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 goor 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
Châtellerault is the LASTplace 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.
It 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
While Liz’s parents were here, we also tried out a special little restaurant for the first time: LeCaribou 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:
“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”.
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”.
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:
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!
God is good… All the time;
and All the time… God is good!
Bi-Monthly Newsletter
This week we published our bi-monthly newsletter for August and September. It can be downloaded in .pdf format by clicking the link on this page.
Wondering how to use a newsletter beyond simply reading it?
Cut the top header off and stick it on your fridge as a reminder, “at a glance” to pray for France.
Pray for anyone mentioned by name in the newsletter: In this case… Miranda Carter and Kevin & Crystal Wallace.
Pray for those mentioned by circumstance: in this case… the youth, the friends who have been helping us clean up the hedge and Bible School students.
Our financial account is listed. If you are unable to give financially yourself, pray specifically that our financial needs would be met.
Share it with friends who have either an interest in missions generally or an interest in France specifically – ask them to pray.
In fact… let me make #5 easy for you… Click the bird to tweet a direct link to the newsletter page.
Family Day Away
This is an IBF weekend… so as many of you are reading this, I’ll be teaching 2 Timothy to the Bible School students.
My involvement in IBF, gives me a chance to get out of Châtellerault each month; to see other places and spend time with different people. Pastors can relate to this and particularly home-missions pastors… sometimes you need to connect with people outside of your local congregation.
IBF gives me that opportunity regularly, but not so for Liz and the kids. Since Bible school students usually travel with me, there is not enough space in the car for the family… but this weekend is a break from that.
Yesterday was “field trip day” as far as school was concerned and we left in the morning, arriving early afternoon in Paris. We roamed, lauged, “selfie-sticked” and lounged at Starbucks (a real treat as there are none in western France) and then met up with friends from the Melun church for supper and a stroll.
But Why???
Liz’s time is spent between overseeing 3 grade-levels of homeschool, maintaining the house, preparing a songlist for services, leading worship and getting to church an hour early each time, for music practice with the kids. Once they have gone to bed for the night… she sets about marking any assignments and preparing the next day’s overview. She NEVER stops!
The kids start each day at 7:00am, start school at 8:00am and go full out all week so as to be able to go into the weekend with little to no homework. Soph is in grade 10 and Dominic in grade 8… so the workload is definitely increasing!
They needed a break from the regular routine.
We would’ve liked to have been able to stay overnight tonight as well and attend the service in Melun tomorrow, making it a full weekend away… and a good, full, break. But alas, it wasn’t possible this time. We’ll aim for another time. …On the upside though, we’ll be back in time for the…
Thank you!
Thank you for your support. It means a lot.
I pray that God blesses you richly today!
The population of Châtellerault grew by “1” this week… and her name is Miranda Carter! She came to us from back home in Saint John, New Brunswick… where her dad is our pastor.
Father-Daughter road trip
Miranda flew into Paris on Tuesday but since our car isn’t big enough for 6 people, Liz stayed home with the boys. Since the flight wouldn’t arrive until late afternoon, Soph & I took advantage of the opportunity to spend time together in one of the greatest cities in the world.
First stop… “Forever 21” a clothing shop she knew of on Rue de Rivoli… where she eventually scored a few deals. One of the biggest treats that we walked out with though, was the company of two friends – Angela (from Melun) and Melanie (from Bordeaux)– who just “happened” to be in the same store. (What do you suppose the chances are of just randomly running into someone you know in a city like Paris?)
We went for a Starbucks together before continuing our father-daughter date… during which we got some Lemon Shakers fresh lemonade (a must-try!) and a quick stop by the Eiffel Tower before heading…
…to the Airport!
After a series of delays, Miranda touched down shortly after 5pm. What a trooper… travelling with only a carry-on sized suitcase & backpack(for a 2wk stay!)… THIS is a seasoned traveller! She learned well when she took part in the trip to France last summer.
We headed back downtown for a bite to eat and managed to get a quick bite to eat. It turned out to be McDonalds, but to redeem the “non-Frenchness” of it, we took it to the Tuilleries Gardens to eat… (see photo above).
Paris… by car!
One of the things that was pretty cool (besides spending the day with Soph) was that I actually drove right into downtown Paris & out to the airport. Here are a couple of pics of rue de Rivoli: on the left side, you can see the Louvre museum.
