Their Joy and Their Heart's Delight

Have you ever loved someone so much that you hung on every word they said? 

Have you known what it feels like to love God that way? 

I came across these verses in Jeremiah this week during my personal study time. The notation is my reminder to myself of a previous implication thoses verses had for me and a reminder to continue my commitment that I made nearly six years ago to pray these verses for my children. Each time I see it, I pray again, both for them and for myself, that God's Word will be/remain our joy and our hearts' delight.

As an American, I was blessed to be born into a country where God's Word is easily accessible. It is not only available in English, but in several different reading levels so that even young people can read and understand the Bible. Most people in my home country who want a Bible can either easily find an affordable one or a free one. As a result, I think we sometimes take that for granted and we don't truly have the perspective of the Holy Word of God being our heart's delight. I know I'm guilty. 

Not so in other parts of the world. I have a friend who serves with Wycliffe Bible Translators and he has told me that the best estimate on hand is that there are as many as 350 languages spoken in the Democratic Republic of Congo. I asked him how many still have no Bible translation in their mother tongue and he replied "best guesses put the number at 300 yet to be translated." How can God's Word be their joy and their heart's delight if they cannot read it?

Yes, there are scriptures available in French, the official language of DRC, and in Lingala and Swahili, the two most common trade languages, as well as some of the others most commonly spoken. But just for the sake of perspective, my native language is English. I have been taught French and have a French Bible. I actually have two, and one of them is a much simpler version that is supposed to be easier to understand. I am studying Lingala and have a Lingala Bible. I can pick up my French Bible and because I have been taught French, I know how to pronounce the words and even understand most of them. But there are phrases that have nuances unique to native French speakers. There are words I don't know. I miss something in the translation and there is a gap. Even more so when I try to read my Lingala Bible. My tutor spent several minutes yesterday explaining just one verse to me, word by word and phrase by phrase. Even if a Congolese person can somehow afford a Bible, if it is in French or another language other than their mother tongue, there is a gap for them, especially if they have not had an opportunity for good French instruction in their schooling. They cannot fully experience the richness and depth of God's Word. If you had a few years of foreign language courses in school, imagine if the only Bible you could have was in that language and not in your native tongue. 

Did you know that public education in the U.S. colonies was begun in the 1640's in order to train children to be able to read the Bible? Please pray for the people of Congo to have Bibles available in their language, and to have better education opportunities so that they can better understand scripture.  Pray that God's living, life-changing Word will be their joy and their hearts' delight. 

Stitches Tell Stories

Every quilt has a story. I began this quilt in Tulsa, OK. We were preparing for the mission field and David was in school full-time, so my fabric budget was pretty limited. The best way to keep enjoying my new hobby and learning new skills was to do those $5-$10 block of the month clubs at the fabric stores. I did them all  - three different stores – simultaneously. One of those was this quilt.

We moved to Florida, then Missouri. In each place I worked a little on the quilt top but never finished. Other quilts took priority because they were gifts for other people. Eventually we moved to Quebec, Canada to attend French language school. We had to fit everything we owned for a family of five into a mini-van, which called for some serious paring down, but I managed to fit my sewing machine and quilt blocks! While we were there, I finally completed the top. I packed her up and took her to Africa, thinking that I would quilt it there.

We only have power about 30% of the time in Kinshasa. When the electricity is on I find myself racing to get laundry, school stuff, baking, bill paying, blogging, correspondence, etc done before it goes off again.  I began to wonder if I was EVER going to finish it. David suggested I send it back to the states and have someone quilt it for me. When our son came to visit for Christmas, I did send it back with him, but it went into storage for a while, waiting for me to decide what to do with it.

During our time in Florida, a friend from our college days was going to be nearby for a conference and asked if we’d like to drive up to see him and meet his family. We had not seen Darren in over fifteen years and were very excited. I liked his wife Marcia instantly. It was so fun to discover how much we have in common and we parted feeling like we had been friends for much longer than just an evening. We’ve kept in touch ever since. Once I made the decision to have my quilt done by someone else, Marcia was the obvious choice. I trusted her and I had been admiring her work for some time via her blog.

