Blessings to you all in Jesus Name!

God is good.  Dental drama and complications are finally coming to a close, Praise God!  I flew up to a specialist in Washington state for a week for some serious oral surgery.  Next I came back to California for a few weeks so it could get good and infected.  Finally, I broke down and visited my dentist in Culiacan and she took care of everything in 9 days.  Thank God !

before...and  after

  So now, after several months of rest and recovery, I am at last making preparations to return to France.  I filed my paperwork last Wednesday in Los Angeles, so now we wait.  God willing it will be just a few more days before I get a long stay visa and can purchase a flight.  Maybe I'll be on my way by October 10th.

They asked for 50 pages of documents at the visa agency!

        The plan at the moment is to stay with friends while I secure an apartment in the 8th or 9th district of Marseille.  Thanks to your donations and God's faithfulness, I've got enough support to qualify for a studio, now we just need to find it !

          Dory has been waiting for me all this time in Marseille, although I might miss her more than she does me.  It's too much to cart her back and forth across country and she hates that "boîte" anyway.  

   Dory is waving hello with her tail.

I can't wait to see her and all my missionary buddies and church companions too.  I'm on the group chat for the outreaches and it simply makes me whine seeing all they're doing before I get there.  I'm just so ripe and ready to get out on the street talking to people about how much God loves them!

      Well, I sure appreciate your prayers, it can get dicey out there.  Here's how to pray:

• Visa comes quickly
• Safe travels with no surprise expenses
• Sufficient funds for travel and setting up the apartment
• Papers accepted upon entry into France
• Lodging for the first week
• Miracle apartment secured for Dory and I
• Open doors for ministry to people who really want to hear the gospel
• Health and safety to sustain me for the coming year

Thanks so much, every one of you, for your prayers and financial support. I see your donations as they come in each month and I thank God for you guys all the time.  We share together the reward and blessing of all that God will do this year in ministry in Marseille. 

Until every one has heard,

Sally

As always, donations gladly received thru either mission quest or paypal

 https://missionquest.org/131   and  paypal.me/money4France

     

    

Hi All,

Thanks so much for your prayers and support on our recent journey to Europe.  It was clear from the beginning that God was in this.  We spent our first Sunday at Calvary Shoreline North London,  A church plant out of Morro bay, California.  A lovely group of young people meeting in an ancient building welcomed us and made us sorry we only had one day there.  If you're ever in London I'd encourage you to look them up.  

         

       Glasgow was next where our friend Rhoda toured us around to different refuge outreaches and another new/old church on the north side of the river. Amazing concept.   I am pictured here with Caroline in front of their statement of faith.  Read it,  it will inspire you. 

      Then France.  I need to do a DNA check because I felt I had come home to my people.  Daniel and Sylvianne welcomed us into their home.  They are the directors of GRN France and by God's grace and your prayers I hope to be working closely with them soon.  

GRN makes recordings of the gospel in languages of people who don't often read and who rarely have access to the gospel. I worked with GRN in Mexico and was very happy to see how much they're doing with the loads of migrants in France, particularly Marseille.  

         Another wonderful surprise was to see how many different organizations and people from different churches are working together in the city.  I plan to go back in May and it's going to be hard even to choose which church to make my home.  Gambetta, Evangelical Free church is one example.  They host a free french class for anyone to come a few nights a week.  This is a wonderful way to reach out to new comers to the city, even me! 

      

 Another church goes directly to the places where migrants live.  You can see them playing a recording of the Zacchaeus story for these Albanian kids here.  That was so much fun, I can hardly wait to get back there.

        So, it's obvious I'm in love with the country and the ministry I could do there.  God's confirmation is also important.  That came when I could only find one place to look at that I could afford.  It just happens to have a small garden, be a few blocks from the Mediterranean and allows dogs .  God is amazing! 

  

   Caroline says hello from the Patio.   

         I just signed the lease today.  I'll stay there from May until July as a tourist while I work out the details with the Aix-Marseille University.  They tell me I can come on a work/study visa starting this September.  This will give me the legal rights to teach English out of my home and hopefully help my French at the same time. Whew, lots happening!

