French Ministries
Jared & Rebekah Stevenson

Dear praying friends,

Some American Christians have a fixation on having fun. Everything is measured by how fun it is. “How was camp?” “Oh, it was fun!” And if something isn’t fun, it quickly loses its attraction – even church! The opening comment was made to me by a Christian lady at church. While this is not the first time that someone has made this statement (although we generally hear it more from non-Christians than from Christians), her words reminded me that there are perhaps many who do not yet understand why missions in France (or, for that matter, in any other country in the world) is far from being “fun”. In fact, the word “fun” does not even enter my mind when I think about our ministry in France. As we are preparing to return to France, perhaps this is an opportune moment to share a few thoughts about this subject.

FAMILY – For us the most difficult part of missionary work has always been leaving our families for years at a time. Perhaps this would not have been so difficult if we did not have such wonderful families, but Lori and I truly love our parents, our brothers and sisters, and even our in-laws! J So, that makes it much harder to leave. Of course, having our own children with us all these years has been a great source of joy. But in a few weeks we will return to France having only our youngest with us, while the four older children will remain in the U.S. And I assure you, that will not be fun!

LOSS OF PERSONAL IDENTITY – One aspect of being a missionary that I had not anticipated was the idea of losing my identity. Here in America, I am someone. My parents, my diplomas, my job experiences, even my athletic abilities have all made me who I am. And in the States, these things mean something to people. However, in France no one knows my parents, no one has ever heard of the companies I have worked for, and the French could care less that I graduated from Penn State or from Calvary Baptist Theological Seminary. To the French I am a nobody. And you know what? It’s really no fun to be a nobody!

CLIMATE – For many, climatic conditions are a significant factor in choosing where to live. Lori and I grew up enjoying four distinct seasons, each one quite pleasant in its own way. However, Normandy is known for its cloudy, cool, rainy climate. Summer is far too short, and rain far too frequent. It is not uncommon for days and even weeks to go by without seeing the sun. Not only is Normand weather not much fun, it can be downright depressing!

RAMPANT IMMORALITY – One of the most wearing and perverse characteristics of France is the constant, blatant display of immorality – on the billboards, on TV, on the beach, in their kiosks, etc. As a father who has tried to raise two boys to be pure, this has been a constant challenge and absolutely NO FUN!

REJECTION OF GOD – France takes pride in its secularism. When the French talk about being a secular country, what they mean is that God is not a part of their daily lives. Sadly, many French people have even developed a latent hatred toward God. They blame Him for all of the ills of the world and give Him no credit for any of the good. Since we are in France as ambassadors for Christ, it is very difficult to face constant rejection. The French people are truly without God and without hope in the world. No wonder depression, alcoholism, and suicide are all rampant in France. This is a constant burden that we carry. Several of our neighbors have taken their own lives because they had no hope and would not open their hearts to God. While France may be a fun place to go on vacation, it is NOT a fun place to minister. And I could give still many more reasons, but I’m sure that you get the idea. So, if having fun is not our motivation for serving in France, then what is? Paul provides the answer in his own testimony…

But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the Gospel of the grace of God. (Acts 20:24)

However, even as I share these thoughts, I do not mean to convey the idea that our lives are void of fun. Obviously, God gives us many wonderful moments as a family or as a church where we truly enjoy ourselves. But as Christians, living in France is not a fun experience. We are there because we believe that is where God would have us to serve. And in spite of what I have shared in this letter, we do not find it grievous to return to France. In fact, our joy, true joy, comes from being in God’s will, wherever that might lead us. For the foreseeable future, that means France, and we are content with that. Do continue to pray for us. We leave for France on June 18. Thank you.

In Calvary’s love , the Foxes

Dear supporting friends & family,

We are very happy to report that I (Jared) have been officially accepted into Middlebury College’s intense 7-week French language program (http://www.middlebury.edu/academics/ls/french/). The program runs from June 27th - August 15th. Thank you so much for praying. Initially, I had been placed on a waiting list. They said that if an opening came up, they would look at the list and extend invitations to those who were their strongest candidates. I don’t know what level 4 look likes, but that is where they have tentatively placed me based upon my entrance exam.

Although I have a decent working knowledge of the French language, there are definitely weaknesses in my ability to communicate effectively (oral & written). This program ought to really help give me a more solid foundation enabling me to better serve the Lord in France. Since we have two small children and it is required that all students live on campus during the summer program, Rebekah is not able to participate. She has her work cut out for her immediately upon her arrival in France (http://www.lescedres.com) . She, Bryce & Rosalyn will be spending time with family during my absence.