This quilt has journeyed across the U.S. and the ocean with me and I have a lot in common with her. We are both a work in progress, a slow progression getting a little closer to being useful and beautiful at each stop along the way. Neither of us are the same as we were seven years ago when I began working on this quilt.

I named her “Je me souviens,” which means “I remember,” because she reminds me that through the years I spent finishing her I made new friends, reconnected with old friends, learned new skills, travelled to new places, learned a new language, lived at seven different addresses, encountered two new cultures, faced several challenges, and said many goodbyes. She’s even more special now because of the love and talent stitched into her by my friend Marcia – a constant reminder of our friendship even though we both worked on her at different times and in different places. 

Here is a pic of the back of my quilt. It's almost a quilt all by itself! The photo really doesn't do justice to all the detail and colors. 

Marcia also graciously allowed me to use her photos. 

You can read her blog and see some of the other work she has done by clicking HERE.

You can shop in Marcia's store by clicking HERE.

Stitches tell stories, and this quilt has a lot of both!

Languishing Brownies

Brownies (Photo credit: yum9me)

This could be an interesting post because I am so distracted. We HAD power today, so I made up a batch of brownie batter. I decided to be a cool mom and used the last of our Heath bits in the brownies. Popped them into the oven. A few minutes later the power went off. David went out to check the box since all of the neighbors have power and he has been gone awhile, which means something burnt up and we can't even run the generator. MY BROWNIES ARE LANGUISHING!!! 

This week I ordered limes from Papa Joseph. In French, lemons are "citrons" and limes are "citrons vertes (green)". This is a photo of locally grown produce. The little one is a lime and the big ones are lemons. See the problem with calling limes the green ones? They are ALL green. Papa Joseph misunderstood and I ended up with a bag of lemons. Lemons aren't as tasty as limes in my Coke, but they made good lemonade so we are just rolling with it. Interestingly, oranges here are also green, and yet they are still called oranges an no one seems to think that is weird.

Here's an update on our house. Yes, we are STILL working on the house. When we moved in, the plumbing in the kitchen had been repaired/replaced and there was a section behind the sink where the tiles were busted out; and there was a gap between the concrete wall and the countertop that I could put my hand into - which meant unwelcome guests could crawl through from the other side. This week we hired Leopold to fix the wall and I am very happy to have a whole wall in the kitchen now.





I managed to get some more sewing time and made some progress on Daniel's quilt top. I am using a pattern called Blissful Dreams that I purchased too many years ago from Down Home Quilting. I still have to add borders to it. Daniel asked me to hand quilt it instead of machine quilting it, so when I finish the top it will get packed away until after furlough. I don't plan to haul it across the ocean and then add backing and batting and haul it back. Apologies to my facebook friends who have already seen this.


***Here is a brownie update, because brownies are important. They are a little funny looking but I think they will taste just fine. Hooray for brownies! The neutral line in our box keeps burning up and we keep replacing it. This time it burned a bunch of stuff and David got it going temporarily but says he pretty much has to replace everything.

Everyone likes a good story!

Thursday, I was invited to share my testimony with the ladies from Nsango na Bomoi, the church that is pastored by our missionary friends Dan and Christine. I have been a little spoiled because each time I have shared my testimony here I have been allowed to do it in English with someone to interpret for me. This time, I was asked to share in French! Yikes! 

I only had a few hours' notice and still had to do school with Daniel so I sort of cheated. I knew I had forgotten a lot of grammar. I also was aware of the fact that when I am nervous, it is even more challenging for me to think in French. I had written my testimony in French during language school so I pulled that out and edited it a bit. Hooray for saving language school homework! 

French is the official language here, but even among the nationals not everyone speaks French. Many have not had enough schooling to be proficient in French. There was a woman in this group who only spoke Lingala so our time together involved a mix of English, French, and Lingala. I gave my testimony in French and Mama Louise interpreted it into Lingala. If she had a question about something I said, she asked Christine, who then asked me in English so that I could rephrase my original sentence back into French. 

Sharing my story with the ladies was a blessing for me not just because I got a review of some vocabulary I had forgotten, but also because it gave me a way to connect with them. As my story progressed, I could see the ladies smiling and nodding. We are very different in culture and background, but all of us had a testimony. Each of us had a story to tell about how we were burdened and empty before Christ had changed our lives. 

