Dear Family and Friends,
We hope you are well. We are just back home after a week and a half away. First, we joined other GEM France missionaries at an annual gathering near Paris. It was encouraging and a blessing to connect in person and get to know each other better. We then went to visit a good friend in Lyon and had a week of holiday in Banyuls-Sur-Mer which is a beautiful town down on the Mediterranean near the Spanish border. Due to the health problems we’ve been facing these past couple of months, we almost didn’t go on this trip. Although there were some difficult days as we traveled and were away from home, we’re thankful for the rest and the change of pace.
November has become a month of gratitude in our family. Joanna is really good about establishing simple practices to help in our family discipleship, and one tradition that has caught on for us is taking a few moments at the end of each day in November to light a candle, pray, and each share something we are thankful for. We are finding that giving thanks is something of an antidote to the stress we’ve felt around health challenges.
Health Update
We’re thankful to report that Reuben’s health is improving slowly, and that Silas has his cast off and his arm is healing well! Thank you so much for praying with us. We are working with a chronic pain specialist here in Caen and Reuben has started a course of medicine for migraines. He is having a few more good days, but these are inconsistent (he still hasn’t had more than two days in a row without significant pain), and we’ve decided to have him start an online school option for the time being with the hope that he can return to school later this year. Thank all of you who have responded to our emails with prayer and advice, and to those who have joined the whatsapp thread for prayer for Reuben. I’m sorry if we haven’t responded to all the personal messages yet as we have been limited in our capacity. We really appreciate your support while we continue to navigate this health situation. Please keep praying with us for his complete healing and for rest and recovery for our family as the past couple of months have not been easy ones.
Album Release for “Les Racines”
Earlier this year, Joanna and I had the opportunity to record an album. In our seven plus years here in France we’ve been struck time and again by the power of music and art to move conversations about the Lord from the realm of intellect into the heart. We’ve been playing more and more shows these past years as “Hometown Tennessee” and wanted to record some of the songs that have most powerfully resonated with people here to use as a way of connecting and continuing the conversation. GEM got behind this vision with grant from European Bible Institute (EBI) fund to help us record and distribute the music.
We recorded at the studio of Tyler Somers, my brother-in-law who, in addition to being an accomplished artist, is a fantastic engineer/producer. Jenny and Tyler sang with us on a few of the songs and we love the way the project has turned out. We’re releasing the album called “Les Racines” (which means “The Roots” in English) on November 23rd in time for our Thanksgiving gathering. We’ll send another email nearer the release date, but you’ll be able to find the music by searching for it on pretty much any streaming service like Spotify or Apple music. You can also follow us on Facebook or Instagram - Here is a page on our website with all the links you need:
CLICK HERE: LES RACINES
So, mark your calendars November 23rd for Hometown Tennessee “Les Racines”!
Alpha
One exciting way that I (Tom) have been able to share my faith this year is through the Alpha course which is a series of dinners at which people who aren’t part of church or who do not have a relationship with God can come and discuss big questions about life and faith. There is a meal, time to get to know each other, and then a short presentation of a topic like “Why and how do I pray” followed by open discussion. I love these groups mostly because they offer the chance to see God working transformation. It happens right in front of you, around the table as people share their frustrations, guilt, questions, hopes, and experiences. God is present with us, meeting us in our brokenness and healing our wounds. This month I’m helping with an Alpha day away for a group started by Bon Berger, and I’ll be serving with the local Catholic church to help start their second Alpha group. Please pray that I’ll be attentive to how God is moving in these groups and that I’ll be bold in giving testimony to the work of God in my life.
Thanksgiving
One of our favorite ways of proclaiming God’s love for our neighbors is by hosting them around our table. Events like Thanksgiving have been a big part of growing relationships for us, not only because of the events themselves, but also because of the chance to follow up and walk with people throughout the year. The health difficulties of these past two months have limited our ability to host. After praying about what to do this year for Thanksgiving as a family, we’ve decided to host a smaller gathering than we normally do. Even a smaller gathering feels like a stretch right now, so we’d value your prayers with us about it. We’re aiming for November 24th as our Thanksgiving gathering.
In this month of thanksgiving, we are thinking often of you. We had a “family church” service at home last Sunday. Elodie is a budding preacher and loves to pick a passage and share some thoughts about it. On Sunday she read from Matthew chapter 5 in which Jesus declares that His followers are the “light of the world”. Elodie invited us to pray and think about someone through whom God has shone His light in our lives. For each of us, people easily came to mind. People like you – people on this email list! Friends, it is a worthwhile moment to pause and consider how God Almighty works His wonders through broken people like us.
Thankful for you,
The Appel Family
PS: It is Christmas Card Season! Please send me your address by replying to this email if you think I don’t have your current details or if you have had a change in the last year. THANKS!
