I'm writing to you from a sunny spot in the south of France. It seems that Spring is starting a little early this year for many of us. The new life is getting an early start. May we all benefit from the abundant life of God in this season!
I have a lot of good news to pass on...
I will start with my dad. He is doing REALLY well. He looks even better than he did before his operation and he is feeling well and getting his strength back. His wife, Melba, is also feeling good and looking good. I am so happy and thankful for God's goodness to heal and take care of my family. Thanks for your prayers for my family!! I see A LOT of fruit!
My friend, Carolyn, is doing well too. Her journey is still just getting started. She had some set backs with blood clots in her leg and lungs so she is back in the hospital recovering. The clot in her lung has cleared up but she still has trouble with her right leg and foot. Her incision is healing well and best of all her kidney is happy in its new home! Please continue to pray for a complete recovery and no more complications as well as hope and good spirits to finish the journey.
In the past few weeks I have had dinner with one of my music school student's family. The mother approached me and asked if I was a person of faith. She had seen me going to the Christian school and made the connection. When I told her that yes, I was, she said that was obvious to her. Then she invited me to dinner with their family. It is great to make connections. I also met many musicians who are students or teachers at a concert where I worked the snack bar. I didn't know anyone at the beginning so it was a bit challenging but I was happy to be out 'of the 4 walls' and make new contacts and hopefully eventually new friends.
I am now well settled in my new home complete with a bedroom that I have decorated, my first in France. It is a joy and a blessing. I made known the need for help with the new costs and several of you responded. Thank you! I am blown away by your generosity and the provision of Our Daddy! I have also filled out all of the papers (until they ask for something else!) to get government aide for the rent. I have a number and I'm in the system so hopefully it won't be too long before I can receive the aide.
I had two good moments as a teacher/coach this past week. From the past I received a tag from a former student from Danville on Facebook. He had written a paper about something that had influenced his life. He wrote about our band trip to Washington, D.C. to march in the Memorial Day Parade in 2005. He said it was challenging but was an event that changed his life. He realized the importance of music in his life and he was proud of himself for what he had accomplished. I tear up just writing about it. That's what every teacher wants, to provide an opportunity for a young person to discover what he's made of and to take pride in himself. Wow. In the present, just this last Sunday my oldest worship group, The Beans, led worship for a conference with about 250 teachers attending. It was the biggest group they've ever played for and well they ROCKED. The most powerful moment for me was watching a lady near me who remained seated during the worship time. She was bent over and looked like she was in a dark cloud. During the last song, "In Your Eyes", written by someone in our church (it's the song the girls played this summer in Arkansas) the lady stood up and began to sing. I was almost in tears. The Beans are good musicians but the best part is the presence of God that they release. I am so proud of them. Thank you, Father, for the joy and the privilege of working with young people.
There are a lot of good things coming up this Spring too. In April I will go with a team to a 24/7 House of Prayer in Switzerland. We will take 2 hour slots to worship and pray. A few of the youth will go with us and be a part of our team. Then in May there is a week long celebration of 100 years of non-stop prayer and worship that took place in Herrnhut, Germany and was a part of the Moravian church that birthed a missionary movement. Again we will take a team to participate in 24/7 worship and prayer during that week. We hope one day to have a house of prayer "maison de prière" at Joshua Church too!
I will leave you with that thought. Thanks to all of you who keep up with what's happening in my life and pray into it. You are a huge blessing to me!
Prayer requests:
~Continued good health and recovery for my family and for Carolyn.
~For the paperwork for the government to be processed in a timely manner to help pay the rent.
~Holy Spirit inspired times of prayer and worship that help shift that spiritual atmosphere in Europe!
**The Danville High School Marching Band in Washington, D.C. in 2005. The age range was much more like a JR high group but they did a fantastic job and we had a blast. Needless to say, we've all changed a bit since then. The guy standing beside me is the one who wrote the paper, John Cerna. He now stands a full head (at least) taller than me. =) Thanks for sharing your paper with me, John!
**The Beans. Un super groupe de louange qui déchire !! A super worship band that rocks!!
