Latest News
Sat Apr 9 15:14:46 2011 Are there any specific ways I can be praying for needs at Windy City CC right now or for you individually? Blessings on your many investments in the work of our mutual King!
Tue Apr 5 23:01:10 2011
Fri Jun 19 21:54:35 2009
Fri Apr 10 15:58:04 2009 1.)Yesterday, I showed the movie "The Passion of the Christ" to a group of about a dozen internationals during Some of these students have little to no biblical background. When I shut it off - you could've heard a pin drop. Would you pray that the story of Jesus' remarkable love, sacrifice, and death would have an enduring impact on these students and that the death of Jesus would lead to new life for them? One international from India, Anita, with a Hindu background, asked to see the film again! 2.) Last week, at the bible study I have with some Brazilian students, Adolar, who received life in Jesus the week before, was offered a birthday cake by an Ethiopian believer. That night, there happened to be another Brazilian, Cintia, who hadn't been there the week before. I asked Adolar if he'd be willing to tell about what happened with him the week before and, with a big grin, he said "sure" and he went on to explain how he had become a son of "the God". I asked Cintia if this made any sense to her and she said "no". I then asked her if I could explain it to her and she said "sure". By the end of the evening the lights seemed to be flickering with Cintia. A week later, as the Lord orchestrated things last night - only Cintia was able to make it to the bible study. The home of the student we were supposed to be meeting at was dark. As a result Cintia agreed to have coffee with me on campus. Just as they turned off the lights in the cafe Cintia said "I get it!" Cintia asked for forgiveness and life! 3.) Tomorrow afternoon, I will be conducting a burial service for my wife's mother. Would you pray that at this time of her death, that any of her surviving family who are yet to understand life in Jesus would "get it" as they hear words of life at her graveside? 4.) Tomorrow night I will be again showing the film, mentioned above, to a group of Chinese students and scholars. Yes, pray for new LIFE! May it be soon!
Thu Mar 26 16:48:36 2009
Thu Mar 26 12:03:19 2009 1.) A young Chinese student named Lei Xia. This student has been here more than a year and since arriving has been diagnosed with brain cancer. He has been to Mayo in Rochester and they have concluded there is nothing more they can do for him. His father has come from China to be with him during this difficult time. Neither are Christians as of now. Lei’s cancer has spread throughout the right hemisphere of his brain and was not stable enough to travel home. Today however they cleared him to return to see his mother and friends with the remaining few days they think he has left. Just yesterday Lei was finally open to discussing the eternity he is facing. Previously it had been too difficult for him to consider it. Would you pray that before he breathes his last that he will put his trust in the Savior? Would you also pray for the salvation of his mom and dad? 2.) My father-in-law who just lost his mate of 60 years, a month ago. He now may be facing considerable property loss in connection with the impending flood in the Fargo-Moorhead area. Likely you have heard that Fargo may have the highest flood in over a hundred years- possibly cresting this Friday. He is near enough to the Red River that his home is in question. He took out flood insurance the day after the death of his wife but it may not meet the 30 day advance FEMA requirement. If you have been following this predicament on the news, you have heard they released the high schools and the colleges in the area to do sand-bagging. It’s been going on around the clock the last number of days. To make matters worse, this morning the area was experiencing an intense winter blizzard. Please pray!
Wed Mar 4 21:00:30 2009 I just learned that my sister-in-law who is still grieving the loss of my brother Dick lost her mother yesterday morning. Carol has been caring for her mother for the last 10 years or so. Would you also pray for special comfort for her? John Hutton
Tue Mar 3 12:42:13 2009
6449 Hodgson Rd. Lino Lakes, MN 50014
Sat Nov 29 19:22:18 2008
Sat Nov 29 18:41:26 2008
Sat Nov 29 18:05:13 2008
Another brother, Jim (closest to Dick in age) has a dilemma. He is scheduled for cancer surgery of his own in Minneapolis this Wednesday and had to say a teary goodbye to Dick with the hope that Dick would still be here by the time he returns from surgery.
I will update you when I can. Thanks in advance for your prayers.
I’m seriously overdue in letting you know of what the Lord is doing in bringing international students into relationship with Jesus. Please accept my apology on that. I promise to get a letter out as soon as I can.
Yours in Christ,
John Hutton
InterFACE Ministries 6449 Hodgson Rd. Lino Lakes, MN 50014 651-756-1000 (home) 651-248-9933 (cell) jhutton@iface.org
Sat Aug 23 14:38:16 2008 This last year I have asked your prayers for my brother and sister dealing with cancer. I was sobered to find out yesterday that now another brother has cancer, my brother Jim. Jim and I just spoke on the phone and he has been deliberating on treatment options- each with their own upsides and downsides. Would you pray for Jim and his wife Leona for wisdom, healing, and peace in the process? Would you also pray for Dick- He was hospitalized this morning because the pain has become unbearable and unmanageable at home- he’s left narcotics and he’s up to opiates now to manage the pain Mary Jean? She has finished chemo, surgery and recently finished radiation treatments. Now she is in recovery from the aftermath of the radiation treatments. I’m happy to say that each of them are looking to the Lord and have great attitudes in spite of their circumstances- each are an inspiration to me. 16Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Cor 4:16-18 John Hutton
Wed Aug 6 00:20:44 2008
Wed Jun 18 19:05:49 2008
Wed May 28 16:59:28 2008
Fri May 23 11:44:56 2008 This morning Elaine arrived in Brazil a new citizen. Not a citizen of Brazil, she already has her citizenship there. Elaine is a new citizen of the Kingdom of Jesus! I met Elaine’s husband in December shortly after he arrived from Brazil to work on a doctorate at the U of M. He left behind his new bride who was in nursing school in Brazil. As I helped him find furniture and move into his campus apartment I learned that he understood the gospel and had placed his faith in Jesus quite some time back. Well, it wasn’t too long before Elaine missed him enough to drop out of school to come be with her husband. Unfortunately for her, once here, she discovered he spends nearly every waking hour studying and doing research. Since Elaine neither has a work visa nor is enrolled in school and her husband has little time to spend with her, she decided to join a number of other internationals in an English class that I teach. If you had the pleasure like I have had to get to know her you would find Elaine is one of the warmest ingratiating people you have ever met. This week she e-mailed me to let me know that she decided to go back to Brazil for a couple months during an especially busy time for her husbands doctoral work. Wanting to say good bye in person, she offered to meet at a middle eastern café across from campus. Her husband told me that unfortunately he was too busy to join us but said “maybe after my next set of exams”. Over coffee yesterday afternoon, Elaine told me how imperfect she feels and told me that one day she hoped she would make enough progress that God would accept her into heaven. I told her of how I grew up hoping the same thing. I also told her that no matter how hard I tried I never seemed to make much progress in reaching a more perfect/acceptable condition. When I told her that during my first year in college that I had made a marvelous discovery, she gladly agreed to look at verses in the bible that explained that discovery. Thirty minutes later I asked her if she would like to have the same gift of forgiveness that Jesus had given me. I only wish you could of heard her delightful Brazilian-accented response. I still hear it in my head…”Yes John ! Of course!” There in that middle eastern café, Elaine became a new citizen of the Kingdom of light! Her joy was hardly containable. She assured me that she would pick up her Portuguese bible when she got home and would begin reading. Would you pray for this lovely sister in Christ? -that she would grow to understand her new identity and the extant of God’s love for her? Would you also pray that her husband would be a spiritual encouragement to her? “…our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.” Phil 3:20,21 If it’s ok with you, I will tell her of your prayers for her OK? Awaiting that transformation of these lowly bodies of ours… John
Fri Mar 28 12:10:19 2008 The trip gave rise to lot’s of good conversations about God as creator, and as the giver of meaning and purpose in life. Would you also pray that more conversations would follow where God convinces them that He did raise his Son for their sakes and for all those in their countries too? Currently I meet with one of them for bible study. I’m praying that more of them would also join us.
