And so I have eventually got down to
writing another newsletter, this time I have a different view out of my
window.. in fact this time I have a different window!
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We
almost have too much to put in a newsletter, so we'll just try to give
some of the highlights.
Since last writing we have moved house, helped staff two summer camps,
hosted visitors, got Luke into university, changed Jonathan's rugby
club, seen our car die and restarted church meetings in the Maurienne
after the summer break....
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View from one of our windows
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Moving House
We gave the obligatory 3 month notice for
leaving our flat in
Albertville in the middle of June knowing that we would probably have
to take possession of the flat in St Jean in the middle of July.
Potentially we had to pay rent on two premises for two months... but
God knew different! Our old landlords decided that they would be moving
into our flat in Albertville and they would take possession as soon as
we were out. We arranged to hand over the flat at the end of July which
gave us two weeks to make good the decorations after we had moved out.
We thought that this would be plenty of time, but we ended up having to
decorate a good part of the flat. After a nail-biting handover meeting
which lasted nearly two hours the summary was « Rien
à signaler »- Nothing to be put right. We still
wait the return of our deposit but this normally takes two months
– so, any time now and perhaps we can buy some cupboards for
our kitchen.
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 (YWAM)
summer camps
(Bessonaz)
So, whilst we had moved in the middle of
July, the last two weeks of
the month were spent working on the flat in Albertville. Handover was
on Thursday, Friday was our first full day at St Jean and we spent it
getting ready for the first summer camp with YWAM in Switzerland! We
left for Switzerland early Saturday morning.
The camp lasted a week and we revisited some teaching on personality
types that we had seen during our time with YWAM some ten years ago.
The whole Spencer family was the worship team, Mike and Donna leading
from guitars with Luke on drums and Jonathan on bass and we had
generally one session of worship each day. We also provided and ran the
sound and recording system. There was enough to keep us busy! In the
middle of all this Donna lost her voice and was quite poorly for a
couple of days, but she rallied well towards the end of the week. It
was also nice to renew some friendships with people we had met at the
inTouch camp of the previous year.
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Car problems
Now it has to be said that
in the midst of all our house moving our
car, the Espace, died on us. We had had several problems with her and
the steering was begining to leak again, so she wasn't well, but we
were hoping she'd last through our busy summer. Not so. We hadn't
moved, we hadn't gone to Switzerland, all this was still to come when
coming back from a church picnic the gearbox gave out, we were going no
further. And whilst it would have been possible to fix that we were
aware of all the other things – costly things –
that were likely to be needed in the foseeable future. We declared her
dead.
Of course this called into question all our travel plans, the YWAM
camps in particular as we had to travel with a lots of equipment
– instruments, sound system as well as clothes and bedding.
We needed a large vehicle... or two vehicles... or a largish vehicle
with a tow bar. And that's what we got! To cut a long story short, for
the first camp we were leaned two cars – an Espace and a
citröen C3, for the second an Escort estate with a tow bar so
we could take our trailer. I'll let you imagine the turmoil, the
questions, can we go or not? How are we going to get there? But God
came through each time surprising us by his provision and the
generosity of his people and their willingness to lend a car, not just
to go down the road, but to travel hundreds of kilometres.
And the story doesn't end there because we have been given a sizeable
gift to help towards buying a new vehicle by some people we got to know
in an inTouch camp – people we got to know over a very few
days. Wow! It just leaves us stunned and grateful. |
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So, a week at home –
nearly – before heading off to the next camp at the YWAM base
at Le Gault la Forêt where we had worked for two years when
we arrived in France. We had mixed emotions about this base; Our two
years there were not without difficulty so what would it be like
revisiting?
We had a great welcome and I think we experienced some healing there as
well. It makes such a difference being able to communicate easily in
French as well, something we couldn't do during our initial stay.
The teaching was about hearing the voice of God and this time the boys
were really touched by the Lord which, for us, as parents, was amazing
to see. You always hope that your children will follow your example,
will develop their own personal relationship with God.. but when you
see it happening its quite a tear jerker.
Again the family Spencer did their bit by orchestrating the worship
each day and just generally helping out wherever we could.
