La semaine ADN (Annonce De la bonne Nouvelle)

What did we actually do during our week of outreach?

SA. 27/6
First team meeting (PM)
Settling into church lodgings, evening off (late PM)

SU. 28/6
Breakfast at church lodgings (AM)
Bible study & training for outreach at GBU office headquarters
[at rue Serpente nr. St-Michel metro]
[including overview of different religions & worldviews]
Lunch out near the Ile de la Cité
More training & dinner (PM)

MO. 29/6 => FR. 3/7
Breakfast (AM)

Opening in prayer; singing (in French) of older SIS choruses
- wow, that took me back to the early '90s!!

Bible study & prayer

Allocation of teams to be running Bible-stands outside Paris university campuses

More prayer (yay!!) in allocated teams

Collect lunch & leave for universities in teams


Teams arrive outside university entrance gates AND>

> Set up Bible-stands with:
Bibles in French, Arabic & English; invitation slips for nightly evangelistic events; sign-up forms for any interested students wanting to join the GBU Bible-study groups closest to their campuses; tracts explaining Christ & Christianity; survey on who contacted students thought Jesus was (with range of responses to be selected according to student beliefs)

>> Approach those near or passing by, attempting to
a) hand them invitations to our events
b) find out what they knew/thought of Jesus, using survey
c) share the good news of Jesus with them

>>> Where permitted, enter into university campus grounds & repeat previous step (>>)
This step was how I met & could talk to the native-French atheist (see relevant previous post).


Finish Bible-stands, pack up everything & return to GBU office (PM)

Free time
(ending by returning to church lodgings)
Many of the team slept (esp. Jonty*, who always seemed so tired that his sleepiness became a running gag for the team, particularly when Avi* had anything to say about it!!). Others did personal devotions/QTs, or prepared for evening activities. Matthew* went & did the mad Polish tourist thing, pursuing the Eiffel Tower & other sites touristiques. As for me, I have no idea where my time went each afternoon!! (Only I knew I wouldn't sleep.)


Preparation for dinner => Recap of Bible-stand happenings
(at church lodgings)

> All team members together sharing & praying about anyone they'd met who they were able to engage in conversation, or who had picked up tracts, Bibles, etc.

Dinner, then clean-up (faire la vaisselle)

Return to GBU office to set up & be ready for evening events.

Run evening events; tidy up afterwards; go back to church lodgings & sleep (late PM).

SA. 4/7
Breakfast (AM)
Final Bible-study together, evaluation, wrap-up.
Clean-up & farewells.
________________

Next post, I'm hoping to talk a little more about the Bible-stands I was involved in throughout the week.

By then, I may be in HK with my father - I fly out around 2115 hours tomorrow (that's Sydney time).

L/T.

Mesage d'un équipier

{Went to Lord's cricket ground today, recommended if you don't think £14 is too much for an hour-long tour.

Next post - recap of outreach week activities..(hopefully)?}

{Speaking of our outreach week - again..}


Avi*, one of our native French team members (équipiers) sent this message through to myself, Liat*, Asher*, Jonty*, Jonah* & Matthew*:

Chers amis.. .. ..c'était une grande joie de passer une semaine plein de grâce et de communion fraternelle à Paris. Je salue en outre votre zèle pour la cause du Royaume de Dieu manifesté en Jésus-Christ notre Seigneur et Sauveur. A Lui soit la gloire!
Franchement, je me suis fais beaucoup du bien en ayant votre compagnie et je garde un très bon souvenir particulier pour chacun de vous. Haaa.. mes amis j'ai vraiment réalisé une fois de plus cette belle phrase de Psaumes 133 " Qu'il est beau pour les frères (et soeurs) de demeurer ensemble, ..." Encourageons nous donc à persévérer dans la foi et dans le témoignage de l'évangile, en attendant ce grand retour du Seigneur Jésus qui nous prendra avec lui pour toujours. Amen!
Je sais que mes amis de Paris vous l'ont déjà dis, mais je le répète une fois de plus merci pour votre participation à la semaine ADN de Paris cette année.

Dieu soit avec vous!


TRANSLATION (approx.) of what Avi said:
"Dear friends..it was a great joy to spend a full week of grace/thanksgiving & brotherly fellowship in Paris [with you all].. ..Your zeal for the cause of God's Kingdom manifested in Jesus Christ our Lord & Saviour was welcomed. To Him be the glory!

"Frankly, it did me much good having your company & I keep a very good memory particularly for each one of you. My friends, I have truly realised once more that beautiful line of PSA. 133, 'How beautiful it is when brothers (& sisters) live together [in peace]'. Let us encourage each other to persevere in faith & witness to the gospel as we await the great return of our Lord Jesus who will take us to be with Himself forever. Amen!..

"..I say one more thank you for your participation in this outreach week [lit. week of announcing the good news] this year.

"May God be with you!"

________________

:D

Looks like Avi got just as much out of our mission as I did!

L/T.


P.S. Family, am now in my London hotel, room 114 if you feel the need to call. We are 9 hours behind you.

+44 (0)20 7242 2828

(Park Inn)

Le top dix (10)

10 things I loved about mission

#1. Being compelled to step out of my comfort zone & attempt deep conversations about the Lord Jesus with complete strangers in their mother tongue (but my 2nd language).

#2. The high value the team had for prayer - & the difficulties of praying to God in French!!

#3. God graciously honouring our dependence on Him through the prayers we prayed in our morning Bible studies & pre-dinner sharing.

#4. Being part of a team of many..
..nations (Australia, DR Congo, France, Guadeloupe, South Korea, Switzerland, Madagascar, the Netherlands (no longer called Holland), Poland, United Kingdom) AND..
..languages (Dutch, English, French, Korean, Polish) - a shadow-snapshot of the great multitude from the book of Revelation & the reversal of the Genesis curse on the Babel builders. It was COOL.

