Shepherding Trips Report - Part 3

We are in a spiritual warfare, and it was made very clear today in Luxembourg. It was both rainy and windy only when we were out on the gospel. We had experiences where it started to rain harder right at a critical moment. One time was as they were about to exchange numbers, and another was when the person was about to pray “Lord Jesus, I love You.” But Christ is Victor! And we were able to still exchange contact information and pray with our new one without hindrance. The saints here are laboring in 2 cities: Esch, which has many open 2nd and 3rd generation Portuguese-speaking families, and Belval, which is a city near Esch and has a university.

 

Our prayers were answered! There was good weather, and we had many open and seeking ones. Contact information was exchanged, and a handful are willing to meet up for coffee sometime this week or next week.

 

An encouraging report is that a new one said she has already started to read the Bible that she received yesterday. She prayed to receive the Lord. We have come across many people who told us they have been meaning to purchase a Bible recently or have been looking for a version of the Bible they could understand. One man, after receiving a Bible, kissed the Bible while walking away from the table because he was so happy to get one.

 

We have been very impressed and encouraged with our coordination times that are conducted in English, Spanish and French. These times have been wonderful, and the Lord has had a way to truly pour out His blessing in Luxembourg.

 

Today, we passed out 49 Bibles. People were very open and came up to our table. We met a young woman with a Muslim background who prayed to receive the Lord after speaking with us. She is open to meet us again soon. Another woman who is Catholic was very positive and wants to meet with us for lunch to read the Bible next Tuesday.

 

We passed out 56 Bibles Saturday in Esch, and the response was very positive; many stopped to read the banners. A woman who took a Bible in Belval last week works in Esch. She was very excited to see us again and wanted another three Bibles for her friends. Another man saw us and was so grateful that he went home and brought back coffee and waffles for us. Another lady came from Belgium but works in Esch and said she would like to see us again during the week.

On Lord’s Day we had the Lord’s table meeting with a few new ones in addition to the three families in Luxembourg.

 

We continued distributing Bibles in Esch. During this time many families approached the table ready to receive a free Bible. It was very refreshing and encouraging for us to see the joy and radiance in people’s faces when the Bible landed in their hand.

 

One encounter was when a girl approached the table and wanted to receive a Bible then immediately asked one of us at the table to approach her mother who was standing nearby and speak to her. Her mother was not always open to hearing the gospel, but after hearing about the three parts of man and receiving a Bible, both mother and daughter were led to receive the Lord. Another encounter was with a college student who joyfully received a Bible and said it was a sign from the Lord. Her expression was surreal when she realized it was a study Bible that will help her understand the Word of God and enjoy it. She then asked to exchange contact information to read the Bible together with someone.

 

Our Bible distribution concluded with a family that invited the entire team to their home for lunch. This family encountered the saints last year when they were distributing Bibles during the Olympics. They informed us that last year they promised the saints coffee but could no longer find the saints after their first encounter. However, when this family saw us distributing Bibles one year later, they remembered their promise and bought us coffee and invited us over for lunch.

 

Today the Luxembourg team had a time of overflow to share personal experiences and enjoyments that have occurred throughout the course of this gospel trip. We believe we can all agree that the Lord is moving in a hidden way in Luxembourg to raise up a shining golden lampstand by gaining vital local saints who love and seek the Lord day by day.

 

We had two appointments today; one was in the morning with a college student who came from Africa for her master’s degree and is seeking the Lord’s purpose for her being placed here in Luxembourg. We had another appointment in the evening with another student who had many questions about God and His Word. We concluded the day with a sweet time of singing and fellowship that we may continue to be built up with one another to establish a healthy and sanctified church life in Luxembourg for the Lord to add together those who are being saved.

We distributed Bibles near the university campus and near the Esch train station during the students' lunch break (where many Portuguese speakers are). Some local saints have participated in the Bible distribution times. Later, we had a few meetings with some who received Bibles and were open to reading with us.

 

The coordination times have been very sweet and encouraging for all of us. We have been getting into the book The Jubilee.

 

Our Lord’s Day meeting had 22 saints at the apartment in Esch, 11 of them from Luxembourg. It was a very sweet and encouraging time.

 

This last week has been very intense, but we have been refreshed through the preaching of the gospel and very encouraged to meet seekers. One of the people who received a Bible was so happy that she kissed it after receiving it!

 

From the Bible distribution this past week: 263 Bibles were distributed; we were able to talk with more than 90 people for more than 30 seconds; and at least 13 received the Lord.
 