Tue Aug 21 17:41:33 2007 Thank you for the prayers you have offered on behalf of Mohammed and Majed. Would you add Bilal to the list? Bilal is from Turkey. He has expressed interest in coming to the study of the Koran and the Bible we are doing together on Tuesday nights. You’d be surprised at how many things the Koran contains that we as Christians agree with. Bilal also has spent time helping me with some home projects and has gotten together with my brother Frank and his family. He told Frank and me “I’m a Muslim but I don’t know if Muslims are correct or Christians are” Frank and I have lunch with these guys on campus. The last time we met, Frank mentioned a friend of his who lives in Turkey. Bilal was surprised that someone would leave such a nice country as the US to go live in Turkey and wondered why. I watched Frank’s face as he tried to think through, in an instant, how to wisely reply (since his friend is a missionary in Turkey). When Frank explained that this friend felt God wanted him to do this, Bilal quickly asked how God told him this and, just as quickly, Frank replied “by e-mail” The look on Bilal’s face was hilarious as it turned from stunned to semi- embarrassed laughter after figuring out Frank was just joking. It did lead to a great discussion about how people can hear from God. Tomorrow night will be our 3rd study together and the earnestness of these students has impressed me. Majed said he’d like to start earlier in the evening because our last study (which lasted about 2 hours) was too short. In just a week’s time, Majed had read, in Arabic, all of Genesis and Exodus and indicated that he would like to finish the entire Bible in the next 4 months. Opportunities continue to increase with International students. I’ll mention a sampling that could use your prayers. Hundreds and hundreds of students are now arriving- most have practical needs like a pick up from the airport, help finding housing and a language partner to work on their English, help finding their way around campus and the Minneapolis area and not at all least, friends! In most cases they have left behind their friends and family to study here in our country. All of these practical and relational needs provide opportunities to build the trust necessary to address needs that go beyond the seen, beyond this world- a need to be reconciled with the Lover and Creator of their souls! Would you pray that these diverse and fascinating students would find life in Jesus while they are guests in our country? Would you also pray that I would make the most of the opportunities the Lord provides to love them deeply with the love of Jesus? Grateful for your partnership! Seeking to reach the world at our doorstep… John Hutton
Thu Aug 9 13:09:06 2007 I asked them how they learned to study the Koran in their country. They told me that they started learning it in grade school and on up. They also learn from a Muslim religious leader called an “Imam”. They told me that often an Imam has memorized the entire Koran. Now how’s that for an Awana program?! Have any of you memorized the entire Bible? How about a chapter? A verse or two? Would you pray that this time looking in to the Bible will open their eyes to the real identity of Jesus and His ability to offer them forgiveness for the sins that they are well aware of?
Mon Jul 2 13:37:59 2007 A conference marked my official start date with InterFACE Ministries. It was made official with a commissioning service. After spending a number of days with most of the staff of InterFACE, who came from all over the country, I have experienced a real sense of confirmation about the choice of organizations, for which I’m really grateful and excited. On the InterFACE staff there are some really choice, faith-filled, and fruitful servants of Jesus with whom I will have the privilege to co-labor. Thank you VERY VERY much for joining me in praying! At the ACMI (Association of Christians Ministering among Internationals) conference it was a mini taste of heaven. Not only were there many veteran American co-laborers (from lots of different organizations—which is cool by itself) but I think there were Christians from almost every other continent too (the only exception being the continent of Antarctica). The school year has just ended and already I can hardly wait for what the Lord may have in store for this Fall--that is, if He doesn’t return first! Here are some ways you can continue to partnership in prayer this summer: Summer time is a key time to develop the plans for the coming school year. Would you join me in praying for wisdom in the many decisions to be made to arrive at a strategic plan for this next school year? In a related request, I’m in the process of seeking out individuals/couples in the Minneapolis area who will serve as an advisory Council for this ministry. Would you pray that the Lord would raise up wise men and women who have a passion to see International students reached with the Gospel and who could not only provide counsel, accountability, and encouragement but in their own ways, be fellow laborers themselves? So far I have had some very encouraging responses by couples from whom I would highly value input and involvement. Would you also pray that I would be able to fruitfully connect with those students who haven’t returned to their own countries this summer? I was grateful when a Chinese friend and a Saudi friend volunteered to help me cut down some large trees and the Lord protected us from cutting off any necessary limbs! Both seemed to have fun working together—doing things they had never done in the own countries. Professor Wu said that the most he had previously lifted were books. (a little Chinese humor?) I just celebrated the 49th anniversary of my birth and some of the folks who were first to send greetings were student friends living in Turkey, England, France, Jamaica and South Africa. Its fun to be remembered especially when some of my own siblings forget. To be honest—I’ve been know to forget some of my 12 brothers and sisters birthdays too. I hope your summer is a refreshing one!
Thu Jun 7 17:42:21 2007 As for the one that won’t fit: I’d like to introduce my new colleague in international student ministry. If you can spare about three minutes, below is a newspaper article about her that really encouraged my faith and I hope it will inspire you too! She’s quite a lady! As to the practical matter, some of you may have overlooked a previous e-mail from me with instructions regarding support transfers. If you gave after June 1st to my previous CCC account it will not reach me, instead it will deposited to a general CCC staff account. If you want it refunded it will take a phone call to CCC donations department at toll free: 1-888-CRUSADE (1-888-278-7233), 8am-5pm EST. To direct future support gifts I have attached instructions in two attachments- one in M.S. Word format and the same thing in PDF format in case you can’t open the Word doc.
