Category Archives: Blog

Christmas in France

December 26, 2015 By in Blog, Events Tags: , 3 Comments

Pass the tissues please!  Not so much because we’re emotional about the holidays (yet), but because we’ve all been fighting colds this week.

Christmas… really?

As a Canadian living in France, the lead-up to Christmas has been a bit different as many of the visual cues that help you “get into the Spirit” have been missing.

  • no frost or snow (temps have been between 10 & 15)
  • many home decorations go up only 1-3 weeks beforehand
  • friends aren’t rushing state-side for Black-Friday deals

Add to that the fact that we were away last week and it seems like just as soon as we land back home, Christmas had somehow snuck up on us. Before we could really think seriously about that however…

Kids Weekend

EDD, École du Dimanche, Franck Nowacki, Marion Nowacki, jeunes Eleven kids had a blast last Saturday as we hosted a games day with Franck & Marion Nowacki from Melun. Marion is the national Sunday School director and together with her husband, has ministered both in France and North America.

It’s amazing how much fun 9 boys and 2 girls can have with 5 Nerf guns a big yard & some pallets for “cover”! They enjoyed a 1/2-dozen other games before ending the evening with a bonfire and marshmallow roast.

The goal of the afternoon was to allow the kids to connect with the Nowackis through fun before they ministered to the kids the following morning, where everyone became child-like and enjoyed their team ministry. The Lord touched young and old alike… we are grateful!

a very Furry Christmas

Collie, pet dog, dog, dogsitting

We don’t have an Elf on a Shelf but we are sharing Christmas with a collie named Jacques. Friends Justin & Caroline Ward are spending Christmas in Texas and needed a dog-sitter; our kids were only too happy to oblige.

It’s noteworthy that Jacques is a well-travelled dog. Justin got him while he was an AIMer in Romania then returned to the USA with him before moving to France. Way to go Jacques!

Christmas Eve

Ice skating, Christmas Eve, Châtellerault, patinoire, MairieChristmas eve day was fun & kind of unique! The city built a temporary ice skating rink right in front of city hall and the kids had been dying to go. We got together some friends and headed down. When temperatures are 13 (55) degrees though… it’s pretty hard to keep ice… well… hard. There were puddles all over the place and within minutes, after a few falls, the boys were rather wet!  … but they had an absolute blast!

We walked through the Christmas market and had a hot treat to warm the insides before heading back to the house.

Normally at home, my mom’s seafood chowder is on the Christmas eve menu, but given the distance, we settled for corn chowder in stead. We started it off, however, with France’s famous foie-gras on baguette with some apricot jam as an appetizer (Oh… my!) and ended the evening by watching “The Nativity Story“ a 2006 depiction of Jesus’ birth… great show!

Christmas Day

Christmas in FranceI love it that our kids are getting older. We weren’t awakened until 8:30ish! There may have been some Nerf-gun wars, some colouring & some new pyjamas.

We were able to find turkey (unlike at Thanksgiving – it’s mostly a Christmas meat) and Liz had some lime jello to make cucumber salad; so dinner was a hit!

After supper, since we’re dog-sitting a collie, what else was there to do but to watch Lassie before having a game of Apples to Apples & hitting the hay.

Newsletters by email…

Mailchimp, email marketing, email, subscribers, email listIn the New Year, rather than publishing our monthly – bi-monthly newsletter here on the blog, I’ll be relying on Mailchimp to publish it via email… meaning you can receive it directly in your inbox…

If you’d like to receive our newsletter
Click Here to Subscribe

.

Looking ahead

Next week I’ll be posting a video for you and newsletter subscribers will receive a couple of bonuses as well… but more on that next Saturday (when we’ll be in 2016… can you believe it?).

Thank you for walking this road with us! We are here because of your generosity and see God’s hand at work because of your prayers. Merry Christmas friends. God bless you today!

 

115 Tunnels to Tuscany

December 19, 2015 By in Blog, Places Tags: , , 2 Comments

As you’re sitting down with your morning coffee, I’m serving you up a few pics of our time away last week along with a few bullet points of the week that was:

Italy

Before France was ever in the picture, we began exploring Timeshare ownership. It was fairly onerous and a bit unfamiliar at first, but it paid off last week because we had a two bedroom apartment that cost only the gas to drive there + any visits & groceries on site.

