Our Missionaires

Many of us at Heartland have had the joy of knowing the Fergusons as friends and the honor to have Bro. Ledgel as pastor for a few years until they were called back into the mission field, please keep them both in your prayers daily as the Lord continues to lead and bless them, below is a update of their current ministry. At the bottom of the page is a link to their mission web site and a brief video from them both.

Below is an e-mail I recently received from Sis. Sharon telling of the work her and Bro. Ledgel is doing.

Ledgel and Sharon are back in the states and we was honored to have them at the Church on 8/10/08. Click here to listen to what they had to say about their mission in France.
If you are interested in helping support them finacially as they prepare to go back to France in Dec. 08 you can click here for the site to set up your donation.

(7/2/08)

We arrived safely in Cincinnati Tuesday night. The plane landed on
time but two of our four checked bags didn't. We have been assured
that Fed EX has possession of them but won't deliver until after the
holiday weekend. We pray that all will arrive safely.

We have been busy getting our things out of storage and everything in
place. We still have a way to go but it is beginning to look like
home. Ledgel has been busy getting the outside in shape and doing
some work in the garden our neighbor has planted.

We are still in transition mode, somewhere between the life we just
left and the one we have known all our lives. We are enjoying seeing
family and friends but memories of France keep tugging at our
hearts. Pray with us as we make this transition. Ledgel has a
dental appointment Monday. We are so thankful that the abscess has
not returned. He will be thankful to have the problem taken care of.

It always encourages us to know that you are standing with us in prayer.

In Christ,

Ledgel and Sharon

Dear Friends, (6/4/08)

Again, it has been much too long since we have written. We were hoping to give you definite plans for the future. We have been struggling for answers from the Lord. Our two year assignment ends in July. We arrive in the US on July lst. We have round trip tickets and have renewed our residency card. If all goes well after medical checkups and some quiet time for reflection, we will request the Mission Board for another two year assignment in France. We would be working in one of the new works doing much what we do now. Making contacts, distributing literature, encouraging fellow missionaries, and praying for the spread of the gospel in France.

Please pray that God will give definite direction in the next weeks. Ledgel has a supply of literature yet to distribute. Sharon is busy sorting and packing.

The following is an excerpt from Robert Bryan's prayer letter. It was such a joy to be in the service and hear Jose's powerful testimony. Continue to pray that his wife will accept salvation. She seems so happy for Jose.

"I don’t know how Jose Lino could have spoken more clearly or how his testimony could have been more powerful. One visitor from Seattle asked me afterwards to tell him that she didn’t understand a word he said, but that she felt the Spirit of the Lord as he was speaking.

Jose was giving his testimony before he was baptized Sunday morning. He explained that 28 months ago he discovered that he had renal failure and started dialysis three times a week. His life fell apart: he couldn’t sleep and he lived in fear. Rokéya, his Muslim wife, asked a Christian friend to find a pastor to Jose to talk to. We made contact, and he began attending our church. A little later a man in the church, Roger LeGuern, started the foundational Bible studies with him. At the end of the lesson on salvation, Jose asked if he could pray to receive forgiveness for his sins. When Roger told him yes, he prayed…and the transformation has been obvious!

He devours the Scriptures, sometimes reading them for three or four hours at a time. He said in his testimony that he sleeps like a baby and that he has no fear when he receives dialysis. His desire is to tell other people about Jesus."

Looking foreword to seeing many of you at the National Association. Wish we could be there for the State Association. We will start visiting churches to share what the Lord is doing in France as soon as we get settled.

Thank you for partnering with us.

Ledgel and Sharon

Dear Tony,

Ledgel is fishing today so I am using the quiet time to catch up on
emails.  This is probably his 6th time to go fishing since we've been
in France.  Matt Price leaves for State side assignment Monday, so
some of the missionaries and the french pastor wanted to fish with
him before he leaves.  They have found a small lake about five
minutes from the Keeners house.  Local fishermen say there are big
fish in it.  The last time, at least one broke a line.  Ledgel got
heavier line for everyone.  He is dreaming of a big fish.  He even
got an extra pole to increase his chances.  He has been beaten by the
others almost every time.  (He won't like me telling you that).  He
is still very competitive.

It sure was good to hear from you.  It meant so much to know that you
are working on the website for the church.  I almost felt like I had
been there after visiting it.  We are always anxious for news about
everyone.

How are your plants doing?  Did they survive?  We are in an upstairs
apartment over the church so we have no green space.  We can see the
neighbors flower garden out our bathroom window.  He has some
magnificent flowers.  We have a large terrace so I have several pots
of perennials  so I can occasionally get my hands in dirt.  Ledgel
has been helping an African friend in his garden and he found
blackberries near the garden.  He has scratches all over.  He heard
some french people talking as they walked by.  They thought he was
one of the deranged people whom we sometimes see on the streets.  I
made a couple of cobblers. He conned Judy Bryan into making jam from
the rest (since I had no interest in jelly making.  He even found
some elderberries to add to it.