#5. Breakfasts (petit déj.), where with the exception of Avi* & Asher* (them 2 being ever bright-eyed & bushy-tailed), our brothers always looked as if someone had dragged them out of bed & propped them upright in their chairs. Without opening their eyes or brushing their hair. Avi, of course, made the most of their inalertness..!

#6. Walking back to the metro with Liat* after the team's final evangelistic soirée & sharing her evident joy at the salvation of the lost.

#7. The boys singing the famous tenor aria "Nessun dorma" as they got ready to leave for Bible stand set-up at the universities. (One of Asher, Dovi* or Jonty* started it; it then snowballed, to much amusement!!)

#8. Listening to Miriam*, who'd come straight out of high-school, sharing about how she wanted to find out ways to serve God during & after her upcoming veterinary science studies.

#9. Realising that serving on the overseas harvest field is still possible for me in the future.

#10. Knowing that God had opened doors for us to sow the seed of His Word in the hearts of the unbelieving students we connected with, & that He had accomplished everything for us during mission week.
________________

Today went to Natural History Museum {followed by trot through Hyde Pk. & Serpentine lake - so many different duck (& geese) species that my friend Lucy Chik would have been in poultry heaven, past Buckingham Palace, through St. James' Pk. & then to the National Gallery}.

Spent nearly 5 hours at the 1st museum (nat. hist.)., reflecting on the displays of God's power & wonder in creation - looking at & reading about the Earth, its vertebrate sea-creatures, its delicately poised ecosystems, minerals, rocks, volcanoes & earthquakes. And yet there is also a big section on the theory of evolution, how we descended from the apes, blah, blah, etc. I didn't want to look at it too hard in case it made me too angry!

Creation has such complexity, shows such creativity, balance, delicacy..

..& all because of He who made not only the earth but the heavens.
Still I felt widespread rejection of His existence in the way the displays had been organised. How can humanity show in a museum the might & awe of created things/forces & ignore the fact that God rules over it all..controls it all..has made Jesus Lord of it all?
________________

Next up - Lord's, the home of cricket?

L/T.

Je rends grâces pour PARIS

I have come to realise that the 1st week I spent in Paris was one of the best weeks of my life.

Not because I really loved, or even liked the city itself
- I honestly think that Sydney's version is wider, cleaner (excepting Chinatown) & prettier.

Yet from Sat. 27/06 to Sat. 04/07, I had such a great week.

A great week because it was full of challenging experiences that pushed myself & my team towards entrusting all we did to our heavenly Father.

A great week because it was a privilege to see God actively at work in our weak & feeble attempts to offer the good news of our risen Saviour & LORD Jesus.

A great week because unlike so many others in the past 15 months, I barely ever cried for sorrow - it was so distant from me, for the first time in a long time.

A great week because I learned that in spite of my many faults & failings, God was pleased to make me useful for the sake of His Name in a foreign-language & cross-cultural context.
..Feels like I'm somewhere on the might-you-become-missionary spectrum between the Wait and the Yes extreme (as opposed to being between the Wait and the No extreme, or merely sitting on Wait).

Therefore I thank God that I could go to Paris.
________________

And for my team - je rends grâces pour mon équipe:

Asher* (GBR)
..whose testimony of coming to Christ later but giving himself up for the truth much earlier fuelled his trailblazing, yet respectful, attitude to walk-ups..

Avi* (DRC)
..who brought us mirth and laughter even as he made us the targets of his antics..

Dovi* (FRA) & Jonah* (NED)
..who sang & played, persevered in difficult walk-ups & prayed, showed spirit & were staid; I will not forget the kindness of Jonah when he unwittingly took my place in a tricky situation in one of our evening activities, thus providing me with a much-needed escape route!!

Jonty* (AUS)
..who was so classically like my Australian brothers that I was never, ever homesick - & moreover proved himself loyal in helping lug my baggage not just to the station, but the airport too - such a great help..like his eldest brother whom I knew well during my EU days!!

Kade* ## (GBR)
..who led us with gentleness, wisdom, humility, patience & forbearance - and all in French less advanced than mine..

Matthew* (POL)
..whose willingness to proclaim Christ strongly overrode his struggles to communicate it in not his 2nd, but his 3rd language..

Claudia* ## (FRA)
..who cared & prayed more than many of the others, who showed so acutely the heartfelt love of Christ, & whose fellowship, along with Jonty's, I continued to enjoy even after our mission week was over..

Esther*(SWI), Hannah*(FRA), Nadia*(MAD) & Sophie*(GUA)
..who plodded on in outreach even when the going felt tough..

Liat* (GBR)
..a shepherdess after my own heart, who was passionate about helping find lost sheep..

Mia* ## (KOR/FRA)
..open, considerate, courageous & bold in approaching so many students throughout the week..

Miriam* (FRA)
..who, just like Matthew, & just as tender in years, flung herself with dogged determination out on the evangelism limb, seeking to know so much earlier in life than me what God might do with her skills & talents..

.. ..I am so thankful & blessed to have known them & worked alongside them in taking la bonne nouvelle de Christ to the students of Paris.

So thankful.

So blessed.
________________

But Paris is behind me now - I left with regret this morning. If God wills it, I'd love to be back doing more outreach soon.

I am now in London with the Lu ladies, Jenn & B'lu. Walked down the river from Big Ben until Tower Bridge, then crossed over & walked other way. Cleaner than Paris, more like Sydney - but if God made it clear He wanted me not in beautiful Sydney or prettyish London but in slightly more overrated Paris, of course I would go..

..Wouldn't I..?

Haven't had real time to be still & reflect about it all yet. Hope to, very soon.

Love to all,

L/T.

MISSion

I MISS being around my team!

Most likely it's because overnight I went from staying with 3 other girls in one room, breakfasting with them and 5 of the boys as well, and doing almost everything else with various combinations of them & everyone else on team!

And now, while it's incredibly convenient to be running (or, in my case, walking briskly) around Paris - & I've covered a lot of ground - it's also very weird to be flying solo. I think I understand what Jonty*, my Aussie brother, was talking about when he mentioned the isolation-loneliness issues!

