Both sides of the pond

“Living in grace bridges the chasm between our longings and our inability to satisfy those longings.  We have a yearning that ultimately only God can satisfy, yet God extended grace to humanity by creating us with a desire for relationship that extends to others.” Lisa McKinn

Two weeks into my short visit to the States, I'm amazed at the gifts God has given me of friends and family who know me and love me on both sides of the Atlantic. At times I wish those two very different worlds could collide more frequently and more thoroughly, but I'm so encouraged and blessed by community in varied places as I travel and transition between continents. That truly is the grace of God to us - reminding us through the longing for more that we ultimately long for Him and yet simultaneously extending us grace through those around us reflecting His image. 

 One relationship I'm especially thankful for is that of being auntie to nieces and nephews almost everywhere I go. Samuel and Emma (below) are my sister's kids who I love - and Baby #3 is coming in September! - but God has grafted in quite a few other "nieces"and "nephews" to my little family. I love getting to hear their little stories and receive their hugs and speak into their lives, too, as their adopted aunt. God, my Heavenly Father, demonstrates to me His goodness and love and faithfulness through the privilege of being an aunt and loving His children around the world.  

"For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children." Romans 8:15-16

Day by day

"And as your days, so shall your strength be. There is none like God...who rides through the heavens to your help, through the skies in his majesty. The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms." Deuteronomy 33:25-27

A friend in Birmingham shared this verse with me yesterday, and it really resonated with me in the light of the challenges of this past year. Previously I viewed difficulties and sufferings as hurdles to jump over - just get over it as quickly as possible and then look back at how God has used it for good. But the hurdles have been too big to simply jump over this year, and there have been no quick resolutions to challenges. We are promised that our "light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory" (2 Cor 4:17), but we are not promised that we won't wander in the wilderness for 40 years in this life. Instead God promises that He will give strength for each day as He walks with us on this journey. We don't see the strength that will be provided for the entire journey at this time; we just experience the strength for today. And we are held in His everlasting arms through it all.  

I had the opportunity at the end of my time in France to go paragliding and I've thought a lot about that experience as an example of how God carries His children. Just like Peter getting out of the boat to walk on water to Jesus, in paragliding one leaves a place of relative safety (the ground) and actually runs off the edge of the mountain. And there are risks involved just as Peter could have drowned. One is at the mercy of the wind and the parachute and the pilot's skills and training, and one feels out of control being blown and tossed by the wind. Like Peter, it's easy to look at the wind and the waves and doubt the sovereign care, love, and goodness of our Savior. Through this past year, I've slid that direction several times - responding in doubt and fear to the feeling of being out of control and helpless. But occasionally, through the mercy and grace of God, like during paragliding, I've looked up and leaned back on the everlasting arms, grabbing Jesus' hand and looking at the majestic views around me. Those views didn't always look like I'd expected and were sometimes partially obscured by clouds, but they demonstrated unmistakably the strength and care of God for that day for me and for my teammates, friends, and family. And the feelings of helplessness, weakness, and being out of control were transformed into joy and thankfulness for the grace of my Savior for each moment and for eyes to see His Presence with me. 

"Safe"on the ground

 "They who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles."Isaiah 40:31

Chez moi

Well, I'm not exactly sure where "chez moi"(my home) is these days, but I know that being in Nashville with my family comes pretty close! What a joyous welcome home - especially appreciated as I arrived home a day later than planned due to a flight cancellation in Newark! Enjoying home cooked meals, favorite restaurants, and, most of all, quality time with my family. Just missing my sister and brother-in-law Lauren and Wei Chi, but excited to see them soon, too.

As my teammate Rachel beautifully expressed in her blog post this week - I highly recommend it to you (click here) - our year in France was significantly harder than we dreamed, though also full of grace and the Presence of God. But that makes these four weeks of visiting with family and friends (and communicating much more effectively in English!) that much more longed for and crucial to providing recovery and rest before beginning the new challenges ahead in Burundi. We appreciate your prayers that all of us will be encouraged and restored during this last month of preparation before finally landing in Burundi.

La Fin de L'École Française

Ten months of French language school. Check. Final exams. Done (and thankfully passed). Graduation ceremony. Tonight. (6th time to "graduate" - maybe I'll finally finish school one of these days!) Packing and goodbyes. Do I have to? :) 

One week remains of my time in France - squeezing in lots of bread, cheese, and pastries in addition to hikes, runs, and bike rides (good combination, right?). Looking back, looking ahead. Entering the chaos of transition again even as I attempt to savor the moments and make the most of these last opportunities in France. These pics from the last couple weeks illustrate this process: 

While I wasn't particularly excited to be living in a dorm room again at the beginning of the year, the art work from my many small friends have made room 14 feel like home. 

 We celebrated the end of exams on Friday with a pizza party. French pizza is actually quite good - especially when you remember that pizza in Burundi will require making it completely from scratch! The interesting thing about French pizza is that it usually has olives on top with pits and they often add egg as a pizza topping. 

 We were all recruited for the choir for the graduation tonight (which Rachel graciously directed). Here we are at our final practice. While singing is not my strong point, it actually does help with French pronunciation. 

 We enjoyed a beautiful day Sunday for a last Ultimate Frisbee and soccer game. 

Several of us participated in a parapenting adventure over Lake Annecy - gorgeous!

 Our church in Albertville participated in the city's annual "Fête de la Musique". The kids enjoyed the music, too! Below are some folk dancers from "autrefois"in the region (the olden days). 

 Rachel and I enjoyed a hike to the waterfall above Conflans (nearby medieval village)

Church tower in Conflans

I will definitely miss this scenery! 

So thankful for the opportunities God has provided this year - for personal growth in addition to significant language learning. Looking forward to the adventures ahead in our first year in Burundi!