Dear Friend of Phil and Helaine DeMarte,

I’m writing this letter to you in the hopes of drawing your attention to a family I know to be resilient and undeterred as they pursue God’s call upon them to expand the frontiers of the Gospel in today’s secularized Europe. My desire is for you to be inspired to live convictionally and boldy for Christ right where you are, but also in partnership with those who are our representatives among the gospel-deprived nations of the world.

Even though much of the world “shut down” during the height of the pandemic in 2020, our missionaries, Phil and Helaine DeMarte pressed forward in reliance upon and obedience to the Lord, deploying to France with their children in June that year! I have had a front row seat as this special family persevered through so many challenges all while the globe was in turmoil.

When the church sends missionaries to the world, the balance between urgency and wisdom must always be weighed. As their Area Leader, I had to often restrain their urgency to deploy in light of the wisdom of waiting until their full support goals were achieved.

Amazingly, in the past eighteen months, the world economy has shifted into a rapid free fall. Inflation has become a serious threat to many of our missionaries in foreign fields. The average cost of electricity in France, for example, has risen twelve times what it was when Phil and Helaine landed in Paris! These kinds of monumental shifts in the cost of living can leave our missionaries vulnerable. What once was sufficient for supporting their work now leaves them with no margin for ministry expenses, or worse, forced to accumulate debt to pay for monthly living expenses.

Just as we had to persevere during the pandemic, so we must do now. We and the DeMartes remain undeterred in the commitment to the Great Commission believing that the Lord has much yet to accomplish among the mission fields of the world! To that end, I have directed Phil to dedicate fifteen to twenty hours a week toward raising the additional funding toward new support goals that have been adjusted in response to the unforeseen increase in cost of living, as well as to unforeseen loss of support

The needs in France for missionaries to pioneer new church plants and partner with others is immense. If you presently partner with the DeMartes, would you prayerfully consider increasing your monthly support commitment? Additionally, the DeMartes need advocates who are willing to recruit others to join their partner team. Thank you for giving your time, attention and prayers to these important needs. May the Lord richly bless you!

In Christ!

Ken Heizer
Area Leader for Western Europe
Biblical Ministries Worldwide