Quick Update

Hey Everyone! I am home and back in the States...I've been home for about a week now, but have been busy running around. Today, I am in the process of moving into an apartment down in Council Bluffs, IA..about 10-15 minutes from my university. So, needless to say I dont have much time, but wanted to let everyone know I made it back safely, I am in one piece for now : ) I will give a more detailed update as soon as I can, until then may you all have a Happy New Year and may you continue to remember the true reason for the season- Jesus! : )

The key to my heart <3

Janna, Micah, and new baby girl, Aila

Novemeber was a crazy month for me. Not only was I furiously working on my online classes for the States, trying to find an apartment for my return, planning a Thanksgiving meal for 50+ ppl, but I was also trying to study French : ) Oh boy, those of you who know me well, know that I tend to take on too many things at one time, and have a hard time saying no- well, it seems that I can still not say NO even when in a different country : ) Despite that, all is and went well!

I have one of two of my online classes all done - praise the Lord! : ) I will be finishing up the other class this week.

As far as the apartment, I believe that I have found one- I also found a roommate- she was one of my teammates from Africa :) so that will be wonderful- I'll know for sure about the apt. after the 15th of December- if it all works out, we will move in January 1-2 :) I am super excited, because this will be my first apartment and it just sounds perfect! We will see! : )

The Thanksgiving meal went AMAZINGLY well :) I will post some pictures on here from our American Thankgsiving in France : ) I love organizing things, so I sent out invitations to all the families here at the school and all the staff, and then ordered turkeys, assigned food dishes, decorated, etc...and everything turned out wonderfully! Thanksgiving came and went quite quickly. There were about 55-60 people, we all stood in a big circle and shared one thing we were thankful for, before we ate. It was truly a special day! It was also special, because the Americans were able to share our holiday with families from Holland, England, Korea, and France. I believe a wonderful time was had by all, it is always a good time when the body of Christ comes together and fellowships : )

The last Saturday in November, I went with the church here in Albertville, up into the mountains. Every year they distribute calendars that have verses on them- they go to door to the houses up in the mountains handing out these calendars. Some people wait all year to receive the calendars! : ) It was an amazing experience. The group I was with got invited into many homes, where we drank coffee, cider, and wine(a traditional French practice) We also ate cookies, etc. It is an amazing one day outreach, most people were quite thankful and very welcoming. We were able to share God's love with them! After we came back down from the mountains, the group I was with went over to my teacher's house *French teacher*( Her husband was in the group I was with) We went over to their house and had cheese and cider(also a French tradition) It was wonderful! : ) The French cheese is starting to grow on me! After that I went back to my home, took a quick nap, and then someone picked me up to go to another family's house for supper. I ate supper with an older couple from the church, we had a special soup, crepes, and special cookies. Wow- what a meal! : ) It was again, more wonderful fellowship time, as well as French practice! : ) Needless to say, I had no problems falling asleep that night!!

Just this last week, Sharon and I went to visit our friend, Janna. She had a baby back in October, and was expecting visitors this weekend- her parents were/are coming from Argentina for about a month. Janna is an MK. She actually came to the school where Sharon and I, met her husband during her time here, and married at the end of her studies. She and her husband, Laurent, now live in a city about 30 minutes from where I live. They are an amazing family, they have 2 little boys (2 and 4) and a new baby girl : ) Their story of how they met, fell in love, and decided to continue to pursue Christ together, is very encouraging. So, Ive taken advantage of the time I can spend with Janna, because she has been very encouraging during my time here. Anyway, all that to say- this last week, Sharon and I went and visited them. We stayed overnight and helped her do some cleaning and helped her prepare for her parents' arrival. She taught me how to make a traditional French dish, which if I can find the ingredients in the States, I will definitely try to make- you'd be more than welcome to try it, if I can make it- just let me know : )

Hmm... what else.... Yesterday I finally finished writing the papers for my Intro to Linguistics class, and after that I made 4 different kinds of cookies for the all the families here : ) That was my way of celebrating the finish of one class- and I will start to work on finishing the other class today : ( Last night was the official lightening ceremony of all the Christmas lights here in Albertville. They actually turn off all the lights in one place, and have a little ceremony and then all of the lights come on at once : ) It was beautiful. They also had fireworks- and believe it or not..Pere Noel (Santa Claus) came to France- I saw him : ) I'll post a little video clip of him coming! ; ) There were several hundreds of people who were there for the lighting festival and afterwards there was free chocolat chaud and vin chaud. Free hot chocolate and hot wine. : ) It was wonderful. After all the several of us girls came back to our house, and then I made a late supper for all of us. It was the French dish that Janna taught me to make- I believe everyone enjoyed it! : )

