S...is for Scripture Use

Way back when...before life got a bit complicated...we were doing the ABCs of Wycliffe to relay information about the work that our organization does.  With the events of getting moved overseas and beginning language school, that got put on hold.  Well today, we will resume where we left off: at the letter S.

Scripture use is one of the three main components of what Wycliffe does in a language community.  The other components are translation and literacy.  Those two are pretty self-explanatory.  Scripture use is not too tough of a concept either.  The main idea of scripture use is to get the translated word used and in people's hands.  It's an impeccable monument of achievement to have a Bible translated into each language.  But that product becoming just another book on a shelf or a museum piece would represent failure.  It needs to be used.  How that happens is where the fun begins - and where we get involved.

After myriads of language research has been done and some scripture has been translated, the ideal situation is for scripture use teams to start moving.  One of the primary methods used is to establish Bible studies in a language community.  And in languages where literacy is not widespread, this has to be done creatively.  One of the coolest things being done is to establish listening groups.  Working with ministries such as Faith Comes by Hearing, the newly translated scripture can be recorded with native speakers reading and the recorded material placed onto digital devices called Proclaimers.  Proclaimers are pretty neat devices that can be solar powered, so that those in the most remote areas can use them easily.  Leaders in the villages will establish meeting times for groups in the community to listen together and discuss what they've heard - not so different from Bible studies that you may be used to, but done with oral delivery.

A listening group in Malawi gathered around the Proclaimer

Another manifestation of Scripture use is in the publication of educational materials for a language community.  There is a nice five minute news byte on this web-page about a scripture use project in Bundibugyo, Uganda that is getting AIDS education materials into the hands of those in need in western Uganda.  After the linguistic research has been done and translation of scripture can be done, there's no reason to stop at translating the Bible.  Other materials that address community needs can be translated as well.  And scripture use staff can facilitate the understanding of the information and help get it distributed.

Congalese musicians recording newly composed scripture songs this summer at a workshop led by some of our colleagues

Our work in EthnoArts will largely come under the umbrella of scripture use as well.  What we will attempt to do is facilitate the nexus of scripture with the expressive forms (music, dance, drama, etc.) of a culture.  It may come through workshops to spur the creation of new materials infused with scripture, or by finding local artists and asking them to create music or art and hopefully begin a trend of creativity.  The end result is that people will be able to use scripture in the most personal of ways - through the trappings of their culture.  And they will also be able to express their worship of God in the most personal way they know.  That's our goal and it's a significant part of the scripture use puzzle.

For further perusal, visit this page with some videos that answer FAQs about scripture use.

We're in France!

I must sincerely apologize for the time between posts on this blog.  The perfectionist part of me (Chris) took charge for awhile and it prevented me from posting.  How, you ask?  So much has happened in the last few months.  And every few days, it seemed, was another step.  I kept thinking, "After x happens I'll do another blog post."  And the next day it was x+1 and so on until the backlog was overwhelming.

So, I'll encapsulate the last couple of months.  And I'll try to be less of a perfectionist in the future...but no guaranties!

Since our last post...we got our visa situation sorted out.  We were a confusing case for the French government - and that's no slight on the French.  Why in the world would a married couple in their 40's with five college degrees between them and 3 children aged 7, 9 & 11 request student visas?  It turned out that our case was forwarded from the embassy in Washington to Paris for a decision.  In the end, we were steered from student visas and issued Long Stay visas - good for one year of residence in France that is extendable.  It cost less up front, but more in the long-run.  Anyway, the bottom line is that it all was sorted out and we arrived two and a half weeks before our language study began in July.  God certainly was providing for us in the process and any speed bumps that showed up were smoothed out quickly and without much stress.

We got to meet Teri Centner, a sorority sister of Lori's, in Washington, DC for dinner after our appointment at the
French Embassy.

Our last couple of weeks in Virginia were very busy.  The kids had some swim meets and we visited with a lot of folks for "one last time" before we left.  We missed some folks when we ran out of time and that was a bummer.  There was also one last hurrah hosted by the Hintons and Crowes with loads of food and fun.  Good times!

