Martin Mohr Ministry

19/02/2024

"Don't base your faith on that of others, do your own research! "

Iliès, a young man of 20 of Moroccan and Tunisian origin, claimed at the time that he had chosen to be a Muslim. His parents were also practising Muslims.

But the COVID and the confinement that goes with it came as a bit of a shock, because for the first time he felt alone.
During the month of Ramadan, he wanted to get even closer to God, read the Koran assiduously and understand his religion, Islam, for himself.
One day, on his prayer mat, he broke down in tears for no reason and received a revelation: Islam is not the truth!

So, rejecting this idea, he studied Islam even more and, while researching, he read the Bible and glimpsed another facet of Jesus that he didn't know: Jesus, Son of God. He began to compare the Bible and the Koran and suddenly realised that he didn't know God.
He prayed every day that God would reveal Himself to him.

One evening, some friends invited him to a prayer meeting. To please them, he went, but sat in his corner waiting for "it to pass".
But God spoke to him through the pastor of the church and Iliès discovers a true heart-to-heart relationship with his God.

He became passionate about Jesus and wanted to share what matters most to him now: his faith in Jesus Christ.

Listen to his testimony on youtube!

12/02/2024

Here's a real-life example of how a simple invitation to a meal can lead someone to decide to leave his religion for Jesus, the saviour of the world.

In July 2022, Priscilla, Timothée and Benjamin had the opportunity to meet up (at last!) with their friends in Marseille during a week of evangelism.
Each evening, they were invited to share a meal with a different family. One evening, Khaled, the father of the family, gave his testimony:

Khaled arrived in France in 2001 from a Muslim family.
He didn't know a soul in Marseille, but one day, he stumbled into a church. He made friends with someone who invited him to share a simple meal with him, and other friends joined them.

Little by little, Khaled developed a friendly relationship with them and they invited him to attend a service. He was sincerely touched by the message of the Gospel, but categorically refused to abandon his Muslim religion.
However, he did want his wife and children to become Christians…

But God was waiting for him! And by the merest chance, he ended up finding rented accommodation next to an evangelical church.
He took the time to study the scriptures and after 8 years decided to follow Jesus and be baptised.
Today, he serves the church every day.

All this is true because Timothée met Khaled personally, had dinner with him and even transcribed his testimony in a notebook, for fear of forgetting.

05/02/2024

I don't know about you, but for us, January flew by at the speed of a hyperactive Mexican mouse! 🐭

Just after Christmas, there's no time to rest: January is the "month of the other", when we go out to meet other Christian communities in the Vallée de Munster (Alsace) through prayer meetings in different churches.

We're also privileged to have an inter-church worship group made up of 6 or 7 musicians and 1 or 2 singers most of the time.🎵🎶🎤

This is a real opportunity to share prayer requests on a larger scale and to intercede so that the links between Christians are strengthened, forming a more solid unity. 🧡

If you have your own personal prayer requests or requests for your church, don't hesitate to share them with us! (in private, of course). We'd be delighted to join our prayers with yours and create a circle of spiritual support. 🙏

"Bear one another's burdens, and in this way you will fulfil the law of Christ". (Galatians 6:2).

29/01/2024

Hello everyone,

A brand new possibility is now open to you, UK residents: it is now possible to make a donation to C.N.A. (North African Channel) via A.W.M. (Arab World Ministries).
A.W.M. will transfer the donation to C.N.A. and you will also benefit from Gift Aid.
You just need to specify, of course, that the donation is for C.N.A.

Previously, sending money to a charity based in France was a real hassle. Thanks to this 'partnership', it's now possible!

To clarify the situation, Martin has been an AWM missionary since 1983 and still is! He has just been "sent" to work for the C.N.A. mission since 2015.

Again, we are greatly grateful for your prayers and commitment to the Lord first, to Martin as a missionary and to the North African channel.

May God's grace abound in you, be blessed. 💐

22/01/2024

For Christmas, Martin gave me a Kindle, you know the reading tablet that holds hundreds of books and makes reading unrivalled comfort, especially for the presbyope that I've become! 🧐

I like the English author Peter James. The French title of one of his books published in 2018, "chaque seconde compte" (every second counts), reminded me of what someone said to me recently:
"It's harvest time!", and then the Bible verses from Colossians and Ephesians that encourage us to "redeem the time" (Colossians 4-6 and Ephesians (:15-16 ) are also telling.

