More Stories From Lille

Prayer was one of the biggest lessons I learned in Lille. I learned to wait on the Lord, to pray constantly, and how God uses it. I heard a story (a true story I was told by one of the coolest ladies I've ever met while I was discouraged) while I was there about a missionary in Africa that went a very long time without seeing results, no one coming to faith in Christ. Frustrated and exhausted, he started making his way across Africa to return home. Along the way the Lord prompted him to preach the Gospel to a village he was passing by. Reluctantly he went, with the intention to preach and leave, not to stick around. The village ran him out and completely violently rejected the Gospel. As he passed another village he felt the same call from the Lord. Even more reluctantly, I'm sure, he went into this village and preaching the Gospel. The response was overwhelming! So many came to Christ in that moment! God had clearly prepared this village. He passed many other villages along his way and they each had one of the two responses. Baffled and yet encouraged, the missionary returned home. He shared this strange story with many people and eventually one of his listeners was reminded of a missionary known as "Praying Hyde" who was mostly known for his work in India. But he had traveled in the same area and through mapping out both travels they realized that "Praying Hyde" had been to and prayed over all the villages that received Christ 100 years earlier! God uses our prayers. And any fruit we see is just a small part we play in His grand scheme. We all have a different part to play, none of them more glorious or important.
I also learned a lot about planting seeds. We are called to sow seeds broadly. We don't try to find "good soil" and then plant there (as we so often approach it here in America) but we find "good soil" by planting the seeds everywhere and seeing where it grows. God is the one that prepares the soil, and He's the one that causes the growth. I can't dress the Gospel up nice enough, I can't argue someone into the kingdom. There is so much freedom in that though! I also can't mess it up! I am to seek after God and to share His love and Gospel with the world. He will take care of the work He has for me. As long as my heart is to glorify Him and surrender my will to His, I'm good to go!
I'm learning how to be bold. I am learning to practice these things I learned in Lille everyday. This is great training ground for my future in France!

There and Back Again

I know I promised many of you updates while we were in France, and so this is a very long overdue update! But here it is, my only excuse is that we did not have internet access while in Lille and once we returned I was pretty sick and started back at work immediately. Nevertheless, here is part one!
I kept debating whether to tell our stories chronologically or by theme, I decided on the latter. One of my biggest prayer requests for this trip was confirmation for the future. I was so sure that God had orchestrated everything that led to me considering France for long-term missions even before I left. However, before I left I felt I needed to go and get my feet a little wet before committing to moving there, especially since God had provided such an opportunity. Something I've learned is that when God gives us things like: peace, confirmation, blessings, etc., it is not only often independent of our circumstances but it is also often diametrically opposed to them. From the first night we arrived in France I had such a feeling of peace that this was in my future to pursue, and even when we were discouraged or things were hard, I never lost that feeling. And in fact, out of those feelings, I eventually received more confirmation and peace. So to answer the question so many have asked upon my return, yes I am now pursuing moving to Paris with everything I have. I still will approach everything in life with an open hand towards God, because His ways are not my ways, and His will be done, not mine. This is all about Him, for Him, so if He provides the way I will go. But I do know clearly that pursuing this opportunity is exactly what He wants of me. I've also learned that our plans and expectations change along the way as God changes our hearts to align with His. This is not to say I'm wishy-washy about my commitment to going or unsure of what He so clearly spoke to me in Paris, I know I am going to Paris, I know there is work He has for me there, it is just to let go of my plans and let God take control. I was so broken of my ideas for missions and the work I was going to do for God on this trip. I never what to get so dead set on my ideas that I don't allow God to shape the road as I walk along it. I don't want to allow bad circumstances to say anything to me about God's character, His goodness and faithfulness are not dependent on things going my way. He does not possess these qualities, He IS them. I have so clearly seen Him laying out these plans for me to go to Paris, plans that started out in my mind very differently. But He used my stumbling ways to direct my paths as I pursued Him and I am now on an adventure so far beyond one I could have imagined even if I had dared to.  This is just a small glimpse of the amazing things God did on this trip! More stories coming soon, I promise. Until then, remember dear brothers and sisters, that whether you eat or drink, do it all for the glory of God, live in a manner worthy of the gospel, and never let anything become dearer to you than our Lord.