We recently returned from a two-month mission trip to Europe where we ministered in three different countries. We are thankful for the opportunity to minister in Europe once again after having experienced a hiatus due to the pandemic, as well as some other factors, including our son Patrick getting married last year.
Europe
We ministered in the countries of England, Germany, and France, along with visiting some historical sites and other places along the way where we shot some videos on different aspects of Christian History.
Running Before We Hit the Ground
The Lord was already at work while we were on our way to Europe. We had divine appointments with 2 different Uber drivers when our flights were rerouted by the airline. What looked like a hassle turned into divinely orchestrated opportunities of witnessing to, and praying for, two different drivers who had to get us to and from rerouted situations: Our first flight out of the OC was delayed messing up our connection, so the airline sent us up to LAX for a different flight and had a driver get us up there.
We ended up sharing the Gospel with the driver and then praying for him on the way to LAX and when we landed in London, we had a driver who was from Kosovo. When we told him that we had been to Kosovo on a mission trip before—he was surprised since not many people go there—and we ended up witnessing to him and praying for him too! The Lord worked out the rerouting for good!
England
We ministered in London at Ark of God Church with Pastor Daudet and the Holy Spirit’s presence was evident as both of us took turns preaching, and then as we prayed for people, the Lord brought an outpouring, with many experiencing a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit, as well as having a few people receive and recommit themselves to Christ!
The pastor himself also got deeply ministered to, and greatly encouraged—I felt led at the end of the message to share about how some of the leaders who ministered in the Argentine revival had to sow and sow and sow, as well as suffer with extremely small beginnings, (we know that drill too!) for many, many years and some for some decades, before the Lord brought forth a harvest—the pastor took to the microphone afterwards to share how much that had ministered to him and touched his life.
We were also blessed to receive some powerful prophetic words of encouragement ourselves from some of the prophetic people who were there at that particular meeting in London! Hallelujah!
Germany
Our time in Germany included continually ministering, regularly in some capacity, for around nine days straight. We ministered at two different Sunday services at Giessen International Church with Pastors Helmuth and Adriana as well as preaching at Frankfurt International Church with Pastors Tony and Sarah. We were also teaching at a number of different meetings during the week in Giessen, doing 6 meetings altogether, this along with meeting with different people, and sharing and praying with them. We also were able to get to visit some nearby historical sites that involved the Reformation and filmed some historical videos while there as well.
The Holy Spirit moved powerfully as we ministered in each and every meeting bringing many into a fresh experience and encounter with God, filling, empowering, renewing, and healing, as well as having some who rededicated themselves to Christ or received Christ for the first time, which included a young man who had come fairly recently from Iran that happened to get unexpectedly and radically touched by God’s power and was overcome by the presence of the Lord and he ended up giving his life to Christ! Hallelujah! We received numerous testimonies from other people of how their hearts were filled, healed, transformed, and renewed!
The Church in Giessen is next to an International University, so many of those coming are new to the church and many are fairly new believers. A youth meeting where we ministered and led some worship at, had a number of testimonies come forth about the Lord bringing a deep infilling and healing to many hearts. In fact, one young lady shared how she got a revelation from the Holy Spirit that she needed to forgive her father who had been absent from her life…she had never thought of this before…which brought forth a release of freedom! Praise the Lord! There was also a young French lady who had just arrived there in town right as we began to minister that got powerfully filled with the Holy Spirit when we prayed for her! Glory!
It was also a blessing to share in some meetings about Martin Luther and The Reformation, especially while in the land of The Reformation. This included sharing how Martin Luther experienced and then taught about God’s grace so profoundly, as well as saying “that we need to be continually baptized in the Holy Spirit—the rest of our lives—so we don’t get pulled back into the world or unbelief.” (Quote from Martin Luther.) We had numerous people tell us they were blessed and encouraged, saying they don’t hear about this subject as much as you’d expect in Germany. Back in 2017 when we were in Wittenberg, Germany for the 500-year anniversary of The Reformation, we got the sense that the Holy Spirit was stirring up something in our hearts in regard to Germany. It’s a blessing to have begun to experience the revelation the Lord was giving us back then.
France
The Lord’s power was demonstrated in our weakness in France in the towns of Tours and Marcon. We had an exceptionally powerful move of the Holy Spirit while ministering in Tours, where we ministered in two different church services. The Holy Spirit filled, empowered, renewed, and brought some healing too at both Ciel Ouvert with Pastor Alpha and CDLR with Pastors Pete and Gwyneth.
A powerful outpouring spontaneously took place on some kids in the morning church service. There were about 8 kids aged about 6-13 that were touched mightily by the Holy Spirit with tears streaming down their faces and hands lifted as they were overcome by the Lord’s presence! It was a glorious demonstration of the verse “His strength is made perfect in our weakness.” 2 Cor. 12:9.
