Provis' Progress

2011-12-11T21:29:00.001+01:00

We have been busy creating our very own website so that you can find all our information in one place, Click on the picture below to visit it now.

Globe UK have a brand new website, click on the image below to take a look

Rollercoaster

2011-10-18T10:15:00.001+02:00

The first weeks of the Discipleship Training School (DTS) can only be described as a Rollercoaster of highs, lows, surprises and excitement. In the space of one single week we have baptised one of the students (A definite high point), lost a member of staff (defintley a low point) and then there was Benjamin. He came as a translator for the week, God took hold of him and he is now staying for the rest of the school as a student (That was a surprise).

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2011-07-21T20:39:00.000+02:00

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Vapor, vapor, everything is like vapor

2011-07-20T15:38:00.000+02:00

Yesterday we had the privilege of the Tour de France coming to our little town. Our town was overflowing with people from all different nations as they came to cheer on the cyclists. I thought that we had found the perfect spot to watch the riders and sat on the kerb with nobody in front of us. However I didn't realise quite how close to the spectators they get. Neither did I realise quite how fast they ride, even when they are going 'slow'. As you might be able to guess I found out how close they get to the kerb when I had to roll backwards out of the way to avoid being ridden into! And after taking just a couple of pictures they were gone.

A Small Victory

2011-07-08T19:10:00.000+02:00

Not a reference to the song by Faith No More (1992) Our car is now officially French and it wasn't too difficult to do, in fact it was almost too easy! It has now been tested, registered, has french number plates and is insured. However I do worry that it may be having an identity crisis. It is a french car (Renault) made for the UK market so it is right hand drive, but now it is officially french but still has the GB stickers on the back. Confused?

Thank you

2011-05-28T11:51:00.000+02:00

First of all we would like to say a big thank you to every body who ate with us, talked with us and prayed with us during our visit back to the the UK is was great to see each and every one of you, if we didn't manage to catch-up with you there is always a place for you to stay here in France.

During our visit we attended the Globe UK Candidiates school and we have just heard this week that we have been accepted by them, there is just the paperwork etc that remains to be sorted out.

We have settled back in to life here, Ruth has just come back from a week long seminar by Tom Bloomer (Google him, he has a cool moustache!) on how the culture and spiritual history of a nation affests our thinking in terms of our relationship with God and ability to receive the gospel.

As well as continuing with preparations for the next DTS and practical works around the base we are able to announce that Ruth will be pioneering a brand new training school called the school of Intercession and Evangelism (SoIE) which will hopefully run next April, more details to follow.....

2011-04-27T17:43:00.000+02:00

We have a had a couple of busy weeks visiting friends and family in the UK (if we haven't seen you yet we are still around for a little while and it would be great to see you). We have also just returned from a week of training with Globe UK on their candidates school, Globe UK is a missions agency that seeks to assist the body of Christ to fullfil the great commission.

We spent the week at Shekinah Christian center (http://www.shekinah.org.uk/index.html) in Newchurch-in-Pendle, Lancashire, where we had 5 days of fellowship, teaching, and fine food served in farmer sized portions. It was an amazing time of learning and sharing with the directors of Globe UK (http://www.globeeurope.org.uk/index1.html)who between them have an enormous amount of experience and knowledge to draw upon. It was a real privilege to spend time with each of them and to benefit from their passion in serving the King of kings and Lord of lords. Now we just need to wait to find out if they have accepted us.

L-R, Mark, Ruth, Brian Clark, Lesley Gomez, Janet Thurston, Brad Thurston, George Alexander

Suitcases and answered prayer.