We drove through 115 tunnels to get there… we counted. The shortest was 40m (120′) and the longest over 11.6km (7.2 miles)… hence today’s title.

Though within 45 min of Pisa & Florence and a bit more to Rome by train, we spent most of our time in the apartment relaxing, with the exception of a day in Pisa and two afternoons exploring nearby hill-top villages. Liz & the kids were ready for their first break from school and I did virtually nothing on the computer. What a great break. Monday morning we left for home, stopped on the Italian side of Mont Blanc for a ride up the mountain then made a final push, arriving home at 2am Tuesday.

Back Home

  • After a 17hr day Monday, Tuesday was a “lay low” kind of day, although we did put up our Christmas tree later that night, with home-made egg nog to cap off the evening.
  • Wednesday night was the 3rd lesson in our “disciplines of discipleship” series…
  • Thursday was a quick up & back to Melun (another 700km round trip).
  • Friday saw some work related to “the Pentecostal Messenger” and…
    .
  • Praise Report: The church had a very important piece of paperwork come through from the Government this week. It is one of 3 critical steps to expanding our activities here in Châtellerault and has been several months coming.

Today

We are hosting the National Sunday School director and her family for an afternoon of kids & youth activities at the church followed by a Holy Ghost rally tomorrow (Sunday).  Pray for the youth that will be present! Because of your prayers & support, you are part of every victory here!

God bless you as you prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus with friends and families this week!

Here are some pictures from the other side of 115 tunnels!
(click for larger versions)

Sunset over Peccioli
Peccioli, Tuscany
Rest & Relaxation
Playing “Turkey Foot”
Pisa, the Arno River
Visiting PIsa
The kids & their MK Ministries’ Travel Buddies
Panforte, a Christmas dessert
Marzipan Cherries
The Christmas Tree in Volterra
Volterra… known for it’s Alabaster
Going up Mont Blanc
Atop Helbronner (3.4km / 11K ft)
Family selfie in the sky
Driving through the mountains
Home, home-made egg nog & the Christmas tree

AIMKids… tellin’ the truth

December 12, 2015 By in Blog Tags: , 1 Comment

Since we’re away from Châtellerault for a few days of family vacation, I’m trying to minimize “screen time” so for today’s post, I’m serving up what Sophie, Dominic & Timo said recently about being AIMKids…. see below.

Just before that though…

Coming up this week:

  • We’ll be distributing more of our #PrayforParis cards… pray that they make it into the hands of hungry individuals.
  • Next weekend, we’re having a special Kids’ Focus weekend with the National Sunday School coordinator: with activities on Saturday and a Holy Ghost Rally on Sunday morning… pray for an outpouring of God’s Spirit on our youth.
  • Once we get settled back in Châtellerault we’ll share some vacation snapshots… watch for those as well… pray for safe travel home on Monday & Tuesday.

AIMKids Speak

Note: This was recently published in the November issue of the Pentecostal Messenger (monthly publication of the Atlantic District).

If you find it difficult to read:

Click the image for a larger version
Click here to download a PDF

AIMKids Speak hi-res

Thank you for reading & praying!
God bless your day!

Christmas, Blogs & Outreach

December 5, 2015 By in Blog, Events Tags: , , , Leave a comment
Hôtel de Ville, Tours, Loire Valley, Noël, Christmas

City Hall in Tours

It’s starting to look a lot like Christmas, minus the snow… mixed feelings about that:

  • Glad for no shoveling or plowing yet.
  • There’s still lettuce in the garden.
  • Pansies add winter colour in the garden.
  • BUT… it’s weird to see Christmas decorations alongside green grass & bare pavement.

Jury’s still out!

Latest Bi-Monthly Newsletter

2015_12_05_PIMltr

We’ve just published our latest partner newsletter. If you are a regular reader of the blog then you will be pretty much up to date.

If you know someone who is interested in or has a burden for France… feel free to print it for them or forward them the link. It will give a good snapshot of the past couple of months.

Click here to read the newsletters:

in English
en Français

.

Outreach Efforts

For those who haven’t seen it yet, we launched this 2:48-min video on Monday. The 3-fold goal:

1. Offer 3 verses to encourage people in uncertain times.
2. Direct them toward our Facebook and web pages.
3. Offer them a Home Bible Study

In the next 2-3 weeks we’ll distribute 2,500 cards in an attempt to cast the net wide. Please join us in prayer for this undertaking… souls are in the balance.

