Ashley's June update

“I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.”
- Luke 10:21

Dear friends and children of God,

I have felt so humbled over the past month by God’s presence and His ongoing work (John 5:17). He truly reveals Himself to little children and even chooses to work through them for His glory! I have gone through many transitions recently, most notably moving out of Lons-le-Saunier last week (and leaving behind precious kitty and friends). It was a bittersweet end as I looked over the year’s events. The church is looking ahead to their new pastor’s arrival in August, but I ask you to continue to pray that their worship and interactions with each other will be Spirit-led and that the new pastor will give them solid spiritual guidance.
Entering my final month in Lons, I was wondering what the purpose of my work there had been, when God reminded me that my personal evaluation of my situation does not often reflect His! How humbling to remember that I do not need to question His purposes for me and the people around me, regardless of the outcome. Some of you have already heard my story about my Italian friend Gloria, but I will retell it here for those who haven’t. Gloria moved in with my friend Alisha about six weeks ago and visited our church at Alisha’s invitation. Coming from a non-practicing Catholic background, she had many questions about our faith. The following weekend, I was taking a trip to Geneva and felt that I should invite her along, sensing that God had big plans for her if she decided to come.


At the last minute, she called to say that she might as well come. During the drive there, we talked about what it means to have salvation by faith in Jesus, a new concept to her. Throughout the weekend, she had various conversations with Christian friends and joined us for church on Sunday. Afterwards, she told me that she had been crying during the service and really wanted to understand more. On the drive back to Lons, we spent the whole hour and a half discussing what it means to know Jesus and receive His gift of salvation. She was so eager to hear the truth, saying that she had always felt God’s presence in her life, but did not know how to connect with Him. Finally, I asked her if she wanted to make this personal decision for herself and pray. She quickly said that she did, so we pulled the car over and prayed together. What a joyful moment!

Since then, we have met a few times to study the Bible together. She is so hungry to know more and often asked when we could talk more about the Bible. The first time we had a Bible study, my friend Alisha joined in and we all really sensed the Holy Spirit leading our conversations. The second time, their third roommate Nadia, a Muslim girl, also decided to stick around drawn by the worship songs we were singing. We were reading John 2 and had a chance to talk about Jesus as God and Messiah. Please pray for Nadia’s growing acceptance of this truth! Pray also for Gloria’s deepening faith. She has such a desire to learn and to know Jesus more personally, but she is intimidated by reading the Bible on her own. She is just a baby in her faith, but I trust the Lord to bring more believers across her path to guide her, particularly since I am no longer in Lons to meet with her regularly. Through all of this, however, I was greatly encouraged by what God continues to do, even when I was beginning to lose hope.

After a couple of days of packing and cleaning, I said good-bye to Lons to join a short-term team hosting VBS in Lyon with our ICC church partners. What a tiring, but satisfying week! They had expected between 20-30 French & Anglophone children, but they ended up having over 40 children! And God was at work again the lives of little children. Even better, my life-long dream was realized when I got to be the Craft Lady for the week and make fun things with them like pot holders, visors, and key chains.  They heard the Gospel in various ways, through songs, lessons, the Color Gospel and games. It was also special to see our ICCL team in action and be encouraged by their dedication and faith.

I am now on my way to Marseille where the ministry team will continue multiple projects over the next week. At the same time, I will join Dan Painter there and continue working on all of the exciting projects that God is presenting to us for ICC. ICC-Eurasia is charging ahead as a non-profit in fund-raising and organization. ICCM will host a Family Summer Fun day on the 21st, encouraging local families to get involved with the ministry. Please continue to pray for these many aspects of ICC and for the discernment and energy needed to carry them out. It is such an honor for me to participate and see God leading us along the way!

Finally, I want to thank you for your continuing encouragement and faithfulness in prayer and in support throughout this year. My time with Global Outreach and ICC will officially be ending this summer, so please remember to hold your financial support starting in August. Also, please note that I can no longer be reached at my address in Lons-le-Saunier. I am still waiting to know God’s direction for me in this upcoming year and I appreciate your fervent prayers for my next step in serving and surrendering to Him. “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field” (Luke 10:2). I look forward to updating you soon on how He leads. Meanwhile, I pray that He continues to draw each of us into a more intimate knowledge of Him.