2011-02-18T19:56:00.001+01:00

Without going into too much detail, we have, or at least me as Mark is still in Cameroon, have had an amazing 3 days! I discovered that our cave, or cellar, had been broken into on Wednesday. They stole all our suitcases, 7 in total,(4 large, 3 small that were in the large suitcases), a load of my summer clothes for Senegal/outreach, Mark's backpack with holdalls in it, Mark's bike and my sun lounger that I hadn't even sat in yet! I will probably remember other stuff too. Anyway, they didn't take the boy's bikes.
What was difficult for me was that there are 2 doors that are locked and only neighbours have the key. Anyway, I learnt yesterday morning that our insurance won't pay out as we only had a padlock on the door into our cellar. We've been praying about joining Globe UK and doing the school and the necessary finances, especially as we need to see our current support level increase in order for us to stay here. Only on Tuesday night Mark and I had decided that we were definetely going to go ahead, even if we don't have the school fees. So, to learn that we weren't covered was a kick in the teeth, but also a great learning moment with God about where my trust had really been - in the insurance company. I repented over the boiling kettle, (I was making a much needed coffee), and began to think about how now, we were going to replace suitcases and buy Mark a new bike and pay for the school, and to still do the school knowing that we don't have enough support.
This last year in France has been an incredibly hard time for us, and there have been moments when I could easily have given up and gone back to the UK, and Mark has given me the opportunity to choose to as well, but I know he knows that he knows God wants him here.

One of the things I have been struggling with and I have been praying about for the last 14 months is for God to tell me I am supposed to be here. I'm here because I am Mark's wife, and I have peace that God wants us here, but God hadn't actually said to me we are supposed to be here. It's been a big deal for me bacause I am used to hearing God speak very plainly and spefically, and I haven't been able to on this. He's given me lots of Scriptiures about being here, what I am here for, but for me it's not been the same as hearing Him. I know it has been a growing and a trust and a test thing, but it has been a very painful process.
As I made my coffee I began to question whether this was an indication that we should be leaving, and laughed and said to God "I can't leave even if I wanted to. I haven't got any suitcases." and I heard His voice for the first time in a long, long time. He said, " I allowed the suitcases to be taken to show you you are here to stay."

I took my coffee to the computer and opened our email account. One of the emails was from the man in our church who oversees our finances. He was writing to tell me a cheque had arrived in the mail that morning for £1,000. Only God can do that. That is how perfect He is. And I have the privilige of knowing Him, of serving Him, of being totally loved by Him. Who wouldn't want that?

Sending the Harvesters

2010-12-19T20:07:00.001+01:00

The lecture phase of the school has now finished and the students and staff are on a well earned break. The last couple of weeks saw a lot of teaching on evangelism and missions, and the students were really encouraged and strengthened in the power and importance of their testimony and the difference that Jesus has made to their lives. They were also encouraged to seek God's voice not only for their own lives, but as an encouragement to the lost. I think we all need reminding of the power of Christ that is continuously at work in our lives, and the love letter of God we are to those who are being saved.

We are spending a quiet Christmas together this year on our own, which will only be the 2nd time in 9 1/2 years! We shall be making the most of Mark as he leaves for Cameroon on the 1 Jan for 10 weeks.

We would like to take this opportunity to wish you a blessed Christmas as you reflect on the miracle that is Emmanuel, God with us in unbroken fellowship.

DTS Staff & Students

The Fields Are White

2010-10-27T21:51:00.001+02:00

Well the school is in full swing and going really well. The students have had teaching on worship, the cross and repentance, the Father heart of God and Holy Spirit. For many they were teachings that they had never heard before, and they responded to them very positively, and we have seen some amazing changes and breakthroughs in their lives. Onwards and upwards we go!

I, Ruth have just returned from a week end in Lyon, where we had the privilege of participating in street evangelism with an inter church evangelistic team called Elam. They perform a half hour ‘spectacle’ outside the main train station in Lyon, with dance, mime, songs, fire displays, rapping, painting, sharing of testimonies and preaching the gospel. There are 3 ‘spectacles’ an afternoon. After each, they then disperse into the crowds and talk to people. There is always a group praying through-out the performance and conversation time. And they really do draw a crowd. The fields are white! I was so aware of God’s compassion and desire to meet with the people that were standing around, listening and watching, that tears simply rolled down my face. Although I was unable to talk to people because of the language, I was able to ask a fellow staff member, Jessica, to talk with 2 people that I could see God was touching. Jessica spent a long time talking to each, one girl had been thinking about God for a while, and Jessica was able to answer some of her questions, pray with her and give her a Bible. A man watched each of the 3 performances, and again Jessica was able to share with him. He had many questions but was on his way elsewhere, but Jessica was able to pray with him, give him some literature, and exchange email addresses so that she can send him information on a church in his area.