(Note video is in French)

 

AIMKid bloggers…

(*unapologetic commercial alert*)

Soph and Dominic each have a blog and are “occasional bloggers” – they don’t blog often, but when they do, it’ll give you a window on the missions world from a kid’s perspective.

Click the images to check ’em out & SUBSCRIBE
(You’ll get an email each time they publish)

sophlong.wordpress.com, Sophi Long, AIMKid, MK, France, Châtellerault, Third Culture Kiddomalong.wordpress.com, domalong, Dominic Long, AIMKid, MK, France, Châtellerault, Third Culture Kid

In General…

Aside from all that good stuff… it’s been a productive week, albeit fairly heavy on administrative tasks:

  1. December’s Pentecostal Messenger is off to print.
  2. Partner newsletter  &  monthly reports to our sending organization are done.
  3. Year-end church reports for the French Federation are mostly done
  4. Lawn mowed (hopefully for the last time), cleaned out the church garden & planted pansies for the winter (neat to have winter colour in the garden).
  5. We spent Monday evening as guests at our landlord’s home… what a treat, the fire was roaring in the fireplace when we arrived!
  6. Got to visit with a dear shut-in saint from our church.

…looks busy when you sit down & list it, but it’s just a mix of “life” and “ministry”… not unlike you. You balance work, family and involvement in between… God bless & strengthen you as you do!  The only difference is, you allow us to do it in France and help grow the church while we’re here. Thank you.

,

Get-Away!

As many of you read this, I’ll be at Bible School in Melun. I head home tonight for service tomorrow and then we’ll hit the highway for a few days of rest & relaxation.

Kids in French schools had a 2-week break in late October and will get another at Christmas. Our AIMkids haven’t had that luxury; along with Liz, they are really looking forward to a week off before return & hit the road running in the lead-up to Christmas.

Note: We’ll be hosting a special guest this Christmas… details to follow)

One more glimpse at Christmas preparations here…

marché de noël, Tours, Christmas Market, Christmas

Christmas Market in Tours

 

 

A Living Christmas Tree… literally!

November 28, 2015 By in Blog, Places Tags: , , Leave a comment

Downtown Paris was eerily quiet…

Last Sunday in Paris

Eiffel Tower, Carrousel, Trocadero, Paris

Although I shared some photos with you, earlier in the week, I didn’t talk too much about the day.

I caught a 6:41am train in order to be in Paris for morning service. Arriving around 8:30, I took advantage of the beautiful sunny morning to walk to church. As I walked, I prayed: Prayed for the service that would soon begin and prayed for this city… recently brought to its knees and still recovering.

Service went well. There were probably about 60 people and though they said that there were a lot missing, when you’re used to a “home-missions-sized” crowd… 60 is a full house!

Ambassadors

I spoke on the apostle Paul as an ambassador. God said of Paul that he was a “chosen vessel”, chosen to bear the name of Jesus (Ac.9).  Just like Paul, each born again Christian, is a chosen vessel… chosen to bear the name of Jesus to the world around us. If ever a city was in need of such ambassadors… Paris, in November 2015, is such a place. Lord help us to appropriately bear your name… bringing hope.

After Church…

Following service I had lunch onsite, had coffee & dessert downtown with one of the church families then spent 4-5 hours walking. I wanted to pick up a few things for Christmas and I wanted to continue to spend time praying in the city… connecting, feeling…

Five things I learned or noted:

1. Downtown hotels are eerily empty (with some at 35-40% capacity).
2. Streets are pretty empty
3. Security personnel are EVERYWHERE… and heavily armed.
4. There were crowds at Paris’ Christmas Market, otherwise…
5. Pre-Christmas retail sales were down 30% last week & 17% this week

People have been affected by the attacks! I’m glad we know the peace-giver.

.

Beginning to look a lot like…

Châtellerault, Pont Henri IV, La Vienne, Chateauneuf, Noël

While many of you celebrated US Thanksgiving this week, here it’s beginning to look like Christmas (The Thanksgiving holiday isn’t celebrated here).

City crews in Châtellerault have been putting up lights for weeks already, but this was the first week that we saw them lit up. Here you can see some located just on the far end of the Henry IVth bridge.

