Category Archives: Process

Atlantic District Connection

August 16, 2014 By in Blog, Process Tags: , , Leave a comment

Long before we ever had any inkling about God’s plan for us in France, there was already a connection between the city of Châtellerault and my home province of New Brunswick. It caught me by surprise back in June 2009 and I thought I’d share it with you today.

Twinning – Bouctouche, NB

“Twinning” (“Jumelage” in French) is primarily a social agreement between cities, towns, regions, villages, etc., for the purpose of promoting cultural and sometimes economic ties. It is extremely common in Europe but, in my experience, less so in North America.

photo

Back in 1984, however, a relationship was born between the city of Châtellerault (France) and the municipalities of Bouctouche and St. Antoine (New Brunswick, Canada).  The formal language defining this relationship refers to a pacte d’amitié (a pact of friendship).

Back in 2010, when Bouctouche was celebrating it’s 225th anniversary, Mr. Jean-Claude GAILLARD, a Châtellerault municipal counselor with responsibilities for international relations, was appointed to represent the French city at festivities in the Kent County towns.

La Ferme Acadienne… near Châtellerault

archignyThe link between Châtellerault and the Acadians of Kent County is not just a new thing though.  After the expulsion, many of them returned to France and settled in the area surrounding Châtellerault, where they were granted land to cultivate. It wasn’t the best land, and was quite wet, but early settlers dug ditches which allowed for drainage and gradually eeked out a living for themselves. Some 58 houses were originally built and a couple of them remain today to form what is called “La Ferme Acadienne” (watch a short presentation of it here or read a bit about it here).

So yes… the Acadian flag flies proudly, just outside of Châtellerault.

Memories

Bouctouche and St. Antoine were very familiar to me since my grandparents lived there in the early 1990’s and my parents moved there in the early 2000’s and we were out for a stroll in Bouctouche back in 2009, when I made the discovery.

Sitting on a small park at the end of the main bridge coming into downtown sits not much more than a parking area with a lovely closed-in gazebo (see photo) along with a rose-lined stairway leading down to water access; on the roof of the gazebo, the sign announcing that this, is “Place Châtellerault”. Today, it’s a spot for locals to come and shoot the breeze, discussing a bit of this and that, but the park also sits roughly where once stood the Irving Department Store.

For those familiar with the virtual Irving Empire in New Brunswick… there was once a little department store of typical 1970’s fare; one big open space with long lines of metal shelving just tall enough that a 7-10 year-old could barely see over them. What do I remember most? …the assembled seashell and tiny lobster-trap souvenirs, typical of most seaside communities of the day. Horribly tacky by 2014 standards, but “the coolest thing ever” for a young boy in the 70’s!

Connection

Why do I share this bit about the twinning of these three municipalities?
The Lord is subtle and does all things well.

Remember that although I’d been to Châtellerault as early as 2004 (in the context of graduate studies), it was in July of 2009 that I would go back there, for the first time, to teach in the Bible School.  I discovered this just one month earlier, in June of 2009.

We were so far from France, yet here was a bit of Châtellerault staring me right in the face. It was familiar. It was a warm reminder which brought back memories of my time there in the previous years… to some extent, it was like getting a hug from an old friend.

Connection.

Châtellerault is only twinned with 7 communities around the world (no others in North America) and one of them was right in my backyard, so to speak: here in little old New Brunswick, there was a connection to this city in France that I would one day inhabit and carry a burden for, although I didn’t know it in 2009.

It’s one of those things which, at the time didn’t mean a great deal, but, as I look back, is just one more link in the long chain of events that have brought us to this point.

Thank you

Thank you for keeping aware of what the Lord is doing.
Let this knowledge feed your prayers!

32 = 38

August 2, 2014 By in Blog, Process Tags: , , 2 Comments

I know… the title of today’s blog post is a little bit cryptic at first glance, but it’ll make sense less than 400 words from now.

15 weeks

It was roughly fifteen weeks ago that we held our first service, in McAdam NB, promoting, and seeking support for, our AIM term in France. Since then we’ve been in eleven churches throughout New Brunswick and Quebec, with both old friends and new, discussing what the LORD has put on our hearts for the next two years. Time has flown, our car has racked up a lot of kilometers and our kids have gotten a lot of experience doing homeschool in the car!

