Fantastic Festivities of Fall

Fall has arrived in full force and the children have been enjoying immensely,

walking through trails, playing in the crisp cool air at the parks, meeting friends for a harvest festival and taking casual drives through the countryside.




One of our day trips was a drive to Oradour-Sur-Glane. Its a French village that was destroyed by Nazi Germany during WWII as a example, warning and retaliation to the resistance forces.
The town has been preserved in memory of the over 600 Martyrs: men women and children, as it stood after the attack and destruction in every way possible as a reminder of what atrocities took place at the hands of cruel men who thought they were superior and held little regard to The value of human life. It was a very sobering day to say the least.


Lydia lost her two front teeth, just as Katies are growing in. The girls had the pleasure of babysitting our cat Ted's sister for a week. They were always comfy-cozy as could be.

Now to show you whats been transpiring at the church with some before and in progress photos.
Joshua removed the old plaster off the Stones and repointed them. Afterwards Liz laid out a three tile pattern to give the floor an Old world French flair.



Well, Andrew Johnson took great pains and care to repair the existing ceiling.
We had every intention to preserve what we could and simply replace the damaged wood, then repaint the entire ceiling. Found out a couple things in the process. The old wood had shrunk and there were plenty of gaps, that all the debris from the owls who had been nesting there for who knows how many years... that would be in need of caulking that likely would have taken a week on scaffolding to do. Besides, the new wood that Andrew put up looked so superior, it made the painted wood far less appealing. The replacement wood for the ceiling is relatively inexpensive, so we decided to rip down all the painted wood to replace it with new; to varathane it with clear coat, which we think will give the church a bit more charm and character.
We hope you will agree.
As a side note, you can see the cave is now covered with a solid chestnut flooring. Its only half finished, as we will complete the remainder AFTER all the painting has been done. For now we are doing all we can to keep the first half covered to protect it from ongoing construction damage.




As Andrew kindly began tearing down the ceiling, we suspect he was a bit disgusted by all the years of dusty black owl mess and large spider cadavers that had settled and was falling all over him as he worked. EWWW YUCK!!! we dont blame him, that it wasnt his favorite job... so... Steve volunteered to finish the job, and needless to say, just in time for him to dress up for Halloween.
Well he was only 2 days late...




Ahhh... Life in France!!! Its glorious

Dare to dream, Dreams do come true!

Somewhere over the rainbow skies are blue, and the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true...

Delight yourself in the Lord and He shall give you the desires of your heart.

Recently there was a bold storm here in Couture D'Argenson. After the winds, lightning display, and rain, we took out for a walk to see this rainbow gracing a nearby farmhouse. The rainbow being a reminder of Gods promise after the flood. We see His promises are true, His promises are fulfilled even as we are seeing the fulfillment of the dream and desire He placed in our hearts long ago, to live in France and to restore the Little Stone Church to the local community. Though we still have a long way to go to see it fully complete, work has begun and we are well on our way!

Apologies are extended here, as we have been so busy with all that has been at hand the past two months, that there has been little if any time left to take to the task of coordinating photos and all that takes to make a post. ( perhaps i just make it way more complicated than it is,
therefore putting it off) Christin Joy.... HELP!!!!

However as you can see, the work on the main roof has begun and been completed! Our heartfelt thank you to Andrew and Karen Johnson for all their diligence in performing a wonderful job on the repairs of the roof. Their costs are reasonable and they produce excellent results. They come highly recommended! Hope you can see the fantastic job he did!


Well, Andrew did have a little help from Steve, Joshua, Elijah and Sabrina as they laboriously and dutifully set to scrub the dirty tiles. Much Thanks to Norma Flanagan ( did i mention, she is amazing?) for allowing us to borrow her power washer, which cut our job in half, and our neighbors for extending use of their water, until we were able to connect to the city water main, which we now have. Yeah!!!

There were about between 2-3,000 tiles to clean. We didnt have to replace many which was a greatblessing, but it sure kept us all busy for a good two weeks:

While Andy was working on the roof, Steve and I took a closer look at the "pit" that was left in the center of the church. Why it was in the state it was in, is anyones guess. Perhaps one day the previous owner will give some insight. We hope to speak with him through a translator sometime this year to see if he can give us any further history. But as it stands, there was a huge hole to deal with. I began to rebuild one side of the wall, to be able to accomodate as back fill, some of the rubble that was left . Well, I never intended to rebuild the entire wall, but had planned to work with local artisans in building the structure with cinderblock. Yet ever so slowly, stones were provided to us, and at this time we would like to thank again: Norma for helping us with some stones she had left over from her yard, and also an Irish couple who live in our village for their Donation of leftover stones they had laying about their yard. But the largest contribution came from Rod and Valerie who had torn down a derelict structure on their property. We met this delightful English couple in Ruffec where they have a cozy antique shop we like to browse and buy from, from time to time... You can visit their site here:
Second Chance - Une Nouvelle Vie


Upon hearing we were looking for stones; They graciously invited us to take as many stones as we needed. Not only that, they extended the opportunity for the children to pick some of the ripened fruit from their orchard.
Lydia got a nasty allergic reaction to the stinging nettle while she was out in the front picking some wild blackberries, but she thought getting the blackberries was worth it!

Back on track: Little by little as stones were so kindly given to us, I continued to rebuild the wall. There were some stones still in the pit that had been taken down. But each one was carefully assessed, chiseled where needed and considerately placed. Its not a professionally done job, more of an artsy craftsman style and certainly solidly sound.





Well, after 4 weeks of labor of sorting and placing stones in the cellar, The walls are all rebuilt reinforced, and ready for the beams that are to arrive tomorrow to replace the floor. Next week we are going to take a rest, with a bit of sight seeing for the kids, before their school years begins and French artisans return from their August holidays so we can work on the floor, ceiling and mezzanine. For all the waiting, its now beginning to take shape, leaks fixed, holes repaired. Next step is some of the finishing details, after we fit for some plumbing in the back room for a small kitchenette and an added bathroom.