Speaking of Christmas…

Christmas Tree, Sapin de Noël, Jardiland, Châtellerault, 2015

We picked up our Christmas Tree this week.

It’s the first time in a long while that we’ve gone out and bought one, having caved in a few years ago and gotten a fake one back home. We’d actually gone out to pick up a few trays of pansies (a common source of colour in winter gardens here) when I saw that trees had arrived at the local Jardiland.

Timo & decided compromised between cost and eco-friendliness: for the first time ever, we have a living Christmas tree (it’s in a pot and can be planted outside after Christmas… how cool is that!?).

Reality Check: I think a good church fundraiser might be to plant Christmas trees on our huge property, then in 10 years or so, we can sell ’em!  A 6-foot tree like we’d typically get back home runs for 75 euros ($105 CAD or $79USD)… this little guy was no where near that amount.  Good heavens!

Outreach

PrayforParis, Châtellerault, UPCI, Église, pentecôtiste

Our printed cards arrived this week which means that we’ll be able to begin handing them out in the next couple of days. The idea is to “strike while the iron is hot” so to speak… to get these into people’s hands while everything is still fresh.

The cards simply give people 3 verses to contemplate as they mourn the attacks and question the uncertainty of the days in which we live. It also gives them the church’s Facebook and web pages should any want to connect with us afterwards: This is the goal. Pray with us that these make their way to people who need a touch from God and are hungry for Him.

That’s all for today

If you missed the gallery of pictures that I posted earlier this week, you can see it here.
Thank you for praying and giving financially… your support is causing growth in France.

If you’re in the Atlantic District… look for an article written by Sophie, Dominic & Timo for the November issue of the Pentecostal Messenger (for those not in the Atlantic District, I’ll be posting it here in the next few weeks).

If you’re in need of Christmas gift ideas and are reading from Saint John… our home church, Mission Point (130 Mark Drive), is having their annual Christmas Craft Fair: 28 tables of crafts, home baking, preserves, etc….

God bless you today, now go be an Ambassador!

 

Day in Paris: Photos

November 23, 2015 By in Blog, Places Tags: 1 Comment

Thank you for all of you who were praying about my day in Paris yesterday, it went well. I’ll relay more details in Saturday’s post but I wanted to share more photos than I typically do.

If you know someone who loves Paris, longs to go or longs to go BACK…
share this gallery with them.

(NOTE: click on any photo to enlarge)

Morning walk to church, Ivry-sur-Seine
Industry along the Seine River, Ivry-sur-Seine on my walk to church
Worship Practise – Paris Centre
“Paris needs Ambassadors… to bear HIS name”
Crowds at Paris’ Christmas Market on the Champs Élysées
Roof of the Grand Palais
Dior Clothing Store at Christmas
Seen from a distance…
Sunset over the Seine
Getting wet feet to get a great shot of the Eiffel Tower
Spinning Carousel and the Eiffel Tower
Eiffel Tower and a spinning Carousel
Christmas decorations – Carrousel du Louvre

 

Many of you have already seen the kids’ evangelism ressource below,
but just in case some haven’t…
5 ways that we can all be like the Eiffel Tower and be a witness for God

Also… want to know more about what the Lord is doing in France on a regular basis?
Subscribe to this blog

Youth Convention

November 14, 2015 By in Blog, Events Tags: , , , , , 3 Comments

Stop the Presses…

IMG_5004

… before I do or say one more thing, I have to stop and say…

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

…to my number one baker and “French Painter”… Timo.

Since arriving in France he has become an incredible drummer, taken great interest in baking, cooking and making authentic Italian pizza crust from scratch (he rocks). People love being around him and he’s making more friends than he probably realizes. He’s a JOY and we are so proud of this AIMKid!

Today is the actual day but we celebrated with friends earlier in the week because dad teaches at the Bible School today. Incidentally, he is holding a home-made backboard for the basketball net that we picked up in the summer. Our next door neighbour made it for him… how cool is that!?

Youth Convention

Dammarye-les-lys, European Youth Convention, EPUFrance, Église Pentecôtiste Unie, Baron Jen Carson, AIM, AIM2Go

Last weekend we were in Melun for the national youth convention (YC). It actually doubles, somewhat, as a European YC since there were people there from Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Estonia, the UK and all over France.

