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JULY 1, 2013

THE OPEN DOOR

Africa Bound
To Cape Town and Zambia

As of the writing of this article, all is going well with our friends that have traveled to Africa. Their travels there were without incident. Praise God for their safety! Praise God for technology! It certainly helped bridge some holes in communication between Lafayette and South Africa. It wasnt realized until they were o and away that no one besides the team had their itinerary. No one in the US. No one in Africa. It was only by piecing together dierent conversations between dierent people that their arrival time in South Africa was realized.

This made for a little adventure. Especially for Gabriel Fabule who so patiently waited several hours in the Cape Town airport- a day early. Ooops. He remained so incredibly patient and maintained a wonderful attitude of gratitude for everyones safety. What wonderful people he and his wife, Deborah, are to work with. Once everyone arrived safely in Africa, they divided into two groups. One group went north to lead leadership conferences and teach small group bible studies, while the other went south to work on construction projects

associated with Living Springs Faith Ministry. This ministry is the church that Gabriel and Deborah Fabule lead in South Africa. In the teaching opportunities, the lessons were well-received and people were blessed. Thank you to all who are praying for our Open Door family members that have gone out in faith to make disciples. Please continue to cover them in prayer until they are safely home. Look for next months article for a more complete update on this exciting trip.

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ROYAL AMBASSADORS ROYAL OUTING

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Piano for sale - $100.00. It can be seen in the infants nursery at The Open Door. Please contact Kathryn Beasley 337/981-6438 if you would like to purchase it.

June 30th, a sunny Saturday with an early start. Royal Ambassadors with eager hearts and wide eyes followed their compasses eastward to Clarks Creek in Mississippi. With the help of several adults, they canvased some beautiful and challenging terrain. As stated by Commander Jonathon Dupuis, 14 boys, 4 junior leaders, and 7 adults experienced the awe of Gods creation: its danger, its beauty, its adventure, and its fun. He said that the trip was only possible by Gods grace and by the boys choice to be disciplined. The trip was the fruit of their choices. Many thanks to those adults that made this trip possible and to Jonathon Dupuis for organizing yet another wonderful trip and experience for the Royal Ambassadors and their families. Thank you Jonathon for walking out a faith that is alive.

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COMMUNITY GROUPS
JOIN A COMMUNITY GROUP- a place for fellowship and bible study where you get to truly experience community within the body of Christ. Currently two commmunity groups are being held, one at Stuart and Rachel Amidons home and one at the home of John and Dianna Vice. For more information on group specics, contact Stuart Amidon at samidon@opendoorla.org, or visit our website at www.opendoorla.org.

Birthdays & Anniversaries

Pastor Sam & Mrs. Merida Brooks July 6 Mr. & Mrs. Paul Doherty July 30

Marc Benoit! Rollen Trahan ! Julia Pierce! John Hammons! Josie LeBlanc! Scott Broussard ! Bart Hidalgo! Dolly Pellessier !

July 1 July 3 July 4 July 8 July 9 July 10 July 11 July 13

Cameron Falgoust! July 11

Sierra McAllister! July 14 Matthew Hamontree July 15 Grady Bourgeois! July16 Lynn Benoit! Alexia Ardoin ! Catherine Tarbell Silas Carmichael Sydney Bigelow! Claire Watson! Doug Place! July 17 July 18 July 19 July 20 July 24 July 27 July 31

Loretta Hetherwick July 22

Remember to keep Cassidy Sims and Rebecca Beasley in your prayers as they will both be serving internationally in the months to come. Cassidy will be at a Discipleship Training School in Belize. Check next months issue for an interview with recent WCA graduate, Cassidy Sims.
Cassidy Sims packed and ready to board her plane.

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Vacation Bible School Rocked.Rain or shine.

Facing fear. Trusting God. was this summers vacation bible school topic and it was all centered around an amusement park theme. With roller coasters adorning the sanctuary walls, streamers hanging from the ceilings, and carousels mounted in front of the stage, children were sure to feel the excitement and thrill that come with visiting an amusement park. This was especially so on the rainy day that sent wet fun jumps into the sanctuary further transforming The Open Door. Oh, what a day! Kudos to Pastor Sam for his exibility! Each evening began with worship where the music was led by Fred and Debbie Davis and the choreographed movements were led by Josie LeBlanc, Hanah Carmichael, Jayla Falco, and Valerie Hammons. The children then moved to dierent areas of the church to participate in dierent activities such as Bible, craft, recreation, and snack. Their Bible time was very eectively taught by Cindy Arias and her team of ladies that helped the children stay focused.Though it was said that the children came with hearts prepared to receive Gods word. Amen to that. What an encouraging word! The craft time provided the children with the opportunity to get creative with all sorts of art supplies to decorate a memory book of VBS 2013, and, on their last day, the children themselves got to be decorated with face paint. Recreation oered a time for them to get some energy out where they played games outside led by Stuart Amidon and a team of youth. Lets just say that the day it rained was not the only day we had wet children running around! Overall, the week of June 10th - 14th was seamless. Registration was smooth. Children had fun. Wonderful teamwork happened all throughout to make it a great success. And most importantly, Gods word was taught to children with hearts hungry for His word. Thanks to everyone who had a part in Vacation Bible School 2013 and especially to Sandy Thomas who organized it, researched for it, and made it happen. Go to Vimeo.com/ opendoorla to see a slideshow of VBS 2013.

