Dear Family and Friends,
One week from the time of writing this, all seven of us will be on a plane together for the first time, winging our way to the US. We’re excited for Aaron’s first visit to his native land, and we are so looking forward to spending time in person with many of you!
As we prepare to come and share some of the ways God is at work in and through us here in Normandie, I’m struck with a profound sense of gratitude. Through ten years of ups and downs and so many lessons learned, He is faithful. We feel so thankful for you, the community the Lord has led to pray with us, to support this ministry financially, and simply to be our people. Friends here have been asking what we are most looking forward to in the US – is it a particular food or being in places deeply connected with memories? Of course, it’s our relationships. We are so excited to get to see many of you soon! Thanks for being with us.
Connect with us IN PERSON!
Sunday June 28th –
We will be giving a greeting at the Gate Community Church in Franklin, TN at the 10:30 service. There will be a reception to follow where we will share some stories, updates and prayer needs. This is open to all so we would love to see you there if you are in the area!
Sunday July 5th –
We will be sharing at Fairview Church in Lebanon, TN.
Saturday July 11th –
We will be in the Franklin area and have some time to visit with people for a coffee or a meal. Please reach out if you’d like to connect!
Sunday July 19th -
We will be at Pee Dee Baptist Church in Clinton, Arkansas.
We wish we could run all over the States and see each of you, but we’ve decided to keep our destinations limited as travel with our big family is tricky.
Youth Service at Bon Berger
Thank you for praying with us about the first Bon Berger youth led service. It went so well! Reuben and Silas led sung worship with another young man in our gongregation. Eli prepared and preached a powerful message from Acts chapter 2 about how our evangelism must be empowered by the Holy Spirit. The congregation was encouraged and we felt inspired about the way God might grow the church here in Caen.
D-Day Celebrations
I (Tom) was invited to fill in for a Catholic priest to lead a commemoration service on June 6th, the 82nd anniversary of D-Day. It was an incredible opportunity to preach the gospel to a large gathering of our neighbors, British folks and families of veterans who were over for the commemoration, and active military members. I really enjoyed the being a part of the program and my message and leading were well received.
In fact, after the service, I was asked to come and lead another commemoration the next day in the neighbouring village. This second service went well too, and Joanna and I were able to sing Amazing Grace as part of the program. We were able to meet a veteran from the war, he was 101(!) and he enjoyed interacting with Aaron. It was very special to fill in and participate in honouring the men who fought for the freedom of the villages we currently live in. All of this felt like walking in good works that God had specifically prepared for us to do. I felt at ease and the combination of being known in our village, being bilingual, and being an ordained minister all made me a good fit for this role. Praise the Lord for opportunities like this! We’ve already been booked for next year.
Prayer Points
This week is a full one. The school year is wrapping up, and there is much to do to prepare for nearly 7 weeks away from home. Please pray for:
A strong finish to the school year for the kids.
Health and safety as we travel to the USA and in Tennessee, Arkansas and South Carolina
Aaron’s first 9-hour flight, that he would not be too unhappy and that we would be able to get some rest.
Our presentations and meetings in the states to go well and that we can rejoice together in what God has done and what he continues to do here in France.
We appreciate your prayers! Thank you for partnering with us.
Every Blessing,
The Appels
