Dauner News Update September 6, 2008
Max and Prisca at the Court of Appeals
We have postponed this news update in order to tell you the outcome of the September 5 custody hearing about Constantine Tertov (18) and Alexandre Dudar (11). (You will remember that Prisca and I accepted to take the two boys in as foster children when their mother, a member of the Marseilles church, passed away in February. Alexandre’s biological father appealed the children’s court’s decision granting us custody for one year. Yesterday’s proceeding actually concerned only Alexandre, since Constantine had in the meantime become legally an adult and free to live where he chooses.)
The hearing was long and emotionally intense, especially for the two boys. Alexandre was called to testify for twenty minutes before the panel of three judges in a cleared courtroom.
Although the announcement of the judges’ decision will be deferred till September 26, it was fairly clear that the court would not overturn the lower judge’s decision nor award custody to Mr. Dudar. That means we will be safe until January 2009, at which time the children’s court will decide to renew our guardianship or not. In the meantime, we will prepare with our lawyer a request for a longer and solider form of parental authority.
We thank all of you for your prayers and solidarity with us in this work of God. Without him, we would all be delivered defenseless into the hands of powers who have little heed for our welfare.
New Church Year
This month begins the first church year in Marseilles without our beloved coworkers Garth and Diana Hutchinson. It will be a year of transition and challenge, but at the same time exciting and full of opportunities to advance the gospel. Mission trips to Poland and Rumania are already in the works, as well as remixed if not new versions of various local outreach programs.
Let me mention for now two subjects that call for your intercessory prayer and active help.
Justin Named Minister-in-Training
The first is our youngest son Justin’s internship year as a minister for the Marseilles church. This is a ministry that Justin, 23, has been preparing for literally all his life, his formal education culminating in a Master’s Degree in theology due to be completed in October. This year will be crucial for him, allowing him to see how he can best serve the cause of Christ in the French world.
Since the Marseilles church is unable to provide all of his support for this year, Justin needs to seek help from other congregations. This will be one of the purposes of his trip to the United States from September 17 to October 15. The immediate occasion of the trip is to attend the Global Mission Summit & French World Missions Workshop (September 18-21) in Castle Rock, Colorado.
CEM Class of 2009
Please pray as well for our four new CEM students who have at least one thing in common: They are all girls! (A young male candidate from North Africa is to be interviewed shortly.) See their picture on the photo page.