Connect ! ! ! ! ! ! Groups
Mens Connect led by John Vice Titus Women led by Jo Ann Buckley Ladies Connect led by Dianna Vice Coed Connect led by Tom & Chris Riggs Connect classes are also oered for College, Youth, & all ages of children. Get Connected this Sunday to put names with faces and dive deeper into Gods Word.

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JULY 1, 2013

LARCs Acadian Village

Summer Carnival is coming up on August 3rd 4th, if anyone would want to volunteer during the event, please contact mhernandez@opendoorla.org There are shifts on both days from 9:30am-1:00pm and 1:00-4:30pm.They will need people stationed at the carnival games, concessions, admission table, ticket booth, prize table, etc. Any help would be a blessing. Thanks for considering this opportunity to serve our community.

The LBC and the Cooperative Program will bring excitement and transformation to the lives of preteens. Don't pass up the opportunity to see kids grow in their faith through PTI 3.5. Who: Incoming 4th, 5th, and 6th graders When: Saturday, August 10 Where: Louisiana College The registration deadline for PTI 3.5 is Friday, August 2, and the cost is only $10. For more information call 800-622-6549 (La. only) or 318-448-3402. Go to http://www.lbc.org/pti/ to read about the speakers and worship leader. Contact mhernandez@opendoorla.org if you are interested in going with other families from The Open Door.

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FREEDOM.
As the 4th of July has recently been upon us, let us focus in on freedom and what that truly is. For there are things that can be given and taken away from us in the temporal realm as citizens of a nation, even a free nation. Even then, we as believers, can recognize that it is ultimately the Lord that gives and takes away. Job recognized that in Job 1: 20-22. After total calamity struck his home, his children, and his livestock, it says, Then Job arose, and rent his mantle and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground and worshiped, and said, naked came I out of my mothers womb, and naked shall I return thither. The LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. Wow! Did you get that? This is just a side note. He lost more in one afternoon than some of us will gain in a lifetime and in his distress... he worshiped the LORD and blessed His name!! And he recognized it to be from the Fathers hand as should we when such things are in our midst, blessings or sufferings. Circumstances change. Our Father does not. He intends all of it for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.Romans 8:28. We must be certain of His sovereignty.

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this temporal world. vs. 24 Brethren, let each one remain with God in that state in which he was called. God may or may not change our physical state or circumstances, rather He radically changes our hearts. Our nances may or may not change but our attitude about those

nances will. Idolatry is washed away in the presence of Jesus. Selshness. Pride. Greed. Those states are Galatians 5:1 challenges us to stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not ones He will not allow us to remain in, if we continue in Him, walking in freedom. Our hope must be in Christ be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. So then, what is the liberty by which Christ has set us free? John alone, and our perspective of freedom should never be jaded by what is offered by man. Those freedoms 8:31-36.Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed certainly make life comfortable and easier than without, Him, If you abide in My word, you are My disciples but the freedom that matters is the one that can never indeed. 32And you shall know the truth, and the truth be taken away. Let us continue celebrating and blessing shall make you free.33They answered Him, We are His name, the name of the One who gives and takes Abrahams descendants, and have never been in away, for the life-giving freedom that Romans 6:5-11 bondage to anyone. How can You say, You will be proclaims: Romans 6:5For if we have been united made free? 34Jesus answered them, Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6knowing of sin. 35And a slave does not abide in the house this, that our old man was crucied with Him, that the forever, but a son abides forever. 36Therefore if the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. This is the freedom we should all desire to walk in consistently longer be slaves of sin. 7For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8Now if we died with Christ, we believe and continuously. Free from sin and its chains. that we shall also live with Him, 9knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10For the death that Paul,in First Corinthians, speaks to the church of He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He Corinth saying, if you were called while a slave do not lives, He lives to God. 11Likewise you also, reckon be concerned about it... for he who is called in the Lord yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in while a slave is the Lords freedman. Here, it is Christ Jesus our Lord. speaking about literally being slave to a master- a servant, but it says dont worry about that. Freedom is a -Mika Hernandez matter of the heart- a matter that is eternal and not of

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