Although not all of our support has come in during those 15 weeks (some came before), a majority of it has. Here’s where we stand to date:

  • photoWe are currently sitting at roughly 38% of our budget either given or committed to*.
  • 52% is from monthly partners.
  • 48% is from one-time donations.
  • The amount committed to-date is already the equivalent of 37 monthly $50-partners.

(The 38% assumes that current partners maintain their PIM commitment during our entire stay in France. It also includes a few individuals who have let us know that they will be partnering, but have not yet begun.)

Still… how does 32=38 ?

So in terms of my cryptic title… you’ve probably figured out that the 38 refers to the percentage of support that has already been committed… so what’s the 32 represent?  “32” is the number of churches and individuals which, combined, have committed to 38% of our funding.

  • 15 churches or individuals have committed to and/or
    have already begun to give roughly $23,500 in monthly pledges and
  • 17 churches or individuals have committed to and/or
    have already given roughly $21,600 in one-time donations.

Now you have it… 32 really does equal 38. It is not some kind of “new math”, rather it’s just a way of expressing how God is working through incredible men, women and churches to support very normal people who desire to do something for the Lord and ultimately for the people of France.

There are many families who are able to step out of their comfort zone and, by faith, involve themselves in another corner of God’s kingdom here in North America. In our case, God has equipped us both linguistically and culturally, and has been preparing us, in such a way that going to France presents relatively few obstacles. Not everyone can say that. We are simply taking what the Lord has done in us and giving it back to Him.

Looking Ahead

In order to ensure that we leave with the promise of full support, we still need the equivalent of 65 more $50/month partners willing to support us for the entire duration of our appointment. Of course some of that number will be off-set by other churches or individuals who will (a) give more than $50/month and (b) prefer to give one-time offerings; as can be seen by the 48% above, one-time donations make a huge difference and we are grateful for both.

This Weekend

As you read this post, we are preparing to minister in three Prince Edward Island churches tomorrow. We look forward to discovering this part of the Atlantic District, with Pastors Donald Hood (Charlottetown) and Troy Wickett (Summerside / Alberton). We’re thankful for the opportunity to be there and will tell you more about it in next Wednesday’s post.

Until then… God bless you today!
Thank you for your interest… let this info feed your prayers for us!

The Mighty Miramichi…

July 30, 2014 By in Blog, Places, Process Tags: , , Leave a comment

This past weekend saw us in two churches along the Mighty Miramichi River, in northeastern New Brunswick. In this post I’ll tell you a bit about both of those churches but first, let’s look briefly at the history of Pentecost in that particular region.

The Miramichi River Valley

map_NBFor anyone not familiar with the  Miramichi River, it flows some 250km through New Brunswick from the Gulf of St. Lawrence and is home to the one of the largest populations of Atlantic Salmon in North America. People come from around the continent, indeed around the world to fly fish salmon in the pools and rapids of the Miramichi.

As “fishermen” were coming to the Miramichi from all over… “fishers of men” were going out from the Miramichi to other parts of the province. During the 1930’s and 40’s, men like C.B. Dudley were planting churches and fanning the flames of Pentecostal revival up and down the Miramichi River.  Two such churches are the United Pentecostal Church of Gray Rapids and The Pentecostals of Miramichi.

Gray Rapids

photoOur first stop, last weekend was to the UPC of Gray Rapids (pictured right) which overlooks the Miramichi and is currently pastored by Rev. Graham Russell. We arrived Saturday night and stayed with Bro. Russell in his home.

I really enjoyed just listening to him talk about many incredible experiences he’s had during his walk with God, as Liz & the kids curled up on the couch beside. It was kind of like listening to your grandpa… and it felt good. I’m glad my kids got to hear such reminiscing about the goodness of the Lord… doesn’t happen like that very often.   The next morning we spoke during their service and are thankful for their great support.

Pentecostals of Miramichi

photoOn Sunday, after service, lunch and a short rest, we climbed in the car and headed some 35-40 minutes up the river to the Chatham side of Miramichi City. The Pentecostals of Miramichi is pastored by Rev. & Mrs. Peter Long (no relation… that they’ll admit to anyway).

