I'm not much for New Year's resolutions. I figure if I need a change in my life why wait for the beginning of a year to get started. I can't say that I seek God to tell me about the coming year either. I just try to stay plugged in to Him and I know He will let me know what I need to know. I may be missing some stuff just by not asking but that leaves the adventure of surprises. haha. So you won't find any deep insight from me on what I think the Lord is saying for 2011. I can, however, share what I sense and see is happening now.
Actually, the title of my last blog, 'A New Season,' sums it up for me. I think we have entered into a new season of what God is doing in the earth. It is a season of deep healing and deliverance. God is preparing His bride so that when the harvest is reaped we will be able to point them to the same healing and deliverance. It seems that things that once took a long time are now accomplished in a relatively short time. There is an acceleration. This season began in the autumn of 2010 in my opinion but my friend Nadine says she has noticed that since the beginning of the year there is an even greater acceleration in the Spirit and in the things of God. I know this: it is an exciting time to be alive and be a part of the history God is making.
Now on to the more newsy part of the blog. This Christmas was the best Christmas since my mom died in 1992. It was a great time on any scale. After a healing work God has done in me, I can say it's the first Christmas I've experienced without any sadness or sense of loss! It's a miracle! And it was better for my whole family. My sister said she was different this holiday season and her husband and family noticed. We sang and played guitars together and just really enjoyed being together. This is one of the best gifts ever for me and my family. I am so thankful for what God has done. I couldn't imagine it was possible to be healed and free at this level. God is good and faithful!
My three weeks in Arkansas were BUSY! It was a change from my other visits. It was the shortest return since I've been in France and I found trying to manage seeing people and getting personal business done in that time very challenging. I realized after returning to France that my expectations have to change and that my home base has truly changed. Russellville, AR will always be home in the sense that it's were I'm from and my roots but Guebwiller, France is now my home.
It was good to see many of you and to stay connected. We had the best turn out ever for the informational evening. We had the joy of praying for people for healing and that God release His call to the nations for many. Thanks so much for coming!!
That night we had a great team of Europeans and Americans. It's really more and more a representation of the Kingdom with many nations working together and it's no longer a one man/woman show. Working in team is the only way to go! That night we had 6 Swiss guests and 5 French. I was so blessed to have so many Europeans visiting us at FOC and it was obvious that God was making connections with many people in Russellville with the Europeans.
I just want to once again say a thanks to Rick and Terri George and Carl and Becky Hudson for opening up their homes and especially their LIVES to host the nations, the family of God.
Things are going well on the school and church level here. We are putting together a youth worship seminar for the 4th and 5th of March. I would really appreciate your prayers for this. This is an idea that came to me from our worship conferences that we had years ago at FOC. That period in my life really gave me a firm foundation of worship both biblically and practically. We want to instill a firm foundation in the youth here too. This time we are looking to target the youth that I work with on a regular basis in the worship bands. However, in the future the idea is to open it up to more people. We know that it's not just the musicians who are worshipers but we His children are called to be worshipers. Worship is a lifestyle. We have a wonderful team working together to really impart into, train and release the youth. Please pray that we find the right mix of teaching and doing, that the youth's hearts will be ready to receive and most of all the heart of God for this two day seminar.
Visa news: I shared this at the meeting and I think by email but just in case you haven't heard the latest I will share the progress on my visa which is called at this point a 'carte de sejour.' I have a temporary 'carte de sejour.' The permanent one should arrive in February! It will last for 3 years! All good news. However, upon receiving the temporary carte I discovered that it is very specific in what area I can work. I was expecting simply permission to work in France. This does give me the right to work BUT only with the school, Collège Daniel, where I am now a volunteer. The school can not afford to pay me. So I am still very much dependent on the gifts and regular giving of my friends who support me. I am still praying about ways to make money in France. Please pray with me. It is obvious that God has given me this 'carte de sejour' and this status. It is nothing short of a miracle. I know He will give us creative ideas on how to earn money.
This brings me to another new development that I think most of you are aware of. FOC has changed their missions giving policy. They choose how to disperse the funds given in the missions offering at FOC. So if you have given each month in the offering at FOC for me it is no longer going to come directly to me. They have a set amount they will give me and after that the rest will be divided amongst the other missions groups. I simply cannot live on the amount they have allocated for me. Please make plans to send your gifts to Becky or Carl Hudson or you can hand it to them at church. You can make the checks payable to Alana Smith. We are also looking into getting a non-profit status for me but an accountant told me that might be difficult for me. So, I'm sorry to say your gifts will not be tax-deductible unless I can get this status.
If you need more information please email me or leave a comment here and I'll get in touch with you.
GOOD NEWS! Carl and Becky are making plans to come and see me for 2 weeks in March! I am so excited! They have been walking with me, supporting me, pastoring me since before I even left for France the first time. It is such a God thing that they should be the first to come and visit me in Guebwiller. They are not just coming to visit me however. They will get to see Emilie and her family. We will make a trip to Nadine's hometown so they can meet her family and see Arnaud, the young man who has been staying with them for the month of January. We will also visit our Swiss friends that they met in Russellville. They have already sown into the French and Swiss even before setting foot on the continent! They too live by faith and God has provided for their plane tickets and passports. Now we are trusting Him to provide for the rest of the trip. Pray that God divinely organizes and has His way during their visit here and that more 'God-connections' will be made.
Man, now that I've talked your ears off...haha. Well, that's what happens when you go 2 months without writing. I want to wish you all a wonderful year full of GOD and Kingdom stuff. I will bullet point the prayer requests at the bottom and tell you about the pics at the top.
Until the next blog...may your hearts be full of the peace and riches of our Jesus.
prayer requests:
~for the youth worship seminar March 4-5: Please pray that we find the right mix of teaching and doing, that the youth's hearts will be ready to receive and most of all the heart of God for this two day seminar.
~Finances: that my regular supporters will be able to pick up the new habit of giving by sending it to the Hudsons and that God will make it clear what can be done here in France to earn money.
~Carl and Becky's trip in March: Pray that God divinely organizes, provides and has His way during their visit here and that more 'God-connections' will be made.
**Pictured above:
~Playing guitar with my nephew, Clayton, and my dad. It was so much fun.
~The crew of Swiss and French in Russellville. We had a blast too!
