Missions Together with Unique…

Engaging Youth on Mission in their Community and Beyond!

Unique is an international youth group made up of various churches in the Strasbourg area.  In November we sent off balloons with a note of thanksgiving with a website where the people who receive them can respond with their own note of thanksgiving.  We also began preparing gift bags for prisoners.  Our co-workers in Paris will give out over one thousand Christmas gift bags to prisoners this year.  Unique prepared one hundred bags to send to prisoners in the Paris area.  The Unique teenagers also prepared Christmas gift bags to give to ladies-in-waiting through the ministry here in Strasbourg.  The ladies-in-waiting ministry outreach team visited ladies on the street and gave them the gift bags along with the Christmas story in their own language.  We love watching God do missions together through Unique, Ladies-in-waiting, and the prison ministry!

Christmas bag prep

for Ladies-in-Waiting

Attaching messages

of Thanksgiving to the balloons

Youth putting together the prisoner’s Christmas bags.

Here is a YouTube link to a video created by one of the youth from our very first UNIQUE youth group meeting.  https://youtu.be/bP3oJnJJ4Gc

Ladies-in-Waiting Ministry

Jillian’s* story

On our last blog we mentioned our new lady-in-waiting friend, Jillian.  When we first met Jillian she told us she “didn’t have a friend.”  We were very touched by this and began looking for her each time we went out so that we could build a friendship with her, but for several weeks we did not see her at her regular spot.  Then one night we met another lady and she said, “Jillian is around the corner and she wants to see you, Tiffne.”  So we quickly went to see her.  We were so excited to have found her again.  She told us that night that she would like to find other work and stop working on the streets.  So we have begun working with her and another lady to work through this process together.  One day when we met together I asked her how she arrived in Europe and she told us her story of leaving her country in Africa and walking across the Sahara desert for about month, until she reached Morocco.  In Morocco she finally got on a boat and headed to Spain.  After the approximate 3 day perilous journey across the ocean in a small boat with many people in which she said they had no food or water, they were rescued and landed in Algeciras, Spain.  Jillian lived in Spain several years before traveling to France to try to find work when there was no more work in Spain.

We hear many stories similar to Jillian’s story.  Thank you for praying for us as we reach out to immigrants in France.  

Please pray for the ladies-in-waiting ministry.  
Please pray for several ladies who want to find different work.  
Please pray for the ministry teams as we seek to work with these ladies to find solutions that will lead to a new life.                                   *Not her real name

Beloved Community among the Global Church

We have had the privilege to serve with Christians in France and Spain; working with Baptist associations and other churches and Christians in both countries.  Recently, when we were in Spain for meetings we found out that one of our favorite pastor’s sons, who is now serving as a pastor with the Spanish Baptist union as well, and his wife had just had a baby.  What a great joy it was for us to have the opportunity to travel to Cuenca, an amazing small town in Spain, to visit our friends and their new baby.  When we attended their wedding years ago, I would never have thought that we would get to see their first child only days after she was born. 

City of Cuenca, Spain

Holding a 1 month old baby at our 

French Baptist church

Over the past few months we have had the privilege to serve and worship with many congregations where we have sought to be an encouragement while being renewed ourselves.

Worship together after a Thanksgiving celebration

 with French partners

Trinity International Church Retreat

 Missions Together with Cade and Dylan…

August 20, 2016 – International Geo Caching day…What started as a fun family adventure turned into something more.  Here is Cade and Dylan sharing how finding ministry opportunities in your community is as simple as…Geocaching!

(Interview)

Tiffne: What is geocaching?

Cade:  Geocaching is basically the world’s largest treasure hunt.  How it works is: you get an app on your phone that works like a compass and leads you straight to the treasure.

Tiffne: How did geocaching lead to doing missions together?    

Dylan:  On International Geocaching Day, we were looking for one underneath a bridge, and when we went there we found a squatters village.  So we stopped looking and started talking to them.  In the past few months, we started giving them food; for example soup and Christmas cookies and in return they gave us flowers for our Mother.

Ladies in Waiting Ministry…

Human trafficking is the slavery of our time.  Women who have been trafficked often times have been subjected to profound trauma both physically and mentally.  They also face social rejection, discrimination, and humiliation both in their own society and the one for which they are forced to work.  In our communities, there is the urgent need and often time great opportunities to provide these women with various forms of assistance.  It may be just a smile or small gift to let them know they are not forgotten, or it can take the form of health care, occupational training, or emotional support. 