Well, I do believe that has you mostly up to date with all that has been going on with me : ) The countdown has truly begun- I leave the school 2 weeks from today, and fly out two weeks from tomorrow!! I cannot believe how quickly my time here has gone. So much more than just learning French has happened in my life. God has definitely been at work on my heart. I know that when I return home, many changes will lay ahead. I will be starting my 2nd to last semester of college, moving into a new apartment, finding a new job, etc. My future is unknown to me, but known to the Lord- so I must walk by faith and trust that He will lead me!

Psalm 37:4-7 "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your ways to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this; He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him. "

I will definitely be clinging to Him as I look into the future. I must let Him hold the key to my heart. As I continue to daily give Him my control, I continue to fall more and more in love with Him. He is the author of my faith, no matter how busy things get, or no matter how many things fill up my life and my heart, the True Owner of my heart is the Lord. He holds the key to my heart, and for that I am so thankful.

- The video clip of Pere Noel (Santa Claus)- He came to France! : )

My 100th Post : )

Well, here is a sneak peek of what it looked like here last week! We had a good snow one night, I keep hoping I'll wake up and there will be more- we will see, weather is predicting more snow soon!! : ) (I am whispering in the film, because-Sharon, who lives next door, was still sleeping) : )

Quick tid bit

OK...so I apologize on how long it has taken me to write...I have been extremely busy..infact, I am not even really writing a blog right now- I will try to make some time this weekend to sit down and write out all that has been going on. November was a busy month and I can hardly believe we are already into December! I am coming home in less than 3 weeks- Ca c'est tres bizare!! That is really crazy! Time has flown by! Anyway, please look for an update with pictures come Sunday or Monday! Thanks for your prayers! Please keep praying that I will be able to manage my time- I have A LOT to do and very little time! Merci beaucoup!!(Thank you very much)

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Do you see what I see? Do you hear what I hear? : ) Yes, Christmas time is near! So, I decided to decorate my room! I love Christmas, it is my favorite time of year. Also, this year, I know that I will not be 'home' to decorate and to spend the whole month of Decemeber celebrating, so I felt the need to start early and decorate my room just a little for Christmas. I have always loved lights, especially Christmas lights! : )

*The choices we make reflect on who we are on the inside *

Do you ever have days when you wonder if people wonder why you are the way you are? I know that may sound like a funny question, but I have come to a realization that we are all who we are for particular reasons. We choose who we want to be. Everyday we have choices to make; we can choose to have a good day or choose to have a bad day. Granted, each day may be filled with difficulties and trials, yet when we choose to praise God for all things and to be joyful in all things, He DOES bless us for that. I would categorize myself as a generally happy person. Very rarely do things get me down, or I should say, very rarely do I let things get me down. Life seems to always throw hardships at people, but it is who we are on the inside that helps us overcome trials and then, actually grow from those trials. As most of you know, my father was killed in a car accident a little over 3 years ago. His absence is so very real to me now. Not that it wasn’t three years ago, but now, as I am living alone in another country, trying to serve my God, I have realized that I must look to God as my Father. He is the One who can guide me and give me daily strength. I think too often people get frustrated with life and trials that arise, and they forget that God told us in James 1:2-5, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” Having joy within a trial is not easy, yet it IS the most rewarding way to live. Sometimes, I forget the true reason I am here. I am here to ultimately serve my King and to help reach lost people for Him. I have the gift of eternal life, because of Him. How can I not be happy? How can I not rejoice in that? Too often I start to focus on the things that I have done or the things that I need to do, and forget that there is Someone greater than I, waiting to help me. God is always at my side, He never leaves me. Thank you Lord for being so good to me! I know that it is hard for some people to find joy in all situations and to find God in all things, but joy is there to be had, and He is there too. When people start to praise God for the bad things in their life, as well as for the good things, I believe more smiles will appear on their faces, more blessings will be given to them; life may not be easier, yet it will be lived with the help of a Friend, who is greater than all. I know that sometimes people get frustrated with me, because they don’t understand why I am always happy, or why I do the things I do, but I know why I am happy and I know why I do the things I do. Ultimately, it is not about pleasing others or living up to their expectations or to their likings, but it is about honoring God in all that we think, say, and do. I pray that each day, as I make a choice to be happy, to find joy in all things, that I will make the Lord proud. I pray that He will be able to smile at me, and tell me that He loves me and that He is proud of me! Lord, thank you for loving me, and for giving me a chance everyday to choose to serve You! Help me to choose You everyday, help me to live for only You! Thank you for letting me feel Your love today, thank you for being my Father!