Without being alarmist or apocalyptic, because God does everything in its own time, "every moment counts" in sharing the gospel with Jews, Greeks, Muslims,...

"Regenerated and transformed by the message of the Gospel" is the title of the C.N.A. website. Their target audience includes Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia, a population of over 80 million.
It really is harvest time!

15/01/2024

Hello to all of you who follow us faithfully on Facebook! 🤗

You will shortly be receiving our January newsletter, the first of 2024! Here are a few news items that will not be mentioned in this newsletter:

- The Advent calendar "24 days to share the joy of Christmas with my Muslim neighbour" has taken up a lot of our time and energy, and we would have liked to have had more feedback.
But the main thing is that these daily emails have encouraged you and given you the confidence to approach your Muslim friend, neighbour or colleage more easily during the festive period.

- Martin is continuing with his satellite programmes for this month and C.N.A is very hopeful of obtaining enough funding to continue broadcasting. If not, it will continue on the internet only.
The North African channel wants to have a greater presence on social networks, especially Facebook and Instagram.

- As far as I'm concerned (Ruth), I'm continuing with all Martin's publications and emails.
As you know, I'm involved quite a bit in the music at our church in Munster and a few concerts outside as well as musical 'troubleshooting' here and there.

- Timothée's fiancée, Soojung, left for South Korea on 28 December. She was delighted to be reunited with her parents! She is actively looking for a paid job so that she can save for her and Timothée's future wedding in Korea.

- Priscilla has found accommodation in Paris, thank God ! 🙏 She'll be arriving on 21 January to take up her studies at Sciences-Po on the 22nd!

- Timothée is getting ready to take his driving test and is moving into professional photography (he's set up a photo studio here!).
He will join Soojung in Korea as soon as possible.

- Benjamin is still in Thailand and will very soon be joining the mission in Udon Thani.

Don't forget to write to us from time to time, it always gives us great pleasure. May each day bring you comfort and hope in these difficult times.

08/01/2024

January isn't all it's cracked up to be:

- Gone are the days of Christmas, the illuminations and the pretty Christmas markets.
- The weather, rather gloomy, makes you feel grumpy...
- You need to recover from the frenzy of the festive season, from having eaten too much and, on top of that, get back to work! 😣

In short, apart from wishing you a happy new year (and even then, the one from your banker is pretty lame), you're more likely to wait for the good times to come...☀️⛱️

And yet, let's not give up, nor our vigilance! The evil one would have us believe that we are the most miserable people in the world, because, because... and this sometimes prevents us from persevering in intercession for our brothers and sisters who no longer have any freedom of worship and who are being martyred as under the reign of certain Roman emperors.

Let us remain "in the breach" and ready to respond to the challenges that God places in our path!🙏

01/01/2024

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

In this New Year, we would like to express our deep gratitude for your intercession and generous support.
Your actions reflect the true essence of sharing and Christian love. 💗

May the year 2024 fill you with blessings, joy and success in your projects.
And may your commitment to the C.N.A. mission and A.W.M. continue to inspire and touch lives.

With gratitude, 💐

Martin and Ruth

25/12/2023

18/12/2023

A little testimony straight from our ladies' meeting last Thursday:

Christiane, a retired lady, stressed the importance of a warm welcome and hospitality in particular:

In the medical field, she and her husband had the opportunity a few years ago to invite a Syrian Muslim doctor for Christmas meal. 🎄
Without hiding their Christian convictions, they talked about the birth of Jesus and the good news that goes with it.
And the man didn't get angry, quite the contrary. Not only was he happy to be received by Christians, but he also listened attentively to the Gospel.
Unfortunately, they have lost contact with this doctor, but they are praying for him and hoping that he has been truly touched by the message of Christ!

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel: it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes..." (Rom. 1:16)

11/12/2023

Today is the 11th day of Advent! Every Saturday in Advent, our church in Munster holds a little vigil from 6pm with hot chocolate and mannalas (milk bread in the shape of a man).
On the programme: Christian songs on the theme of Christmas and a short story or message by our pastor.