Normally I wouldn’t attempt to drive downtown, but during the month of August, most parisians are away on vacation so the streets are pretty empty(as you can see).
Friends
Wednesday night was Miranda’s first service & afterward she & Soph fiddled with different songs on the piano.
It was a great Bible Study followed by a really great time of prayer. Afterwards, folks were just content to stick around and chat for a while. It was nice to see the 3-4 different pockets of interaction happening. Thank you Lord!
Remainder of the week
Thursday was “Hedge Day“… where we trimmed the hedge at the Brochu’s house. It’s a good 1/2-day job but the kids aren’t always enthused about having to bag up the trimmings for disposal. I get it… I do, but working together it went quickly.
4 mornings this week I’ve been involved in English Tutoring for the young man who rented our first house here, after we moved out. He starts a new job soon and, although his English is strong, wanted to bone up on it. That will go next week as well. Praying that this time together will benefit the Kingdom of God.
Thank you…
… for your continued support. Let what you read here inform your prayers for us and for France.
Any of you who are connected to us on Facebook or Instagram will already be aware that Liz & I celebrated our anniversary this week. That was, without question, the highlight of our week…. even moreso than realizing that we have now been in France for a full 6 months! Where does the time go?
Angles-sur-l’Anglin
We knew that our anniversary would fall on the Sunday, so on Saturday evening I’d planned a little surprise for Liz.
That morning I drove out to Angles-sur-l’Anglin with some flowers, a candle and a card. The restaurant would then do the rest. I came back home, got cleaned up and then together, we went out to spend the afternoon discovering a truly lovely little French provincial town.
When we arrived at the restaurant, at 7:00pm, there was no question which table was reserved for us. Not only did they set out the flowers & fixin’s, but they’d added a table-cloth & fancy napkins. We sat beneath thick, leafy trees on the tiny public square in the middle of town. At least twenty other small bistro tables around us, but ours was the only one “dressed for the occasion”.
We spent the next 3-hours… yes, three, having a simple & leisurely dinner at a little crêperie (la Crêperie d’Angles) so the fare was light… but also laid back. It’s actually pretty rare that Liz & I have a chance to be alone so this was a treat.
Proverbs 31
A major part of Proverbs 31 is dedicated to describing the virtuous woman. Verse 28 says specifically (in response to all that she is and does)that “her husband rises up and praises her”. It was a chance to, privately, recognize the value that she brings to my life. Her strength is incredible – although she likely wouldn’t say that. She is an incredible lady and contributes greatly to the ministry here in France.
Team Spirit
Something else that doesn’t happen all that often is a chance to meet with the other missionaries on the field. Given that Pastor Nowacki would be leaving to head back to Canada during the week, we pulled together a last-minute meal on Sunday evening. Liz and the kids and I drove to Melun following our morning service and got to dine with:
The Nowackis(founders of the modern UPCI church here in France)
Fellow AIMers Kevin & Crystal Wallace(Jacksonville, NC – formerly of New Brunswick: shout-out to Milleville, Fredericton & Saint John!) They will replace the Nowackis for the next 5 months.
Fellow AIMers Dean & Loreen Byfield(originally of the New York District and here in France). They are replacing the Brochus at the work in Paris-Centre.
(Later in the week, we also got to dine with missionaries Marcus & Renée Brainos who have just returned to France following their deputation and are settling in to start a church in the southern city of Nice.)
Paris
Monday morning we had breakfast at the hotel with the Wallaces before heading into Paris for a quick visit to the Arch of Triumph. It’s one thing we’d not yet done and Liz’s friend Milena was still in town so we got to do it together which made it extra special.
Timo had been wanting a selfie stick and the cheapest place to get them is from street vendors, so before heading back out of town we walked to the Eiffel tower and he got himself a bright green selfie stick! We are now one of those families!
While in Paris we also saw:Place du Canada, a boat named New Brunswick and had a chance to use “luxury washroom” just off the street in a shopping galleria. What constitutes Luxury restrooms you ask? According to the poster…
Interior decorations
Design restroom fixtures and
Japanese Spa toilettes(whatever they are)
What they don’t publicize is the price. To use this restroom costs roughly $2.50 as opposed to the $1 average for public restrooms.
ummm…. our need wasn’t that pressing!