We would also like to take this time to thank all of the dear ones at Murrieta Baptist church
for their love, and for the recent gift which helps make this all possible. Knowing that you are each a strong part of what is happening here thorugh your love, prayers and supports makes this all the more joyful in our labors! Thank you thank you and we send our love and prayers to all of you!

Cats and Critters,

The children found some interesting critters one Saturday afternoon as we met Howard and Wendy with their grandchildren for a day of swimming, forest walk and putt putt golf:
a funny toad, and scarry scarab beetles. They look quite threatening, but seem to be harmless. Katie is brave enough to pick them up, but she was the only one!


Back at our little house, which is in itself another work in progress, Sabrina found a lively praying mantis:



Katie and Joshua Celebrated their birthdays, and we have adopted a little kitten named Ted,
he was abandoned in a nearby field. One of the neighbors rescued his sister, and she asked us to babysit her this week while she went on vacation, so our house is full of the sounds of kitten feet pattering through the house as they romp.



Why is it so hard to get a picture of everyone smiling?Katies smiling too, but she turned to admire Elijah smiling... well, here she is missing her two front teeth. One of Lydias is really loose, but in her typical style she refuses to pull it out. The last one she swallowed while eating her dinner!




Here are some of the many bits of fossils we found, Ammonites they are supposedly called.
Quite interesting! Not sure what we will do with them though!!



Let me leave you with two last photos,
One of a church in a neighboring village, part of the serene surroundings we have here,
The other is of the plaque , not sure if you are able to see the carving thats on the plate which is mounted on the upper facade of the Little stone church. It has so faded that we can only catch a decent view of it as the sun begins to set and cast a shadow. It might do so in the morning when the sunrises, but for those of you who know me, will also know early mornings are quite foreign to me.

We hope to have a local artisan recarve the lettering which stands as:
Eglise Reformee De France
Well, time for me to sign out and get to bed so I can at least be up by 9am!

Lots of work to do!
May God richly bless you all,
and sorry for the long and delayed update!

Rest and Relaxation before the Work Begins

Our family had the opportunity to go to the south of France for a weeks holiday for a little rest and relaxation before we begin the restoration work on the church. Its about an eight hour drive, but with stops for meals it easily became a ten hour journey.

The biggest highlight of our week was visiting with Sophie and her parents. Sophie is a beautiful French girl whom stayed with our family several years ago while she visited the states. Our families have since became friends and we look forward to our times of fellowship together as we have opportunity.



The children of course had much delight in the sea and sand, searching for little treasures of the ocean; starfish, sea urchins and hermit crabs brought squeals of delight in discovery and surprise.



A few day trips to surrounding cities of Carcassonne, Cap D'Agde and Montpellier were enriching, although we had quite a surprise in Montpellier, as we happened to arrive the very day of a Gay and Lesbian pride parade.

The parade sort of struck me odd in several ways; the flagrant display of vulgarity was one aspect that was particularly distasteful, It was sad to see mothers holding the ears of the children and turning them away from women who wanted to look like men and men who wanted to look like women, Then there was the aftermath of what was left: the trash and debris strewn along the streets, broken bottles of alcohol, the stench of vomit, propaganda and unacceptable paraphernalia tattering the roads they had blazed. Not the best testimony to what some would deem a "gay" life. Support was strong as the streets of the city thundered with raucous chanting and cheers of thousands who participated in the march, showing the turn this nation has taken from its rich Christian heritage to so many doing what they think is right in their own eyes.




The city of Carcassonne is wonderfully preserved medieval city, Europe's largest and most impressive fortified city still
standing today in the south of France and one of France's major tourist draws. Our family spent the afternoon strolling the cobblestone streets and shops, walking the fortified walls overlooking the valley and larger metropolis of Carcassonne while having fun exploring interesting nooks and crannies of the towers throughout. Sophie had the most amazing salad ever seen and we found one vendor who had the finest ice cream ever made... well,the entire day it was beyond fabulous!


On the drive home we indulged in a few more stops which extended to 14 hours, but it was well worth the additional time to take in the sights of scenic villages through the heartland of France. The little ones especially requested to stop at some of the village churches to pray and ask Gods blessing for the people of France. We were able to stop at half a dozen village churches. Some cathedrals were quite spectacular reminiscent of a bygone era, others have been simplistically modernized. We found many churches were not active churches currently, but have been turned into exposition sites.
Nice as our visit was to the South of France, we were so happy to return back to the little village in the heartland of France that we now call home. We are so thankful for the great neighbors, theambiance, as well as the bond of community which we find so refreshing. For example, the other evening we got a call from a couple who live in a neighboring village and asked us if we were going on "the walk" that particular night. The walk turned out to be what is called a "Marche semi-nocturne" which in effect is an organized event that helps to support the local elementary school in our town. Apparently each year families sign up for this evening walk which commences at the school with appetisers and appertifs, families can choose between a 7km walk or the 14km walk. At the halfway point of the walk journeying through a stone village,feilds of sunflowers and wheat, there awaits a bbq meal, an openair picnic of sorts. At the completion of the walk, there is desserts This event was very well organized, how can you beat a great meal, a time to get an evening walk with friends and to make new ones along the way!

Now that we are home and rested, (ha! who is ever really rested after a vacation?) after a long patient wait, we have finally begun work on the roof of the church as of this morning! One small step in the restoration of the church that we hope to be a blessing and our small contribution to the community that we are so fond of.

Fragrance of Lilac and Honey

The past few weeks have been very busy for us as we have been active sanding and refinishing floors, assembling a puzzle of a bunk bed with no instructions,attempting to clean and arrange the house and all kinds of things of that sort. We were even able to plant some sage, basil and tomato plants with roses and Azaleas around a couple of miniature apple trees in our tiny courtyard.



Its so exceptionally beautiful here in the spring. Lilacs are in bloom everywhere and colza fills expansive fields in bright golden yellow, filling the air with the fragrances of lilac and honey all throughout the rolling countryside.