Mon Apr 30 12:49:12 2007 This wedding was a real delight to our whole family. Not only were Laurent and Sharla brimming with joy and expectation, but we got to re-unite with our entire team from our second year in France and a majority of our team from our first year in France. It was just plain fun!! The morning of the wedding I had a nice surprise. Dr. Bob Culver, founder and president of InterFACE ministries called and invited me to join them- A VERY welcome call for sure! So… the decision is made! Additionally, I was very encouraged, when within a very short amount of time, I received welcomes from other InterFACE staff from all around the country. Their annual meeting just so happens to be in the Minneapolis area this year so I will get to meet my new colleagues in May. A number of you have asked where to re-direct your support. It will be very welcome, needed and appreciated if you choose to continue as a partner to reach students from around world. Attached is an explanation of how to direct ministry support through InterFACE ministries. Well, better sign off for now- sleepless in Seattle, Seeking to reach the world at our doorstep…
Thu Mar 29 18:52:51 2007 I spent a chunk of yesterday helping a Muslim student from Saudi Arabia work on an outline for a debate he is doing today. The two sides of the debate? One side is to argue that Jesus is God and the other side that he is not God. Naturally, Mohammed as a Muslim believes that Jesus is not God but a prophet. Mohammed has to take this class like all other students enrolled at this private Catholic university, St. Thomas. Can you picture him and me sitting combing through the Bible together for verses establishing the deity of Jesus? To add to the delight of this scenario, my new friend Dr. Jiangsheng Wu was right there with us asking great questions along the way. Mohammed told me that he is doing this as a group assignment and, sadly I might add, the others students working with him had no idea how to defend the idea of the deity of Jesus. Would you pray for Mohammed and Jiangsheng that they would respond as described by Paul?: …at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, Seeking to reach the world at our doorstep…
Mon Mar 26 23:58:44 2007 Thanks for the many offers for prayer for a decision about a new ministry affiliation. The decision took an unexpected detour. I was prepared last week to accept an invitation on staff with International Students Incorporated (ISI) but after prayer, thought, and counsel, I did not come to a sense of the Lord leading to do so. Another organization called InterFACE seems a better fit for me personally. A number of things make InterFACE attractive. To begin with, the organization made a decision when it was founded to place a premium on local church involvement in providing supervision, encouragement, accountability, and counsel. Instead of having an organizationally appointed regional director, each staff member/staff team operates with a local advisory council made up of people with a heart for ministry recruited from local churches. Secondly, the organization strongly encourages each staff person to operate out of their own giftedness and to step out in faith and creatively form strategies that fit the local situation and target audience. Thirdly, this organization seeks to keep overhead expenses as lean as possible and the administrative costs to a minimum without sacrificing effectiveness. Finally, the InterFACE staff which I have become acquainted are solidly committed to scripture and to doing all in their means to make the gospel available to International students. The president of the organization, Dr. Bob Culver, himself remains actively involved in direct ministry on campus to International students while still handling his executive responsibilities. I admire that spirit! At this stage my status with the organization is considered a candidate with a permanent status to be determined, Lord-willing by the end of April. In the mean time we are in transition status with Campus Crusade for Christ and will receive salary through your support until things are finalized with InterFACE ministries, the end of May at the latest.
Mon Mar 12 18:55:51 2007 It’s taken longer than I hoped but the time has finally arrived. I have wanted to give you more definitive news on what the next move will be and so I have held off writing. Well…this week it looks like I will be able to send out a letter giving you a clear picture of our future direction. Watch your mailboxes OK? I don’t mean to be a tease- It’s just that my promised official letter hasn’t arrived just yet. In my last e-mail I mentioned that we would be soon giving our resignation letter to Campus Crusade for Christ. That resignation is now official. Since I continue to work with International students, Campus Crusade will continue to receive support checks on our behalf during a transition period up to the end of May. Even during this transition time opportunities to connect with International students have multiplied. My brother Frank, who also works with international students, asked me in one of our regular phone calls- “How do you plan to keep up with all the students you are meeting?” He knows that there comes a point where you reach a practical limit in the number of friendships any one person can authentically keep. Learning to live with those limits has always been a challenge for me. So many International students are starving for people who will genuinely care for them. My brothers’ question highlights for me the need to be a stronger recruiter of Christian families and Christian students who will enter these student’s world and offer the love of Jesus in understandable ways. I fully expect that this will progressively become a bigger part of my focus- being a link between these students and many of you and other Christians who can embody for them, Jesus, and His family. I’m eager to see more people have the pleasure of getting to know the fascinating people that God has brought from all over the world- future engineers, doctors, politicians and visiting scholars. For now, let me tell you of just one recent new friend, Jiangsheng. He has given himself a nickname to accommodate English speakers- “Johnson”. It actually sounds like his Chinese name pronounced properly. He has just arrived from Beijing. Johnson has a PhD in English and teaches English in a top university in China. He has left behind (as many international students and scholars do) his wife and son while he does post-doctoral work here in the US. I met him only days after his arrival. Eager to learn about the US and American ways of life, he quickly accepted an invitation to join Diane, the girls and me for church. This was his first-ever time attending a church and he seemed to really enjoy it. His questions about church and the bible and what it means to be a Christian are downright refreshing in how straightforwardly genuine they are. Would you pray for the Lord to open Jiangshengs' eyes to Jesus love for him? I won’t go into detail now but would you also pray for some students from Saudi Arabia who have agreed to alternately study the bible and the Koran with me? Gratefully yours for declaring the love of Jesus to students from across the globe, John & Diane Hutton
Wed Jan 24 18:11:56 2007 Has “GPS” been added to your vocabulary? As most of you probably know, GPS stands for Global Positioning System. It uses satellites in space to give pinpoint accurate maps and directions here on earth. You might even have one in your car already. Don’t you wish sometimes God would offer us a spiritual version of GPS? I suppose you could suggest that He has, in a way, when he gave us His Word and the Holy Spirit. If you’re like me however, discerning the spiritual “signal” is more complicated than using a GPS touch screen and tapping in an address. I’m writing to ask your prayers for help in discerning His signal and “recalculating” the map. After 12+ years of serving with Campus Crusade for Christ we’ll be saying “goodbye”. We’ll soon be handing in our official notice of resignation. With CCC we have learned a lot and enjoyed co-laboring with many dedicated men and women for the cause of Christ and seen the Lord do some marvelous things. So why leave? Here’s why: CCC requires, for good reasons, both spouses to be on staff. At this time however it’s Diane’s sense that her giftedness and passion would fit better elsewhere. After praying for some time about where the Lord would have her use her interests and training, Diane wishes to pursue a teaching position, hence the need to say “goodbye”. As for me, my own sense of calling remains to be reaching out to university students of the world and in particular International students who have come to the U.S. Fortunately a number of other good Christian organizations exist with ministries to International students. Here are some options that I’d like to ask you to join me praying about. 1.) ISI (International Student Incorporated) Logically, this seems to be the frontrunner of the choices. My own dear brother Frank has been accepted on staff with this organization and intends to work on the same campuses as I currently am after he finishes raising support. 2.) Church based ministry. This has some upsides. It could naturally lend to sharing the ministry with people with whom we worship and have fellowship. It also has built in local supervision and accountability. Unfortunately I’m not familiar with any churches who have it in their budget to take on someone for such a ministry. It also could mean uprooting our kids from established youth group relationships 3.) A “Tent-making” ministry. This just describes someone who relies on non-ministry related work for an income and tries to fit ministry around that job. Some jobs have flexibility, like selling real estate, or a trade such as carpet installation, or carpentry. What does this mean practically for you who are part of our financial support team? It won’t necessitate any change for at least a couple months. CCC will allow us a transition period until the end of March. We will receive any financial support you provide until then. In the mean time I will continue to work on campus. If the Lord’s “signal” is to work with another organization, I will let you know in plenty of time to re-direct your giving if you choose to continue in investing in reaching International students with the Gospel. Many of you have been long term supporters and friends. We value your input. If you have any thoughts or insights the Lord has given you, we’d welcome an e-mail or letter or phone call. Seeking to reach the world at our doorstep…
