Going by Giving: Hear From Our Gospel Parnters

Our blog is titled "Allons-y" meaning "Let's go" in french.  We have always emphasized the fact that we are in this journey together, with our prayer and financial partners.  We wanted you to hear from some of them about how and why God called them to join with us to bring the Gospel to the French.  Thanks to Mike LaRiviere for being our first guest blogger.  More to come over the next few weeks. 

My wife, Judy and I have been tithers and givers for almost all our Christian lives. I’d like to begin by stating that it is impossible to out-give God. We have also learned to trust in Jesus as He opens doors for us to walk through and guides our steps along the paths he directs us to take.


Over a year ago, we heard that Brandon, Michelle, and children were going to go to France where they would be a missionary family under World Team sponsorship. I kind of scratched my head at the time and said under my breath, “God, do you know how many kids they have?” I distinctly heard a deep baritone chuckle from across the expanse of space, and I felt a bit foolish. It isn’t every day that a child of God gets to provide Him with a laugh.


We became interested in what seemed to be a very big step in amassing a sizeable amount of money and a monster challenge in uprooting an entire family and moving off to a foreign country noted to be a difficult mission field. Another thought, “God, Michelle is a mother of three kids, how will she have any time left to do missionary things?” –another chuckle.


A very clear message came to me that I knew was from the Lord God. Give them money. “Yes Lord.” And we did; a sizeable sum. Next message, Give them more money. “Yes Lord.” Another sizeable donation.


Then several smaller amounts were sent to World Team to their account. Still, the Master did not stop with us. I am an author and have twelve books to my credit for sale through Amazon.com. Give them your royalties. “But Lord.” –no chuckle this time.


So now we are sending World team all our royalties. So if you would like to become part of this phase of supporting the Burches, just go to Amazon.com/books and type in Michael E LaRiviere, buy any of my books, and all the royalties go to them and you get a great read.


Jesus is also telling Judy and me to sell some of our worldly stuff and send the money in to help keep the Burches on the mission field. It just doesn’t seem to stop with the donations –and we are having so much fun in giving.


Judy and I will continue to be points of contact and giving for the Burches after they depart for France. One of the donut shops in Bartlett sponsors a pickle jar for donations, and several other small projects are producing funds –not enough, but it all helps.


Judy and I took a year off in support of the Burches as I suffered through cancer and the treatments –not fun, but we are back in the race.


This is all about God sending a family to the mission field, using other families to fund them, gathering a prayer support base, folks to encourage and communicate, and being a part of a sacred, God thing. I have no doubt that Jesus called us to give money, time, and other resources.


All I am asking you to do, if you are not already involved, is to pray that Jesus will let you know what He wants you to do, and then obey. Trust and obey, and you will be blessed immeasurably.


God bless you and keep you under the shadow of His wings.


Mike and Judy LaRiviere