God has called us to move to a tiny town in southern France, St. Hippolyte-du-Fort.

We had the privilege of going there on outreach this summer, and got to understand more in depth more of why God has highlighted this town and YWAM base on the map. This is a longer email; we wanted to give you as many details as we could in a short space, since there is so much depth to where we are headed and why!

God values history. We see countless times in Scripture God highlighting genealogies, particular locations, and promises made to His people. He never forgets a thing. St. Hippolyte-du-Fort is one of those places that man has encountered God and refused to let go - it is steeped in the history of the French Huguenots, the Protestants that were heavily persecuted by the Catholic Church for several hundred years.

Quick history lesson: In 1598, the reigning King Henry IV of France signed the Edict of Nantes, which granted Protestants freedom to worship as they willed. Unfortunately, in 1685, the Edict was revoked, and mass waves of persecution rocked the country. Hundreds of thousands fled the country or were killed by government forces, and those that remained were forced into hiding.

On 17 January 1686, Louis XIV claimed that out of a Huguenot population of 800,000 to 900,000, only 1,000 to 1,500 had remained in France.

So: why does this matter to us? St. Hippolyte-du-Fort was staunchly Protestant. They took their churches underground. When the Catholic armies came and destroyed their church building, using the very stones from the Protestant church to build a new Catholic Church instead, the Protestants in town offered to help them build it (!!). Their love for Jesus and unwillingness to reject their faith, in combination with their willingness to submit to authorities and not fight back perplexed the government - so much so that the wall that was built around the town was actually a measure to keep whatever these people had

in

, rather than keep enemies out (hence the name, which was changed to include "du Fort" - in French, "of the Fort.")

Fast forward to today. Many in this town still proudly herald their Huguenot ancestry. The church in this town is still very divided; there is one Catholic church, one Protestant temple, and one Protestant/Evangelical congregation, and the three do not mix. God's heart is for unity in His church; we believe that fostering this unity will be a piece of why we are there. Cheri also has Huguenot ancestry, and God has moved in powerful ways confirming that this heritage is important.

The YWAM base at this location also has focus areas on a few of the things that have been on Cheri's heart for years, ministry to refugee populations and to sex trafficking victims. We were able to work with refugees down in Montpellier for a week while we were at the base, and it was life-changing for both of us.

Earlier this year, we spoke with some of the key leaders who send teams to Muslim nations in North Africa and the Middle East, and they advised that for the vision we have of supporting missionaries in these nations, we need an outside, nearby location. Holding mass amounts of data and video documentation with names, locations, and actions of missionaries in a closed nation could quickly become a recipe for disaster.

They strongly encouraged us to base our permanent home in a nation nearby to the areas which we feel called to, but that is secure and has religious freedom, to reduce/eliminate the chance of being raided by religious extremists who would desire to end church activity in the region. France meets this need in several ways:

The truth is, our hearts are ready. If we could jump up and move now, we would - God has been SO clear about confirming this move repeatedly. But we have spoken with our leaders from YWAM French Ministries and also our direct leader within our ministry here, and both have felt that one more season in Kona is necessary for God to best prepare us for a lifetime of ministry abroad.

We are committed to launching well, and will walk in submission to the authority that God has placed over us here. We also want to be faithful to what God is calling us to, so we are praying for clarity on timing, on what exactly this final season here entails, and the relationships that we can continue to build to launch well (both our team and networking with others abroad.)

First: help us pray! If you feel that God has given you a word for our timing, our season of preparation or our move to France in general, please share it! We cherish your words of encouragement!

We felt strongly and had confirmed through others that Cheri should first take the School of Worship here in Kona, which she has just begun this past week. Worship and intercession play a crucial role in breaking the spiritual ground in the hardest and darkest places to receive Christ, which applies to not only the Muslim nations on our hearts, but most definitely France as well. In January, Jeff is praying about possibly taking a course called Creative Media and Communication. 

We still have many hats that we wear. We currently manage a building that houses families, couples and singles and it is our responsibility to help keep it cleaned and maintained and help others to learn to do the same. Jeff is still the manager of Ohana Court, the multipurpose court/auditorium on campus, which includes all of the maintenance along with audio/visual needs and production roles. We are grateful as God is beginning to bring new staff members that are helping to relieve some of the routine responsibilities and giving us extra capacity to grow in this season.

For Daniel and Isaac, we have had some friends volunteer as routine babysitters along with just getting to spend extra, intentional time with us. We had thought about putting Daniel in preschool this quarter, but the combination of the timing of returning from outreach, the school's orientation schedule and school holidays meant that he would only be involved in his class for less than half of the semester. So as a result, he gets extra time with us! It is exactly what he has needed, and actually what both kids have needed. Both kids love legos and playdough anything with wheels, skateboards, scooters, bikes etc. Isaac is known around campus as the toddler with blue rainboots who is *really* good on his scooter. :)

As we continue to grow deeper in our faith and build our team for launching into the nations, we need your prayers! They change everything for us.Please continue to pray:- For our family, for protection and to grow more unified in everything we do- For wisdom in what to be involved in while we are still here at Kona- For grace to cover us while we are both heavily engaged on campus- For continued direction and wisdom on what we are moving into in the future- For God to continue to reveal His heart to us, for us and for His peopleWe love you!!! And we love to hear from you. Please let US know how we can be praying for YOU!

- The Willeckes