In April, six trainees from the Full-time Training in Taipei (FTTT), along with a serving one and several saints from the Paris full-time team, spent 12 days in Rouen.
The trainees’ primary burden was to bear remaining fruit and not merely to distribute literature. They learned how to engage strangers in conversation by offering them a free Bible, reciting a verse in French, or proclaiming that Jesus loves them.
Despite the expected limitations with language, the trainees adapted and used translation apps on their phones or asked the contacts to read a verse and footnote in French. Many French speakers, especially college students, were willing to linger and talk, even as both parties struggled patiently to communicate in English.
During their time in Rouen, the trainees distributed 342 Bibles. About 15 new ones met with the local saints, and the labor bore immediate fruit: one new one went out to preach the gospel with the trainees, and another requested to read the Bible with one of the local saints and has recently opened her large home for hospitality. There was a genuine blending in love among the saints and the trainees for the building up of the Body.
A Friday Bible study that began during a previous trip continues to grow, with new ones bringing new ones, and during this visit we were able to reach male students at the university. There remains a need for French-speaking saints to shepherd these new ones and for the meetings to transition into French.
In May, two teams from the Warsaw Extension of the Full-Time Training in Moscow (FTTM-XW) came for 10 days each; one labored in Paris and the other in Nanterre. Through these visits we have seen the Lord's continued blessing on His work in France.
In Paris the trainees were deeply touched by the saints’ care and their living according to God's ordained way. The saints were equally refreshed by the trainees’ joining them in the church life and going out together for the gospel. Many new ones from previous trips are growing in life through the saints’ faithful shepherding, are remaining fruit, and are even participating in the gospel themselves. During one gospel time we met a French man who told us that he feels as though we can see the Bible in color while all he sees is black and white. He shared that he wants to believe in the Lord and has read the Bible but cannot really see anything, asking, "What is the Song of Songs even about?" We led him to take a Recovery Version Bible and showed him how the Bible is a divine romance. The team distributed 221 New Testaments and over 800 tracts and gained 47 contacts, and 9 received the Lord.
In Nanterre the trainees were hosted by 4 different homes and blended with the saints through meetings, appointments, and a picnic. The labor included Bible distribution in La Défense (Paris), the largest business district, visitations in the homes, and appointments with new ones. One family was refreshed through the trainees’ visitation, and a French family, in which the brother has purchased all the French ministry books, was supplied by the coming of the trainees. One young man shared that he had received a Recovery Version Bible in the past and had been looking to find us to fellowship with us but could not. He was very happy to meet us again and had an appointment with the brothers the following day. During this time, 267 New Testaments and 111 tracts were distributed, and 21 new ones were contacted.
As two teams went to Nanterre and Paris, a third team traveled to Belgium.
Their heart for the gospel is so evident in their report.
15 May: Our team consisted of six people. Three of us left in the morning by car, while the other three traveled by plane. During the drive we listened to ministry messages, joined an orientation fellowship for the teams in Paris, and were filled in spirit.
At a gas station in Germany, one of us began speaking with the cashier and discovered that she was Polish. We gave her a New Testament in Polish, and she was very happy to receive it. She did not call on the name of the Lord with us, but there was a feeling as though we had known her for a long time and we felt a closeness like family. We prayed that the Lord would grant us another opportunity to meet her again, perhaps on the way back to Warsaw.
16 May: After arriving in Leuven (Belgium) we joined a small coordination with the local saints who meet in Brussels. We had a short fellowship, prayed together, and then went out to the city center near the Saturday market, where there were many people, since according to the saints there are usually very few students in the university areas on Saturdays.
At first, we tried simply walking around with New Testaments and offering them to people, but there was almost no response. Then we stood at a street intersection without a table, began singing, and offered the New Testaments while holding them in our hands to people passing by. Many people started approaching us. Within two hours, we spoke with 41 people. Many were Christians and were glad to receive the Recovery Version of the New Testament. One Christian woman said, “May you reach many people.”
