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Long Hours at the Chateau

The Château is a ministry of Encompass World Partners, a retreat center used by evangelical churches and individuals from all over Europe.

Located in the small village of Saint Albain, the Château provides a relaxing setting for church retreats, training seminars, youth events, or just a chance to get away for a quiet weekend. They also host various events throughout the year including artistic weekends, children’s camps, Biblical seminars, and sports days for youth.

It takes a lot of prayer, faith, and hard work to make this blessing thrive for everyone, which means it’s a no-brainer to let others partner with the Château. Just this past week, some folks from the U.S. put in some long hours to help the Château become more handicap accessible. Leader Marlin Weaver had this to say…

Last Friday, in the darkness of 3 am, our two-week work project in France ended as our team drove away from the Chateau. Nineteen hours later, following a drive from the Chateau to Paris, a flight from Paris to Newark, and a drive from Newark to Lititz, we pulled into the church parking lot.

Randy Bunnell, John Kegarise, Barry Sauder and I spent two weeks in St Albain, France building a handicap-accessible restroom so that the Chateau can welcome more people to hear the Gospel. Our work team also included two men who were not from Grace Church in Lititz: Rusty Larramore from Saunton, VA and Russell Yordy from Wooster, OH. 

Our team of six worked on a patio area near the Chateau’s main dining room. We carried lots of block and mortar to build cinder-block walls, ran plumbing and electricity, hung drywall, painted walls & ceiling, installed sink & toilet, put up baseboard and stuccoed outside walls to create a new bathroom for handicapped guests. It was great getting to know each other better as we worked on the various projects. The temperatures were in the 70s during the two weeks our team was at the Chateau, which was a true blessing. 

This happy crew contributed a significant service for the Château team! 

Consider This

At the end of the day, one of the best things churches can do for the sake of global missions is partner with those who already have their foot in the door. Ministries like the Chateau benefit greatly through relationships, donations, and services offered by individuals and churches. If you are interested in learning more about how to partner, consider browsing some opportunities to Partner with what God is doing in the world.