Alan’s “Not Today, Satan!” Attitude about Reaching France

“I got bit by a black widow, and it kept getting worse and worse and worse,” says Alan. “I had to spend three days in the hospital this summer for intense antibiotics.”  

And that’s just one of the hardships he and his family have faced since he started pursuing missions more intently. They've also navigated medical emergencies, a flooded home, and multiple car accidents that left their vehicles totaled. Through it all, Alan has kept his sense of humor. “I jokingly say I'm just a false imprisonment and a shipwreck away from being Paul,” he laughs. 

But despite all the setbacks, Alan's calling hasn't changed. He's still preparing to complete Encompass's Atlanta Internship before launching into cross-cultural ministry in France. 

“Not today, Satan!” he says. “We're still moving forward. It's happening, and I'm excited!” 

In many ways, this journey has been years in the making. Several years ago, Alan's parents were preparing to serve long-term at the Chateau in France, but two sudden heart attacks nearly claimed his father's life and ultimately prevented them from going. Now, God has given Alan the opportunity to carry out that calling God placed on his parents' hearts. 

To prepare for this calling, Alan majored in French at Grace College. Any lingering doubts about his direction vanished during a study-abroad trip to Dijon. Despite feeling completely nerve-wracked before leaving America, the moment he arrived, he was overwhelmed by a profound, God-given peace. "It just felt more and more like, ‘Yeah, this is it,’” he remembers. “Everywhere I went in France just felt like the right place for me to be.” 

His journey begins this September with Encompass’s six-month Atlanta internship, where he’ll receive cross-cultural training and have intentional conversations with people from other cultures. Following a brief transition back home to California, Alan will then launch to France in April for three months of intensive language training and cultural immersion as he partners with local churches.  

As Alan steps into this next chapter, he invites the Encompass family to join him in prayer. Ask God to grow Alan in new ways as he takes these steps towards living out God’s calling on his life. If you'd like to become part of Alan's ministry, you can partner with him as God uses him to make Jesus known in France.