Friday was a numinous day as our friend Norma, who has a lovely B&B down the road from us and who is amazing, introduced me and the children to a most delightful English couple whom she has become friends with... They have restored an old train depot into their home complete with magnificent gardens, geese, ducks, chickens and even a home for hedgehogs (although none have accepted residency as of yet)





This couple, Ted and Brenda have been engaged in the past in Medieval re-enactments and were kind enough to instruct the children a bit in the art of archery which they found to be quite thrilling. Katie, Sabrina and Elijah caught on rapidly as Katie hit the target 5 times out of six on her first attempt, and Lydia, while she had plenty of fun in her attempts took several rounds before she was able to get an arrow to stick on the target.





To top it all, today, Norma,(did I mention how amazing she is?)taught me how to make and preserve tomato chutney. Oh, and you will have to try it sometime, as it is completely fabulous!!!! We made six large jars, which took a bit less than two hours. She is giving me the recipe so i will be able to make more when the tomato plants are ready to harvest. Tomorrow she is going to show me how to make homemade taffy apples which should be a grand treat for the children... a treat for me and Norma too!

Snail Delight

Just getting settled into the house here in Couture and doing a bit of grocery shopping along the way, we happened upon a tin of garlic buttered Escargot, that is easily baked up ready to eat in ten minutes, so we cooked up a little surprise for the kids!



Sabrina and Katie especially enjoyed the snail delight, our oldest was indifferent, and the other two wouldnt make the attempt... well Lydia TRIED, but just couldnt bring herself around to actually eating one! Well, it made for a fun evening appetizer.




This week has been a little better than the first few days after our arrival, as we are nearly adjusted to the time zone. Steve has never slept in past 8 am, and we found it hilarious last week, when what I thought was around 6 am, still tucked away cozy and warm in bed, someone was knocking rather loudly on our door. Steve made his way downstairs, On his return I asked Steve who in the world was knocking so early? Turns out it was the post attempting to deliver one of the last packages we had sent from California, then in checking the clock, found it was already noon! Well, that was a first for us... sleeping til noon! It was fun but to be sure we cant afford to make that a habit! Especially since we will be meeting with the directors of the schools for the children tomorrow in anticipation of enrolling them and will all have to get into a decent routine next week.

With more of the childrens clothing and belongings in the house, we found we were in need of some additional storage space in order to better organize and tuck things away neatly. So, off we headed to a local brocante. One never knows whats to be found in some of these delightful antique shops full of bric a brac, odds and ends of furniture pieces and LOTS of dust. I suppose we could go and buy new items, however there are quite a variey of interesting wood pieces from the 1920s or earlier for really good prices if one takes the time to "treasure hunt" so to speak.
The best prices of course are on pieces that need some level of TLC.

Yesterday we happened upon (possibly a 1920s) Cherry Armoire. The Armoires are an amazing feat in engineering, and I love the way they are built to be taken apart and reassembled. Somehow after a bit of arraging, we were able to manage the entire dissaembled assembly into the little grean spot that is probably as big as an old Ford Pinto. Brought it home to clean and treat, wax and polish then reassemble. Surprisingly, it fit exactly into the hallway it was intended for without an inch to spare... Good thing cause we had forgotten to measure!

On Our Way!

January we received word from the French consulate that our family was approved for Visas!
With that pleasant surprise, we have been making arrangements for our travel this March.
With the economy in the state its in, we thought it best to downsize before our departure.

What a time to place a house on the market. Here in Southern California... bank owned properties are more than plentiful. But thanks be to God, we are in escrow! A most wonderful family has decided to buy our house, and from what we can tell they really like our home which seems to be a delightful fit for them and a genuine blessing for their family. Both parties are very thankful for this transaction, Lord willing it will be completed in less than two weeks.

So, we are busy packing and sorting and selling all kinds of things a family of seven accumulates over 20 years... believe me, Its a big job!!!

We are greatly looking forward to our return to France, to friends and a lovely community.
Looking forward to getting more bids, and hopefully commencing the restoration of the Little Stone Church.

Thanksgiving

As we quickly approach the Thanksgiving holiday and I am now back home with my family in the US after having been in France for three weeks with three remarkable women, I reflect back with much to be thankful for.


Thankful to be back home with my family, and the sweet saints at our little Baptist Church of which we are members of.

Thankful to have a home, food in our pantry and a place to rest my head.

Thankful for the work of God in our lives and His faithfulness.

Thankful for the amazing friends we have made in Couture D'Argenson, ... What a joy to be able to share meals and treats from the states with many. Amber and Christin charmed us with hymns and Psalms and spiritual song. The gals even had opportunity to sing at Marpa, a home in the community for the elderly joined by those who live at the facility for the disabled.

This is a time of thankfulness for the opportunities God has given us to be a part of and the joy of being able to reside part time in France in a delightful community of wonderful people who have become a delight to get to know. At this time, we are awaiting a response from the French Consulate regarding our application for longterm Visas so as to enable us to live in France for more than 3 months at a time. We are also awaiting bids for the work needed to be done on the church. It can be a lenghty process. The language barrier can be formidable and lend itself to extending the process. We have been offered a couple different approaches in how we should restore the church. One being to completely remove and replace the entire roofing and ceiling structure, and the other to repair what is currently exisiting. We would prefer to repair the old oak as to replace it with cheaper pine. We are waiting to find the artisans who have a heart and an interest to restore the Church through preserving as much of the character that is currently within the structure. We have decided through the wise counsel of others that it is important for us to be on site to consult with the Artisans when they work upon the renovations, for both accountability and style of workmanship.

We are trusting Gods timing and provision for the workers He desires to bring to restore the church with provisions he has already given to us. We are patient to wait.

Hello all, Liz asked me to write another blog for you all to capture whats going on so far with the trip. We are actually whinding down for our departure this Tuesday. It is bitter sweet because I feel like I could do so much out here but I am SO excited to get back home to be with my lovely husband, my animals and Liz's family. For the past week or so we've been working hard in a room upstairs. I guess its going to be Liz's daughter Sabrina's room. Linnea and I were painting and Liz and Amber were putting mud and plaster on the walls. We have all suffered a bit from the dust and other particles flying all over the place, landing in our beds, clothes and such. But nonetheless, God has been faithful to keep us all in pretty good health considering the mess we've been making! Unfortunately, I did not take any before pictures and have yet to take an after picture of the room - but I will try to do that before we head out.

