Dear friends and partners,
Rennes, February 8, 2006
“Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) I really like these Bible verses. They help me to keep a positive attitude, even in the midst of difficulties, and to not withdraw or worry. I have been experiencing this in a special way those past two weeks when I have been sick. Nothing really serious: a bronchopneumonia. But these verses help me not to feel sorry for myself. What has happened since our December 7 newsletter? The Christmas party December 15 on campus was encouraging. It drew ten or so non Christian students in an intimate and friendly atmosphere. They were able to experience what Christmas is for Christians, through songs, games, skits and the testimonies of two students of the group. Please pray that what has been sown in their hearts could grow and that we will know how to follow-up appropriately.
After many mishaps, the national New Year Camp for students became this year a regional mini camp. Please pray for wisdom at the national level when deciding what we will do next year. January 5, we had a special soirée “Galette des Rois” (Twelfth Night cake). To our big surprise, it attracted seven new students, non Christian. Please pray that the Lord will now draw them to come to an activity through which they will be able to discover the Gospel. Then mid-January, we went to two interdenominational Christian meetings. I was touched when hearing the prayers of our students and seeing their faith through their testimonies and sharing. At the national level, our meetings for a change process continue. In January, we hosted our colleagues in Rennes, and the next meeting will take place in Lyon, April 5–7. Please pray for the new National Campus Director, Joe Schlie, that the Lord accompany and guide him in his new responsibilities.
Projects of the semester to lift up in our prayers:
Launching of a small group discussing the Bible for five to eight students, almost exclusively non Christian and with many questions. Please pray especially for Wakaba, the Christian student who will lead these meetings.
Launching of our website http://agapecampus35.free.fr as a place of discussion between students, with the creation of a forum as soon as possible.
Large-scale survey: it's a survey with testimonies that one has to classify according to how much he can identify with them (three students telling about their conversion and one student telling how he is on a spiritual journey
with the group). We will put it on our website and will do a lot of publicity mid-March to encourage students to connect to answer the survey and have by this mean the opportunity to read these testimonies.
Regional weekend retreat with the Campus Crusade group of Nantes, March 10–12, in Saint-Nazaire.
Camp in Romania, April 23–May5. Like last year, there will be one week with students of the Campus Crusade group of Bucarest, and then one week with orphanages (in collaboration with a Christian association working there). Please pray that it will be a blessing for our Romanian friends and for the French participants as well. Anne-Cécile, Ludovic, Elsa, Raphaël, Caren and Wakaba are interested in coming.
I also continue my counseling role on our evangelistic national website http://www.atoi2voir.com. Each week, I receive questions of people inquiring about the Bible or faith. Please pray that my answers will be enlightening for these persons searching, in the spirit of Colossians 4:5-6: “Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned, as it were, with salt, so that you may know how you should respond to each person”. For people liking numbers, you will be encouraged to know that the hits on the website for the last quarter of 2005 went beyond 65,000 visits. 3,635 read a presentation of the message of the Gospel, and 314 indicated a step of faith by clicking to signify that they appropriated a prayer of consecration to God. Five had personal follow-up.
Thank you for your faithful support at our sides. With you to touch students in France,
Yannick
Yannick et Laurie CHIRON * 30 rue Émile Bernard * 35700 RENNES * FRANCE *
[email protected] Attention! Our phone 011.33.299.381609 no longer works; please use: 011.33.870.77.8483 (home) or 011.33.698.95.8222 (cell). Gifts can be sent to: Campus Crusade for Christ * P.O. Box 628222 * Orlando FL 32862-9841 (specify acct # 2728140) Questions about automatic transfers and donations? Contact toll free 888-CRUSADE, 407-826-2419,
[email protected] or visit our webpage http://ylchiron.free.fr/newsletters-for-partners.html.