Our travel to France...was great.  We got a great deal on tickets complete with extra baggage allowance.  We flew from Washington, DC to London to Geneva, Switzerland on June 18/19.  We were met in Geneva by a very kind van driver that drove us across the border into France and on to Albertville.  We stayed for two and a half weeks in a temporary apartment until our regular apartment was ready.  In that time we were able to arrange our banking, utilities, and cover some school requirements for the kids (immunization records, etc.) as well as getting acquainted with the town.

With our heap of luggage outside Dulles Airport in Washington, DC

We moved into our regular residence on July 6th.  We have a 3 bedroom flat above a Kabob shop.  The shop has been closed since a couple days after we moved in.  We're not sure if he closed for Ramadan or for the month of August (a large percentage of businesses and such close for most of August while much of the country vacations) or both or if he went out of business.  We'll find out in September!

The outside of our building.  We're on the third floor.

We did our first language school session in July.  The intensive session was focused mostly on oral aspects of the language.  The regular school sessions focus a bit more on grammar and written work.  We were happy with our teacher and had a good start to our language learning.

Noah, Kristin, and Ben in front of the Olympic torch in Albertville.  Albertville hosted the 1992 Winter Olympics.  The Olympic park is about a half mile from our home.

We've adjusted pretty well to living in Albertville.  It is a nice little town with lots of beauty, but more charm - kind of like our hometown of Lynchburg.  We've had a blast taking in local culture by exploring a bit into some small villages around Savoie.

Visiting the medieval city of Conflans, which is located on a hill overlooking Albertville.

Savoie is the "department" that we live in.  Departments in France are more or less the size of a larger than average county in the US.  And Savoie, coupled with the department to the north, Haute Savoie, has an interesting history.  This link provides a good synopsis of the history of Savoie in English, although the website is pretty old.  Wikipedia also has a good history as well as an entry with details of the local economy, demographics and such.  Savoie was a sovereign nation until the French came along and tried to integrate it into their sphere of influence during the 1500's.  It then was tossed about between Italy and France for a time before finally becoming French territory in the 1860's.  The culture here has a very independent flair to it that reminds me of the type of identity assertion that Texas has within the US.  It's been fun to explore the cultural nuance of this area while also absorbing French culture in general.

The 19th stage of the Tour de France passed right in front of our apartment on July 19th.  We had our entire class over that afternoon to have lunch and watch the cyclists pass by.

This is from our visit to the town of Beaufort, which is up in the mountains just east of Albertville.

We are currently on break from school until September 3rd.  During this time, we are doing a lot of independent study, meeting with our language helpers, taking some time to explore on the weekends, taking a week-long family vacation, having some placement testing for the kids schooling, and helping the new students arriving over the next couple of weeks to get settled.

Until next time...Soli Deo Gloria.

This was the view from Noah and Ben's room at dusk one evening in July.

Chapter Next

I’ve always loved those little milestones in life: crossing another state line on a long road trip; chapters in a book; progressing years in school.  They always seem to carry a confirmation of progress but with a fresh start on something new.  We’ve hit such a milestone in the last few weeks and it’s great to be moving to the next phase.

The milestone is that we have essentially completed our partnership phase.  We have reached our goal of monthly financial backing and can now proceed with our move overseas.  We do still have a small amount of outgoing costs to cover, but knowing how the Lord has provided thus far, we have no doubts or fears of swift completion in that area as well.

Doing the work of financial partnership has been interesting to say the least.  It has taught us a lot about our reliance on God for our very breath among all other provision.  It has taught us a lot about commitment and faithfulness.  The stories that we’d love to share about this are many. 

I can’t say that we’ve seen “everything” there is to see, but it’s been an eye-opening experience, to say the least.  We’ve visited churches that have a long and rich history of missionary affiliation.  We’ve visited some to whom our endeavor is new.  We’ve enjoyed showing the possibilities of engaging the artistic and cultural life of a community to be a carrier of the gospel message.  We’ve enjoyed encouraging people to see worship as a global endeavor and arousing curiosity of what brothers and sisters in Christ do to express their worship half-a-world away.