Later in the afternoon as I was praying, God gave her a word for a young couple that were standing close by. They had a little girl of about 2 years old and a baby. I asked God why He would give me a word for them when I couldn’t speak French, but He just kept urging me, so I asked a visitor with the Elam team who spoke French to come with me and translate. It was amazing. They were from Germany and spoke English! So I began to share in my non Christianise, and then they announced that they were Christians! I was able to share with them what God had said. Everything I said was exactly where they were, what they were living and what they needed to know. They stood and simply kept saying ‘yes’, with tears spilling from their eyes as they looked and smiled at each other. They left to go home and spend time with their Father God.

I then talked with 2 young Americans who were on mission from America. They were Mormon. A guy from the Elam team came and joined me, and he spoke to one in French, as I spoke to the other in English. Wow. ‘Lance’ tried to tell me that God had taken away from man the authority that Jesus had given, and that the book of Mormon contained the new truth.....He picked the wrong girl. I knew that we would never agree but I didn’t want to simply walk away. I moved the conversation from the book to Holy Spirit. And the battle for his salvation really began. In the conversation that followed, I asked one question and posed one statement that penetrated to his heart to such an extent he had tears in his eyes. We had been talking about the works and gifts of Holy Spirit and whether or not he had witnessed healing or deliverance, or heard prophesy or tongues or known any manifest presence of God, or heard God speaking to him in his quiet times. Lance answered all these in the negative, although he did keep saying he wanted to know God speaking to Him. As we were talking about the power of Holy Spirit, I asked this question: If God had really taken away the authority of Jesus to heal the sick, cast out demons and lead people to a relationship with Christ through the gospel and words of knowledge and prophesy, in whose authority and with what power had I done those things? I explained that I had seen all these things and more, but all in the name of Jesus Christ and His power, nothing to do with me. He fell silent for a long time, and then said “ I can’t answer that.” The tears began to appear in his eyes. I then made this statement. “I don’t have faith that Jesus Christ is alive, I know that He is alive because I have heard Him and I saw Him as He told me that He was alive. If he weren’t, I would be six feet under the ground. With what power and authority is that possible?” He was silent for an even longer time, and the tears were really visible. He blinked hard and said again, “I can’t answer that.” He knew my testimony was true, and it was really affecting him. Sadly, although probably in God’s timing too, the other conversation had finished, and his companion urged him to leave. I simply blessed him in Jesus’ name and said goodbye. He was hungry for God, and it was as obvious to him as it was to me, that he had not found God in Mormonism. I pray he does, and that he is able to break free from the false teaching he has received and finally meet He who is True, Jesus Christ.

As the afternoon came to a close, we met altogether and shared stories of who people had spoken to, and the conversations they had. It was awesome. God had been talking to people and giving them words to speak to others, which they hadn’t had before! I was talking with Nathan this afternoon, a staff member here who works with Elam, and he said he had never known the presence of God to be that strong before. The fields are white, will you go?

Welcome

2010-10-25T14:46:00.001+02:00

It's official I have the blog bug! After starting the YWAM St Paul-Trois-Chateaux blog on the YWAM France website (http://www.jem-france.com/en/locations/ywam-st-paul/dts/blog-efd) and reading the blogs of a few other people we know, we thought that in addition to our bi-monthly newsletter (which I know isn't always quite bi-monthly) we would try our hand at blogging and provide you with as it happens up-dates between newsletters. Hopefully there will be lots of exciting things to tell you all about, I expect there will also be some quite boring things too. Please do feel free to leave comments we would like to receive feedback from you all.

Mark, Ruth, Elijah & Noah