DON'T GO ON VACATION! GO ON MISSION!

As you plan your vacation for 2016, do something fresh and exciting! GO ON MISSION! Here are seven amazing destinations where you can go to recharge while accomplishing the Mission God has given all those who follow His Son daily!

God needs you to visit one of these 7 places this year:

Colmar, France-Thirty-five minutes south of Strasbourg and just over the border from Basel, Switzerland, this gorgeous and historic Alsacian town has been called "the most beautiful town in all of Europe". There is an amazing spiritual heritage in this particular region of France! Consequently, a New Testament church is taking hold here organically with locals; and you can encourage and study with some of our special friends and contacts even if you are just in the area for a week! We have a couple of great recommendations for lodging and meals!

Pau, France-In the Pyrenees mountains near the border of Spain, you will find yourself surrounded with palm trees, nice families, and amazing panoramic views in every direction! Make new friends and contacts, and encourage local church workers in this beautiful place!

La Rochelle, France-Spend a relaxing week on the west coast beaches of France visiting the historic old port, nearby islands, and local church workers. Situated near the famous Fort Boyard and charming Ile de Re, there is camping, rental apartments and inexprensive hotels depending on how long you want to stay. Encourage a local retired French Christian couple and help to make some new contacts in the area!

Baie St. Paul, Quebec-You will find it just one hour east of Quebec City. Watch the whales passing down the mighty St. Lawrence river, visit the art galleries, artisan workshops, excellent restaurants and enjoy summer camping or winter skiing! Enjoy having a coffee and meeting some locals! Be assured: God will use every personal contact and friend you make in this artisan village!

St. Pierre & Miquelon-Known as "France in North America", SPM is a trip back in time, when fishing and farming were the way of life. Get ready to feel on top of the world on these tiny islands hidden between Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. Bright colored houses, puffin islands, seals, sea lions, wild horses, high grassy dunes, white beaches and all things nautical flood your sight every step of your journey! Make a few new friends and plan to come back next year! We have a recommendation for a nice bed & breakfast!

Saba, Netherland Antilles-Perfectly situated near St. Maarten, this island looks like the end of a football sticking up out of the Caribbean. With awesome ocean views in every direction, you will be able to relax and enjoy the cool shade of the red roof, Dutch-tiled houses. In this friendly place, you will meet all kinds of people open to studying the Bible and talking about spiritual things. This may become one of your favorite get-away spots, and you may be able to help start a small church here!

Statia, Netherland Antilles-A favorite scuba diving destination, you will find lovely accomodations, tropical flowers everywhere, quiet beaches, excellent restaurants, and very friendly people interested in studying God's Word. Make as many friends as you can every day you are there!

As you plan your trip, feel free to contact me with questions. When you get back, let me know all of what God did in your time on mission! Start praying about your upcoming adventure today!

God bless you as you go in faith! He will most certainly build up your faith and increase your joy as you put His will and work above all else in your living!

French world missions veteran J. Lee Roberts dies

J. Lee Roberts, former missionary to Belgium, France & French Africa "went home" this past Friday, his son Steve said. J. Lee was a great encourager, an excellent teacher, Bible scholar, artist and Art Professor. As a young man, he was part of the American-French liberation force in the 'Pocket of Colmar' in the Alsace region of France. From that time on, he worked to share the Good News and get more workers to the region. It was J. Lee who encouraged us to start the church in Strasbourg, France in the 1990's, and it was J. Lee, and several other veteran missionaries, who asked me to start OPERATION FRENCH WORLD.

I personally knew J. Lee from campaigns and meetings in Belgium, Germany and France back in the 60's & 70's. My family & I worked with he and Doyle Kee, Ken Wilson & Bob Grigg, Sr. on a campaign in Brussels in 1992. (I had lived and attended grade school in Brussels in 1965-66, so I had special memories of the city. Later, as a teen, I lived in Paris and attended the Moulin Vert church where Don & Colette Daugherty were. J. Lee studied art in Paris as a young man after the war.) 

J. Lee was not only a war hero, he was a spiritual warrior and a victor in life and death because of his faithfulness to Jesus. He put the Kingdom first and encouraged many to do the same. I thank God for J. Lee's life of prayer, spiritual fervor, love and faithfulness. Please pray for Steve & Joyce & Jim & the whole family.

Please pray for our friends in Belgium and France!

Christians around the world are under attack. Please pray for them and for all of our friends and brothers and sisters in Belgium and France. Thank you!

Remember that nothing will stop the Almighty Living God of the Bible from accomplishing His Eternal Purpose...no amount of violence, hatred or chaos. No one has the power to stop His victory through Jesus Christ! He is unstoppable! He knows exactly what He is doing, and only He will bring the world to its end, right before the final judgement.

