Counting Down...

I wanted to give everyone a quick update:

We have until the first week of November to raise our monthly support to a total of 80%. Right now, we're a little over 35% of our monthly support raised, so we have a way to go.

We know that God has called us to submit to this process and His provision, but we also know that you play a major part! We can't do this alone (nor do we want to)!

If you are currently part of our support team, we want to say thank you so much for your faithful giving. Please continue to pray that we will be able to raise the additional support we need by our deadline. If you are not, will you please consider what you could do?

There is a link on the right side of the page that will take you directly to our account page with OM. This is a quick and simple way of giving online. (You can also click here.)

We love you all, and we're grateful for anything that you can do. If you would like to know more about what we'll be doing in France, we would love to set up a meeting with you and share our burden for the Church in France. Email Ted at ted.wallace@om.org or call at 972.342.7345.

-ted
of The Wallace Clan

Moving Forward

Today is the beginning of something new. It is the first day of my new schedule. I know that may not sound too exciting, but believe me it is!

As our family moves forward towards our goal of oversees missions in France, this is an important step. This means that three days a week, I'll be working at my "normal" job as a Project Manager for Barnett Signs as I have for the last 20 months, and Mondays and Fridays I will now be able to focus on building our support team, language study, and preparation in our move to France.

We are extremely excited to take this next (of many) steps as God releases us to our next destination on this journey. Please keep us in prayer as we move forward. Since our last post, we have met with several other missionaries who are working or who have worked in France, and we are more convinced than ever that this is the location where God is calling us.

The need in France is great. For example, 74% of the population has never read the Bible! The church is small but growing, and we need your help to get there. We are still setting up meetings with individuals, small groups, and churches to share our burden and our story. If you are interested in hearing more, please contact us here.

Thanks so much for your prayers and support!
-ted (& the rest of the Wallace Clan)

Plans

OK, so I recognize that we haven't updated this site since our return from GA last September. Part of that is because we have been so busy since then, but part of it is because we didn't know how best to explain what has been going on.

Here is the "short" version:

On Thanksgiving Day, we got the word that we were officially invited to work with OM France. That was certainly one of the best Thanksgiving celebrations we've ever had. We are beginning to see the end of a 15-year season of preparation for going to work with the church on a foreign field, and a lot is happening quickly.

We have been given a budget that consists of both monthly support and a start-up fund. The amount at times seems unreachable and impossible to raise, but God has already been tremendously faithful. Since mid-December, when we began fundraising, we have raised almost 25% of our monthly support and 20% of our start-up costs.

How are we doing this? Great question! Michelle and I are contacting friends and family and setting up appointments to share our burden for France. This is a unique culture that has a past full of both a powerful work of the Holy Spirit as well as much darkness. Michelle and I still have a lot to learn, but we feel that working in partnership with the church in France, we can share the message of redemption that God has so evidently shown in our lives. We want to see God speak to the 90% of villages and towns in France that have NO EVANGELICAL church at all. We want His Word to speak to the 74% of French people who have never even opened a Bible.

I hope that this short update can begin to capture the burden and love that we feel towards the French people. We would love to meet with everyone one-on-one and speak more specifically about how God is leading us and how you can be a part of the change that He is beginning. If you're reading this now, please pray for us and our fundraising efforts. Pray for our family as we begin the transition process of selling our house, learning French, and making some significant adjustments. And please pray for the Church in France. Pray for the pastors and the people of God that they will be able to share their faith and see God work in a new way there.

Also, I hope that you can expect a phone call from one of us to set up a time to meet! Will you help us be a part of seeing the Spirit of God work in France in a new way?

Thank you all so much!
-ted