Colonel Painter is our leader and the missionary with ICC. He and his wife Nancy do everything possible to encourage the small French churches.

Bruce Bittenbender is applying stuff to the wall. The materials here are different than in the USA. The men have had to be flexible and use a type of caulking that dries instantly.

Kaleb Reilly has done hours of sanding to prepare the apartment.

The Work Crew

In addition to the VBS for the Reformed and Baptist churches, we are helping them with renovation. Both are housed in very old buildings. The Baptist church has been without a pastor for 2 years. It is the custom for the pastor to live in an apartment above the church. Brian Beer is getting the apartment ready.

Here I am with the oldest group. We, the staff, wear orange t-shirts. This helps to identifiy us to the kids and it helps as we cross the busy streets of Marseille. The people of the neighborhood are happy to see the children and usually make way for us as we walk between the 2 churches.

After the skit at the Reformed church, we walk with the children to the Baptist church 2 blocks away for the Bible lesson. There are 3 age groups: les singes ( the monkeys- ages 2-6), les lions ( the lions - ages 7-9) and les zèbres ( the zebras - ages 10 - 13). Katelyn and Kyle translate for the youngest group. Stephen, Daniel and Kaleb have taken turns with the middle group and McNair helps me with the oldest group.

Wednesday, July 8

Every morning starts with a skit. Here Katie Beer and Christine Orsini do their roles in front of the gorgeous backdrop that the Stephens family painted for us. The children LOVE our teens, their drama and the comedy.