Stories are very popular here, so we also talked about the fact that nearly everyone likes a good story and that if a person is able to share the story of what God has done in their life, they have a very powerful tool for sharing the gospel. Then the ladies shared their testimonies, first in Lingala and then Mama Louise translated into French for my sake. Having heard these ladies' stories made me feel like I was getting to know them on a deeper level. They shared of painful experiences, of growing up in churches that did not teach the gospel so they spent years following rituals without having a true relationship with Jesus. 

Sweet Feet and Baby Philippe

Between the car troubles and the travels, I had not been to the orphanage in several weeks but got to go back today. I had some toys and blankets with me. The workers got excited about the blankets, but the kids got excited about the toys (see above). We are in the dry season, which means no rain and cooler temps. It also means all the kids have runny noses and icy cold feet. I rubbed lots of little dirty feet today and went home with lots of bodily fluids on my arms and clothing. I also got lots of hugs and kisses. 

This little guy's shirt says "Aujourd'hui j'ai décidé d'être sage!" Translated that means "Today I have decided to be good!" As a matter of facts, he was being very good.

Many of the kids are possessive of the toys and refuse to share for fear of having them taken away by bullies. Dieu Merci had a ViewMaster toy and insisted on showing each picture to me, several times. He is one of the most cheerful and sweet natured kids at the orphanage.

I had to take this little man's picture because he is almost always throwing a tantrum and today we caught him smiling!

Originally, this little boy's name was Patrick but it was changed to Giles, with the French pronunciation. I am not sure why. Giles arrived at the orphanage as an infant and is a year old. He was born without arms and is already being encouraged to use his feet to do things for himself.





Today was an fun day because with school out there were lots more kids than usual and they were all playing well together and being very sweet and affectionate. I saw two babies that a month or so ago I wasn't sure would still be alive today and both are gaining weight and getting stronger. It is such a thrill to see a child that was once listless and feeble smile and wave her arms and coo.

It was a heartbreaking day also. A new baby arrived 8 days ago. His name is Philippe but we were told it will be changed to Jacob. Again I don't know the reason for the name change. Philippe is less than a month old. He has cleft palate and either cannot or will not eat. He has only two fingers on his right hand. His right ear is deformed. His right eye is missing. Both of his feet are horribly deformed, as though they are on backwards and upside down. A severe birth defect here is often thought to be a curse or brought on by magic and the babies are then abandoned, which is how Philippe came to be at the orphanage. I really don't know if he will live. I'm thankful he is at least in a place where he is being loved. Pray for Philippe and the staff at the hospital, and for his mama and papa, wherever they are.

Natalie, tired after a morning of playing hard.

Beans or No Beans?

I’ve been asking myself this for some time. I originally named this blog “Cool Beans!” It was/is a favorite expression of mine. While we were attending language school in Québec, I changed the name. I was excited about learning French and wanted to make my blog reflect that. Somehow “Cool Beans!” didn’t sound so appealing after translation, so I went with “C’est vrai.” I still enjoy practicing and learning French, but I’m going back to Cool Beans partly because it’s just more “me” and partly because I am venturing out of my comfort zone a bit (ok, a lot). It has bothered me for a long time to know I have friends who have difficulty reading our newsletters and our blog, so I am going to start a blog for my francophone friends. Being the world’s biggest chicken, from the moment the idea came to me I had my doubts about whether I was really supposed to do it and whether I actually even could. What if I make a fool of myself? Nothing new there. What if someone comments in French and I don’t understand what they say or know how to respond? Again, nothing new. What if it’s so time consuming I can’t keep it up the way I’d like to. Oh, like that’s never happened with this blog or with any of my other projects? Well, since all I have to lose is face, I mean time, and at the least I will improve my French, I decided to try it. Translation is difficult and time consuming, so I probably won’t translate every article I write here and post it there, though I will translate some. It will be different. My goal is simply to make it easy for people to keep up with our family and all that we do here. I have a friend who has graciously consented to read my articles and help me correct them until I get the hang of it. You know who you are, dear friend. Thank you!
If you are interested, here is the address. I welcome comments and corrections, but please email corrections to me instead of posting them in the comments section.