Love in Christ,

Ashley Erdmann

Richard's June newsletter

Dearest friends,

Happy summer time! It has been exactly six months now since I arrived in Geneva. Even though there has been a lot of transitioning (I have had to move six times in the past six months!) I feel really blessed to be here. Thank you all for having made this possible through your prayers, encouragement and financial support. I look forward to serving the Lord and continuing this faith adventure with you all.

Geneva Soup Kitchen

In recent months, I have been able to help out with one of the local soup kitchens in Geneva. This month, our church was in charge of cooking a lunch for over a hundred homeless people. On the menu were chicken, rice and salad with a chocolate dessert (of course!) It was also a good opportunity to sit down and talk to these people, where every day is a struggle in getting by. We hope to develop relationships with them as we look to be more actively involved in the soup kitchen.

Paris Project

In partnership with Agape France (CCC), Bill and I were invited up to Paris to participate in a two-week project which aimed to engage students in various activities. We were asked to do a humanitarian piece, where we presented the organisation’s vision in getting students involved in humanitarian work. We organised 2 ‘Soirees J’ai faim’ as an outreach to the homeless community. Again, it was so encouraging to see students turn out in great numbers to serve.

At the end of my visit to Paris, we rented out a cinema hall in one of the Marriott hotels. We projected a series of short-films and then had open discussions which were related to life and faith. At the end of the evening I got to share about our upcoming trip to Jordan. People were very responsive to the ‘Shoes for Smiles’ project where more and more socks and shoes are being provided for poor Bedouin kids.


Exciting summer schedule

Back in Geneva, things have been really busy as I make final preparations for various summer projects over the next month and a half:
- 5th - 15th July: I will be leaving for a staff conference in Thailand :
- 21st July - 1st August: I will be co-leading humanitarian trip to Jordan where we will be helping Iraqi refugees and Bedouin families, including the'Shoes for Smiles' project.
- 1st - 16th August: I will then be helping to lead a two and a half week bus trip across France. We will have 20 Spanish students with us as we engage in humanitarian projects in Marseille, Paris and Toulouse.

I am really excited to be part of this and look forward to sharing with you all about what the Lord is doing. My next newsletter will probably be in a couple of months but I can’t wait to keep you informed.

Prayer requests

• That the Lord will give me strength and peace in the midst of a hectic schedule.
• That the Lord will be glorified in all the projects that we are involved in.
• For the Lord’s hand to protect us and encourage us.
• That God would continue to provide me with monthly support.

I pray that you all have a blessed and refreshing summer break.

In Christ’s love,

Richard

Ashley's May Newsletter

“He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” - Psalm 23:3

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

I am praying this month that the Lord would give me eyes to see what He is doing around me in Lons and that He would continually guide me in paths of righteousness. I already feel that I am ‘switching gears’ as I look ahead to my upcoming projects and locations, but I am also trying to invest myself completely in Lons with my remaining month here.

The church is also fighting to ‘keep in step with the Spirit’ despite its many obstacles. I think many of them are still confused by the pastor’s leaving, but their hearts are genuinely seeking to honor the Lord. Recently, they hosted a children’s ‘Revival’ with the local Catholic church in an effort to reach out to the neighborhood children, as well as their parents. There were between 40-50 people present! This was an exciting activity and I ask for your prayers that connections made with these families will grow. Please pray also that this church would demonstrate the Body of Christ to the community in their relationships with one another and with others.

It is sad to think of saying good-bye at the end of the month to the friends I have made here. I plan to spend time with my French colleague Alice and her family before leaving and I hope to have more opportunities to share with her about my faith before I go. Please pray that God will prepare her heart to hear His word. Before I finish teaching, I am also trying to organize a party with all the students I have taught this year (about 150 of them!). I would love to invite them all to visit at the church during the week for an ‘American-themed’ party and also have more of a chance to share my love for them in Christ. Please pray that God will make this initiative a possibility and that He will bless my time with them.

