Jennifer Barlow
France
My Story
Most of you didn't know me in third grade, but if you had been on my family vacation to Epcot Center, you would have heard me speak a tiny bit of French and, when someone spoke it back to me, I was hooked! From that point on, I loved France and everything French. I had also been involved in missions groups at church and my favorite part of those meetings as a child was praying for the missionaries. When I went to Seminary, I heard about some traumatic experiences a couple of missionary kids went through as their parents served, and at this point I realized how much prayer the missionaries truly need, and how much hands-on support they need when they are away from their support system and culture. At this point, God gave me a desire to counsel missionaries and to do so in France. In this way, I can also minister to the French people. In 2013, God started opening doors for me to do ministry in France long-term, and I am excited that you want to be a part of that ministry!
Where I Work
I live in Lille, France where I provide counseling to GEM missionaries who are serving in Europe. In God's wisdom and strength, I get to be part of helping to heal the wounds that come from being on the front lines of a tough spiritual battle. I rent a separate apartment for missionaries to stay in while they're here, and they receive intensive counseling for 3-5 days at a time. For another portion of my time, I work with a church-planting team in partnership with French believers who have a desire to see Lille transformed by the Gospel. France is less than 2% Evangelical Christian, so the harvest is plentiful!