France with the Steve and Sheri Hughey – PI charles-deborahTeam leaders. I was encouraged by their faithfulness in evangelism! It was June 21st, the festival of music in France, bands come out of the woodwork to play in the streets. We walked around their town, Pérols, France, and I met several people whose lives the Hughey family has touched. We met a police officer who came to know Jesus three weeks ago! Thank the Lord with me for the Hughey’s faithfulness to Jesus and love for their neighbors!

While in Montpelier Philippe and I spent a morning with Charles and Deborah, who have a big ministry decision in front of them. Do they take on the pastorate of a local church they have been ministering in for the past three years? Or, do they launch out in apostolic church planting ministry in France and leading leaders of church planting teams? We have known this couple from our days in Senegal, where we labored together among the 3.5 million Wolof Muslims. They have a long history of fruitful ministry! Following Jesus has led them from Ghana and Nigeria to the Ivory Coast, Senegal and now France. Please stand with them in prayer as they wrestle with this decision. Ask for the Lord’s clear leading
Julia. I’m a little biased because if they take the second position of national leadership they will be on my team. THAT would be a huge answer to prayer and I would consider is a joy and privilege to work with this dear couple more closely. But, I really want the Lord’s will to be done. So pray for Charles, Deborah and their two boys, Jonathan and David. They are sent by our African partners Calvary Ministries CAPRO of Nigeria.

julia-chu-toulouse

I’m writing from Toulouse Children’s Hospital. We came yesterday for a planned endoscopy hoping to find the source of Julia’s intermittent stomach pain. We thought the problem was a blocked passage in her bile duct. However, the endoscopy revealed a bile duct functioning well. So, now they have biopsied her liver to see what’s going on. Julia and Steve stayed last night and tonight in the hospital and should be coming home tomorrow afternoon. We will know the results of the biopsy next week.

Can you say démenagement?

 That means ‘moving’ in French. In fact, we are moving Saturday morning – at least the heavy things. We have a temporary place to store our stuff until we move into our next house in euskara (pays basque, basque country) on August 15th. Some friends have opened their home in Tonneins, France where we will be staying the summer. Joel and Claudine Badie are French friends from our Mercy Ship days. They have invited us to come and rest – a welcome thought as we will be in-between moves.

Please help us grow TEAM EPAPHRAS using the forwarding function below. Or, send this link to a potential prayer partner. We are more than convinced that prayer is the best way to minister with our family and PIONEERS in France and Europe. I’m reminded of a quote by Oswald Chambers : “prayer does not prepare us for the greater work… prayer IS the greater work!”

Thanks for standing side by side with us in Europe…