Waiting for Lift-Off

We mailed this letter Friday to just about everyone that we know! We are praying that God will use it to send us to France this summer.

Dear Friends,

It’s May 2009. This month is significant for us because all the members of our team are on the field…all except for us. We are very excited for our teammates and yet, as you can imagine, we are anxious to join them.

In a very real sense, Jill and I feel like we are on an airplane that is very near take off. The plane is rolling down the runway, the flaps are down, the throttle is full, the engines are roaring, and the nose of the plane is beginning to pull up. But before becoming fully airborne in ministry, we realize that we need one last big push.

At present, we are short $3,000 in monthly support. Our first choice would be to have $3,000 in monthly commitments pledged before deploying to the mission field. But, there is another way that we could get to Paris—and very quickly!!

How? By raising a lump sum of money, we could make up for our shortage in monthly commitments. For example, if 72 people gave a $1,000 gift, we could book our airline tickets, get our visas and be on our way by July! Why? Because $72,000 (24 months multiplied by $3,000) would put us in France for two full years. We could then return for a furlough the summer of 2011 to raise additional support. The blessing of being able to get out-the-door and to serve full-time on the mission field would be huge.

We would like to ask you this question: WOULD YOU HELP US GET TO PARIS BY GIVING A SPECIAL, ONE TIME GIFT? (To give, go to http://www.avantministries.org/give)

We are so thankful for many of you who have given gifts in the past and have committed to supporting us on an on-going basis. We wouldn’t be so close to our goal without you! If you feel so led, would you consider giving a one-time gift in addition to your regular support?

We have prayed earnestly before sending this letter, because in general we want to steer clear of asking for financial gifts in writing as it is a less personal way of communicating. But, we believe this is the clearest way that we can explain our situation, and trust that the Lord can use this for His glory.

Above all, we thank you for your prayers for us in this matter. Let’s pray together that God, the owner of all things, would bring about His purposes and use all of us in the task of reaching the lost for Christ.

By His Grace,

Mark & Jill Pederson
Serving with Avant Ministries

4899 Fable Hill Parkway N
Hugo, MN 55038
651-748-8073
e-mail: mjpederson@avmi.org
blog: http://gofishfrance.blogspot.com

P.S. If you are not aware of what we are doing, here are "just the facts:"

-Why are you raising support?
We are raising support to serve as full-time missionaries with Avant Ministries.

-Where are you going and what will you be doing?
We are going to Paris, France to start a Protestant Evangelical church in the southwest part of the city (15th Arrondisement).

-Are you going alone?
No! We are part of a team of 7 adults and 9 kids. Our teammates are Jim and Debbie Shoberg (with their 4 children: Amber, Julie, Keisha, Keenan), Jonathan and Sarah Chadbourn (with their 2 children: Claire, Matthew), and Carissa Monta.

-How long will you be in Paris?
Our commitment is for 5 years. We are trusting God to work mightily through our team to plant a mature, reproducing church in the city of Paris within 5 years.

-Why France?
Because of the great need for the gospel among the French people. Less than 1% of the people of France are Evangelical Christians. 5% of the population own a copy of the Bible, while 80% have never handled one. God has laid it on our hearts to go and share the good news of who Jesus is with the people of France.

-Who is Avant Ministries?
Avant is a mission agency with a 100+ year history. They were formerly known as Gospel Missionary Union (GMU). Avant is based in Kansas City, MO and has over 300 missionaries serving in 23 countries worldwide. The mission of Avant is to plant churches where none exist.

-How much money do you have to raise?
We have to raise $8658 in monthly commitments in order to deploy to France.

-How can I get involved?
There are two specific ways that you can be involved:

1. By giving financially.
2. By praying for us.

If you would like to receive our newsletters and updates, please let us know and we’ll add you to our mailing list.

Merci!