We’ll never know just how luxurious they are!
Thanks for following our adventures. Whenever you think of us, please pray that God builds a great church in western France!
According to “theFreeDictionary.com” the acronym AYCcould stand for:
(1)At Your Convenience (2) the Association of Yukon Communities (3) the Austin Yacht Club or (4) Are you confused?
In our week, however… it has referred to Apostolic Youth Corps…
and they’ve lived up to their name!
Ministry
The #AYCFrance team arrived last Saturday and barely did the wheels of their Delta flight touch the ground but that they were off to the races!
Day one started off with orientation at the Headquarter’s church in Melun, getting settled in to the hotel and then heading into downtown Paris for a river cruise on the Seine followed by dinner Chez Clément on the Champs Elysées… I was VERY impressed with this restaurant – fine cuisine but not at all overly formal!
The next day, Sunday, was spent back with the Nowacki’s church family where the AYCers ministered in song, testimony and through the preached word.
Pictured along with Liz & I are veteran missionaries John & Anne Nowacki, AYC chaperones Josh & Rachel Carson and Luke & Amy Levine. By this point the team had only been together for two full days (give or take a little jetlag). Can’t even begin to say what a great team these chaperones make… just incredible!
Luxembourg
Over the next few days, the group did 3 more services in as many days, visiting Romilly-sur-Seine, Longwy and Arras, in northern France.
Along the way from Longwy to Arras, however, they had a neat opportunity to visit the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg where we handed out – in roughly 1 hour – nearly 2,000 business card invitations for church services being held weekly by AIMers Jeremy and Khrista Favors.
There was a “God-moment” when Bro. Levine met a man from Brazil in whose town he (Bro. Levine)had preached several years ago. Although they’d never met personally, the man shared that he’d been looking for some time, for a church that preached about the Holy Ghost as it was his desire to have this experience. He immediately put the man in touch with Pastor Favors who did a short Bible study with him there on the sidewalk and voilà… God opens a door for someone who is hungry.
AIMers to Luxembourg
Here you can see the Favors along with Liz & I. It’s one thing to do what Liz & I are doing…. jump into a community where there is already an established work in place (with a building, a core, etc.). It’s something very different, however, to go into a completely new community and be the one to lay the foundation for a brand new church.
I admire this couple!
Prayer
Some of the team members, as they were handing out invitations, met Pierre a cab-driver who, when asked if there was anything in particular the team could pray for, said this…
“There’s never really been a real-led revival in Luxembourg and every day I pray that God would raise up an army of believers who would bring God to this country. Pray that God uses me, in my taxi, to be a witness for Him… for only what’s done for Christ will last.”
We prayed.
Sowing & Reaping
Within only two hours of us leaving Luxembourg, Pastor Favors texted us to let us know that he’d already had several calls from people wanting to come to church. Praise the Lord!
Normandy
Several in the group really wanted to visit Normandy so we did our best and managed to fit it into an already jam-packed schedule.
We visited the Normandy American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer, run by the American Battle Monuments Commission. Pretty incredible and very sobering to see several thousand white crosses overlooking the English Channel… either crosses or stars of David… most identified, some “known only unto God.”
Following that we dipped down to the city of Arromanches, where a Mulberry Port (artificial port) had been built to offload some 9,000 tons of weapons and supplies each day, with some days seeing as many as 18,000 tons.
Today
Today we’re accompanying the team to Disneyland Paris before spending another day tomorrow in services across greater Paris. Before we head to Disney however, I’ll be teaching a 1-hour course at the Bible School (this is going to be a very long day!).
Prayers
Today we could use your prayers for strength. It has been an awesome week, but one during which we’ve gotten little rest.
Thank you for praying for us… as you pray, you are part of the work here and our victories are YOUR victories too!
Today started with a 6am wake-up call and a 1-hour bus ride to meet 41 of North America’s finest… but let me come back to that after telling you about the rest of our week first.
The original cook-out!
Not sure I’ve ever had a Barbecue like the one we had last Sunday. Hayko and Knyaz are two Armenian friends that we’ve been getting to know since arriving here. We went to Hayko’s appartment where they’d prepared enough meat to feed an army… cooked on a sword-like skewer set atop a halved metal barrel in which they’d begun a bonfire before our arrival. Supper cooked over these coals while Liz & the kids were upstairs with Hayko’s wife and their little boy. This is an open door through which we aspire to bring our relationship with the Lord.