I just returned from a weekend in Marseille. The time I spent there is making me more and more excited about the events taking place--the new church and the ICC movement as a whole. As much as it is important for me to make the most of my time in Lons, I am starting to pray that God will guide me in His paths during my upcoming time in Marseille. Once I finish teaching at the end of June, I will move down to Marseille to focus on various ICC summer activities and the Marseille church development. There is so much to share with you!

God has been providing and going before us with ICC in so many ways. We have been offered a place in Marseille to use as an office, which has required lots of renovation and cleaning, but it is truly a blessing to have some office space! The Painters are still expecting to sign very soon on the building that will become the ICC headquarters. This is still a walk of faith because, though God has provided the property despite many obstacles, it all still depends on the financial support to come in.

Knowing the need for a church to reach out to internationals in Marseille, we have been taking steps to begin a church there. This was the major reason for my time spent there this weekend. We hosted the first ICCM worship service Sunday evening, held in a French church, which has offered us the use of their building. It was followed by a Mexican-theme dinner where we had a chance to connect with the people who came. Please pray for this expanding ministry and the people that God will call to be a part of it. We want first and foremost to serve the Lord by meeting people’s spiritual needs in Marseille and across Europe.

When I move down to Marseille in July, I will be focusing on this growing church movement and the administrative work to be done. I really appreciate all of your prayers concerning my time there and the advancement of His work. I look forward to keeping you updated soon on what God has in store. We know that He is always at work and I don’t want to miss out on it! I remain deeply grateful for your partnership and prayer support that makes this possible.

Richard's May newsletter

Fat Fridays

At the beginning of the month, I was invited by the church I attend to give a presentation on our organisation to the youth group there which is called, ‘Fat Fridays’. The theme of the night was “Jesus and the poor” and how God calls us to share His love with the poor and needy in practical ways. The church was littered with cardboard boxes that the kids had brought over to sleep in at the church so as to empathize with the homeless. There were about 80 kids in all and it was so encouraging to see them wanting to live out their faith. We had some small group discussions with the kids and I was deeply encouraged to see that they have a passion to make compassion and reaching out to the poor a part of their daily lives.

Everywhere you go, always take the weather with you…

This month was also our staff retreat where we went for a couple of days to a lovely French village just outside of Geneva. As the Crowded House song goes I certainly brought the British weather with me as it rained non-stop for two days! This made for good team-bonding though! One of our staff members led us through a strength development program and how we can maximize our strengths and talents to best serve and function as an organisation.

‘Shoes for Smiles’


Things at work are moving on at quite a pace. We have started recruiting for our summer project July 21st – 31st to Jordan where we will have people from Hong Kong, US and Europe joining our team to bring help and hope to Iraqi and other refugees living there. One of our newer projects there will be ‘Shoes for Smiles’ where we will be distributing shoes to the poor children in the Bedouin desert. The families of these poor children live in such need that they either have the choice of buying food or shoes for the children. So most of the children walk around and play in bare feet on the hard, burning surface of the desert and streets. For $11 dollars (8 €), a pair of shoes and socks can be bought for a child. We held a concert in Paris which also helped raise funds towards these shoes. If you like, you too can consider helping before July 3rd. We will be able to help offer as many shoes as the team members and others raise for this great opportunity to bring help and hope.
Please contact me at rch197@hotmail.com and I can send you the giving information.



‘El bus solidari’

The humanitarian bus project is reaching an exciting stage as well. For those of you who don’t know, a group of Spanish students and myself are hiring a bus leaving from Barcelona which will tour the cities of Marseille, Paris and Toulouse. We will be partnering with organisations in these cities and assisting them in their social and humanitarian projects. The project will last just over two weeks and so far we have around 25 Spanish students who have volunteered! All partners are working hard as we make final arrangements for projects and housing. I am very excited for this chance to grow as this is totally a new venture for all of us – be praying with us as we step out in faith.

Finally, in Geneva this month we had the ‘Fête de la Réforme’ (Reformation Festival). Many of the churches in Geneva regrouped at the Cathedral in the old town for a joint service. It was a fantastic day with thousands of people attending.

