Outreach Report from France!

This is the outreach report from our missions trip to Clermont-Ferrand, France. These pictures and quotes are from the team, including us!

Doing Something

Many people have asked me, "How was France?" or, "How was your trip?" I don't know how to answer that question in a word, but if I had to sum it up, my answer would be, "life changing."


I know that God is doing a new work in my heart and in Michelle's, and I know that he opened a wide door for us to even get to France to begin with. I think it is evident that there is something here for us to pursue. The issue, though, is that I don't know what that looks like in the meantime, or if it is even supposed to be a full-time thing. What do we do while we wait?


In the past, I would have felt paralyzed at this stage. Impotent and impatient. But I really think that God is. challenging us to do something. We have an opportunity now to invest in relationships and build the kingdom here, in Garland, Texas.


I don't want to waste any time or opportunities to love others, to pray, to prepare, to do something for God. While we wait with quiet and secure faith in God's timing, we will also eagerly expect what is to come. 


I feel alive in a way that I haven't felt in a long time, and I want to "fan into flame the gift" that God has given me. For everyone who reads this, I'd like to ask forgiveness for holding back from you in the past. I was trying to "save up" my passion for the "real" work God called us to. I was selfish to withhold my love, commitment and brotherhood from you. 


I would like to try to change that. I want to be open and available. I want to love and live passionately, and I want to do it alongside my brothers and sisters. I am so thankful for all of the people that He has placed in my life. I am humbled by your love.


So, that being said, do you want to change the world together. Let's do it. Let's pray together, trust in God together that he can change our lives, our families, and our communities. Let's not waste time, let's not be isolated and fearful in giving our hearts and lives for one another.


I love you, and I want to do something with you!
-ted

Winding Down

"Le Flash Mob" during an afternoon outreach session.

We are nearing the end of our time in Clermont-Ferrand, but today was one of our most productive ministry days here. As I may have said earlier, we were able to share our testimony on Tuesday morning. Many members of the team have since come up to us to tell us how much it meant to them. We are just both so excited to talk about what God has done in our lives to bring us to France. Michelle and I both had opportunities again today to share our story. Michelle got the chance to share her story during on of our afternoon outreaches.




While she was doing a Sketchboard presentation, she met a couple from Russia that happened to be traveling through the city that day on their way to Paris. She was able to share the love of God with them and offer them hope, in both a literal and metaphorical way. She happened to have one of her pieces of artwork with her, a round, wooden disc, with the word "Hope" painted on it, and gave it to the the woman. I know that this was more than just a chance encounter!

In the courtyard of our "base" church in Clermont-Ferrand, Eaux Vive.

Tonight's international service was in a church in Clermont-Ferrand, just west of church where we have been gathering each day. Daniel and Timothy both got to participate, Timothy by introducing Daniel, and by Daniel doing his Napoleon Dynamite dance (which has had a great response every International night so far!). They also sang with some of the other kids in French and did the hand motions!

Daniel and Timothy, singing a song in French
during our international night.

One of the best part of the trip so far has been the international nights. It has been so good to see how God is working in the different cultures around the world. Tonight was special for me because I was asks to share my story about how God brought me out of sexual addiction and totally redeemed me. I have felt God give me the courage to be honest about my past, and I feel that He is using something so destructive to help the church in France. Many men - pastors of the churches here especially - have told me that this is a secret struggle that many men are dealing with, and that it is good to bring it out into the open. I am just so thankful that I get to be part of God's process of healing for other men. It is so humbling.

The French part of the OM team performing a sketch,
making fun of how often they go on strike. Notice how
the man on the right, has been on strike for so long, that
he doesn't have the money to buy a sign.

God is definitely doing something here in Clermont-Ferrand, and he is doing something in our hearts. I have really felt the love of God for the French people in a way I never felt before I came here. God is certainly stirring my heart and Michelle's and we're both very excited to see what the next step is going to be.





We have one more day of outreach ministry here in Clermont. Please be praying that everything will go smoothly, and that the seeds of the gospel will be planted in the hearts of those who will see and hear the presentations tomorrow.

Update from Michelle (Outreach Day 3)

Hello again!

