Blog 35 THE WINTER SEASON - WRAPPING UP THE YEAR AS WE WRAP UP IN OUR WOOLLY JUMPERS 👕 "OH COME LET US ADORE HIM!".....

Well, winter time is upon us. Within two weeks of having warm sunny ☀️days to now cold and bitter rains, ☔️ the English people have taught me to enjoy every season, whether bitter or sweet, cold or hot! As I look out over my garden (yard), it amazes me to see how the last of the leaves on the ground represent the many changes that this year has been for us here in Exeter. But through it all, and with a commitment of prayer, our God has been faithful. He has used every opportunity to grow us closer to Him, in which I can truly say, 'Oh come let us adore Him!'

In June we had to send our interns away from England because of visa issues. Barb and Steve Tessitore moved to Italy, and Molly moved back to Arizona. Such a sad day.   They met such a need for the work here. But then within two weeks of them leaving God sent us two families all with British citizenships who have been such a joy. It simply amazes me how our God hears and sees our every need! He so desires to answer our prayers in ways we would never imagine. 'Oh come let us adore Him!'

In June Bob's sister, Bev, passed away. That led to an emergency trip back to the states for us. 

August was our involvement with the Creation Fest outreach, with many serving hours and seeing many come to Jesus.

In September, the Uni students were back in our church and with them a few new ones. Such joy to be able to minister to them on a daily basis.  Frequently I get together for a cuppa with each girl, sharing in our conversation about their walks with the Lord. Recently there was one girl from S.E. Asia that so spoke to my heart. In our conversation I had asked her when she had come to know Jesus. As we were drinking our ☕️ tea, she replied that as she was growing up, her family maid who would take care of her, brought her to Jesus! Now some people see maids as just ordinary people doing ordinary jobs.  But God uses anyone, anywhere, anytime who is yielded to glorifying Him. I like a quote from Corrie Ten Boom, "it's not my ability, but my response to God's ability that counts". May all our hearts be open to that response from God to be a vessel anytime, anywhere for His glory no matter what we are doing.

And we wrapped up the year with a Uni students' Christmas party. Crazy socks were the theme, and indeed we had a crazy and fun ending to the year.

We had a beautiful Christmas 🎄 high tea with the ladies - the English way with scones, sandwiches, Christmas crackers and a variety of tea to choose from! Bringing friends from afar, the ladies in our fellowship were so encouraged as we looked into "the joy of Jesus" taken from the passage of Luke 2:10-11. With the beautiful surroundings of Reed Hall at Exeter University, we all felt very blessed.

I will be visiting the States to be with my family during the month of January, and ringing in the New Year. 🎉May the Lord's light shine in our hearts, and may He use us more than ever in the year ahead. Thank you for your love and prayers, truly you all are a blessing more than you will ever know, in which I proclaim "Oh come let us adore Him."

Prayer Requests:

Keeping healthy during our time in the states

Safe travels

Ladies bible study to be continued in February 2017

Discipleship 

In His love,

Jeanne ❤🎄🐾

Blog 34 🍁🍂 Autumn Time in England - Bringing Forth Fruits Through a Season of Prayer 🙏

As we are gearing up to those windy days and cold, brisk nights of Autumn, our hearts are warmed by all God is doing among us right now.  

As the Uni students have come and now are settling in quite well. We had a weekend outreach of "church search", reaching new students in the area. We set up free teas, coffee and biscuits on the street corner of near our church, shared about Jesus and the opportunity to welcome them into our church service, passing out flyers. I had a divine appointment in particular I wanted to share....a new fresher (first year student) came up to the table. As I shared about our church, she said, "I don't care about the teas and coffees, but tell me more. Are you a church that teaches the Bible?" When I said yes, she looked at me and said, "When I came to Exeter I prayed God would help me find a church close to go to. I will be there for sure!"

The lesson learned for us all that day was to take risks, not being afraid, and God will be there to not only teach us His valuable truths, but also to be glorified!

Solomon's Porch University Fellowship has started once again, and it simply amazes me how the love of Jesus is spread within this group. Lots of new kids, lots of chatter, as the seasoned students intermingled with the new students creating such a blessed fellowship that will be there all year long. As I served my annual lasagna dinner, and showed off Emma our basset, the night was extra special with a wonderful prayer time at the end.

The ladies Bible study has begun, teaching on "The Women of the Old Testament." That too has been a special blessing for me, as these ladies are continuing to come, excited to study God's word and pray together. I can see each week that friendships are becoming deeper as we share about the lives of these women in the Old Testament.

Bob also has started a Hebrew language class, learning to read it and recognize the words in the first chapters of Genesis. Although it's quite challenging, it's exciting to see our fellowship embrace this. We had a full class with lots of excitement as our minds were trying to memorize the Hebrew aleph-bet and the vowel markings.