I thank you all for all your prayers, words of encouragement and support. With your partnership Hope and Help are being brought to those who so desperately need it. You are such a blessing!

I would really appreciate your prayers in the following:

• Projects in Jordan and bus trip (Jordan is from the 21st – 31st July and the bus trip is from the 1st- 16th August). That the Lord would give us wisdom and peace in bringing everything together.

• Deeper love and knowledge of Our Lord. There is so much in my daily life that can keep me from special time with the Lord. My desire is to spend more time in prayer and His Word.

• Support. The Lord has provided with over ¾ of my total need. I am so indebted to Him for His amazing provision. Please pray that I will trust in Him for the remainder.

Is it June already?!

Richard: Since our update in March, I have quit my job at Corcoran's and am know dedicating all my time to support-raising. I will be in Paris for one more month where I will be organising a few soirees and presentations relating to my future work with Global Hope. Otherwise, it is World Cup fever again (Ashley is soooo excited about it ;-))) It'll be interesting as at the time of the France v Switzerland game I will be in Geneva sandwiched right in between the two countries! Whoever wins the World Cup, one thing is for sure: the US will be back home next week!

Ashley: World Cup excitement...or exasperation!? Sadly, it was excitement until the States lost so miserably. Hmm, now if this were American football...well, I would be even less excited, but at least we'd represent a little better. haha. Fortunately, unlike some people, my life doesn't revolve around televised sports events. I have been keeping busy with Agape's end of the year activities and also with the heart-rending work of moving out of my apartment. Oh, Kellermann, I shall miss you so. I am now living alone in an increasingly empty apartment. Oh, wait, at least there's Clarence. This is also tourist season, which can surprisingly be pleasant when friends from home are among them and I've had the chance to see many friends stopping by in Paris. It is also the season for saying good-byes, as friends, teammates, and acquaintances leave temporarily or (sniff, sniff) sometimes for good. July 8 will be my turn to say good-bye to Paris for awhile and return to the States to raise support...so that I can come back to France in autumn! Please pray for God to make the most of my time here and for His provision this summer regarding support.

DA VINCI CODE: FACT OR FICTION???

Richard's quote of the month:

"Q: How much of this novel is based on fact?

Dan Brown: All of it. The paintings, locations, historical documents, and organizations described in the novel all exist." (mmm...ok)


Hi everyone,

Firstly, sorry for the lack of activity on our blog. Things have been hectic but still that is no excuse. Ok, so one of the big events in Paris over the past month has been the release of the film 'Da Vinci Code' starring Tom Hanks and Amelie Poulain (Audrey Tautou). I'm sure that most of you have read the book (who hasn't?). If you haven't then buy it, it's a great read! Anyway, Richard's home church St. Michaels and other churches in Paris seized upon the opportunity to reveal the facts (historical, as well as theological) behind what Dan Brown proposes (expressed through his character Leigh Teabing). The week of the film's release saw the distribution of 10,000 fliers inviting people to hear the 'fact' concerning the 'fiction' presented by two leading theologians in fitting venues such as La Madeleine.

We have both read the book and seen the film and, as fascinating as the drama and philosophy may appear, be aware that Dan Brown's work has next to no root in history. Secular as well as Christian scholars agree that his controversial proposal regarding Christianity is false. It was also great to see that at the end of the conferences, as the fact about who Christ is was revealed, some people prayed to receive Him as their Saviour!

March update

Richard's quote of the month: "A la bruschette!" - Del boy

Ashley' quote of the month: "Yo' flava is HOT." - Honey


At the beginning of the month, we had the opportunity to go on a retreat with Richard's church St Michael's. It was at a lovely place on the Normandy coast just by the sea. It was so refreshing to get away from the mayhem and rioting in Paris. It was a three-day retreat where we were encouraged by the worship and teaching and had a great time meeting new people. The weekend ended with a murder mystery game "Clue"-style. (or "Cluedo" if you speak English).




For those of you who have been concerned about the heated situation in Paris with the strikiing and protesting, it has quieted down, even though the universities are still barricaded and students haven't been to classes fot the past six weeks. This is still a concern as exams will be coming up and students are afraid of losing a whole semester.





