我跟思涵姊妹关于土鲁斯的一点分享：
从去年2024年法国奥运的圣火传递开始，全世界各地，三十多个国家，八百多位圣徒响应主的呼召，纷纷前来法国配搭发送圣经传扬福音。我们都能见证人心出奇地敞开，无论在哪一个城市，都得到了大量愿意接受回访的名单。紧接着圣徒们陆陆续续答应主的呼召，有份于从去年九月至今的牧养行动（shepherding trip)——有的是学生，有的是在职圣徒，有的是全时间的服事者，他们都利用学校的假期，或是工作的假期前来与我们配搭。有单身的，也有夫妇，甚至有许多全家大小一起来的。有的来一周、有的来两周、甚至待上一个月到两个月不等。主祝福了这样的同心合意，即使多少会有语言的限制、文化地理环境上等等的适应的问题，但我们仍然经历了喜乐的配搭，以及各样的神迹奇事，这一年下来一直不断地有新人受浸得救，总数接近30位，当中大部分是年轻人，也有一些中年的圣徒；而且目前大半都留在召会生活中。
许多激励我们的见证：比方说一位七十岁左右的法国弟兄，经历过天主教和各种基督教宗派，今年三月份开始进到召会生活中。他一直不断地重复说，“为什么主在我这把年纪了才把我带来这里？我浪费了这么多时间！”又说，与我们在一起，他经历到前所未有的“深广的基督”。
另一位法国弟兄在开始与我们聚会一个月后就把家打开作为主日聚会的场所— 从去年10月到现在已经一年了。他也经历过各种基督教的团体，并常常把各种不同背景的基督徒朋友带来和我们交通。他常常见证说，按照他多年在基督教里的经历，多半弟兄们只要遇到真理的见解不一样，就会争辩甚至不欢而散。可是很奇妙，我们接待他所有的朋友，向他们陈明真理，不管对方的态度多么强硬或坚持，我们始终能喜乐地继续那个谈话，甚至最后总是在和谐与平安中结束。让他感受到我们这里有真正的弟兄相爱，以及合一的灵。
另外有一对法国的年轻夫妻，原本住在诺曼第北部的区域，但是得到神给他们的一个异梦，要他们移居到法国南部来，因为这里将重要的事情等待着他们。他们祷告多时，决定顺服这个感觉，但是他们不知道到南部哪个城市去？正在他们犹豫的时候，他们遇到了前面所提到的这一位法国弟兄，他们的交通让这对夫妻得到一个印证，他们必须搬到土鲁斯来。他们以前在诺曼第北部的时候，是在一个灵恩派的团体聚会；那里教导说人得救以后还有可能失去救恩。但是这个姊妹不相信这个教训，所以困惑很长一段时间。当他们来到土鲁斯，和我们一起聚会以后，她就清楚了得救的真理，这让她得到更进一步的印证这就是他们需要来的地方。
另一位从非洲喀麦隆来的学生，是我们一位年长法国弟兄的邻居。这个年轻人三年前在家里，自己在网络上看传福音的影片就接受主得救了。之后他就开始寻找教会，一个教会换过一个教会。他的得救是很强很清楚的，有非常多生命的转变。所以他就很想要受浸。但是每个他所去到的教会都有很多关于受浸的要求。有的要上很多堂课，有的需要跟牧师谈话加上很多的认证的过程…这些都让他心里面觉得没有平安。因为他自己读到圣经使徒行传第八章的埃提阿伯太监受浸的事例，知道受浸除了相信以外不需要别的条件。但当他第一次来到我们的聚会中，正巧就有一位弟兄跟他提到受浸的事，而且说的就是使徒行传第八章的这个故事。他里面很强的响应，当下就在浴缸里受浸了。
像这样奇妙的故事很多，让我们充分看见主得胜的工作，超过我们所求所想。愿主继续祝福这样的配搭，并且继续以生命祝福召会。让所有的新人都成为常存的果子，在生命中健康的长大，建造并预备新妇，为着主的回来。
西螺召会的女婿谢雨宸弟兄夫妇，多年在法国开展，祈求我们能为11/9在法国土鲁斯(Toulouse)第一次的擘饼聚会代祷，甚至有份这样的聚集。
以上与谢弟兄夫妇分享的见证（家书）
A little sharing from Sister Sihan and me concerning Toulouse:
Starting from the Olympic torch relay for the 2024 Paris Olympics last year, over eight hundred saints from more than thirty countries around the world responded to the Lord’s calling to come to France to coordinate in distributing Bibles and preaching the gospel. We can all testify that people’s hearts were unusually open, and in every city, we received a large list of names of people willing to have a return visit. Subsequently, saints have continually answered the Lord’s calling to participate in the shepherding trips from last September until now. Some are students, some are working saints, and some are full-time servers; they all used their school or work vacations to come and coordinate with us. There have been single ones, couples, and even many entire families. Some came for a week, some for two weeks, and some stayed for one to two months. The Lord blessed such one accord. Even though there were some limitations due to language and challenges in adapting to the culture and geographical environment, we still experienced joyful coordination and various miracles and wonders. Over the past year, new ones have been continually baptized and saved, with the total number approaching 30. Most of them are young people, along with some middle-aged saints, and the majority have remained in the church life.
