Philippe and Dolores Dauner
AUGUST 2007
MARSEILLE Mission:
Harmony camp 2007: 40 Years in the desert
BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS…
…and do not be afraid to take on 120 campers through the desert! Harmony camp 2007 was a total
were unsatisfied with the conditions of
success! Not only because of its record
His plan. The children learned about pa-
number of participants, or because eve-
tience, perseverance, and steadfastness.
ryone had fun and no one got hurt, but
The second week, however, their faith
especially because of the resounding
was rewarded with the entry into Canaan.
spiritual victories it was a witness to. The
Every day, the campers would go around
children fought to stay faithful to a diffi-
Jericho/camp, in a 10mn silent walk,
cult but essential theme :
despite the inhabitants’ insults and laughter. And on the last day, the (card-
Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be satisfied with what you have. For God has said: “I will never leave you; I will never abandon you.” (Hebrews 13.5-6)
board) walls came tumblin’ down! Good job having confidence in the Lord’s ways however crazy they can seem! Three teens were baptised during camp, including one of the teens of our
Satisfaction is quite a rare trait in
church. The camp’s ambiance was just
younger generations, yet how can we
perfect for them to discouver Christ, to
learn otherwise to trust God ? We thought
ask all sorts of questions, and to expe-
the story that illustrated this best was the
rience God’s love in action.
story of Israel’s 40 years of wandering in
That’s why even though camp can
the desert. The people complained, whi-
seem (40 years) long sometimes, it is al-
ned, and distrusted God because they
ways worth it!
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The “walls” of Jericho fall The best part of camp was when the kids made “a LOUD noise” (louder than usual, at least), and finally got to take revenge of the councelors that had made fun of them all week long.
How to fail a mission trip with your teen group… for the best!
TEEN GROUP
How can we get our teen group outside their comfort zone ? This question
as possible. Well they sure showed us they could
had been hanging in the air for some
do it. After preparing a whole year for
time now as we realised the teen group
construction work, we got there to disco-
was entering a transition : those with
ver that the building had not yet received
whom we had started this group a few
a building permit. We were a bit thrown
years back are soon to turn 18. We know
off. You mean we did all this for nothing?
they need to sharpen their faith to sur-
But the kids didn’t miss a beat. “That’s
vive college years and adulthood.
ok”, they said. “Let’s help with something
The answer was of course to get out
else!” And we started helping cleaning up
of Marseilles! So we decided April would
for camp, reparing the access road, and
be the let’s-throw-the-teens-into-a-mis-
installing new gutters. Then, for the next
sion trip. At the begining of the school
few days, they helped distribute thou-
year, we got the teens together and hel-
sands of flyers in mailboxes, and expe-
ped them put in place some good ideas
rienced the hospitality of four different
to make a bit of money to support this
churches.
trip. Some were very good (others deba-
We were astonished. Here we were, a
table). They prepared a Valentine’s Day
bit discouraged because things weren’t
meal for their parents, presented their
going as planned, but the teens found the
project to the church, and got enough
right answer to the problem: they started
funds for a week of mission work in Bel-
serving. Serving other people they didn’t
gium, where Dolores grew up, to help
know and would perhaps never meet.
restore the church’s run-down camp.
What a fun and humbling experience it
The rule for this mission trip was:
was for us. Our prayer is that they can
Mission first. Nice long showers and time
build Christ’s church in that same self-gi-
to play would not be part of the game.
ving attitude. Oh, and that we may catch
We are there to serve others, not oursel-
up with them from time to time when they
ves. We wanted to push their limits as far
do…
The teen group in Belgium
Willingness to serve • The teen group serving the Valentine’s meal they helped prepare to raise some support for their mission trip. • Distributing invitations to a gospel concert in Antwerp, Belgium. • Digging a new gutter for the access road for the Solwaster Christian Camp near Spa, Belgium.
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EVENTS…
I get to play goalie, which probably explains why we lose all the time.
NEW MINISTRIES This year, on top of our usual activities for the ministry (teens, young adults, kid ministries, women ministries, teaching at FLTR and CEM, etc.), a few new opportunities have popped up.
Visiting the sick For a few years now Philippe has been trying to get in the hospital that’s just around the corner from the church to get to visit the sick of our neighbourhood. Being a military hospital with no actual chaplain, this was not an easy task. But a new chaplain was sent there by the army this year, and he got to meet him. They now know each other well enough to work together. About 30% of the patients are military, but the rest are all from our St Jerome area. Please pray that God
Chorale Harmonie singing at the Provencal Gospel festival, in front of a full 800 seat outdoor theater
benefits were there for all to see; some teens started coming to sunday services; we get to share our faith in an everyday environnement ; and especially, we got to meet a lot of people in the neighbourhood, and, once we entered the Christian championship, a lot of other churches. We finished last and never won a game, but really scored high on spiritual matters.
