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Jesus drew near and said, "I have been given
all authority in heaven and earth. Go, then to all peoples,
everywhere and make them my disciples:
baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Spirit, and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you.
And I will be with you
always."
On September 11, I was sitting on a plane from London headed to
LAX and then on to Idaho to be with my brother whose wife had
been shot to death by a
stalker. Then, as we all know, terror, as it had personally
touched my family, blasted all America and the world.
As we all tried to figure out "How then must we live?" This is
what we keep coming back to, Jesus sending us out to all peoples,
everywhere, announcing
the good news of the Kingdom of God. Samy has kept us very
"honest" - not to confuse "Western Christianese" with being the
disciples of Jesus Christ.
Let me introduce you to Samy. He is culturally Muslim, born to
Tunisian parents living in France. Samy likes to bike a lot. One
Sunday morning he
had biked up to park on the hill in the middle of Nice, and
crashed on the grass. He was awakened by the sound of a Djembe
and singing. As Samy
listened, he heard us singing our worship to God - It pierced his
soul as he heard us sing words that seemed to be read from his
very own heart, words
that he had cried out to, "God, if you are there" that very week.
After worship, Thomas who had noticed Samy's interest invited him
to join us for
coffee and croissants. Samy decided in his heart that day to walk
with Jesus - but he didn't tell us. He spent the next five months
arguing with us,
until December when he simply couldn't argue anymore and got
wonderfully SAVED. His life has been transformed, and is being
transformed from the
inside out. His Muslim family have ripped up and burned 2 or 3
Bibles and beaten him up a couple of times. But he walks with
Jesus and knows we have
to tell people about the love of God that redeems.
Like Kathy, who flip-flopped from the kingdom of darkness into
the Kingdom of His marvelous Light just before Samy. And did she
ever flip flop!!! She
couldn't believe how much Jesus changed her life. And then she
started talking to her old "partners in sin" about this wonderful
God…Now they are
all watching her…and she is having a blast. Her friend Isabelle
is so hungry for God; she is always asking questions and hopes to
be able to come to house
group and our Sunday morning celebration. After a discussion and
time of prayer with Isabelle, Kathy said "This is so much more
fun than sitting
around and talking about everything that is wrong with the world
and everything we should be doing to change it " {That had been
her religious
experience until she met us}. Her husband, who isn't saved yet,
calls us their "Alleluia Friends."
The gift of this year is that Alan has been given an 80% salaried
study leave by the French national education. That means he is
not teaching at all but
he is on the University campus taking classes, right with all
those 18-25 yr. old students. These are the people we have felt
pressed by God to target,
but were having a difficult time having contact with them. Now
the French education system has put Alan right there. They sense
a great spiritual
vacuum. There is great urgency to enter into dialogue with this
generation - let them meet the God of the Universe, who loves
them and has given
everything to be in relationship with them. "But how will they
know unless someone tells them." We are pressed with the urgency
of the task before us,
and yet time consuming reality of letting people "enter into our
community of faith, to contemplate, to taste and consider who our
God is" (As a Buddhist
friend said to us at one of our dinner gatherings).
We are so profoundly grateful to be here, sharing the good news
of the Kingdom of God with these people - the Samy's and Kathy's
and Isabelle's and
Bruno's and Michel's…. Honestly, we see no other possibilities
for them to meet God in their life except that we introduce them.
I know that is crazy
to consider for an American, a place in the Western world where
the Gospel is not readily available for someone who is looking -
but it is true here in
France.
So thank you for praying and loving us and our wonderful kids. If
you are moved to give to complete the 20% of lacking salary this
year - feel free
:>). But dear ones, most of all, share freely and generously with
all around you the Hope that you have within you and never forget
what a marvelous
salvation we do have.
Abundant blessings of sight to you to see the great God who has
called you to Himself
Sandy
Alan and Sandy Gage
Terrasses de La Baie des Anges
Immeuble La Galiote
39 Avenue Aimi Martin
06200 Nice FRANCE
E-mail:
alsangage@aol.com
or alan.gage@go-forth.net
PS If you would like to participate in our work in
France financially,
checks can be made out to "Go Forth", and sent to:
Go Forth,
P.O. Box 26863
Salt Lake City UT 84126
Mention "for the Gages" on the memo line.
Donations and correspondence can be sent tp:
Go Forth Ministries
PO Box 26863
Salt Lake City, UT 84126
(801) 972-0420
For Alan and Sandy Gage
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