My word is . . . . WAIT

This morning, while reading my devotional book, I was challenged. It always seems that God puts the right thing in front of me at the right time. He then leaves it up to me to decide what I am supposed to do. : ) Well, this morning, He gave me His Word- and it said WAIT. I am going to put the devotional in here- there is 2 parts to it. It is from the K-LOVE "On the Right Note" devotional booklet.

James 1:21-25

"Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. DO what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it- he will be blessed in what he does."

The engrafted Word

The word "engrafted" means "to attach to, and become part of." Picture a gardener grafting a branch into a tree and that branch coming to life and bearing fruit. Now picture yourself reading God's Word and a Scripture attaching itself to you, growing in you and producing change in your life. That's how God's Word works. And that's why you need to read it daily!

Sometimes you can tell the pastor what you received through his sermon and he won't know what you're talking about because he was emphasizing something different. He was just the mailman; he didn't know what was in the envelope. God sent a Word just for you. He said, "Here's what I want you to do," or "This is what I'm going to do for you in this situation." It's a Word that liberates you from fear, lifts you, directs you, and enables you to fight and win. Engrafted-Word-carrying believers are potent. That's because the engrafted Word sticks to you, takes you through the storm, feeds you in famine, quenches your thirst in drought, and brings you through the worst of times.

It doesn't have to be a sermon; Jesus just gave Peter one Word, "Come," and Peter started walking on water. It works like this: God gives you a Word, and the moment you step out on it your mind says, "It doesn't make sense, you don't have the talent, you don't have the finances, you don't have the education, etc." The amazing thing is, as long as you stand on the Word God gave you, you won't go under. That one Word, "Come," stuck to Peter's heart and propelled him through the storm. And the engrafted Word will do the same to you.

Part 2

The "engrafted Word" is self-sustaining. It doesn't require the accolades of men or the support of others to validate it. As Jesus was walking on the water towards His disciples in the boat Peter said, "Lord, if it's you, tell me to come" (Mt 14:28) Jesus gave him one Word, "Come," and Peter started walking. Was he scared? Wouldn't you be? But his desire was greater than his fear. That's all you need to get started, a desire for God that is greater than your doubts and limitations. The other disciples probably didn't believe Peter could do it. Indeed, those who feared for his safety didn't want him to try, and those who were competitive with him didn't want him to succeed. The truth is, the other disciples didn't understand who was calling to Peter; they thought Jesus was "a ghost!" (Mk. 6:49). There's a lesson here for you:

When God gives you a Word and you step out on it, DON'T expect everybody to validate it. It's normal for you to want certain people to see what you see and believe what you believe. But in this verse God prepares you for disagreements between you, and those who don't understand what God has told you. If you're not careful, people's opinions will short-circuit your faith and make you doubt what God has said. God says: "I'm not going to confirm what I've told you through them. In fact, I don't even need them to agree with what I've spoken concerning you." Relax. Be confident in God. You may want all these external support systems, but the truth is, you don't need them!

After I had read these words, it made me sit back and think about what the Lord has been telling me. I know that I must wait upon Him. I know that He has called me to "GO" and to serve, yet He has shown me that now is not the time, so I must wait upon Him. I also have to be ready for His timing, and be ready to accept whatever He has for me, because maybe He will use me in the United States, or perhaps He will again give me the Word to go back overseas, only time will tell! Please pray that I will hear His voice and follow! : )

