Shepherding Trips Report - Part 2

This morning there was a glorious Lord’s table meeting at the meeting hall in Palaiseau, where districts 3 and 4 of the church in Paris combined for a time of blending. We were touched from the saints’ sharing that grace is God coming not only to visit man but to stay with man, be born in man, and be one with man. We are here to convey this grace to the French people!

 

This afternoon we distributed 31 Bibles at a train station. We are realizing that we need the prayers of the saints in order that the Lord will strengthen us to exercise our spirit of power, love, and sober-mindedness even when we are overwhelmed by the language barrier.

 

We went to the university to speak with students today. One student of Muslim background whom we met yesterday came to dinner this evening and enjoyed her time with us. We sang “Just Taste and See” and fellowshipped over Romans 10:13, and we could feel the prayers of the saints carrying the time. We had a number of positive lengthy conversations with students from the university that resulted in exchange of contact information and plans for future meetups. Every night this week the saints will be hosting dinner at the meeting hall for new ones and students to join. At the first dinner tonight, two existing new students came and helped the team learn to speak “The Mystery of Human Life” in French. This resulted in an atmosphere of mutuality.

 

In the afternoon we visited a student with one of the local serving brothers. The student came back several minutes later to ask for the brother’s contact information. In the evening, we had a Bible study with the serving saints and one student with whom the saints have been reading the Bible. It was wonderful to read together in French and to be built with one another.

 

Two sisters had a lunch appointment with a freshman student who was met by one of the sisters while riding the bus. The appointment was spent talking about human matters, but she was very willing to come to dinner at the meeting hall this evening. When she came, it became very clear that the Lord had divinely arranged for her to meet the saints. Although her family is not Christian, she said that she was a Christian because she had Christian friends in high school. However, when asked if she had ever prayed to receive the Lord, she replied that she didn’t know how. We gave her a free Bible and went through “The Mystery of Human Life,” and she prayed to receive the Lord! She lingered for a while after the meeting and said multiple times that she wants to come back tomorrow night for the student Bible study. Her heart seems so soft and open toward the Lord, and our prayer is that she will become remaining fruit. A gospel friend of a brother in Nanterre also attended the dinner, and at the very end of the time she received the Lord as well. She took a free Bible and wants to come back next week.

 

On Saturday morning we distributed 61 Bibles at a train station and received the contact information of seven individuals. A student sister who was contacted during one of the Olympic gospel trips also came with us! She has been spending time with the sisters nearly every day, and we have become very burdened for her growth in life. On Saturday evening and Lord’s Day afternoon, the church in Paris held a conference for the church and those we contacted this week. This student sister came to all three meetings, as well as the Lord’s table meeting. A new one we met Saturday morning during the Bible distribution also came to all three meetings! We hope that an appointment can be arranged with him and one of the local serving brothers soon. This evening we had dinner and a sweet time of fellowship with the Versailles team and some of the saints in Versailles. One of the students we met earlier in the week joined us. This week the team is focusing on follow-up appointments with students that were met during the OL gospel trips and the new ones we met last week. Meanwhile, a few sisters had an appointment with one of the new ones who came to dinner last week.

 

One group of sisters had a lunch appointment with two new ones we met last Monday. We found out that one of them is a Christian who is seeking fellowship, but that the bus schedule makes it difficult for her to meet in the evenings. Both new ones were connected with local sisters who also came to the appointment.

 

Another group of sisters had an appointment with a Christian who has been looking for a church to meet with. She said that she will come to the harvest meeting tomorrow night. While they were having lunch, two more people came by and had positive conversations with the sisters.

 

Finally, a brother met a recent graduate anxious about finding a job. After offering to pray for him, the brother found out that he also is a Christian and shared that the Jubilee means having no worries or anxiety. The young man said that the brother was like an angel sent from the Lord to him, and we are hopeful that he will come to the harvest meeting.

 

This evening, two students who prayed to receive the Lord last week joined us for dinner and fellowship. Both lingered to spend more time with us, and everyone left with a sweet impression.

 

We visited a brother at a Paris campus. In the evening two new ones came to dinner, including the young man we met yesterday. We had very sweet fellowship on how to eat Jesus, and everyone left knowing that God is good for food!

 

Today we met the saints in Rouen. On Saturdays the saints hold a home meeting focused on nourishing new saints, and we had the opportunity to participate. We went through the second chapter of The Basic Elements of the Christian Life in French and afterward had some very sweet fellowship. We were freshly touched that our reading of the Word should be a matter of eating and that no matter what language we speak, we can exercise our spirit to express Christ and what He has been doing in us! Today the brothers and sisters on the team both spent time with some new ones that we met at the Lord’s table meeting in Dieppe and the Saturday home meeting in Rouen. Both appointments were positive and encouraging. A brother from Dieppe also came to support. We joined a weekly prayer and coordination time for Rouen with saints from France, the UK and the US.

We participated in the Lord’s table in Dieppe. After the meeting, the brothers and sisters split up to each shepherd a gospel friend over dinner.

 

We had a conference in Dieppe. Saints from London came to blend, and we enjoyed a love feast together. Afterward, we got groceries with one gospel friend and had dinner with another gospel friend.