Hands that make a difference, as they prepare small gifts

for the “ladies in waiting”

In Strasbourg, France a group of internationals from local churches have joined together through the “Ladies in Waiting” ministry.  This group aims to reach out and minister to the prostitutes who work the streets in holistic and meaningful ways.  This “Ladies in Waiting” ministry has already made an impact in the lives of over 30 prostitutes coming from the countries of Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, France, Ghana, and Nigeria. 

One outreach the group recently did was to hold a picnic in the park one evening before the women had to work.  The team printed invitations and made all the arrangements to have a nice finger food, potluck style meal at a local park.  While out on the street handing out the invitations, Tiffne met one particular Lady in Waiting who quickly accepted the invitation.  Tiffne asked if she would like another invitation so that she could invite one of her friends and the lady responded, “I don’t have a friend.”  Tiffne answered this response by saying, “now you do and we would love for you to join us at the picnic.”

On the evening of the picnic, everything was set.  As the hour of the picnic came and went, no “Ladies in Waiting” showed up.  Sonia, a member of an outreach team, had arranged to pick up some of the ladies in her car so they would not have to walk to the park for the picnic.  However, when she arrived to get the ladies, they said their “controllers” were making them begin work early as a way to prevent them from joining the picnic event.  The outreach teams were disappointed but not discouraged and spent time sharing about their experiences in this “Ladies in Waiting” ministry and prayed for each of the women they had invited by name.  

After a time of prayer, Sonia shared another story with the group as they began packing “to go boxes” of food to deliver to the Ladies in Waiting who were unable to attend the picnic. Sonia said that on her first visit to Ladies in Waiting she met a beautiful young lady (Rose) and that during following visits and conversations, she asked Rose if she wanted to do something else with her life.  Rose said she wanted to get another job, but lacked the encouragement to try. Sonia continued to encourage Rose to try to find something different and prayed that God would open up a clear opportunity. Then, one night as Sonia was making visits, she looked for Rose but was told by other Ladies in Waiting that Rose was enrolled in school and had found another job!

Please pray for this “Ladies in Waiting” ministry, specifically for the prostitutes who have found themselves trafficked or trapped in this profession and for the women working to make a difference through this ministry. This month we are praying specifically for Gift, Joy, Aude, and Julia to understand about a personal relationship with Jesus.  These ladies are showing an openness to discuss spiritual matters.

Specific “Ladies in Waiting” Partnership Opportunity:

On November 6^th we will be having a prayer walk for the Ladies in Waiting ministry here in Strasbourg.  We will walk and pray on the very streets where these ladies work and where our outreach teams go to visit with them.  We would like to invite you and your church groups to join us in a “virtual prayer walk” on this day.  We will be praying for Gift, Joy, Tressi, Rosie, Layla, Pauli, Claudia, Favor, Julia, Sophia, Sarah, Aude, Laurissa, Lorena, Mikaela, Simona, and other ladies along the streets of Strasbourg.  We will be walking and praying on the following streets: Avenue du Rhin, Plan de Bouche, Boulevard du Nancy, Boulevard d’Anvers, and the Rue du Port du Rhin.  If you would like to join us for this virtual prayer walk opportunity, please let us know and we can send you a Prayer Team Training PowerPoint slide show to help guide your time of prayer with us!

Tiffne Whitley - Strasbourg, France                                               E-mail - twhitley@cbf.net

Thank you for your prayers for us 

and for France

This past Sunday, just two days after the tragedy in Nice, the worship leaders at the French church we were attending read a statement from the Fédération Evangélique de France.  The statement was to express the deepest sympathies for the loss of loved ones and a time of prayer for the protection of France.  Afterward, we spent time joined in prayer for France and those affected by the attack.

Thank you for your prayers for France during this time.  Please pray for relations between immigrants and French nationals, that these events will not put more of a strain on these relationships.  Please pray for the victims in Nice, especially the Copeland family from Texas who are known by a friend of one of our ministry partners.

Please pray for the European Parliament and the Council of Europe which are located in Strasbourg, France.  Please pray for the leaders of these European Institutions as they deal with many issues in Europe and for us as we seek to minister with leaders from these European institutions.

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Out front, the flags of all the European Nations, line the front lawn of the Council of Europe representing the solidarity of the European community while women from multiple countries gather inside to pray for each other, European leaders, and relevant issues throughout Europe.  Tiffne was invited to join this group for prayer and Bible studies.  On one occasion, as Tiffne lead the Bible study, ladies from Pakistan and Egypt shared about the suffering Christians undergo in these countries.  Please pray for the European Institutions in Strasbourg, their leaders, and for Joel and Tiffne as they seek to encourage these leaders within these European networks.  