Projects

I finished it! And he likes it! This quilt took WAY too long and it's my fault. But it has a history that Josh appreciates. It began as a block of the month project at Hancock's in Tulsa in 2005. I started it for Josh because the theme is Lewis & Clark and in our home school, that was one of his favorite topics of study. I didn't even get to finish all twelve months in the club because we moved halfway through the year, so a friend had to mail each month's block kit and instructions to me. Since I began it, we have moved to Florida, Missouri, Canada, back to Missouri, Idaho, and Africa; went back to school, became missionaries with MAF, raised ministry support, driven all over the U.S., "learned French", and adjusted to new cultures. Emily owns the very first quilt I made. Daniel gets the next one. I told him he could choose the pattern and colors but I'm tired of appliqué!
Josh also finished a project this week. He built a fort for Daniel. He cut the bamboo himself with a machete. Our guard Jacques showed Josh how to split the bamboo with the machete and helped with the digging. He (Jacques) told me that in his village people place sticks in the ground like Josh's bamboo, then pack the walls with mud to build their homes, or they make their own bricks out of mud. The roofs are thatched, whereas Josh recycled a piece of plywood from the crate David built for our shipment over here.

A Couple of Triples

Yes, it's been a really, really, really (triple number one!) long time. I could make a bunch of excuses, such as we have power outages nearly every day, we have internet problems frequently, I'm busy home schooling two kids and cooking from scratch, I got caught up in Thanksgiving and Christmas and potlucks and all that - all of which are true, but whatever the excuse, it has still been a really, really, really long time. I'm sorry. Ok, quick "catch-up", in as few words as I am capable of. All of the windows have been repaired. And the roof. Last month Emily told us her wall, the one between her bedroom and the bathroom (yes, the same bathroom that flooded with sewage and has a broken toilet) was wet. It had been wet for a while and she just thought the spot was a stain from when the roof leaked until she actually left something touching the wall and it got wet. The stain was wider than my arm span and about 3 feet high, and a nice mold was growing. So, the plumber came out and made holes in the walls to fix the pipes. At least he filled in the holes though, and Emily's wall is drying. We celebrated the holidays with our MAF team and other missionaries here. It was hard to be away from family, especially since our skype wouldn't work. Josh played in the orchestra for the school musical in December. We searched for things to buy for the kids for Christmas and could not find anything here, so I bought some local fabric and sewed gigantic bean bag chairs for each of them. We filled them with bags of chopped foam that we bought at the local mattress factory. They were a big hit! We still have power and water issues, almost daily. Once we had no power for 72 hours. A couple of times we ran completely out of water, even in our reservoir, and had to haul water from the Francis house. We had the annual MAF family conference in January. It was our first conference and we really enjoyed it. We have hired a tutor to help us improve our French. There are two things which make French more difficult here than I had anticipated. One is that our vocabulary is too small, we just don't know enough words. We're working on that. The other is the accent here. The Congolese don't pronounce their vowels the same way we were taught, and it has caused some misunderstandings. For instance, when they say "two", it sounds just like "ten". That makes shopping fun. A couple of weeks ago, I asked our guard how his family was doing and his response sounded like "sah vah impay". I knew what the first part meant, "ça va" means "it goes", a way of saying things are fine. I couldn't figure out what "impay" was, but I knew "paix" means peace, so I thought "he must mean all is well and peaceful", so I said that was good news. He looked at me strangely but said no more. Then David asked me a couple days later "what does impay mean?" Our guard had just said the same thing to him, again in response to an inquiry about his wellbeing. I told him I didn't know, that I couldn't find anything like it in the French dictionary, and what I had guessed it meant. He said he had guessed something similar and said "that's good" and got the same strange look. So the next time our tutor came, we asked him about it. He said it the same way our guard did, but when he wrote it out for us, he wrote "un peu", which sounds more like "uhn puh" (short nasal sounds, not long vowel sounds)in International French. Ding! The light was now on! It means "It goes a little", which here means the same as saying it is not going well at all. So our guard was telling us things were not going well for his family and we were telling him what great news we thought that was! I felt even worse when we learned that he had two children with malaria that week. So, that's one lesson we shan't forget and a mistake we won't make again. One more small chink out of the language barrier.
Ever since Christmas, my friend Sandy has been waiting patiently for me to remember to share my recipe for crescent rolls. To atone for neglecting my blog for so long, I'll share it here also. I got this recipe from my sweet mother in law and it makes nice flaky rolls. And the smell! Amazing! They are really, really, really (triple number two!) good! Here you go, Sandy!

