Invitation to Return to the Field

Jerry, our French field director, let us know that he was pleased with what we had accomplished during our four month midterm assignment and wants us to return as soon as we can. He is going to issue an official invitation soon and is also going to have the board of FRANCE VIE issue a letter of recommendation for us. This is what we wanted to hear!

Back in the USA

We arrived back in Kansas May 9th. It still seems odd to wake up in Lawrence instead of Versailles.

Soggy Week but Sunshine in our hearts

This is a week of mixed feelings as we prepare to leave for the U.S. to attend our daughter's graduation. We'll work from the states for France awhile and begin planning how we are to return for the next phase of work here. It's given our team time for all of us to work together and to see each other's vision for ministry.

The weather has not made the typical turn to sunshiny days. Paris spring has a soggy feel to it this year and the flowers are just now beginning to be in full bloom. For that I'm grateful.  Last year March and April sprung forth. These months have been cold, wet and windy. Our days now have climbed to high 50s and sometimes edging over 60 with a little sun ending in wet. The colors are beautiful though. We had a great day in Gisors on Friday with some friends of ours that started out sunny and ended with a downpour leaving me soaked as we said our goodbyes and headed to the train. I had to wear a scarf (originally wrapped around my neck) to cover my sopping head. There was no comb or mirror in my purse and no toilette in site. That didn't dampened my spirits and I tried to make the scarf look like Sophia Loren's in one of her old 1960s movie in an open convertible flying in the wind.

Friends of ours came for a couple of nights from the Netherlands. Our friendship goes back the last 12 years starting in Olathe, Kansas. They've lived in the Netherlands for 4 years now and have been waiting for us to get here to France. We waited 4 1/2 months to take 3 days off and toured the Chateau of Versailles with them. That was a wonderful day and then we took them to Gisors, the village of 35,000 people but no Protestant church. Some of you may remember about this town. There is an 11th century castle with beautiful tulips displayed and a very old incredible Catholic church that the Nazi's tried to bomb to smithereens. Fortunately, they didn't, but it has some stories to tell. I'll put some pictures up soon. Kevin (pronounced Keveen)- our French church planter teammate - joined us to share some insights to this old church and about the work they are doing in this town. We spent some time in prayer for the team and for the people in this wonderful old village in Normandy.

Before we leave we'll have a going away party for our friends in the apartment and for any on our team who can come. Our last big project was to finish painting the France Vie Office. That got completed yesterday. Russell has more graphics projects to complete and some of those will continue in the states. I will be working on "France Fellowships" where we gather groups of people in the states to pray more earnestly for the French and see how they might become more involved to raise awareness of the Christian plight in France. Should be interesting.

Many of you know of our journey to get to the work here. It's been a journey of faith, trust and perserverance. One of our pastors said we might just be stubborn. When you have a call on your life you can't throw it away. This is just the beginning of our work and we look forward to seeing how God is going to shape it for the next time.  For those on our prayer and financial support: Thanks for going on the ride with us. We couldn't be here without you.

Boot Repair

Another customer was happy to take our picture

A month after moving to Versailles, I had worn out the leather soles on my boots and needed a repair shop. One rule of getting along in another culture is, "Ask the natives." So I asked. The advise was to go to the Vietnamese guy on Rue du Chantiers. Turns out I pass his shop almost every day. It's just a few doors down from the boulangerie (bread store) and on the way to the Chantiers gare (train station).

     I wrote down questions to ask and practiced my French, starting with, "Je sais seulement un peu de Français." (I only know a little French.) When I stepped up into his shop, boots in hand, he was sitting at his workbench going to town on an electric guitar. I didn't have enough French to ask if he was repairing it or just jamming away the afternoon. It sounded great to me. Certainly not what I expected to hear. I liked him already. He didn't speak a word of english, so he wrote down the answers to my questions in French and then called his daughter to help translate. I told her the boots were made in Olathe, KS, where the first cowboy boot was made. 

     Two days later the boots were ready. The picture above was taken by another customer the day I picked them up. He did a great job and I have  new friend in Versailles.