Today, the highlight was climbing around 300 steps up inside the dome of the Sacre-Coeur Basilica in Montmartre. Actually the real highlight was getting near the top & seeing Paris spread out across the horizon, with most (if not all) major landmarks in view. It was a partly cloudy & not-too-hot day, & the view was pretty clear. Plus, it had cost me less to see Paris from high up (5 euros = AUD$10) than it would have done to see Sydney from the Harbour Br. or Centrepoint!!

I wanted to stay up there all day, but since I'd spent a while trotting around the St-Ouen flea-markets just for the heck of it, I needed to get down and hunt sepulchres in the Montmartre cemetery. Walked around & around looking for graves of composers Adam, Delibes, Dumas, Offenbach..& dancer Nijinsky. After a long time, had found only Offenbach (& because he wrote ballet music I curtseyed to his tombstone). Then, after more fruitless searching, a bit of rain started, so I gave up & headed for the metro.

From the metro I caught a train to find Canal St. Martin. It was COOL. (Or "mental", as my English mission friends Liat* or Asher* would have said.)

A real canal!
With working locks!
And I got to see the locks in motion!
FREE of charge!!

Then I pitched the idea of the Edith Piaf museum (since I realised it was closed), & also gave up on Pere Lachaise cemetery (because it would take so long to find tombstones of composers or dancers I'd have wanted to see). Caught another metro across to the Bastille/Marais area of Paris. But did not bother seeing the Bastille itself. Did, however, bother to wander down into the Jewish quarter in rue des Rosiers. Fascinating - similar elegant food outlets, patisseries, etc., and all kosher! Had fun surprising shopkeepers I bought little foodstuffs from by thanking them in Hebrew ("toda", or "toda-rabah" if really thankful).

A few more blocks brought me to some nice fountains at the Hotel de Ville, across the river from the Notre-Dame cathedral.

I walked past both, and was subsequently even less impressed with the exteriors & artwork of the cathedral than I was with Sacre-Coeur. So many statues of apostles, saints, the Virgin Mary and of course Jesus.
And for what?

Even though the view from Sacre-Coeur in Montmartre had been so beautiful, the building itself, esp. interior, really made my evangelical Bible-based blood BOIL. All this "write-a-prayer-to-a-saint-and you-can-be-sure-God-will-hear-it" trash.. .. ..Anyone could know from reading Scriptures properly that we don't need saints/apostles/Virgin Mary to pray for us!!

All we'll ever need is to pray to God ourselves, approaching His throne of grace with confidence by the blood of Jesus.

But I digress. Other sites visited yesterday (by combination of walking, then metro when my legs grew tired) included:

Arc de Triomphe
Jardin de Tuileries
Louvre Carrousel
Place de la Concorde

My hotel, the Littre, is rather nice; if another opportunity arises to return to Paris in future, I may stay again. The pure French breakfast foods on the buffet are great; they have the best jams I've ever tasted!! No Nutella, which surprises me; Nutella is everywhere, in restaurants, cafes, on common takeaway stands & the humble home breakfast table (judging by our team breakfasts last week during mission).

Team?
Speaking of team, probably the first person I miss, for pure hysterical value, is Avi*.


Avi comes from a huge family living in the DR Congo (official language French), & displayed a cheeky sense of humour throughout mission week. Though lively & full of fun, he was also very understanding with us international members (foreigners) on team when we didn't understand what was said, or when we struggled to express ourselves in French. He was called back to Orleans an afternoon before the week ended, & things were a lot quieter without his unique input!!

I also really miss Liat*, the only English girl on team.


She's the one with the blue jumper draped over one shoulder (well, obviously, the only girl in this shot) - that's Jonty* behind (with the frisbee on his head) & Matthew* in the foreground.

After our final evangelistic evening-activity, I found Liat crying - because one of the students who'd accepted our invitations during the week (a Mexican whom Jonty hopes to follow up), had expressed a desire to become Christian. Liat's response to this was so like mine in that respect. She was also really kind, & really driven for the sake of the gospel. Which is fantastic, seeing she works for the English version of IFES under the guidance of Asher*.


An English-born Leedsman whose mother was French, Asher is depicted here taking care of a volleyball while talking with Jonah* of the Netherlands.

Asher, by the way, is one of those brilliant types - the ones who studied law at UK university. Highly intelligent with a wry sense of humour. On the last night of mission he went on a quest for a not-ruinously-expensive beer (but failed), taking Jonty, myself & some others with him. The other team members were so exhausted (well, OK, it was one-thirty in the morning!) that when we passed by our church lodgings in rue de Sevres they turned aside & went to bed.

The three of us, accompanied by two rather clingy young Asian students (who'd been with us for the evangelistic event), continued down the street. Down another street, too. Eventually we found an Italian chain place willing to serve the single beer that Asher & Jonty were looking for - though sadly, what they each ordered came to around 7 euros. They sat and talked at length about music, & I practised my listening skills and said very little.
(Try not to be too surprised! Hopefully these aural skills will be much improved if I ever return to Australia.)
Once we'd left - and they'd only had one drink each so they were quite sober in case you wondered - and we'd sent the Asian kids home (they were only 1st-year students after all), Asher and Jonty sang most of the way back to our lodgings. Which brings Avi back into the equation, because they, and Avi, and native French staffworker/"stagiaire" Dovi*, were almost always singing, or playing music - & mainly the classical kind!! Jonah* (of the Netherlands), would sometimes join them, and possibly the little Pole Matthew* as well.

I'll close by talking about Matthew*, as well as Korean-French team-leader Mia*. Matthew was so funny and awkward.. .. ..


Barely eighteen, just finished school, trying to speak French & English as well as Polish. He reminded me of my Cranbrook & St. Andrew's students as they are now - still a little boy but trying hard to be grown up. (Guessed my age as being 22, which certainly sounds better than being 31.) Yet, this kid is so far ahead of me - putting himself out to share the gospel through walk-up evangelism - & in French, too - his weakest language!!