Crescent Rolls

4 1/2 cups flour
3 eggs, beaten
1 package plus 1 TBS yeast (so you don't have to look it up like I did, one packet contains 2 1/2 tsp)
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup Crisco (I try to avoid shortening. You know, the whole hydrogenation thing. So I use real butter and it works fine.)
1 cup scalded milk

Mix milk, butter, sugar and salt. Allow to cool to lukewarm. Add yeast and eggs. Add flour a little at a time until dough is too stiff to stir. Let rise, or chill until later. Three hours before baking, divide into three sections. Roll out into circles and baste with melted butter (not too much). Cut like a pizza into 8ths and roll into crescents. Let rise. Bake 6 minutes at 375 degrees.

Lessons learned

Yesterday we graduated from French language school. It's been a long and challenging ten months. It wasn't only challenging because of the French courses we were taking. This was a year of big changes for all of us. Josh experienced his first year in public school at the same time he experienced his first exposure to another culture. That's really like learning two cultures at once. Emily had to work independently in her studies during my class hours and save the rest for when I came home. Daniel sat through hours and hours of church without understanding what anyone was saying because David and I were required to attend a French church as part of our schooling. I had to balance being out of the home half of each day and having studies and homework of my own with teaching Emily and Daniel and managing our home. David had to balance school with being a husband, father, friend and neighbor. All within a new environment and culture/language. We learned a lot about relationships, priorities, flexibility, and faithfulness. When we first came here, one of my kids didn't believe me when I said that God knows our needs and will provide the relationships we need in Québec. Now that child admits being wrong and not wanting to leave new friends found here. But a lesson was learned, and now there is a confidence that God will take care of us. We are busy packing and cleaning our apartment and squeezing in every spare minute we can with our friends before we go. We'll be here a few more days because Josh has prom this weekend.
We have grown to love the people here. They have been very polite and friendly to us and very patient with our bumbling attempts to speak their language. We like our church and our pastor here very much and were just getting to the point where we understood almost all of the sermons. We have made wonderful friends, not just among our fellow classmates but among local people also. There are some things we won't miss so much: milk that comes in plastic bags instead of jugs, cold weather, having to go to several different stores to get things we need because the grocery stores here don't have built-in pharmacies, make-up aisles, toy aisles, etc.; stores that close at 5pm - the time when most people are finally free to shop. But really those aren't important issues as much as they are inconveniences. I would guess someone from Québec might feel overwhelmed by their first experience in a super Wal-mart, as the Wal-mart here is far from that. We have tried new foods and liked many of them: fresh, real maple syrup, tartinade (a meat pie that is traditionally made for Christmas), Cretons (a meat spread often eaten on toast or crackers), and poutine. Our very first week here we were told that no one has experienced Québec until they have tried poutine. Poutine consists of french fries, with gravy on top, and cheese on top of that. Not just any cheese, though. Fresh cheese curds, usually made that same day, that makes squeaky noises when you chew it. There are many varieties, but that is the basic poutine. Last night, to celebrate that all five of us finished a school year here, we went to Stratos'and had poutine one last time.

