LE HAVRE EASTER CLUB!!!

    Well what an amazing week we have had. Each day brought form 30-50 kids, ready to play games and have a good time. We toured the world in 5 days. Monday we were in Europe, Tuesday we were in Oceania , Wednesday we were in Asia, Thursday we were in the America’s and Friday we ended in Africa. Each day we took a piece of John 3:16 for the lesson.  Teaching these kids who are mainly Muslim about Jesus who is the Son of God. Challenging them with the fact that he is more than a prophet.

  Each day the kids great you as you get there, they are there waiting for us! They look so forward to the club and all there happy faces are so worth every moment of it.  

  The weather was great the whole week; it felt like summer … it was great. And it started to rain an hour after club was officially done on Friday.

  Thanks so much for all your prayers. Geneviève did great this week, she took Thursday off to rest, and you could tell she was tired at times but she managed just well and she was able to pace herself which was really good.  

 Please continue to pray for these kids as they think about all that they have heard this week.  As many of them will be challenged with this as many of them come from Muslim homes.

 We had a great group of volunteers who came to help each day. Who love these children which was great!  We had some kind of sport for the older boys each day and we had dance for the older girls while the younger children played a different game each day.

  It has truly been an amazing week, now if I could just speak French that the kids understand. J Many times when I tried to say something this week, well the kids just looked at me and I could tell that they did not understand what I was trying to say to them. But considering a year ago I understood nothing and could not speak really anything to them it is coming.  

  Thanks again for all your prayers, love and support.

  You are all such an important part of my team here.

 Have a great Easter weekend!!

  God Bless,

      Joanne Ynema

PS. There is one lady in the blocks of apartments where we do the club, which is on the street who complains about it many times. Please pray for her  that we can show here love and that she will see God’s love in us.  That we may be able to build a relationship with her.

  Also please pray the parents that we were able to speak briefly  with this week as well, that we can build relationships with them as well.

 

JO’s Journey March 2011

serving in Belgium with Operation Mobilization

One Year and Beyond!

It has been over a year since I left Canada and came over to Belgium. After attending  conference in Germany, I arrived in Belgium at the end of January 2010. I moved to Brussels in March 2010. I have had some ups and downs along the way but that was what I expected.

During this past year I have enjoyed getting to know the ministry of Le Havre and finding out how can I be of assistance in practical ways as I learn the language.

I have had moments where I wonder if I will understand the  language. Although I still have a long way to, I am very happy when I understand something now. I don’t always get the right meaning of it all, but I am starting oh so slowly to understand things. It is mainly just words that I’m getting right now; sentence/conversations still confuse me, but I have started to understand and that’s a good thing.

I started taking French classes in September, First term did not go well and I did not pass so in January I started the class again. I still struggle with some of the things in class but this time I am also doing what is called LAMP (Language Acquisition made Practical). That means I go out and talk to people. I have a phrase in French and I keep saying it to as many people as possible. Then I go back again in a week or two and say another phrase. Through this process I hope to find people who will become regular helpers for me un learning the language. This is definitely not easy. Please pray for me as I go out and try to talk to people this way: that I will find the people I need and that I can minister to them at the same time.

  With less than 10 months lift of my commitment here in Belgium I have started to think about the future and what God wants for me. There are many opportunities for me to be involved in  furthering the kingdom. Please pray with me as I seek what God wants for my future.

 

 

Addition and Subtraction

In February we had 2 girls join us. Joy form the USA, is here for 3 months. She is helping with the office and in the outside ministries. Her purpose here is to find out more about OM Belgium and see if this is where God is calling her. Anna is here for 18 months to help us start an arts ministry here in Belgium. Please pray for open doors as we look at ways to use are and ministry. Out bookkeeper ( Andrew Bridges) who has faithfully served OM Belgium for years is leaving this summer. Please pray that the right person for this job will come along and will fill this urgent need.

 

Le Havre

  We have kids clubs out on the street every other week.  Some weeks we have only a few kids, but other weeks we have almost too many to handle! Things like weather, holidays, and illness play a big role in determining attendance. At the same time we know that there are  more malevolent forces fighting against us as well.  I am reminded again and again, no matter how hard it is , to keep going. Ever if there are only 2 or 3 kids around we are to stay faithful to the calling of this ministry; each child matters to God. Each child should matter to us as well.

  Please also pray for more men to join us here in the Marolles. There is always a need for men to be interacting with the boys in the club.

Also pray for Genevieve, the founder of the ministry of Le Havre. Over the last year she has been ill. She is doing much better right now, but still having health issues.

 

Belgium

Belgium’s Christian population is about 0.5%. They need Christ in such a big way, yet it takes a lot of work for Christians and missionaries to gain the trust of the people. Please pray for open doors and that Beligians will see their need to know Christ.