     So, please pray for what's still outstanding:

• God would provide long term income for life in Marseille
• God would show me where to make my home church
• God would continue to clarify how He wants me to do ministry in Marseille
• God would use me to reach people with His love and salvation
• I would seek God Himself over and above His direction and provision.

Thank you all so much for your faithfulness, we are definitely in this together!

Every blessing to you,

Sally

  

nearly all packed up !

Hi Friends

Well,  Caroline and I have purchased our flights, trains and BnBs so I guess we're committed to this journey now.  Thanks so much for all of your help in literally getting us off the ground.  So many of you have stepped up to provide for the trip I'm really humbled.  It's encouraging too, to see you all believing in what God is doing thru me and Caroline, and what He will do.  It's a faith boost.

            So, our itinerary in brief is provided below for those who are curious:

Friday Jan 11 midnight : eat chocolate,  drive down to LA, leave car with friend

Saturday jan 12 . 8am :  fly away to London, sleep on plane

Sunday Jan 13:  Wake up in Heathrow, go out in search of good coffee

                           Visit Calvary Shoreline North London

Monday Jan 14 . lovely train ride from London to Glasgow Scotland

                           stay the week in a BnB in Govanhill

                           Visit Rhoda UnpronouncableName at the Well-resource center

                           Teach a bible verse song to women and children, 

                            Meet others doing similar work with immigrants

                          Share the love of Jesus,  See God use us in amazing ways

                          Drink lots of tea

Saturday Jan 19 : Fly to Marseille,  meet Etienne,  hope French works,  

                          Stay two nights in BnB in Aix en Provence,  

Sunday Jan 20   Visit small north African church , worship God with all our might

Monday Jan 21  Stay the week with Daniel and Stephanie, GRN France 

                          Talk a lot,  pray and plan for strategic outreach

                          Eat delicious french food.

Tuesday Jan 22  Meet with Pioneers workers to discuss ministry possibilities

                          Do lots of outreach to north africans,

                         Seize every chance to show people how much God loves them

                         Visit with others who are working with immigrants

                        Talk and pray about visa/job/money conundrum

Friday Jan 25   Stay the weekend in BnB in Marseille

                        look at the Mediterranean sea

                        Explore the city, pray about God’s will

                        Bless someone we don’t know

Sunday Jan 27 Visit church in Marseille where lots of field workers attend

                         Hurry to catch plane back to London,  

                         Flop on bed at BnB near Heathrow,  thank God for big trip

Monday,Jan 28th 9:30am:Fly back to LAX

                       Talk the whole time about how amazing is our God

                       1pm, touch down LAX,   eat inNout,   drive back up to slo!

I trust our itinerary will serve as your prayer guide as well.  The more you all pray, the more God will show us His power and use us to spread His love.   God wants to bless us all together as we work for His kingdom.

Be sure to make it out to Renovate this Sunday for the prayer send-off !

In His service

Sally

New chapter, Europe !

Hey friends of Jesus,

It looks like I'm going to Europe this January!  The apostle Paul encouraged me to take along travel companions so my buddies Brittany Tierney and Caroline Reeves are coming along as well.  This will be an exploratory journey for all of us, a two week trip to investigate opportunities in refugee outreach, see what the needs are and how we might fit in to serve God meeting those needs.  

            

     

  For me, I'm hoping to establish some relationships that will lead to an open door to serve long term.  For Brittany and Caroline, this will be more of a go and see trip, to discern more specificaly what kind of ministry they may be called to, how they take to different types of outreach and where and when God would lead them.

  I've made some contacts thru mutual missionary friends who are willing to escort us on their outreaches, show us what God is doing in their corner of the world and hopefully allow us to participate in bringing Jesus to some of the least reached people of the world. 

   

Just in case you hadn't heard, there are thousands of migrants coming in to cities all over Europe.  Many are very open to the gospel and are eager to talk about Jesus, having not heard much about this mysterious man who lived a life of love and sacrifice.  I have been interested in  talking to a few of them for quite a while now.  I'm so glad to have found some solid field workers to partner with in this important ministry.

 

              

    As you can hopefully see by the map, we're planning on going to Marseille and Nantes in France, London, England and Glasgow, Scotland.  These are all places with a high population of migrants and a few faithful brethren aiming to invite them into a relationship with God.  