One of the most memorable experiences for us was meeting a family from St. Petersburg with two children. The woman was not very open because, as it turned out, she had been hurt by religious relatives in her childhood. However, her husband gladly accepted a New Testament and gave us his phone number so that we could arrange a meeting on Monday. They are traveling as a family and will return to St. Petersburg at the end of their trip.
A young man called on the name of the Lord with us. The brothers shared John 1:12 and Romans 10:13 with him, and afterward they called on the Lord together with him several times. They then spoke with him about the Lord as a living person. He said that the thought about the Lord as a living person deeply touched him, and he remembered that “whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” After that, we called on the Lord together three more times. His expression changed, and he gave us his phone number. We are praying for a meeting soon with him.
We also met another man who reads the Bible and enjoys comparing different translations. We introduced him to the Recovery Version, and he gladly accepted it.
In the evening we had a meeting at the home of a married couple. One newcomer also attended, a postdoctoral researcher in engineering in Leuven, who knows a brother in the church. We did not know most of those who were present, so we used the dinner time to get acquainted with one another. Afterward, we sang several hymns and read chapter 6, “Eating and Digesting,” from the book “The Living and Practical Way to Enjoy Christ”. Then we shared what had touched us and spoke about our experiences. The atmosphere was very good. The brothers also arranged a personal meeting with the postdoctoral researcher for Friday.
After returning home from the meeting, our team spontaneously gathered together for fellowship about the day and its most significant moments. We prayed for specific people and particular needs. The atmosphere within the team is full of mutuality, and everyone is exercising. This is a great encouragement.
17 May: We attended the Lord’s Table meeting in Brussels (Belgium). There were 26 local saints at the meeting, 4 of whom were young people.
During the fellowship, we arranged by phone to visit the saints in Tournai (Belgium), which is SW of Brussels. We had previously visited this family during earlier trips there. We were very happy that such an opportunity opened up again. There was much warm and informal fellowship.
Also, during our fellowship with the saints, a young married couple whom we had visited before told us that they have home meetings on Tuesdays and invited us to join them this coming Tuesday. This was a great encouragement to us. On the way home, we prayed that the Lord would grow in the saints, and we also prayed for the young people and for shepherding. The atmosphere within the team was very encouraging.
18 May: We went to Leuven for coordination and lunch. A young sister, who moved to Leuven six months ago, offered her small studio apartment for our coordination time and even volunteered to cook lunch for the whole team. We were deeply touched by such care and hospitality. Four local saints joined us for the coordination. After prayer and a short portion from the ministry, we went out for gospel preaching.
This time we went to the city center square. Although there was a very heavy rain that day, within two hours we distributed 47 English New Testaments, spoke with 11 people, and 4 were saved.
Some highlights from the gospel preaching:
Two girls asked for Bibles themselves. One of them said that she is always surprised that she knows that God is one, but people invent many gods for themselves. The two girls were possibly high school students. The saints shared with them about the Lord as a living person and about His name. They listened attentively but did not call on the Lord. Later we found out that one local sister knows the aunt of one of the girls, and they exchanged phone numbers.
We also stopped a young man and offered him a New Testament. During our conversation, we showed him how to use the Recovery Version. He read John 10:10–11 and the footnotes we pointed out to him. We preached the gospel to him, and he called on the name of the Lord, although he did not leave his phone number.
Two other young men also listened to the gospel. One was very happy to receive a New Testament. He called on the Lord, while his friend did not. One asked whether it is important to call on the Lord in a serious way. The brothers answered that the important thing is to call on the Lord with faith in the heart. One of the young men left his contact information.
In the evening we had blending with the saints at the rented house. Three local saints came, two of whom were young brothers who had been with us for the gospel preaching that day. We had dinner together, sang several hymns, and fellowshipped about how the Lord called some of us to the training. We believe that the Lord sovereignly arranges such fellowship and uses the word of our testimony to call others as well.
