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Matthew 28:20 - Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
Dear friends!
Does the end of a big project mean a reprieve in the weeks after? Sometimes…
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Garage Project Progress
The cement in the second garage was laid without a problem. It looks beautiful! Nathan and Philippe, BLF’s new Stock Assistant, cleaned and measured the floor to mark out where the rows, aisles, and walking paths are. We use the new floor space as if the vertical shelves were already in place, with organized storage locations marked in the computer’s database.
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There is space for the two BLF cars to park inside the door and a line of Manga pallets to block the edge of the concrete slab so no one falls off. This summer, a team from BLF USA will come to help continue the progress in the garage. They will fix the brick walls of the garage itself and prepare the remaining floor for its slab of concrete.
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It will be hard work; please pray for God's guidance for Russ & Mary Ann Miller as they gather the right people, raise the needed funds, and lead this team.
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The Sequel to last year’s best-seller
BLF’s best-seller last year was L’évangile.net (“TheGospel.net”). Our partner, Majestart, (a group of Christian artists) put together the content and design and BLF handled the layout, printing, and distribution. It’s a small notebook that takes the reader through the book of John to discover the life of Jesus for himself. It has discussion questions, space for personal responses, and links to videos to answer common questions and give deeper insight into various passages. It’s very well done and has had wonderful feedback. Last year, Majestart started a new book: 7 Signes ("7 signs"). This is a 48-page booklet to help Christians lead their friends to understand truths of the Gospel and realize that Jesus is trustworthy.
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It works in conjunction with L’évangile.net to provide additional insights and questions. The printing process for this booklet has been plagued by relentless problems that have delayed its release. Please pray that as this booklet goes out, it will be a powerful tool for God’s glory.
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Busy Family
February began cold and hectic. That first week where January ended and February began, we had daycare cancel on us, picked up a screw in a tire, took a driving test, replaced 2 other bald tires and brake pads, went to be a “victim” in a court hearing (for the break-in at our last house in 2015), and drove to Germany for a friend’s wedding! Fortunately, not all the weeks of February were that exciting. And, it turned out to be a very good time for a flat tire, since snow was in the forecast at our house and along the road to Germany.
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We stayed for the weekend in the home of family friends of the groom and had a lovely time trying to communicate in limited English and the three words of German that we know. The couple took Nathan and Ben out for a tour of the vineyards. The hillside is broken into small plots of vines where many local families grow their own grapes to make German wine. It was beautifully quaint but very different from the wineries of Sonoma County. The wedding was a lot of fun, too. Their story parallels ours: They grew up in different areas of Europe and met while serving as missionaries with the same missions organization in the Middle East.
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That is where the parallel ends, though. They speak four languages in common! We sat with the other English speakers and had a wonderful time learning about Australia and discussing cultures and ministries around the world. Ben loved the German bread, but his favorite part was all the people telling him how cute he was in three languages. Ja!
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Praise God! Annie passed her driving tests! We can really see God’s work as we look back at this process. All the way to the questions at the end of the driving test, He smoothed the way and provided for us. Now, she can legally drive in France, which really helps with the trips back and forth to physical therapy. There are some speed limitations in the first two years, and we have to wait until the real license comes before she can drive outside of France, but no more bus! She even took a solo trip to the grocery store one Saturday.
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Nathan has been trying a new medication for his multiple sclerosis. Last summer, he began seeing a local neurologist. Since he has enjoyed great overall health and the MS has not been a problem, they discussed trying a newer medicine with fewer side effects. He takes the new medicine only once a week instead of every other day. We did a lot of research to learn about how to minimize the side effects, and so far, it’s been fine. Praise God again!
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Saved the best for last: Ben!
He’s walking! He turned a corner, pun intended, and suddenly had the confidence to let go of that finger or the wall to go solo! At therapy, he had a consultation with another therapist who tested his strength and movement. That means they played in a giant tub of packing peanuts. The therapists decided now that he can walk, he’s too advanced for the next level of therapy. God answers prayers! He will keep working in Ergo Therapy on his hand and arm, but his activity at home and at daycare will help his leg develop like a normal kid. We will keep a close eye on him though, to make sure he keeps growing well.
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Prayer Requests
- Praise God for His provision for Ben. We started daycare so that Annie could go back to work part-time, but God knew He would be providing Ben with the opportunity to grow physically and mentally while he played each morning. We are thankful for the climbing toys and push cars available at daycare.
- Praise God the evangelistic hearts of the French Christians. They are eager for materials that help their friends and family experience the God they know. Praise God for the opportunity BLF has to provide books like TheGospel.net and 7 Signs that are pertinent and accessible to this current culture.
- Please pray for Russ and Mary Ann Miller as they build their team that will come to work at BLF this summer. Pray that the right people would come and the fundraising process would be easy and smooth.
- Please pray as we start to focus on how to transition our work at BLF Éditions to our co-workers during our year-long furlough. Pray for time and wisdom on how to train or write down the processes so that the tasks will continue to be done efficiently while we are away.
- Please continue to pray for Nathan as he tries to organize our 9 months in America, including the Mega Trip around the country. Pray for good contacts with people who want to help us tell others about the world-wide need for Christian materials in French and our work at BLF Éditions.
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We are forever grateful for your prayers, thoughts, and encouragements.
Thank you!
Live today for eternity,
The Phillips
If you would like to contribute towards our ministry expenses, you can:
- Mail a check to BLF USA, PO Box 629, Wheaton, IL 60187 with a note specifying it is for the Phillips.
- Contact the BLF USA office at 630-221-1980 or email receipts@blfusa.org to set up a donation via an electronic funds transfer (EFT) from your checking account.
- Donate via PayPal using the link below.
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