David & Debby SMITH & Family
Reaching French-Speaking Québec with the Gospel

May 15, 2003

Dear Co-Laborers in Christ,

A soul has been saved in Gatineau, Québec!!!  Amen!  Amen!  Amen!  We are rejoicing with the angels in heaven that a woman named Sophie Le françois was recently saved through this ministry!  And you have had a part in this soul being saved through your support and through your prayers!  I still have tears in my eyes as I am writing this letter knowing that God has used us to lead Sophie from an eternal separation from Him into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and eternal salvation.  Luke 15:10 says, “Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”  Amen!

Sophie was saved through our Bible correspondence course.  We use the Parole-par-Poste (Source of Light) series.  Sophie contacted us by E-mail either through our Web Site or from our literature distribution requesting our Bible correspondence course.  I quickly sent her the first lesson called “Un Pays Appelé LE CIEL,” (A Country Called HEAVEN).  This is an extremely clear 6 page presentation of the gospel in 5 steps which culminates in a prayer to receive Christ using these 5 points.  At the end of the lesson, there is a questionnaire over the lesson.  At the end of this questionnaire it asks, in French, “Have you received the Lord Jesus as your Savior?”  She responded, “Oui.” (Yes.)  Then it asks, “When?”  She answers, “The day I received my lesson!”  As I read this, I was immediately overwhelmed with joy, and tears began to flow.  Sophie is the first person to be saved through our new ministry in Gatineau.  

We sent Sophie a New Testament along with her second Bible lesson.  I wrote her a letter sharing our joy over her salvation.  I included a letter I translated called “Steps for New Believers.”  Sophie has completed her third lesson out of seven and I have sent her the fourth one.  When she completes the seventh lesson of the series, she will receive a certificate and a whole Bible, which we are planning to personally take to her.  Even though we have encouraged Sophie to come to our services, she has not come yet.  We are being cautious and we have not yet visited her personally.  She may be like many people in this strongly Catholic society.  She may have relatives who would practically disown her, or act as though she were dead if she tells them she is saved.  Most of the 7 million people in Quebec are Catholic, and about 86% of them are practicing Catholics.  Catholicism is deeply rooted in their culture and in their identity through their French heritage.  (See my article, “About Québec,” on our WBFI Web Page at: www.wbfi.net).   Pray that Sophie would continue to grow and soon start attending our church.

    ·        Please pray for preparations for our Grand Re-opening Evangelistic meetings Sept. 3-7, 2003.  Put this on your prayer lists; have special prayer meetings for this new church.

    ·        Please pray for our planned distribution this summer of 40,000 John & Romans booklets & invitation flyers to come to the Grand re-opening week, and for souls to be saved.

    ·        Pray that these Bible portions would touch lives and would lead them to come to Christ.

Thank you for your continued support and your prayers in these days and months to come!  Thank you for the joy of laboring together with you and with the Lord!

                                                   Co-Laborers together with you in the Great Commission,
                                                   
                                                  David & Debby, Sarah, Rebekah & Joshua