Rev. Chadwick King (Santa Rosa, CA) was the guest speaker and was tremendous. In the top picture you’ll see that I was translating for Bro. King. What an honour to help in the area of translation.

Not only did our kids enjoy being around other youth, but we had a couple of young people with us who were there for the first time. They too enjoyed it much and are already excited to come back next year. Praying at the altar, they were so hungry for the presence of God and the gift of the Holy Ghost: I’ve said it before God is doing a great work in our Sunday School kids!  Thank you Jesus.

Little touch of Holland

We’d been looking forward to meeting fellow AIMers Baron & Jen Carson of Bosier City, Louisiana and it happened at YC (see pic above). They assist at the church in Dordrecht Holland and what a pleasure to serve on AIM with such great folks as them.

If you have an interest in, or burden for, Holland… check out their site: HopeforHolland.com, and consider partnering with them.

Monday Monday…

Châtellerault, la manufacture, cheminéeAfter a busy YC weekend, followed by a 3.5hr drive back home Sunday night, Monday was a low-key day at home for the most part. Only at around supper time did the whole family venture out together to watch the sunset from the old smoke-stacks at la Manufacture downtown, normally a great vantage point. With winter time now in effect and the sun moving quickly, we actually arrived just after it had set, but still enjoyed getting out in the fresh air together.

We weren’t alone up there however, there happened to be another family… a mom & her two boys who spoke English. We struck up a conversation with them which lasted nearly an hour and a half. They too were an ex-pat family who’d moved to Châtellerault from Melbourne Australia. They’d been here for roughly a year and a half and were homeschooling their kids until just recently when they’d enrolled them in school. In short… there were tons of parallels between our two families (right down to having left behind a flock of backyard chickens!!).

We may have thought we were going down there for a sunset, but I think it was definitely a God-moment and the real purpose of our jaunt down there was for that meet-up. Thank you Lord!

#ParisShootings

Bataclan, Paris , Shooting, Terrorism

Photo Credit: CNN

I didn’t want to lead off with this, because Timo & all the good things that God is doing take priority.

Nonetheless, many of you reading this will have already heard about the shootings in Paris last night.  As I write this 129 people died in shootings at a famous nightclub, a restaurant and, incredibly the national soccer stadium where France was playing an exhibition game against Germany with the president in attendance.  As a result the city of Paris will largely be “closed for business” today: any place where crowds can gather.  It’s likely not a coincidence, but France resumed passport control at the borders yesterday in the lead-up to the global environmental conference to begin in a few weeks.

Know this: Although I’m in the Paris region for Bible School, I’m some 50km from downtown so quite sheltered. Thank you for those that have emailed, tweeted or inboxed through Facebook.

Do this:  #PrayForParis #PrayForFrance … there is perhaps no day when it is more appropriate to place a call out for prayer for this country. Once again, the nation has been hit at its heart and will be seeking solace. We know the peace-giver.

Everything that happens has SOME-thing to do with the Kingdom of God…pray that God helps us recognize and seize each opportunity in the coming days & weeks.

Pray for France

Working for Fellowship

November 7, 2015 By in Blog, Events Tags: , 2 Comments

Good news: Early this morning, we hit the road on our way to Melun for the National Youth convention. The bad news… you’ll have to wait until next weekend’s post to hear about it except for some sneak-peak snippets on Twitter:

Work and Fellowship

Église Pentecôtiste Unie, Châtellerault, UPCI, France, Church Work Day

Wanting to have a lot of last minute things tidied up and in good shape for Bro. Brochu’s arrival, the entire church congregation stayed last Sunday after church and spent the afternoon together.

We started off by having dinner (Domino’s Pizza – How French is that!?) then proceeded to work. One team tackled the inside of the building while the other went after the outside, and everyone helped; even the kids hauled branches, whipper-snipped grass, etc.

The expression “Many hands make light work” was once again proven right!  We had a pile of work to do, but were done shortly after 5pm… early!

Bonfire Ministry

I joked to someone afterward about our bonfire ministry… because this was now the 5th time since Spring that we all gathered ’round a bonfire to finish off the day… roasting marshmallows and making smores (unknown to the French).  In fact… there is some legitimacy to what I said in jest; there really is an element of ministry there, because it brings people together to relax after sharing a common accomplishment.