Pray for God's will to be done!

'Un Monde de Souffrance'

Aujourd'hui, nous nous trouvons dans une mer mondiale de souffrance, de chaos et de confusion. Nous vivons littéralement dans « un monde de souffrance ». La dernière fois que nous étions en France à La Rochelle (sur la côte Atlantique), j’ai vu un grand tableau accroché dans le hall d'un bâtiment du gouvernement et j’ai décidé de le prendre en photo. À l'époque, je ne savais pas pourquoi. Je savais néanmoins que je devais le prendre en photo.

Maintenant je sais. Alors que le monde s’enfonce de plus en plus tous les jours dans le chaos et la souffrance, le sens de la peinture devient clair. Regardes dans les visages de ces enfants. Que vois-tu ? Que manque-t-il dans leurs regards, leurs expressions ? Il n'y a pas de joie. Seul le vide, le désespoir, la torpeur. Représentent-ils l'âme fatiguée de toute l'humanité ?

Tous les êtres humains ont été blessés de beaucoup de manières et ils cachent ces blessures. Comment pouvez vous dire les Hommes autour de nous ont été blessé ? Partout où il y a de la colère ou de l'anxiété, il est blessé. Partout où il y a la peur ou la dépression, il est blessé. Partout où il y a de l'insécurité et de l'irritabilité, il est blessé. Partout où il y a une attitude défensive ou de la négativité, il est blessé. Partout où il y a de mélancolie ou de désespoir, il est blessé.

Est-ce que vous vous êtes déjà dit à vous-même ou à haute voix, « Je ne suis pas blessé» ou «Je ne vais pas parler de mes blessures» ? Le premier est du déni ; le second est de la honte et de l'isolement. Nous avons tous des blessures et nous devons être prêts à en parler avec quelqu'un ; autrement, nous sommes coincés et ne pouvons pas aller de l'avant d'une manière saine dans la vie.

Voici quelques questions à vous poser aujourd'hui :

Lesquelles de mes blessures ont le plus besoin de mon attention aujourd'hui ?

Comment mes blessures affectent-elles ma vie ?

Comment Dieu peut utiliser mes blessures pour qu’il en sorte du bon?

Rappelez-vous, Dieu n'a jamais promis de nous protéger de toutes les blessures, mais il promet de se tenir auprès de nous et de nous aider à gagner le combat, si nous sommes véritablement en Lui et cherchons à faire selon Sa volonté. »

« Eternel, mon Dieu ! J'ai crié vers toi, et tu m'as guéri ». - Psaume 30 : 2

'Bon Courage!'

"Bon courage!" It's something the French say to each other fairly often. It is both encouraging and comforting, but there is no real equivalent in English. It means to 'take courage' (or literally 'good courage'). It is said to bolster someone as they go forward. It could even mean 'Go for it!' In any case, it has the word courage in it, and it is about courage! 

Now is a good time for courage--not just in France and Belgium and all of the Eurozone after the most recent Islamic terrorist violence, but also in the USA and elsewhere! Without courage, human beings don't do well. Without a purpose for which to live, humans can't have courage. They become mere survivors of what is perpetrated on them. This is not what human beings were created for. 

Jesus Christ reassured His followers with these words, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me." (John 14:1) In French: "Que votre coeur ne soit pas trouble; vous croyez en Dieu, croyez aussi en Moi." (Jean 14.1) Just after this He tells them, "I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (Jn. 14:6 ) He tells us who He is (verse 9) and how we can find the way out of all the dangerous nonsense of the world and into the truth, where we can fully experience true life which is not limited to this earth, but is eternal. He is helping us to put our confidence in Him so we can begin to understand what is really important.

I can just hear King David saying in Psalm 23, "The LORD is my shepherd; I have all that I need in Him." Put all your trust and confidence in HIM, and you will have the courage necessary to deal with anything that comes in this life.

Bon courage, mes amis!

French World Missions Workshop 2015

French World Missions Workshop 2015

Written on May 6, 2015 by Bren White in Uncategorized

The French World Missions Workshop is a conference attended by many missionaries, churches, college students, and devoted supporters. This is a great place to learn about what is going on in the French-speaking world. It is happening this September 25-27 in Searcy, AR at College Church of Christ and Harding University. We would love for you to come meet all these wonderful servants of God. Put it on your calendar!

You will get to hear many great missionaries speak about their experiences and dreams of where God might lead. There will also be help from professors like Dr. Willingham from Pure Heart Vision as we seek to understand healthy leadership in the mission field. This will all lead up to the week of Harding Lectureships. If you would like to stay at the Harding University Heritage Inn Click Here.