Many times, our methods and results didn’t line up as we expected.  We enjoyed our most prosperous times while speaking mostly to grade school kids about African arts or geography.  We saw the words of some dedicated advocates pay greater dividends than our own polished presentations.  I can say it was fun most of the time and always interesting.

The next things on our plate include obtaining visas and selling a few things that we didn’t get rid of before our move to Dallas.  After we have the visas in hand, travel plans will be made and the countdown will be on.  Looking forward to it!

Passports are ready...now for the visas.

I need those red areas at the top of my application to become green!  When they are all green, we can schedule our interview at the consulate in Washington, DC.

Easter 2013

40 Days is over  ~  Easter is HERE!  He is Risen!

Nothing about our 40 day push turned out as we thought it would, but everything is right!

We planned on blogging often during the 40 days.
We planned on being busy.
We planned on traveling and speaking in a lot of churches and small groups.

We did not plan on stomach bugs, food poisoning, a kidney stone, our planned language school closing, or my Dad passing on to glory on March 3rd.

We did not plan on taking a few weeks to stop, wait, and listen, to receive guests and sympathy, and to pour over paperwork.  And then we resumed at full-speed even though we were exhausted from receiving guests and from grief.

We did not plan for those things, but God did.
He knew everything.

And it's the little things that get me.
The moment when my dad died was the only time my brother, sister, mom and I were in the room alone with Daddy.
I held his hand.
His last food was a pepermint patty.  Remember taste the sensation?  And we could laugh.  We needed that.
And then there was the friend who just happened to be close by that weekend, who could come for the funeral; the cousin who was able to come from far away; the scarf from a Texas friend to keep giving me hugs.

Even through the ups and downs during the 40 days, and without being able to work as hard as we planned, God provided new partners and supplied our needs.
We have now made it to 94% of our monthly support.  We're so close!
We have a new language school destination in Albertville, France.  We are applying for visas and plan to depart as soon as possible.
The coming weeks are full of appointments and sharing about our EthnoArts work in Cameroon.  It's coming together after all.

Thank you for praying and keeping us busy.  Keep praying!

Enjoy these photos from "Talents Unmasked," an event held last week at our church as a fundraiser for the Grant family and us.

Sisters Heidi & Melissa perform a piano duet

Dave shredding out a solo

Kristin, with Andrea, her piano teacher

Ben performing a solo

The fabulous Garber sisters

Peter performing a blues rendition of Blessed Assurance

Noah sliding an oreo from his forehead to his mouth.  He was victorious!

Sunset over the Peaks of Otter this week

Day 17: What a weird couple of weeks...and finally back in the saddle

Well, this 40 days thing was supposed to be a time of being very busy and blogging a lot about what we were doing every couple of days.  Then craziness broke loose on our family!  It's been quite a ride for the past two weeks, but finally we're getting back in rhythm.

I (Chris) have no intention of fishing for sympathy, but I thought it best to relay the events of the last couple of weeks to show how we can rely on God's faithfulness through all kinds of things.

When last we checked in, we were at the JAARS center in Waxhaw, NC.  On Friday morning, Feb. 15th, Lori and I were privileged to take a class in off-road driving.  We had about an hour and a half in the classroom discussing some techniques as well as equipment choices.  Then we got in a well-equipped Isuzu Trooper and hit the course.  We had to traverse some steep hill-climbs, some big mudpuddles, lots of deep-rutted trails, narrow passages between trees, and even a staircase of boulders. We had a blast!  Lori especially loved moments such as when she asked the instructor about "that fallen tree across the trail."  "Just go right over it," was the instructor's advice.  She was quite wary, but enjoyed the adrenaline rush after going over it!  You can view a very shaky video that we shot during our driving here.

With our instructor after dirtying up the Trooper a bit.

Later that afternoon, things went bad.  We went up to Charlotte to visit some cousins of mine, and illness set in for myself.  That evening we ended up back at our room in Waxhaw with me running a fever and having stomach-flu symptoms.  After a night's sleep, I felt better and we proceeded with our plans to travel to Cross Hill, SC (our hosts had already been through the flu, so they welcomed us just the same!).

