Note of encouragement from Lauren /Teal story time

Wonderful ICCP servants,

I just received a thank you postcard from you guys for a donation I gave hilariously (anyone remember that motto back in Fall 2007?) at the end of 2009. It absolutely made my day. I now have it tucked into my car visor to remind me to pray for the incredible ministry going on over there in Aix everyday even though I left it two years ago. ICCP was certainly a highlight in my experience in France and I have so so much respect for you who continue to run the ministry there that is so unique to any other I know of. Not too many churches have a congregation of locals, foreigners, and students who only typically stay for a number of months that you can count on one hand.

Thank you for sending out an email at the end of last year to remind me that ICCP is still serving Aix as actively as when I left and that is still has financial needs even though I am not present to be reminded of them. It is my privilege to support you and I am joy-filled to be praying and serving with you once again.

Hilariously,
Lauren Watka


The stories below represent French Families, Australian Families, German, Belgian, English, American, Chinese, Japanese, North African and many other nationalities. We are the International Christian Community of Provence!



· Many, many people are processing their deeper questions about God in Alpha.

· Teal is helping him process God’s goodness in the midst of his daughter’s illness.

· She came to have tea and brought her Muslim friends in full head dress.

· She is Chinese and opened her heart during our small group prayer time at church Sunday evening.

· He came into contact with our community, connected with Dom and then came to church the next day. He now wants to meet to talk more about who God is.

· He got interested in Community groups via Bill’s FaceBook and is going to start coming to a group on Monday nights.

· Teal prayed several weeks ago that 5 people would want to be baptized, and they are coming one by one.

· Their neighbor wants to start reading the Bible. He says “If I’m going to criticize something, I want to know what I am criticizing.”

· She is a student in Aix for a year. She feels like she is in Aix for a purpose, and perhaps it is to further explore spirituality. She considers herself a deist but feels tugs toward Christianity.

· Her friend of 30 years died and our community got to grieve and praise God for her friends life.

· So many times she has felt truly blessed by things related to ICCP - from feeling alone when she first arrived, to meeting a group of Christians who felt like family, to being able to lead praise worship with the band.

· Kelsey met her family, and invited them to the Kid’s night out. The daughter came and had such a good time that she asked her mom if she could go to Sunday School. The family came to church this week and the mom said, “It’s been far too long since I’ve been to church. It’s been a hard past few years in Aix but I feel like this is going to be a better year.”

· She wants us to know that, “What you and all the ICCP folks do is making a difference and touching lives, it has certainly touched mine.”

· An au pair shared that she has been a Christian her entire life (gone to Christian High School, Christian University, etc) and ICCP is the first place that she has felt accepted, welcomed without judgment, and clearly seen God moving. She feels changed from this community.