Dear Friends,
This isn’t a real Appel’s update. Joanna will send something with her wonderful photos hopefully next month. For now, here’s a quick shooting from the hip update and request for prayer.
GEM France Retreat
We are about to head down to Camp des Cimes, an amazing camp/retreat center run by GEM in the Alps. This is first time our GEM France team has been able to gather in person since the pandemic and it is also the first time while Tom has served as part of the leadership team. We would highly value your prayers for us and for the GEM France team as we spend time together, pray for one another, and seek to sharpen each other in our mission here in France.
Hosting, New School, New Opportunities
These past few months for us have been different than we expected. At the start of 2021 we were planning to be in the US for the summer. Instead, we decided to stay put and the Lord has opened up such opportunity for connection and growth in relationships with our neighbors and friends here in France. I (Tom), have had more conversations about Jesus, and more opportunity to clearly proclaim the Good News in the past few months than I’ve had since arriving in France. Just this last week I began reading the Bible with one of our refugee friends!
We’ve hosted several church BBQs over the summer where our not yet believing friends outnumbered our church friends. We’ve had friends come over for dinner and express desire to connect with our church community. I’ve also been asked to serve as the Vice President of the Nashville Caen Twinning Association with a focus on music. This meant that last week was invited to participate in a meeting with the vice mayor of Caen and a few others who are focused on international relations for the region.
Joanna, in the meantime, has not only led our four kids into a good start at a new school, but she is also serving on the French equivalent of PTA leadership. She is started leading a small group of young women at our church in a Bible study. At the beginning of October, she flew to America with Elodie to attend her Nephew’s wedding and spend some time with her family. She’s also just had two paintings featured in a local art gallery for the first time where she sold an amazing painting called “Lion of Judah”. I love that some Joanna’s paintings (both the one she sold and several gifts she has given) are hanging in houses in our area constantly proclaiming God’s love. She is started leading a small group of young women at our church in a Bible study.
Prayer
Praise the Lord that we find ourselves in a time of real opportunity! Please do pray with us for:
Wisdom to discern what is ours to do and for keeping healthy pace.
Reuben, Eli, Silas and Elodie, as they continue to connect with new people and adjust to their new school.
Tom in the various leadership roles he has right now, with GEM, with Bless, and with Caen/Nashville.
Joanna as she juggles family, ministry, and community involvement.
GEM France Retreat, travel to and from the camp and for the week to be a blessing to our team and family.
Please pray that our neighbors and our refugee friends will experience God’s love in Christ Jesus and turn to Him.
We are so thankful that at all times, whether we see lots of opportunity and fruit or not, God is at work here in France. It is a gift to join in this work and we are grateful to be in it with you. Thank you for your prayers and all the ways you encourage and support us as we seek to follow Jesus.