Please pray for us during this time. I am very excited about this wonderful learning opportunity. The hardest part will be being away from my three favorite people for so long.

If you would be led to help defray some of the expenses for this schooling, it would be greatly appreciated. Any donations can be mailed to the following address designated as “Jared’s language schooling.”

Gospel Furthering Fellowship
221 Hamilton Ave.,
Myerstown, PA 17067

Thank you once again for your faithful support!

Jared & Rebekah

The months of March & April were great months for our family, and we certainly have much to be thankful for. Many of you pray for us on a very regular basis, and we sincerely thank you for that. We know of some of you who pray for us every day! Wow!

Bryce and Rosalyn are doing very well. Bryce is learning more and more every day. For those of you who know him, you would readily attest to the fact that he is a bundle of energy. It is a busy job learning to channel that energy in a positive direction. Rosalyn is getting bigger every day, and loves to give us smiles. She continues to be very pleasant.

We have been in a number of excellent churches recently. During a mission’s conference in Lancaster County, PA, we were presented with a beautiful hand-made quilt by the church’s ladies missionary fellowship. That was not only a great surprise, but it was also extremely kind and thoughtful. I am sure that the quilt will always be a reminder of a wonderful church ministry and the special week we were able to spend with them.

Something else that happened to us while in Lancaster County, PA is worth sharing. We met a man who first moved to France as a missionary in the late 1950’s serving there for many years. He is now 89 years old and continues to have a great fervor for the Lord and a strong desire to see France reached with the gospel! It was a very special time spent with him and his wife, and we hope to stay in regular contact with them!

Several weeks ago, we were able to be at our home church in Lansdale, PA, and witness the testimonies and baptisms of several individuals. The very next week, we were in a church in Mt. Airy, MD, and witnessed between 12 and 15 individuals share their testimony of salvation and then get baptized as well. It was incredible! Then, we were at another church that evening who also told us that several were saved and baptized that very morning. After the evening service, a young man responded to the invitation and accepted the Lord into his life. For those who think that God is not at work in this world anymore, they are greatly mistaken!

Jared is still waiting on word from Middlebury College, VT, concerning acceptance into their intense 7 week French language program. All necessary documentation has been submitted. They said that we can anticipate a 4-6 week wait before hearing from them.

We are very happy to report that our support level is now at a solid 78%. This is extremely encouraging! We are now beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel and begin preparation for our move. We have begun to work on our visas. The first weekend of May, we had a big 2 day yard sale and cleared out lots of stuff from our house. Yard sales are one of those very few times when all kinds of people are interested in coming to your house! So, we took advantage of it and passed out many tracts and talked to many people about the Lord! It was great! We found out that it can be a wonderful way to rid oneself of loiterers! Pray that the seed scattered on these days will not fall upon hardened rocky ground! For those of you interested in getting the Word of God into people’s hands, I would highly encourage you to check out the Pocket New Testament League (www.pocketpower.org). We are pretty much sold on the attractive and content-worthy booklets that they provide free of charge for distribution. They are basically a combination of the bridge tract and the gospel of John in one.

One final thanks to a number of individuals and ministries who have contributed to our outfit and passage fund recently. It is encouraging, surprising and humbling to see the generosity of God’s people. We don’t want to ever take other Christians’ kindness, sacrifice and generosity lightly.

Jared, Rebekah, Bryce & Rosalyn Stevenson

To view a .pdf of our news letter, click here

“Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves;” (Psalm 100:3a)

Probably one of the most needy yet neglected mission fields here in the United States is the secular university campus. One of the most neglected mission fields globally is France. Now, think with me how much more neglected the secular university campuses across France must be! It is absolutely sobering! Virtually none of the students walking their campus hallways knows the truth of Psalm 100:3. If we don’t make this a pro-active priority, who will?! We need your help! As a matter of fact, God is looking for you to help Him help them! The opportunities for this sort of ministry in France are huge! You may even want to consider doing something short-term yourself! That is what God used in my life to open my eyes to the needs and opportunities on the French university campus.