When we aren't working in the house putting more "drip drops" into the bathtub, we've been having a blast with our neighbors and friends we've made so far. A sweet couple, Claude and Isabelle came over for dinner and we were able to spend a good amount of time with them. They were delighted although shocked when we gave them their basket of goodies. They don't eat many sweets, so I think they said they will send the candy to some family! Claude has lived all over the world for his jobs and he has a lot of interesting stories to tell. Having them over was so fun. Amber and I got the chance to sing and practice our songs we'll be singing at the MARPA tomorrow with Claude and Isabelle as an audience! They enjoyed it very much from what I could tell. It was also very helpful as we will be singing one song in French and Claude helped us with the pronunciation of some of the words. We will be meeting up with them again when we go to Paris this weekend, for the end of our trip. Here are some pictures of the evening we had with them.


Us with Claude and Isabelle.


Claude preparing the toast.

So another weekend came and went, but this time, we actually went to church at the Catholic church in the village. It was pretty encouraging, although I did not understand 99% of what was being said! It was a special weekend, due to Armistice Day coming up, so a lot of people were there to pay their respects to people who have past away over the past year. Seeing so many people show up for the service warmed my heart on a very cold day, knowing that the people here have faith and a respect for things of the Lord. Now if only we can get the little stone church up and running soon - we could offer them another place to go. One day, one day! Its exciting just to be apart of the vision and works of God's hand. During the church service a little old lady came in slightly late for the service so Linnea gave up her seat so she could sit down. Once she sat down, Amber and I noticed that it was the same lady we met the previous week. She and I were trying to find the cafe in the village to have some french coffee and have a quiet time. We mistakenly almost walked into the little old ladies house. After many apologies and smiles, we left, but I believe God used it to make her smile and it allowed for us to meet with her again on Sunday at the church!


The town showed up for the monthly church service.


Inside the church before the service started.

Monday we worked in the house a bit and I believe it was Tuesday when we met up with our British friend, Norma and went to a Gite in another town. The man was very interesting and since Liz has an eye for good deals, she and Norma went back several times throughout the week to pick up the stuff she bought for the house. She had to go back several times because her cute little "Spot" of a car only has so much room. Anyway, Linnea and Liz were able to have some good conversations with the man and hopefully we can remain in contact with him. Would love to see the Lord bless the new acquaintance. Later that evening, we went to Norma's house to play Wii and bake cookies. After some amazing cookies baked by Liz and Norma (mmm... everybody loves chocolate chip cookies!), we all played bowling on the wii! And believe it or not, I have video and picture evidence that Liz did in fact play the wii, but not only did she play it, but she also enjoyed it!

Tuesday was Armistice Day. The French's equivalent to Veteran's Day and in the center of town, they had a bit of a celebration. They did a mini parade, read off the names of Soldiers who had passed away to honor them, children read and sang the National Anthem and they also had a moment of silence. It was an honor to experience this little town paying hommage to the many soldiers that have laid their lives down for their country. Praise the Lord for men of honor and valor! It was also neat to see a town united in such a way. It was definitely not something you see happening in the states. After the ceremony, we all hopped in the car and went to do some touring. We went to Niort, an amazing city that has so much history to it! They even have legends of "dragon slayers" and such! Its pretty awesome. We had great food and enjoyed a nice walk up a hill to visit St. Andres Chateau. Its absolutely stunning and again, like I mentioned in my last update, I love sitting and just thinking in the chairs. The history of the cathedral and the love I have for the Lord wells up inside me and I love the peace I have.


Linnea bundled up to go out to the Ceremony.


Armistice Day Parade.


Towns people at the ceremony.


The children who sang for the ceremony.


St. Andres Cathedral in Niort.


The doors are massive!


A beautiful river scene in Niort.

Wednesday, we worked all day. Literally from around 11am - 6:00pm. We had company over for dinner, Norma and some other friends from the U.K. We had a feast for dinner! Beef Burginion, Yorkshire Pudding, Rice Pudding, Quiche and Apple Pie! It was awesome. We had great conversation, a great time of fellowship and at the end of the night - Amber and I practiced one of our songs again. This time we did "Amazing Grace". They really enjoyed it and I believe they will be coming to the Retirement Home to hear us sing tomorrow! How fun! I love talking to people from different countries. You learn so much about the world view on general things as well as political and religious things as well. It was such a peaceful evening and I really am blessed to have met all these people. As soon as I get them, I'll add some pictures from our dinner!

Today (thursday) was a day to go shopping. We went to Ruffec and went shopping in a big shopping center. We got some souvenirs! Whee! Then we went through to Melle after lunch so that I could get a video singing inside the 200 year old church. It was so beautiful and the Lord brought people in to hear! Random people from the street came in when they heard me singing (almost made me cry) and once I was finished singing, they asked me to continue, asked me to sing another song. Sadly, when put on the spot like that, I couldn't think of any songs. But I did sing Amazing Grace and I Love You, Lord. Two songs that are near and dear to my heart! And it turned out that they spoke english, so they understood what I was saying. So God used my voice today, to let them hear a little bit about God and His gospel. Praise the Lord! It reminds me of how beautiful His love is, how He guides us and provides for us situations where we can be used and where we can use the gifts He's given us!


Your word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

i'll leave you with the video that I FINALLY successfully uploaded to youtube. Enjoy! At the end you can see the people coming in. Praise the Lord for using a sinner such as me! Agape.

November in France.

