Dear Friends,
We are really excited to share with you about the Transformation Art Expo and all that God did this past week! We’ve dreamed of having a community art space in a city center for a long time; in fact a big part of what we have hoped for and worked towards as missionaries in France is to create spaces where not-yet believers can encounter God’s love and presence through the arts, music and neighboring. This art expo was truly a taste of this vision and God showed up! After a year and a half of planning, painting, and preparing, we got to transform a beautiful art gallery in central Caen into one of these welcoming spaces where people walking in darkness can encounter His great light.
A Summary
The whole week went so very well! Thank you so much for joining us in prayer for this outreach. First, we had a day of hanging up all the paintings. We were thrilled with how wonderfully all the works of art fit together. The gallery became a beautiful, colorful and inviting space. After a careful day of set-up, we invited about 20 people to come pray and worship with us in the gallery. What a joy to raise our voices in praise in this beautiful space right in the heart of our city. This set the tone for the week, and a remarkable number of visitors commented in our visitor’s book that the gallery felt peaceful, warm, set-apart, like another world.
The next night was our “vernissage” or opening. We had about 70 people turn up, and the night was a success. Joanna and her team made sure everyone felt welcome. We were so happy that many of our believing friends invited not-yet-believing neighbors as their guests and allowed the exposition to spark conversation about God. This was a big part of our vision for this event, and it happened! Tom and I sang a couple of songs and had gospel conversations with guests as a result. Throughout the rest of the week, we had a further 179 people come to visit the expo. We had coffee and conversation with many of the guests. We were able to pray with people who came in hurting. We invited not-yet believing people to come to church. Again and again, we could see God drawing people closer to Himself.
A Story
Tom and I were sitting with Aaron, chatting with a friendly older lady about painting when a young man in his twenties came in and started looking around the gallery. He seemed a little nervous at first but took his time with each of the paintings and to read the words and stories about Transformation hung around the gallery. He seemed about to exit when he stopped, looked at us and said :
“I’ve lived in this neighborhood for three years. I’ve walked by this gallery countless times but today is the first time I’ve come in. I found the paintings and the text about transformation, particularly the “Divine Exchange” deeply moving. I’m in a process of getting to know God and this expo has touched me and stirred up my thoughts about God. Thank you.”
He didn’t want to stay and talk further, but it was such an encouraging reminder that God is at work here in Caen – how amazing that this young man was drawn in at this point in his faith journey during our transformation expo! The work we are privileged to do, like putting on an art expo which proclaims the gospel, is part of His far greater work of transforming hearts and drawing people into relationship with Him.
Our Thanks
It was a very busy week and the lead up to this event has been full as well. We could not do this sort of work alone! We ‘re so thankful for the support of our church community here at Bon Berger and we were particularly grateful for the help of one of our fellow GEM missionaries, Bennett, who traveled up from Lyon for most of the week to serve with us.
This whole event was funded through Greater Europe Mission’s EBI Grant program. The funding took the financial stress off of the artists and us as missionaries to cover the costs associated with running the expo.
I’m grateful for the three other artists, Caroline Le Gal, Tiphaine Anne, and Heather Wright (Bruyère) who participated in working and producing art for the expo, for help with the set up and manning the gallery over the course of the week.
We are also so thankful to our family. Putting on a big outreach with a 6-month-old is daunting, and Aaron did so well. He was in the gallery almost as much as I was! His presence brought a joy and lightness to the feeling of the expo. He became an integral part of the whole thing! Our older kids have been helpful and supportive as we have been very busy this past month preparing. So many logistical things went smoothly along with the overwhelming sense of God’s peace and presence in the space.
Thank YOU so much for your prayers and partnership in the gospel.