In Cross Hill, I was set to preach the Sunday (Feb. 17th) morning service at Liberty Springs Presbyterian Church.  We had a great time visiting with Lori's distant cousin and her family while we were there.  Sunday morning went well sharing with this small but enthusiastic congregation.  Immediately after lunch, we bolted for the coast and our evening engagement with Grace EPC in Hampstead, NC.  It was a long drive, the kids were very cooperative, and we made it thirty minutes before we were to begin presenting!  That evening went well as Lori shared with an adult small-group and Chris presented to the youth group.

The next morning (Monday, the 18th), as we were finishing breakfast and getting set to head to Newport News, VA, Noah came down with the stomach bug.  So, we changed our plans and decided to head straight home to Lynchburg.  We did stop at the beach and played for a short while before lunch (Noah claimed to feel well and enjoyed the beach too).

The kids playing in the sand at North Topsail Beach, NC

When we arrived home, I was feeling sick again, and this time we suspect something amiss with the lunch we ate.  It took a couple of days before I was ready to eat much, and by Wednesday (the 20th) I was feeling better.  Then that afternoon...the kidney stone.  All I have to say is it was very, very painful.  It was a roller coaster ride of pain medication and constant drinking of water, gatorade and apple juice for three solid days.  Finally, on Sunday morning, when I had gone by the hospital to get a refill of pain medication from the ER doctor, I passed the kidney stone!  It took a couple of days to feel back to normal, but we're good to go now.

For the sake of perspective, we staged two of the kids' lego mini-figures fighting over the kidney stone.  It's amazing how something so small can cause so much pain!

Last night (the 28th), we had our first presentation since all of the sickness and such.  It felt good to be back doing what we're supposed to do.  I know the sickness all had a purpose.  It quite likely was God's way of showing me that I can become too task oriented and forget about the most important things along the way.  The roadblocks were a reminder to keep important things where they belong.

So we're down to just over 20 days left in our 40 day push.  It's hard not to think that the last couple of weeks was time lost.  But I have to remind myself that it was time used to get/keep my head and heart right.

40 days and a kidney stone?

40 Days.

We invited you to pray. Keep us busy.  Help us share our story.

Ever had a kidney stone?  I haven't, but now Chris has.  I've never seen him in pain like this, or had him ask to go to the doctor - much less the ER!

Why? We've had to cancel our schedule since Monday.  But, as a wise friend just reminded me, when we are weak, HE is strong.  We can not do this on our own.  We are frail and weak.  We are hurting and sinful.  We need our savior, our redeemer, our friend.  And we need you.  We need your prayers.

This battle is not against flesh and blood (and kidney stones and stomach bugs), but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm. (Eph. 6:12)

Why are we planning to go to Cameroon?  It's not a holiday or a thrill seeking time.  This is a work we have been called to - a work we feel God has lead us to do - glorifying Him through Arts, helping music and Art to be used for His purposes; using the talents, skill, and education he has blessed us with for Him; and sharing this work with you so you can pray and join in the work with us.

We can't do it alone.  Will you pray for us?  Will you write and email encouraging words?  Will you partner financially with us?  Will you invite us to share with your small group, Bible study, friends, or family?

Continue to pray for Chris - and we'll keep you updated....

40 days: Day 2 - Hanging out at JAARS

Today we have something of a free day, although we've spent a bit of time working on some things such as pre-requisite reading for the off-road driving course tomorrow.  But, today after lunch, there was a fun little event that happened.

A brand new aircraft arrived at JAARS today.  Yesterday, it left the factory in Idaho where it was built, and arrived in North Carolina at around 1:30pm today.  About 80-100 folks showed up to see the plane arrive.

