French 101 - Grands Débutants

As we continue to learn French, it is amazing how many words we come across that are similar in English, yet different in meaning.

                          English Meaning                                   French Meaning

Encore          Additional performance                             Simply means, "again"

Commode     Toilet                                                          Dresser

Entré             Main course of a meal                                Entrance or enter

À la mode     With ice cream                                            Fashionable

Did you know that RSVP comes from the French words, répondez s'il vous plaît which means "please respond"? I always wondered what the letters actually stood for.

Some French words we use in English all the time include: faux, cliché, au contraire, sauté, à la carte, décor (just to name a few). 

What a fun journey it is to learn a new language. At times, it can be frustrating or confusing, but I'm thankful the Lord has given us wisdom and a sense of humor to get through the rough moments. We are enjoying this process and preparing ourselves for only 2 1/2 more weeks of class. I'm not sure how much more we can cram in our heads these last two weeks, but we're going to try.

In other news, l'hiver a commencé (winter has begun).

Prayer For Our Neighbors

As we are only 6 weeks away from arriving at our new home, our hearts are heavy for our soon to be neighbors in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Today, M23 rebels took over the city of Goma as a part of their campaign to control Eastern DRC. Even though this fighting is ongoing and far from over, the city was taken peacefully today without any shots being fired.  Goma, the furthest south that M23 has advanced to date is still over 700 miles away from Lubumbashi, where we will live, with a dense jungle separating the two cities.

Please join us in prayer for all involved. Pray for those who are displaced and in fear about their uncertain future.  Pray for safety of all those involved in working for peace and offering aide to refugees.  Pray also that the Lord would intervene and help bring about peace to this area. Most importantly, pray that those who are involved with this conflict would find salvation through Jesus Christ.

Thank you for praying for the DRC!

10 Years in the Making

I'm reminded, this evening, of the Lord's faithfulness.  Almost to the day ten years ago, I received my first call to Africa.  The Youth In Mission staff from the Nazarene Headquarters in Kansas City was at SNU recruiting for their summer missions trips. I don't know what particularly led me to request placement on an African team, but I followed the Lord's leading and spent two months in South Africa.    These eight weeks were an amazing time where God worked in amazing ways and planted a seed in my heart for Africa.  Jill also was applying for an African YIM team ten years ago, only the Lord had planted the burden for Africa deep in her heart a couple years earlier.  Jill would have only amazing things to say about the summer she spent in Madagascar and how God continued to confirm her call to this part of the world.

The fourth chapter of Joshua stands out to me at this point in time.  After many years of slavery and subsequent years of roaming around the desert, God brings the Israelites to the banks of the Jordan river.  Moses has passed away and God calls Joshua to step forward and lead God's people into the promised land.  There is the amazing story of how God, once again, holds back the waters and allows the Israelites to pass through on dry ground.  What strikes me in particular at this point in my life is what they do next.  God asks them to take up twelve stones from the river and to set them up on the other side as a reminder of God's faithfulness.  One person from each of the twelve tribes takes up a stone from the river and Joshua erects an altar of sorts which, according the Bible, still stands today.

2003 YIM team to South Africa (and friends)

In less than two months we will arrive in Lubumbashi, DRC.  When we get there, I'll be looking for some stones!  I don't want to forget that even though we've been ministering in other places, ultimately this is the place that the Lord promised to bring us over ten years ago.  We are humbled by God's invitation to be used for His Kingdom and we are constantly reminded of His faithfulness.  Lord, build up within me an "altar" of remembrance so that I may testify to your faithfulness.

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream For...Poutine

Gavin and I have officially embraced Quebecois culture. We tried Poutine...a local favorite. Poutine (poo-teen) is french fries covered with fresh cheese curds and drowned in brown gravy. As if that wasn't enough, some folks enjoy topping the whole thing off with butter; an option that we chose to pass on.  You can tell that it is quite common in that nearly every restaurant serves it and that it is offered as a regular side dish with pizza.  In our opinion, it wasn't bad, but now that we have tried it, we probably won't need to eat it again.