This is often an opportunity to invite neighbours, friends and work colleagues.
Hearing the good news and at the same time finding some human warmth, who can beat that?

May you be blessed during this Advent season and may the Lord warm your hearts with his good light.

04/12/2023

During the Christmas period, the season of generosity par excellence, it's easy to imagine that some people might feel a little weary of the many requests for donations.
That's why 2 Corinthians 9:7 makes so much sense:
"Let every man give as he has purposed in his heart, without sorrow or compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver."

From Monday, Karim Mestar is launching a major campaign to raise funds for C.N.A.
The channel must continue to broadcast its programmes by satellite 24 hours a day in 2024.

May the Lord give each of us the deep conviction that our contribution will be invested in the right place to accomplish His will.

27/11/2023

Today, our HMA comes to an end! And of course, to make no secret of it, we're sad:🥲
- First of all, we're sad to be leaving you, because we've been so touched by your kindness and concern for us!
- Sad to leave this endearing country, Great Britain, where we have so many fond memories of the past and present...
But we're back home in Alsace, and we have to be. C.N.A. programming can't wait, especially for the festive season, which is coming up very soon!
We'll also be getting back to our normal routines and, above all, we'll be delighted to welcome back Benjamin, who has stayed to look after the house, and Yu-Jin, our Chihuahua! 🐶

We thank the Lord for this time of H.M.A., for having watched over us during all our travels and for the wonderful blessings you have given us. 🙏

See you soon in our newsletter at the end of November and in the Advent calendar from 1 to 24 December!

20/11/2023

A short interlude to our H.M.A. (missionary trip to the UK): testimonies from 2 ladies of North African origin whom we met recently in England:

- One, a Moroccan, converted in Seoul, South Korea! She had to travel to Seoul for work and met some Christians who led her to a personal encounter with Jesus.

- The other, an Algerian, lived in Algeria, then France and finally England. She went back to law school and became a lawyer!
She began to question her own religion after the terrorist attacks in France (2015).
She started reading the Bible and wanted to know more.
On the internet, she researched Christianity and concluded that she should convert.
She found the address of an evangelical church on the internet and got in touch with some Christians.

Jesus said: "You are the light of the world...". (according to Matthew 5:14).
Let us always be ready to bear witness to our faith in Jesus Christ!

-

13/11/2023

I admire the faith of the Scots: they hope that their washing will be able to dry in the sun despite the unstable British weather! ☔🌈
Yet we all need to receive the gift of faith when we realise more and more that peace in this world is under threat.
Even if Crovie seems like a little paradise on earth, we know that true peace lies only in a genuine relationship with God. But then, living in Crovie is much more peaceful than living in the big city of Seoul!😉

We'll soon be leaving this beautiful jewel that is Scotland and heading for England on 14 November.
Thank you so much for your prayers on our journey.

We look forward to seeing you soon in the Worcester area, 🤗

06/11/2023

Northern Scots know all about it😉! At 8am, we headed off to MacDuff for Sunday worship, where Martin preached and presented a video of his work at C.N.A.
Thank you for the warm welcome!

Tomorrow we'll be heading slowly towards Gardenstown. 🚗
But a special thank you also to Achmony Holidays for the wonderful lodge we enjoyed for 6 days in Drumnadrochit! 💗

We are grateful to you for carrying us in prayer on the car journeys. As the sun sets early (around 4.20pm) it is more tiring to drive at night. 🌛

See you soon for the continuation of our missionary journey! 🙋‍♂️

30/10/2023

The Caribbean weather isn't exactly on the cards!🌧️
The wind, rain and cold didn't help to prolong our outing at Stonehaven...😌
But our consolation is to see some very dear friends and members of the church in Aberdeen who are praying for us and supporting us. 💗

On Tuesday, we continue our missionary journey to Forfar, then Drumnadrochit and the surrounding area. 🚗

See you soon and God bless!

23/10/2023

That's it! On Thursday, we'll be flying out of Basel-Mulhouse airport to come and see you...✈

Stage 1: Northern Scotland. A magnificent country, one of the most beautiful I'd say. We got engaged in Aberdeen in August 1992. Martin bought the engagement ring 💞 in this beautiful city and proposed to me in his parents' house in Banchory.

