April 2026
Dear Family and Friends,
Bonjour! I hope that you have been enjoying the spring time wherever you are. I have been taking advantage of the sunshine by going on long walks around town and getting to know the area. As someone who grew up in a completely flat town, the hills around here take some getting used to, but the views are so worth it (photos at the end).
At work I’ve been guiding a team of students in creating a prayer room for our upcoming retreat. I’ve also been spending time at the office, chatting with my colleagues over lunch and getting to know them better. Finally, the French church I’ve been attending feels like the place I want to stay—I’m excited to be a part of that community.
Amidst all that, I’d like to share something God has been showing me about Himself: He gives his followers the opportunity to be lights in their corners of the world and lead others to God.
Take Job, for example. God blessed him with great wealth and he used it to help his community. Job 29:7-17 describes how Job helped the poor and disadvantaged. He was well-respected by young and old. He didn’t keep his riches to himself but gladly shared them. He loved God and God made him a light to those around him.
Also, take a look at Joseph. He was the 11th of Jacob’s 12 sons. After telling his older brothers about a dream he had where all his brothers bow down to him, the brothers (unsurprisingly) get angry. They sell him into slavery and he is brought to Egypt to serve Potiphar, an official of Pharaoh. In Genesis 39:2-3 we read that “the Lord was with Joseph” and Potiphar notices that God is the one making Joseph so successful. (The text doesn’t indicate that this causes Potiphar to actually believe in God, but the point is that God’s kindness is crystal clear.) Like Job, Joseph remained faithful to God and God made him a light to those around him.
The cool thing is all of us believers have a choice to be lights, too. But God doesn’t force us, and what we choose will make an impact, good or bad. There are many instances in the Bible (and life today) where humans choose not to be lights and it creates terrible problems. Sometimes we don’t like to accept it because we don’t get to see all the intricate details from God’s outside-of-time perspective, but it’s true that what we choose matters. We are so very blessed in so many ways and it’s a joy to choose kindness each day—Not so that we get puffed up and proud of ourselves but so others see the Lord’s goodness through us. May we all choose to be lights for our God!
Mark l’Expérience (The Mark Drama)
I shared briefly about the Mark Drama a few months ago when another group performed it but now I’ve seen the Paris team’s version in person. This unique piece is essentially the entire book of Mark narrated and acted out by just 15 actors. As you can see in the photo:The chairs are set it a circle so the audience members feel like they are part of the action.There are no props.The only thing that distinguishes the actors from the audience is the actors are wearing all black. I was especially impressed by how the actors made their characters feel so relatable. Sometimes the people in the Bible can feel distant and hard to understand, but they were real people with real lives, real feelings, and real reactions. Watching the disciples’ totally-natural, human reactions—amazement, confusion, frustration—to Jesus’ miracles made them come alive. It reminded me to read the stories of the Bible as if I was there and look to learn something new about God each time. I hope this encourages you to do the same.
Nanterre University Bible Study
I had the privilege of attending the last few sessions of a Bible study at Nanterre University. Chatting with these students was such a joy because of their profound insights, questions, and desire to know God more. I don’t know which groups exactly I’ll be responsible for overseeing when classes start up again in September, but I hope this is one of them!
Praises and Prayer Requests
- Praise God for such a big audience at the Mark Drama! Pray that both the audience members and the actors came away from the show with a new insight or understanding about God that inspired them to deepen their faith or think about Jesus for the first time.
- Pray for the students to have peace and trust in God as they prepare for their upcoming exams.
- Pray they will have a refreshing summer break and find time for Jesus and Christian community as well.
- Praise God for helping me settle into the French church in my neighborhood. Pray for connections to be built there.
Merci! This ministry truly would not be possible without your faithful prayers and support. I’m praying for you, too—please don’t hesitate to reach out with specific requests.
With love and gratitude,
Kelsey
I’d love to hear from you!
Email: kelsey.weidmann@intervarsity.org