Prayer needs :

Ask God to firm up the details quickly so I can purchase tickets at a good price soon.

Ask God to speak to each of us about His will while on the mission trip.

Ask God to use us to lead people to Christ.

Ask God to open the windows of heaven to provide for this trip.

Any monetary donations that come in this month will go toward getting the three of us to Europe.  You're welcome to give thru my sending agency.  

https://give.missionquest.org/missionary/131

Blessings to you all

Sally

Farewell Mexico !

Hi All, 

Greetings in Jesus Name.  As some of you have figured out by now, I got pretty sick last April and am still in the recovery process.  It became clear that it was time for a 7th year Sabbatical, a year off to rest, recover, and seek God's will for the future.  This suspicion was confirmed by pastor, doctor, mom, dad and kids all saying the same thing,  Sally puleeeease take a break!  So, since I got home in April, I figured I could stand it until next April, before I would be crying with Paul, "Woe unto me if I do not preach the gospel!”.

     As I have had lots of time to sit in the garden with a cup of tea meditating on Gods goodness, even more direction has become clear.  Mexico, as much as I love it, miss it, and feel more at home there than here, is not a good place for a person with 3rd stage Lyme, (the phase where one can easily catch other diseases if one isn't careful).  I needed to know where else God would  like me to go.  So, I asked myself these questions:

What would I do if I wasn't afraid?

What would I do if I didn’t worry about money?

What would I do if I was only thinking about pleasing God?

What would I really love to do if no one was there to stop me?

Europe, England, France, I would love to go and reach out to the influx of middle eastern immigrants there.  So many are very disillusioned with Islam and are openly seeking to know who Jesus is, and what does the Bible really say.  The love of God is drawing them.  I'm told a number of the dusty old traditional churches of Europe have been spared museum status because so many new believers have come in from the refugee population.  That sounds to me like God is working there.  I want to go and be right in the middle of what God is doing.  I have always loved the UK as well as France, actually, French was my first second language, so I've been exploring options and agencies that I might partner with in ministry.  Some friends at Shoreline filled me in that UK isn't handing out so many visas for missionaries these days, so it's quite likely I will find myself in France at this time next year.

Would you please pray with me as God leads me through this bend in the road that:

• God would clearly direct me to just the right sending agency
• God would help me resurrect my French
• God would increase my support base to match the higher cost of living in Europe
• God would totally heal me of all disease as I rest and cooperate with the doctors protocol
• God would keep the believers in Mexico walking with Him

Thank you all so much for your prayer support, financial support and your understanding.  I appreciate it now more than ever.

Blessings to you all in the service of Christ,

sally

Until otherwise specified, donations are joyfully accepted at Mission Quest .   https://give.missionquest.org/missionary/131

Big Changes

Hi Everybody!

So there I was, flourishing in my kingdom in Valle Alto when God decided to send me out by faith to a new adventure.  In fact, the original idea when I moved down here 6 years ago, was to manage a house full of young missionaries in training.  Guess God didn't forget.

       So, if you've been an alert facebook stalker you already know I've moved into a totally new living and working situation.  A few weeks ago God started seriously moving in my heart to help out some friends of mine who manage a home for girls not far from where I go to lead Bible studies in the camps. 

          The more time I spent with them, the clearer it became that this is exactly where I needed to be living. After communicating with the missions and prayer leaders, I actually ended up moving 2 weeks ago but because of a computer problem I'm only now getting to be able to communicate via email with all of you.

          So, I have left the tidy little house with the big public garden on the outskirts of Culiacan to live in a large fixer-upper with 5 girls and one other caretaker, Luzma in a small town called San Pedro. 

 One of my petitions upon moving in was that I could be permited to sleep outside in an old van in the middle of the empty lot next to the house.  As you might imagine, I've painted it bright yellow, and the girls and I will add flowers and other such "Jesus Freak" art soon.  Landscaping is well under way too, the truth is, I moved my garden before I even moved my furniture.  guess that shows priorities!  Here's the "before" picture.

One of the ways God showed me His will clearly about moving is that this year, these girls have been the only people who've been faithful to come with me to the camps as trainees.  Now that I live here I can bring them with me all the time and spend a lot less time and gas doing it.  Here's a picture taken three years ago of Rosa in the car on the way to camp outreach.

