How quickly time is passing! I can hardly believe that in a few short days I will have been in Paris two months. I've been stuck in this strange tension of wanting to feel established and know how everything operates yet I also excuse myself for not knowing things that I should and I at times chose timidity over boldness- using the excuse that I'm new here and don't need to know everything yet. I think it's this tension that has worn on me the most.
I complained to Jon after I had been here two weeks that I was ready for establishment, ready for community and local friends and women to pour into. I expressed a deep envy for his life and ministry and the connection he has in the city where he lives. I had been here two weeks! 14 days. I scarcely allowed myself time to recover from jet lag let alone build deep and lasting friendships and a solid connection to my new home. How silly I must have sounded (yet how patient and encouraging he was). I'm thankful that God gives us enough tasks to handle at the right time because what my short-sightedness saw then is little comparison to what life has become now.
These two months have been filled with the establishment of new routines, speaking lots and lots of French, multiple bank appointments and the budding of new friendships. I'm now working with two NA ladies teaching them English and praying for more and more opportunities to be present in their lives. I meet each week with a local French women who blesses me through her kindness, gentleness and servant heart to practice conversation and pronunciation. Three times a week I am at our ladies literacy classes and I have been transitioning into teaching. And each week I meet with the other women on my team for prayer, scripture and much needed english-speaking girl time. In all of this I'm starting to read several books to help me understand and better approach ministry among Muslims, attempting to buy a cell phone plan and spending quality belly laughs with Ruth Ann and Brittany. This is my life now. It will be my life for a while! And I am thankful that God has promised to sustain and lead me through it all (and the many many more tasks that will fall into it).
This is me with John Calvin. You could make an argument that he is apart of my daily life now, but we won't go there. This was taken in Orleans, France several weeks ago while I was visiting a friend. I still have not figured out why it was there or if John Calvin had any ties to Orleans, France. This picture makes me chuckle every time I see it. Why is his mouth open? What was he holding in his right hand? Was he really that tall?
I complained to Jon after I had been here two weeks that I was ready for establishment, ready for community and local friends and women to pour into. I expressed a deep envy for his life and ministry and the connection he has in the city where he lives. I had been here two weeks! 14 days. I scarcely allowed myself time to recover from jet lag let alone build deep and lasting friendships and a solid connection to my new home. How silly I must have sounded (yet how patient and encouraging he was). I'm thankful that God gives us enough tasks to handle at the right time because what my short-sightedness saw then is little comparison to what life has become now.
These two months have been filled with the establishment of new routines, speaking lots and lots of French, multiple bank appointments and the budding of new friendships. I'm now working with two NA ladies teaching them English and praying for more and more opportunities to be present in their lives. I meet each week with a local French women who blesses me through her kindness, gentleness and servant heart to practice conversation and pronunciation. Three times a week I am at our ladies literacy classes and I have been transitioning into teaching. And each week I meet with the other women on my team for prayer, scripture and much needed english-speaking girl time. In all of this I'm starting to read several books to help me understand and better approach ministry among Muslims, attempting to buy a cell phone plan and spending quality belly laughs with Ruth Ann and Brittany. This is my life now. It will be my life for a while! And I am thankful that God has promised to sustain and lead me through it all (and the many many more tasks that will fall into it).
This is me with John Calvin. You could make an argument that he is apart of my daily life now, but we won't go there. This was taken in Orleans, France several weeks ago while I was visiting a friend. I still have not figured out why it was there or if John Calvin had any ties to Orleans, France. This picture makes me chuckle every time I see it. Why is his mouth open? What was he holding in his right hand? Was he really that tall?