Belgium has been without a government now since June last year, and there is still no resolution to the situation. Please pray for the king and everyone who is involved in the search for a solution.

 

Thanks so much for your prayer and support!

 

Much love,

 

  Joanne Ynema

Things to pray for:

- Language learning

- Language helpers

- For God to reveal His plans for my future

- staff openings at OM Belgium to be filled

- New OM Belgium Arts Ministry

- More men to volunteer with the kids

- Genevieve and her health

Prayer Walk!!!

  Sorry it has been so long since I have posted anything on here!!!

 This past Saturday, we had a prayer walk with the ministry I Work of Le Havre. The forecast was for rain, but God was so good. It was over cast as we started our day, but that morning while we were praying the sun start to shine. God shining down on us as we walked around and prayed.

  I was not sure about this whole thing, as I was not sure how Belgians thought about prayer walks, although we only had like 5 Belgians there, they really seemed to enjoy it. We had 12 people there with us on Saturday form 7 different nationalities. Which was so nice as we are in Brussels one of the most if not the most international city in Belgium. And to have many nationalities come together and pray for an area that is in so much need of Christ's Love. I felt like God was just shining down on us on Saturday as we prayed.

  There are so many needs with so few people to shine God's love to these needy people, please pray for these people and that they will see God's Love through us as we work among them. Thanks.  







 

Christmas in Belgium!!

   Christmas, a time to remember Christs Birth, and celebrate. A time where we share where it can be so easy to share God's love yet do we. A time that we spend a great deal of time with family, and well what do you do when family isn't close by to go see?

    Well here is what my Christmas looked like this year.

      First I went to the Brussels Christmas Market, looked around and they even had a couple stands form Canada. With Quebec Maple syrup and things, although very costly it was neat to see something form Canada.

 It was a fun afternoon at the market.


    The week before Christmas, as OM Belgium we went out Caroling(although  I was not able to as I had a bad cold at the time) they handed out candles to the people they sang to.

  On Christmas Eve once again I could not sing, but Le Havre, in the ministry that I am working with we had a Christmas dinner for the people in the area well the group came along and sang at it and handed out candles as well there. I was able to hand out the candles, this time as it was inside, I just saved my voice and did not sing.

Christmas day was a great day, the sun was out, there was snow on the ground. Spent the day eating lots and enjoying the day. Along with 2 of the other single girls here we spent the day with the a family that are here with OM Belgium and they are form New Zealand with there 3 girls!!   This was my first Christmas away form home and it was different then I am use to but I can say I had a great time and enjoyed myself. A memory I will have for along time!!

 

     I hope each one of you had a great Christmas remembering Christ's birth and why he came, and spent time with people you love. Although a bit late, I wish each one of you a great year ahead and may you be richly blessed and be a blessing to those around you. 

 

   

STM FORUM OUTREACH

  From Oct 4-8 OM Belgium hosted a European  STM (short term mission) forum, and form the 8-10 they were involved in an outreach here in Belgium. We had 2 outreaches and split the group up I had 5 form the forum come to work here with Le Havre for the weekend. Starting with Friday afternoon we went out and handed out roses to people on the street (ARK – Acts of Random Kindness) just to show love to the people in the neighborhood and see what conversations happen, it was a good time and great response to the flowers. Saturday morning was started by a prayer walk, great time able to walk around the area and pray for such a needy area. Saturday afternoon was the kids club, which also was a good time and the team was a big encouragement to all the volunteers here working with Le Havre. We were able to help in some really good ways as we where short on volunteers this past Saturday. Then after the kids club there is a soup kitchen here at the south train station, which they were able to do a short drama and sing and hand out a love letter form God to every one there. They where able to help practically as well with handing out of soup and sandwiches, and some had some really go conversations as well.

  Sunday Morning we had a worship service, here in the Marolles  there is no church here in the area and this service was a way of looking to the future in what it could be like.

   Although time was short they have made big impacts. Thanks for all the prayers for this ministry.

 

Day at the Zoo

I had the privilege to be able to go to the zoo with some of the kids of Le Havere on Sept 25th. It was a busy day but very nice to be able to take these kids out, and spend the day with them although I yet do not understand most things they say, it is great to spend time with them.  Although we had a few times of rain it in which we needed to find a place that was covered and wait it out, which we where able to always do that quickly as there are plenty of covered areas in the zoo,and  the kids did not mind the rain.

   This whole thing was paid by another organization here in Belgium, all we had to do was bring a packed lunch. It was a great day and it is such a privilege to be able to watch the children enjoy themselves.  

Do you want to know more about Belgium?