Feelin’ the Love
Tuesday we got a wonderful surprise by mail: A thickly padded envelope stuffed with note cards from folks in our home church.
We know that folks at home are praying for us, but there’s something special about receiving “snail mail”. …feeling the texture of the paper, reading the handwriting, etc.
Some were from adults, some were from families and some were from our kids’ good friends!
Thank you!
Dominic’s Birthday
Wednesday was Dominic’s birthday… his first in France. On Sunday afternoon, Bro. Kabasele(our assistant Pastor and a trained baker)made a triple layer Genoise cake and decorated it in Dominic’s honour.
Timo got him a soccer ball… not a rubberized plastic one or a foam one… a real one. Sophie & Liz went out shopping and set him up with some “French style”… and he’s wearing it well.
He’s all excited to finally be a teenager and Timo is somewhat concerned by the fact that he’s now the only one NOT a teenager… convinced that he will be blatantly mistreated and manipulated by his conspiring older siblings. (gotta work on his trust factor).
Family time pre-AYC
We headed to the Paris region a day ahead of schedule. Dominic had learned a bit about the Palace of Versailles in his history class and was keen on seeing the Hall of Mirrors. So after a final pre-arrival meeting with Bro. & Sis. Nowacki and Sis. Despinoy, we took the afternoon and headed out.
It was a beautiful day and after purchasing our tickets online, we were told that children under 18 do not pay for museums in France. (Hmmm…. didn’t say THAT on the website. Now begins the attempt to get a refund… we’ll see how that goes.)
Not to have our spirits dampened… we thoroughly enjoyed discovering the palace, although Dominic couldn’t understand why we didn’t just go in the main door and hit the hall of mirrors… ummm… “HUGE palace”!!
We eventually got there, through the throngs of tourists, audio guides, go-pros, video cameras, digital camera & iPhones (it’s a wonder that we could even see the paintings on the wall with all of that other stuff going on!!) and managed to get a “GROUPIE” (is that the plural form of selfie???) IN the Hall of Mirrors.
(ps. it’s REALLY amusing to watch some people attempt to get the PERFECT selfie – strike a pose, flit the hair, tilt the head, brush away bangs, make sure the sleeve falls just so… O my word!! take the picture already!)
As many of you are reading this… we’ll be doing our first orientation session with the AYC team who arrived earlier this morning. Over the next 10 days they will be involved in 7 services in 6 churches and will be part of handing out nearly 5,ooo invitations to church in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (a virtual city-state on France’s eastern border)with AIMers Jeremy & Khrista Favors.
We’ll keep you in the loop and may have and extra post or two over the coming days. Keep your eyes open to our some of our other social media accounts where updates through the week will be more frequent:
Thank you for staying aware of what our weeks look like. By staying current on what we are involved in, you are better able to ask God to go before us and prepare the way. We want to be found faithful!
Pray that he leads us and strengthens us this week to help lead this group of young people. Exposure breeds a burden… so who knows what God could do as a result of this week.
I’m 45, have moved half-way ’round the world, am raising one – soon to be two – teenagers and I’m starting to GROW UP!
Convention de Pentecôte
At this time last week, we were packed up and on our way to the Pentecost Weekend Convention in Bordeaux, just under 300km south-west of us. I’d asked for prayers and today I’ll tell you why… but first, let me give you a quick run-down of the weekend.
Across France, the Lord allowed several to experience their own “Personal Pentecost”:
– 43 were filled with the Holy Ghost and – 39 were baptized in Jesus’ name.
The Convention in Bordeaux contributed 6 (Holy Ghost)and 4 (water baptisms)to those numbers, with probably upwards of 160 in total attendance over the two days.
The kids quite enjoyed themselves as they got to hang out with other youth their age. On Saturday night, following the service and fellowship, they went downtown for a walk along the waterfront and a twirl or two on the giant Ferris Wheel… they got back to the hotel (by tramway)at around 11:45pm(nope… we weren’t waiting up for them, nope, we weren’t nervous… haha – we were totally waiting). …Next morning the youth sang together in service… Sophie & Dominic among them. Very cool!