Our Yeovil fellowship (which is over an 1 hour away) has now turned into a Calvary Chapel.  Matthew and Rachael Fisher, who are British, were prayed over and it's been so exciting for Bob and I to see our prayers and labor of love bearing some fruit in this land. That has been our prayer since entering this land, that God would raise up British leadership to spread His Word, disciple and teach these Brits the word of God.

We have received a few new families with children over the last few months. Consequently we now have a Crèche to meet our babies needs. We also have set up a fellowship nite for the married couples once every two months, having a bring and share as well as that sweet fellowship as we go from house to house.

And last but not least, Bob and I recently got to do a family retreat in Nice, France. 🇫🇷 What a blessed week coming along side Pierre and Nancy Petrignani as we ministered to this body of believers in such special ways through prayer, worship and baptism. These French people will always hold a special place in our hearts❤️.

Thank you once again for you love and especially your prayers in the work that God has called us to do here in Exeter and beyond. There is a quote by Oswald Chambers that I am often reminded of which states - "Prayer does not fit us for the greater work; prayer is the greater work".  Indeed we are so blessed as we all bow our hearts in anticipation to the work He wants to do in and through our lives.

Psalm 92:4 "For you make me glad by your deeds, O LORD; I sing for joy at the works of your hands."

Prayer Requests:

Church ministry helpers

Sunday school teachers/helpers

Discipleship 

Ladies bible study

In His ❤️ 

Jeanne

Blog 33 - SUMMERTIME, THE FRUIT OF OUR LABORS BRINGING FORTH JOY

Tomorrow is the beginning of autumn, the ending of summer in this land of England. Time has flown by since I last wrote, and God has been and is continually faithful to meet us each and everyday.

Part of our ministry here in England is to come alongside other small churches in the UK and Europe and encourage them. We had opportunity this month to go to Belgium. A young pastor and his wife (Will and Abby Hoc) was helping an existing church on the coast of Belgium transition to join the Calvary Chapel group of churches.  We got a chance to spend time praying and serving in that church alongside them a few Sundays ago. What a joy to see the people's hearts open to the gospel message. As Brussels is only 2 hours by train from London, Bob and I ventured out and took the Chunnel over there. This is a train that goes under the English Channel for 30 minutes...incredible!

I had a beautiful garden this summer through which I had made many new friends in my neighborhood. The two little spinster ladies who live down the street love to smell my roses as they walk by to the market daily. Since I am the only "American" and the only one who has roses in the front garden on this street, lots of conversations have been coming forth as they stop and talk, being curious of why are we here in England. They call it "chin-wagging."

The village Bible study will soon be starting up along with other women in our fellowship. We will be studying "Women of the Old Testament" and how their lives are applicable to ours today. It's been such a joy to study and pray weekly. And although summertime has been a good rest, we all are excited to come together once again as friends.

We've had several opportunities to have marrieds, singles and neighbors over this summer. Such a joy to serve them. One couple we visited lives out in the beautiful Devon countryside. We took Emma Lou, our 14 month old Bassett Hound, out to play with their two dogs. She had so much fun running and even rolling in fox poo, to make the day even better...for her. By the end of the day playing, she had such an odor we had to bath her before returning home with this special fox poo shampoo they have here. Oh the life of a dog I must say!

All in all, summertime has been good for us here in England. My apple tree is busting forth with these beautiful apples soon to be harvested. As I go out each day, spying out these apples nestled underneath the protection of the leaves, I am often reminded of Psalms 17:8 "Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings." As that apple simply grows to full maturity, hiding within the shelter of that tree, may we also be reminded to come under His wings and find shelter from those daily storms of life.

In His Love,

Jeanne🐾

Prayer requests:

Church ministry helpers

Opportunities to reach out to neighbours

Wisdom for ladies' Bible study this fall term

Wisdom for discipleship within the church

Praise Reports:

Village bible study - genuine friendships have developed in those ladies, hungering for God's word

Opportunities to encourage other smaller churches

Blog 32 - A Reflection of God's Sustaining Love, Both Then and Now - Psalm 125:2

"As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people both now and forevermore." Psalm 25:2

This past month the Lord has been surrounding us here in Exeter with His love in every way. He has been faithful in surrounding our small ladies Bible study in the village with His abundant love as we have faithfully been coming together weekly for prayer and study of God's Word. We have seen prayers answered as He has been sheltering us from those daily storms. As we have encountered trials, we have learned so much how God's love is there for comfort and encouragement along the way.