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Action Quartier

The weather forecast for Saturday, June 18^th was rain.  That morning, looking out the window at the rain coming down, it seemed the forecast was going to hold true.  In spite of the rain, Tiffne and the children loaded up in the car to go join a team from Eglise Baptiste de Strasbourg (EBS) for the monthly children’s outreach program in a local immigrant neighborhood park.  After walking to the park in the rain, Tiffne told one of the workers that, “she was really impressed with the team’s dedication to this ministry and the children in the neighborhood.”  The worker responded, “sometimes God does this really cool thing.  It rains as we get ready to go, but when we are there at the park with the children, the rain seems to stop and doesn’t start again until we finish.”

The rain did not seem to dampen the spirits of the workers who were already talking through the activities they had planned.  Then a miracle, as soon as the team was set up and ready to welcome the children, the rain stopped.  For over two hours, the team played games, did crafts, had a snack, and shared a short Bible story with the children; then almost on cue as the last of the activities was concluded, the rain began again!  The walk back the church was through a heavy downpour, but the spirits of those serving in the ministry were overflowing with joy.  Those who served that day knew that when they were obedient to God’s leadership, He always makes a way for His love to be shared and still does miracles!

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Tiffne Whitley & Anne Duchman – 

Strasbourg, France

Being a teenager is hard.  Being a Christian teenager in a school where you may be the only one can be even harder.  Often times we have heard the teenagers here in Strasbourg say, “It is hard to be the only Christian in my class.  I don’t have anyone to hang out with or talk to about what is going on.” 

In response to hearing the need, Tiffne and Anne responded by developing the idea to create a community youth group.  The idea behind this group was to unite the youth groups from various evangelical churches in Strasbourg so that the youth could get to meet other teenagers and enjoy a time of Bible study and fellowship.  The youth group UNIQUE became a reality on Saturday, June 4^th, after many planning meetings and much time spent in prayer.  During the first meeting, Tiffne taught a Biblical lesson on being one in Christ.  After the time of Bible study, Anne lead the group in a craft project that revolved around the statement “We are…”  The youth were able to reflect on the fact, that though we are all unique individuals who come from uniquely different churches, we are all one in Christ.  This idea of building community for the teenagers within the evangelical community of Strasbourg is just beginning.  Please join us in prayer for this ministry as teenagers in Strasbourg join together as one UNIQUE group.

At the end of January two of the ladies who attended the “Difference” retreat were baptized at Trinity International Church of Strasbourg.  It was an amazing baptism service.  We really enjoyed hearing these ladies testimonies before their baptism in Chinese and Albanian.  Please continue to pray for Claudia and Lei as they continue to grow in their relationship with the Lord.

Ladies in Waiting Ministry

During "The Difference” retreat we had a prayer time and began preparing bags to give out to “ladies in waiting.”  Now several Christian ladies from the retreat are involved in a ministry to prostitutes, where we take small gifts to them and visit them on the streets.  We have invited them to an evangelism event here in Strasbourg, hosted by the evangelical churches of Strasbourg.   We began getting to know these “ladies in waiting” by taking Valentine’s Day gift bags to them.  On March 8^th; International Women’s day we gave the “ladies in waiting” a small emergency kit that they can carry with them in their purse.  As Easter approaches, we are giving them small Easter gift bags filled with travel size soaps, shampoos, lotions and Easter chocolates.  Also, in each bag we have placed a paper with John 3:16 and the Easter story of Jesus’ death and resurrection in various languages including; Bulgarian, Hungarian, Romanian, French, and English.  Please pray for the Christian ladies who are reaching out to new “lady in waiting” friends: Janet, Anne, Nathalie, Sonia, Caroline, Emmy, and Bacent.  Please pray for our new “lady in waiting” friends from Bulgaria: Anna, Sophia, Carolina, Annie, Dannie, Rosalia, Tania, Rosie, Julia, Polie; from France: Eva, Celine; from Hungary: Linda, Haggi, Claudia; from Nigeria: Sophia, Sarah, Gift; from Ghana: Tressi, Favor, Joy; from Romania: Katalina, Magdalina, and Lonela.

During February, we went with the youth group from Trinity International Church on a youth ski retreat to the Vosage Mountains here in France.  We studied “The Great Adventure” based on John 10:10.   This was the “kickoff” retreat to get the youth group at Trinity started and to help these students “know God and make him known.”  Please pray for the teenagers to continue to grow in their relationship with the Lord through daily quiet times.

On Easter Sunday, we led the Bible story for the children’s and youth Sunday school classes at Trinity International Church of Strasbourg.  We dyed Easter eggs together and for many of them it was their very first time to dye Easter eggs.  The children and youth had a great time.

Thank you again for your prayers and support.