Hey everyone. Its Christin Joy, the one that lives in the spare room of Liz and Steve's house. I've been blessed with the opportunity to come out to France with Liz and 2 other ladies, Amber and Linnea. We've been having a great time of fellowship together and the Lord is providing us with ministry opportunities within the area of Couture D'Argenson. When we first arrived to Paris, France; we got our rental car and stayed in a hotel the first evening. Everything went well minus a few wrong turns here and there. I will say, I'm glad Liz is driving because I would be terribly confused driving the streets of France, but God bless the person who thought of Round-A-Bouts. If you don't know what that is, let me know, I'll explain. As we were taking the 4 hour drive from Paris to Couture, we took a few detours to look at a castle, we went to Chartres Cathedral and Leonardo DaVinci's house. Leonardo DaVinci's house was a pretty amazing place, it was fun to see his experiments and to see the beautiful acreage his house is on. It is a stunning place and seeing such history in front of me was a lot of fun.


Leaonardo DaVinci's House at Night.

When we stopped in Chartres Cathedral, it was something I've never experienced before. The cold and drafty church with years of history inside and out was a bit overwhelming. You enter and immediately you feel the need to be very reserved and show a bit of humility. As we were looking around inside, randomly someone started playing the massive pipe organ. It was absolutely gorgeous. I took a seat in a pew and read Revelation 19. I don't normally open and read Revelation, but I felt drawn to read about the rejoicing in heaven, the marriage supper of the Lamb and to read about the Rider on a White Horse. What a gorgeous opportunity to sit before the Lord in such a historic place.


A Castle in France on the way to Couture.

After a day of sight seeing, we finally reached the little stone house late in the evening. Got to sleep and slept in late into the next day. We all suffered severely from jet lag. I think some of it had to do with the cold, rainy weather. After a few days of recuperating from jet lag, getting used to the house and getting the house warmed up with fires and heaters - we put together gift baskets for a few of our neighbors and the mayors of Couture & Chef Boutonne. We went down the street and visited with our neighbor Norma and gave her a gift basket, complete with chocolate, lotion, a cooking sheet and other little trinkets. We also gave her some Bibles to put in the rooms of her B&B. The smile on her face was enough to light up the room. Visiting with her was so much fun and I just fell in love with her. She is a beautiful lady and I hope to spend more time with her throughout the trip and get to know her a bit more. That is kind of the vision we have for this particular trip, to reach out to the town and bless the neighbors in anyway we can. We want to emanate the love of Christ to all those in this area.


A Gift Basket.


Liz, Norma, Myself and Amber.

We met up with some friends from the UK in front of the Little Stone Church. We thought that we'd only visit with them for a few minutes but we were so excited that they accepted the invitation to come over for some Chili! We rushed home, set the table for all 12 of us, Liz cooked up some amazing chili and we had some time together. It was so nice to just sit and entertain some friends. They were very encouraging and so kind! I wish they could have stayed longer but they were on their way back to the UK in the morning.


Mayor's Office in Chef Boutonne


A table set for Twelve!


The table, filled with 12!

We have also been cleaning here and there around the house. We're also just having a bit of a retreat if you will in the evenings, having fellowship together - having great conversation and moments of laughter that bring us to tears! Its been very relieving from the normal life in the States. Its very relaxed out here in the countryside! I love it. I even love the cold rainy weather. But with that being said, God did bless us with a beautiful day of warmer weather and sunshine! We took the opportunity, fixed up the garden outside, planted a few plants and then headed out to do some more sight-seeing because we are not sure when we'll have another nice weather day to do so! We drove to Melle and went to the Post Office to exchange some DOllars into Euros and walk around. We visited a church that was built in the 11th Century. The acoustics were so amazing. Liz had me sing (as that's my most favorite thing to do EVER!), so I sang Amazing Grace. It was a phenomenal feeling to sing in a church that has so much history! It moved me almost to tears, I squealed like a little girl with excitement. We also drove and visited the Cele-Sur-Belle Cathedral. It was a beautiful time of day as the sun was setting. The scenery in France really makes you quite speechless!


On the road to Melle.


Cele-Sur-Belle Cathedral.

On Sunday, we had church at home. Amber and I led worship and Linnea led us in the scriptures. We read out of Daniel 2 and discussed King Nebuchadnezzars Dream and how God revealed it. It was a nice time of discussion. After we spent about an hour or so covering this little town in prayer, that the Gospel would go forth, even with broken French, a limited amount of time, and bad weather. It was one of my favorite days spent so far. Amber woke up and found a butterfly in her bedroom, and the picture just reminds me of the newness of life that is found in Christ and the burden we all feel to tell all those in our path of His beautiful redeeming Love and His sovereignty.


Amber's butterfly.

I pray that we will continue to bless those that come in our path. In the coming up week we have some more friends coming over for dinner and Amber and myself will be going to the Retirement Home to sing to the residents there. We're very excited with what the Lord is doing and I am humbled to be able to spend time in this beautiful town with so many amazing faces. Thank you all for reading and we covet your prayers as we do have another week and a half left on our trip.

Agape.
Christin Joy.

Missing Life in France

We have now moved back home to the States after living in France for approximately three months. Five days after Steve’s arrival he was met with tragically sudden news of his Fathers unexpected death. We have been reeling from this loss for the better part of the past two weeks. A death in the family always causes us to not only grieve deeply for our loved one, but also to consider own mortality in light of the limited amount of time each one of us has been given to live upon this earth. In considering our days, we would be remiss to neglect what value, what purpose and what legacy each of us lives out.

Some people live for position, status, and advancement in the corporate world. Some people live for the praise of others and some live purely for entertainment and hedonistic pleasures. However how many of us ever consider Gods plan for our lives? Especially when the Bible tells us: “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before hand that we should walk in them.”

This year we have experienced the beginning of those good works, which we believe God has prepared for us to walk in: The restoration of the Reformed Church in Chef Boutonne along with the little stone house in Couture D’Argenson.

It has been a most amazing summer filled with many surprises and new found friends. The children attended French School, aided through the diligent efforts of Eric Archaimbault. Joshua was able to go to Greece for three weeks with a French College (high school) Group. Several of the children were able to go to a local farm to help with milking a couple hundred or so goats.

