Blog

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A simple guy
I was just a simple guy, one of those you see everyday in the street …
Nothing really special…
I’ve done stupid things, nothing terrible though, and not more often thananyone else, a pretty normal guy in the end…
(I haven’t led a gang or killedanybody, sorry!)
My parents held a small drinks shop (coke, beer, wine…)
and I sometimes worked there after school.
I probably could have taken it over and had a settled life, as ordinary as it gets…
But I was lacking something deeper, something that I could feel in my guts; something that would taste true …
 
Discovering an incredible treasure!
One day, at school, I was involved in an old paper collection.
I went into this particular house that had some kind of Greek columns in the entrance.
What I wasn’t aware of was that the family that lived there, (and that I didn’t even know) had been praying for me regularly.
 
When I walked into that house, I couldn’t believe it: someone was crazy enough to be throwing away a whacking great pile of comics!
Those comics were called “Tournesol” (Sunflower).
 
I started to read them and something hit me pretty fast:
– They’re talking about God!
God …? I knew it was something people talked about in those houses with a steeple on top and that are always closed, some thing for religious people or for a sect, but I couldn’t understand why on earth someone would be talking about God in a comic book (!?!)
Then I felt a soft voice, tinged with peace, in my thoughts, telling me,
– Read on, it’s for your own good.
 
Day after day I literally devoured those comics that spoke of the Gospel and of Jesus Christ’s tremendous and incredible love for me.
God himself was there in my room (he’s everywhere, actually) … and I told him:
– I give you my life … I know it’s not much … but I’m giving it to you.
Ever since that day, my life has never been the same …
New dimensions, a parallel world …
I bought myself a small Bible and started discovering God as a friend.
I would spend hours seeking him … And discovering new dimensions and experiencing incredible stuff!
So that’s how in 1989, my existence took a turn for the better, I discovered a deeper sense of life; I was 15.
That was the beginning of a life of adventure, (I’m not exaggerating!) that I can’t even start to describe now.
Maybe next time …
Alain gets started with comics …
 
Alone, with nothing…
On day, as I was attending a youth meeting, the speaker called out:
– We all have talents – …. who wants to serve God with theirs? If you do, stand up!
 
I was at the back of the room, thinking.
I honestly didn’t believe I had any particular talent, except maybe a collection of bad marks at school …
I had no training and no job…
 
That night, I was one of the only ones that stood up and I told God:
– Lord, I can’t do a thing … I have nothing, but I give it to you … you do something with it…
 
At the end of the meeting, the speaker (he had spotted me earlier) asked me:
– So, what’s your talent?
- I don’t know, I have nothing special … I draw a little in my maths notebooks… maybe I could get into comics …
- So that’s your gift? Ok, let’s pray!
- Huh? Umm, er, sure, ok!”
 
I didn’t want to spoil his evening.
 
Fire
I wanted to share with everyone what I had discovered, what had filled my life.
I wanted to spread happiness and hope in other people’s lives.
So I started drawing like a madman, every evening, sometimes even all night long.
I got into Arts School (that was really hard for me, I wasn’t really gifted).
And I graduated 5 years and a half later with a graphic designer degree.
 
Straight down from heaven!
 
My wife and I then decided it was time I dedicated myself to fulltime drawing.
At first, I started with working for several newspapers… But the more I drew, the lower the bank account went. Nevertheless, we knew we owed something to people. What I was doing was important and would meet a true need, because nothing similar to this had ever existed…
We both agreed not to talk about our financial issues with our friends and family, but only with God.
 
Alone before an empty fridge
One morning, I opened the fridge and found it nearly empty, and I suddenly became afraid:
– Am I nuts? … Can God really intervene and feed us?
I spent the whole day worrying. Fortunately, that evening, I ran into this verse in the Bible:
 
Matthew 6:31-33: “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall wedrink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (NIV)
 
So I asked God to forgive me for worrying, and I thanked him for the food that would be provided for the following day. And I fell asleep peacefully.
The next morning, an old man was at the door, his arms filled with supplies.
For the seven years that followed, God literally fed us!
I could give you so many more examples but … let’s carry on with our story.
 