We enjoyed service together, where God’s spirit did some wonderful things at the altar, followed by a nice meal.

It was special to spend time with the Longs as they were the assistant ministerial team in Saint John some years ago when we were still somewhat new to the church. We had had the chance to work together on a number of occasions for various goings-on and during that time I learned, from their example, a number of things about coming alongside the lead pastor and assisting.

Up & Coming…

This weekend, we will be headed to Prince Edward Island, another neighbouring Canadian province where we’ll get to spend the Sunday morning service with Bro. & Sis. Hood, in Charlottetown before heading to Summerside to be with the Wicketts.  By the time we’re there, though, we will have time for one more post, so come back on Saturday morning when I’ll bring you up to speed on the overall progress of our fund-raising to-date.

ps. Sophie has been pleased to read your comments concerning her post this past week… Thank you for your support & encouragement!

to Montreal, Ottawa & back

June 18, 2014 By in Churches, Places, Process Tags: , 1 Comment

This time last week I’d asked you to pray because I was heading to Montreal for Canada Conference and as you read this, this morning, I’m preparing to fly back to Saint John. Taking a break from details of our trip down south, let me give you a run-down of the past week.

Canada Conference

CCcompositeThis year’s Canada Conference was hosted by the incredible church in St. Laurent, pastored by Rev. Paul Graham. This church is no stranger to us (or rather, we’re not strangers there) having been there numerous times, with Rev. Dieudonné Kahozi, for various French Conferences.

The speakers this year were

Paul Mooney, Jimmy Toney, Melvin Calhoun, Raymond Woodward, Jesus Fortaleza and Albert Foster.

The worship and teaching was incredible… what a great blessing to be part of those meetings.

Bro. Woodward afforded me the opportunity to greet the conference as an appointed AIMer which was a great privilege. It took me a bit off guard because I didn’t know it was going to happen, so I don’t think I did as good a job as I could have, however, I’ll chalk it up to a learning experience and do better the next time such an opportunity arises, knowing better what to expect.  So thankful for every opportunity!

I was asked to translate the morning sessions on Friday which included teaching by Brothers Foster, Woodward, Toney and Mooney… a wonderful marathon that I was privileged to be part of (*note to self… bone-up on Revenue Canada & accounting terminology for the next time I translate Bro. Foster – haha). 

Services in the Quebec District 

After the Canada Conference was over, I spent a few extra days in the Quebec District, to present our project and our burden at the invitation of Rev. Scott Grant (career church planter under North American Missions) and Rev. Dieudonné Kahozi (French pastor at St. Laurent, church planter in Montreal East and North American Director of French Evangelism). I spoke…

  1. Sunday Morning at the newest French church in Montreal, located in Montréal Est. This church began as a Bible study in Bro. Kahozi’s home, outgrew their second location, a rented 45-seat facility, 2 years later and are now in a recently-purchased location, the dedication service of which will take place in July of this year.
  2. Sunday Afternoon at International Church, a growing church on Montreal’s south shore, started by Bro. & Sis. Grant in 2009 and currently being pastored by Bro. & Sis. Hector Arriola.
  3. Monday Night at a Bible Study attended by international university students as an outreach of the Saint Laurent UPC. Don’t let the name fool you… there were 88 people in attendance. These young people are on fire.
  4. church-smTuesday Night at the Église Pentecôtiste de Trois Rivières. This is an established church that will celebrate 25 years this summer and is also pastored by the Grants. We love the church at T-R (as it’s affectionately referred to) and have been there numerous times as well.

“Office-time”

While in the area, I had a number of appointments between Montreal and Ottawa which related to my application for European Citizenship. Liz holds EU citizenship by virtue of being born there, my kids have it because or their mom and I am entitled to it by marriage (in the same way that Liz was able to get Canadian citizenship, by marriage, when she moved here) and can maintain dual citizenship. While on one hand it’s fairly straightforward, it nonetheless required a fair bit of paperwork, document authentication and eventually translation.

Why apply for citizenship to an EU nation?

