David & Joyce Dixon - France
October 15, 2011 Update from the Dixons
“It has been a long time, and we are sincerely sorry for the dearth of news from David and Joyce over the past few months. Life is full, opportunities are numerous, and sometimes we have difficulty in understanding some of God’s highest priorities. Loving Him and glorifying Him are at the top of the list. But what comes next?”
“Transition describes the “bitter-sweet” situation we have been experiencing at our “home” church in Esbly over the last few months. Steve and Cathy Voke, who have ministered at the Esbly Church for 18 years felt that the Lord was drawing their ministry to a close. After the church was started by missionary co-workers Bob and Mary Delamatta, Steve and Cathy moved to Esbly and have carried on a ministry which has been truly blessed by the Lord. They have had some difficult and discouraging moments, sometimes wondering if the Lord wanted them elsewhere. But over the years, their faithful witness in the area and their care of the church has borne much fruit. They are highly respected by the mayor and town officials, and many others who have become their friends. Their loving concern and spirit of outreach has drawn a number of people, and as a result, the original small group has tripled in size since we came into the church over eight years ago. It has been a blessed privilege to work with Steve and Cathy as time allowed during our heavy itinerant ministry for the Baptist Association. They are now in the U.S. for a year’s home assignment, needing to rebuild their missionary support as they also care for the needs of Cathy’s aging father. Please keep Steve and Cathy in your prayers for their needs this year, and for the Lord’s direction for their future when they return to France in 2012.”
“Once again, God knew ahead of time His plans for the Esbly Church! For the past school year, we unexpectedly had the happy opportunity to have a pastoral intern work with us. Nicolas Robin was in his last year at Geneva Bible Institute, and with his wife Kristell and their three children, worked alongside Steve and Cathy for a full year. Earlier this year, the church voted to call Nicolas as pastor when Steve and Cathy left in September. The transition has been amazingly smooth, a sign of God’s leading. On September 11, we had a “Farewell Service” for Steve and Cathy, which included “passing the baton” (literally as well as symbolically) from Steve to Nicolas. The church was packed. After an excellent fellowship dinner, the afternoon program included a humorous PowerPoint presentation of the lives of Steve and Cathy, and presentation of gifts. It was truly sad saying “Good-bye” to our beloved pastoral couple, but there was happiness, thanks, and optimism because the Lord has provided us with such a fine couple to take their place. Please remember Nicolas and Kristell in prayer for their continued adjustment to Esbly and for the Lord’s hand to be upon Nicolas’ ministry in the years to come. David looks forward to working with Nicolas in the coming months and years.”
BRIEF UPDATES ABOUT PAST NEWS…
- Cesar, our young neighbor (18) is now in his first year of medical studies. He has continued to study the Bible with David. Last summer he invited a friend to camp, and the friend made a commitment to Christ! Please continue to pray for Cesar and his spiritual growth (and that of his friend, too.. editor’s note)
- We are grateful for family times, which are not that frequent! Last spring we were all together for 24 hours in the Burgundy area of France to celebrate Joyce’s 70th birthday. We had an incredible dinner at a traditional French restaurant. French meals are v e r y relaxed- it lasted 4 1/2 hours!
...AND SOME PRIORITIES
- At our doctor’s suggestion, though our health is good, we made up a list of priorities: “Essential” and “Negotiable”. (Unfortunately, the first list was 3 times longer than the second!)
- David continues to serve on the councils of two churches, Esbly and Lee Mee-sur-Seine, and preaches once a month at each church. We are also involved in a home group and other activities at Esbly. Le Mee has a serious need for leadership from within the church, especially for the elder’s board. In addition, the pastor’s health is not good. We will appreciate your prayers!
- With only 2 Sundays free each month, we have decided to visit a Paris area church on one of the Sundays, and make a long trip to visit a distant church on the other Sunday. David usually preaches, and we often meet with the pastoral couple, the church council, or even the whole church. Please pray that we will know the Lord’s priorities for the most strategic visits.
- We need your prayers as well for all the adjunct possibilities, for determining what requests to accept and what to turn down. There is much more than we can handle. And we feel we ought to be available occasionally for our family- and David and Joyce! (Amen. editor’s note)
We do wish it were possible to send a personal letter to everyone who writes. Our pile of unanswered emails and letters is daunting! Despite our silence, we are sincerely and deeply grateful for your friendship and your prayers, and for your faithful financial support of a number of you for our Ministries account. We will try to be better correspondents in the months ahead. But the are those piles of archives that are beginning to push me out of my small study, and three filing cabinets that are overflowing! Lord, where does tedious “sorting and tossing” fit on Your list of priorities? (Joyce would be able to vacuum the whole floor once in a while!)
With grateful appreciation and our affectionate greetings in Christ,
David & Joyce
BIO:
Kingdom Builders with World Venture
The Dixons served as veteran church planters serving in the Paris suburbs since 1964. They “officially” retired from CBI in 2003 but returned to France to serve in ministry with the Church Association there. David and Joyce now serve as World Venture Resource Specialists in a ministry of encouragement, unity, and assistance to the 45 churches of the Evangelical Association of Baptist Churches in the French Language (AEEBLF). They also serve on several other European fields in Switzerland, Belgium, and Poland.
David and Joyce are the parents of 2 adult children, Steven and Elizabeth, and they have 5 grandchildren.
email address: davidjoycedixon@club-internet.fr
address: David and Joyce Dixon, 24, rue du Bois de la Grange, 77185 Lognes, France
telephone number: 011-33-1-74-92-98-66