Discouragement …
I was two months away from finishing my first comic book and suddenly, I just wanted to give it all up.
True, we’d never lacked food, but with my worn-out shoes, my torn trousers and my army coat, (it did keep me nice and warm!) I probably looked like a tramp.
I felt the weight on my shoulders of “what others must think”.
People around us were going on holidays, owned one or even two cars, had a TV, bought whatever they wanted….whereas, I went back to the shop to return empty bottles hoping to collect a few coins.
And as if that wasn’t enough, Eliane and I were going through a rough time in our marriage.
Even though I kept on going to church on a regular basis, I just didn’t feel like praying anymore.
 
Mister the devil …
One day as I was wandering in the forest, “mister the devil” who felt “concerned” by my situation started to make me think:
– Let go of all that, leave your wife, your drawings, your God. You’re a lousy Christian anyway.
(As if letting go of God was going to solve anything!)
I could have let it all go indeed, but not Jesus. Through the years, our friendship had become what I treasure the most. So I said to myself:
– #*@ !! That’s enough! This has GOT to change in my head! I will pray till I find my inner peace again.
 
God came the very moment I made that resolution. I felt his peace in me once again.
At the same period, three or four people I barely knew came to see me and told me they felt called with a mission to pray for five people in the country, and that I was one of them (???!!!) It sounded like a joke…
 
The phone call
Around the same time, the phone rang, and somebody I didn’t know started to tell me this strange story:
– Sir, you don’t know me, but I’ve had a vision of you speaking to thousands of young people … What can I do for you?
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing and stammered:
–Well, ummm, I don’t know … What’s your job?
– I manage an American firm.
– Hah! Well if that’s the case … Could you lend me US $ 16 500 so I can print
my new book?
– I’ll get back to you in a few days …
 
He called back a few days later, and said ok.
My first book, “Idées recues 1” (available in English as Conventional Wisdom) was self-edited and quickly became a success.
It was followed by “Marcel”, “Robi” (also available in English), “Idées reçues 2”, “Willy Grunch” (which won three awards at the International Christian Contest in Albuquerque), “Les vacances de Marcel” and “Idées recues 3”.
 
I received three times the first prize at the International Christian Comic Book Festival, in Angoulême, France. (The biggest festival of its kind in Europe).
Today, more than 100 000 books have been sold in Europe.
Some books have been published in China, in the USA and in several other countries that I could never have even dreamt of… However, I know very well that there are artists much more talented than me.
 
I regularly receive numerous messages from people who were deeply moved and born again testimonies – and that touches me strongly.
Finally, in 2013, MOONDOG ANIMATION studios released five teasers of a TV series adaptation of my comic “Willy Grunch”, in view for it to be sold to major TV networks with a potential to reach millions of people.
All this happened to a guy without talent who stood up for Jesus.
I’m just a simple guy, nothing special, but my Friend is great …
 
Load in PDF:
Alain Auderset testimony
 
 
In French,
In Deutch,
In Spanish.
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A simple guy
I was just a simple guy, one of those you see everyday in the street …
Nothing really special…
I’ve done stupid things, nothing terrible though, and not more often thananyone else, a pretty normal guy in the end…
(I haven’t led a gang or killedanybody, sorry!)
My parents held a small drinks shop (coke, beer, wine…)
and I sometimes worked there after school.
I probably could have taken it over and had a settled life, as ordinary as it gets…
But I was lacking something deeper, something that I could feel in my guts; something that would taste true …
 
Discovering an incredible treasure!
One day, at school, I was involved in an old paper collection.
I went into this particular house that had some kind of Greek columns in the entrance.
What I wasn’t aware of was that the family that lived there, (and that I didn’t even know) had been praying for me regularly.
 
