May 23, 2006

Dear friends and family,

We are now back in France after our ten-week spring home assignment.  We visited 13 churches and put 8000 miles on the car.  I'm not telling how many pounds we put on our bodies.  Having eaten in a lot of restaurants in the USA these past months, we learned that you should not eat everything on your plate like your parents told you to.  The portions are way too big!  Another lesson learned: don't ever live out of suitcases for 11 weeks in a row.

Everything went well while in the States.  We were able to visit most everyone who support us (our churches and individuals with a few exceptions).  We were hoping to raise an additional $1250 in monthly support.  Because of a number of extra one-time contributions, we are at full support.  But since we cannot count on these one-time contributions to continue, we are still hoping to have an additional $400 in promised support.  If you desire to contribute to our ministry, just send a check to the TEAM address below, designate it for us, and tell them your intentions.

Since our return three weeks ago, we have been swamped with work.  We have had to catch-up on administration and planning, do our finances, declare our taxes (for the USA and France), order materials to roof the shopping center where the church is located; prepare for a work team of 15 people coming in June, plan for planting the new church at Guyancourt, get full medical check-ups in Paris, counsel the Montigny church, do a hospital visit, and organize the renovations needed in the kitchen.  And we thought we were busy in the USA! 

Bradlee and Benjamin are both home from Messiah College for the summer.  They both made very good grades and will return in August, Brad for his senior year, Benjamin for his sophomore year.  This week they are working together, temporary jobs at a local grocery store.  They are hoping to find regular summer jobs soon.

We still have not been able to buy our house that we are renting from TEAM.  The situation of the crack in the foundation is pretty complicated.  Hopefully we will have some resolution soon; there is a meeting of experts on June 1.  Meanwhile we are proceeding to renovate the kitchen, hoping to eventually buy the house.  We have been reassured that we will be reimbursed for all expenses if we cannot buy the house.

During our home assignment this winter and spring, we were able to visit Dallas Theological Seminary, Columbia International University in South Carolina, South Eastern Bible College in Birmingham, AL, Messiah College in Pennsylvania, and Carver Bible College in Atlanta.  We have been trying to spark an interest in young students for missions as a career.

The Montigny church continues to do very well.  Attendance and offerings have gone up dramatically.  It looks like the church has enough regular offerings now to take out a loan to purchase the extra 1000 square feet in the shopping center where the church is located and to hire a half-time pastor.  They are now actively looking into finding a half-time pastor.  Please pray for this as very few French view the pastorate as viable.  And they are right in a way; the French churches are small and generally pay their pastor only minimum wage.

Your missionaries,

Bill and Bobbie Boggess

TEAM-THE EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE MISSION

P.O. Box 969

Wheaton, IL 60189-0969

Tel: 630-653-5300

www.teamworld.org