And now on to Mia*:


As with Liat, I discovered Mia & myself had more than a bit in common. Asian background, but grown up in Western country. Broken family. Early thirties. Due to stuff at home this year, I have not been very fond of people of Korean descent thus far - but Mia is an outstanding exception. Like Avi, she was always so supportive & helpful, ever willing to clarify when help was needed. She is, in fact, a very good reason to return to Paris in the future - that's how much I liked her!!

Hope to post again before heading for the UK, but we shall see!

L/T.


P.S. To my FAMILY - if you urgently need or want to get in touch, I am in room 403 at the Littre until Wednesday morning (4PM Sydney time).

Best time to call is 6AM Sydney time, which is 10PM previous night in Paris time - I'm in my room by then. Last night at Littre will be Tue. 7th; will be in airport hotel by evening of Wed. 8th.

How did the B1 interview go?

Much love,
B2.

Mission - accomplie?

This morning (Saturday/samedi) we had our wrap-up before the team members went separate ways.

Non-Christians (students & some others) we met throughout the week included:

Agnostics
- whose belief in the existence of God ranged from "probably" to "definitely", but didn't think it made a difference

Atheists
- some open (like the girl I met), some hostile or resistant

Contacts
- students who signed up to join Bible study groups on their local campuses - even though not Christian!!

Freebie-fans
- who took free gospels (ie. books of MT., MK., LK. or JN.), or free New Testaments with Psalms, or even sometimes complete Bibles to read!
Please would you pray that they'll read what they took, & that, AS they read, God's Spirit will change their hearts.

Muslims
- who were generally happy to discuss religion, though some tried to evangelise our team members themselves, & argued a lot for their own faith..

Others
- when our French team members spoke about people they'd met, there were many cases where I just did not understand what they were talking about at all!
Please pray with us that, wherever these people were up to in their thinking (since I personally had no idea), God might guide them into all truth through further contact with His Word & His people.

Seekers
- who really did want to know the truth!
Pray for their assurance of salvation, that they'll be led into the Kingdom.

The other Aussie on team (Jonty*) hopes to meet with one of these enthusiastic seekers, since they're both staying on in Paris for at least a month. Please pray for effective, God honouring meetings - this young Aussie brother has been finding living alone in Paris a tad difficult because it's a new experience for him (he's from a family of 7 children, never alone before)!

Please pray generally for everyone we met (as detailed above) who does not yet know Jesus as Lord & Saviour. For God's mercy, that they might not perish without responding to Him the way He deserves - through faith in Jesus, and Jesus alone!


MISSION - ACCOMPLISHED?
We came together in Paris for a week (semaine) of telling the good news (annonce de la bonne nouvelle) - about our Lord & Saviour Jesus.

Did we succeed?

By God's grace, it seems like we did.

Because each of us had opportunities to tell the people we met about God's saving work in Jesus. Opportunities given, of course, by God - because no-one wants the salvation of humanity quite as much as He does! He was so gracious & merciful in opening doors for His message, & in some cases, hearts as well. So kind & good in answering so many of our prayers about those we met. So generous in all that He provided for us. Many thanks need to be given to Him - esp. for His love & grace to us on team & to those we met this week.

So I guess we can say, yes, mission accomplished. And yet, as a new song I learned this year goes:

"There is still more work to do.."

Thank you so much to all you lovely people who have upheld us in prayer.

Has this week changed my life?

Hopefully, even more than I will ever know this side of eternity.

Personal reflections about me and God forthcoming.. ..

I plan to follow up, very soon, with some lighter anecdotes about my fellow team members. Even now I'm still grinning at their antics. I'd love to share about them with you. I'll miss a few of them very much indeed, because we live on such far-flung continents! I feel like I want to come back to Europe & visit them.

But as God wills it.

One thing I know for sure.. ..


Seek the LORD while he may be found;
call on him while he is near.

Let the wicked forsake his way
and the evil man his thoughts.
Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,"
declares the LORD.

"As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.

As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
so is my word that goes out from my mouth:

It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

ISAIAH chapter 55, verses 6-11.

Une CONVERSATION: fille athéiste

This morning, as with the last two, our team split into groups of 3 or 4, heading for several different universities around Paris. There we set up our Bible stands before walking around trying to talk to people/invite them along to our evening events/both.

My little group, with Polish teenager Matthew* and Korean-French stagiaire Mia* as well as myself, were at Cité Universitaire. I had but one conversation - yet a definite point for prayer:

I met one student, native French, who was sunbaking on the grass but quite happy to talk to me. I think we must have conversed (in French) for at least an hour! She said she was an atheist, but had a good number of comments & questions to ask. We talked about the existence & actions of God, the Bible, suffering, poverty, life, quite deep issues really. I did not wave Deux Façons de Vivre (ie. 2 Ways to Live) at her, although by God's grace & kindness, He enabled me to talk a little about most of the issues raised in boxes 1-5 of that tract.

PRAISE God
^for the conversation;
^for her openness in discussion;
^for His work in me His unworthy servant;
^for His answers to such prayers as we've prayed this week!
I am really thankful for that opportunity to converse for so long - 1st time, in fact, that I've experienced that level of discussion! (And yes, in case you wondered, she did pretty much an equal share of the talking, thanks be to God!)

Please would you PRAY
^for the salvation of this girl;
^that God will continue to work in her heart;
^that she will think about the Biblical truths raised in our discussion;
^that she remain open to Biblical ideas, even if she doesn't personally agree with them (which, of course, she didn't - that's why you're reading this!)

Please continue in prayer for the unity of the team. Sometimes it feels like a few of the native-speakers (even 1 or 2 of the stagiaires, shock, horror!) keep to themselves a bit much, in that they spend lots of time chatting to each other - not so bad, really, except that we foreign members of the team can have difficulty attending since
(a) they're not really addressing their comments to us
(b) they're not talking slow enough for us to understand anyway.
(I'm sure they don't mean to do this, it's not deliberate; but it's starting to rankle just a TINY little bit.)