Not only is there an aspect of fellowship, but working together fosters a shared sense of ownership with regard to the church building & property. We had a wonderful afternoon together and accomplished a great deal!

Pastor Brochu’s arrival

Missionary, Paul Brochu, Châtellerault, France, UPCI

On Tuesday afternoon, Bro. Brochu arrived after several days of meetings in the Paris region, but even his days in Châtellerault were far from restful. There were a number of files to get caught up on, people to catch up with and he spoke in our mid-week service on Wednesday.

You know, sometimes you wonder what missionary life is like and suppose that it’s all Bible study and preaching. The reality is that there are many practical questions to manage just as there would be in a North American setting with this difference: French bureaucracy.

For example: there is some painting to be done on the front of one of our buildings but due to zoning requirements, a project plan needs to be drawn up including photos & paint samples. It must be submitted to a committee of the Architects of France who will take 2-3 months to grant permission to PAINT the front of your building. Such mundane details are also part of missionary life (I’m SO glad the Bro. Brochu is here to work through that file).

It was good for the church to hear the voice of their pastor. We’re thankful that the Lord allowed him to come back, if only for a short visit. It’s good to reconnect face-to-face.

Looking Ahead

France at a Glance, Top 15, 2015, Missionary Newsletter

One of the other things I’ve been working on this week is a 4-page PDF document entitled Top15 in 2015: highlights the top 15 moments of ministry involvement and family life during our first eleven months as AIMers in France.

It’s something that will be available later in December to those who follow the blog via email. If you’re interested in receiving it simply click on the link below & you’ll receive one when it’s launched:

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

 Prayer…

This weekend, you can support us by praying for the youth convention happening today & tomorrow. There will be 5 from our church that are hungry to receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost and grow in Christ.

Thanks for stopping by to visit.
God bless your day!

Sunday School Sings

October 31, 2015 By in Blog Tags: , , Leave a comment

HUGE shout-out to Bro. & Sis. Kabasele who look after our Sunday School! Further down, you’ll see the fruit of their labour… via video. First, a run down of the week.

Fall-Back…

Last weekend we officially “Fell-back”… meaning that rather than a 5h time difference with the folks from home, there is only a 4h difference (until North America “falls back”). We appreciated the extra hour sleep… it’s like a “mini-vacation of wonderfulness” that happens once-a-year.

Other people’s kids…

Back home it was a Sunday afternoon tradition. During Sunday School, at least one of our kids would get in cahoots with a friend and, before leaving church, we’d hear:

“Can so-and-so come over for the afternoon?” or
“So-and-so invited me for the afternoon… can I go?”
(pleas were followed by “puppy-dog-eyes”)

This past Sunday, for the first time since coming here, that happened & we had someone else’s kids in our house for  the afternoon. I can’t tell you what it meant!  It’s something pretty small really… but for the kids it was like a taste of home.  It did our hearts good!

In Preparation:

This was a week of preparation for 3 things in particular:

1. Bro. Brochu’s return: Though not yet returning definitively, Bro. Brochu arrived Thursday for special meetings and will come to Châtellerault Tuesday. In preparation, we’ve continued working on the church grounds (we have 2.5 acres) and will all stay after church tomorrow… eating together and doing the last bit of clean-up.Starbucks, Paris, France, Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe

Also, I made a quick trip to Paris on Wednesday to take his car up for use during his time back. I returned by train later that evening.

Note: I may or may not have visited Starbucks. (shhh… don’t tell Liz & the kids!)

2. National Youth Convention: November 6-8 will see 800-1,000 young people from across France and throughout Europe come to Melun for the annual youth convention. There were some logistical things to work out to get our group there.

3. New Year PIM Effort: In the New Year, I’ll be launching tools for existing and prospective financial partners. I began working on those this week.

Note: We live off of roughly $1,500 USD ($1,900 CAD) per month but several “annual costs” either have recently or will soon put pressure on our finances:

– 2015-16 Homeschool curriculum & shipping: $5,000
– Family health insurance: $3,000
– Car insurance: $1,500
– Car inspection & any repairs: unknown

Oh yes… it was also a “Pentecostal Messenger” week so that took up a good day and a half as well.