Not because we plan to cut ties to Canada or anything. It will simply reduce the amount of bureaucratic hoops that we will have to jump through in order to live in Europe temporarily. Typically, France only issues 111SussexDrresidency permits for a 1-year term, meaning that after only about 6 months, you have to already begin the renewal process. Having citizenship does away with that.

This part of the process required time at both the Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Ottawa as well as the Italian Consulate in Montreal, among others.

A Busy Few Days…

I’m back in Saint John today, but in the next 5 days we need to:

  • Meet with officials about Homeschool planning for the kids next year.
  • Have a final, all-morning, planning session with the 13-member team that we’re leading to France on June 30th.
  • Celebrate Sophie & Dominic’s “last birthday in Canada” for a couple of years.
  • Speak at Life Source Church in Shediac, pastored by Kent Carter.
  • Host a 3-course fundraising dinner for our 10-day mission trip to France on June 30th.

It goes without question that we would appreciate your prayers. 

God has done and is doing many amazing things and we are glad to be part of it!
Thank you for following our preparations and for your prayerful support… with it you become part of what God is doing and will do in France.

 

Roadtrip through the USA

June 7, 2014 By in Blog, Places, Process Tags: , , Leave a comment

IMG_8023May was an incredible month!

It began at the Atlantic District Conference, in Moncton, NB.  The day after its conclusion, however, we set off for a 3.5 week trek through the United States which would take us some 9,800 kilometres (over 5,000 miles).

As we prepared to cross the border, the sign said it all: “If you want to stay in Canada… turn left”, otherwise… “straight ahead for adventure.” We chose adventure!

The Where:

We had been planning this family trip to Florida for some time. In the past, we’d done a couple of parks… Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom and Legoland (in Winter Haven on the old Cypress Gardens location), but this time there would be no parks: relaxation and economical were to be the names of the game – no fighting the crowds and no bankrupting the wallet. The spot where we stayed had a number of activities for the kids / family and that would suffice. In fact, the only time we left the property was (a) to go to church on Sunday and (b) to visit the Canaveral National Seashore one day.

In total, the trip would take us to New Haven Connecticut, Montgomery Alabama, Orlando Florida, Dallas Texas and St. Louis Missouri… with a couple of wonderful (if unplanned) stops along the way.

The How:

In the days when my wife worked in the airline industry, we would’ve flown but since that was no long the case, 4 wheels replaced 2 wings and the idea of a grand road-trip was born.  Since we’d not be limited by rental car pick-up or drop-off locations, MapDrawwe decided to combine pleasure with more pleasure and connect with friends along the way. The posts over the next couple of weeks will detail some of the highlights of that trip.

What I can do for now is give you an overview of the trip using the map below (created using Map Draw, from iTunes’ App Store).

map

The Who:

Liz & I and our kids got to know each other in a whole new way over the past few weeks!  Sure we’re family… but this was the first time ever that we’d spent three and a half weeks living from car to hotel room to suitcase. It was DEF-initely a new experience.

I’ve got to say, though, that everyone survived very well. Liz had prepared school material for the kids and they spent a great deal of our driving time doing school work: the older two with their ABeka DVD curriculum and Timo with diligent help from mom. Not only did it keep them from getting bored (and getting on each other’s nerves) but it also kept them on track to finish their school year within the same time frame as their friends.

Drive Down Memory Lane

I can’t say that I was conscious of this at the time, but perhaps part of the impetus of this grand adventure had something to do with such an adventure in my own childhood.

I was just a little younger than my daughter when my mom, my dad, my brother and I made a similar road trip, except that we drove across Canada and returned through the norther USA, tenting when there were no family members or friends to stay with.  It was on that trip that I rode horseback for the first time, climbed Banff’s Sulfur Mountain, saw Victoria and Mt. Rushmore… reading 99-cent comic books in the back seat and trying to ensure my brother stayed on “his side of the line” (that separated us in the back seat).

I daresay that we have just completed building a significant memory lane for our own kids… You’ll hear more about it in coming posts.

A Continental Singer

May 28, 2014 By in Blog, Process Tags: , , Leave a comment

Although I’d spent 2 years volunteering in Belgium, it was as a Continental Singer that I discovered a broader French-speaking Europe.