Mon Dec 18 13:51:30 2006 We are very thankful for the ways you partner with us! We pray that this season of remembering the advent of the Messiah will be richly blessed!...speaking of the coming Messiah, God says through the prophet Isaiah: “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.” Isaiah 49:6 Now it seems, God has brought “the ends of the earth” to our doorstep. Almost every country in the world is represented on college campuses here in the U.S. Could I ask your prayers for some foreign guests in my neck of the (woods) concrete jungle of Minneapolis? Some Ethiopians, some Saudi Arabians and some students from Bangladesh, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates and China joined our family for Thanksgiving. Since we anticipated that our family alone would number somewhere between 20-25, a great high school friend (and now a pastor, Mike Lerud) said we could use their church building for the holiday meal. It worked out beautifully! The weather was so nice that after a short devotional and a great time of feasting we had our own mini version of the World cup of soccer. Boy of boy can those students make a soccer ball dance! Will you pray those students not only remember the whiff of Turkey but also the aroma of Christ? As long as I’m asking for prayers I probably should tell you of the gracious ways God has answered prayer requests menti9ned in the last newsletter. I asked for your prayers for Ying (from China) and Esteban (from Ecuador). God has supplied both with believers to care for them and encourage them in their new faith. In Ying’s case, someone let me know of a Chinese believer in France that could connect with her. She has now moved to Nice and started in a new school, knowing no one there. Esteban has been contacted by some of our previous teammates in Toulouse who will genuinely love him. For those of you old enough to have kids who have moved away from home you maybe know how comforting and a relief it is to hear that your kids have found good friends in their new location? That’s what it feels like for us to hear of these two connecting with Christians God has put in their vicinity. Regarding the need for student officers in order to become a recognized student organization on campus; God provided more than enough! What people group(s) to focus on? This may not be altogether answered yet but I feel like it’s narrowed down significantly. Muslims and students from India have very very few people reaching out to them, probably because they have been the most resistant to the Gospel. So far God has given me a number of friendships already among students from Saudi Arabia and a student from United Arab Emirates. My good French friend Mathieu? He writes me regularly from London. Would you pray for he and his family? His mom was just diagnosed with cancer. May they finally turn to the Great Physician! Doors of access? Yes! God has led the way to a variety of open doors for friendships. This answer would take at least a whole newsletter to fully describe, maybe next time? John & Diane Hutton
Wed Nov 15 14:21:18 2006
Wed Sep 13 11:37:21 2006 On Saturday I took Mathieu to the Mall of America- He was quite overwhelmed by the immensity of the place. I’m not really a “mall” kinda guy but it did give us the chance to have good talks as we wandered around and had lunch together. We left there and went to the U of M where Mathieu came with me to a welcome dinner put on by the Muslim student association. Yowsers!, it must’ve been attended by about 300 students and the expense of the whole catered meal was picked up by the student group (and Al Qaeda?) We stuck out a bit. Mathieu couldn’t quite figure out why I would go to this event. For me, it was an eye-opener as to the strength and diversity of the Muslims among us. Sunday, we went to the Metrodome to watch the Twins whup up on Detroit 12-1 ! Mathieu accepted a book by Dr. John Piper- “Desiring God” en Français. As we were having lunch downtown yesterday Mathieu said he had begun to read it already. I’ve been encouraged by how freely this self-professed atheist friend has been with prayer at meals and discussions about Jesus and he actually said he enjoyed church too. He said he basically agreed with the sermon. Wouldn’t it be great if the Lord were to give us Mathieu as another French brother in Christ? Would you include him in your prayers in the next few days? Remembering you with appreciation,
Wed Sep 6 17:23:50 2006 Today was my first day too on campus- The U of M is a massive place with lots of internationals! I spoke with Japanese students, Eastern Europeans, Chinese and South American students but the one I may remember the longest is one I never had the chance to speak too.…Toward the end of the afternoon, just before I started to cross a long bridge between campuses (east and west bank campuses of the U of M) over the Mississippi river, a crowd started to gather at the rail of the bridge. Within a couple minutes I was standing next to a student pointing to something in the water and an approaching boat. In minutes, there were nearly 10 vehicles there with their lights flashing and some with blaring sirens. They were responding to the desperate choice of a woman who decided to end her life by jumping off the bridge. One of the witnesses on the bridge quickly called 911 but I think it was of no avail. I watched as a rescue boat brought her to shore – but she was face down for quite a while before anyone could get to her.
Would you pray for opportunities to offer hope to students that come from countries which, from many perspectives, are much more desperate than ours? Seeking to reach the world at our doorstep… John
Fri Sep 1 16:11:24 2006 We have a change of location and a new campus but the same goal: Making Jesus known among the students of the world. We are days away from that critical start-up time of the school calendar. Diane, the girls and I have spent time this summer traveling, speaking and getting re-established in Minneapolis. Campus Crusade has a policy to place all their staff in team settings except in the most unusual circumstances. For this reason we have now been added to the CCC U. of M. staff team even though we’ll have mostly distinct target audiences. I have enjoyed meeting with the new team- a very motivated and talented group, sold out to making the gospel known to all corners of the campus. I have also enjoyed this summer meeting and praying with others serving with other ministries seeking to reach the international student population here in the Minneapolis/ St. Paul. There is a great cooperative spirit among them that is refreshing to discover- sadly not to be found everywhere in the Christian community. Can we partner together in prayer for a few specifics? 1. Since the U of M is a new campus to me and since Bridges (a ministry of CCC to Internationals) is also new to me, I’ve got lots to learn and also some key decisions to make. Would you pray for wisdom as I try figure out the doors of access here and as I seek the Lord on whether or not to further refine my focus to a subset of Internationals, for example- Japanese, Chinese, East Indians, or Muslims. 2. This coming month, a French student friend of mine is coming for a visit. I’ve written about Mathieu before- (one of the few French that I met who actually likes the US.) He considers himself an atheist. Actually I’d call him an agnostic. Would you pray that this trip to the US would be a time that the Lord would uniquely reveal Himself to Mathieu? Mathieu has told me that he would believe if God would prove Himself to him. 3. Jessie and Jenny will be making yet another school transition. Would you pray that this transition will go smoothly? Since they studied in France the last two years- it may be necessary for them to do some catch up be with a class younger than themselves 4. Diane would appreciate your prayers that the Lord would show her where her gifts and interests can best be utilized. Regional office in the Technology/ computer area? With International students? Somewhere else? 5. With a change in ministry location we no longer meet the criteria of some churches and individuals for missionary support. As a result, our account has recently gone in deficit. - would you pray that the Lord would supply some new financial partners- One more request: This summer my computers hard drive failed and I had to replace it- The computer repair shop was able to recover some of the data from it but not all of it- I’m missing some addresses and phone numbers- if you get this e-mail would you mind shooting me a quick e-mail with your address and phone? Feel welcome to include any prayer requests we can join you in too ok? I look forward to hearing from you!! Seeking to reach the world at our doorstep… P.S. Watch for our soon-to-arrive letter “Unfinished Story” John & Diane Hutton