A new group This year, we started a new pre-teen group, “La foi en folie” (faith explosion) ; around 12 ten to thirteen year-olds gather on friday nights to have a meal and listen to the Bible. This is, we think, a good introduction to the teen group for
The CEM 2007 summer session interns
these kids (see picture, right).
Serving in other settings Dolores helped organise and spoke
should give us a lot of opportunities
for the French speaking Woman’s retreat
through this ministry.
in Paris in Febuary –quite a challenge for her! Then in March, the two of us went
A soccer ministry?! This year, we started a Chapelle de Fuveau soccer team almost without really planning it. But after a month or so, the
up to Lille to speak in a church seminar focusing on how to encourage the new generation in the church. We got to meet the church leaders, and spent a lot of time with the youth group.
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The pre-teen “Faith explosion group”
MARSEILLES NEWS BRIEFS Another Dauner…numereous visitors from accros the US…new brothers and sisters… Centre Bonnefoi news Three groups came in June this year to visit and help with mission work. The first group of 25 came from the Pitman Church of Christ to help build improvements for camp ; a lot of them were professional masons and, with their help, we build two stairways, and a soccer field. (see picture, right). The second group, from the Connecticut Valley Church of Christ, 20 people including a dozen teens, came to discover mission work and give a hand at camp, and attended the CEM summer session. During all that time, eight students
know, Lord wiling, before Christmas! A wonderful gift for Max and Prisca’s 30th anniversary… Philippe’s grandmother passed away in june, and Max and Prisca got to stay with his grandfather this summer. Please pray
The new soccer field at the Centre
for him and our family in On a sadder note, we inform you
this time of grief!
that one of our friends here in Marseilles has gone to the Lord. Tony Benskin died
Church news Our church was blessed this year with a lot of baptisms. Patricia in March, Samira, Simon, and Jacob in May, and
from the Razorbacks for Christ team were
Raphaël and Graziella during the summer.
with us and helped especially at camp,
Patricia started studying the Bible last
where they did the dishes and served
year, and she also married one of our
with the cleaning staff.
church members end of May. Samira also
of a cancer in July, leaving behind him his wife and fellow folk-song singer Danielle. Halyna, Constantin and Alexandre’s mother, is still fighting cancer, but stays faithful and always shows up at church with a big smile.
just got married this year, and Simon and
Christians On Mission (CEM) news
ful work these guys did with us and for
Jacob are two young Kabiles from Algeria
This coming CEM year seems full of
God. And even though ages ranged from
who decided they wanted to follow
promises. Justin Smith, Raphael, and
8 to 88 years old, everyone got to help
Christ. They have a very influencial minis-
maybe Simon and Jacob will be the CE-
encourage and touch people with the
try with algerians muslims, a big minority
Mists for next year. Davide Fergnani from
gospel here in Marseilles! Thanks to all!
in our neighbourhood. And Raphaël and
Italy spent this year with us, and is now
Graziella are two of our older teens ; they
continuing his studies in the US to be-
had been coming to church for two years.
come an airplane mechanic.
We sure are thankful for the wonder-
Family news Our biggest family news is of course that a sixth Dauner should come to Marseilles somewhere in December! Dolores is expecting, but we don’t know if it’s a boy or a girl yet. Don’t worry, we’ll let you
Things usually tend to be very calm at church in August, with most people
We send you all our love and thank
gone for the summer, but we were encou-
you for being part of our ministry by your
raged by the presence of a new family we
prayers and your support.
met during CEM’s summer session.
Philippe and Dolores
Prayer Requests:
Church-related websites:
The Dauners
• For the baby • For our newest members of the Marseilles church • For Philippe’s grandfather and his family • For Danielle Benskin who lost her husband • For Halyna and her boys • The new CEM year starting September 15th.
• Marseilles Church of Christ: http://chapelledefuveau.free.fr/ • Christians on Mission: http://chretiensenmission.free.fr/ • Bonnefoi Center: http://centrebonnefoi.free.fr/
Résidence Val des Pins, Bât. D1 55, ch. de Château-Gombert 13013 Marseille FRANCE (00 33) 4 91 06 79 00
Our blog: http://lesdauner.free.fr/ (click “Daunerblog”)
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[email protected] http://lesdauner.free.fr
