Help Save our French Language School!

by Greg Sund

Communication is the key that unlocks relationships. We all know this, however, when you become a missionary living and working abroad, you become more acutely aware of this truth and are reminded of it every time you walk out of your front door. Without the ability to speak French, our team in Burundi would be completely ineffective in what God called us here to do -  to teach, to disciple, and to build relationships with those God has brought us here to love and to serve.

A significant part of our team’s journey was a year spent at the Centre Chrétien d’Enseignement du Français (CCEF - aka Association Française d'Enseignement Biblique), a French language school in Albertville, France. For over 50 years, this small school has been laboring tirelessly, year in and year out, to “equip the saints for the work of ministry” (Ephesians 4:12), training those whom God has called to bear witness to the Gospel in Francophone countries. The impact that this school has had in France and across Francophone Africa cannot be overstated.  Founded in 1967, it has equipped nearly 3,000 missionaries working in 36 countries around the world. During our family’s year in Albertville (2016-2017) we were taught alongside missionary families heading to Senegal, Gabon, Chad, Togo, DRC, Benin, France and Burundi. These are families that, because of their ability to communicate in French, are now caring for the sick and the hungry, teaching children to read and write, training doctors and nurses and sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ to those who have not yet heard it. 

Over the course of my life, I have had a small number of teachers who have made what I would consider a significant impact on the direction of my life and on the quality of my character. My two language teachers at CCEF are among that list. Years later, I remain deeply grateful for the work they are doing, and for all the ways they served and equipped me to serve in Burundi.

Sadly, because of a series of lockdowns in France and the inability of most of those who were on track to study at this school to obtain visas to travel to France, CCEF has been hit hard and is on the brink of financial collapse. We are asking all of you who are able to consider making a financial contribution to keep the doors of this amazing school open, so that this vital work can continue, so that missionaries can continue to be trained in the French language for many years to come, so that the Good News of Christ can continue to be proclaimed, in word and in deed. Would you consider making a donation to this cause? If so, you can make a tax-deductible donation at this link. Also, please take a minute to watch this video (look for Michelle on the piano at 5:17!), to meet the teachers who have had such a significant impact in our lives and in the lives of those we minister to.