Fri Jun 16 12:29:57 2006 Have you made the transition to your summer schedule? We are thick in the midst of making that transition ourselves. This spring the Lord gave a number of opportunities that has given us some momentum as we shift gears to a new "season" of ministry. As we've mentioned previously, The Lord has given us an extension of the sense of calling we have to reach students from around the world with good news of Jesus- One unique opportunity came after I met a young Chinese woman in the university cafeteria in Toulouse. The day I met Ying (˜° ài) it happened to be the same day Diane and I were expecting another Chinese student for dinner at our apartment. I invited Ying to join us but she declined saying she was to shy. Several weeks later I received this e-mail below from Ying. Put yourself in her shoes, coming from a country where you could live your whole life with no contact with Christians or ever step foot in a church. She came to France for a university education and while traveling on a break, out of curiosity attended a church service which prompted a variety of questions contained below... -----Original Message-----
How are you recently? Everything goes well? I have a question to ask you if you do not mind that last sunday when I was in Geneva,I took part in a mass although I'm not a christian,because it's open for all the people.I was there from the beginning to the end and listening to a man who wearing a purple dress. I think the color purple must mean a high level? doesn't it? Because he spoke in English ,so I didn't understand totally.But it was sure about Jesus Christ. I remember that during his speech the people shaked hands with others and said"merci"! At the end of the mass, everyone(include me) went to the front of the church,and the man who in purple(I'm sorry I don't know what is the name of him)gave us a small piece of something which looked like wheat and then we went to front of another man who took a little cup of water or someting else,the people put the little piece of wheat into the water and ate it.I did the same thing with others although I don't know what it was and what it meant. So I wrote this letter to you to get the answer if you don't mind.I think you must know it:) Hope to see you again:) Sincerely Ying
After this e-mail Ying did get together with me to have her questions answered. I was further encouraged that Laurent, our new French brother, joined in too. Having grown up without any belief in God, like Ying, his story was of particular interest to Ying. In a letter I hope to send you soon, I'll tell you more of Ying's on-going story. Would you pray for her? Would you also pray that we'd be wise and clear as we share Jesus' love for her? Lord-willing we'll be home in Minnesota soon- Can't wait to see as many of you as possible! Gratefully yours in Christ, John & Diane
Wed May 3 17:09:10 2006 I guess we can’t go back to the states without experiencing almost everything here, can we? I had a suspicious breast lump removed last week. It was benign, so praise the Lord for that!! The Lord provided a good surgeon and a hospital not too far from where we live. I never knew this place was a hospital as it has a clinic sign on the outside of it. I meant to get out a prayer request to you all before the fact, but time got away. I would covet your prayers though for a swift recovery and energy for John and the girls. I really am enjoying spring here. The sun is warmer, green stuff appears again, flowers and trees blooming, birds singing, and baby ducks on the canal ! One duck had 14 little ones to keep track of. Can you imagine? I thought 4 was a lot. She has already lost 3 to some nasty duck-eating-varmits. (I’ve seen river rats on the canal before.) More results of the fall in our broken world. Regardless, God’s handiwork is all around and in that we can celebrate. The weekend before last our Agape group had a retreat outside of Toulouse which we invited our college age friends to. I think there were around 35 of us. Special memories created as friendships developed and many people got to interact with us and hear the gospel. So many good spiritual conversations took place. The Lord was at work among us. Please pray for good follow-up conversations to happen as it can be a challenge to get together with students this time of year. They seem to disappear into study mode for exams (French students procrastinate too.) As we head into the last couple months of our time here in Toulouse, we’ve much to do. The girls are finishing up their school year. Jolynn just started back to class now that the student striking has ended (2-3 months of student striking all over France). I’m sure you’ve probably heard about it on the news. Jessie and Jenny’s friends are asking if they are okay over here. Yes, we’re fine. It hasn’t been violent here. Jo is excited to be back in class. I knew her French would surpass mine this year. (The little stinker.) I think it’s a time and workload issue, more than a stiff gray matter thing. Wouldn’t you agree? I’m not that old yet. I have been regularly meeting with three women whom I have befriended while here in Toulouse. I am really going to miss them. Ulla—a woman from Denmark who is here with her husband’s work; Maggs—who was Jessie’s English teacher last year; and Danielle—a friend in the building we live in. I would love to see them come to the Lord before I leave Toulouse. In a few weeks John and I have the opportunity to debrief the team. We need to debrief ourselves and our family as well. Kind of tricky. We are excited about the plan to work with International students at the U of M. (The World At Our Doorstep.) Each of our team members as well as our family will have a lot of transition and changes to make in the days and months ahead. I think the most change will happen for Jessie and Jenny. Even though they are returning to a familiar culture, they are changed people; and, of course, things in the states have changed. I would love to have some prayer warriors going before us and the ministry here. If you think of us, please pray.
Mon Mar 27 12:08:56 2006 After praying and deliberating for a lengthy time, Diane and I have agreed to return to the U.S. and, contrary to an earlier tentative decision, we won’t be returning to France in the fall. The reasons are numerous and the emotions are too. We already are sad as we anticipate leaving this country and the French friends we’ve made these two school years. Our teammates likewise are very dear to us and it will be a significant loss to us not to continue to co-labor with these wonderfully committed and passionate followers of Jesus. We have been offered and we have accepted a new position within CCC. It continues to be our desire to contribute to the spread of the gospel to places where it’s not abundantly available. This will next involve working at the U of Minn. in Minneapolis reaching out to a group of approximately 5000 international students from countries spanning the globe- many of them not accessible to an offer of the gospel in their own countries. The ministry is called “Bridges International”. In the future, the position could also involve taking up the responsibility of regional coordinator for Bridges International in the Upper Midwest. I’m grateful to our regional HR personnel however that for the time being they are willing to let me first get my feet wet on campus back in the States before taking on a wider scope of responsibilities for the region. Our kids response? – The younger two- One is ecstatic, another distinctly divided. The older two- happy I think, to have parents on the same continent. I’m sure we’ll have more details to follow but I thought that a short e-mail would be nice for a change huh? Diane and the girls and I appreciate your steadfast and prayerful support, We look forward to seeing many of you some time this summer! Yours in Christ always, John & Diane
Mon Mar 20 12:01:52 2006 If you follow international news you may have read some these accounts in the last couple of days: “Yesterday's march in Paris march was just one of the 160 similar events planned nationwide. Beyond the street protests, student demonstrators have also paralyzed 16 universities and disrupted 35 others, the education ministry said. On Thursday, a quarter of a million people took to streets around France to protest against the government.” March 19th What to do? Schools have been disrupted for, in some cases, the last three weeks. The campus across the street from where we live was shut down when administrators barricaded the doors to prevent demonstrators from taking over the school. This leaves students to choose between participation in the demonstrations or return to their hometowns to study for exams they don’t know if they’ll be allowed to take, or just to party the night and sleep the day away. Whichever option they take- we’re left trying to figure out how to connect with them during this chaotic period. It leaves me as the team leader wondering how to direct this team in fruitful use of their time. In some cases we are still able to meet students for meals, coffee, dinner parties or recreation but not in very predictable ways or frequency. Would you pray that the Lord, who is not taken by surprise at all, will direct us in how to show and share the love of Christ during this time? Grace & blessings to you across the pond who have your own set of challenges,
