NTM - New Tribes Mission | Planting Tribal Churches

This picture of Flooding reminds us of how we feel about learning a NEW language

So, we have wrapped up 1/2 of our first semester in French Study.  We had an oral and a written test to see how we have done.  We are so thankful to be able to study at the Language school at Parole De Vie Bethel.  Michel Roby, our  French teacher, is incredibly patient with us and is a wonderful teacher.  He has been teaching French at the school for 22 years if memory serves me well.

So…how is it going?  Well, it seems the answer we give to this question depends on what day you ask us this question, or more accurately after what “conversation” or attempted communication.  When we go to the grocery store and ask for help and get what we asked for, we feel great.  When we listen to a sermon at church and feel like we understood some of what was said we feel like it is going great.  When we come away from trying to communicate with someone and they have just looked at us like…what did you just try to say?  Well, the report is not so good.  The journey of learning a new language is a long one fraught with lots of failures and embarrassing moments.  A lesson in humility anyone?’

Please Pray:

• For Jenny and I as we are in classes that we would make the most of our French Classes.
• For our children as they are in school and with friends that they will learn French
• For us all to be brave in using our FRENCH.  We need to use it in order to improve
• For us to manage our time well and make the most of our time here in Quebec
• That we would be a blessing at Axe21 (Focus 21) church plant that we are blessed to be a part of here in Sherbrooke
• For each one in our family’s relationship with the Lord.  That we would focus on Him during this challenging time.

A view of Sherbrooke on a Fall Day

First of all, just wanna comment on how beautiful the city of Sherbrooke is.  We are so blessed to be living here during our time of French study.  The fall colors have been incredible so far.  We have already had some snow flurries, so I suppose it is promising to be a long winter.

50 minutes a day driving the twins to and from daycare & going to and from campus

So, what does our day look like.  The picture above is a part of our day we would love to shorten, but we haven’t determined yet how to teleport ourselves where we need to be.

Jenny reading with the twins on the couch

James and Jada playing "uno" in their room

A typical day/week looks like this

• Breakfast and getting kids school lunches ready
• Eat Breakfast
• Drive Emmanuel and Elena to the Parole De Vie Campus where one of us waits with them for the bus.
• Drive James and Jada to their daycare/pre-school
• Drive back to the Parole De Vie Campus for classes which start at 8:45 AM
• Classes are until 11:50 each day, except Wednesday. (Wednesday we start Chapel at 8:30 AM and have a Bible Vocabulary Workshop from 1:30-2:20)
• After classes are out we drive to pickup the twins from daycare
• Lunch
• Homework which consists of several things 1 hr Rosetta Stone, 1 hr French Media (Radio, TV etc).  During out drive time we listen to the radio for our media time.
• We have some weekly homework items that we fit in throughout the week.
  • Scripture verse memory in French
  • 60 minutes of Bible reading in French with a Bible school student.  This involves 3 trips to campus per week
  • 10 5 minute conversations in French (this starts this next week)
  • I think it is 50 minutes of French Reading (this starts this next week)
• Drive to campus to pickup Emmanuel and Elena from the Bus
• Work on the kids homework with them
• Dinner

Difference:  So as we learn a new language there are things called False Friends.  These are words that you hear and think you know what they mean…but they mean something VERY different.

French: Demande = to request or to ask for.  This one really gets me.  The other day I was in the grocery store asking and wanted something.  One of the people working in the store pointed to a manager and said Demande……from him.  I was thinking…I just wanted to ask if you had any of the 10 kilo bags of flower, I don’t want to demand anything from you.

We are so excited about some doors that God has openned for us during our time here in Quebec.  We visited Rock Forest Church here in Quebec.  On our first Sunday there we found out the Rock Forest Church was launching out a Church plant called Axe 21.  Just a note on the name, don’t do like I did, assuming Axe, was the French way of spelling the book of Acts.  I was actually quite curious about what was in Acts chapter 21.  I was visiting with the Pastor of Rock Forest Church after the service and mentioned about it being Axe (which I thought meant the Book of Acts) 21.  He said, there is no book called Axe in the French Bible, if you have one in yours, you are probably at the wrong Church.   Language blunder #1.  Assuming I knew what it meant without any real reason except that it sounded the same as the english word.  I guess english is not the language by which all other languages are measured after all.  So, to my best understanding the english version of the church name is Focus 21.  Axe 21 is part of the Acts29 network and will be the first Acts 29 Network church plant in Quebec.  One of our sending churches, Mercy Hill Lake Country, is part of the Acts 29 Network.  You can click here to see a youtube video, in english, about the AXE 21 church plant.  The Church website, which is all in French, is axe21.org .  You can read the Church profile, in english, on the Acts29 network website by clicking here.

Last Sunday was the first Sunday they met, and Jenny and I were priviledged to be there for their first service.  Jenny helped out in the children’s ministry and I was able to pick up a few words from the Sermon, since it of course was all in French.  I will post some pics and some short video clips of the worship.  You may well recognize the tune, but probably not the words.

Please pray for our family that we would be a blessing to the AXE 21 church plant and that God would use the churches in Quebec to see many come to know Him as savior.  Please pray with us for Sherbrooke and for Quebec.

Over in the Children's church the kids all had beautiful face painting done.

The series we are in pre-launch. Truth, the lies we believe and the truth we do not believe. ( my best translation)

Hallway entering the Granada Theatre where we meet for services

Inside where the service is held. Tables are setup with chairs around them

It is hard to believe, but as we begin our French Study here in Quebec it is back to kindergarten for us. One of our “textbooks” is for ages 5 to 7 years old. We really can’t read well yet, but we will start having reading assignments in October sometime. So dissappointing to be illiterate again. It is like we are little babies walking around in adult bodies. I definitely feel that way when I try to use the French I have been learning. I get this sort of look that says, you are a grown man, why are you talking like a baby and what are you saying anyhow.
We thought you would enjoy some pics of our “reading” material that we can start in October sometime and the short video clip of doing exercises to learn our alphabet and numbers.