The last week has been a blur of activity! We meet together daily for devotionals, worship, prayer, testimonials, meals, and the outreaches.

So far we have done outreaches in 3 different towns and have visited 3 different participating churches. There are only 8 evangelistic churches in this region, which is strange coming from Dallas, where there seem to be ten on each major street.

Yesterday we climbed one of the highest dormant volcanoes in the area. A local man told us there are around 80 volcanoes and craters of different sizes, and many of the buildings are made out of the volcanic rock.

From the top of the mountain, the view was breathtaking! There are also ruins of a Roman temple built to worship Mercury, built in the 1st century AD.

View from the top, you can see some of the volcanic range
of mountains in the background.

Another view from the Puy de Dôme

"I think I can see my house from up here." Daniel Wallace

The ruins of the temple of Mercury at the top of the Puy de Dôme.

Timothy, Ted, and Daniel at the top of the mountain.

Tonight was our 2nd international service, which has been so much fun! Team members from France performed a skit about how they're always on strike, we learned a song in Swiss-German, a traditional Scottish dance (so much fun!), watched an African drum line perform, and listened to some French gypsies sing. The Americans performed a skit featuring Timmy as a host and Daniel doing his Napoleon Dynamite dance.

It's been wonderful to learn more about the other cultures, have great conversations, and do ministry together. Not to mention the food- several courses of homemade French cuisine that takes 2 hours to eat and several more to digest!Ted and I were also asked to share our testimony, and we've had a tremendous response. So many people have told us that it blessed them, and then we've had the opportunity to encourage them as they share their struggles with us.

International Night in Riom

Timothy introducing Daniel during the "America's Got
Talent" skit for an International Night Service

After the service tonight, our borrowed little car died on the road. But a while later, a van load of OM friends rescued us. We are loving France! :)

-Michelle 

OM Team - Clermont-Ferrand July, 2012

The Kids in France

I thought it would be best to take today to show a video interview we did with the kids this evening. Today was "officially" our day off, which meant that we did laundry and toured the Puy de Dôme (a dormant volcano) before turning in an hour earlier than normal.


Tomorrow is more outreach, and another International Night service, that Michelle will talk about more in tomorrow's post.


In the meantime, I hope that you enjoy this:

Counting Down...

Tonight we made our last trip to the store, crossing off those final items on our packing/shopping list. All of us can feel the excitement building, and if I'm honest, trying to focus on tasks at work is becoming more and more difficult as the clock ticks by...

Michelle and I have been asking ourselves repeatedly, "Have we forgotten anything? Did we get everything we needed on the list? Have we made all of the necessary arrangements?"

I think that we're about as prepared as we can be, and yet there is still so much that we can't plan for. I cannot wait to see what God has in store for us over the next two weeks. We've prayed and prepared, and all that is left to do is get on the plane!

Please keep praying that God will prepare the way for us. In so many ways He has already answered this prayer, but the preparation that we are depending on is in the hearts of the people that we'll be reaching. Pray for open doors into people's hearts. Pray for God to give us courage and boldness to share the Gospel in love and truth. Pray also for Jesus to speak to Emily, Daniel, and Timothy as they begin their first (of many) missionary journeys. We want them to see and experience the heart of Jesus as we venture forward as a family.

We're about 30 hours away from our departure from DFW, and we're counting down...

-ted

We're Headed to France!

It's very surreal to announce that we'll be leaving for France one week from today! God has been so good to us. We have raised $10,000 in a few short months, gotten our passports, booked our flights, hotels, and trains. So many people contributed to this miracle, and we are grateful beyond words!

We'll have three days in Paris and the rest of the time we will be in Clermont-Ferrand. The last few weeks we've been reading travel books, devotionals, studying French and trying to keep it all in perspective. We don't just want this to be a great vacation, or to get lost in a whirlwind of events. We desperately want God to move in our hearts- in us, our kids, and in the people of France.

Please pray for us over the next few weeks- for protection, for all the details to come together,and especially that God would do an amazing work in and through us (and in spite of us!). We are so excited to watch this journey unfold before us, and we can't wait to see what God has in store!

On top of the Eiffel Tower in 1996, Michelle's first trip to France