We had experienced a lot of Spiritual Warfare coming into France and I got almost no sleep the night before preaching in two different meetings, along with interpretation challenges in the early meeting. I was feeling the weakness of the physical body …. When we were just praying for some people after the message and then out of nowhere a kid by us started getting touched by the Holy Spirit. I began specifically praying for him and it just accelerated, then other kids came up and we started praying for them and it just began to multiply and eventually turned into a powerful outpouring on the kids as more came up and joined in and quite a number got powerfully filled with the Holy Spirit.
We had a powerful move of the Holy Spirit in the later meeting in the other church too! We know it is all by the grace of God whose power is perfected in our weakness… I was tired and laden down from the lack of sleep but the Lord went above and beyond in our weakest moment, all by His grace and power! Lonnie Frisbee used to experience children getting touched by the Holy Spirit in some meetings now and then. He talked about what a miraculous thing it is; we have been stoked to experience it now and then too! It seems to happen sometimes when you least expect it!
Speaking of Lonnie Frisbee, we shared later in the week in Marcon, ministering with the fellowship pastored there by the Gotte’s, sharing about the Jesus People Revival and Lonnie Frisbee. We had a blessed prayer time afterwards with the Holy Spirit moving amongst us and touching and filling and ministering to most of those who came as we prayed with the people some of whom were actually touched by that Jesus People Revival back in the day themselves!
We had a blessed time of fellowship with the Gotte’s afterwards sharing about how the Holy Spirit has been leading us lately and brought us back to Europe and kept it on our radar screen even when we didn’t get a chance to go there for a little while!
Spiritual Warfare - Victories in the Midst of Battles
We experienced some spiritual warfare as we ministered and traveled which happens when the Lord is working and moving. However, the Lord turned difficult situations into victories more than once.
When we first flew into France after ministering in England, we had a difficult flight on a rough low budget airline. Blank expressions were the usual response to the most basic questions! Then we had to run about two miles to get to the boarding gate, after enduring miles of road works and traffic on the way to the airport in England and had not had a chance to get food nor had eaten much that day.
We landed in France starved… only to find everything closed. Our stomachs were growling but nothing was available. We checked into the place we were staying and nothing was available there either. We figured it was going to be a long hungry night… then the heater broke in our room.
We called the front desk to have it fixed. The guy they sent asked if we needed anything else and we asked if there was any way to get something to eat. He said, No, everything is closed. But then he thought for a moment and said, Well, let me actually check something out for you and come back. He came back with some food he was able to wrestle up, yay! The wild thing was he said, This is my gift to you, there is no charge. “Every good gift comes from above…” Friends who live in France said that this is extremely unusual in itself, but especially there in France! It was clearly a sign of the Lord’s care and provision in the midst of difficulty! Hallelujah!
It happened again when we drove into France from Germany after ministering. We needed to stay somewhere as it was too far to our destination. We booked a place but when we arrived the door to get into the hotel was locked… we tried and tried calling the number provided but got no answer. We weren’t sure what to do other than pray. After about 40 minutes stuck outside praying in the cold a couple showed up who were staying there and let us in the locked front door, then they also helped us find the little package for our reservation that was sitting right there with the key to the room… it was a mystery what had happened to the hotel manager…?
The next morning, the manager of the hotel showed up and asked why we didn’t call her… we explained that we tried calling the number numerous times… she looked at the number on our phone and it was the right number. She said she always comes over right away when late arrivals come and call her and she lets them in… she said this was a complete mystery that she for sure should have gotten the calls… there was no logical explanation as to why she didn’t get any of our calls? We knew it was spiritual warfare hitting when we were tired and right in between ministering in Germany and France.
The Lord turned it around for a blessing, though, as she felt bad that we had to wait out in the cold and gave us a free breakfast… which was pretty expensive … and was another little miracle!
We’ve had incidents in hotels in the past in France where they did absolutely nothing in response to a problem so we were glad how the Lord intervened and turned these things around for good.
A Little R & R
Constantly moving and sleeping in unfamiliar conditions, along with long hours traveling, along with the spiritual warfare that inevitably hits, taxes the body and soul. We have learned from those who went before us to take breaks and get some R & R to avoid burning out. We got a chance to get down to the coast for a few days to get in a few activities including a little bit of surfing! Taking time to get refreshed, renews the body and soul. It also opens doors at times to witness and share Christ with people who may never darken the door of a church.
New Videos
We were able to shoot, edit, and upload a couple videos even as we traveled including on the subjects of “Martin Luther at the Wartburg Castle” and one on location in Plymouth, England on “The Mayflower Pilgrims” who made the first permanent Colony in the New World. Check them out on YouTube at the Grace World Mission page: www.youtube.com/graceworldmission
Quick Review
We were also blessed to minister in Colorado, Salinas, San Diego, and Orange County, amongst other places last year, as well as doing a number of online meetings, along with experiencing numerous divine appointments. You can read more about those blessed ministry times and moments here:
https://gwmgracenotes.blogspot.com/2024/07/ministry-update-spring-summer-2024.html
We always appreciate all your prayers and support.
Blessings to you in Jesus’ Name!
Bryan and Mercedes Marleaux
Grace World Mission—
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/graceworldmission
Donate online: www.graceworldmission.org/contact_us.htm