We can also be thankful for the steady trickle of non-Christians connecting with the team this week, in our evening activities so far. Pray for God's name to be honoured & glorified in our witness to them - AND in our relationships with one another within the team!

Love to all & thanks for your partnership in prayer,
L/T.

Je suis arrivée!

Esp. to family, yes - am safely installed in the 6th arrondissement of Paris. Arrived, no hassles or glitches. Everything happened very smoothly, with every flight on time; all is well with soul, with physical safety, etc. God has been very gracious in these small things!

I met the other members of the team on Saturday; after preliminary bonding, etc., a group of us went for a walk in the area during the evening. First sight of the Eiffel Tower! Unfortunately even though it was close to "lights-on" time, we did not get to see the tower illuminated. Perhaps later in the week.

The team:
Hooray! I'm not the only Australian, after all! There is one other Aussie, Jonty* who like me is from Sydney's North Shore. But unlike me, he plans to stick around until Christmas.

*EDIT: Have added pseudonyms, all Jewish names, marked with an asterisk to introduce my team members. Have chosen pseudonyms close to their actual names. Sometimes. Now, the only reason for this is to protect the innocent - lovely though they were, they don't know I'm posting about them!!*

Team leader (head honcho of the three) - Kade*:


Of our 3 team leaders, Kade, the 1st, is from England. Born Oxford, grew up in London, works with IFES. (The way he's been captured in the above shot shows, I think, how he led us all week - in candid humility.) The 2nd, Mia* is from South Korea & the 3rd, Claudia* is Parisian French - both are "stagiaires Relais" for the GBU (SUEU people, think Howies; CBS or other, think university MTS trainees, etc.).

There are other stagiaires on team as well - 2 girls from GBU Strasbourg (Sophie* & Esther*, the latter from Switzerland), 1 guy from GBU Orléans (Avi*), for example. Other non-French Christians, too - like 1 guy from Poland (Matthew*), 1 from the Netherlands (Jonah*). At least two other Brits from York (Liat*) and near Manchester (Asher*). Many nations; one common language - and that, of course, is French!

As for speaking it - I find myself, within 2 days, being able to think in French much more easily than I was expecting. Even when talking to myself about a chore I need to do, I find my default language is French. Which is most certainly evidence of answered prayer!! Thank you to all those who prayed with/for me!

Listening. Still a massive challenge. Esp. if chatting with the Parisian, other French or Swiss members of the team. Some talk just as fast in French as I do in English - & most of you glancing at this know how fast I can talk!! I feel quite dumb having to keep asking for clarification about instructions we received - but I don't struggle all the time, at least! Continued prayer about listening comprehension & the gift of interpretation of the French tongue (langue) very much valued!!

Outreach:
Today we hung near the universities, tried to have conversations with those around us about Jesus. What I understood of the conversations, I was not discouraged..plus, we were able to invite several people we spoke to along to our evening events (where we hope in some form to present the gospel). We would like it if people came to these events & were willing to engage with the good news of Jesus - but all in God's plan & timing.. ..

Praise/Prayer:
I'm thankful at what has been achieved so far; God is, obviously, in control here! Consider JOHN 3:16 - we can definitely thank Him about that. He wants salvation & repentance infinitely more than we do!

Please continue referring to COL. 4:3-6, not just for me but for everyone on the team! That I will do and say what leads to edification for all whom I meet, older or younger.

Also, if you could be praying through JAMES 1, verse 20 onwards - it has never been easy for me to keep mouth shut, ears open & temper under control; something I think I need now more than ever!!

Kade (aforementioned & aforepictured British team leader) has kindly allowed me to use one of the GBU office computers for this update. So I'd better finish up for now. Thank you in advance for your support of me & partnership in the gospel of our Lord & Saviour!

Love to all,
L/T.

P.S. Sent a number of postcards to my Sunday School class students today, as they had requested. Parents-and-friends, please let me know when these have hit your letterboxes!!

:)

Au revoir, ou adieu?

5 minutes to boarding time (God bless Optus for free internet at the gate!!).

There are two ways of saying goodbye: one is like "see you again", the other is if you don't (it means "to God").

As only God knows for sure whether I'll return (or like those French/Brazilians/others, go down in the ocean in my A330 Airbus), I have used both forms.. .. ..just in case! Because I am not so arrogant as to assume that I will definitely return. And nor should you be.

That being said, PHILIPPIANS 1:13.

;D

Comment allais-tu?

How did I go with my To-Do lists..?

{This feed is live from Sydney Kingsford-Smith Int'l. I never thought I'd say this - but God bless Optus for their free internet access at the airport!!}


House tidied?
Um..
..Well, I got most of my stuff away - but I've left traces. Selina, dearest, I am so sorry.. ..spotlessness was not achieved.

:(

Packed?
..I hope so, seeing that I've checked my luggage in!!

Paperwork (school, gifted-ed., Sunday-school, other)
..I got the visible stuff sorted; however, several boxes in garage/hall cupboard/bedroom still filled with unsorted items..

Family, on the slim but present possibility that I never come back, just burn it all, OK?? (*hehe*)

I-thank-God-for-many-people messages?
..Still going. There are so many wonderful people whom I am encouraged by, in their own way.

John Calvin comments?
..Going to read that book again on the plane. Stay tuned!
[to be continued..]


PRAYER? (le plus important)
Thank you to people who are already praying!

~ Please pray through COLOSSIANS 4:3-6 (esp. boldness) - and that I personally will remember EPHESIANS 4:1-3 as I meet my fellow team members in Paris (5PM local time this Saturday; 1AM Sunday in Sydney!).

~ A special one - my eldest cousin's little son is undergoing treatment for leukaemia. Eleanor, Ken, Stephanie & esp. Jeremy - my thoughts & prayers are with you.

~ Thank God I'm finally going! For the money, the time, the opportunity, the call!

~ I had a great time with Simon, one of my best friends yesterday (nonXn). Friendship that goes back 14 years is a precious gift, one to be very thankful for!