Photo perspectives

Before I write here, I often review the previous entry so I can sort of pick up where I left off. Since the last time I wrote, we took the kids to Coaticook Gorge, home of the world's longest pedestrian suspension bridge. We are actually going there next week with our language school, but David and I wanted to take the kids on a day when we could take our time and go at our own pace as a family. It was a good thing we did, because Josh's ankle was still sore from his rugby injury and we ended up not completing the entire 3 kilometer trail. We did, however, cross the bridge - twice. Emily and I had to muster up our courage, because we aren't fond of heights, but it was well worth it for the beautiful view from the middle of the bridge. David and I went on a field trip with our French language school to the Village Québécois d'Antan (Quebecois villiage of former days) in Drummondville. There are 52 buildings, all dating back to the 1800's and the very early 1900's. They aren't all from Drummondville originally, some have been moved, but the effect is that you feel as though you have stepped back in time. There were residential homes that showed what life was like for the average family, an apothecary complete with a garden of medicinal herbs, a fromagerie (cheese shop), general store/post office, blacksmith, printer, farm, soap makers, candle makers, car museum, etc. As I was reviewing my previous post and looking through my photos of our excursions, I found it interesting that I had written about treasures. What I treasure emotionally and materially sure did seem to come to light through my photos. Most of my photos were of people I love, such as the one of the kids here, or things that I am very enthusiastic about, such as the antique sewing machines, quilts, and the gardens from the village. I took only a few photos of the antique cars and the other things we saw. My pictures are more than just my life through the lens of my camera, they show my bias, my interests and passions. I wonder then, what picture other people have in their minds when they think of me? Do my children see in their minds a pair of hands preparing a meal or putting a bandage on their skinned knees? Do they see a pair of arms wrapping them in a hug? Do they see a face with an impatient or angry expression, or do they see a warm smile? I want to be a blessing. I want my family and friends to smile when they picture me in their minds. That is my prayer.

Where Our Treasure Is

Every two weeks, the three French classes combine for a field trip. This past Friday our field trip was a treasure hunt, or chasse au trésor, in downtown Sherbrooke. We were divided into teams of three (chosen by the professor), given our instructions, and sent off on our way. We were all to meet at a coffee shop when we finished. I was partnered with two missionary friends who live in my building, Grace and Amy. This was great because we already had a camaraderie and were used to eachother's French (or rather our "Frenglish"). The down side for us was that a number of our tasks involved finding strangers and asking them questions, and none of us felt especially comfortable talking to strangers, in any language. Most of my friends consider me to be friendly and outgoing, and for the most part I am, when I am in a familiar setting. I will talk until you drop if I know you well. But talking to strangers, especially if I have to take the initiative and talk first, is way, way, way out of my comfort zone. However, the old adage that there is strength in numbers is indeed true. My friends and I each took turns speaking with people, helped each other with our French, and encouraged each other. It IS easier to be brave when you know you have someone in your corner rooting for you. It IS easier to do a task when a friend comes along beside you and helps. It IS easier to persevere when you receive an occasional "well done!" My teammates and I shared the same objective and encouraged each other so that we could accomplish our tasks, even if it meant stepping outside of our comfort zones. Jesus said in Matthew 6:21 that where our treasure is, there our hearts will be also. For Christians, our treasure is Jesus. He should be the One I am most devoted to, most passionate about, and the central focus of my life. My objectives are to know, follow, and glorify Him. Am I willing to step out of my comfort zone for Jesus? Am I encouraging my brothers and sisters in Christ as they follow Him? Our team accomplished our tasks and, surprisingly, reached the coffee shop ahead of the other teams. We had time to take a few photos and visit with the other students as they arrived.

Cake! and conversation

Image via Wikipedia

The French Language School we attend is a ministry of Word of Life. In addition, Word of Life operates a number of Bible Schools, including one here at our campus. Most of the Bible School students are recent high school graduates, not much older than Josh. Last Fall when school began, each language school student was paired up with a volunteer Bible School student. We were assigned to meet for an hour a week and read outloud from the French Bible. Our students were assigned to correct our pronunciation and help us to understand what we were reading. This week was our last week of required meetings with our students because they are leaving this weekend on mission trips, then taking a two week break before beginning the summer camp season. I am blessed with a sweet and patient student who wants to continue meeting with me after she returns from her trip in order to practice conversation in French. I wanted to do something to show my gratitude and affection for her, so I made a chocolate cake for her. She loved it, and it was a great pleasure to be able to do something for her. I receive a lot of requests for my recipe, so I will post it below. I love chocolate, but I never used to enjoy chocolate cake. It just didn't taste chocolatey enough for me. I came across this cake recipe somewhere, I can't remember where, and it trumped every other recipe I had ever tried so this one is now the only chocolate cake recipe I use. The frosting recipe came from a dear friend. It's rich, so it is best eaten with coffee, but that's ok because I also love coffee.

Chocolate Cake
2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1 1/2 tsp EACH baking powder and baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup boiling water
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
1 cup milk
Heat oven to 350*. Grease and flour two round or one 13x9 inch pans. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder and soda, and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water. Pour into pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pans.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting - makes 2 cups
1/2 cup real butter, softened
2/3 cup cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
Cream butter. Add remaining ingredients and beat to spreading consistency. If it is too thick, add a small amount of milk.