We were really touched that you added us to the website. Hopefully we
will get some emails with news of what is going on in everyones lives.

I will try to summarize what we are doing.  As you noticed, the
summary from the office needs to be updated to say that we arrived in
France in July 2006 instead of being stateside raising support.
Also, it states that one of our objectives was to work with the
ministry center.  The ministry center is a project on hold right now
since the funds are not available to buy property.

The other three goals have been our main focus.  Ledgel has centered
on evangelism.  He has given out approximately 5,000 Gospels of John.
He is finishing a project to put 1,100 Gospel tracts in mailboxes in
an adjoining town.  This will be the first evangelistic outreach by
the St Sebastien church in this town.  His efforts seem to have
encouraged French christians to get more involved in evangelism.
Ledgel has found a rewarding ministry in intercessory prayer.  He has
also been involved in personal discipleship of two people.  When
needed, he has preached in all three of our FWB churches and taught
Bible studies.

I have had as my goal to give support to other missionaries so that
they will have more time for their ministries.  This has involved
packing, cleaning house, babysitting - what I call the gift of helps.
I also enjoy working two days a week at the Christian bookstore.  I
have helped with a bible study and  reached out to unsaved women.

Prayer requests:

    For the salvation of people receiving the Gospel of John.

    For French christians to have an increased awareness of their
responsibility to share the         Gospel.

    For the salvation and spiritual growth of individuals with whom we
are working.

Thanks again and please give our love and greetings to the church.

Sharon

fwbgo.com/missionaires

You can contact the Fergusons at lferguson@fwbgo.com

9/5 2007

Dear Friends,

Just because we are getting behind on writing, doesn't mean that we
have forgotten you.  We count daily on your prayers.  We see God at
work in response to your prayers.  The annual youth conference was a
great success.  We were there for the joint sunday service at the
Nantes church.  Every chair was used, the entry was full and Ledgel
and Tim Keener took the kids to a park for Sunday school.  There were
over 150 people in all.  It was a wonderful sight for a French
church.  The evangelist reminded us that there were enough people
there to turn Nantes upside down for the Lord "If we were completely
committed to the Lord".    Approximately 40 people came foreword to
pray and make various commitments.

In addition to the continuing requests we have shared in the past,
please add the following:

There will be four people coming from Liverpool, England to do
literature distribution September 19-23. Along with people from the
church, they will be giving out 7,000 tracts.  Ledgel and a man from
the church will complete a project  today of placing 1,100 tracts in
mail boxes. Pray that the Word will lodge in receptive hearts.

The church has a work day scheduled September 20-21 to dig a drainage
ditch in our neighbors yard to prevent water damage in the church.
The neighbor has not been receptive to this idea but is under
pressure from the insurance companies involved.  Pray that this will
go smoothly and that it will turn to a better relationship  with our
neighbor.  Also pray that the damage to the St Sebastien church
building will be stopped.

Thank you for your prayers and encouragement.  We love to receive
your letters about what is going on in your church and family.

Ledgel and Sharon

11/20/07

We praise the Lord for answered prayer Saturday afternoon. The
meeting went well with at least 90% voting to send two
representatives to the association formation committee. Several
sited the International Conference as a major contributing factor in
their vision for an association. Tim Keener emphasized the positive
affect of an association in the formation of a new church.

It seemed strange but one of the chosen representatives is a man who
expressed strong reservations about forming an association. He
feels the three churches are working well together without an
association and fears a loss of autonomy for the local church.
Please pray that he and other "doubters" can see the advantages of an
organized association that is recognized by the government. Pray
that the Biblical principles of unity, strength in counsel,
accountability to one another, etc. will dominate the formation of an
association.

The St Sebastien church will be tearing out a wall in the sanctuary
Saturday, November 24 to give additional space. This is a wonderful
problem to have. Pray that the men will have wisdom in structural
stability (especially since our apartment is over the church. We
don't want to fall through the ceiling.) Pray for unity and rich
fellowship as the men work on this project.

Continue to remember the meeting Sunday afternoon concerning the
starting of a new church in the outer Metro area. Tim Keener is
hoping to begin Bible studies in their home in January. I still cry
when I think what God is going to do around their large dinning room
table. He an Di have a wonderful capacity for reaching new people.
Rap them in prayer that God will guide them every step of the way.
Pray that their teammates, Matt and Christina Price, will soon have
the needed funds to return to France and participate in this new
work. Their account is heavily in the red at this time. Personally,
we miss them so much.

Wednesday we will be joining with the other French missionaries to
give thanks for what God is doing in France and in our lives. Among
our special thanks will be each of you that God has used to make it
possible for us to minister in France.

Your servants for Jesus sake,

Ledgel and Sharon