Daniel and Françoise Dossmann are preparing to serve on a fourth continent as they finalize plans to move to the U.S. after 30 years of ministry with HCJB Global in Ecuador, Côte d'Ivoire and France.

(Dec. 4, 2013 - by Penny Hughes and Harold Goerzen) Longtime French radio program producers and musicians Daniel and Françoise Dossmann have lived through many transitions throughout their lives.

Thirty years ago they traveled from France, a country where just less than 1 percent of the population is evangelical, to Ecuador to serve as missionaries with HCJB Global, using their talents in radio to broadcast a message of hope globally via shortwave.

After 17 years in Quito, the Dossmanns began a new phase of ministry in 2001, moving to the West African country of Côte d'Ivoire to serve on HCJB Global's Sub-Saharan Africa team. They helped at SIM's local Christian FM radio station, Fréquence Vie (Frequency Life), that broadcasts to the French-speaking population from the capital city of Abidjan. But at the end of 2004 a civil war erupted, forcing the Dossmanns and many others were evacuated by the French Army for their own safety.

After living a while in the U.S., they returned to France in 2007. Using modern technology, Daniel has been able to continue writing and recording radio programs, sending them on MP3 CDs to several Christian radio stations in France and French-speaking African countries.

Françoise's focus, however, changed after they returned to France. She rereads her husband's programs, but her main emphasis is translating English Christian materials into French for use by a variety of ministries.

Daniel Dossmann produces a Bible study radio program at the studios in Quito, Ecuador, in 1991.

Through their time in Africa and their relationship with the Mobile Member Care Team, now based in Accra, Ghana, Françoise translated the manual for the "Sharpening Your Interpersonal Skills" workshop. The seminar is sponsored by International Training Partners, an outreach intended for people in ministry. She also participated as a facilitator for three workshops in France.

For several years Françoise has been contributing to the French version of the website, www.AllAboutGod.com. Daniel answers questions and inquiries that come online through this website from people living in many French-speaking countries. Françoise assists him with these responses and sends them online.

The Dossmanns' journey, after three decades with HCJB Global, is far from over as they again prepare to change continents. In late February they will move to the U.S. to be close to their son and daughter-in-law, Oliver and Rachel Dossmann, and their four grandchildren.

As the globe seems to be shrinking via the Internet, the Dossmanns plan to develop additional opportunities to reach more French-speaking audiences. Daniel will continue producing 15-minute Bible study programs that air on radio stations or online.

Rachel and Oliver Dossmann with their children (l-r), Kaylee (2), Zachary (5), Alexander (7) and Liana (4).

With Oliver's help, Daniel is looking forward to starting a website, giving him a way to incorporate the production of new programs as well as those that he and Françoise have recorded throughout the years. These will be available to download by radio stations-including Internet stations-or individuals. Françoise will continue her translation work and is open to taking on similar projects.

The Dossmanns also plan to participate in the ministry that their son founded, Mission to Missionaries (MTM). At the heart of the outreach is a picturesque retreat center called EdenRidge close to the Great Smoky Mountains near Fairfield Glade, Tenn. The facility is designed to help missionaries be "well rested, renewed and ready to continue their furlough or return to their field of service," according to MTM's website.

When asked what they would miss about being away from France, Françoise replied, "Mostly friends and family. We have friends in many countries with whom we communicate regularly by email, telephone and Skype, so we'll mainly miss those we see regularly in Normandy. We also enjoy doing Beth Moore Bible studies in our home with a few friends who speak English, primarily from our local church."

"In France there are bakeries everywhere, so we might miss fresh baguettes and croissants once in a while," she related. "We've been living in Normandy for the past six years and enjoy the seaside. We've had several visiting American friends, and we've enjoyed showing them around the beauty of the seaside and taking them to some very important historical sites such as the D-Day beaches."

Entrance to the EdenRidge retreat for missionaries. Photo courtesy of samfotos.com.

The Dossmanns now look forward to being closer to family in Tennessee, getting to know their grandchildren and teaching them French, participating in their family life, fellowshipping with the local Christian community and appreciating the beauty of nature around them.

"I would very much like to start a prayer group, especially upholding our friends wherever they are to share prayer requests for what is important for them," added Françoise.

Both love music, and Daniel continues to teach guitar lessons while Françoise enjoys playing the recorder. Throughout the years they have released 10 instrumental albums that are available through Epanoui Productions, a ministry of MTM.

The happy newlyweds in 1968.

When Françoise signed up to learn to play the guitar at the age of 16, she met Daniel at the music school where he was one of the guitar teachers. They began to date shortly afterwards and together began their search for God. They married in 1968.

The Dossmanns, who grew up in Paris, were not raised by Christian families. In their spiritual journey they followed many paths such as yoga, Eastern religions and even visiting India five years into their marriage.

Daniel and Françoise both came to believe in Jesus within days of each other. Then they began searching for others who believed in the Lord and happened upon a small Christian bookstore which was their first encounter with evangelical Christians in Paris.

Their passion to learn more about Jesus took them to a Bible school in Geneva, Switzerland, and sometime later they heard about HCJB Global through now-retired missionary Tom Fulghum. He became connected with the Dossmanns through an American missionary who was the pastor's wife of the church they were attending in France at the time.

"We are very aware of and concerned about the suffering going on in our world," Daniel and Françoise concluded. "Wherever we are, our desire is to continue conveying the message of hope that God gives to humanity through the gospel of Jesus Christ. We very much appreciate to be a part of the ministry of HCJB Global."

Sources: HCJB Global, Operation World, www.missiontm.org