Behind the Audition

It was admittedly with a pang or two of nostalgia that I auditioned with the Continental Singers back in the mid 1990’s. I had lived in Europe for two years and had even seen the French Continentals come through the city of Liège, where I’d lived. This would be a chance to combine something I loved with something I missed… singing and Europe. I auditioned here in North America but had my information packed forwarded to the European office in Rotterdam, Holland.

On Tour

Europe_french-speaking-feathered_smIt was in July of the following year that I arrived, backpack and suitcase in hand for my first rehearsal camp in Dronten (Netherlands). We spent roughly two weeks learning the music and choreography before hitting the road for 3-4 weeks of touring through Belgium, France and Switzerland. Each night we sang in a different concert venue; mostly churches, but we had a couple of theatres and outdoor venues as well.

What I had experienced in Belgium, over the initial two years, was reinforced time and time again. People very much appreciated hearing the Gospel sung in their own language as opposed to being sung in English and understood either through translation before or after each song, or via overhead transparency as the song was sung (yes… you read that right. Those were the days of overhead transparencies).  While there were of course some local and national French-language musicians, the Christian music industry was very small in comparison to that of North America, so people enjoyed having the Continentals come through. (It was during this first tour that I met my wife Liz, an Italian who had been born and raised in Belgium, we would marry two years later.)

Touring again & again…

The following year I returned as Assistant Director for the French Tour. Another rehearsal camp in Holland, another repertoire and another pass through French-speaking Europe, but this time with a bit more responsibility.  Two years after that (1 year after Liz and I married), I returned for a third tour but this time as Tour Director.

With a total of three tours under my belt I had become both comfortable with Europe in general and very familiar with some areas in particular. There were several churches that had us back each year, so there were times when it was like coming back to visit friends.

Post-Tour

It’s been incredible also, to maintain contact with and watch from a distance as some of the people that I toured with have grown in their faith and ministry; serving in their local churches and being examples to us in various ways. We look forward to being closer to some of these and sharing what the Lord has done in our life since those days.

Patience

I’m reminded again, as I think back over these experiences, how God’s hand has been preparing us for not just months, but years!  When the perfect will of God begins to fall into place in your life, you will look back and see a string of experiences which, at the time, may have seemed unrelated, but in hind-sight… blow your mind!  If you’re currently in-the-process and not totally sure of where things are headed… be patient. Let God direct your steps now and you will see later where they lead!

Once again, French ministry and French-speaking Europe is not new to us… in one sense, it will be a bit like going home (almost literally for Liz), and we can’t wait to be there!

Thank you for your prayers and your support!
See you Saturday!

 

April in Review

May 3, 2014 By in Process Tags: , , , Leave a comment

Welcome to May!

As I sit down to write this first post for the month of May… we are on the verge of a very busy month! Before we get to that, however, let me give you a quick run-down of some of the things that happened in April.

Financial Update:

progress 14-05-01

Financial standing to-date
(graphic courtesy of iPhone app: GOTRAKiT)

This graphic gives you a general snapshot of where we are to date in terms of our financial support. It shows:

  • Monthly Partners in Mission pledges* and
  • One-time offerings

At this point, roughly 14% of funds needed for a 2-year stay in France have been pledged to, or received by, Global Missions in St. Louis.

This is VERY encouraging, thank you!

* Note: This amount…

  • assumes that PIMs maintain their support for the entire duration of our AIM term.
  • reflects only those pledges or gifts already received and processed by Global Missions – some may have been sent, but are still being processed.

Honour Roll!

A HUGE thank you to those pastors and churches whose support has already been received by Global Missions:

  • Rev. Stephen Tompkins – McAdam NB
  • Rev. David Ferrell – Perth-Andover NB
  • Rev. Scott Grant – Trois-Rivières & Greenfield QC
  • Rev. Dwayne Steeves – Corner Brook NF
  • Rev. Timothy Mitchell – Montgomery AL
  • Rev. Doug Davis – Old Westbury NY
  • Rev. Anthony Mangun – Alexandria LA
  • Rev. Gary Keller – Lancaster OH
  • Rev. Wayne Neyland – DeQuincy LA
  • Rev. David Reever – Baltimore MD
  • Rev. Jimmy Wallace – Elk City OK
  • Rev. Richard Flowers – Mesquite TX

Also… a HUGE thank you to those pastors who have supported us, to date, by scheduling services in the coming months (in order of calendar dates).