~ It would be nice if the whole process of getting through customs/security, travelling, transits, transfers etc. went smoothly. But all in accordance with God's will! Pray bearing in mind that things like this may, for God's own purposes, not run as smoothly as anybody would like.

~ Goal: I'd like to return from overseas with my love, joy & desire for God deepened and renewed. It's a huge ask. But it's what is most important.

C'est tout en ce moment! (That's all for now.)

;P

Allez-y!

It's the final countdown, and still, so very much to do..!

e.g. Pack; tidy the house adequately so it almost looks like I don't live there (hah!); tie up loose ends; post important messages here.. ..among other things!

*mentally running around and screaming - again*


For anyone who wants to keep in touch:

~ e-mail:
if AT ALL I check my Yahoo or Hotmail accounts, it will be irregular; please refrain except in the case of emergencies!

~ mobile:
will be left at home. Alone, neglected, uncared-for, you name it!
Please don't call it..
..or SMS it..
..and esp. please leave no voicemail messages; it's too costly to access them!
(Plus today's exchange rates in EUR/GBP were terrible..enough said.)

~ family:
obviously if you know Louisa, and are on Facebook, all will be well..
..If not, just keep visiting this blog, OK? Good, I'm glad we sorted that out!!

~ COMMENTS.
Best way to let me know of anything, post a comment here on the blog. You don't even have to be a blogger here; moreover, even if you are one, you can still post as "anonymous".
Would love to hear from you, extra special news, thoughts, prayers etc.

C'est tout, that's all for now. Must rush back to my errands..!

Much love to all,
L/T.

P.S. The new pink picture of me (see my profile, RH side of page) is dated Queen's Birthday Weekend 2009. The dear amateur photographer who took it, a Christian brother from CCCMP, does not wish to be acknowledged (he thinks it's not his best work, the perfectionist). But bless him, it's a good enough photo for me. And of me! (In my opinion, anyhow - though I wonder what my ballet teacher Olivia would think of the pose!)

Voyez! Regardez!! (LOOK!!!)

This is so frustrating! Somebody tell me how to do an effective web link!! PLEASE!!!

Otherwise, please take a little time to copy, paste and view this:
{EDIT, Dec.'09 - The Links Work! WOOHOO!!!!!}
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-kPIuYlrMU
(Clip lasts for less than 8 minutes, but I think it's worth the time!)


The fields are ripe for harvest - and not just in France.. ..

..

Plus d'informations: L'évangelisation des étudiants de Paris

About mission in Paris (again)

I posted these links nearly 2 months ago: Have a look!

The Paris outreach - scroll down to find the English text:
http://www.ifesinteraction.org/interaction/app/eventpages/eventpage.asp?PageID=29

About student ministry in Paris - video clips posted by CMS:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAsm9ebGNZE

OR

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAsm9ebGNZE&feature=related

Libby Leach, the Aussie missio voiceover on the video, has been working among Parisian students for more than 10 years.

And now, I've made a deal with my older sister (non-twin) that I'll tidy if she writes. Better put the monnaie where the bouche is!

;D

L/T.

CCC Milson's Pt. (égl. b'n-aimée) III: Je rends grâces pour vous#5

Just under 6, yes, 6, days to go.. .. ..

*hyperventilating*

*running around aeroplaning & screaming - mentally*

In 2006 and 2007, I was gifted by God what I now believe to have been a tremendous blessing: a Bible study group we affectionately called "da Artarmon" housegroup. Most Tuesday nights we gathered at Teresa & Dan Lee's home in (surprise, surprise), Artarmon.

We were, I think, one heck of a group. Diverse and multi-aged, I don't know how we achieved the amount of cohesiveness we got - there but for the grace of God!

I look back on the days of "da Artarmon" amid giggles and grins, dusted lightly with the icing sugar of nostalgia (sorry, waxing poetic now).

And I thank God for you, my sisters and brothers.. .. ..

Leaders
* LEE, T. & D. (with Maddie)
Where to start, Teresa?

The earliest memory I have of you, being friends in primary Sunday School?

Or an earlier recorded incident - Louisa & myself the twin tots, nappies and all, hugging you the third tot in the trio on Balmoral Beach?

Wherever I look on the timeline, it has been fantastic knowing you for most of it & being friends/sisters in Christ with you. From the primary grades, through youth group, SOTé and beyond, I have to say that you rate as one of the kindest, most faithful, caring and open people God has ever placed in my life. It was a privilege to grow up with you, and more recently to grow in Christ with you.

To both of you now: your support of me is ever appreciated - the listening ears, the willingness to plough on through deep theological discussions, the patience when I just couldn't or wouldn't shut up!!

May God continue to grow you & provide ample time for you & Maddie to increase in love & knowledge of Him; & as life grows more uncertain, may you live and ever respond to God not by sight - by what you see or experience - but by faith in the promises of His Word.

2 CORINTHIANS 4:16-18.
A Bible verse for everyone who took part in our housegroup!

Da Artarmon sisters:
(Clare, Jade, Janessa, Katie, Kim, Laura, Nat, Steph & Tiffany)
God is such a generous God, to have shown His grace & generosity in each one of you. I'm thankful to Him for the generosity each of you showed me in different ways - in openness, in willingness to engage in discussions, in time; also for the often joyful commitment you showed to the group throughout the year. I'm happy to see that most of you have stayed on with me at CCC at the present time - COLOSSIANS 2:6-7.

Da Artarmon brothers:
(Clement, Ed, Gowa, Joe, Ken, Ryan, Tim & Tony)
OK, well maybe I only chatted to each of you twice a year, but it wasn't that much of a hard slog! I said God showed me generosity when it came to the girls - with you brothers, I think He just showed me a lot of mercy!! Seriously, I thank God for your affability & sincerity when you ended up praying with me - and for your tolerance when you disagreed with me! (Not that disagreement happened very often - praise God!) 1 TIMOTHY 4:9-12 and, also, 6:11-14. Ken Chong, far away in the USA - and Tim Lee - going there very soon - DO take a look at those Bible verses left for you!