When I walked into that house, I couldn’t believe it: someone was crazy enough to be throwing away a whacking great pile of comics!
Those comics were called “Tournesol” (Sunflower).
 
I started to read them and something hit me pretty fast:
– They’re talking about God!
God …? I knew it was something people talked about in those houses with a steeple on top and that are always closed, some thing for religious people or for a sect, but I couldn’t understand why on earth someone would be talking about God in a comic book (!?!)
Then I felt a soft voice, tinged with peace, in my thoughts, telling me,
– Read on, it’s for your own good.
 
Day after day I literally devoured those comics that spoke of the Gospel and of Jesus Christ’s tremendous and incredible love for me.
God himself was there in my room (he’s everywhere, actually) … and I told him:
– I give you my life … I know it’s not much … but I’m giving it to you.
Ever since that day, my life has never been the same …
New dimensions, a parallel world …
I bought myself a small Bible and started discovering God as a friend.
I would spend hours seeking him … And discovering new dimensions and experiencing incredible stuff!
So that’s how in 1989, my existence took a turn for the better, I discovered a deeper sense of life; I was 15.
That was the beginning of a life of adventure, (I’m not exaggerating!) that I can’t even start to describe now.
Maybe next time …
Alain gets started with comics …
 
Alone, with nothing…
On day, as I was attending a youth meeting, the speaker called out:
– We all have talents - …. who wants to serve God with theirs? If you do, stand up!
 
I was at the back of the room, thinking.
I honestly didn’t believe I had any particular talent, except maybe a collection of bad marks at school …
I had no training and no job…
 
That night, I was one of the only ones that stood up and I told God:
– Lord, I can’t do a thing … I have nothing, but I give it to you … you do something with it…
 
At the end of the meeting, the speaker (he had spotted me earlier) asked me:
– So, what’s your talent?
- I don’t know, I have nothing special … I draw a little in my maths notebooks… maybe I could get into comics …
- So that’s your gift? Ok, let’s pray!
- Huh? Umm, er, sure, ok!”
 
I didn’t want to spoil his evening.
 
Fire
I wanted to share with everyone what I had discovered, what had filled my life.
I wanted to spread happiness and hope in other people’s lives.
So I started drawing like a madman, every evening, sometimes even all night long.
I got into Arts School (that was really hard for me, I wasn’t really gifted).
And I graduated 5 years and a half later with a graphic designer degree.
 
Straight down from heaven!
 
My wife and I then decided it was time I dedicated myself to fulltime drawing.
At first, I started with working for several newspapers… But the more I drew, the lower the bank account went. Nevertheless, we knew we owed something to people. What I was doing was important and would meet a true need, because nothing similar to this had ever existed…
We both agreed not to talk about our financial issues with our friends and family, but only with God.
 
Alone before an empty fridge
One morning, I opened the fridge and found it nearly empty, and I suddenly became afraid:
– Am I nuts? … Can God really intervene and feed us?
I spent the whole day worrying. Fortunately, that evening, I ran into this verse in the Bible:
 
Matthew 6:31-33: “So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall wedrink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (NIV)
 
So I asked God to forgive me for worrying, and I thanked him for the food that would be provided for the following day. And I fell asleep peacefully.
The next morning, an old man was at the door, his arms filled with supplies.
For the seven years that followed, God literally fed us!
I could give you so many more examples but … let’s carry on with our story.
 
Discouragement …
I was two months away from finishing my first comic book and suddenly, I just wanted to give it all up.
True, we’d never lacked food, but with my worn-out shoes, my torn trousers and my army coat, (it did keep me nice and warm!) I probably looked like a tramp.
I felt the weight on my shoulders of “what others must think”.
People around us were going on holidays, owned one or even two cars, had a TV, bought whatever they wanted….whereas, I went back to the shop to return empty bottles hoping to collect a few coins.
And as if that wasn’t enough, Eliane and I were going through a rough time in our marriage.
Even though I kept on going to church on a regular basis, I just didn’t feel like praying anymore.
 