Reflections from my heart

These past couple of weeks have been quite challenging for me. Not challenging in terms of French, but challenging in terms of life. I feel as though God has been stripping me of my independence, so as to make me fully rely on Him. I always tell God that I want to be broken before Him, yet I tend to forget how much that process can really hurt. Yet, I am continuously reminded that God is faithful and He never leaves my side. In some recent conversations with the Lord, He has given me a new direction for my life. It may or may not change every aspect of my life, but I must be ready and willing to allow God to bring and create changes within me. For the time being, I believe that the Lord has lead me to put Africa on hold. Although, I loved my time in Mali, and desperately want to return, the Lord has given me a peace about it all. It is not what I would have chosen or really what I want to do, but because the Lord has led me in that way, I will follow His direction. Too many times have I gone in the wrong direction, going my own way, and have failed greatly. I believe it is time for me to step up to the plate and allow the Lord to be Lord of my life. I know that I am supposed to return home in December and then finish my college education, which may contain another 2 semesters, entailing that I would possibly graduate in December 2009. I need to focus on finishing school and paying off my loans, trusting all the while that the Lord will provide. As many of you know, I have worked at HyVee for the last 7 years. I love HyVee- more specifically I've always loved the people I work with. God has definitely blessed me with lots of opportunities to minister to my coworkers, but I am not sure what job I will have upon my return to the States. I am praying that God will open up a job opportunity that pertains to something intercultural, so I can put my major to use. I believe that my uncertainties in life right now are causing me to walk by faith. I am trusting that the Lord will provide, He always has. As weird as it is for me to say this, I feel at total peace with my uncertainties, which is not normal for me. I usually have to be in control, I always feel as though I need a plan, I need to know what is going on, but I believe that the Lord is changing my heart. As He is walking by my side, I know that He has everything under control, and that His ways are best. I pray that as I continue to strive to live each day for Him, I will continue to walk by His side and not jump ahead or get in the way of His plans. I've been comforted by His promise in

Jeremiah 33:3, "Call to me and I will answer your and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know." God is always there, and He will direct my life in the way that it should go, when it should go that way.

A look into my room now. . .

There are really only two pieces of furniture that can be moved in my room- and I moved them : ) I swithced the places of my desk and chair. It worked out perfectly, because I can now look at my French wall, because it is directly in front of my desk, as opposed to behind me. : )

. . . SnOw Up In ThE mOuNtAiNs . . .

It has been really rainy here lately, and finally the sun came out today. We can now see the 2nd snow up in the mountains : ) It is so beautiful! Also, the little video clips are a look through my eyes and a quick guide on how to keep warm. . .fire and cocoa! ( You can even see the steam from the cocoa..mmm) :)

My room before I rearranged it : )

. .A weekend in LoNdOn . .

Me & Ben- He needed a little 'pick-me-up' : )
Westminister Abbey
The London Eye
Stephany & I outside Buckingham Palace
Changing of The Guard..it only happens once a day..we made it just in time to see it





They are starting to decorate for Christmas!
Amy and I waiting in line to get tickets to the Broadway Musical "Wicked" . It was about the Wizard of Oz. I loved it! : )

These were porta-potty type things all over the city for men...kind of weird..definitely not something I've ever seen in the States!

The song in my heart . .

*Random fact- I am heading to London tomorrow, for the weekend- please pray for safety!*

Well, it seems that God has given me a little tid-bit of information as to what I am supposed to do. Although, I do not know what the future holds, I know that I am to trust Him in all things. I will post more of the feelings from my heart as to how He is leading me in a couple of days, but for now- I am going to post the song lyrics "Knowing You" I found that this song was on my heart today- the verses just kept repeating themselves in my mind over and over again- that I am to count all as loss- but to know Christ as gain . . .

All I once held dear, built my life upon

All this world reveres, and wars to own

All I once thought gain I have counted loss

Spent and worthless now, compared to this

Knowing you, Jesus

Knowing you, there is no greater thing

You're my all, you're the best

You're my joy, my righteousness

And I love you, Lord

Now my heart's desire is to know you more

To be found in you and known as yours

To possess by faith what I could not earn

All-surpassing gift of righteousness

Oh, to know the power of your risen life

And to know You in Your sufferings

To become like you in your death, my Lord

So with you to live and never die

La Nuit Des Femmes

Ladies Night!!
My friend(another single gal living on my hall) Amy, and I planned a night just for the ladies at the Centre! There were about 15 of us ladies there. Some of our professors came. It was a night planned for food, fellowship, and fun : ) We had a great turn out- we started around 8:15pm on Friday night, and finished our movie at 12:45am : )It went longer than expected, but you know how ladies are..we love chatting!! Here are some pictures from the night : )