Wed Mar 8 22:09:40 2006 We initially met Tigist when she attended one of our English clubs. Since then she has been a regular at our events and conferences. Last night at the conclusion of a “soiree de louange” ( evening of worship) she sat on one the couches and bowed to ask the Lord’s forgiveness and for new life!! We thought it was the conclusion of a two-hour time together of prayer and song. Little did we know that it was just the prelude! That’s when the party really started! The singing picked up again until after midnight, as the team rejoiced together with Tigist in the Lord’s goodness! Why not join the party from where you are? And while you’re at it, would you pray for this new daughter of the King?! Use your imagination ok? I’m sure you’ll think of something. Joyfully yours in Christ,
Fri Feb 17 14:34:43 2006 Rached is from a group that numbers roughly a billion on the planet that either believes or has been told that about the only unforgivable sin is to say/believe that Jesus is God (and that He died on a cross for our sins). Rached comes from a country that is closed to Christianity and missionaries. He is an Arab from the North African country of Tunisia. When I asked what hope he had that “Allah” would forgive him for what he had just confessed to me, he said that on judgment day Mohammed would plead his case asking for mercy for him. Rached calls me “my brother” and “my good friend” and he genuinely fears for my destiny. A small sampling of responses of others I have told of the forgiveness available through the shed blood of Christ include: “I prayed to God as you suggested but nothing happened- You know, I don’t really think I need God right now- I have a girlfriend, I’m doing well in school. I think God is fine for people who need something going through hard times” Francois: “Life ultimately has no value or purpose if we are just the product of mindless evolution you say? Well, that might be true but I can make my own purpose while I live and people will remember me after I die” Alexis: “I’m going to go home and pray for forgiveness” “What?! Are you joking?” I asked. “Yes, I’m joking. What you told me sounds way too easy and too fast” Juliette: “I’d like to believe that but I can’t” Mathieu “ If God shows me he exists I might believe” Do we get discouraged hearing this sort of thing day in and day out? Yes, for sure. Do we feel like crying sometimes for how lost students are? Definitely. Do we give up? Absolutely not! How does God help us persist? Well one way is getting an e-mail like the following that I received yesterday morning: Numbers don't seem to say much sometimes but when you see that room full of 23 people super excited to talk together, I can tell you that you start to feel excited yourself! Ok, guys here, do you agree? ouais? vraiment, non? on peut le dire, non? best Thé o show this year, non? 8 non-believers, brand new or that we haven't seen for a long long time. 17 French people for 6 Americans. Allez, I give you names so you can picture and pray : Lena, Aurélien, Denis, Jean Louis, Caroline, Johanne plus two other ones I don't remember names, a friend of Laurie and a friend of Denis, that is for the non believer students ; Yoann (French Christian from last year that just showed up randomly tonight), Sarah, she is a freshman student at Mirail, just got in Toulouse on last sept., she was kind of shy at the beginning but she feels more and more comfortable and she told us that she is excited to go and share on campus, Rebecca, Clémence, Naomi, Aurélie, Laurianne and me ; Paul, David, John, Alice, Alyssa, Jenny from Marseille for the US crew. We started with a game that Heidi proposed : names of half a couple stuck on the back on nice pink hearts and we had to ask other people to guess who was our "half". Then the tables were made for starting the "speed dating" night! So, that "fake" speed dating, was actually like a real one : sets of 7 min and then couples switched ; 6 themes, some with funny questions about love and relationships, others about more spiritual statements. Girls stay, men move away after 7 min. Precise questions so it couldn't be whatever conversations. Of course, God made almost exactly the same amount of men and women come ;-) Felix did a great job at presenting the night as always. People told us that they truly enjoyed it , they were whinny to not be able to talk with everyone, we could have a 2h1/2 long Thé O Show tonight. My brothers and sisters told me that they had good conversations with non believers and that it was even good to talk with Christians they don't necesseraly know well yet. What was encouraging, is that the non believers seemed to be happy to be there and excited for our next events, like the CHEAP AND TACKY PARTY 2 on March 9th! You can pray for that one! A lot of people are asking for it. Felix talked with Caroline during Thé O Show, it is the first time we see her and he told me she was just amazed by the love that she saw in 1 Cor. 13 :4-8 when they were reading the last question, she was like : wow! how could it exist?!! It makes me smile because I remember my reaction when I read it for the 1st time last year, it is THE passage that made me want to read further in the Bible and i know that it amazes a lot of non believers. Johanne is hanging out with us for awhile this year now and she told us tonight that the last time she was at Larrey for the "Napoleon Dynamite to French people night" she was mad because she wants to help us to organize parties and whatever and we don't ask her. She was at the "Family Fuhd" night too and she loved it. Ha Ha Ha !! reminds me someone again! A girl (I forgot her name) that Laurie knows and that she couldn't make come to our stuffs unexpectly showed up tonight, she is very fun and excited. Denis and his friend were very excited too (maybe more because of the "Speed dating" format and the pretty chicks around) but I stuck "Romeo" (it was his tag's name, I forgot his name) with Aurélie (our most fun/most spirtually mature/most French woman) for the Big Spiritual Question at the end ;-) Lena had good conversations with David, John and me. It was good to see her again at Agapé but she left right after the Thé O Show. Her friend Aurélien, ingenieer in planes, it was the 1st time I met him. Nice but a little bit lost at the beginning. He was excited to speak English. He talked with Paul for a long time at the "post Thé O Show party". Then I left. And Paul showed up back at Larrey like 2h later maybe... 2h of deep spiritual talk with Aurélien who is Catholic, eyes watering for Aurélien and everything. He wants to play with us again. He memorized verses that Paul was telling him in English to figure out exactly what they mean in French. Jean Louis is a friend of mine, he is a teacher in History, an intern teacher. He leaves for Madison, WI for 3 months of internship at the end of February. So, I thought that I could make him meet people I know from WI. What do you think of that? Am I not a genius?! Ha Ha Ha! God makes me smile. I love it! it is easy sometimes... Today I called him to invite him for TOS but he had no clue what was Agapé and what we were doing before that call. I had to explain quickly on the phone what it was and I was absolutely not sure of his reaction but he said : "Okay! I am interested, I am coming." And he enjoyed the night a lot. He is going to meet John soon to talk more. He is a very very nice guy and very open minded too. Okay, where are you hands, boys and girls?!! are they pointing to the sky to praise the Mighty Lord with me ?!! Awesome night here in Toulouse, South of France. It is so much more exciting to live a Christian life, man!! Just felt blessed, tonight. Just felt blessed. Hope you guys have a great V-Day full of God's presence too! Happy Valentine's Day to all of you! Pray for those guys here! God bless you. Sorry for the too long e mail. After, getting an e-mail like that I do feel like crying but certainly a different kind of tears. Thanks for helping us, through your support and prayers to persist in telling others about the Unfathomable love of Christ! Gratefully Yours,
Mon Jan 9 15:10:45 2006
Wed Dec 21 00:53:49 2005 25 years ago on a briskly cold day on this date in December at Faith Evangelical Free church in Grand Forks, ND. Diane and I promised to have and to hold, in sickness and health, for richer or poorer, until death shall separate. I think it went like that that-I can’t be sure, to be honest I was pretty nervous that day. We’re now in an apartment slightly larger than the married student housing tin hut we lived in when we returned from our fabulous & exotic honeymoon near Bemidji, MN-difference being that our apartment now also houses 4 lovely offspring- In fact, we bedded down next to the 4 of them last night on a couple couch cushions and a hide-a-bed mattress about the thickness of a notebook. Yesterday some French neighbors in our building, who have a daughter Jessie’s age, invited us to a little apartment in the Pyrenees Mountains (about a two hour drive from us) near where they like to ski. It was intended to be a day trip but when a radiator hose blew on the way down the mountain we were stranded for at least the night- Our friends offered the little they had. We had a couple blankets to share between the 6 of us, 2 pillows and some jackets. All in all it made for a memorable night if not a fitful nights sleep. This morning, hoping to salvage some of this day of our anniversary I nursed the car to the nearest available garage. With my super-duper French and enough pointing and gesturing the mechanic figured out what I was asking him to do. Three hours later and a little lighter in the Euro department- I was able to get back and pick up my happy little family. Tonight our little darlings made us a deluxe anniversary dinner complete with hamburgers green beans and the best chocolate cake you could ask for. Here’s hoping the next 25 are just as eventful. On this anniversary, Diane and I would like to thank you for your generous care and support of our family. Yours in Christ always, John & Diane