It was such a delight to meet and get to know,
Norma from Northern England, who runs a local Bed and Breakfast a couple blocks away, and her Husband Mick.
http://dunroaminbandb.com/
Claude and Isabelle, from Paris…whose Great Uncle may have been the minister of the little stone church many, many years ago. He hopes to verify this during their family reunion this year!
Tom, Tanya and Paulina, from Northern Ireland,
Each of them, the mayor the towns people…so many other of the neighbors have captured our hearts, with their kindness and encouragement
And we miss them tremendously.

The day before we left, we had the honor to have guests from the UK, join us for lunch; a former Assistant Pastor and his wife from Kidderminster. (The parish where Richard Baxter 1615-1691, ministered as perhaps one of the greatest in pastoral achievement in the history of the church.) Howard and Wendy Stidwell emulated pastoral care to us in the same fashion as what we have read of Mr. Baxter’s life. They encouraged us greatly in the work of restoring the house and the church, and our possible move back to France for a more permanent duration. Mr. Stidwell also left with us some tremendous resources, books by leading Christian Authors, such as Charles Spurgeon and Dr. M. Lloyd Jones translated into French to use to minister to others to learn of and grow in the faith.

It’s a bit hard for us to be in the states, when we so much desire to be in the ministry house in France working on the church.

The following presentation shows some of the transformation of the work we completed on the house during the summer. It’s obvious there’s still plenty to do. As for the church, we have learned, actually knew all along, that it is best for us to be present while work is at task. We had hoped to get bids and commence upon the restoration of the church over the course of the summer, however we have much to learn regarding the French approach, routine and work schedules. There is much time, care and diligence taken in getting and giving quotes/bids/devis. Currently we have one bid, and are awaiting two more before we make a final decision as to whom to proceed with.

For those who have a heart to pray for us,
Please pray for wisdom:
-Securing visas,
-Possible work for Steve (as an English teacher or IT operations)
-Or pursuing a pastoral position
-His studies in seminary
-Regarding workers for the restoration of the church

Hope this gives you all an idea of the progress or lack of that has been accomplished.

We are missing life in France and hope to return very very soon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AHEJvxFyXE

-Click on video to watch, if it doesnt work click on the link above --

Fleurs de France

We would like you to enjoy some of the pleasures we enjoy each day
while driving through the country village roads of middle France

Right now the sunflowers and poppies are in bloom,

we also found a few sunflowers among some very unusual looking onion blossoms

To view more photos we have taken during our time in France please click on this link below and put it into slide show mode or if your viewing it in French click on 'diaporama' which is in the upper right hand corner just below rechercher
Photo Albums

Drip, Drip, Drip and a little green Spot

Its been about four weeks since our last update and it just seems like things go so slow sometimes, or is it our expectations seem to high? Since our last update I’ve been working my day job and Liz has been hard at work around the house doing extraordinary things with this little old house. She has sanded, tinted and varnished the floors in three rooms, she has also has cleaned and re-grouted several walls both inside and outside the house.

Example of one room in the midst of demo and remodel… yuck!

We’ve been able to get a couple of light fixtures for the kitchen and liz has been incredible at finding deals on furniture such as beds, tables and end tables to adorn this little house with to make it more homey.

Joshua was able to go to the local college (high school) and experience what it was like to be in a France school. He was so comfortable and has found it better than going to school in So. California. Though he spoke only rudimentary French he was still have to make friends and communicate well. One unexpected blessing is, he has been invited to go on a 3 week trip to Greece with a group of French students to study the culture and history there, We are all very excited that he has been given this opportunity!

Sabrina and Katie are thrilled to be able to go to school in France. Its quite nice as the school is only a block and a half from our house!

Another unexpected blessing: Near the house about 5km away there is a small family lake which is quite cute and a welcome retreat for the kids.

This is the “tres belle” very beautiful little lake about 5km away

They can swim, and play there and they have even been able to do a little exploring. In fact they found small little frogs which are the tiniest frogs I have ever seen.

Sabrina’s little frog friends

Liz mentioned working on the little house is like filling a bathtub the size of this house with water from an eye dropper. Drip, drip, drip the work goes on ever slightly and slowly.

It has also necessitated getting used to businesses closing at about 12:00 noon for two hours before they open back up. This means that if you drive into town in the morning your shopping is limited since the business will literally close down for two hours until after 2 pm. Its no joke, The French take their lunch very seriously, something we are adjusting to with a new found respect!

Update on the progress with the church:
We have met with the contractor and are in the process of getting final quotes for repairs along with a new fence with a new gate. We were hoping to get both the quotes and the work under way well before we returned but it does not look like that will happen, as the process takes much longer than we had anticipated. Please pray that we’ll be able to communicate well enough that all work which is needful will be appropriately recognized and addressed.

We do not attend church here weekly, unless we drive to multiple villages, or different churches in various towns, because for example; the one catholic church in the village where we live, the priest holds a mass or service only once a month. His duties are divided amongst 5 -7 churches and the priests here typically rotate around the cities as there are not enough priests to perform weekly services at each location.

We bought a car and are going through the processes of registration. It is a little green Citroen “Spot”. Were very grateful for this little car.

Our little green Citroen ‘Spot’

Prayer Requests:
- For God to bring revival to the church here in France
- For the continued Blessing of His leading and direction in regards to the restoration of the Little Stone Church

In France

We are here in France. We made it safely! Already, work has begun on the finishing of floors and walls. It is incredible how much dust that creates! Please continue to pray for us, we sincerely desire to be completely bathed in prayer from all of you. We view this with much importance! Yet it is also a humbling experience being here knowing there are so much more capable people that could do such a thing as this.

We don't have excuses about being real before God. God will cause you to bloom where you are and in His time.

Here are a couple of pictures to show some progress:

Liz did a wonderful job at painting the kitchen and finishing the attic floor (stain and varnish). You will notice the picture before on the left and after with the ceiling painted.

Kitchen before paint


















Kitchen after paint, and detail work

Attic after floor staining and varnishing

















Attic wall after plaster removal and re-grouting stones


















In the above pictures you'll notice that the left picture is post ceiling drywall and floor varnishing and the right photo is just after the wall was refinished with new rock grout between the stones.