After the Sunday service & lunch we headed downtown for a stroll. This made me much appreciate our quiet little provincial French town of Châtellerault (38K people). Bordeaux has about 800K and I’m sure they were ALL driving or walking downtown that day…
Growing up
Leading up to the convention, throughout the week last week, I felt a tremendous amount of spiritual unrest: facing a great deal of anxiety, fear, worry, unease… you name it, and I know exactly why. I was the main speaker for the convention. I had been preparing for a number of weeks, speaking is not new to me and I trust the Lord’s faithfulness, but I was bearing a particular responsibility for the weekend which translates to: spiritual TARGET!
This was, in one sense, new to me. Up until this point I’d primarily been a “second man”… in an assistant-to-the-pastor role, and as such I didn’t carry the bulk of the weight… that fell to the pastor, I just helped him. To some extent, for the the first time, I felt like I was bearing a greater share of the burden for that conference that would normally have been the case if, say, I was just attending.
I’m growing up.
Thank you Lord that you ultimately carry the load and accomplish what needs to be accomplished… both in the life of the preacher as well as those who are listening.
In Addition….
Did you notice? …something’s different!
See the yellow & orange buttons at the top right corner of the screen (towards the bottom if you’re on a mobile device) you’ll see the following two new buttons:
Newsletters:If you’re a periodic reader or you’re involved in promoting missions in your local church, you may want to check these out. They’ll sum up key highlights and are published bi-monthly.
Top 10:If you’re NEW to the blog… this page will give a look at the blog posts that have been the most well-received by other readers.
Happy “French” Mothers’ Day
(peonies from Sis. Brochu’s garden)
Tomorrow is Mothers’ Day here in France, so we have a few extra things planned. Liz wasn’t all that comfortable “preaching” so she will share an “encouragement” or a “testimony” before the main message is given. Also we will pay tribute to the moms in our congregation. We’re expecting a couple of new faces as well. If you’re a mom reading this today… then hit up your kids or your hubby and tell them/him that in France it’s your day… (as long as it’s Mothers’ Day SOME-where in the world… mothers ought to be spoiled, right!?)
Try this out & leave me a comment to let me know what they said!
.
Bible School & AYC Planning
Today I’m in Melun to teach a class at Bible School (life of David) and to do some “heavy lifting” planning for the AYC trip coming up at the end of the month of June… Liz & the kids and I will accompany the group throughout northern France for 10 days or so. LOTS to do!
Thank you for reading and again… please let what you read inform your prayers for us. You are part of what God is doing here… you are “Partners” in “Missions.”
If I had to sum up this past week in two words it would be these… “Driving Week” and we’ve run the gammut in terms of the why behind the driving: Continue reading →
If it weren’t for “the bad” in “the good, the bad & the ugly,” I suppose I could’ve used that as a title for today’s post – there’s lots of good and a little bit of ugly, but no bad – instead, let me just use… The New, the Bizarre & the Everyday as a way to order my thoughts.
The Bizarre
I’ll start with the bizarre because I promised it two weeks ago and failed to deliver.
I’ve shared a number of pictures with you, showcasing the beauty of Châtellerault, but there is something that still makes my skin crawl a bit every time I drive by it (at least every other day): “la main jaune”(the yellow hand).
Smack dab in the middle of one of the busiest traffic circles in the entire city, it is the first thing that visitors & residents see when they exit the Paris-Bordeaux highway, coming into Châtellerault.
At 24m (72′) high and 20 tonnes, it’s a giant forearm supporting a hand, in which sits a huge black egg. Descending the arm and continuing behind the sculpture(barely visible) are 7 famous cars (incl. a 2CV, Fiat 500, a VW Beetle, etc.)also painted black. …Makes me think of giant black ants crawling down my arm when I see it… Oh yes, and they’re like ghost ants because at night, the car lights are on. WEIRD!
It supposedly represents the valiant nature of the community and the past connection to the automotive industry… a resilient people who will rise up out of the rubble of the past. I, however, just see ants on arm.
This sculpture is visible from our church property and the one redeeming factor is this: from the angle at which it is seen from church, neither the cars nor the egg are visible and it would remind you of a hand raised in surrender and worship to God – the only one who is worthy of our praise and adoration. May that be the case for many in our city and beyond in Western France!
