Play Ball!

Living in France has been a wild ride. It’s a good one that sometimes has curves or we get whacked in the head over something. But we’ve also experienced some great saving slides. In between all that, I’m waking up many nights around 1 am to 2 am through 5am since the World Series began and watching some fantastic baseball on mlbtv.com. Yes, it’s affected the rest of my schedule. But our English/art school is on vacay for over a week and who would have thought I could do this crazy thing by watching TV back home in the states and see my hometown team at the World Series facing the Giants. Goliath entered and David has his slingshot. We are now 3 games tied and tonight is the deciding game. Winner takes a huge trophy, lots of money and commercial deals and is Baseball’s World Champion in the USA for a year until everyone tries it again.

Most French know nothing about baseball. They don’t play it. They play basketball, and even have some American football teams. Americans are playing European soccer/futbal more than ever. Our civilizations are coming together more and more. But, why not baseball? Our baseball gloves , a softball (no bat though) were thrown in a moving box with our bocce balls and horsehoes as we prepared to leave Kansas for Europe. It’s time we teach our French, German, Swiss, Angolan, British, Irish & Guadeloupean friends how to play the game.

My KC Royals large blue and gold banner came in the mail today. Just in time. Do my neighbors in our town know why I’ve put this outside our 3 story building? Probably not. Maybe they will Google it. I hear words coming out of their mouths like “Google or Facebook” so I know they’re using the same social networks.

I’m more pumped up than ever, not just for baseball, but God is batting home runs out of the park for each person who is seeking him or believing in him.  Sometimes they don’t see the opportunities for a long time or don’t know what to do. Two new couples to our town and one of our church couples are coming to our weekly Book study.  All families are excited to have fellowship, looking to explore their love relationship with the Lord himself . 

One family is seeing how God is moving in their lives like never before. After 18 years of keeping it bottled up inside, attending mass because their wasn’t a Protestant church in their area, there is a new awareness and excitement to learn how Christ can make a daily difference. This is showing through to their children. Another is under conviction of the Holy Spirit. Russell and I helped one of these mom’s explain how to lead her daughter to Christ and she told her mom that she wanted to follow Jesus last week! An older son from one of the families is in one of our conversational groups and is wondering what is going on? “What are you talking about over at Russell and Carol’s?”, he asked his mom. He’s looking at his dad’s study book. As it comes to mind would you pray for these people God is bringing our way?

When the song “God Bless America” is sung at baseball games I am reminded how God is blessing and leading his people all over the world and saying, "You're Up Next". ...Carol

Adrenaline rush!

It's school time again. We put off our start up date to September 29th because we had a lot of work to get ready for this week! Classes finally started whether I was ready or not. Our first week is over. It's Thursday night and we have thoroughly enjoyed it. (like always). I tend to do a little ringing of the hands in worry (in my mind) until classes are under way. There are sooo many details to attend to.

We have 10 classes for children in English and Art and 7 classes for older students and adults who can hold a conversation in English. Pretty exciting and daunting. Another English as a Second Language teacher told us recently that people who want this kind of learning can suck the life blood out of you with their demands. We do have to be careful with our time. We gave in on some areas of our schedule. For instance, a new Saturday morning class was arranged for working parents who can't get their children to fit into our work week schedule.

A woman came into the storefront/classroom on Tuesday asking if she could come to that night's new book study. I told her that it's called Teachings of Jesus, unlike all the other classes which are secular. "Yes", she said. "That is the one I want."

She said she her family had recently moved to our town 10 months ago. They didn't know there was a  Protestant church in the area and didn't hear of one so she began attending the nearby Catholic church. She was raised Catholic. Her life journey changed in her 20s and she told me that someone shared to her about Jesus coming to earth to sacrifice his life for her and how she could have a relationship with Him. She traveled to England for a while and was able to study the Bible. Her travels back home in Germany brought her to a Baptist church. When she received our flyer in the mail she realized not only could she practice her English but she could study the Bible.  "I told her of the Protestant church we were involved with nearby. Tears began to form in her eyes when she heard that. Her experience at this recent church left her feeling like she still couldn't find "community" and it was too "high church" and ritualistic for her family. She and her husband came that night back to the classroom and we had quite an enjoyable time.

We prayed with another new friend 2 days ago for her to be able to lead her 9 year old to the Lord. It sounds like she is ready. The mom really wasn't sure how to go about it. It was an affirming time.

 God, through our flyers, and association day brought two Christian families who recently moved here to us where we can lead them to a church, encourage them and to our new book study. Worry has changed to excited adrenaline. - Carol