OL2 Olympic Games Gospel Trips (Part II)

Saints have been laboring in Lille since April when a few French saints were able to join trainees from FTTM-WA. What a marvelous beginning and blending! The teams have been full of joy, rejoicing and singing.

 

There are many young people and young adults in the city center area, so Bibles are easily distributed, contacts information is easily given, and ones are saved! Currently we are having times with new ones met in our current OL2 and ones met during previous gospel trips. Our goal is to labor so that we have continued contact with these ones and they would be added to the day-by-day church life in Lille. Lord, raise up a lampstand in Lille!

 

We had an appointment today with one whom we met during OL1. We read regarding the assurance of salvation. She was really impressed that the absolute assurance is based on the Word of God, Numbers 23:19. She liked that there are three witnesses: the Word, the Spirit and that we love the brothers.

 

There was an 18-year-old girl who came to us for a Bible today. We read verses with footnotes and the MHL with her. She was so open and received everything we shared. She told us that she had received the Lord through her friend's preaching but haven't got baptized yet. When we met her, she was on her way to take the train so we were not able to spend more time with her. But she said she would like to be baptized when she's back from vacation in September! O Lord, keep her and release her baptism!

 

Today a few of us met with a young couple for coffee, and they shared that even though they have been going to a big church they still felt very empty. They had prayed for a Christian community of like-minded people. Last week they met the us while we were distributing Bibles and they attended the gospel meeting. Today they came again and were so grateful to have met the saints and such a loving community of Christians. They are looking forward to meeting with the saints again soon.

 

In our time today with one whom we had met during OL1, she expressed how it’s not a coincidence that she met us. During OL1 she came to get a free Bible for her friend. But when the saints began reading the footnotes, she called her friend and told him where he could get a free Bible because she was not giving him this one. We read concerning the joy of our salvation with her. She said that she had lost her joy but realized the reality of her joy came from reading the Bible.

 

Two of us met up with a man who just moved to the area six months ago. He said he had not gotten that much into his faith before. But after he got a Bible, he immediately started reading it. He was curious and wanted to meet up. We read through the first chapter of The Basic Elements and he prayed the prayer in MHL. He is open to keep meeting week by week.

 

Pray that the ones we have met will be added to the day-by-day church in Lille.

 

Rouen and Dieppe
The teams in Rouen and Dieppe joined together for orientation and their first Bible distribution, followed by a wonderful blending love feast with the saints in Rouen, Dieppe, Paris, and visiting saints (mostly young people) from Montréal, Canada! The saints from Rouen and Dieppe also came together for their harvest meeting and Lord’s table. The fellowship and blending was so sweet, very refreshing and encouraging. The Lords blessing was amongst us! There has been a small church life in Dieppe for a number of years. Rouen is the closest large city to Dieppe in the Normandy area. Many young people from the region end up going to Rouen to attend University. This is why there is a burden to labor in Rouen.

 

The team went out with the local saints to contact people. Three people were saved. We also met two Christian couples who were invited to the Lord’s day meeting and a meal time together afterwards.

 

A young girl received a Bible today and she is a native of Rouen. She came with her mother and grandmother. Once they were clear that we were Christians, they warmed up to us and we had a pleasant conversation.  The young girl received a Bible and gave her contact information.

A middle-aged man came and received tracts. As he was speaking with us a young man he knew came by the table to greet him and then started talking to us. This young man received a tract and prayed with us at the table to receive the Lord. He obtained two Bibles, one for himself and one for his mother. He would like to be contacted in the future by the saints.
 

Prayer Burden in Rouen
Lord we pray that all the ones we are contacting would have continued fellowship and shepherding with the dispensing of the Triune God!

 

Pray for the local testimony in Dieppe to be strengthened and increased through this period of distribution and mutual shepherding!

Strasbourg 
Bible distribution began in Strasbourg during the Olympic Torch Relay on 24 June where the team joined the church in Strasbourg for the Bible distribution.  During this time the team found that there were many young people that had an unprecedented openness to the Bible and a genuine interest in the seminars.  Strasbourg is located close to the German border. You find both French and |German people here. The saints in Strasbourg are fully burdened and hope that the younger generation would fully participate in the Lord's recovery.

 

Currently during the OL 2 Bible distribution, the team again found the younger generation very warm towards the saints, very open to receive Bibles, excited to read the footnotes, interested in the seminars, and willing to have continued contact with the saints.

 

Towards the end of our distribution for today, we prayed that the Lord would send one more seeking one to us. A French young person stopped to talk with us. We spoke with her about the MHL. She wanted to hear everything we had to say. She was extremely warm and open to us. She prayed to receive the Lord and we exchanged contact information to follow up with her.

 

A young French girl said she saw us at the table the day before, but didn’t have time to stop by, so she felt bad and decided to come and talk to us today. She has a Jewish background but wants to learn more. She felt that religion was so complicated. We told her that Jesus is simple. We went through the MHL and she prayed to receive the Lord. She was like a little lamb. She wants to come to the seminar tomorrow.

 

A young Venezuelan student was happy to receive a Bible in French. We had a very good conversation in Spanish. She had just arrived in Strasbourg a few months ago as a violinist studying in the conservatory here. She is a Christian and afterwards she wrote me and said, “Thank you for the Bible! For a long time, I was looking for one. I will be at the seminar!”

 

Prayer Burden
Lord gain these new ones for the church life in Strasbourg!

 

Geneva (Switzerland) 
Bible distributions began in Geneva on July 11, and since the beginning we had many come who were open to receiving a Bible, seeking for the meaning of life, reading the MHL and praying to receive the Lord.  We met many Christians that were very impressed with the Recovery Version Bible and desiring to meet with other Christians.

