This morning, our team said goodbye to Normandy and to Pastor Eric and Elyane Hossack and traveled back to Mery-sur-Marne. Although our day was primarily a travel day, there were several wonderful highlights. After a week of evangelism despite weather challenges, these bright spots were like a rainbow after all the rain.
After leaving the house we stayed in Cahagnes, we headed to the Centre Evangelique Protestant in Carentan. Pastor Johan Guillaumain and his church were hosting a special Bible exposition. Bible expositions are a unique evangelistic outreach in France. The CAP Biblio Association has a large collection of donated historical Bibles in a wide variety of languages. These Bibles are set up in a display along with informational panels featuring the history of the Bible and an overview of the Gospel. In addition to the display, there will be a special conference that weaves together history and Scripture. Pastor Hossack shared with us that the French people are typically uninterested in coming to a religious event and many venues do not allow churches to rent them for religious purposes. Having a separate association that is not tied to one particular church and hosting events themed around history and culture bridges the cultural gap and typically garners a lot more interest.
After lunch, the team said goodbye to Pastor and Mrs. Hossack. We presented them with a small gift and thanked them for their gracious hospitality and all their care for us during our time in Normandy. We have a deeper appreciation for Normandy’s historical past, and a wonderful hope for God’s working in Normandy’s present.
We praised the Lord as a team this afternoon for His working in the life of one of our team members. David Larson, a junior Finance major at Pensacola Christian College, was hospitalized earlier this week. The doctor originally wanted David to stay another day in the hospital as a precaution but released him today because he was doing so well. He is back with the team and will share an update later this week.
In the afternoon, our entire team left Normandy and headed back to Mery-sur-Marne. As we drove out of Paris and into the countryside, the sun came out and we saw a beautiful rainbow. It was a wonderful reminder that God is always working, even through rainy days.
Tomorrow, our team will drive into Paris to participate in a youth rally. Several churches are bringing their youth groups to a central location for a day of preaching, singing, and games. Dr. Adam Watt will be preaching and several team members will give testimonies. In addition, our group will sing a song in French, “Suivez-Moi” (Follow Me), which was written by Pastor Didier Silberstein. Because France is an increasingly secular country, Christian young people face many challenges. The theme of the rally is Following Jesus. Please pray for our group’s safety and for an effective outreach tomorrow! Pray that our students will be a blessing and a testimony to all the young people of these churches. Thank you for partnering with us in prayer. We are excited to see what the Lord will do!