Gage Newsletter - November 1999!

"We have these friends that move their furniture every week. They are real missionaries!" I laughed at our friend's concept of being a real missionary: moving furniture often. Ah, if it were so simple (actually I moved the furniture around today to make room for the Christmas tree and told Alan I was trying to be a real missionary). But of course, we are convinced that all Christians are supposed to be "real missionaries." Our Lord has sent all of us out to the mission field of this world - whether that be in France or Africa or the Ukraine or South America or Orange County or Hollywood or Philadelphia or Canada or we have all been sent to bring Light to the darkness, healing and wholeness to the broken, and sick, loving kindness to the wounded, the perfume of life to the stench of death, salvation to the lost. Sometimes our focus is our neighbors or colleagues, sometimes strangers and sometimes our very own family (I suppose always, first of all our own family). But we all have that amazing honor to be co-workers with the God of the universe, His hands and feet and ears and mouth and arms, here on this earth. We are all missionaries. So do pray for us 'cause it is hard here in France maybe in many of the same ways it is difficult for you, in many different ways, too.  Well these last months have been so fun and so horrible. Returning to France after a super six-week stay in the States where we were able to celebrate Alan's parent's 50th(!!!) wedding anniversary with his entire family, we learned two days before school started that Alan's hours had been cut! His salary, too! This has made life extremely difficult. He soon got work translating for the BILLY GRAHAM ASSOCIATION, but that will end this month and afterwards.?  At the same time we have been meeting with two other couples in France starting churches with the Vineyard - in Tours and outside of Paris near where I first lived when I came to France in '79. They also have the vision to release and empower bi-vocational church planters. We are convinced that this is one of the keys to reaching France but a very radical idea in this country.  The first Sunday we were back in Nice, we decided to have a family worship time out in a park. We were overwhelmed! We have always seen the most effective anointing for evangelism come during worship. There we were, out in the most beautiful park in Nice, proclaiming, singing the excellencies of the One whom has called us out of darkness into His wonderful light - and His presence came wonderfully. So every Sunday morning, we go to the park and worship before the people and they come and listen to the songs and listen to the word of God. It is too much fun! The major trick to starting a church in France, is finding a way to "get an audience with people" to share the Gospel with them; you can't just ask the chief if you can address the tribe. Normal or average French people would cross the street rather than listen to someone speaking on a street corner, so mainly one must rely on personal evangelism, with people you've got some kind of relationship with. Of course, our target is the18-25year olds, and we have 16,ooo students at our doorstep (Parking is a real game!) Alan has gotten on one campus as a student and is able to have easy relationships with people - we've invited a whole load over for a Christmas party. On January 5 one of his professors has agreed to let him do an oral report concerning "the Manifest Destiny of America." He is planning on "exposing" the gospel while he is at it. We are hoping to start an "Alpha Group" in one of the student cafi's at the beginning of the year.  A couple and two single women have joined us - all English speakers to our frustration, but desiring to help in starting the church. BronWyn, one of the English gals is 19yrs old, a "fille au pair" and loves meeting people, then brings them over to us. Pray especially for her, she is very precious to us, but as many 19 yr olds from Christian homes she is deciding whether or not she will live for Jesus herself, and what that looks like.  There is so much I'd love to tell you about: Dominique with Air France who is so spiritually hungry, culturally cautious and how God keeps setting up divine appointments for us - or the amazing feeling of watching my children give seconds on soup and tangerines to the dear homeless refuges from Eastern Europe who "live" at the bottom of our street - or the story of fatherless Francois opening his heart to the Father and weeping in His arms in the middle of the park, or Paule who would like to know a God of love if He exists. God is moving, but there is so very much to do. We are so limited in energy and time. As I was going through one of my "mid-life crisis" attacks the other day, contemplating the fact that most of our friends "from home" were living in their own beautiful homes while we were renting a small (for our family!) apartment, not very financially solvent and starting all over in church planting, the Lord brought to my heart a song that Lisa and I used to sing and pray on our way to 7:oo Greek class at Point Loma - it broke my heart all over again. We share it with you for Christmas. We love you Sandy, for Alan, Justin, Thomas, Elyssa and Leah 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   Be Thou My Vision 1) Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart, Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art- Thou my best thought by day or by night, Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light. 2) Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word, I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord; Thou my great Father, I Thy true son; Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one. 3) Be Thou my battle shield, sword for my fight; Be Thou my dignity, Thou my delight, Thou my soul's shelter, Thou my high tower; Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power. 4) Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise, Thou mine inheritance, now and always; Thou and Thou only, first in my heart, High King of heaven, my Treasure Thou art. 5) High King of heaven, my victory won, May I reach heaven's joys, O bright heaven's Son! Heart of my own heart, Whatever befall, Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.