Reading material for October

Book for ages 5-7

We had a long but good ride from Wisconsin to Quebec.  I thought you might enjoy some of our pictures from the road trip etc.  Ou plan is to share with you a few of the differences we are noticing as we get settled in.  Stay tuned for further posts about this new chapter.

Pleas Pray for us as we adjust to these differences.  It can be quite challenging for our whole family.  There is just a generally extended stress level when dealing with all of the changes.

Enjoy the pictures.  More to follow along with some commentary on the differences.   Au revoir for now!

air ride notice in multiple languages ???

We were driving down the road and I noticed this air ride notice on the side of a truck that was passing us…hmmm, we are not in kansas anymore.

Being on the road can be so tiring, but don't let the coloring book drop whatever you do

We brought along some extremely serious help for the drive up

Food and getting the wiggles out

Playland ooooh yea

James cruising the play-land

On the move after a delicious dinner

Taking turns in the truck with Grandpa Steve

Hmmm, I wonder what country that picture was taken in?

Our New Home

So had a long day today departing at 4:20 AM and arriving in London at around 10 PM Central time.  We are here though and looking at another long day of driving tomorrow.  We made it through Chicago without having to actually stop.

We completed our immigration and customs paperwork without really a hitch, so that was awesome.

Please pray for us as we have another 10 hours of driving, and who knows how long including stops tomorrow.

Thank you so much for praying with us for the paperwork needed to move forward with French Study this fall in Canada.

We have received the paperwork we were waiting for in the mail.  Praise the Lord.  Thank you so much for praying with us about our paperwork for our move to Canada.  We have our truck reserved for moving our stuff and our house is starting to come apart piece by piece and be put into boxes or taken off to Lake Country Caring, listed on Craigslist, or given away to friends.

Please pray for us:

- Packing up the rest of our things
- Transitioning as a family

Please pray for our family as we transition first to the “idea” that we are going to be moving again in 5 weeks.

Please pray for us to depend on HIM as we go through this transition as a family.  Our hearts desire is that we would love on and support each other through this process, but the reality is quite different, hence the need for prayer.  Thank you so much for your willingness to stand with us in prayer as we prepare, pack, clean, say goodbyes, move, move-in, say goodbyes, enter a new language and culture, make new friends, the kids start school etc.

Accepted!

We are happy to share what we have been up to lately! We’ve shared a couple birthdays together; received acceptance to the French study program in Quebec (the next stop on our journey to Senegal, West Africa; the kid’s have improved by leaps & bounds in their home school studies; and…

We have been working feverishly on our paperwork to move to Canada.   We mailed in our paperwork on Monday, May 10–express mail and the longest addresses I think I have ever written in my life.   I prepared envelopes to mail our applications separately, when I arrived at the post office I found out it would be best to send all the papers going to the same address in an express mail envelope….so I got to write the address yet again for the Express Mail label.  Then, I learned that in order to mail the paperwork to Canada a customs form needed to be filled out with the address as well.  Life has its challenges, but hey, it is in the mail!

We have followed our paper work and see that it has arrived safely & soundly. Pray with us as they process our application that we would all receive our Certificate of Acceptance to Quebec (Both of us & the two kids who will be in public school need these CAQs)!

Great news! Two of our applications have been processed: mine needs a letter that was lacking some specific detail, and Jenny’s  CAQ was granted!!

Spread out all your stuff and try to work through the details

Winter clothes………check
Kids’ schoolbooks….check
Bedding from OK…..check
Legos………………….check
Playdo………………..check
More Toys…………..check
Bins from MO……….check
Four little bikes…….check
Blankies & lovies…..check
Six toothbrushes…..check
And more stuff……..check

packed for departure

Assorted baggage

Yep, we’re packed to the eyeballs and ready to roll! We’re pulling out of North Carolina this Monday morning and making our way to Wisconsin! We enjoyed God’s blessing of family and church family while here in North Carolina and I was able to finish my Linguistic Write-Up paper with lots of support from family and lots of prayers from the Body of Christ! The mountains are especially beautiful this time of year, but they are made most beautiful by family. We will miss Mom and Dad and are so thankful for their love and support! We Love you, Mom and Dad!

We need and appreciate continued prayers from all as we travel the 736 miles to Wisconsin with our 4 kiddos and 2 carloads of stuff: that means the 2 drivers don’t get any breaks…. Pray especially in the afternoon–the body thinks that’s siesta hour!

Our friends Julie and Keith have offered a chance for a visit and a rest–a much needed rest to the tired drivers by spreading our trip over two days. We are so grateful that  they have welcomed us to visit them in Kentucky on our way home! It will be so very good to see them again and see their new little one!

We look forward to seeing our beloved family and friends in Wisconsin again! We’ll be arriving on Tuesday, staying with friends in North Prarie and preparing to move into our new home on Saturday!

Thank you, Lord for gracious caring friends who care for our needs, even unanticipated ones! Praise Him with us for:

• a place to stay and rest on the way
• a place to stay while we settle in
• cars in good running condition
• kids who travel well
• family’s love and care while here in NC
• my ears have been med-free for 1 week and doing great!

Pray with us for:

• safety and alertness on the road as we both drive
• loving kindness between the kiddos
• patience with the kiddos
• missing family and friends we’re leaving behind…again
• health and energy for the next few days, weeks of moving in & unpacking