Rebekah, Bryce and I were thrilled to welcome Rosalyn into our household in January. She is truly a blessing from the Lord! Thank you for your prayers during Rebekah’s pregnancy. She is doing very well. The months prior to and now even after the birth of Rosalyn, Rebekah has been able to go through Jim Berg’s “Quieting a Noisy Soul.” During this time of transition, the series has really helped keep her focus on the Lord.

God has seen fit to answer your prayers in regard to our support level. Since our last update, we have seen our support dramatically increase. We are now at a solid 65% of our needed support. We only need an additional $1500/mo more committed, and we will be able to leave for France! This could be 30 partners at $50/mo, 15 partners at $100/mo, 10 partners at $150/mo, or 5 partners at $300/mo.

During the month of January, we did not have too many meetings. Jared & Bryce traveled up to NY for two meetings, and Jared traveled down to VA for another. We had to cancel one meeting because Rebekah went into labor the night before. We also had to cancel two others because of a stomach virus. Praise the Lord we are all feeling healthy once again. We are definitely back in business again! We had some great meetings in February and were once again overwhelmed with the kindness and generosity of God’s people.

We have a number of meetings scheduled for the months ahead. However, more than meetings, we need both partners in ministry. The Apostle Paul said in II Timothy 4:6, “For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.” We don’t feel as if our lives are about to end as Paul was probably sensing when he wrote these words. However, we are beginning to really sense an urgency to get to France. There is a lot of work to be done in France, and the truth is that there simply are not enough workers. Seriously consider going yourself. If this is not possible, seriously consider how you can help someone else get there!

Prayer requests:
1. Joyce (our neighbor) has since passed away. What a sad catholic funeral. However,
I was able to talk to my auto body guy about the Lord recently!
2. Kristi Colas received 100% of our support! She leaves for France this spring!
3. Jared’s placement exam for Middlebury College, VT this summer.
4. the spiritual health of the Bible Baptist Church in Rouen
5. The Fox family – preparation for their return to France

Rebekah and I are very happy to announce the birth of our little girl, Rosalyn Faith Stevenson! Rosalyn was born at Saturday, January 19th at 9:35 in the evening. She weighed 9lb 3oz and measured 22 in long. The delivery went smoothly and quickly. Both of them are tired but doing well. Thank you so much for your prayers! They were definitely evident! We are SO happy about this most recent addition to our family.

Love to you all!

Jared, Rebekah, Bryce & Rosalyn

Dear Friends & Family,

Happy New Year!

Many years ago, King David penned these words, “Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him” (Ps. 37:7). Many years later, the Apostle Paul gave Timothy a list of character traits he needed to pursue throughout his life. “. . . Oh man of God . . . follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness” (I Tim. 6:11). Once again, the word patience shows up. Patience can imply having endurance, perseverance and steadfastness. It means that throughout our lives, we remember that God is in control of everything. We learn to place our dreams, our plans and our struggles in God’s hands and remember that “without Him, we can do nothing.”

As Rebekah and I head into 2008, this is the recurring theme on our hearts . . . “Be Patient! God’s in charge!” And we ask that you pray for us that we learn to make this a spiritual discipline.

We are learning to be patient for the arrival of our second child. The due date was January 11. As you can see, we have passed that date. Rebekah is feeling well, but she is learning to be patient in this area of her life. I wish I could tell her that “I understand,” but I never have and never will be carrying a child in my womb for nine months, let alone a day! I too am anxious to see this child, but I’m sure her impatience in this area far exceeds my own. We will be certain to share the news once it happens!

We are learning to be patient for when we will officially be able to move to France. Praise the Lord for adding five more to our list of financial partners recently. That has been an incredible source of encouragement. However, because of a steady devaluation of the dollar compared to the euro, we were forced to raise our needed monthly support level the beginning of 2008. This is the reason you will not see this recent support increase reflective in our current percentage. We really want to be wrapping up our pre-field ministry (deputation) by the end of this year. Please pray along these lines.

Last year and even so far in January, we have had excellent meetings. However, we are learning to be patient with churches and individuals who have expressed interest in partnering with us and would like to in the near future. Please keep this a matter of prayer. Pray that we will be able to have many fruitful meetings in 2008.

Thank you once again for your faithful love, support and friendship. We are regularly encouraged with the kindness of so many of God’s people.

“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31).