The story of this aircraft is pretty cool.  It is a Quest Kodiak, an aircraft designed for short takeoff and landing on less-than-perfect runways.  There is a two-year waiting list for these aircraft.  When an order was cancelled by a customer several weeks ago, JAARS was offered the aircraft by the manufacturer if the money could be raised in less than two weeks.  Amazingly, hundreds of thousands of dollars were raised and the aircraft, destined for Papua-New Guinea, is expected to be in use in the South Pacific by this summer.  You can read the whole story in all of its detail here.

Another cool story about this aircraft is who will fly it.  We know a pilot or two in PNG, but we're very attached to a pilot who will, Lord willing, be flying for JAARS (likely in PNG) in the near future.

Matt Stoker, while he was a student at Liberty University, became a friend of our family.  He was a part of a small group that met in our home, had some meals with us, and is one of our kids' favorite people.  Matt recently has gone through the application and evaluation process with Wycliffe and JAARS and will be going through training and partnership development over the next 20 or so months.  We are very excited for Matt and were happy to be at the airstrip today and see his chariot arrive!

Matt, about to give his mom a ride on his motorcycle.

Enjoy the pics from the arrival today.

40 Days: It Begins

Thanks to our friend Russell Darnell for all of the recent cool pictures!

40 Days.  It's kind of a thematic device used throughout the Bible for periods of time used for refinement.  Jesus was tempted for 40 days in the desert (not that Jesus needed refinement...).  It rained on Noah and his family for 40 days.  The western world widely observes the Lenten season of 40 days of spiritual preparation for Easter.  In some cultures, people wait 40 days before they bring a newborn outside of the home.  And there are many more...

So in the great tradition of 40 day refinements, we decided to do one of our own.  And we've produced a video to introduce it:

So, to elaborate of some of what is in the video, our 40 days is meant to be a time for us to do two primary things.

First, we want to focus with prayer and fasting.  Prayer is essential.  Is fasting outmoded?  How do the two connect?  What is fasting anyway, and why does it appear in the Bible?  One of the best explanations of it that I've ever heard is from Michael Oh, a missionary with Mission to the World in Japan.  I heard him give this presentation a few years ago and it is enlightening.  He addresses it in the context of cross-cultural missions, but in the process defines the general purpose of fasting quite well.

Our second point in this 40 days is to make a concerted effort to finish our partnership development.  We are at 85% of our monthly commitments and can see the end.  We want to make this 40 day period like that point in a race where you pick up the pace with a final sprint, making sure that you gave it your all and left nothing on the table.  We want to spend these 40 days working very hard, presenting more, and finishing our time in the States with a flourish.

With all of that said, here's what we've been up to so far.  Yesterday, day 1, we had a Skype meeting in the morning, wrote and sent lots of e-mail, and then headed down to Waxhaw, North Carolina to the JAARS Center.  If you want to know what JAARS is, check out their site or our blog post about JAARS from last summer.

At JAARS, we're doing an off-road driver training course on Friday.  On Saturday, we'll head to Cross Hill, SC and speak at Liberty Springs Presbyterian Church on Sunday morning.  After the Sunday morning service, we'll drive over to Hampstead, NC and visit Grace EPC Sunday evening.  On Monday, we'll head back toward Virginia.  Prayer for all of these events is welcome!

R is for Ready and Waiting....

Ready.  And waiting...

About 19 months ago, we crafted a "pre-field plan" that was a basic timetable of our leaving for the field.  It had entries for December, 2012 (complete studies at GIAL - DONE!) and January, 2013.  The January entry was "Depart for Language Study in France."  Well, it's February and we haven't left yet. So why are we still in Lynchburg?

We have no doubts that we are called to do this work of ethnomusicology and arts in Cameroon.
We are here, practically speaking, because we are lacking 15% of our monthly support, and we need some special gifts for one-time costs overseas.  But God owns 'the cattle on a thousand hills' - everything is His!  Knowing that God will abundantly supply when necessary, we believe we are still here for other purposes.

Lori's dad is very sick.  He has kidney failure, dementia, and is very weak.  But because we are here, we are able to help him and Lori's mom.  What a blessing!  Please pray for the Rundles in this difficult time.