We are learning that this is a very tedious and time consuming task, to remove the old plaster off the stone and re-grout each individual stone. This is a lot of effort to accomplish and re-finish the rocks with grout. We hope you agree that it makes an old-world difference.

The focus right now is getting the house in livable condition so that the children are not running around with dusty feet all day. Lord willing when we meet with the contractor tomorrow, we will review the work order for the church and commence with the church restoration as quickly as possible. likely for the next three weeks you will be seeing progress updates on the little house.

We appreciate your patience as we work through as we move from the work on the house to shifting to the work on the church. One step at a time.

Thank you in advance for your continued prayers, they are very much needed!

Steve

Little Treasure Found

We just found a great little treasure.

It seems that during the occupation of the Germans during WWII, a French town by the name of Chambon not only resisted the German capture of the Jews, but they also assisted at housing and saving over 3000 Jews.

Here is a link to the download of the complete public available PBS transcript of the account.
There seems to be a video but it seems to be quite rare to come by.

The French have a motto, Liberty, Equality and Fraternity: The people in this town have modeled that motto to such a degree that it could also be described in the words of Jesus, "to Love your neighbor as yourself". This is an example of emulating in deed a very solid biblical principal.

Little Treasure Found

We rejoice and salute these remarkable men and women of God and that France has long enjoyed being a place of both religious freedom and of incredible assistance and care to those in need.

Little Stone Church France - Progress

Hello Everyone!

God bless you all! I wish to thank everyone for your prayers! Please do NOT Stop! We seriously desire your continued prayer support for us!

So far there has not been any series of pictures to thread together this little stone church endeavor that God has given us a heart to pursue.

Below is a video that we put together to help communicate the Vision that God has given to us, what it looked like in the beginning, in progress, and its current state.

Please be in prayer for us as we embark upon taking the entire family to France this summer of 2008 and continue to press forward with this labor of love.

Steve & Liz

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbIccz2rLAs

Spiritual Darkness in Europe

The below video summarizes the spiritual situation in Europe.

Pray with us that the Lord will show mercy and draw people to Him!

Que Dieu vous bénisse

The Light of Life

...Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him.

But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear. So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last.

And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.”

And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

John 8:1-12

A woman, caught in the very act of adultry. Isnt it interesting they didnt bring the man? After all if she was caught in the very act, wouldnt the man have been there too? Perhaps this is one form of hypocrisy we see all too often in the world, sadly even in the church today; spiritual leaders condemning the sins of a woman, while allowing the man to go unchecked.

Regardless, here we see Jesus compassion in regards to the woman caught in the very act of adultry. Jesus being confronted by the religious elite in such a way as to find occasion to accuse him, deals with these men first before addressing their concerns of the woman. There must have been something they overlooked in their rush to judgement to condemn her and find occasion to accuse Jesus. Perhaps they were all too were guilty of the same crime. Perhaps there was a condemning reason why they failed to bring the man to be tried alongside this woman?
Whatever the case, there was evidently undeniable sin in the lives of each of these men for them to turn and leave as witnesses from this impromptu trial.

With the men removed from the mini inquisition, Jesus turns to the woman. He does not deny the sin took place, yet neither does He condemn her. Instead He specifically instructs her to go her way, to carry on in life but to sin no more. Notice she calls Him "Lord". She is then told to turn from her lifestyle of sin, of adultry and to believe in the words given to her by the Messiah.
This is what it means to repent and believe.
This is how one follows Jesus, to hear His words and follow Him by acting upon His commands.

If this day you have been brought by the accuser, in all of your sin
you find yourself looking at Jesus and it seems as if all the world is ready to condemn you
Do you recognize Jesus as Lord?
Are you willing to do as He commands, and give up a life of sin,
to turn, to repent and believe?

If so, you will no longer walk in darkness,
but in the light and newness of life.
As Jesus said to her;
"Go and sin no more"

La Lumiere de la Vie

Jesus leur parla de nouveau et dit:

"Moi, je suis la lumiere du monde; celui qui me suit ne marchera point dans les tenebres, mais il aura la lumiere de la vie."

de La Bible

Jean 8:1-12

Jésus se rendit à la montagne des oliviers. Mais, dès le matin, il alla de nouveau dans le temple, et tout le peuple vint à lui. S'étant assis, il les enseignait. Alors les scribes et les pharisiens amenèrent une femme surprise en adultère; et, la plaçant au milieu du peuple, ils dirent à Jésus: Maître, cette femme a été surprise en flagrant délit d'adultère.

Moïse, dans la loi, nous a ordonné de lapider de telles femmes: toi donc, que dis-tu? Ils disaient cela pour l'éprouver, afin de pouvoir l'accuser. Mais Jésus, s'étant baissé, écrivait avec le doigt sur la terre.
Comme ils continuaient à l'interroger, il se releva et leur dit: Que celui de vous qui est sans péché jette le premier la pierre contre elle. Et s'étant de nouveau baissé, il écrivait sur la terre.
Quand ils entendirent cela, accusés par leur conscience, ils se retirèrent un à un, depuis les plus âgés jusqu'aux derniers; et Jésus resta seul avec la femme qui était là au milieu.
Alors s'étant relevé, et ne voyant plus que la femme, Jésus lui dit: Femme, où sont ceux qui t'accusaient? Personne ne t'a-t-il condamnée?

Elle répondit: Non, Seigneur. Et Jésus lui dit: Je ne te condamne pas non plus: va, et ne pèche plus.

Jésus leur parla de nouveau, et dit: Je suis la lumière du monde; celui qui me suit ne marchera pas dans les ténèbres, mais il aura la lumière de la vie.

Ladies at Work

At the end of October into early November, 3 ladies, Amber, Dusty and myself took a journey for three weeks into the heartland of France in hopes of having a marvelous time doing what ladies like to do... shopping for furniture, bedding and various assundry items for the house in Couture D'Argenson.