 

Our team had several appointments set up a table near a campus in Rouen.

A pair of sisters and a local new one we met last Thursday, had lunch and went over “Is Jesus in Your Boat?” Another pair met up with a former classmate who is now studying in Rouen and connected her with a local new one. The rest of the team handed out Bibles and invited new ones to tomorrow evening’s meeting.

 

After arriving in Strasbourg, we attended a meeting to introduce ourselves and share short testimonies. The next day we attended the Lord’s table meeting, met many of the local saints, and visited a couple in their home.

 

We held our first Bibles for Europe (BFE) tabling event near the University. With some local saints we set up two tables offering free Bibles. That evening we joined an elderly couple at their home for dinner and fellowship.

 

Despite initial language barriers, we were pleasantly surprised by the students’ openness. Many approached the tables directly to receive a free Bible, while others patiently listened as we shared, aided by the translation of a local saint.

 

We tabled for BFE near a campus with some local saints. We attended prayer meetings online and in person.

 

Today, we tabled for BFE at a plaza with some of the saints. In the evening, we had dinner with a local family and their children.

 

We distributed Bibles near a university. We were able to fellowship with an older lady at the table regarding the Word of God and her experience of the Lord.

 

This evening seven new ones came to the seminar, which covered the topic of “The Tree of Life.” We were greatly encouraged at the turnout at the seminar because of all the prayers of the saints. One of these new ones came to the Lord’s table meeting the next day.

 

On the train to Toulouse on Saturday, we had a divine appointment with a family of three. At the end of the appointment, we gave one French New Testament Bible and one French “Mystery of Human Life” tract to the family.

This Lord’s Day morning we met with the saints in Toulouse and many new ones to enjoy the Lord and cover Acts 11. The majority of the saints shared, including the new ones! After the meeting a new one was baptized! We enjoyed a love feast together. We spent the rest of the day with the saints in downtown Toulouse.

 

On Monday morning we had the first coordination for the trip at a saint’s house. The saints laboring here presently are from Spain, Mexico, and Korea. In the afternoon we split into two teams at different metro stops to give out Bibles and gospel tracts. We spent time with the saints for the rest of the day and had dinner at a new one’s home.

We met more open ones in our gospel time. More people are open to receive the Bible and have conversations with us. Many showed interest in attending the Thursday night gospel meeting. In the evening, we had a college students’ meeting. We enjoyed the Lord by singing and reading John chapter 8. The overflow was very enjoyable.

 

During the Bible distribution time we met many open people. Some prayed to receive the Lord and some had lengthy conversations with us. We sang at a major metro station and discovered that it created a warm atmosphere for people to approach us and receive a Bible. A local sister who was gained a few months ago joined us this week for coordination and Bible distribution. She has been bubbling over with the Spirit and has the joy of the Lord in her gospel preaching. It has been so refreshing to see her fresh enjoyment of sharing the Lord with the people in her city. At night we had dinner with the laboring saints and participated in the prayer meeting.

 

Today during our gospel time, we met many open ones and gave out all our French Bibles. We also conversed with people from Germany and Australia and gave out English Bibles to them. At night we had a gospel meeting with 25 local saints and 9 new ones. We covered the topic of “What is the Church?” and split up into small groups. At the end of the meeting 2 new ones shared their enjoyment, and many were interested in attending the small group meeting the next day.

 

Today is the last day of Bible distribution this week in Toulouse. Some of our new ones joined and had positive experiences. We met many open ones and had high-quality conversations with people who have Christian backgrounds. In the evening we had a home meeting with about 30 saints (some of whom have only been meeting a few months!), including two new ones that came to yesterday’s gospel meeting. We read and shared from Ephesians 5 concerning the church as the bride of Christ. One of the new ones definitely decided to be baptized while the other appreciated us for answering the questions he had from reading the Bible.

 

Today was our second day in Bordeaux, and we went out with the local saints with the view of not merely distributing a large volume of Bibles but primarily having conversations with people and receiving their contact information. We had 15 quality conversations, with 6 people praying to receive the Lord. Of these 6, one was extremely open. After a short conversation, we left but had the feeling to return with boldness and ask him if he wanted to pray to receive the Lord. He did, and we left again, but had a deeper feeling to return with boldness and ask if he wanted to be baptized. To our surprise, he said he wanted to be baptized. With the help of the local saints, we booked a hotel room nearby and baptized him in the bathtub. Before and after baptizing him, we read through some verses to help him understand the significance of baptism. Before he was baptized, he prayed, saying that he had been considering his life for some years and was ready to receive a new life and have a fresh start. After baptizing him, we had dinner together and had more sweet fellowship before returning to Toulouse. We also plan to have a phone appointment with him to read the Bible tomorrow.

 

We distributed Bibles near a nearby university in Toulouse. The response was so overwhelming that we had to go to get more Bibles. During the entire time each team member was engaged in a meaningful conversation. The Lord really answered our prayer to declare His victory over the young people in Toulouse.

 

In the evening, we joined a gospel meeting for college students. Someone new who was contacted last week joined the meeting and got baptized! We are very encouraged that the Lord answered our prayer for multiple baptisms during our time in Toulouse and Bordeaux.

 

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.