Because we are here, we are able to continue to be the ambassadors for the Bibleless.  We get to share our story of how God called us, ordinary people, do to an extraordinary thing.  We get to spend time with friends and family that we would not have had time to see and encourage otherwise.

This friendly horse decided to join us in a picture as we were doing some video shooting this week.

We are beginning a 40 day push beginning Sunday, February 10, to share our story with as many people as possible, to complete our prayer and financial support, and to get the word out about what God is doing with arts in missions.  At the end of the 40 days, Friday March 22, our home church, Redeemer Presbyterian, is sponsoring a "Talent Unmasked" event to help raise the final needed amount for ourselves and for our good friends, the Grants, who will be leaving soon to serve in Spain.

The Grant family: Jamie & Rachael with Amelia, Anna, Andrew, and Abigail

Please consider praying and fasting for our family and Cameroon during the 40 days.  Also consider hosting a small get-together or dessert night with a few friends for us to share our story.  We're confident that we'll be set to go soon if we're faithful to what lies right in front of us - serving our family and being ambassadors for the bibleless in the here and now.

We are READY.  Help us go!

Q is for Questions

We are back in Virginia!  Yeah!  It is good to be near the mountains and at our home church - although we miss our Texas friends a ton.  We are working on the final 20% of monthly support before we can leave to go overseas.  And that brings us to today's blog post: the top 11 frequently asked questions - with some random, recent pictures thrown in for no particular reason.

1.  How was language school in Texas?

The school we trained at in Texas, GIAL, is a linguistics school.  But we didn't study French there.  We took courses in how to learn a language more quickly and effectively, especially in places where there are no books or formal education in the language.  Chris had courses that trained him for Arts Consulting.  We studied anthropology, literacy, sociolinguistics, and audio/video recording techniques.  The school was wonderful: lots of hard work, deep learning, and fantastic people.  We mostly miss the people - not so much the long nights of homework!  The bottom line is that we are well prepared for our long-term ministry.  We will do French language school in France beginning...soon (see question #3).

2.  If Wycliffe is translating the Bible into the hundreds of indigenous languages of Cameroon, why do you need to learn to speak French?

We need to be proficient in French because everyday life in the big cities of Cameroon happens in French.  Government and trade is all handled in French.  But while French is a national language, for most people outside the big cities, French is their second or third language, so their understanding may be quite limited.  And because most Cameroonians have an indigenous language as their mother-tongue, we seek to translate the Bible and its deep concepts into the language that people understand best.  So in summary, we need to study French so that we can navigate the practical side of life - groceries, interacting with government, etc., while at the same time promoting the translation of scripture into the multitude of indigenous languages.

Flower Girl Kristin and Ring Bearer Ben at a friend's New Year's Eve wedding.

3.  When do you leave for France?

Soon.  We presently have 81% of our monthly needed support committed.  Practically speaking, that means we need 10 people to give $100/month and one to give $50/month (or any other configuration for $1,050/month left to raise).  When we hit 90% we will apply for our student visas to France and at 100% we can go.  We are hoping to leave in April 2013.  Prayer is essential for that goal to be met!

4.  What does monthly support mean?  Are people supporting you for like, a year?

Monthly support means sending a check in every month.  We plan on being in Cameroon until God calls us to do something else.  That means we need people who will commit to supporting us long-term - until we are no longer missionaries.  Some people give annually, some quarterly, some monthly.  Other people give special gifts once in a while with no regular system.  Giving is between the giver and God.  We are responsible for sharing our needs, not dictating anyone's responses.

All of the Rundle cousins at Christmas

5.  What else do you need before you go?

We do need special gifts for set up costs in France and in Cameroon for things like necessities in the kitchen when we arrive, first month's rent, shipping a few things to Cameroon, a 4-wheel drive vehicle in Cameroon, visas, costs for our Africa orientation program...  We are also still organizing our things: we have the "to go to France" pile, as well as the "ship to Cameroon," "give away," and "storage" piles.