 

Since the Fall of 2024 there has been fellowship in the Body concerning how to care for the 2nd and 3rd generation Portuguese-speaking new ones in Esch, Luxembourg. Through the prayer and fellowship, saints from Portugal have been able to come for 2-3 weeks at a time. This has been wonderful! Now through the prayer a couple from Brazil has been able to obtain a visa to remain for 3 months! Praise the Lord!

 

“We have really enjoyed our time since we arrived from Brazil in late December. Since we have been in Luxembourg, the Lord has filled our heart with the burden for the raising up the church life here and has filled our hands with so many dear lambs!”

 

Today we traveled from Paris to Lausanne, Switzerland, for day 1 of the gospel trip. We were greeted by the saints, who warmly welcomed us into their home for coordination. Later this evening we had a small home meeting with a family as we sang hymns and got to know each other.

 

We attended the Lord’s table in Lausanne, where there are about 20 saints, including some from Geneva and neighboring cities. Following the Lord’s table we had a love feast in which we got to meet more of the local saints and converse with them.

 

We made our way to the University. Due to the weather, we ate in a cafeteria and had spontaneous conversations with some students. We met one person who is an international student whom we invited to a home meeting on Thursday.

 

Today we went to the town center of Lausanne and distributed Bibles for around 1.5 hours. Due to the lack of a permit from the city, we were not able to set up a table or approach people, but we some still came to us. Tomorrow we will go out again in the afternoon and go to a home meeting with the local saints afterward.

 

We had more time to blend with local saints today. We had lunch at the house of a sister who lives an hour from the city, which makes it hard for her to meet often. She was very encouraged that we visited. We had dinner with a couple who met the saints here in Lausanne a year and a half ago. Then we arrived safely in Geneva, where we will spend the rest of our time. Tomorrow we will meet a sister in Geneva for lunch who is also not able to meet because her home is too far from the meeting in Lausanne.

 

Today we had coordination at a family’s home in Geneva. The local saints gave us an update on the current situation concerning the Lord’s move here. We stayed for lunch and listened to the testimony of a local couple. In the afternoon we had 2 appointments. For dinner we visited a Korean family that moved here a year ago, and we enjoyed singing and prayers afterward.

 

We attended the Lord’s table in Lausanne. There is currently no lampstand in Geneva so the saints who live in Geneva must travel to Lausanne, which takes about one hour by public transportation. Two new ones visited us, one of whom we met this past week at the Bible distribution in Lausanne.

 

Today, for lunch we joined a local family that recently migrated from Germany to Geneva. Then we went to the center of Geneva to table and distribute Bibles. We gave out 24 Bibles, received contact information from more than 10 people, had meaningful conversations, and 2 prayed to receive the Lord. In the evening we visited with a brother over dinner who recently got saved. Tomorrow we will be distributing Bibles again at the city center accompanied by local saints. At night we will have a home meeting with 2 new ones whom we met on the Metro last week!

 

We distributed Bibles in the city center for the last time. Today was our last day in Geneva. The brothers had two appointments with two different new ones. In the afternoon we had lunch with a local family from Lausanne. In the evening we had two home meetings. In one of them, a new one joined us and was very encouraged as we sang hymns on Christ as our bread and drink.

 

Lord, gain what You need in the French-speaking cities in Switzerland. Lord, shame the devil and be gloried!

We arrived in Lyon and went straight into an afternoon and evening of blending with the saints. We had lunch with some young working saints, and then we met up with some young people and their families to have an activity together. The evening followed with dinner together, singing, and witnessing the young people receive prizes for their 2024 Bible reading challenge. We were very encouraged by a high school sister who read the entire New Testament in the year of 2024.

 

On Lord’s Day, we enjoyed blending with the saints at the Lord’s table and a dinner with college students and some new ones from the campus.

 

We spent the last three days near a campus. We met many students who were interested in receiving a French Bible. Over the last three days, we distributed over 110 Bibles. We spent the evenings blending in the homes of the saints and hearing their testimonies of how the Lord brought them to Lyon.

 

During the last few days in Lyon, we passed out 40 more Bibles. Two new students whom we met on campus this week came to attend our Bible seminar on Friday night. In addition, we had appointments and meals with four who were met during the summer Bible distribution. This morning we traveled to Saint-Étienne, a city near Lyon, where the saints labored during two past gospel trips. We distributed 80 Bibles at a shopping center, and we had to cut our distribution time short to ensure that we would have enough Bibles for the following few days. Three new ones from the summer Bible distribution also came to join us for this time.

 

Lord, keep adding to the church in Lyon.

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.