On our last "Solomons Porch" University ministry for the school year, the weather was nice to have a barbecue in our back yard. Many of the students don't often get chances for barbecues, so this was a special time. As we were eating, we all shared  about God's abundant love and goodness and how special this year has been. Hearing the students share, my heart was so blessed to see how they have grown more in love with Jesus as God has been truly faithfully to surround them each and everyday with His love, stability and strength. In 3 John 4, it is stated so beautifully- "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children* are walking in the truth." 

I had an opportunity to go with about 16 from our church (and a few from other churches) to Poland this past month. The flight was only 2 hours away from our home. It was a 5 day tour throughout the land, visiting a Polish church pastor and wife and encouraging them in the Lord, seeing Kraków and the old Jewish quarters with Schindler's factory, and then visiting Auschwitz and Birkenau, the death camps.

Words are hard to find how special this trip was, though at times it was a remembrance of tragic history. As we walked through Auschwitz, I heard no birds singing; but yet I felt God's Presence holding each one of us close in the comfort of His love.

Throughout the day, God ministered to us about His abundant love, hope and comfort. The Scripture that kept coming to mind the thoughts that were included in Psalm 125:2, "As the mountains are all around Jerusalem, the Lord is then and is now all around His people." With that we can have hope. That no matter what we go through, God is there to surround us with His love, mercy and grace, holding us close to his heart.

Summertime here in Devon is upon us. It is a time for the beautiful flowers to shine forth with the warm temperatures. May we all take time to reflect this summer upon the warmth of "God's Son" and smell His fragrant beauty. For when we do take that time,  thankfulness will indeed arise in our hearts for others to see.

Prayer requests:

-future teaching opportunity at Missions Conference in Austria in August

-no visa troubles for the next two years: we are hoping to apply for indefinite leave to remain (residency) in March of 2018, if the Lord tarries.

-abundant grace and refreshment during these summer months before all the University students return in September.

God bless, 

Jeanne ❤️🐾

Blog 31- Springtime In England - A Season of Change

Each morning as I look upon this city, I see new blossoms coming forth. Various daffodils, tulips, snowdrops--but there also seems to be a freshness in the air that spring as sprung! After a seemingly long, cold winter, the sun was a welcomed sight. And with this in mind, I had an opportunity to help feed and hold new baby lambs on my friend's farm a few weeks back. For as long as I have been in England, I have always wanted to experience this "sheep experience"; and truly what a joy to behold!🐏🐏. As I held that small baby lamb, literally feeling it's heartbeat (as its mother stood watching close by), I couldn't help but think of how our Lord holds us dear and close to His heart. Each one of us are special in His eyes, just as Psalm 23 declares the Lord's love for us.

I have started a bible study on Wednesday mornings out in a little village just beyond Exeter. Though it is small, what a joy to be able to study God's Word with these ladies. The times of sharing, prayer and fellowship have been so special as we see each week God's faithfulness in answering prayers and filling us up with his goodness and joy.

I had an opportunity to spend 5 days in Holland with my girlfriend from the states last week. What a refreshing "girlie time" we had as we laughed, cried, and prayed together! She flew to Holland from the states, I flew to Holland from Bristol, England, and meeting together we spent a great time seeing windmills, museums, and of course the famous Keukenhof gardens.🌷🌷 We literally got to see a little touch of heaven as we tipped-toed thru the tulips! I was so blessed and refreshed to be able to spend this time with my friend and also blessed with Bob who allowed me to go. As my friend and I said our goodbyes going our separate ways we will always hold those memories in our hearts of this special place we got to share in God's blessings.

The University students are feverishly studying for exams during this time. Baking and cooking will soon begin as we furnish each of them with cookies wrapped up with a scripture. That little boost of God's love of encouragement seems to help them through. We made out a calendar for prayer for each day of their exams. As we pray, God is faithful to meet them and be glorified every step of the way.

The Lord tells us in 1 John to love not in word only but in deed and in truth. Loving our neighbors ...❤️ The Lord has given me several opportunitys lately to "love my neighbor". As in the gospels, Jesus clearly stated the importance to this statement. Things such as doctor appointments, meals, grocery shopping and having them in for merely a "cup of tea" have been just a few on my love list. And what a blessing it has been serving my neighborhood in this way and to let the love of Jesus shine upon their hearts as I serve. As friendships have been built, we have exchanged those famous English recipes...for they love to cook. In my trying to cook their way, I have not only expanded my vocabulary in words such as caster sugar, leeks, black treacle, but have grown into loving to cook the "English" way. It been lots of fun!🍵🍰🍝

May the Lord continue to fill you, bless you and strengthen you as you look to Jesus each and everyday. And may He open doors for you also to let His love shine through you in special ways as you serve.

Psalm 36:9 - For you are the fountain to life, the light by which we see.

Prayer Requests:

***British interns for our church to help with worship, maintenance and administration

***Continual opportunities to reach my community

***More Bible studies in the surrounding villages