Sun Dec 18 21:15:09 2005 On alternating weeks with an outreach discussion group (called Thé O Show) we have a worship night- where sometimes both believers and non-believers come. On the last week of classes before the Christmas break, a time at which we didn’t have high expectations- over 30 people showed up! Two nights later we had a Christmas Soirée (party) –over 50 crammed into one of our teammates apartment! In the pictures included you can note a guy (Raymond) speaking to the group- It was his first time giving his testimony and explaining the gospel to a group such as this. When I talked with him afterwards- he was sweating and noticeably relieved to be done. In another of the pictures- you may recognize a gal that has appeared in previous e-mails-Audrey seated next to me- she has truly blossomed since receiving Christ just about this time last year- He new joy is unmistakable! This same week we pulled aside for what we affectionately call DOPE days- (no drugs involved- other than coffee and cough medicine) “DOPE” stands for Days Of Planning and Evaluation. They involved 7 hours of meetings- none of us relish the thought but they actually blurred by! After some time in the Word and in prayer, we take a look back at the semester and see what we can learn for future effectiveness and then we look ahead and do some planning. One of the questions we asked ourselves is “How can we not only expose the most number of students to the gospel as is possible but how can we give students multiple exposures?” This addition to the first half of the question has a significant bearing on the approaches we take. There are places in the world where people may respond to the gospel in one encounter – but France has not shown itself to be one of those places. Our team is very excited about some of the ideas the Lord helped us generate. In a future e-mail I’ll share some of the details. We’d appreciate your prayers for follow through on those “DOPE” plans. Come January second, we’ll be bursting back onto the “playing field” of campus. Between now and Jan 2nd, our “locker room” recharge will include a 4 day trip where we’ll be heading to a city called Aix en Provence for a training conference. Some of you didn’t drop us off your Christmas letter/card mailing list when we moved to France. We’re grateful! It’s been fun to get regular mail in our mailbox and catch up our home news! Thank you! Of course, e-mails are always just as welcome! If you’ve heard of SKYPE- you can now call us for free via your computer. All joy to you in Christ this Christmas season! John & Diane
Thu Dec 15 18:29:56 2005
Mon Nov 28 23:57:02 2005 Tonight 23 people packed into a little apartment living room for an American thanksgiving dinner. They heard a little recap of the holiday’s history and they also heard the reason we as Christians are especially thankful. Speaking of Jesus the apostle Paul wrote: “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” 2 Cor 9:15 Three quick prayer requests. 1.) Would you pray for these guests as they reflect on what they’ve heard tonight? 2.) Would you pray for another evening planned just like this one( only for another group that couldn’t fit in the room available tonight) that will take place this Wed. evening? If you want to specifically prayer during this time it would be from noon till 3p.m., your time, for most of you receiving this. 3.) That our friendships with these students would deepen and that sufficient trust would develop for them to be able to hear what we have to say about having a friendship with Jesus? We hope you know that we give thanks for how God has blessed us through your praying and giving ways! Gratefully yours,
Thu Nov 17 14:00:13 2005 When life is pulling in many different directions do you find that important corrrespondance is one of the casualties in your schedule? That’s the way it’s been with me as we are off to a new start in Toulouse this fall. Please forgive my writing gap. I’d like to thank the many of you who have written inquiring about our safety during the rioting and car burning that has been in the news. It has been a concern but not one that has immediately threatened our safety. It also has given rise to many new oppurtunities to talk to students about where real solutions are sourced. As the flames of over 6000 burned cars (and some buses and buildings) die down, a new potential fire of considerable consequence has arisen for which I’m writing to ask your prayers. We received a call last night, that is described in an e-mail below, insisting that we desist from reaching out to students on campus property in ways that have been our primary avenues of contact over the last few years. The writer is Laurent- only months old in the faith but demonstrating maturity, faith and character, I think, well beyond his years. The situation is fraught with possibilities for good and possibly for real obstruction to the gospel here in Toulouse, and not to be too alarmist-but in a worse case scenario, across France on other campuses too. The e-mail below is written by someone speaking in a non-native language- (English is Laurent’s second or third language) I promise that the time between this e-mail and my next e-mail will be of a much smaller interval. We’re grateful for your genuine and effective prayers! John on behalf of Diane Jolynn Jamie Jessie and Jenny (Jamie just arrived today from the states and will be here till January-PTL!)
I have a "good" story to tell you from Toulouse which is very interesting from a cultural point of view about my country but which is pretty bad for the outreach here unfortunately. I just talked on the phone to the director of the university restaurant of the campus of Arsenal, downtown and he is also in charge of the cafeteria of the politic sciences school. He told me that the people in charge of this school asked him to call Agape to tell the members of the team or the students to not reach students at the cafeteria anymore, which means no English club anymore or surveys or flyers distribution or just talks about religion... He told me about the law about the laicity of 1905 [separation of Church and state] (France celebrates the 100 anniversary this year) in public places (he meant places that belong to the state) and that the direction of the school was scared by an article from the radio of the students, called "Radio Campus" in Toulouse, that someone sent to them by e mail. This article is about the activities of evangelism of Agape at this cafeteria. I was shocked when he told me that (but I assumed there was something wrong as soon as he told me that he was the director of the cafeterias and cafes ) .... but God is awesome and He raises our spirits when we are down : the guy on the phone, one of the directors of the university, told me : "let's render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's", this guy is a Christian![the first we have discovered so far connected with the university] and he added that he was an evangelical Christian. He said It was encouraging to hear that right after the disappointment. He gave me his phone number and asked for mine. I told him that Agape doesn't want to have a bad image in the sciences political school or on campus so we will stop doing our activities there. Honestly, with the education I had from my parents and especially my dad, before I was a Christian I would have fought in a "I don't care to make troubles if I think I am right" way. But things changed and I think that we have to fight in a spirit of kindness. I just read Romans 12:17 to 21 and 13, I remembered some of it during the phone The Evil one set up a new obstacle in front of us but God gave us a new ally in this war with this man called Elisha (Elie in French, isn't it awesome ! it makes me smile). We'll find another place for the activities for sure but we won't let them think that we are what they think we are, right? My opinion is that we should find this article about Agape and ask the radio to allow us to say something too. And we should write a letter to the direction of Sciences Po to explain to them that they should not be scared and what we It is so good to belong to the Righteous' side and to know that you are close to me, to us in the army of the Lord even if you are so far away for many of you ! Let's stand up for His Glory, army of God all over the world ! and use your best weapon for His victory : pray for the students in Toulouse, and then for the students in France, and then in Europe, in America, in the world, and then for all kinds of people... Linda, our Fall retreat's speaker told us that one of her best time in her life was when God made her realize, at a time when she felt drained to do so many things for the ministry to the point she cried, that He would love her even if she wouldn't do anything anymore to serve Him. And she stood up again, refreshed, with the desire to do more than ever for the One who loved her that much ! It was so good for me to hear that, I needed to hear that ! Prayer is not a duty and it is the Lord who makes us desire to pray Him. It is not from us that it comes but from Him and through His Love. And He will love us the same if we don't pray but He is just waiting for us to ask Him to make us experiment His unconditional Love so we'll crave to pray and praise Him in every circumstances. I think it is amazing to think that as we realize that we won't be less loved if we don't do it, we want to do it and even more ! God is great. I don't know if some of you had to read that or even if it makes sense for you :-) but I needed to realize that myself and God spoke to me through my own words. It is awesome ! Ok, keep praying for Toulouse my friends and let me know how we could pray for you from here. The riots are almost done in France. There is a lot of work now ! You can pray for that too. There is this guy, named Joan, he is Paul's friend and he may come play Wow, it was a long newsletter for only tonight ! I hope that you found something encouraging in it or something that challenges you to do more for God's Glory. Your brother in Christ , Laurent
