Two weeks from today I head back to Arkansas for the summer! I am ready to see my family and friends!
There are several things to share so I'm going to keep it more succinct if that's possible.
This time when I fly home I get to have a travel buddy part of the way. Olivia Leigh, the daughter of David and Angela, will be flying to the States with me and then I will put her on her final flight and then catch my flight to Arkansas. I am looking forward to time with Olivia and having a someone to travel with.
The two weeks that are left are packed. You all know how busy the end of the school year is, in addition I am preparing to leave for the summer and working on paperwork for my visa. whew! It's all moving though so I can't complain.
My computer hard drive died suddenly a couple weeks ago. That was not fun to say the least. Fortunately, David Leigh is a computer guy and he took good care of me, as their family always does. Thanks to David I am writing to you once again from my laptop. I have been less communicative in the last few weeks as a result of the laptop and the busyness, so I apologize if I have somehow missed an email or been slow to reply!
The end of the school year here at Collège Daniel is always topped off with a big party. I have a couple groups who are preparing to perform at the party. It is a day of food, games, music and relationship. I am looking forward to experiencing my first 'fête.'
If you've gotten my newsletter you know that we are having are getting together on Friday, July 9 at 6:30 PM at FOC with my two French friends who are coming to visit in Arkansas for a couple weeks. I hope you are planning to come! I want to take a little space and tell you a little about each of them.
Nadine Adriano is one of the elders of the church, Eglise Josué. She has had training in the Sozo technique from Bethel Church in Redding, CA and she is one of the leaders of a healing room that is regularly available to the people of the community. She is from the south of France and is looking forward to the heat of Arkansas. (I honestly don't think she knows what kind of heat that really is.) She is a lot of fun and is a good friend and buddy to me.
Emilie Pierre-Elien is an anointed worship leader. She spent 3 months in Mexico last fall doing a Christian training course called Foundations in Monterrey. She spends her mornings in worship and prayer and the fruit is obvious. In the fall 2010 she will be doing an internship with a government office involving helping communities become more 'green.' She is also a lot of fun and always entertaining. Her family has basically adopted me and Beckie, the young English lady who live in the chateau.
Needless to say when the three of us are together we laugh a lot. I feel this will be an important time of connecting my two worlds when Arkansas meets France. I am excited to see what God is going to release and the exchange of life that will happen. They have something to give and my FOC family also has something to give. This is gonna be GOOD! haha
OK, gotta rap up and get going.
This summer I will make a trip to Houston to apply for the work visa. I will have to have all the paperwork done and an appointment made. I will have to get a plane ticket and a hotel room for at least two nights I think. This is definitely a financial need for this summer.
Then I will have to purchase a ticket to get back to France at the end of August for the beginning of school. This time I hope to return without time restrictions and with a visa in hand! Yes God, do it!
Next fall we are hoping to start a small orchestra/music program at Collège Daniel. Please pray that all of the pieces fall into place for this. This will be an opportunity to continue to use teaching and music to reach young people.
I will add the prayer requests from the newsletter. Thank you for your faithful prayer support. It is essential. If not for the grace of God I could not do this. He is faithful!
~I have 2 weeks left before I return to Arkansas for the summer. Please pray that I use this time effectively and invest myself where God is leading.
~Supernatural help on getting the visa paperwork done. (If you know me well, you know I need the supernatural help! haha)
~Financial support for travel this summer to Houston to get my visa.
~Money for a return flight to France at the end of the summer.
~That God will orchestrate my time in the States this summer.
~That the time with Emilie and Nadine in Arkansas will build bridges and that all God wants to do in that time will be accomplished. (And that they will have a lot of fun!!)
~Safe travels and good health for all of us.
**top left: This is a the majority of the Tendon family, a Swiss family I met this spring. I have a lot in common with them and I'm grateful for new friends with similar hearts and calls. L to R Emmanuelle, Joy, Dan, Zoe, Mike. Not pictured are the dad, Eric, and the oldest son, Yannick.
**top right: I also got to see my dear friend Simone and her family during my few days in Switzerland. This is Simone with the youngest of her two daughters.