Dear Friends & Family,

I was recently reminded of a verse in reading through the Psalms, and it caused me to think about it in light of this holiday season. Let me read it to you: Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore (Psalm 66:18). Think about these three words: “life,” “joy” and “pleasures.” Wouldn’t you say that each of these words ought to typify this time of year? However, if your holiday season was absent of presents (to give or receive), family, good cooking and a warm ambiance, would you still be able to say that these words characterize your life? Isn’t it a wonderful thing to contemplate that by staying close to the Lord and walking in His steps, we can have a joy that is complete and pleasures that are eternal and not temporal?!

Rebekah and I love this time of year, but more importantly, we love the fact that when we sing “Joy To the World,” it is a joy not based upon a holiday. It is based upon the fact that Jesus came to earth many years ago and “became sin for us” so that we can have the joy of abiding in His presence and being made into His likeness.

2008 has been a full year with many opportunities for growth. It has been great to see God’s hand of blessing, provision and protection in our lives. In all of our travels (TN, Puerto Rico, New England and Canada, PA, MD, DE, NJ, NC, VA & France) our van has run great and we have always returned home safely whether by car or plane.

Bryce continues to be a great source of joy in our lives. He has a rather extensive vocabulary now, has learned his alphabet and loves to wrestle with his daddy. He knows all of his aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents by name and is always very excited to see each of them. He loves anything with wheels and loves for us to read books to him. Bryce will turn 2 on Dec. 18th.

Rebekah is doing well with the pregnancy. Thank you for praying for her. Although she is measuring several weeks ahead of normal, she has experienced no swelling and has felt very well. Please keep praying for her as she is in the final weeks. We are excited about the addition to our family. Rebekah is a great encouragement and friend to me and continues to be a fantastic mom and wife. Our family would be in trouble without her!!

As far as me . . . well, I guess I am looking younger and younger every day! I turned 30 in July, so now I have to officially act all grown up. Sometimes I wish spiritual maturity was an act and not a process. I thank God for His unending lovingkindness toward me!

Thank you all for your love and friendship. We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Lovingly,

Jared, Rebekah & Bryce Stevenson

September/October 2007

“Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers; which have borne witness of thy charity before the church; whom if thou bring forward on their journey after a godly sort, thou shalt do well; because for His name’s sake they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles. ”

A SINCERE WORD OF THANKS: Several months into our fourth furlough since we left for France in 1988, we can declare wholeheartedly that it is a privilege and a joy to bear witness before our supporting churches of the genuine love that they have demonstrated during these many years. We can truly say that our churches continue to bring us forward on our journey in a most God-honoring manner. Can we ever thank all of you enough, who have done so much for us and for the Lord’s work in France?

LAST DAYS IN FRANCE: Our last weeks in France were a whirlwind. Two days before we left France, we moved out of our house and into an apartment on the other side of town. While that might seem a little insane, there were two reasons for the decision. First, we could not find a missionary who could move into our house and be a permanent replacement during our furlough. Financially, we could not maintain an empty house while living in the States. And second, we believe that the move was needed for our ministry. We have lived in that part of town since we moved to Rouen 13 years ago. We have made a serious and continual effort to reach our neighbors and that particular neighborhood during that time – with almost ZERO results! We felt that it was time for us to literally shake off the dust of our feet and move on. At the same time, since our future goal is to begin an annex of our church on the other side of the city near the university, that is where we relocated, taking a small apartment where we could store our belongings and have a place to go when we return to Rouen at the end of this furlough.

SUMMER HAPPENINGS: Once we arrived in the States, we had two weeks to help Sarah finish preparing for her wedding. Talk about intense! I don’t know how many women could move all their household belongings, then make a transatlantic flight only to set up a new home, then prepare a wedding, all within the space of a few weeks, and remain joyful throughout. Both Lori and Sarah were truly amazing! Well, on July 21, our firstborn was married to Lieutenant Michael Whiteford, who is a solid Christian, a future Marine pilot, and a truly nice young man. They are “missionaries” to the military and are currently stationed in Oklahoma. Also in July, we had the joy of attending the baptism of one of Kim’s brothers and of one of his nephews. What a blessing! It has been many years since someone in the Fox family has been saved and baptized. Then in August, we traveled to Florida to attend the 60th wedding anniversary of Lori’s parents. Most of her family came, which made it a very special occasion indeed.