6.  How much can you take with you?

Each of us will be taking 2 large trunks/suitcases of up to 50 lb. each (500 lbs. total), as well as our carry on and 'other bag,' ...and a musical instrument or two.  That's all we get for our year in France.  When we get to Cameroon, things that we have set aside to ship will be sent to us and should arrive in about three months.

7.  Where are you living now?

We are living with Lori's parents just outside of Lynchburg, VA.

8.  Where will you live in France and Cameroon?

In France, we'll be in the Southeast part of the country.  The closest big city is Geneva, Switzerland.  We'll also be fairly close to Lyon, France.  We are not completely set on the exact city we'll be in, but it will most likely be Chambery, France.  It is also possible that we would end up in Annecy, France.  There are some details to be worked out with language school options which will decide where we end up.

In Cameroon, we will most of the time be living in the capital city of Yaounde.  However, for a time, mostly at the beginning of our tenure, we will be living in a remote village situation someplace in Cameroon.  This will be for the purpose of culture learning.  Later on, we will be based in Yaounde and travel to different areas of the country and do our consulting to language projects that are in more remote villages.

9.  How long is your trip?

This is no trip.  This is a career.  We will be living and working in Cameroon for as long as the Lord makes it possible.  Think of us as being part of a church's staff; it's just that the church is not yet visible or functioning in many areas of Cameroon.  Our job is to contribute to making the visible church in Cameroon happen.

Noah is intense about his sledding!

10.  Will your kids go to school in France & Cameroon?  If so, where?

In France, our kids will be in French public schools.  We have mostly home-schooled in the past, but if we do that, our kids will never learn French!  Many of the schools in France have programs to teach foreign children and get them up to speed in French.  It might be a tough year for them, but they'll come out better for it!

In Cameroon, there are some variables.  When we are living in a village, we will almost certainly be home-schooling.  When we are in the city, our kids will most likely be in an international school that has been established in Yaounde for missionary kids.  It's called the Rain Forest International School and teaches grades 7-12.  The curriculum is designed to satisfy college prep requirements for both US and UK universities.

And my favorite question of all:

11.  Are you taking your kids with you overseas?

Yes!  This question makes us laugh...  I'm pretty sure we'd be strung up by our toes if we just abandoned our kids and went to Africa without them!  And in our line of work, kids are actually a huge asset.  They are true "ice-breakers" that enable us to cross cultural boundaries more easily and are really good at causing you to meet people more rapidly.

Noah, Kristin, and Ben on New Year's Eve.

P is for Prayer

Do you ever feel like there is no one listening when you pray?  Does it really mean anything at all or does it just make us feel better by going through the motions?

God commands us to pray: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." - Philippians 4:6

We do pray - and when we listen, we know he answers!

We started a prayer calendar almost two years ago, asking folks to commit to pray for our family one day of each month.  We make it a point to pray for them on their day as well.  I work hard to e-mail requests and pray for those faithful saints each day and ask how we can pray for them, and each night we pray with the kids for everyone on the list for that day.   What fun is is to see answered prayer!

One of my dear friends, Chrissy, prays each month on the 26th.  This past month she sent me a message telling me she kept noticing the clock at :26 that day.  Her husband, Chuck, asked what made that number special (other than her birthday is on a 26th) and she said it is the day she prays for our family. He suggested that this may be God's way of reminding her to pray for us more often right then.  Last month was when we moved from Texas, took finals, wrote final papers and said goodbye to dear friends.  It was a high-stress time.  Monday before our moving day, I was starting to be very stressed.  Tuesday I was calm and peaceful.  Why?  There wasn't a good reason that I knew of.  But that was the day that Chrisssy wrote and said that EVERY hour she was awake she saw the clock at :26 and prayed for us.

God is good - all the time.  And he answers prayers - even prayers for peace in moving.

Please pray!  Ask God to bring to mind who and what and just do it.  You will be blessed beyond measure to see God work.

Thanks for reading.  Jusqu'à la semaine prochaine!

P.S.  I heard from a friend that for Lent in 2012, she decided to give up waiting.  Every time she was in a position to wait (traffic, grocery line, etc.), she prayed instead.  Sounds like a good idea for a New Year's resolution...