  • Rev. Stephen Tompkins – McAdam NB
  • Rev. Timothy Mitchell – Montgomery AL
  • Rev. Scott Grant – Trois-Rivières & Greenfield QC
  • Rev. Steve Schobert – Dallas TX
  • Rev. Dieudonné Kahozi – Montréal East
  • Rev. Kent Carter – Shediac NB
  • Rev. Trevor McGuire – Milleville NB
  • Rev. Donald Hood – Charlottetown PEI
  • Rev. Troy Wickett – Summerside PEI
  • Rev. Keith Carter – Ste-Anne de Madawaska NB
  • Rev. Ron Carroll – Doaktown NB
  • Rev. Allison Cromwell – McNamee NB
  • Rev. Raymond Woodward – Fredericton NB
  • Rev. Michael Trail – Taymouth NB

 For up-to-date details, please see our schedule.

(During the month of May, we will be driving through the Alabama, Florida, Texas & Missouri. If you would like to have us come to your church or know of someone who might like to have us come, please fill out the form below.)

More April-Highlights…

  • On April 3rd, I began some of the paperwork necessary to temporarily move to Europe.  Bureaucracy exists in every country and France specializes in it!  Starting early, though, should help alleviate some of the stress.

Our efforts… God’s credit

We are trying to be diligent in our attempts to raise financial and prayer support. We realize however that for whatever comes in, the credit belongs to God. This principle is portrayed in Proverbs 21.31:

The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD. (KJV)
The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the LORD. (NIV)

The assurance that “victory rests with the Lord” does not alleviate the necessity of the horsemen to prepare or make ready their horses for the battle. In the words of Duncan Campbell:

“…while God is sovereign in the affairs of men,
His sovereignty does not relieve men of responsibility.”

Contact Form:

Go back

Your message has been sent

Are you the Pastor of this Church?(required)

Thank you!

Thank you for your support. Yes. You are showing support simply by the fact that you are coming back time and again to stay informed about our project and preparations. Let it inform your prayer time and be part of the work of God in France.

Not a follower yet?

You can follow by email or in your WordPress reader by clicking the buttons on the top right of this page.

March in Review

April 2, 2014 By in Blog, Process Tags: , , 2 Comments

Welcome to April!

March was kind of a different month here on the AIMLong blog, featuring posts that had nothing to do with our upcoming short-term mission per sé, but rather simply with how to experience a little bit of France in everyday life.  It was also an attempt to expose the blog to a wider audience than to those who already know us or know of our project.

For this first post of April, I want to give you a quick run-down of some of the things that happened in March, which are more directly connected to our AIM term.

Looking back…

packets_comp_b

Here are some of the highlights of the month that was:

  • We mailed out information/support packets to 210 pastors throughout North America, all of which contained
        • a pair of our bookmarks to serve as prayer reminders.
        • a letter introducing us as a family.
        • a PIM form.
        • a handwritten note to alleviate the “impersonal form-letter syndrome” which is necessary, but by itself is not quite me.
  • We’re grateful to have had 13 of services scheduled: mostly around the Atlantic District, but also in the Quebec, Alabama, Texas and, tentatively, in the Michigan Districts.
    For up-to-date details, please see our schedule.
    (During the month of May, we will be driving through the Alabama, Florida, Texas & Michigan Districts. If you would like to have us come to your church or know of someone who might like to have us come, please fill out the form below.)
  • We are extremely grateful for the several pastors who, even without having had us come for a service, have expressed their desire to support us financially and/or support us prayerfully (my next couple of posts will talk about the importance of prayer in laying a foundation for revival).

Our efforts… God’s credit

We are trying to be diligent in our attempts to raise financial and prayer support. We realize however that for whatever comes in, the credit belongs to God. This principle is portrayed in Proverbs 21.31:

The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD. (KJV)
The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the LORD. (NIV)

The assurance that “victory rests with the Lord” does not alleviate the necessity of the horsemen to prepare or make ready their horses for the battle. In the words of Duncan Campbell (about whom you’ll read more in the next two posts):

“…while God is sovereign in the affairs of men,
His sovereignty does not relieve men of responsibility.”

