August 2017 Update

Dear Friends & Family,

 

Summer has come and gone in Saint-Jérôme!  It has already turned on the cool side and the burst of Fall colors is making its way to our region.  We are welcoming our favorite season and can't wait for the full-display that will take place in the next month!

This last month has gone by exceedingly fast.  Andréa & Lydia flew to the West Coast prior to her brother's wedding (with the help of a dear friend and supporter for the flight over), in order to finish-up details such as: cleaning-out her old classroom, last doctor appointments for her & Lydia with American insurance, and her sister's baby shower.  Jason was able to join for a few days, as he didn't want to miss too many French classes.  It was an absolutely beautiful wedding and we were blessed to be there for Eric and spend precious time with our family.  Below, are our family pictures from this glorious event (immediate family & extended family; which includes many of our supporters):

Ministry has been going well!  Jason has been improving in his French and is enjoying the challenge of learning a new language.  He is now on Phase II, which focuses on storytelling and having him produce simple sentences to detail a story  (Phase I focused on building vocabulary).  Andréa is enjoying connecting with fellow mothers, with their group "Mamans en mission".  As previously stated, there are many moms associated with the church, from all walks of life.  The group has been bonding as we serve the individual moms and also study the Word together on a weekly basis.  Our church along with two sister churches had a Corn Feast & Baptismal service, in which two members from our church were baptized (5 total).  It is always a blessing to witness the public declaration of faith.  It was also a great chance for us to connect with the larger group of fellow Believers.  We also had the joy of attending another (French) wedding of a young couple whom we have had the opportunity to do premarital counseling with over the last few months.  It was a very small wedding and we were honored to be there with their family and close friends.  Andréa has been working hard on finding housing, child care, transportation, and border documents for a new missionary that started at the beginning of September and two families that are coming at the beginning of October for the Fleur de Lys language program.  Jason has been preparing for his upcoming sermon, on September 24th.  This is a big challenge as he has had to write it out in English, having it translated to French, and then with the goal of preaching/reading it in French!  The passage he will be speaking on is Mark 15:1-20.

On the more logistical sides of things, all three of us received our official Québec/Canadian social insurance cards.  Consequently, we have been trying to navigate finding a Family Practice Doctor and GI Doctor.  We are now on the waiting list for both.  In the meantime, we have sought out help in getting prescriptions filled, naturopathic care, and private insurance.  Andréa's sister, mom and dad have been helping immensely with this, as they have helped in the research process to relieve some of her work, as she continues to battle this flare and subsequent symptoms.  She has met with a naturopathic doctor and we are hoping that some of the recommendations will be successful in getting to the root of the issue.  In the meantime, it is a waiting game as her body is constantly changing and reacting.  Some improvement has been seen, followed by decline and then improvement, again.  Your prayers are greatly appreciated, as we pray for total healing.  Jason has also been working on his paperwork for Canadian residency.  He has completed all of the forms and just needs to find the supporting pictures/documents to prove our "relationship" through the years.  Please pray that we can get this out this month!

To summarize, here are the specific prayer requests:

• Luke 10:02 - that the Gospel will continue to be proclaimed, for the discipleship of more leaders and for more leaders to come from afar!
• Andréa's Health - for true healing to take place and for quick advancement to see the GI doctor, right away!  She really hopes to have more healing underway before teaching in October.
• Jason's Sermon - that the message can be clear and that his French will not be a distraction for the hearers.

Here are pictures of Lydia at seven months (she's almost 8 months, now)!  She has two tiny teeth that are barely visible and she is an absolute bundle of joy.  Thank you for praying for her travels, she flew wonderfully!

 

We are ever so grateful for your prayer and support in our lives!

For His Glory,
Jason, Andréa & Lydia Maul