Dahlgren History 101 :: Part 2

Enjoy the continuation of our family history lesson...

The family singing through the years -- Easter, Christmas, Children's musicals, and community events

Through the past 20 years of our marriage, God has continued to teach us skills and carry us through experiences and trials that lead us to today.

• Worship & Music Outreach—Steve has been graciously gifted by God to “set the table” for worshipers to feast on.  As a worship leader, couple & family, we have used our gifts in music and love for God in many outreach and community events.

• Hospitality—In the various churches, Steve & Chris have had many opportunities to develop gifts of hospitality, serving and event-planning.

• Computer Skills—Both Steve & Chris have acquired a great knack for using many computer applications, as well as bookkeeping, graphic design, publication/marketing and social media.

• Administration—Beyond the many years as an Executive Assistant and Software Trainer, Chris also recently completed her bachelor’s in Organizational Leadership.

• Bakery—For a short time, Steve had the privilege of sharing his culinary skills through his bakery in Wakarusa.

• Human Trafficing Ministry—For the past 3+ years, the youth group at Nappanee Missionary Church has focused a great deal on the human trafficking issue around the world.  Our kids have developed an amazing passion to help those caught in this bondage.

The most amazing part of all is how God has been working in and through the Lyon City Team for the past 5+ years and brought our skills together with their needs!

As we skyped for the first time with Mike DiGena, the Lyon City Team Leader, he shared with us some of their vision for the future work in Lyon where they currently have “holes” to fill—

1. Need a worship leader for the English-speaking church plant.
2. Need someone who can help with computer & website projects.
3. Want to start a ministry center, but need someone to help manage/run it.
4. Need someone to help with coordinating visitors and short-term missions teams that come to Lyon—hospitality & coordination.
5. A group of local French churches established a human trafficking non-profit organization to help reach out to girls in Lyon.

We know that God has been working in our lives through so many different ways to prepare us for THIS time in THIS city!

Offering Hope to Those Enslaved…

http://www.sxc.hu/photo/763936

One of the newer ministries that the Lyon City Team (LCT) has partnered with is the L’Alliance de L’Esperance (Hope Alliance) ministry, which seeks to reach out to those caught up in Human Trafficking—primarily in the form of prostitution.  The ministry is made up of Christians from various local churches and missions organizations, both French and English.  Twice a month teams from Hope Alliance head out on the streets late at night to meet the women.  A few teams of 2-3 will go onto the streets while one team will follow and pray.  The teams may talk with girls from France, Bulgaria, Nigeria, as well as many other European or African countries.

According to The Guardian's report in April 2011, France is considering making it illegal to pay for sex.  If the law is passed, France would join a small number of European countries that will punish such crimes with time in prison.  Sweden was the first to establish such a law in 1999, followed by Norway and Iceland.  It is believed the 80% of the estimated 20,000 prostitutes in France are victims of trafficking and slavery. 

Over the past months of reaching out in this way, it has been exciting to see the girls’ eyes light up as the team hands them a Bible in their own native tongue.  They are often starved for the hot tea and chocolate that the team gives them and even more for the conversation, literature and help.  The teams offer to pray for them if they desire, and take time to simply get to know them, trying to build relationships and understand what issues these women face.  With God’s help, those involved in this ministry find ways to be a light for the gospel in this very dark place.