What we found was a little different than anticipated. While Eric Archaimbault has done a most excellent job coordinating wonderfully competent artisans from the local area to attend to the renovations, things apparently have moved slower than expected, meaning the ladies and I walked into a living construction zone, not suitable as yet for habitation, let alone importing furniture or decorations of any kind.

So, the three of us shifted our mindset and rearranged our plans. We spent the first week mostly at Castorama and Brico marche, which is the French version of a Home Depot or Lowes. We bought primer, paint, grout for the stone walls, and lots of cleaning solution! It took several attempts before we found the right colors and products that worked well. Except the one bathroom ended up looking like a pumpkin after it had finished being painted....








Our time there was filled with hard work, lots of dust... all to be rewarded with satisfaction at the work we accomplised.

We took a few evenings to visit with our dear friends, and a couple days to see the sights in and around Niort and Melle... also Celle sur Belle ... (what a lovely name for a city)
and finally we rewarded our hard work with a weekend in Paris, Stopping at the stunning Chateau of Chambord (pictured to the lower left in twilight). Upon arrival to Paris, we were to find we chose the WRONG weekend to be there, as the Metro was on strike and counter strikes were being held. The police presence, demonstrations and traffic were enough to drive even the native Parisians a bit crazy... and while I LOVE to drive in Paris, and walk along the river near Notre Dame and the Louve, I have to say the conditions were a bit more than I could stand... guess we will have to plan another weekend to enjoy the sights!

Renovating Our House - Preview Pics

Here is an endeavor to post some of the preview pictures the French contractor has sent to us.

The first is the Temple. It is in good order and is being cared for. We have been able to ensure that there are no weeds growing out of control as were attempting to be a good example to the entire community as we move forward with this project.


This is a preview of the kitchen that is going in the house.
Yes there is still lots to do. Such as clean up and painting. Liz will indeed have her hands full, but were hoping that it is giving her a head start with the finish work going on.




In the house, we will be living in... there has been work to do insulation where necessary, add local room heaters, new electrical and windows. You will notice that we are attempting to maintain to work and continue to show original ancient wood work.




This is a preview of the updated attic which now hopefuly boasts an insulated roof so heat does not escape, as well as protective windows and again a preservation of ancient old wood work. or as much as possible. The floor (in the attic) regrettably, was not able to be kept since it was reported someone almost fell through a portion of the rotten floor.


Please keep in mind that part of the goal in renovating this house, is not only for living quarters for our family, but also to be able to receive guests who would also like to assist in bringing back to life a church in this lovely French community. The building is just one part which can be a gathering place. The real blessing will be witnessing first hand how God brings together people to partake and act as a healthy church body. Caring for one another and ministering to each others needs.

.

Wildfires, Smoke and Nightmares

Wildfires are raging out of control all around us. When the winds were blowing rapidly to the West, the skies were clear above us, but we could see the smoke rising from 5 fires around us. There is one in our neighboring city of Fallbrook, where everyone has been evacuated, and homes have been lost. There is one burning to the North at Lake Arrowhead, one to the south on Palomar Mountain. Not sure exactly where the other ones are, however today with the winds completely dying out, which is a good thing for getting the fires under control, is a bad thing for us who live in the valley… Its all settling around us, smoke from at least three major fires that have burned thousands of acres of land and many, many homes completely to the ground. So with all of that happening here, my nightmares are mild in comparison. They just add to a slightly foul mood, of which I am doing my best to combat as a result of all the damage the fires are doing.

As for the nightmares, Next week myself and two other ladies will be going over to France with the goal of building friendships in the community, while preparing the house for guests, teams, families, to those who have a desire to go and visit and minister or help establish the church in Chef Boutonne. Sounds relatively harmless, so why the nightmares? It’s just for the past two nights I have been dreaming that the house has been remodeled in a completely different way than requested. Not being on site while many major renovations are being done has left me a bit uneasy at what I am going to find when I get there, and I guess I carry that with me when I sleep at night,,, No fun. However my husband has told me: That he has some surprises planned for me, so that when we get there, the house will be just fine with still some work left to do.

Realistically, I have no reason to worry; it must be fear of the unknown… Even if some things aren’t as I expected, it can’t be that bad, right? God is in control. Its my job to be anxious for nothing, but with prayer and thanksgiving let my request be made known to God and the peace which surpasses all understanding will rule heart and mind.

The reality check is this: There are people living real nightmares right now, which have lost their homes,now living in evacuation centers or Rvs in the walmart and similar parking lots all around the area. Will you join me in prayer for these? Please pray for the comfort of God and His people to be a blessing to those who have lost their homes, pray for rain to come and douse the fires and to clear the air of the noxious smoke.

Lord willing as the fires are put out and the smoke clears,and as we move forward in travle plans in the next few weeks, I will be able to give updates live from France

Typical Construction Delays

My husband has just informed me the general contractor in France has informed him, that there was a delay in construction. What that means is, instead of the work crew being finished with the basic installation and refurbishing of the plumbing electricity, kitchen and bath at the end of September, its looking like it wont be finished until mid to end of October. Perfect! At least I think so, because we are planning our travels right around that time.

One or two ladies will be joining me at the end of October or early November to oversee the final details of the work in progress. Just now I am wondering if this is going to be the shock of my life, good or bad, to finally see what the French have been doing to the house without any direct on site supervision from our side! Wow! It ought to be very interesting to see what has been done, or what hasn't!

If the progress is moving along nicely, upon our arrival we can begin on the finish work; removing the last of the wall paper, painting walls, etc. Then we can move to the fun stuff; buying furniture, linens, and kitchen supplies! I'm hoping to find a nice Brocant which is like a flea market,possibly there will be one just south of Paris, to find a few treasures, what I would call great bargains and useful household items.

If we get there to find work hasn't been done accordingly, is not finished, or any other nightmare scenario a remodeling homeowner could expect or couldnt even possibly imagine under such circumstances, well... I will have to save that story for another day, should it be my misfortune to experience! But its all good, trusting in the Lord, that whatever we put forth our hand to do for His glory will prosper... we press on!