A Good Feeling

One of the things I’ve noticed over the past two weeks is a bit of a shift during our services. Last Wednesday night (Oct.21) was a prayer-focused night and then this past week, on Tuesday, was a regular Bible study. In both of these services however… the presence of the Lord was incredible.

And finally…

This is a 2min video of our kids’ contribution to service last Sunday.
Thank you for praying for them… some really great things are happening with our young people!

 

Prayer

If I could ask you to be in prayer about one thing this week it’d be this. During Bro. Brochu’s time in Châtellerault this week, we will also be mapping out what happens upon their return to the field (expected in March). Pray for the hand of God to direct those conversations.

Thank you for visiting.
Let what you read inform your prayers for us and for France!

Toronto Maple Leafs & “Hambourgeois”

October 24, 2015 By in Blog, People, Places Tags: , , 1 Comment

Châtellerault is the LAST place I’d expect to find Toronto Maple Leafs memorabilia on public display…. but I did! Keep reading to find out where…

Family Time

As you know from last week’s post, Liz’s parents were here visiting from Belgium.

Île Cognet, Thanksgiving, Landscaping, Nonno, Nonna, NonniIt was their first time to visit us here in Western France and the first time that we’d had a bit more of a prolonged visit since our arrival in Europe last January. We visited Châtellerault, walked through Île Cognet and shared Thanksgiving dinner last Saturday.

Note re. Thanksgiving…
Canada = 2nd Monday  of October
USA = 4th Thursday of November

Liz’s dad also helped me one afternoon down at the church doing some landscaping at the church to help “dress up” the front of the building.  We planted a boxwood hedge accented with lavender in front, cypress trees on the ends and two miniature apple trees that we’ll train into standards. The bowed out center section will eventually be filled with roses or some other flowering shrub. (see photo)

Finally, we took them on a short jaunt to Angle-sur-l’Anglin. It was one of the warmer days during their visit and we walked down to the lower part of town (near the river) before gradually making our way back up. Tourist season is over, so the little village was pretty quiet.

Taste of home

Caribou Café, Châtellerault, Quebec, Sirop d'Érable, Hambourgeois, CanadaWhile Liz’s parents were here, we also tried out a special little restaurant for the first time: Le Caribou Café.

The atmosphere is built around tons of Canadian icons… cedar strip canoes, a framed RCMP uniform, old Quebec license plates, skis, snowshoes… etc. And the bare wood walls & floor make it feel like a good ol’ fashioned cabane à sucre (maple sugar shack).  Speaking of which… lots of their dishes feature maple syrup (like the tiramisu I had), and it’s the real-deal… O. my. word. …So good!!!

Three funnies we saw there:

  1. “SVP enlevez vos caoutchoucs” sign (literally: “please remove your rubbers”). It’s funny because here they’d definitely translate “rubber boots” or “bottes en caoutchouc”.
  2. Rather than “hamburgers”, they serve “hambourgeois” (Jr. High French immersion joke). The French here, unlike the Québecois, would normally just go with the English “hamburger”.
  3. A hockey jersey was on display… but it was from the Toronto Maple Leafs (hockey fans will understand the irony). If anything, I’d have expected to see a Habs jersey.

Residency is in the bag!

It wasn’t so much a question of IF it would happen but rather WHEN; it was just a matter of working through the paperwork and red-tape. There were a few minor snags along the way but here’s how I felt on Thursday night:

https://twitter.com/RevMikeLong/status/657307211195092992

 

No Comparison…

To be honest, there are times when I struggle with what to write you. A quick scan of social media gives instant access to great reports from across the globe; miracles that God is doing, new ones being baptized or filled with the Holy Ghost, etc. It is wonderful to experience, but when you’re looking on from the outside, it can be a bit intimidating due to the temptation to compare.

At this point in the life of our little church in western France, life is pretty quiet. We are not seeing the “highlights” mentioned above, and we deal with the challenges of a small congregation. On one hand I’m dissatisfied by this particular quiet but I also know that God does His work in His time, so we simply do our best, knowing that we’re in His will and avoid the temptation to compare.

Tonight:

Liz is off to a Tupperware party in Poitiers… bring on those bowls & lids! It’s being hosted by one of the ladies from our church and it’ll be a great chance to meet some new people.

Thank you for being a faithful reader.
Let what you read inform your prayers for us, for the church here and for France.
God bless your day today!

 

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.