Recently, Agape and Global Hope jointly organized a "Soiree Humanitaire" in order to raise money for an upcoming trip to Turkey. The money raised will be used to buy school supplies for impoverished schools. It was great to see so many French students concerned about the welfare of these children. Some are even interested in participating in future humanitarian trips with Global Hope. Our friend Bill Morin presided the evening and encouraged everyone to "embraser les orphelinats", oh wait, I mean "embrasser les orphelins".



Ashley: Despite the confusion, I don't work in a pub. My work with Agape keeps me busy enough! This month I have enjoyed the time spent with students and friends through our new women's Bible study, monthly worship night, and English clubs. As the weather gets nicer, we are hoping to spend more time outdoors with soccer games and picnics. We had our first picnic last weekend and, though it rained, we had a great time playing cards in a nearby cafe. Wow, the French need to be taught Spoons more often! Good times... I appreciate all of your continued prayers for our work and the relationships I have with my friends here. Also, please pray about my upcoming trip to North Africa with some of my teammates and the work we will be doing there!

Richard: I do work in a pub, but things are drawing to a close. March was a crazy month especially with the Rugby (Allez les bleus!) and of course the barman's nightmare: St. Patrick's! I've decided to call it a day and will be leaving the job on the 13th April. Then for the next few months I will be support-raising full-time. At the moment I have the cat in my 10 square metres. I don't know which one of us will go mad first!

Thanks for all your prayers, support and the encouragement that you all are to us. Check out the new photos and we look froward to hearing from you soon!

Claire/Clarence

February

The dreariest month in Paris. ...Which is why I left for sunny Spain! And came back with two new skirts and a tan. And then spent a weekend in the German Black Forest. But poor Richard had to stay behind while I was gallavanting all around Europe.

In the meantime, I also found an abandoned kitten in the park one morning. She was so cute and vulnerable, I had to bring her home. So we named her Claire. Two weeks later, we found out she is actually a he and now he is named Clarence. Well, Richard prefers to call him 'Big Cheese.'

Work with Agape has been a bit unpredictable lately. We went from having Agape Live, our weekly student meeting, to dividing up into men's and women's Bible studies with a monthly worship night. We've also started two new English Clubs on different Parisian campuses. Once the weather cheers up, we'll start having picnics again...one of the highlights of my job!

Otherwise, since the beginning of January I, Richard have been working in an Irish bar in the Latin quarter of Paris. It has been a huge blessing to have found a short-term job so quickly having just arrived back from London. Working hours are pretty crazy, though, sometimes finishing at 2am during the week and 5am at weekends! As I am working full-time at the bar, oppurtunities in raising support have been few and far between even though people with whom I have shared with in Paris have been really supportive and encouraging. I am thinking about quiting the bar or to go part-time if at all possible, to focus wholly on support-raising. Please pray for this situation.


"Delight yourself in the Lord
and He will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in Him and He will do this:
He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
the justice of your cause like the noonday sun
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him." Psalm 37: 4-7

Pictures

Ice skating at the Hotel de Ville! Don't we look like we know what we're doing...?

Welcome to 22, Blvd Kellermann!

Hey guys! Welcome to our blog. We decided to start this site so that we could keep everyone updated on how things are going in Paris. Life is always interesting here, so be sure to read up regularly. But first, let us introduce ourselves...

Richard:

For those who don't know me, I'm 26 and am from London, England. Having studied French at Southampton University, I moved to France four and a half years ago. I began working for France Telecom where I stayed just over three years. I am currently support-raising to join Global Hope, a humanitarian organisation based in Geneva. Otherwise, my interests include sports, movies, traveling and Biblical history.

Ashley:

I am proud to be from the great city of D-troit. J'ai 23,5 ans. I graduated from the University of Michigan in 2004 with a BA in French and have since been living in Paris working with Agape (Campus Crusade for Christ). Besides ministry, my passions include music, archaeology, traveling, reading and meeting new people. Random Ashley trivia: my favorite number is 9.

We look forward to keeping you updated! Que Dieu vous garde dans Sa paix.
Richard and Ashley