To all members of "da Artarmon" - it was a great group to be a part of. And such a valuable gift to share fellowship with you over 2 years of Bible studies. See to it that you complete the work you have received in our Lord (cf.COLOSSIANS 4:17)!

:)

Itinéraire (encore)! En France..

Itinerary (again)! In France (only)..

I. ~ 27 juin (27/06/09) => 4 juillet (04/07/09)
Staying at a church:
L'église Evangélique Baptiste de Paris-centre
(a bit like people do on local missions
e.g. Bathurst, Cowra, Gunnedah, Maitland)
72 rue de Sèvres,
7ème arrondissement de Paris
http://www.sevres72.org/index_A.htm (if you want to copy, paste & look)

EMERGENCY contact - from Sat.27/6 until Sat.4/7
(I am leaving my own phone in AU):

29/10/09 - contacts withdrawn (no need for these anymore)
-

II. ~ 5 juillet => 8 juillet
Staying at the LITTRE hotel
http://www.hotellittreparis.com (if you want to copy, paste & look)

EMERGENCY contact
(ph.) +33 1 53 63 07 07

-

III. ~ 8 juillet => 9 juillet
Staying at the CDG airport SHERATON
http://www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/property/overview/contact.html?propertyID=125 (if you want to copy, paste & look)

EMERGENCY contact
(ph.) +33 1 49 19 70 70
OR .. +33 1 53 94 76 54 (says Flight Centre)

-

Oh, and by the way, FINALLY, j'ai fini ma rédaction (I finished my essay)!

Baillant!

Or, in English: *yawn*

This will be my second all-nighter, as the essay I'm working on is STILL not finished. So tired. Yes, I did get a little kip in the daytime, now it's back to the drawing-board.. .. ..

ZZZZ.. *shakes head to stay awake*

Rédaction et racontage

The first R-word means "essay" in French. The second means something that is recounted/told.

It is 3 in the morning, Sydney time; 7 the previous evening, Paris time. I have spent the last 12 hours periodically slaving away at my last of 5 uni. assignments on gifted education. - No, regrettably I am not finished - no such reprieve just yet!!

But onto more wakeful topics - like where I'll be in just over 9 days time!!

The church where my Paris mission team will be sheltering for our "semaine annonce de la bonne nouvelle" is apparently a Baptist church:
**rue de Sevres, Paris, 7e arrondissement.

Those of you who have access to the internet, know how to get onto Google maps, and have the time, check out the location.

And note its proximity to my first paid-accommodation location, post-mission:
**rue Littre, Paris, 6e arrondissement.

Effectively the distance between rue de Sevres and rue Littre is no more than 2 blocks! How incredibly cool. And providential - that as mission finishes, no matter how tired I am after the week of gospelling is over, I only need to trot a couple of blocks to reach my hotel!

What amazing work on the part of God.

And now I'd better stop procrastinating & return to my essay.. .. ..

So sleepy..!

Je me tords de rire!!

I believe the expression in English is loosely translated "ROFL"?

Sorry that I haven't gotten the hang of providing web links you can actually *click* on & be able to *go* somewhere.

But if you'd like a good laugh, please copy & paste the following into your browser:

http://mightychurch.com/forums/viewthread/90/P25/#2030

My personal favourites from this "ACTUAL SIGNS" link:

MOSCOW HOTEL
"You are invited to visit the cemetery where famous Soviet composers, authors and artists are buried daily except Thursday."

SWISS MENU
"Our wines leave you nothing to hope for."

HONG KONG DRESS SHOP
"Ladies have fits upstairs."
{One for my father, who art in HK, out of debt be his name.}

COPENHAGEN AIRLINE OFFICE
"We take your bags and send them in all directions."
{Now *there's* air service to look forward to in 14 days' time!!}

ACAPULCO HOTEL
"The manager has personally passed all the water served here."

JAPANESE AIR CONDITIONER
"Cooles and Heates: If you want just condition of warm in your room, please control yourself."

TOKYO CAR RENTAL FIRM
"When passenger of foot heave in sight, tootle the horn. Trumpet him melodiously at first, but if he still obstacles your passage, then tootle him with vigour."

I hope you share my slightly warped sense of humour..

;D

CCC Milson's Point (église bien-aimée) II: Je rends grâces pour vous#4

PROLOGUE To (More) Thanksgiving:

Is there anyone not reading this not saddened - however briefly - by the news of the Air France flight which last week so tragically did not reach its destination?

It was an Airbus A330, apparently, that went down somewhere in the ocean between South America and Europe.

Over the last few days I have watched the unfolding dramas with more than passing interest.

Why? .. Well, not that I’m at all worried about my eternal destination - except that the final leg of my trip (9 hours’ back to Sydney) will be on.. .. ..wait for it.. .. .. ..an Airbus A330.

! ! ! ! !

Before I leave, then (just in case my Qantas flight might go the same way as that doomed Air France one), I’d better make sure I’ve told every one of you how thankful I am to God for having known you.. .. ..and so I pick up where I left off - acknowledging more Christian sisters & brothers of Chinese Christian Church, Milson’s Point.

To EVERYBODY at CCC 5pm Houseparty, 2009:
* I was going to visit just one day.. ..
.. ..but I loved being with the community so much on my first visit, I ended up coming back for more on Sunday & staying over until home-time (Monday PM)!!
* I was so encouraged just to SEE and to BE (Louisa’s getting sick of me saying this).
It was nice just to SEE you all, & to BE there with you all, even if I didn’t have the chance to chat or catch up with many of you.
* I’m so thankful to God for the great joy of sharing a weekend with you all - the laughing, the crying, the silliness, the seriousness.
I haven’t had so much fun in a long time!
* And to my appointed Guardian Angel - that mystery “encouragrette” - praise God for your timely & continuous words/acts of kindness. It kept the warm fuzzies going!!