Mister the devil …
One day as I was wandering in the forest, “mister the devil” who felt “concerned” by my situation started to make me think:
– Let go of all that, leave your wife, your drawings, your God. You’re a lousy Christian anyway.
(As if letting go of God was going to solve anything!)
I could have let it all go indeed, but not Jesus. Through the years, our friendship had become what I treasure the most. So I said to myself:
– #*@ !! That’s enough! This has GOT to change in my head! I will pray till I find my inner peace again.
 
God came the very moment I made that resolution. I felt his peace in me once again.
At the same period, three or four people I barely knew came to see me and told me they felt called with a mission to pray for five people in the country, and that I was one of them (???!!!) It sounded like a joke…
 
The phone call
Around the same time, the phone rang, and somebody I didn’t know started to tell me this strange story:
– Sir, you don’t know me, but I’ve had a vision of you speaking to thousands of young people … What can I do for you?
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing and stammered:
–Well, ummm, I don’t know … What’s your job?
– I manage an American firm.
– Hah! Well if that’s the case … Could you lend me US $ 16 500 so I can print
my new book?
– I’ll get back to you in a few days …
 
He called back a few days later, and said ok.
My first book, “Idées recues 1” (available in English as Conventional Wisdom) was self-edited and quickly became a success.
It was followed by “Marcel”, “Robi” (also available in English), “Idées reçues 2”, “Willy Grunch” (which won three awards at the International Christian Contest in Albuquerque), “Les vacances de Marcel” and “Idées recues 3”.
 
I received three times the first prize at the International Christian Comic Book Festival, in Angoulême, France. (The biggest festival of its kind in Europe).
Today, more than 100 000 books have been sold in Europe.
Some books have been published in China, in the USA and in several other countries that I could never have even dreamt of… However, I know very well that there are artists much more talented than me.
 
I regularly receive numerous messages from people who were deeply moved and born again testimonies - and that touches me strongly.
Finally, in 2013, MOONDOG ANIMATION studios released five teasers of a TV series adaptation of my comic “Willy Grunch”, in view for it to be sold to major TV networks with a potential to reach millions of people.
All this happened to a guy without talent who stood up for Jesus.
I’m just a simple guy, nothing special, but my Friend is great …
 
Load in PDF:
Alain Auderset testimony
 
 
In French,
In Deutsch,
In Spanisch.
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Friday the 31st of May 2013
at 8pm
One man show: non-practicing atheist
‘’Café rencontre’’at the downtown. www.caferencontre.org, 796, Saint Joseph east street
Quebec City
Saturday 1st of June 2013
Interview on the radio CKZW.ca in Montreal!!
www.ckzw.ca
from 10 to 11am (I don’t know if it will be live…?)
Dedication at the Comic strip festival of Montreal 
At ‘’Espace La Fontaine’’
www.fbdm-montreal.ca
Dedication from 12 to 7pm
at the table ‘’Planète’’
Sunday the 2nd of June 2013
One man show: Non-practicing atheist
at 10am
Evangelical Church of Disraeli 7944, rank 5 Disraeli 
www.eglise-evangelique.ca
Friday the 7th of June
One man show: Non-practicing atheist
235, Saint-Jacques Granby street
www.evqmedia.com
Saturday the 8th of June 2013 at 7pm
One man show: Non-practicing atheist
Julien Ducharme Center 1671, Duplessis Road
Sherbrook
Sunday the 9th of June 2013
Share-Testimony during the service
at 10am, Pentecotist Church of Drummondville, 1700, Bvd Lemire Drummondville
(broadcast live on) www.eglisedepentecote.org
Monday the 10th of June 2013
Departure from Montreal



From the 10th to the 14th of June in the US


I will be in ‘’Charlotte’’, in North Caroline
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Come to church (so they said…)

 

Jonny (not his real name, I put that so you wouldn’t know we were really talking about Michel…),


well, Jonny lives in the hood (drugs and all that)


and I’d love it if he could meet Christians who would really care for him.