Beginning a New Class

We have gotten our first week of the conversation course finished. Honestly, I'm not sure what I expected. It is very challenging. Our classes are much smaller in number and David and I are no longer in the same class, so we are "on our own". We've been married nearly twenty years, so we draw a lot of strength and confidence just from being near each other. Since July 2008 we have worked together all day, every day, and being apart even for a few hours a day is strange. It takes a lot of mental work to hear something in French, translate it in your head to English, think of an English response, then translate to French and speak it. In some ways I am improving: I am getting braver about trying to speak and trying to use new things I have learned. The downside of that is that I make a lot of mistakes. I know this is the best way to learn, but it is also the best way to embarrass yourself. So I am making a ton of mistakes and embarrassing myself repeatedly, but it's a good thing! lol. We are not allowed to speak English even during the breaks, so sometimes our breaks are really quiet. Sometimes we start out talking but then we reach a point where we don't know how to say the next thought we have so we just sort of stop talking and stare at each other.
Today we visited a church in Sawyerville. It is an English church that has just begun having a service in French three weeks ago. We were there to encourage our friends Grace and Orest as they presented their ministry in French for the first time. After the French church service, we went to the French Sunday School class, followed by the English church service and a potluck lunch. Last week we went out for dinner and a walk downtown with Orest and Grace to celebrate the end of a week of exams. We also took the kids to a favorite park of ours called Johnville Bog and Forest Park. Here are some photos from last week.

A Quick Catch-up

Ok. Learning a foreign language when you are an adult with a family to take care of and two kids still homeschooling is a WEE bit time-consuming. And where there is time, there is no energy. SO - I have neglected all of my hobbies, including my blog. We have completed the beginner and intermediate level courses as of two days ago. On Monday, we will begin the conversation course. This course is not quite as intense as the others, so I am hoping to be able to communicate better with my family and friends and maybe even deal with a few photos or do a little quilting. Here is the best rapid-fire catching-up I can give you. In August, on our way from Missouri to Québec, we spent some time with my parents and I gave her the quilt I had been working on for the last five years.


We began school the first week of September. In Canada, Thanksgiving Day is in October, so while our loved ones in the U.S. were observing Columbus Day, we were having our Thanksgiving feast with the other missionary families.

For Christmas, a couple from our church here invited us to spend the day with them. They treated us like family and we had a wonderful time. They can speak English well, but they make us practice our French as much as we can. It is a huge blessing to have friends like them here while we are far from our own families.

In January, we began the intermediate course, what our professor calls "the true French". It was quite a bit more challenging than the beginner course. God blessed us with more friends and more opportunities to practice conversing in French, which seems to be the most difficult part of learning French. Reading and listening skills came more easily.

"Spring break" for us came the first week in March, while it was definitely still winter here. We took a day and drove to Québec city, the capitol. We walked all through Old Québec and toured the parliament building. Québec is the only fortified city in North America.

After exams were over this week, six of the language school students graduated. We have developed close friendships with some of them and are very sad to see them go.

Calm and Chaos

We've been busy, busy, busy! We are still speaking to churches, groups, individuals, anyone willing to listen to us, about our ministry with MAF and what God is doing in our lives and in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where we will be serving. Language school begins soon and we'll be packing up and driving to Canada next month. We are sorting through our stuff and deciding what goes to Canada (very little, thankfully), what goes to Africa, what goes in storage, and what goes AWAY. We have been purchasing things we need and we have a dear friend who is working on planning a shower for us to help with that. We are taking care of legal stuff, insurance, paper work, tying up loose ends. Getting vaccines, helping our dog get to know her future owner, visiting friends and family. You get the idea. I always enjoy my morning cups of coffee, one with God and one with my hubby, and now that peaceful time of day before the chaos begins is even more important to me. This week for a break I scrapped another page. This is an older photo but one I had never scrapped before, and I wanted to get it done for Emily. I hope you like it. I used a kit called Pinkalicious, designed by Kristi Cakebread. You can purchase it at www.scrapbookmax.com .