Another week has past and the soil is getting harder, the top soil has washed away with the storm of our arrival and initial spirits. Satan is luring us from our plan by blinding our eyes to those who desire to be saved by He who sent us.
Never in my life have I experienced such spiritual highs and lows in one week. My quite time has been good, even great at times. I can feel myself growing in understanding and being able to see more of the spiritual world around me and my affect upon that (in either good or bad). Then there is the ministry that we are trying to set into motion in Toulouse, which is where my lows seems to start to come into play.
This is some of the most draining work I’ve ever done in my life. It’s hard to desire to see the hearts of these people when they are all so dark. There is nothing more depressing then walking a street and only seeing a few people with any light in their lives. Talking to the students on campus only to discover time and again that they have been brought up to not even think about religion.
“For when you seek Me with all your heart you will find Me.”
How then are they going to discover the Lord if they spend there time thinking about sex, parties, politics, and money? They never will. The light in this city comes from a select few, for whom I have the deepest respect for, who are involved in different ministries around Toulouse. We went down to one of the parks on Thursday night and did worship and shared with some of the students who were there in our group (a mix of some project and some French students (saved and un-saved)). It was so awesome to be able to visit with saved Christians from Toulouse, to realize that you can be saved in this city and live a life for the Lord. Living a life despite 300 years of government teaching against religion.
I’m pretty much riding this wave of emotion, and probably will until the end of project. It’s nothing that I can do anything about except to put my faith in the Father and will for Him to do work through me in this city. As of now, almost 43 months since Agape France entered Toulouse, not one French student has been saved. There can’t be anything harder then sowing seeds in a country where the thorns run rampant and choke them before they reach full bloom. I only desire for one to reach the sun.
Tired, Sore, and in Love with the Lord,
~paul