Morocco bound

What would you do if you only had 10 years to live?  Is there something you have always wanted to do but haven’t done it?  For my wife and I, that was easy: go global with the gospel.  It’s been on our hearts since the day we first met.  Whenever the conversation came up, however, we would say, “Yes, but…”  It was easy to come up with a reason to put it off.  I mean, life is rather good for us right now.  It’s nice and predictable.  Who wants to step out into the unknown? 

Well, truth be known, we do. 

When we were dating, there was a fun little line we often repeated.  I would say, “It sounds risky,” and Francelle would say, “Count me in.”  It’s been the legacy of our relationship, and we don’t want to see it die.  Life is too short.  The opportunities are many.  We would hate to come to the end of our lives and say, “If only…”

The 10/40 window is the area of the globe 10⁰ N and 40⁰ North of the equator which has the highest concentration of unreached people.

There are many opportunities out there for gospel work.  Throw a dart at random at a world map on the wall and you are going to hit a need.  Dig a little deeper and you will find some places are more needy than others.  Many of you know that I (Peter) have an avid interest in the former Soviet countries. For the past 15 years, I have served on the board of SGA (Slavic Gospel Association, NZ) and taken several trips to Russia and Ukraine.  But the Lord has directed us elsewhere. That place is Morocco.

Morocco has a population of 38 million. The capital is Rabat, a city of 2 million.

Morocco (“Maghrib” in Arabic, the land where the sun sets) is located in the northwest region of Africa and lies in the 10/40 window.  The two main spoken languages are Darija (Moroccan Arabic) and French.  Morocco is a monarchy (it has a king) and is unique in that it reflects African, European and Middle Eastern cultures. 

Street signs are in both Arabic and French.  We will be learning both.  It’s easier to read the signs in French.  It’s more valuable to speak Darija.

Our base: Rabat International Church

Rabat International Church (www.rabatchurch.org/) will be our base, where I will be serving as Associate Pastor.  International churches are unique in that they are very diverse with people on the move in and out of the city.  The congregation is always changing, along with its leadership, which keeps everyone on their toes.  There is also a wonderful vibrancy (at least in this church), as we found out on our trip there in late April. 

We were enthralled with what God was doing there.  This is the only evangelical church in the city.  If you don’t get on with someone, there isn’t anywhere else to go!  We found the believers living prayerful, purposeful lives – caring deeply for one another and their neighbours.  The church is more than a social club, it is their spiritual home.  As one woman said to us, “If it wasn’t for RIC, I wouldn’t be here.”  That got our attention.  That one phrase says it all.    

Francelle will be serving together in the areas of teaching, discipling, training and pastoral care.   We will also be involved in language learning (Darija and French) and will be living amongst and befriending locals. Francelle is a trained Primary Teacher and hopes to put her teaching skills to use volunteering wherever the Lord might lead.  We don’t quite know how or where yet, but that’s all part of the faith step.  We are looking to Him in everything we do. 

What we need prayer for

• Language learning!  This will take up a fair amount of our time, particularly in the first year
• Cross-cultural adjustment
• Good health
• Adequate financial support
• Servant hearts
• Relationship building
• Opportunities for the gospel

Would you consider partnering with us financially?

Rabat International Church (RIC) is not a wealthy church and can contribute about 1/3 of what we need to live and minister effectively.  We are looking to the Lord to raise support for the rest.  Our sending agency is GC3 (Global Connections 3), which is part of the CCCNZ network of churches.  Our sending church is Grace Church in Richmond, Nelson.  Any funds coming from our supporters will go through GC3 and then on to us (as with most mission organizations).  

Here is how you can do that:

• Go to the GC3 website: www.gc3.org.nz and click on “Give”
• Type in our names in the search bar, “Peter and Francelle Somervell” (#916) and you will see the various ways you can donate
• You can also create an account and have your own portal to make things easier
• Target support: $4000/month

If you live in New Zealand and would like to meet with us, we will be in Auckland, Wanganui, Wellington, and Christchurch sometime over the next couple of months.  Please get in touch with us.  Our contact details are:

Peter:  psomervell@gmail.com / 027 247 6388

Francelle: francelle6@gmail.com / 027 224 4327

Thanks for considering us!

“We must be global Christians with a global vision because our God is a global God.”  — John Stott