Greetings from Roubaix

Hey SixTen!

As I write, Sean and I are sitting inside a Quick Burger in the picture that you see posted. It’s pretty much like a McDonald’s which thrills me!

We’ve had a long three days to say the least. We left from the States on Thursday morning and arrived Friday morning, including a full day of meets and greets on Friday. But God is good. He’s brought us safely here and has us in good hands with the church here. We won’t use the pastors names for safety reasons, but for the sake of conversation, Pastor A and P have been very hospitable to us. It’s amazing to see the bond we all have in Christ and can fellowship with them halfway across the world.

We were each able to share our lives with them over bread and coffee, which is a definite staple here in France. Travel-wise, we’ve been able to walk most places, with the church not being a far distance from our apartment.

At the outset of our trip, we’re looking to just “take in” the city and learn about the deep Islamic heritage here. We’ve found that the pastors here walk the city and just pray over it. Parts of Roubaix tend to be very dark, with drugs and poverty being a large part of it. So we partook in some of those walks today, as we prayed that the light of Christ would breakthrough those strongholds. Although the enemy is at work, Jesus is greater.

Thank you for your faithful prayers as we continue on God’s mission here. Please continue to pray for the people here, as around 80% of the city is Muslim. Pray that God would transform the hearts of these people to see the glory of God in Christ. Please also pray for courage and the Holy Spirit’s perseverance in the leaders of the churches. They are working hard, but there is much to be done in their ministry. Pray also for the sports camp and the kids that come. They will undoubtedly be Muslim, and it would be great to share our lives and the gospel with them. As always, you can pray for boldness for our team.

Thank you again. We love you and hope to share again soon.