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La Lumière: May 2021

Newsletters
15 May 2021
La Lumiere
May, 2021
click for printable pdf
Filming a poetry slam video.
UN
AN URGENT CALL TO PRAYER

There have been 25 terrorist attacks causing 263 deaths on French soil since 2015. The government is reacting with a "Law to reinforce republican values." Although their aim is very specific, combatting radical Islam, this law will strongly affect freedom of all religions in France. A specialist in French religious law says we're going from minimal state intervention to maximum in religious affairs. The government can't target one religion, so the law addresses all religious rights. So what does this mean for protestant Christians? How are we viewed? In a recent television interview the Interior Minister called evangelicals "a very important problem"!

The new law, which is currently under revision to synthesize differences between the House and Senate, will force churches to re-register every 5 years with their local Prefect. Those Prefects will have the right to close a church if they deem they provoke hate or violence. Pastors can be personally fined for any infractions. All foreign funds must be declared, and the government could order churches to return anything over 10,000€ per year (approximately $12,000). The church we attend in Paris is fairly new and receives a large percentage of support from the US and England. Where would they be if that amount were capped at 10k? Maybe closed. Interestingly, not only foreign funds but also foreign workers (like us) would need to be declared. This law will affect Christian associations too, not just churches. Imagine being a local official trying to evaluate a Christian association whose activity is completely decentralized?

Since 1905 France has guaranteed freedom of religion. This new law in the pipeline is a giant leap backward toward government surveillance, distrust and control. It could be a strong discouragement for all religious institutions. Please pray for wisdom for the committee making final revisions to the law, as well as the courts that will review it afterward. Pray that freedom will be upheld and not fall victim to radical terrorism. Fear can lead to terrible decisions.

Opening up a laptop.

Silas bravely replacing the battery in his laptop.

Skyline from where?

Do you recognize this skyline? Where was this picture taken?

Delicious pavlova.

Dan has been perfecting his pavlova skills!

 

Praise

  • that we purchased a car, a 2003 VW golf.

Please Pray

  • for France's new legislation targeting religious groups.
  • for our colleagues in India, who May works with weekly, they are under tremendous pressure and some in critical condition from the most recent covid outbreak.
DEUX
SUMMER PROJECT FOR EFREM

Some of you might have heard that Efrem hopes to attend an MK2MK project this summer in Orlando. He is looking forward to growing in his faith, serving alongside Cru's local church partners, and meeting other "missionary kids." The project is from July 12 to August 8. A big thank you to all of you who have responded to his invitation to partner with him and support this ministry adventure. Isn't it encouraging to see the next generation motivated to grow in faith and serve the Lord?!

Our Signatures

La Lumière: April 2021

Newsletters
15 April 2021
La Lumiere
April, 2021
click for printable pdf
A moment of joy.
UN
KEEP THOSE EYES UP

The health situation in France is not going well, with numbers surpassing the second peak and 90% of the beds for respirators occupied. New restrictions are being put in place and the vaccine rollout remains dreadfully slow. The vacation we hoped to take this month was canceled because of a third nation wide lockdown. But we're keeping our eyes lifted up. The empty tomb on Easter declares God's ultimate victory, and neither the cross nor our present situation took him by surprise. There are very encouraging things happening in the ministry here. One is that the digital creations team has an intern working with us for the next four months! Jade is a year away from getting her bachelor's degree, studying video and graphics design for web. It's exciting to see new talent and enthusiasm added to the team. Her first project will be a teaser video for the next inter-campus ministry prayer event. Please pray that these four months will be a blessing to her and us, and that we have plenty of good projects for her to work on. Another exciting development is that May and her team are putting a new and improved version of the donation site online. This one was developed to make it much easier to bring new countries on board, less manual with customizable parameters. Scalability is key since Cru is hoping to set up 30 new countries in the next year. Smooth and easy installation is essential to move that quickly! The next big push for May is creating an implementation plan, which essentially means downloading all of her knowledge into a process that a team of people could follow. Multiplication is necessary in her facet of ministry too.

Taking a walk.

Please Pray

  • for May's implementation plan for multiplying donation websites.
  • that Jade's internship with the digital creations team will be a great experience.
  • for wisdom in choosing a replacement car.
A long time ago.

Dan and May from 26 years ago!

Episode 2

The adventure continues in episode two of our video.

DEUX
USING HIS SKILLS

A few months ago the building attendant asked Silas if he would do conversational English lessons with her. She's originally from Brazil and speaks French very well, but would like to improve her English. Once a week Silas spends an hour talking with her about whatever topic she'd like, and he also earns some pocket money. She used to work as a professional photographer, so they often talk about photography together. A couple weeks ago a man who works across the hall from us asked Silas if he could do English lessons with him too. Evidently the attendant was enthusiastically sharing about her tutor. He's been meeting with Silas twice a week, talking together and reading poems. Silas has found out being bilingual is a skill he can capitalize on. What a neat opportunity! Silas is actively looking for an internship in France this summer. He might be disappointed that interns make much less than English tutors!

Our Signatures
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