And so, at last, I find myself with a
little bit of time so I can put pen to paper, as it were, to give you
an update of what is going on in our lives.
|
|
Church
in the Maurienne
We have been investing more and more time into the group of believers
in the Maurienne. Already we have seen God do some amazing things.
 A couple on the
verge of separating and divorce have turned their
lives around giving God the priority in their personal and professional
lives. Immediately after making this decision they were able to sell
their house which relieved a major financial pressure… and
God’s blessing and leading continues very strongly in their
lives.
Open caring
relationships are being formed between people of
different denominational backgrounds.
We are now running a weekly prayer meeting, two homegroups/bible
studies (because there were too many of us for one group in which
everyone could participate freely) and a sunday meeting every two weeks
- once a month a formal service, once a month an informal
fellowship/prayer/worship meeting.
Also at the end of April we invited all the Christians of the valley to
share a time of fellowship together. Several denominations were
represented and we agreed to maintain contact with each other and have
other informal times together.
|
 |
Opposition and Cost
This does not come without cost or opposition,
but despite this we push on because we believe that is what God has
called us to do.
We have become even more aware of our need to relocate into the valley,
and preferably be in the town of St Jean de Maurienne itself
–
where the people are. To this end we signed up with an organisation
that offers low-cost rented housing and just recently they offered us a
flat near to the town centre. We had wanted something bigger with a
garden – it seems that now is not the time, our focus has to
be
building the church not establishing yet a house of refuge. Anyway we
have given notice on our flat in Albertville – we have to be
out
by the beginning of September… but we probably have to take
the
new flat in the middle of July, so that will mean paying two rents for
nearly two months – a subject for prayer especially as we are
finding it difficult to pay one rent! We will incur
additional
costs in decorating our present flat to leave it in good order and
obviously moving costs. At each step God has been faithful, even if at
times we have tended to lose our faith in him providing, he has
continued to provide.
|
Unemployed?
As we have already related Mike has had to
sign
on as unemployed in order to supplement our income. This means he has
to actively look for employment. He has been considering trying to find
a part time job in the architectural field. In May a firm agreed to
give him a trial of two weeks and this has led to a suggestion of
employment after a training period. However the training has to be
agreed with the “job centre” and this is proving to
be a
long process. The down side to this, apart from the time he will have
to spend on things other than the church in the Maurienne is that the
firm is located in Albertville… hmmm, another prayer subject.
|
And
Donna?
Donna is
being
kept very busy as well with her new talent of banner-making. She
presently has ‘orders’ for 5 more banners, the
first of
which she is doing now is in Swedish. Perhaps we should make this into
a commercial project?!
“It’s
a great experience to not only be making banners to encourage people in
worship but to be able to do it in different languages. I
have so far done English, French, Swedish and I will be doing one in
Wolof (for those of you who don’t know this is the language
spoken in Senegal). And I’m loving it  ”
|
 |
 |
Luke –
exams and more exams..
Luke is right at this minute doing his
driving
theory test – so we’re praying like crazy for him.
Next
week he has the majority of his “Baccalaureate”
(bac) exams
(A-level standard exams) and then he will have finished
Lycée
for good. October all being well will see him at university in Grenoble
which is about an hour away from us.
|
Jonathan
– another year over
Jonathan finishes his first year of
Lycée
today with a bit of a mixed school report; we can see which subjects he
likes! We will be picking him up tomorrow and signing him up for next
year to pursue his Bac in economic sciences with a rugby option. The
rugby season has just about come to an end; his tally for this year
– one broken tooth, two sprained thumbs and a couple of days
of
intense neck pain. Not too bad I guess, but not too easy for us as
parents. Still he really enjoys it and is one of the best players in
each of the teams he plays for – his Lycée,
Albertville,
Savoie, and Alpes. The only level at which he hasn’t played
(yet)
is for the national team. That’s to
follow…!!! |
 |
Summer
craziness
Looking forward to summer we see just a huge number of things that
we’ll be doing. We have two inTouch (YWAM) camps, one in
France the other in Switzerland at which we lead the worship and help
staff. We have visitors at the end of August - a family of
missionaries who work with Wycliffe in Senegal and are currently on
furlough, and two other friends who are also missionaries to Senegal
but with a different mission. We shall also have a friend who
works in the Congo stopping over on her way home to the States for a
few days. Even though the place is filling up with boxes we
can always find space for more Our house is really the Tardis, (Dr
Who fans will get it).
We have been invited to lead some worship for a missionary team
conference which is to be held at the end of August in
Albertville…
… and then we will be moving house
at some stage…
… and who knows about Mike’s job…
Luke will be working more hours at McDonalds – he has just
been promoted to “instructor” status.
Jonathan is looking to help on a friend’s farm for a few
weeks in Val d’Isère, about an hour away from
Albertville…
And we shall need to keep things going with the church in the Maurienne
over this period as well. We have not arranged any formal services as
things tend to stop for the two months of summer but we will need to
work all the harder maintaining contact between all the
‘members’.
We have planned some picnics so that we can keep in touch with people
from other denominations in the valley, and we shall be meeting others
informally, building up relationships and encouraging folks.
So there you have it, the Spencer plans for the next couple of months,
busy, busy and yet we are really excited about what God can and will do
in the Valley of Saint Jean and we are open to being used by Him for
the extension of His Kingdom. If you receive a verse or an
encouragement for us as a family or for the Church in the Maurienne
then please do send it to us to encourage us in the work. We
would be unable to do the work God has called us to do without people
praying for us and encouraging us. Also please do let us know
if you have prayer needs this is a two-way relationship. Be
blessed this summer and we look forward to letting you know how things
went in our next newsletter.
|
 |
Calendar :
YWAM InTouch Camps
28 July – 4 August 2007, Vallorbe, Switzerland –
lead worship, leadership team
11 – 18 August 2007, Le Gault la Fôret, –
lead worship, leadership team
|
|
But to each one of us grace has been
given as Christ apportioned it....
It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets,
some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,
to prepare God’s people for works of service, so
that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach
unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become
mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fulness of Christ.
Ephesians
4:7, 11-13
Yours in his
service,
God Bless,
Love ‘N’ Stuff,
Mike and Donna
|
|
|
General
Information
|
|
To receive our
newsletters (or stop receiving them) by e-mail please e-mail to
NEWSLETTER
SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE and mention "subscribe/unsubscribe" in the
subject title.
For more
information about our work in France email to: mike.donna@e-shofar.com
|
|
| |
|
To view preceding
newsletter click
here
|
|
|
Financial
Support
|
|
|
Mike and Donna
are members of Orchard Baptist Church Colchester. They work as
independent missionaries having to raise their own support. Gifts and
donations can be made direct to Mike and Donna, can be routed via
Orchard Baptist church. Alternatively, for tax payers in UK financial
support can be given through "Stewardship" , charity No.234714 which
enables us to reclaim some tax increasing your giving to us by 25% at
no extra cost to yourselves. Please ask for details or see the website http://www.stewardship.org.uk/
|
|
Finally
donations can be made via PAYPAL to Shofar. Refer to link on our web page
www.e-shofar.com/
|
|
|
©
Copyright 2007, Mike and Donna Spencer. All Rights Reserved.
|
|
|
|