PRESENT ACTIVITIES: We left Pottstown, Kim’s hometown, in 1987 to begin deputation. It is therefore not without some emotion that 20 years later we find ourselves living in Pottstown once again. It has allowed for some wonderful witnessing and ministry opportunities. For example, Lori and I will be starting a Bible Club at the Pottstown Middle School (that Kim attended over 30 years ago) at the end of October. Added to our travels to report to supporting churches, Kim is working a part-time job and will be doing some substitute teaching as well. It is a particular blessing to attend Calvary Baptist Church, our sending church, which has grown considerably since our last furlough. We were asked to organize a
Spring drama like the one we did in France last February. What an exciting opportunity!

FAMILY NEWS: Alyssa (12th grade) and Charity (10 th grade) attend Calvary Baptist School in Lansdale. Although it’s been six years since they last attended this school, they were happy to become reacquainted with a number of old friends. Blake has moved in with us this semester. He was not financially prepared to go back to college, so he’s working this semester and hoping to return to school in January. As for Wesley, he started boot camp with the Marines in September. Here’s what he writes: “So far, recruit training is actually easier than I thought it would be. Apparently, Mothers of America has called and written their congressmen so that there are a lot more rules about what drill instructors can and cannot do. Our drill instructor says that the disciplined recruits among us should feel cheated… Pray that I will be a good testimony of what a Christian is like and that I learn to love all my fellow recruits. My rackmate’s name is Jones. He has told me that he knows he needs to be saved!! Pray for him…” Thank you once again, dear friends, for praying for our children.

PRAYER REQUESTS:

1. Please pray for the church in Rouen, that the believers would remain strong in the Lord. Pray especially for Ricardo who is leading the church during our absence. He is carrying a lot of responsibility. Evangelistic meetings are planned for the weekend of October 19-21. Pray that many would come and be saved. We also have two young men who started Bible College this year – Nestor and Eric. Please pray for them.

2. One last request – would you pray about hosting a foreign exchange student from France? What a fantastic missionary outreach that would be! We know of a number of French young people who have been saved while visiting in the States, because some Christian family caught this vision and opened their home to them. Don’t hesitate to contact a local school or organization to get more information and to sign up! And while you’re at it, request a student from Rouen!

In Calvary’s love , the Foxes

Hello from back in Pennsylvania! We are currently close to home again for the early part of the fall season. It is nice to be back to our place, even though we had such a wonderful time in New England and New Brunswick, Canada!

For the first two weeks of our trip, we had Sarah, a friend of ours with us from the church in Rouen, France! Churches were greatly impacted to hear the salvation testimony of someone who came to Christ directly through the missionary efforts of Kim and Lori Fox.
We enjoyed seeing many beautiful places in between our meetings! One family we stayed with in Vermont even lent us their pop-up camper to use for a couple nights of camping! Bryce sure loved helping to build campfires. As much as we looked for moose, we never saw one, maybe another time . . Thank you for praying for us while on this trip.

Rebekah is so thankful to be feeling much better with her pregnancy. The new baby is due around January 11. We will most likely wait until then to find out if it is a boy or girl since we like the surprise!

It is exciting to hear of more and more young adults from the church in Rouen attending Bible Colleges in France! Please pray for these students as they prepare for ministry. Many do not have much support from family members, so it can be rather challenging. Please pray specifically for Nestor Bacchi & Eric Ona. Eric in particular has had some difficulty finishing his doctoral thesis b/c his advisor is not happy about his decision to pursue biblical studies.

We were recently able to spend a short time with Patrice & Julia, Jared’s brother-in-law and sister, while they were in the States. Please pray for them as they transition into pastoral ministry in the Paris area.

Our schedule for October is full of mission’s conferences. Part of November we will be in Tennessee. We still hope to be in France by next summer, so please continue to pray for more partners in ministry. Thank you so much for your prayers for us & your financial support. Your love & encouragement mean so much!

Praise & Prayer Requests:
1. Opportunities to witness to our neighbors while at home.
2. Increase of our support. It has been in a lull throughout the summer months.
3. Strengthening of the U.S. dollar. It has most recently hit an all-time low.
4. Wisdom concerning visas, shipping household items and departure date
5. Outfit and passage fund. We need a total of @ $25,000. So far, we have about $10,000 saved.

To view a .pdf of our news letter, click here

When we were in Rochester, NH recently, a professional Christian photographer graciously offered to take our family pictures. What a blessing! We had a lot of fun as you can see from at least one of the photos! Bryce was not the most excited about being in the studeo all of the time.