We returned home the following Saturday, exhausted but with good
feelings and some new friends. And, to cap it all, after only being
there acouple of days we were asked to return in January to lead a
weekend seminar on « Worship as a lifestyle » (For
more info www.jem-france.com/iamr.htm
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Back
home
Its still hard to think of St Jean de
Maurienne as home, but here we
are. And so it was down to unpacking, putting up curtain rails and
curtains, constructing bookcases... and then there's the kitchen which
is still a collection of oddments at the moment. Anyway, in due course
things will get a bit more homelike.
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Boxes, boxes everywhere!
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Unemployed
Yep, Mike's still technically unemployed.
The company in Albertville
looking to employ him backed out because they couldn't get the funding
they wanted for a three day training course. Well, that was an answer
to prayer!
He's going through another « Evaluation » at the
moment on a part-time basis with an architect which is more his line of
work but whether there will be any future to this is difficult to
foresee. Other interviews for teaching posts have also been very
positive, « and if a post opens up we'll be sure to call you
»!
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And
then to the real work
We actually
moved to St Jean de Maurienne because we believe that God
is building his church here and he has called us to be part of that.
Can we do all that God is calling us to do and get alternative
part-time employment? This is a question we're asking ourselves. We are
open to this even if it means working long hours... but only if that
what God wants us to do. We'd appreciate your prayers on this subject.
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The Bible studies have started again, two
groups each once every two weeks... and the prayer meetings at
lunchtimes. The church service meetings will continue on a once every
two-week interval alterneting between a more formal service in the
morning and a less formal meeting in the evening. The next one is this
Sunday.
The mayors office have indicated that they now want us to start paying
for the hall in which we meet – do I detect a bit of
opposition or does the Lord wish us to reconsider where we are meeting?
No doubt we'll be praying and discussing this in our group in the next
few days – that along with our identity (a name for the
group), evangelistic work, reaching out to other christians in the
valley... etc., etc...
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Sunday morning - St Jean de Maurienne
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Donna is
trying to structure her
days but it is difficult when Mike takes her little car (which itself
is in need of maintenance work – new clutch on Thursday for
example) to work. And then the phone rings and people just want to
talk... what can you do – what we're called to do –
listen! And then there's getting back into making her banners for which
she has several orders... and initiating a women's prayer meeting...
and just getting people together which is no small task. Your prayers
please!
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And to the boys.
Luke is now living in Grenoble during the
week in university lodgings
whilst he studies for his licence to teach English in french colleges
and Lycées. His first few days came as a bit of a shock,
away from the comforts of home but he is now getting settled in and
adapting to a new phase in his life.
Jonathan has just started his second year of Lycée, a year
which will finish with him taking some of his Bacalaureate exams. He
has also changed rugby clubs and is now playing with
Chambéry who play at a higher level than Albertville.
Jonathan had a day to remember last weekend when he was on the team of
ballboys for the world cup match between New Zealand and Portugal. He
came back thrilled by his day – apparently he was
stationed right by the All Blacks bench and they were joking with him
all during the match.
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So, I tried
to keep it short, but failed. Sorry! We appreciate greatly all your
prayers for us – please keep going! Now the battle in the
heavenlies is likely to get a bit more intense. Please pray for the
members of our 'group' here, especially those who have taken on some of
the responsibility for leading; we are in the forefront of this battle. |
Calendar : A regularly updated
calendar is posted on the internet at
www.e-shofar.com
- calendar.... Here is a resumé:
October
- December 2007 -
Sunday services every two weeks alternating morning and evening
Bible studies every week
Weekly prayer meeting
Weekly womens' prayer meeting
Sunday 11 November 2007
- Leading church service, Marseille -
Friday
25 -
Sunday 27 January -
"> Seminar
“Praise and
worship as a lifestyle” by Mike and Donna at
YWAM base in Le Gault la Fôret, 51 France. More information
at:
http://jem-france.com/iamr.htm
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How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how
shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall
they hear without a preacher?
And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How
beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who
bring glad tidings of good things!"
Romans 10: 14,15
Living in
grace through His strength
God Bless,
Love ‘N’ Stuff,
Mike and Donna
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General
Information
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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
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To view preceding
newsletter click
here
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Financial
Support
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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/
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Finally
donations can be made via PAYPAL to Shofar. Refer to link on our web page
www.e-shofar.com/
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©
Copyright 2007, Mike and Donna Spencer. All Rights Reserved.
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