Pam and her husband live in North Africa. They left their home in France five years ago, learned a new language, and began sharing Christ’s love. How did Pam get there? Her story is amazing! It begins with another young woman named Enid who left Ontario, Canada, in 1962. She, too, packed her bag, moved to France, learned a new language, and began sharing Christ’s love. Here's how it happened.

God placed Enid (photo at left) in a small town with a small church that looked more like an empty room than the churches she had known. The French pastor asked her to visit women around town, which she happily did. Enid biked all over, week in and week out, for six years.

One day, Enid visited an older woman at the same time the woman’s 15-year-old granddaughter, Adele, came to visit her grand-mère. Enid invited Adele to attend a youth event at the small church, and Adele came with her friend, Fabia.

At the youth event, Adele and Fabia heard for the first time about a God who forgives and changes lives. At church the next morning, both girls became followers of Jesus!

Fabia and Adele started racing to Enid’s house every day after school with their Bibles and their questions. Enid taught them to pray, answered their questions, and studied the Bible with them.

Soon Fabia began to share what she was learning with her younger sister, Manon.

Manon saw how happy Fabia was to go to church, youth group, and outings with her friends from church. Manon had always wanted to please God, but she was mostly scared of not doing enough to make Him happy. No matter how hard she tried to be good, it felt hopeless — and God felt so far away.

But then came Fabia’s precious gift — a Bible! In its pages, Manon discovered Jesus, and realized she did not have to fear God. She could be forgiven and finally be close to God.

Manon began meeting with Enid, along with her sister and Adele. For another year, Enid counseled, taught, and listened to these girls. Then she watched as they faithfully discipled others in their small town, just like Enid discipled them. 

Now, back to Pam. Where does she fit in this story? She is Manon’s daughter.

Manon learned to follow Jesus and taught her daughter, Pam, to do the same. Today, Pam is carrying on the life of a disciple-maker in her new home in North Africa. Young women in North Africa are hearing about Jesus for the first time — all because one young Canadian woman packed her bag and moved to a small French town. Through Enid’s faithfulness, the truth of Jesus is being heard halfway across the world. And, by God’s grace, Pam’s children will continue this story and make disciples who make disciples, too.

Woody and Sue served for 40 years in France, where they were welcomed to the field by Enid in 1975. Today, they continue to serve and make disciples from their home in the U.S.

 

The people in this story are real, but their names have been changed to protect their privacy.