ANSWERED PRAYERS

ANSWERED PRAYERS AT CAFE CHURCH, BERGERAC

We would like to tell you
how prayers were answered at the November Cafe Church.

First of all Pam and I were given safety in travel back and forth. Indeed our trip home on Ryanair with a tail wind, combined with an empty Arrivals Hall meant that we were back
in Tunbridge Wells just four hours after leaving Chaupine.

We also survived the bump when someone ran into Peter Shire’s car in the Bergerac airport car park. No major damage but always unsettling.
There were (as we now expect) a number of enemy pokes – Broadband failure which always means a long wait in the Orange, town centre office. It was rewarded this time with a new
Wi Fi box and a visit from a telephone engineer. Pam suffered a steam burn from the oven (now healing) and we had a blackbird attacking our front door! He was feeding on a nearby
bush and caught sight of himself in the double glazing. So time and again he hammered at the door. Only giving up when it went dark.

But these minor inconveniences resulted in many blessings.

First there was the fun and fizz and fellowship of seventeen people for lunch. It would have been eighteen but sadly Suzanne had to travel to the U.K to be with her elderly mother who died the following Monday. Please pray for Suzanne.

Then a crowd of thirty fivecame for the Carols time. Some people brought friends, showing that they think Cafe Church is a safe place nowadays! We had the first visit from one new
family – the father and his two young boys. His wife is still in the U.K. finishing her contract. Please pray for them. Some folk had travelled over two hours to join us and there were many contributions in the meeting itself in prayer and with the reading of Scripture passages.

Then we welcomed two young believers we had not had any contact with previously. As a couple, they are looking to move into Bergerac. She is Dutch and he is French.

I spoke on how the birth of Jesus brought an end to death
and how the light of Jesus overwhelms darkness. Do you know the
poem by the Christian John Donne?

Death be not proud,
though some have called thee
mighty and dreadful;

for thou art not so.
For those, whom thou
thinkest, thou dost overthrow,
Die not, poor death,

nor yet canst thou kill me

From rest and sleep,
which but thy pictures be
Much pleasure, then from thee,

much more must flow
And soonest our best men
with thee do go
Rest of their bones and
souls delivered.

Thou art slave to Fate.
Chance, Kings and desperate men
and dost with poison, war
and sickness dwell,
and poppy or charms

can make us sleep as well.
And better then thy
stroke; why swellest thou then?

One short sleep past,

we wake eternally!
and death shall be no more: death thou shalt die!

So thank you for praying

and please, now, say with us. “Thank you Lord, for victory, now and always.”

Have a Happy Christmas,

Derek and Pam

ps. If you want to hear one of the new carols try Immanuel-Songs
of Praise-YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iE_tuMpIOho&feature=related