 – Come to church man, you’ll see, it’s great!

So I said…

 

From one hood to another

In those days, my church was totally lost in the sticks, in fact, it had just totally lost it, period.


Even the train didn’t come as far as this village…

 – Wait for me at the station Mich… JONNY.

I’ll hitch-hike to church and once they get there, someone will lend me their car and I’ll come back to pick you up. 

 – Will they let you borrow a car just like that, man?

 – Sure man*, we’re like a big family! (*man is a nickname for cool people)

 

A new light shone in Michel’s eyes, he’s about to meet an incredible community composed of amazing people!

(What’s that? Oh, yeah, I mean Jonny!)

 

Hitch-hiking

Nobody’s stopping! It’s a dog eat dog world here!

Then there are those with a fish symbol (ichthus) on the back (of their car!!) who don’t stop –

 it must be because it’s not their car! (Another Christian must have lent them it!)

After a 45 minute walk, I finally reach the church!

Take that, man!

 

I go up to a Christian lady who often prays with her hands in the air and explain the problem to her.  She retorts:

 – No! I’m not lending my car!

(…Afterwards, if anything goes wrong, you'll see - there'll be nobody who takes responsibility for it... and just because we’re nice doesn’t mean that we can’t be nasty, blahblahblah and I’m right anyway…)

 

Auderset quits the church! (by car)

I’m devastated! I’m so disappointed… So, what’s this all about? Is it all just for show?!

 – If that’s the way it is, I’m leaving the church !

I’ll live out my faith on my own! I don’t need a bunch of hypocrites around me!




As I head for the exit, a thought comes into my mind:

 – If all the ‘cool’ people leave the church, there’ll only be jerks left…

(I’m cool because I say stuff like ‘Jonny’ and ‘man’)

 – You won’t give up on your faith, but what about someone like Michel? Won’t he be likely to throw the baby out with the bathwater?

In other words: he’ll reject God, when in fact, it was God’s fans that he had an issue with

(what was that? I said ‘Michel’?! I don’t think so, I’d have noticed !  And what’s more, it wasn’t me, it was God!)

– Ok, Lord, I’ll stay…so that I can make a difference and welcome people like Michel when they come…

 


Feeling better once again, I pluck up the courage to make the same request again to the guitarist in the church worship group.

 – ‘No problem buddy, here are the keys.’

he says without hesitation,

 – ‘Be careful though, the brakes don’t work!

he added nonchalantly.

MichONNY (pheww! That was close!) was still waiting for me at the station, meaning we were able to go to church together in the end….

 

20 years later…


In between times, I’ve been disappointed at the behavior of other Christians…and for infinitely more serious (to a factor of 10!!) reasons.


To be hurt, betrayed, vilified, epilated (if you’re called Michel and have had your name published in a book when you’d have preferred to remain incognito), etc. by those to whom you’ve shared your innermost secrets will always be a bitter blow…

 

Transformational worship


To get back to my buddy from the hood,


it wasn’t so much him as ME


who went through a life-changing experience that morning… 

 

as it was on that day that I made up my mind:


Even though my family sometimes lets me down,

it will never stop being my family and I’ll always be a part of it.

Alain"
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The wall of evil

In my garden there’s an old wall that’s over 6 feet high, which is really, I mean really ugly!!!

(because it gets between the little flowers and the sun!!!)

The sledgehammer of prayer

I decided to take it down with my own hands (I am the defender of little flowers). With a fury that is unusual for me (with a little help from a sledgehammer)

I struck a blow against this shadowy wall.

 

At the same time, in my heart,

I rained prayer upon prayer against the walls present in my own life, its injustices, recurrent struggles and other adversities.