Thu Nov 10 21:21:46 2005
Thu Oct 27 15:26:27 2005 Bonjour! Our team was presented with a sum of money from a generous donor, to use toward reaching Toulouse. We are in the process of discussing and praying about how the Lord would have us use it. What a wonderful blessing and problem at the same time. Spending money is never difficult as you may experience, in fact, it often disappears much too quickly. We feel the heaviness and burden of wanting to be good stewards of the resources the Lord has given. We also want to leverege our efforts here in Toulouse and choose something that will have a lasting impact. Would you join us in praying about this? Feel free to send any ideas as well!! We've been back in Toulouse almost 2 months now. Time does go fast. We have settled back into our same apt. in the city center. Jenny started her new school 2 days after arriving. I brought her to school and we stood there for almost an hour along with many other parents and kids. We were both so jet-lagged we couldn't stop yawning. Then all of a sudden they started creating some sort of order and lines and then disappeared. We were left standing almost alone in the courtyard wondering where everyone went. How did everyone know where to go??? We found the principal, who remembered us from our first meeting almost a year ago, and she brought us to the right room. The students instantly stood up when the principal presented herself at the door of the classroom (good way for students to show respect). I talked to the teacher in my broken french and she tried talking to me in her broken english. Then I waved goodbye to Jen and left her with a full classroom of strangers. That's a little hard on a mom's heart. Following that first day Jenny had many stomachaches, headaches, and just a sick feeling most every morning before school and tried to get us to let her stay home. Now however, she is doing much better. She is understanding almost everything the teacher is saying and has made some friends. It hasn't been easy, but she is doing it. Please pray for her. Jess started back at the same school and class, so it wasn't quite the adjustment for her. She is making good friends among the other international students. It forces them to use their french as none of them have a common language. The teacher thinks she is ready to move into a total french class, but Jessie is hesitant to leave where she knows everyone and likes the teacher. Change is hard. If you didn't know, Jolynn has joined us here to do a study abroad semester. Her and I ended up in the same french class at the university. It was mostly review for me, so the teacher made me work extra hard, which was good for me. We are continuing in the class for the year, along with many other internationals. We rub shoulders with people from all over the world. What a mission field right there. It is a blessing to have her here with us. Jess and Jen are enjoying having their big sister. Although they get a little jealous when she spends so much time with the friends she is making. Our 5 team members have arrived and are doing well. John is especially busy leading, teaching, and discipling them, as well as reaching out to the students on 2 of the major campuses in town. We attended a special worship service for all Protestant churches 2 weeks ago celebrating 100 years since the separation of church and state law was put into effect. There must have been about 1000 worshippers singing and praying together. It was so encouraging to see this many believers together in one place in France. There are Christians here, but it seems each group stays in it's own little corner and stays pretty small. I'm praying this will be the start of more Christians coming together to reach Toulouse. As I look out at the vast numbers of students and people everywhere I can get easily overwhelmed with the lack of god-fearers here. The task seems enormous and I feel so small. I am driven to my knees again and again with my own inadequacies. He is sovereign and at work. Please keep us in your prayers. We get lonely and miss our homeland and friends/family. We can quickly lose perspective and become discouraged. We are amazed at how tired and frustrated we become just living in a different culture. We praise the Lord for: the blessing of having a car this year. Diane Hutton
Mon Sep 19 16:16:25 2005
Wed Sep 7 17:55:18 2005 It’s been a while since I’ve been required to write the fall classic “What I did with my summer”. If I were to write one now I think it would have use a variation of a country western song “Can’t wait to get ‘off’ the road again” (can you here the nasally twang?) About 4500 miles to go, 10 hours in the air and 6 in a train… and I’ll be back in Toulouse, France. (Diane and the girls left earlier this week). [now that I’m on the ground and have recharged my laptop batteries, I can revise- turned out that the train ride was 13 ½ hours, due to flooding of the tracks I think, arrived at our apartment in Toulouse at 3:15 a.m. this morning instead of 7:45 p.m.] Throw in the flight here to the US and miles covered in the US including trains planes and automobiles and we’ll have covered nearly 20,000 miles in the last 2 months- We’ve gotten to try out about 20-25 different beds each and have enjoyed the rich hospitality of friends and family in 6 different states. Numerous churches have kindly allowed me use of the pulpit to share about God’s work among the French. The response has exceeded our expectations. In particular, we are greatly encouraged by the number of you who have told us of the focused and frequent prayers you’ve offered for students in France and for us too! Thank you! …and please keep it up will you? God is willing to answer you. As Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “On Him we have set our hope that He will continue to deliver us, 11as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.” 2 Cor. 1:10,11. For the most part we haven’t needed to be delivered from physical threats but students in France definitely need to be delivered from the death grip the evil one has on them! Speaking of encouragement- I wish you could’ve been present for another highlight of our summer- God gave the high privilege to be with 500+ ordinary brothers and sisters blessed with extraordinary faith to leave behind family and friends, homes, culture and language to go to nearly all corners of the earth in 65 cities on 5 continents and 32 different cities with the hope of having an impact among millions of university students with the good news of Jesus Christ. This was at a “World Briefing” conference Diane and I recently attended in Colorado. I’d like to ask your prayers for wisdom as I seek to give leadership to our team and to my family this coming year. My only hope is that God gives competence beyond my ability. 5 new team members have been entrusted to the care of Diane and me. I leave with an uncomfortable & ugly heaviness as the images of the ravaged southern US coast weigh on me as I’m sure they do on you too. I have wished I could be free to go there and help in some way. The stories I’ve heard and read about are just incomprehensibly sickening. God have mercy!! If any of you are able to go we’d love to hear about it and pray for your labor – Let us know would you? Do you have a sense that the Lord’s return could be soon? May you and I heed Jesus admonition ‘work while it is still called ‘day’ a time comes when no man can work” Yours for proclaiming “the excellencies of Him who has called us out of darkness and into His marvelous light” John, Diane, Jolynn, Jessie, and Jenny (Jamie is orphaned in the US now that her older sister has decided to join us in Toulouse for classes) P.S. [another post- arrival update:] The challenge has resumed! I hadn’t even gotten back to Toulouse before an opportunity for contact with university students presented itself on the train. Two students traveling from Nice, France were seated opposite me- “No I definitely don’t believe in God- my parents didn’t either and my grandparents? Hmm… maybe one of them” “My boyfriend? …No he doesn’t either. (he doesn’t speak English) “I do think that you need to believe in something though- right now I’m leaning toward a Celtic belief where there is one god for each person instead of one for everybody” “What happens after this life?” “I have no idea…” and so it goes, you get the flavor…Keep praying would you?!!
Mon Jul 18 18:28:08 2005 Biography
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