The New
1.Châtellerault just got its very own Subway & we ate there this past Sunday. The French have heard about it and/or tasted it elsewhere and are very excited to have one in their own backyard, so to speak. The kids were glad to find a familiar taste of home as well. Still… at about $45 for 5 people (that’s with no cookies or chips)… it’s a treat & won’t be a regular thing.
2. Liz has begun a new year… #41 to be exact (honey… don’t hang me out to dry for sharing this…. but the smart ones would’ve figured it out anyway from the numbers on the cake! 🙂 . She was saluted with 41 balloons and presented with a challenge… burst them all in less than 30 seconds and she would get the second part of her gift(she managed). We got an apricot mousse cake with some café éclairs to go with our coffee. God bless the baker at Auchan! Thank you too, to the many who have sent cards, emails, texts, Facebook messages, etc.!
3. This one is a bit more difficult to define I think… something else is new to us. We are accustomed to be in a large church setting where a good portion of our involvement is in managing… events, tasks, structure, etc. and much of our time is taken up with that. There are 275-300 people who invite others to church, share their faith, etc. We spend a great deal of time preparing the church and the church body to receive those guests that come, make them feel welcome, etc. Working in what I’ll call a “home missionsenvironment” is new to us.
I found myself asking God this week… “God, how do we share our faith in a city where, outside of the people in our little church, we know very few?How to we do it? How do we find people interested in a home Bible study, etc.?” The question was not asked out of discouragement… not at all, but out of an eager desire to know how to grow and move forward in a new reality. (Incidentally… I was encouraged by an article written by Kent Carter that will appear in March’s Pentecostal Messenger – “How Church Planting Saved my Life.” For those of you in the Atlantic District… I highly recommend the read!).
Pray that God helps us to do great things in the new as we rely on Him.
The Everyday
I suppose that the lines are really blurred in this last section because it bridges both the new and the everyday.
One of the things that Liz has had to get used to is life without a microwave oven: How do you do all those quick little heat-ups without a micro-wave?
those 2-3 last portions of yesterday’s leftovers that will become today’s snack.
that mug of milk for hot chocolate
the small pitcher of milk to froth and put in coffee
The other thing that we don’t have yet is a full-sized oven. We will have one in two weeks (as well as a micro-wave)when we move into the Brochu’s home, but for the time being we’ve been using this neat little counter-top convection oven (purchased for us using a gift from the U.P.C. of Bordeaux, France – “shout out” to Pastor & Sis. Paul & Melissa Majdling – THANK YOU!!)…. btw, if you haven’t seen their video promoting the upcoming Pentecost Sunday Convention… take 2:10 to watch it… VERY well done!
Very excited to be there in just a few weeks. Derald Weber(Lafayette, Lousiana)will be guest speaker.
Prayer
I’m teaching at Bible School today – likely as some of you are reading this.
Tomorrow is Bro. & Sis. Brochu’s last Sunday service in Châtellerault.
Pray that we excel in the new… for God’s glory.
Summing it up
Getting us out of our comfort zone is causing us to rely on the Lord to a greater degree than we would normally have back home. The exciting thing is… God has an incredible track record of doing “exceedingly, abundantly more than we could ever ask or think…” when we put our trust in Him.
Here’s to more hands reaching to the sky in Western France!
It 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.
While Liz’s parents were here, we also tried out a special little restaurant for the first time: Le Caribou Café.
My involvement in IBF, gives me a chance to get out of Châtellerault each month; to see other places and spend time with different people. Pastors can relate to this and particularly home-missions pastors… sometimes you need to connect with people outside of your local congregation.
First stop… “Forever 21” a clothing shop she knew of on Rue de Rivoli… where she eventually scored a few deals. One of the biggest treats that we walked out with though, was the company of two friends – Angela 
One of the things that was pretty cool 
Monday morning we had breakfast at the hotel with the Wallaces before heading into Paris for a quick visit to the Arch of Triumph. It’s one thing we’d not yet done and Liz’s friend Milena was still in town so we got to do it together which made it extra special.
I’ll start with the bizarre because I promised it two weeks ago and failed to deliver.
I suppose that the lines are really blurred in this last section because it bridges both the new and the everyday.
AIM Long 