Stage 2: England. We'll have the pleasure of visiting members of staff at the office (AWM) and then seeing brothers and sisters who live nearby.
And, of course, the most important thing is that Martin gets to see his family. 👨‍👨‍👦‍👦

3rd stage: Wales and North Surrey (England). Visit to a church in Wales and people in North Surrey.
Return to France (already!) on 27 November.

Thank you for your prayers and your spiritual and financial support. Contact us quickly if you would like to see us in the UK. We will send you our schedule to fix a date. 🏃‍♀️

See you soon, by the grace of God!

16/10/2023

In about ten days' time, we'll be going on a Home Ministry Assignment (HMA), an expression that dates back almost to Methuselah 😂.

In the past, the missionary (let's call him "Peter") left for a faraway country, far from his culture, family and friends.
Means of transport were not quite the same as today. Peter, a young missionary from London, could not return to his native country every 4 mornings.
So after ten years on the mission field, he had to set aside a special time to return to England and visit the churches and individuals who had pledged to pray for him and his ministry.
Peter was, of course, happy to see his family again and to take a well-deserved rest. And he did miss a bit of Christmas Pudding after all! 😅

In 2023, a flight from Heathrow airport to Douala (Cameroon) will take just 7 or 8 hours! At the beginning of the 20th century, you had to take a ship from the Port of Southampton, and depending on the route and weather conditions, that could take several weeks...😪

Many things make life easier now! But an H.M.A. is still tiring because there are lots of car journeys, visits to make and people to see. 🚗
And whether we're in 1910 or 2023, we still need God's protection!🙏

09/10/2023

In the previous post, we wanted to explain to you how the newsletter that you receive every month is put together.

BUT why send out a newsletter? Is it really useful?

Well YES, this work is an integral part of our missionary work.
The main reason is that unfortunately, we can't see you physically (or only very rarely when we visit you overseas).
How else can we keep in touch with you? Here are 3 essential reasons why a missionary should send out a newsletter:

1) To build or maintain a relationship with those who faithfully pray and/or support us.

2) To communicate valuable content: it's not about telling the story of our lives, but about providing targeted information on work, mission and family.

3) Finally, give specific prayer requests based on the above.

We can never thank you enough for your faithful commitment, day after day and over the years, first to Martin and then to me and our 3 children. 💐💗
May God encourage you once again to persevere in prayer for this long-term work that the missionary field represents.

02/10/2023

For some, this task is a chore, but for others, it's a real pleasure. What's it all about? The newsletter you receive in your inbox every month... 📩😊

Let's just remember that a newsletter (or prayer letter) is a letter of information sent on a regular basis to people who pray for a pastor or missionary and support him most of the time.

In 5 steps, how do we prepare a newsletter? 🤔

1) Martin gives me the C.N.A. news he receives from Karim Mestar (director) as well as information about his work.

2) I write the text (in full) beforehand on Libre Office.
I use Deepl Pro, a very good quality translation software because English is not my mother tongue. 😪
I always have Martin proofread afterwards, because he's the real English speaker! 😁

3) Then I use my favourite software, CANVA, to integrate the images into the text. This takes time, because that's where the little bit of creativity comes in.🎨

4) Proofreading at least 2 times to make sure there are no typos or other errors. Nothing beats the human eye! 👀

5) Sending the newsletter to our dear brothers and sisters in the UK using Thunderbird (plugin: mail merge, brevo style).

May the Lord bless you and inspire you in your prayers after reading our October newsletter...🙏

25/09/2023

To end September on a high note, here are 2 testimonies from K., of Algerian origin and a missionary with Agape Media (a CNA partner):

1. During a visit to the Kabyle church in Paris, 2 people came up to him after the service to say: "If we are here in this church, it's thanks to you and the CNA broadcasts".

2. During an evangelistic outreach in the Champs Elysées district of Paris, K. met a woman of Algerian origin who was looking for a Bible because every time her parents found a Bible in her home, they burnt it.
A few minutes later, she wanted to join the evangelism team to help out, because she was so happy to be able to read God's word again!

In previous posts we've talked about 'harvest', 'reaping' and 'gathering'. It's always encouraging to read testimonies like these, which show that God's word never returns to Him without effect, "without having accomplished what He desires and fulfilled the mission He has entrusted to it" (according to Isaiah 55:11).

