Bonjour from Lubumbashi!

After a wonderful first week in Lubumbashi, we still can’t believe we are finally here. Our long journey by plane was met with answered prayers from the beginning. We didn’t have to pay for an overweight bag in San Antonio due to a computer glitch and just when we thought we would have to lug all 12 of our suitcases to our hotel in Washington D.C. for our overnight stay, a very kind agent with Ethiopian Air stored our bags at the airport overnight. Once we finally landed in Lubumbashi, we were greeted by the District Superintendent and 7 local pastors. We were so thankful, especially because we could not keep our kids awake. Macy even fell asleep on a bag while we were waiting for all the luggage to arrive. Needless to say, our first day was very rewarding as well as exhausting, but we made it through. In fact, thanks to our busy schedule the first day, we have not suffered too much jet lag.

We wish we could fill you in on every detail of our first week, but it would take a lot of space and a lot of reading. So, here are a few highlights:

Our house is more than we could have asked for. It is very close to the French school Macy is attending. She started yesterday and really seems to enjoy it.

While we still lack some basic furniture, we were able to get a stove and refrigerator on Saturday, which is vital to life here.

Electricity has been in and out, but when we do have it we take full advantage of it.

We are learning new French words and phrases and even having to change some we already learned. For example, the words we learned in Quebec for breakfast, lunch and dinner were petite déjuener, déjuener and diner. Here, they use déjuener, diner and souper. A sweet lady corrected me after I had been thanking everyone for breakfast, although I thought I was thanking them for lunch.

We bought a car that is in great condition and for less than we thought we might have to pay. Praise the Lord! Driving is very interesting and very crazy. Most cars are right side drivers, but they still drive on the right side of the road. And, our lovely SUV was imported from Japan, so some buttons in the car are in Japanese.

Gavin dedicated a church on Sunday with the District Superintendent. It was a very hot, but wonderful service. They translated the service into French for us, because most church services are in Swahili. It was a typical African service, so it lasted only 4 hours. We did have lunch after and a great time of fellowship and talking with pastors on the District.

We could go on and on, but the best part of this week has been getting to know our new home. We serve a faithful God, a God who is with us every step of our journey and we couldn’t be on this journey without Him.

Thank you for your prayers as we travelled here and even as we continue to settle into our new home in Africa. There is much to do and much to learn, but we are taking it one day at a time, trusting in God and resting in His peace.

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.