August Blessings and Burdens

Dear Friends and Co-Laborers in Christ,

Drops of Sweat!

Camp!  The month of July is our usual time to head to the South of France for a three-week long youth camp!  Those of you who are well familliar with our ministry know that this is the same camp that greatly influenced me as a teenager, and in which we have been participating every year for the past fifteen years (except for baby times and furloughs.)

Due to increasing difficulties from the French government, this year the camp transitioned from being a youth camp to a family camp!  I think it is a good change as the family is more and more under spiritual attack.  It is good for the French Christian families to have a place to go during the summer vacation, to be away from the world (no TV, radio, Internet, and other outside influences), but not to be away from the Lord.  We had Bible studies every day and many opportunities to be and give a testimony either in groups or individually.

The Lord blessed us with beautiful, yet very HOT weather.  It rained only twice for about an hour or two each time.  The rest of the time stayed in the 100's (30+°C) with very high humidity--even at 10 pm when trying to go to sleep.

Please take a look at Susan's blog (here or here) for more information or to see some pictures from camp.

Tears of Joy!

There was great rejoicing as we heard the testimony of a 24-year old young lady who accepted Christ just days before arriving at camp!  Then, at the end of camp, an 11 year-old young man gave his testimony on how he accepted Christ the day before at camp!  Praise the Lord as he goes back to his family, transformed by the power of the Cross!

Susan taught the young people during camp giving a very clear presentation of the Gospel for the lost and very clear instruction in putting God first for the young Christians.  She used the story of Pilgrim's Progress as a help and the kids loved it.



This August also marks 50 years wedding anniversary of my parents!  What an example and encouragement they continue to be.  I will never thank the Lord enough for the family He has allowed me to be born into.  If the Lord tarries a little, I hope one day that my children will be able to look up at Susan and me with eyes of admiration and thankfulness, in the same way that I do for my parents!



As we close this letter, we are thankful for the family God has entrusted to us, and are constantly made aware of the passage of time.  Timothy and Joshua will celebrate their birthdays later this month (ages 12 and 10 respectively.)  Juliana will also begin a new stage in her life:  homeschooling as she prepares for her future education in the US.  Please keep praying that our whole family will be used by God for His glory, reaching the lost, encouraging Christians and always growing in the Lord.

Servants of Christ,
Carey and Susan Abbett, Juliana, Timothy and Joshua