 Out here in San Pedro, the soil is great, the weather is cooler, the dogs are so happy to have a yard at last, and we're all getting along better than I expected.  They all have a heart for the Lord and a drive to share the gospel. We enjoy praying together, studying the bible and going to church and outreach as well as learning English and singing very loud.  Ah blessed times.

      Not to paint an overly optimistic picture I will present the needs and issues as my list of prayer requests, and as always I covet your prayers as God sustians me out here because of this support.

 .        .          
​house front, March 2018     Installing Kitchen base          Backyard and house side

​

Prayer Requests:

Pray God provides for all the house projects that need finishing around here.

Pray God keeps my health strong in spite of a busier schedule and lots of needs.

Pray for a constant spirit of unity and cooperation to be maintained among us all.

Pray God leads me to more camps as some are closing down after harvest time.

Pray for continued faithfulness among the camp disciples, that they grow in grace.

Pray we can process paperwork to allow me to stay for longer periods of time.

(it would save us all time and money if I wasn't obligated to take the car up to the border every 6 months.)

Thank you all so much.  If you would like to make an extra donation this month to help out with the house projects I'll be giving all that comes in for March to meeting this goal.  We're installing a kitchen, redoing the roof, repairing walls and fences, fixing plumbing and hopefully painting too.  A lot to get done, we're trusting God will provide.

God's richest blessings to all of you.

In His Service

Sally

​         An older picture that captures the heart of why I'm here and what I'm doing .
​

God's working overtime!

Hi Everyone,

Blessings to you in the new year!  Thanks so much for your prayers and financial support this past year.  God and you all have been so faithful it has made it possible for me to continue down here sharing the gospel and making disciples.  What a joy!

       As an answer to prayer, my health is improving and I've got nearly a full schedule now of camp Bible Studies.  I started the year with a visit by Caroline Reeves and Heidi Keas. Their support was a tremendous blessing and encouragment.  They were so amazed at how easy it is to share the gospel with folks down here, and many more came out to our meetings because of them.   

 .              

Anyone else want to come on down?  ​
​

    Well,  God is working overtime this year, and now in almost every camp where I go I've got a contact person who is actively reaching out and caring for the others in our Bible Study group.  I couldn't be more thrilled, to see disciples making disciples is increase indeed.

                                        
​

      One brother is Antonio, together with his wife and kids, he is always inviting new people to join our little group.  We basicly just take turns sharing the word and encouraging the brothers to walk with God.  As a result, a few more came out to Cesar's church in Villa Juarez sunday and dedicated their lives to the Lord.  They're from camp Emilion.

                   
​

     Last night, we went out to camp Quemadito.  There, much to our surprise we met a nice young lady named Ruth.  She is an evangelist, and was half way thru seminary when hard times hit and she had to come work in the camps.  Because of her inviting and prodding, twice as many people came to our Bible Study last night.  What a great time we had!  I'm eager to see how God is going to continue to use her to bring people to Christ this season.

   So as you can see we're in full swing down here.  The Culiacan Project starts next week, where americans, mexicans, missionaries, evangelists and wanna-be's will all be setting up camp out in San Pedro for a month of Jesus film outreach, and distribution of the gospel in the indian dialects.  We want to be sure to support them in prayer as there's always a ton of warfare when such advances are made for the kingdom.

                                  This is Jesus Loyo and his family on their way up here from Oaxaca to lead the Culiacan Project this year.
​

       And if that weren't enough excitment, my son Christopher is also planning on coming out for a short visit next week!  Do pray God blesses his trip and uses him to reach souls for Christ.  He's always had a heart for evangelism and quite a gift for language as well.  plus he can fix stuff  ;o) As you can see I'm anxious to see what God will do there.

                                        
​

Ok,  the prayer requests in brief:

God work thru the Culiacan Project to reach and save the least reached of Mexico

God keep spreading the gospel thru me and others in the camps.

God get me fully recovered and keep me strong this year.

God bless Christopher's visit

God raise up more people to go out to camp with me.

God protect us all from the inevitable backlash from the enemy.

God send more full time missionaries to work in this incredible harvest field.

Thanks again for all your support

Through God's grace, you guys are making all this happen!

blessings

Sally