Ministry Update from Kristi Colas in France
It does my soul so much good to write every morning in my “works of God” journal, tracking His many blessings and tracing His sovereign hand. He has spared me from the terrible tragedies that many others in the world are facing, but ministry has had its share of disappointments and frustrations. Many of my attempts to spend time with unsaved friends and introduce them to other believers ran into dead ends. English Bible Club has shrunk. Projects have been put on hold. But the Lord’s mercies are new every morning, and I have stories to share with you that beautifully illustrate Psalm 103.
A few weeks ago, Dorise stood up in prayer meeting and publicly confessed her faith in Jesus as Savior! “I asked God to show me the truth, and the veil has fallen from my eyes. I believe now that Jesus is God and that He died for my sins.” For thirty years, she had stubbornly resisted the Lord as a JW. For all those years, her husband prayed for her. And now we have a new sister whom we already love dearly! She quickly requested baptism and has shared her decision with friends and family. Hallelujah!
The Pakistani family who escaped death threats in their country are still waiting for the French government to grant them refugee status. On average, they wait six weeks between appointments. Their lives are completely on hold until they can get official papers. Our church has the privilege of caring for their material needs in the meantime. As the months drag by, this family has been a sweet testimony to us of the goodness of God. Rather than murmuring, they are trusting in His mercy and are constantly looking for ways to serve us: painting, cleaning, cooking, putting together Ikea furniture…
As we started our fifth summer of outreach to prostitutes, we strategized and prayed about ways to keep sharing the Gospel with them. However, the Lord has created those opportunities for us. J., the lady whom we see every summer, needed medical attention. Since then, I have spent many hours sitting with her at doctor’s appointments. She was very willing to watch Gospel presentations on my phone in her native Hungarian. Last week in the waiting room, I saw to my astonishment that she had opened up a Bible app on her own and was listening to the book of Matthew – even the genealogy! We are hoping to start a Bible study with her next week. I don’t doubt that the Lord is able to save her, but honestly, she seems quite comfortable in her sin.
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