Hauquitzes Send Holiday Greetings from France

Dear LifePoint,
Store shelves stocked with clothes, toys, and tools to buy, decorations atop many homes, streets packed with people, churches lighting advent candles, and the crisp winter air remind us of yet another American Christmas. These are just a few of the things that we remember from Christmases past as we rest in France this Christmas, continuing in our effort to learn French.

There are many things that we will miss this Christmas, away from friends and family, but in the grander scale we rejoice. The Lord has been revealing to us something amazing. Just months ago we knew that we would be spending this Christmas away from home, but in Cameroon, not France. Yet here we are, about to celebrate the birth of Christ in France, a country filled with people who consider themselves to be atheists. At one point in time 50% of the people in France called themselves Christians, and yet it was a time filled with incredible persecution. Now only 2% of the nation claim to follow Christ.

Just recently, we were able to take a trip to Annecy, a nearby city, to experience a new French city and practice our French. On the train ride back we had the opportunity to try and share our faith, in French, with a young lady on the train. She shared with us that she does not believe in God at all. To which we asked why, only to hear that she doesn’t believe because her parents didn’t. The atheistic beliefs of France became all the more real as we talked to her and our hearts ached for her to know God and experience his love.

As our family prepares for Christmas, the celebration of Christ’s birth, we have been reading through the beginning of each of the gospels. In Matthew 1:20-21, it says: “An angel of the Lord appeared to him (Joseph) in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from
the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’” As we read verses like these our hearts fill with joy. Jesus, fully God and fully man, came to earth to bring life. What a glorious truth! We cannot change the heart of the woman on that train, nor can we change the hearts of any man or woman in France, Cameroon, or any other part of the world. But Jesus can! He came for that exact purpose, to rescue his people from their sin.

Our greatest desire is to see lives eternally changed by the message of Jesus Christ. Through partnering with us, you are not only impacting lives in France now, but in Cameroon to come. From France to around the world, we long to impact lives with the message of Jesus Christ. Your partnership through prayer and giving is making an eternal impact on lives all over the world. You are helping to win students for Christ, build them up in their faith, and send them out to do the same. Thank you!

We want you to know how grateful to the Lord we are for you. With the economic uncertainty that has affected so many people, we are reminded of your sacrificial gifts for our ministry. Whether we are sitting in class, buying groceries, or contacting the ministry in Cameroon, we know we can do this because of your generosity. Thank you so much for your vital partnership in eternally impacting students’ lives and millions of lives through them. You are helping change the world. Have a Merry Christmas!

In Christ,
Craig and Bryn Hauquitz