Just Around the Corner

After 1,700 miles from Sherbrooke, Canada to Edmond, OK and another almost 500 miles from Edmond to San Antonio, TX a week later, we have had a great Christmas! We are trying to enjoy every moment with our families, eat as much Mexican food as possible and pack and repack our suitcases to get everything we own to fit. We got to see Santa and even had one last snow to enjoy, for at least 2 years, on Christmas day.

Even after 3 garage sales and selling most of our "stuff", packing a small crate to ship to Africa, moving to Canada with a car full of luggage holding the rest of our "stuff", studying French for 3 months and now spending Christmas with our families, getting a quote today to sell our car sent a wave of emotions through me. WE ARE MOVING TO AFRICA. Obviously, we have been preparing for this for the last 7 months, but something about selling this final large belonging overcame me. The great thing is, whatever we get will go towards a new car for us in the Congo; which we desperately need.

A final thought: over 2,000 years ago God sent His son to save His people from their sins. He sent His Son knowing that people would not accept Him and eventually put Him to death on a cross...for us. During Christ's time on earth he went through towns and villages teaching the Good News of the Kingdom of God. Matthew 9:37-38 says, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." We have been commissioned to share this great, amazing news with the entire world. What a great, yet humble God we serve.

Super Soirée de Noël !

We attend Parole de Vie Bethel, in Sherbrooke, Quebec for French language school.  Although dozens of people every year come to PdVB for language accusation, the school's primary purpose is a one year Bible School for 17 and 18 year olds. We have had the privilege to get to know and learn from these students. Quebec is an interesting Provence of Canada. Only 1% of the population are Christians, leaving this a major mission field in desperate need of reaching people for Christ. Many of the student's who come for this year will not go on to be pastor's or missionaries (although we have done our best to share with them about those opportunites), but will be better prepared to live out their faith in a secular society. Our hearts go out to them as they prepare for their mission field.

Monday evening, these 32 students got together and held a Christmas party for all of the missionary kids (25 of them under the age of 13). 

They played games, decorated cookies, gave our children presents and then shared the true meaning of Christmas, Jesus Christ. It was so fun to watch the students practice their English with our children as we have been in this same role with French for the last 3 months. 

We were so touched at their thoughtfulness, their kindness and taking time during their last week of school to plan something for our kids. We are thankful for this time in our journey, for new friends in Quebec, for new missionary friends who will soon be in Africa as well and for encouragement and the fellowship we've encountered with other believers.