Contact Form:

Go back

Your message has been sent

Are you the Pastor of this Church?(required)

Thank you!

Thank you for your support. Yes. You are showing support simply by the fact that you are coming back time and again to stay informed about our project and preparations. Let it inform your prayer time and be part of the work of God in France.

Not a follower yet?

You can follow by email or in your WordPress reader by clicking the buttons on the top right of this page.

Leanin’ into the Curve

February 19, 2014 By in Blog, Process Tags: , , , Leave a comment

Man! I’m so proud of my kids!

Curve in the Road

Lord willing, in less than a year, our kids will be leaving behind, for the first time ever, everything that is most familiar… for the first time: Their friends, their church, their neighourhood, and the nearby Sobeys, Tim Horton’s and Dairy Queen where we’re comfortable with them walking unaccompanied. They haven’t got a clue, but they’re totally leaning into the curve! Continue reading →

…on becoming #AIMkids

February 12, 2014 By in People, Process Tags: , , , , 8 Comments

It wasn’t always easy to keep our plan from the kids, but it was necessary.

Kept in the Dark

Although Liz & I have mentally been “in process” for over a year now, our kids found out about our “new adventure” on December 31, 2013… New Year’s Eve.

Why we waited? …to maintain a tight reign on who knew about our plan until it was announced to our church family at MissionPoint. We didn’t want any other churches or groups to know about it first and then have it filter back to our home church second hand… via social media or in conversation.

At the same time, it wouldn’t be fair for our kids to find out only on January 5th, at the same time as everyone else. So, for a couple of reasons, we decided to tell them on New Year’s Eve:

  • Given the holiday break in the church schedule, it would give them a few days to “digest” the news, without seeing their church friends (again, protecting the flow of information).
  • New Year’s provides a natural opportunity to talk about new projects, new ideas, new plans and a new direction. 2014 would definitely be all of that for us.

Given the fact that we are a homeschooling family and therefore together nearly all the time, it wasn’t easy to be discreet about our plans… but thankfully it worked.

Unveiling the Plan

It was important to us to root the plan in the Word of God, so after our New Year’s Eve company had left, I opened the Bible to Joshua chapter 1 (the passage that began this process) and read verses 1-9: highlighting the following:

  • As Joshua’s life was taking on a new role and a new direction… God met with and talked to Joshua.
  • 3 times, God says to Joshua “Be strong and of good courage” (vv. 6, 7 & 9).
  • 2 times, God says to Joshua that if he wants to have success, he needs to take in, meditate on and observe the law of God or, God’s word. (vv. 7 & 8).
  • Kids' JournalsGod would be with Joshua, wherever he went (v.9)

I also gave each of the kids their own personal travel journal inscribed as follows:

“Sophie / Dominic / Timo …  Here is a place to write down your thoughts, questions and yes, perhaps even your fears, concerning the next great adventure that God is about to take our family on. Write them down and you will see that God will answer your questions, honor your thoughts and calm every fear. He’ll do it because he loves you and wants to do something incredible both in and through your life.

Love, Mom & Dad”

We then let them know that within a year or so, we would be moving to France, possibly for as long as 2 years, to replace Bro. & Sis. Brochu as missionaries, under the AIM program.  Following our discussion, we prayed together as a family.

The Reaction

They were very surprised, but also very, very excited. There were a barrage of questions, some of which we didn’t yet have answers for (including…. “Can we get a dog?”).

They were quite excited about the idea that they may need to be involved in music in the church after the Brochu’s leave, kidsjournalTimo_sm440because they both look after music (our kids have varying degrees of piano skills, Dominic is learning guitar already and Timo dreams of playing drums).

Two things sum up well their reaction.

  • First, Timo’s first journal entry
    (see pic)    .
  • Second, Timo’s prayer:
    “God, fill the people of France with the Holy Ghost.”
    (talk about melt a parent’s heart!)

Summing it up:

Without question, we believe that the Lord has been preparing the hearts and desires of our kids in the same way that he’s been preparing us. They are now… #AIMkids.

Other posts on how patience has played a key role in the process to date: 
Patience is a Virtue
Controlled Burn