There are many testimonies that have encouraged us. For example, a French brother in his seventies, who had experienced Catholicism and various Christian denominations, began to come into the church life this March. He kept repeating, “Why did the Lord only bring me here at my age? I’ve wasted so much time!” He also said that being with us, he has experienced a “deep and vast Christ” as never before.
Another French brother opened his home as the meeting place for the Lord’s Day meeting just one month after he started meeting with us—and it has been a year now since last October. He had also experienced various Christian groups and often brings his Christian friends from different backgrounds to have fellowship with us. He often testifies that, based on his many years of experience in Christianity, most brothers would argue and even part on bad terms whenever they encountered different understandings of the truth. But wonderfully, we received all his friends and presented the truth to them. No matter how strong or insistent their attitude was, we were always able to joyfully continue the conversation, and it always ended in harmony and peace. This made him feel that we have genuine brotherly love and a spirit of oneness here.
There is another young French couple who originally lived in the northern Normandy region. They received a dream from God telling them to move to the south of France because something important was waiting for them there. After much prayer, they decided to obey this feeling, but they didn’t know which city in the south to go to. While they were hesitating, they met the aforementioned French brother. Their fellowship gave the couple a confirmation that they had to move to Toulouse. In northern Normandy, they used to meet with a Charismatic group where it was taught that a person could lose their salvation after being saved. However, the sister did not believe this teaching and was confused for a long time. After they came to Toulouse and began meeting with us, she became clear concerning the truth of salvation, which gave her further confirmation that this was the place they needed to be.
Another student from Cameroon, Africa, is the neighbor of one of our elderly French brothers. This young man accepted the Lord and was saved at home by himself three years ago by watching gospel-preaching videos online. Afterward, he began searching for a church, going from one to another. His salvation was very strong and clear, with many transformations in his life. Therefore, he really wanted to be baptized. But every church he went to had many requirements concerning baptism. Some required many classes, others required interviews with the pastor and a long certification process… all of which made him feel no peace in his heart. This was because he had read the case of the Ethiopian eunuch’s baptism in Acts chapter eight and knew that baptism required no other condition than believing. But the first time he came to our meeting, a brother happened to mention baptism to him and specifically referred to this story from Acts chapter eight. He had a strong response within and was baptized in the bathtub right then and there.
There are many wonderful stories like these, which allow us to fully see the Lord’s victorious work, exceeding all that we ask or think. May the Lord continue to bless such coordination and continue to bless the church with life. May all the new ones become remaining fruit, growing healthily in life, to build up and prepare the bride for the Lord’s return.
Brother Hsieh Yu-Chen and his wife (the son-in-law of the church in Xiluo), who have been in the spreading work in France for many years, ask that we would pray for the first The Lord’s table meeting in Toulouse, France, on November 9th, and even participate in such a gathering.
The testimony shared above is from Brother and Sister Hsieh (from a family letter).