 

Geneva is a very international and diverse city. Geneva is the largest city in French speaking Switzerland. There has been a strong burden that the Lord would raise up a church here. It would be the fifth church in Switzerland.

 

We’ve had a chance to speak to many in different languages. Switzerland has 4 official languages: German, French, Italian, and Romansh. However, we have encountered many who also speak Spanish, Portuguese and other languages who are open and interested in receiving a Bible and meeting with other believers.

 

A young person on a tram was looking out the window. Her face lit up when she saw our sign for free Bibles. She came off the tram, ran to us and happily took a Bible and prayed to receive the Lord. She currently lives in France. A sister and her exchanged contact information.

 

We met a young student who was very eager to receive a Bible. We talked with him, and he read the prayer from the MHL. He was like a sponge soaking up the truth. He had a little experience of starting to pray to the Lord when his dog died, and he said he took it as from the Lord. Since then, he had been praying for his family and friends and said he has been happy since he started praying. We took him out for coffee and answered his questions and we stressed the importance of reading the Word and being with other believers. Later he met with his friends and shared with them and sent us a picture of his friends holding the Bible and The Basic Elements book. 

There was a young man from Copenhagen. We asked him if he know what the Bible is all about. He said that there are two books, the New Testament and the Old Testament. We told him that the Bible is a divine romance, God is the husband, and the believers are the bride. We quoted some verses, and he was amazed. Then we asked him if he wanted to become a part of the bride? He said: I must! We said to him that to become a part of the bride, since you are a sinner (which he agreed) you need to repent and receive the Divine Life by praying with us. He prayed with us. We told him that God brought him to Geneva to make him a part of the bride. After that his face was beaming! We exchanged contact information.

 

We met a young student from Geneva studying management. We shared with him that man was made of three parts and we asked him to read 1 Thessalonians 5:23. We felt that he was open and asked him if we can sit with him. We told him about God‘s purpose in creating man and the process He went through to become the life giving Spirit to enter into his spirit to regenerate him. Then we asked if he wants to become a child of God and he said yes and he followed us in prayer. His countenance changed!  We exchanged contact information and he took a French New Testament and scanned the CdV WhatsApp channel.

 

Today was our last gospel meeting for OL2. We prayed that the Lord would bring at least 10 new ones. The meeting was scheduled at 6:30pm. Starting at 6:15pm (15 minutes before our scheduled start time!), there were already 4 new ones. And they just kept coming! In the end we had 20 adults and 3 children. Praise the Lord! He really does above all that we ask or think!

 

A sister at the gospel meeting asked if she could join to watch a young brother’s baptism. We said yes!  We began to speak to her about being baptized too. She was baptized also and was so joyful to be with the saints. May the Lord gain her as remaining fruit for His testimony in Geneva!

 

Prayer Burden
Lord use the ones we have met to raise up the church in Geneva.

 

In the past, there have been a few scattered saints working in the capital city of Luxembourg. However, the Lord has gained a dear family in Mertzig as a foothold to raise up a church in this country. They have been opening their home to many of their relatives, friends and neighbors. May the Lord continue to raise up the church life by adding to this family!

 

There were also follow-up appointments with those initially contacted during the first gospel trip. These times were filled with the Word and much shepherding, as many of them have recently prayed to receive the Lord and are eager to continue in their Christian life.

The only local family in Mertzig hosted a barbecue and invited relatives and neighbors. Five members of their family came, the majority of whom are local. They were all very happy to sing and fellowship with us.

One of the local saint’s cousins had been with us since she arrived last week and very much enjoyed preaching the gospel. During these past few days, the Lord had been stirring in her to be baptized. We shared with her the importance of baptism, and she was baptized in the presence of her family. We all sang wonderful hymns on passing out of death into life. It was a glorious sight! 

A sister from OL1 accidentally left her phone on the bus, and a young man found it. He felt compelled to return it directly to the owner. After calling the emergency contact on the phone, the brother on the other end was able to meet him and gave him a Bible. The young man mentioned that he was looking for a Bible and was invited for dinner, which he accepted for the following week. During  dinner, he shared that he was going through a difficult time and was feeling angry with the Lord. However, after dinner, singing, and praying with the hosts, he was joyful and even thanked the sister for losing her phone.

During our fifth meeting with a seeking young woman, we discussed John 3 and talked about the importance of being born again and the significance of baptism. She inquired if there were any requirements for baptism, and one of the sisters said that the only condition was the availability of water (since she had already received the Lord). The woman said, "There's a fountain across the street with water. I can be baptized today." She was eager to be baptized right then, even though it was her short lunch break. She didn't mind if her clothes would get wet even though she would be returning to work; she just wanted to be baptized immediately! After considering the situation, we told her we could baptize her after work. Our entire team then drove 45 minutes back in the evening for her baptism. As soon as she finished work, she came to the fountain, and we baptized her. It was a glorious moment, and she was very grateful and moved that everyone had come. We sang hymns with her until she had to catch her train, and then we all waved to her goodbye.

 

Prayer Burden
Lord, raise up the church life in Mertzig through these gospel trips.

 

Prayer Burden

Pray that all those who have applied to serve full-time in France would get their visas approved in a timely manner. By mid-October these ones will join with the Lord for His shepherding care for all the ones saved and baptized since the beginning of the Torch Relay Gospel Trips which began in May and continuing with the Olympic gospel trips which are currently going on.  

Giving

Saints who are burdened to give for the Bible distribution and other expenses can give through LME by following instructions at lordsmove.org/offerings.html. Designate offerings for “Paris Olympics.”

Archived Reports

Read all the past gospel reports here.