I refuse to just sit there and take it!

 

Half an hour later:

The wall: bearing hardly a scratch…

Me: down and out!!

 

Are my prayers not working?!?

It’s a bit like some of my long-term prayer requests; I’m still waiting for them to be granted…

also:

In church, why is it always the same people who come forward to ask for healing (?!?) Is it because it hasn’t actually worked for them before?

 

My line of reasoning runs me up against a dead end…

 

Small, but powerful

My observations of the natural world have taught me one thing.

Something small,

Done faithfully, over and over again,

Becomes big.

Perseverance will enable us to break through.

I apply this principle to my art,

So why don’t I apply it to a wall?




The battle is won in the head

Driven above all by my motivation to break down the walls in my own life,

I decided that I would spend one hour each day hammering out a solution 

Because to break down a wall in the outside world,

You must first break it down in your head.

More than mere muscles, you need to believe it’s possible!!!

Your strength is found in faith.

 

Even so, my efforts seemed pitiful ….

 



 

The coup de grâce

After a couple of days,

I finally managed to put a hole through the wall!

 

It was weird, just before that section of the wall gave way,

the sound of the sledgehammer impact against it changed…

My question is:

Does that mean that the hundreds of blows that rained down upon it before that point accomplished nothing at all?

 

Mmm…

I think that they all counted for something

No prayer is ineffective…



 

Plan B

I was really encouraged by this little hole…!

At the same time, I had to admit that there was still a long way to go:
- ‘Ahhh!! help me Lord!’

A voice behind me says:
- ‘that’s not the way to do it, buddy!’

I turned round, and to my great surprise, standing before me was Whoetallthegritz (that’s not his real name, by the way!) a friend who hardly ever gets out of the house because he suffers from a bone condition – if he fell, he’d break into little pieces (certainly more easily than my wall would!!)

- ‘dig beneath it,’

He said,
- ‘it’ll save you a lot of time!’

Then he left.

Me:
- ‘dig beneath it!’

Whaa …?! What sort of idea is that…(?)

That wasn’t what I’d been planning to do at all…!

 

I kept on hammering against the wall …

 

But the noise couldn’t drown out my thoughts:

‘What if God was talking to me through Whoetallthegritz?’

 

Something even stronger than prayer!

In the end, I started to dig beneath the wall,

attached one end of a rope to the wall, the other to my car and stepped on the gas. The wall collapsed almost immediately!!!

(I had to step on the gas, otherwise the wall would have fallen on the car!)



BLAMM!!!

The wall came crashing down with such force that it startled my little family, who were sitting in the living room. Immediately, like the most beautiful freeze-frame shot imaginable, they all ran into view, framed in the window

Their ever-so slightly unconventional pop had finally come up with the goods!

 

It was then that I understood something very important,

There is something even stronger than prayer:

Listening to God!

 

Something stronger than perseverance:

grace.

 

 Once the wall had fallen, it took me another couple of days of sweat (and shovel-work) to get rid of

The old soil and replace it with good, new soil.



Once it was all finished, I looked at my handiwork,

Took a handful of identical sunflower seeds and planted them outside my studio. The flowers that sprung up where the wall had been were absolutely massive!!! (I’ve never seen ones that big before!)  It did me, and all the passers-by, good just to look at them…

The blackberries growing on the same spot produce a bumper crop

To the delight of all those who came to dine with us!

 

When confronted with positive challenges,

Stick at it, because what you will gain from it will be much greater than the

Initial effort that it required of you.

 

This wall has gone,

But my invisible walls are still there…

I continue to pray (and listen…)

And every day I get stronger.

Some walls start to crack, but others seem unshakeable…

But I believe that my God is greater still,

And even if it’s hard, I keep going…

 

‘Those who sow with tears

Will reap with songs of joy’. Psalm 126.v 5

 

Whatever wall you may have to break down,

Stick at it,

And one day, it will fall!

  

 

Alain

 

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