Today, we went to GBSE (Groupe Biblique de St Etienne) the church that we’ve been attending. There was a potluck afterwards because Sandy and Randy are headed back to the USA for 10 months for courses, so it was a sort of goodbye to them. Also, it was a celebration for the baptisms of Ben and Nancy that would be happening later that afternoon. We had brought cheese - the second most crucial part of a French meal, asides from bread. We grabbed a plate and sliced the cheese and made a platter out of it and then added the grapes that we had also purchased. The French ladies were all ooohing over the plates. It was normal for us, but they had never seen that before. They always just put it on a plate and then everybody slices off what they want.
We all headed down to the Apostolic Church for the baptisms at 16h00. There is no tub large enough for adults in Ray and RuthAnn’s basement. We sang a bunch of songs that I knew – the French versions of worship songs sung at youth retreats. It was great. I love singing. Then Ben stood up to give a testimony. He is the son of Wayne and Wendy who are missionaries from England. He is also my age. It was incredible to hear someone (especially a male someone) to tell of the way that they came to know Christ and their new found faith. Then Nancy stood up to speak. She even was so prepared that she brought the Kleenex with her. When she was two, her mother died of cancer and her father was a drug addict who wanted nothing to do with her or her sisters. She was taken in by her aunt, but later was given to social services because of the cost of raising three children. She was put into a foster home where the ‘parents’ were cruel and cold hearted. They forced the kids to do the household chores and beat them if they did the tasks incorrectly. They openly told the children that they had taken them in for the money. They were spending it instead of helping the children or saving for their education. She was finally free from them after over three years and was adopted by people that cared for her as a child should be.
She is an incredibly strong woman for surviving what she did. She is a brave woman for continuing on and not just giving up. She is a courageous woman for facing every new day. She truly challenged me. When she climbed into the baptismal fount and was asked the one question: Do you believe that you are saved through Jesus Christ your Saviour? There was pure joy radiating from her face. It was amazing. There were no doubts. There were no hesitations. There were no uncertainties. Just joy. Sheer bliss. Perfect Peace. I don’t think that I’ve ever seen that. She has come through so much and, in the end, she still found the Saviour and could receive His gift of everlasting grace.
There is still a lot of life that needs to be lived, but she has found the key to a life filled with love, joy, peace, and satisfaction. I pray that she remain in Christ, and that her life will be a blessing to those around her and those she meets.
We all headed down to the Apostolic Church for the baptisms at 16h00. There is no tub large enough for adults in Ray and RuthAnn’s basement. We sang a bunch of songs that I knew – the French versions of worship songs sung at youth retreats. It was great. I love singing. Then Ben stood up to give a testimony. He is the son of Wayne and Wendy who are missionaries from England. He is also my age. It was incredible to hear someone (especially a male someone) to tell of the way that they came to know Christ and their new found faith. Then Nancy stood up to speak. She even was so prepared that she brought the Kleenex with her. When she was two, her mother died of cancer and her father was a drug addict who wanted nothing to do with her or her sisters. She was taken in by her aunt, but later was given to social services because of the cost of raising three children. She was put into a foster home where the ‘parents’ were cruel and cold hearted. They forced the kids to do the household chores and beat them if they did the tasks incorrectly. They openly told the children that they had taken them in for the money. They were spending it instead of helping the children or saving for their education. She was finally free from them after over three years and was adopted by people that cared for her as a child should be.
She is an incredibly strong woman for surviving what she did. She is a brave woman for continuing on and not just giving up. She is a courageous woman for facing every new day. She truly challenged me. When she climbed into the baptismal fount and was asked the one question: Do you believe that you are saved through Jesus Christ your Saviour? There was pure joy radiating from her face. It was amazing. There were no doubts. There were no hesitations. There were no uncertainties. Just joy. Sheer bliss. Perfect Peace. I don’t think that I’ve ever seen that. She has come through so much and, in the end, she still found the Saviour and could receive His gift of everlasting grace.
There is still a lot of life that needs to be lived, but she has found the key to a life filled with love, joy, peace, and satisfaction. I pray that she remain in Christ, and that her life will be a blessing to those around her and those she meets.
2 comments:
Amata, nous avons besoin de tes nouvelles! Je ne sais pas ce que tu fais, si tu n'écris pas :P
Mel,
il n'y a rien à dire cette semaine. je ne peux pas écrire les mensonges pour tout le monde à lire!!! je suis une fille remplie de l'honneteté!
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