February Recap
- Had more opportunities to connect with L'Arche through an assistant lunch, a few community parties/events, a week-end teaching time centered on one of the founders of L'Arche, etc. Had coffee with Marta, a German assistant in one of the foyers (houses/communities).
- Met a couple English-speaking international students whom I've been able to have over for dinner.
- Joel, Francois, and I met for our JAO planning meeting for March's gathering. Our team has a balance of strengths and gifts and I'm excited to help as they ask.
- Xue and I were able to meet once over the vacation and I am encouraged by her enthusiasm to continue meeting when she returns this coming week.
- GBU students left for their month-long vacation but in their absence Nari has generated some ideas via email for outreach and semester kick-off. After seeing Natacha at church this morning (yes! you read that right...and with a friend she's encouraging to come to church and GBU!!!), I am so pumped for students' return tomorrow.
- Received an email from Mahina asking for help in coordinating a 2-week stage (internship) for a German student she met while doing her own stage in Germany. I am pursuing opportunities at L'Arche as well as a short-term au pair position with the Prevotes.
- Pray that I can be an encouragement to different assistants who live in the L'Arche foyers as well as continue to serve as needed in the daily work at Moulin. They increasingly ask me to take activities by myself when staff members do off site trainings (and apparently they've decided I do the kitchen well :) ). I am blessed by the offer of trust.
- Pray for opportunities to connect further with international students at the university (UTC). I have realized this a significant population at UTC given the small size of a little over 2,000. They regularly have 50-100 international students who study, research, or do internships for 3-12 months. I can't spread myself too thin into this area, but it is exciting to love on those I can (amazing what a home-cooked meal can do for home-sick souls) with my time here.
- BIG PRAYERS!!! Francois asked me to teach at the next JAO, March 29th at 8pm. We are opening it up at 7pm for a casual potluck sort of dinner so pray both for my preparation and teaching then as well as who all attends. I will be teaching on why and how we study the Bible, what are the benefits, and in what spirit do we engage Scripture. Pray that it would be not only my words but the Spirit that works to fire a hunger in attendees to press into the Scriptures.
- Pray that I would be wise and sensitive to how the Spirit would guide me in encouraging Xue to experience the life and love of Jesus.
- Pray for GBU semester kick-off during March--OIA (Bible study method) training provided by GBU's northern France regional representative; organizing for an outreach in April using the life and teaching of Martin Luther King, Jr. to pique non-GBU students' interest; reconnecting with the GBU women; finding two dates in March for hosting a GBU women gathering as well as inviting my friend Zola to share his testimony (tentatively, March 29th and March 14th respectively).
- Pray for the stage coordinating to go smoothly and well, that all will be served well by our collective efforts to introduce a German student to French life. Pray as well for my time with Mahina. I'm sure we'll eat together at some point this week or weekend, so just continue to lift our time up. Such a delight!
- Pray for the JAO local Bible study, not to be confused with the regional meetings. We will meet March 8th to study Hebrews 5.
- I will be joining the Prevotes for Easter in Touquet!!! Um, I don't think I need to write any more on that. :)
- Upon my return to the United States (I get weepy just thinking about it), I will begin an MDiv at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. In preparation I need to review some different parts of the Bible as well as learn Greek. Yes, that's right. I have started my studies already, but as you can imagine, it is difficult to work that in with everything else here. However, for financial and timing reasons, it is imperative that I learn it and learn it well so that I can begin on track. PLEASE pray for discipline, finding the time, and retaining the information.
- My body has been abnormally out of whack and I have experienced physical discomfort and pain in ways I never have. I also do not sleep consistently deeply although in spurts I do. I have had neither of these issues before. A caveat however--It is always good to talk about the things and realities of God with kindred minds and hearts, an opportunity I have very little of here. In the midst, however, I spent yesterday with my friend and sincere spiritual encouragement Zola in Paris. He understood and named some of my spiritual realities here and coupled with prayer time with a French friend Marie earlier this week, my soul has been nourished. That said, I awoke this morning after deep sleep fully wide awake with the first ring of my alarm (former roommates will understand the importance of this). When I went to stretch nothing in me hurt. I literally skipped to the coffeemaker. I even wore heels to church and I have not been able to wear anything but tennis shoes in some time. That said, I am now acutely aware that perhaps my pain has a spiritual nature as well. Since my heart and spirit is one hard thing to deter and discourage since my arrival, I am wondering if another angle has been taken. So, I write all that to ask for your prayers in what may perhaps very truly be a spiritual battle around my body. This happens to coincide with a heart that has been increasingly broken and sensitized for spiritual and physical needs here. I don't understand it all, but I ask for your prayers of protection for the battle that I realize I with many are in the middle of here. France is not easy, and as Zola said, "and where you're at, whew, even tougher...", i.e., the weather, the north, the history. Pretty depressing place (more on that later).
No comments:
Post a Comment