18/09/2023

"The harvest is great, but the labourers are few" Matthew 9:37.

The e-book "10 tips for bringing the Gospel to my muslim neighbour", which you recently received in your inbox, talks in its conclusion about the "harvest", and in particular about follow-up work.

This work corresponds well to the verse in 1 Corinthians 3:6-7: "I planted, Apollos watered, but God made it grow".

C.N.A. is not alone; God in his grace has sent him partners to work in the immense field that is Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.

But don't forget that Jesus remains at the heart of the work of evangelisation:
"I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me and I in him bears much fruit, for without me you can do nothing." - John 15:5

11/09/2023

We're delighted to be continuing our harvest theme for September, which is already well under way.

I wanted to talk to you about caring for each other with kindness and compassion. Here's a image to illustrate this:
My son Timothée is currently participating in the grape harvest in the Alsace for the second time.
He learnt how to pick the grapes delicately and without damaging them.

"The field is ripe for harvest." - John 4:35.
Yes, that's still true and it will remain so, but by sowing seeds of kindness and compassion towards one another, what a joy it is to then reap the fruits of the spiritual harvest!
And then, "taking care" of new brothers and sisters in the faith, that's quite an art to cultivate too.

Ruth's story shows how faithfulness, kindness and faith can achieve such results.
It's also almost harvest time in Israel with the festival of Souccoth, a time to celebrate together !

04/09/2023

This month, if you don't mind, we'll be talking about harvesting. And just what we need! In Alsace, where we live, it's almost harvest time.
A lot of young people (and not so young) work in the vineyards to make a bit of money or simply to meet nice people and make new friends.

In a way, this is also the work of evangelisation : However, we are not looking for money or perishable goods, but above all to win souls for Jesus Christ.
This doesn't prevent us from having wonderful encounters, which are very rich on a human level, and from ourselves, as Christians who have been rooted in the faith for a long time, questioning ourselves precisely through the questions people ask us.

"Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap". - Galatians 6:7

28/08/2023

To close this month of August, here's the 3rd most frequently used programming tool : 🔨

TOOLS ON AIR :

Imagine sitting comfortably in front of the TV watching your favourite series or a documentary on the birth of the tarantula, and then an advert for the latest washing powder that washes whiter than white appears...🥼

Tools on Air is a program that not only broadcasts programmes but also creates a list of EVERYTHING that is going to be broadcast: advertising, information, contacts, announcements, etc.

So if the weatherman predicts rain for a whole week, I hope you won't be angry...☔

21/08/2023

What else does Martin have in his toolbox as a satellite programmer? 🔨

PREMIERE PRO :

No, we're not talking about a section at a vocational college for 17-year-olds who want to become electricians or carpenters, nor about a state-of-the-art camera, but about a software programme that formats the new programmes Martin receives from partners like Agape Mission.

The programmes are put through the mill and given a facelift by correcting any technical errors (colours, lighting, audio, etc.).
Once they are all nice and clean, they can finally be broadcast by satellite. 👍

14/08/2023

For the last 3 posts of August, and before the holidays draw to a close, I'd like to take a look each Monday at an essential tool that Martin uses to programme his satellite broadcasts:

The EXCEL spreadsheet:

Gone are the 'granny' diaries, now it's time for online diaries! Google Calendar is one of the most widely used.

As an overbooked businessman or father of a large family, Martin can't do without a diary! He uses it every day to find out the day and time of the week's TV programmes.
He also uses it as a 'to do list'! It seems that women are the most fond of this kind of thing...😉

31/07/2023

In our June newsletter, we spoke at length about the importance of the biological family and the family God has given us, which goes far beyond blood ties: the spiritual family! 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

The camp for couples organised by Nicole and Alain, pastors, with the help of a crack team is a good illustration of the importance of the family, of which the couple is the cement.

As a volunteer during the camp (mainly for the sound system), Martin was able to share with some of the families the work he does for CNA (North African channel). 2 families were particularly interested and asked to receive our newsletter. 😊

Our contact with brothers and sisters in Christ from all walks of life is a great source of enrichment.
Finally, whether you are a pastor or a missionary, you are always somewhere in activity, whether you like it or not.

May the Lord open the way for you to beautiful encounters this summer ! 💛