News From Around the World: Missions wherever YOU are

July, 2006        Vol. 6, Issue 7        Gary DeGraaf

 

The Country

 

 

Thank you for praying for my visits—they are still going well, and I am seeking to fill up the rest of my weeks of summer and fall with appointments.  Pray as I contact many new churches, that they will agree to hear about the French church and new believers, their brothers and sisters.  Pray for safe travels, for patience and wisdom in this process, and for some to agree to be partners

 

Below is a little section I found in a prayer guide for France, speaking about the region where I will live.  I hope it helps give new ways to pray for the people, and please pray for many new churches to start here.

 

          The Centre region comprises the departments of Cher, Eure and Loir,  Indre, Indre and Loire (where one would find Tours), Loir and Cher, and Loiret. It is one of the most populated regions of France, with approximately 2,500,000 inhabitants. Many Parisians leave the capitol to settle here. This trend translates into strong growth in the cities of Tours and Orléans. The path of the river Loire geographically unites the Centre region, crossing it from east to west. This “heart of France” has often been compared to a garden where people enjoy a high quality of life.  It ranks first in the European Union for grain production and first in France for digestible oils (corn, sunflower, vegetable). Its industrial growth is among the strongest in France. The region ranks second in nuclear power, pharmaceuticals and cultural tourism.

 

History

Beginning in 1418, the kings of France settled here and built numerous châteaus in the Loire Valley. The history of Orléans and the wider region is directly linked to that of Joan of Arc. In 1429, she liberated Orléans from the English. From that victory comes the adage “He who holds Orléans holds France .” The Centre was always a strategic location because of its bridges across the Loire, which effectively controlled commercial and military movements between the north and south.

Tours is the birthplace of Martin, the great evangelist of the fourth century.  There is an ancient basilica dedicated to him that is used for religious events of the Catholic church.

 

 

Specifically for the church in Tours, pray for their maturity, for the leadership and God’s direction.  Pray for the ministries in which I’m involved in the US, that they will prepare me for ministry there.

 

 

“Pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” (Matthew 9:38)

“Priez donc le maître de la moisson d’envoyer des ouvriers dans sa moisson.” (Matthieu 9 : 38)