:D

Now, let me rewind back one year, to the house-group I studied the Bible with in 2008:

[An open letter.]
DEAR 2008 “Draquilians”,

Just as with my newest Bible study group, I thank God for all of you - for the warm & open fellowship with you that I was blessed to participate in last year. Your support, prayers, kindness and tolerance through a devastating period of my life were SO much appreciated.

Especially to Eva, Lynette, Maryann, Mel, Rebecca, Sandy & Theresa - you are all absolutely gorgeous sisters in Christ; those brief but intense times of girls-only sharing will not be forgotten!

*HUNTER, A. ..Your input & listening ear, at a time of great personal sadness for both of us, were of profound worth. Wish you hadn’t had to go - I’m sure life would have been much more interesting if you’d stayed. PSALM 27:13-14

*CHNG, C.,
& WONG, K. ..Brothers, the many questions you came up with about passages of & ideas in Scripture always kept me on my toes during group time. Keep seeking more understanding of God’s Word! 2 PETER 3:18

*LEE, E. & S. ..The compassion & concern you’ve so often showed, right up to the present time, I see as a testimony to the grace of God. I always enjoy talking over big & small issues with you both & have appreciated your forbearance when I may not have been at my most reasonable. May you both continue to live by & depend on the Spirit. ROMANS 8:9-16

*WANG, J. ..I was encouraged by how promptly you became a regular part of our Bible study group & how willing you were to learn more. 1 JOHN 3:1

*LOH, L. ..It was heartening to see your openness shown in those many candid discussions we used to have while heading home at night after Bible study had ended. How I miss those car trip chats!! 1 THESSALONIANS 5:23-24

*MAK, M. & E. (with Imogen & Harmony) ..We have had a long association through youth group & KYLC/“nextgen”, & it has never failed to be constructive! I always enjoy the time I can now spend with your little girls, as well as the engaging discussions & debates we’ve been party to for a number of years. COLOSSIANS 3:17-24

*O’YOUNG, M. ..God’s kindness last year in allowing us to talk more often, & on more deep issues than in previous years, was a marvellous gift. I valued your willingness to share so honestly & openly all the time. HEBREWS 10:24-25

*YEOH, R. ..To think that I was once your teacher (Sunday School, ’97-’99 - how time flies!). And now we’re both *real* teachers! (Or, at least, have got teaching qualifications.) Over the last 12 years, it has given me a real buzz to see you grow in Christ, & I pray that might continue! COLOSSIANS 1:9-14

*LU, S. ..You were with us only part of the year, but those few months were a blessing & it was great to be reminded of our unity with you & other Christians across oceans & continents. EPHESIANS 2:14-18.

*CHAN, T & S. (with Hannah) ..Last year’s group was a unique opportunity to get to know you better, Theresa in particular; moreover, the contributions you both made to Biblical discourse so often challenged me to think outside the square - priceless! COLOSSIANS 3:17-24

*NG, T. ..Over 3 years of being in the same house-group - including “da Artarmon” one under Teresa & Dan - I have often seen & rejoiced in your enthusiasm for Biblical truth. It has also been a comfort perceiving your ability to see things in black & white, to be willing to question or to challenge what you’ve heard rather than accepting it without critical thought. ROMANS 15:13

What a group. What lovely people God teamed me with last year (as well as this year). I deserved none of this - but what a generous Father!

:)

Next on the honours list - the members of my 2006-2007 Bible Study group (“da Artarmon” housegroup, as we affectionately called it).

J’espère à retourner ici le plus tôt que possible!

Bon anniversaire, capitaine!

Happy birthday to one of my longest-standing friends Cpt. S.L.W. Chan.

Sorry it's late, old man!! *hehe*

La catastrophe aérienne‏ (Air France)

Some video footage from around 4PM AEST, 4 juin 2009, is available at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8082428.stm

Quelle catastrophe! Et je me demande.. .. ..combien de victimes étaient chrétiens?

How many on board this flight were Christians?
How many were assured of salvation?
How many were right with God by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ the Son whose blood was shed for the forgiveness of their sins?

The answer saddens me.

Should I care so much?

Should you care at all?

I answer, of course, with JOHN 3:16. How does that verse go again..?

L/T.

Veuillez m'excuser - je m'occupe!

So busy - piano-playing for money at Jewish school, a job application due before this weekend, a growing To-Do list of ends to be neatly tied up before my departure.

But I will continue to "rendre graces" [give thanks] for more friends soon!

Si Dieu le veut.

Under 30 days left..!!

Je rends grâces pour vous (court)

Thank God for absolutely EVERYONE who laughed at my little gag yesterday:

"40 days in the wilderness, then I'm off to the Promised Land."

Or is it 40 more days being tempted by the accuser?

No, seriously - thanks for laughing. You are a fabulous audience!! I wouldn't be this funny without you!

(I digress. More thanksgiving about the people in the church-of-my-heart, to be made available soon on this blog.)

Maintenant, il y aura trente-neuf (39) jours avant de voyager en France!!

CCC Milson's Point (église bien-aimée): Je rends grâces pour vous#3

42 days (6 weeks) to go!

Can't wait!

And yet, so many things to do, so many thanks to give.. .. ..

A DEDICATION to all my friends from the Chinese Christian Church Milson’s Point community:

You were the church of my childhood, and you remain the church of my heart. I deeply regret that I have not felt able to spend as many Sundays with you in the last 13 months as I have wished.

But what being away from you has made me realise, is that there are so very many people I love and appreciate in this church. The sheer number of sisters & brothers I know at CCC means I often only get to catch up with you once a year!

Yet I THANK God for your personal & individual encouragement to me over the years I have known you, whenever we have had opportunity.

What follows is an attempt to honour as many of you as I can call to mind (& hope you’re resilient enough not to be hurt if I inadvertently forget to mention you).

Important Notes.
The 2006-2009 Bible Study groups I’ve been involved in are acknowledged FIRST. Next, you’ll find everyone else from the CCC community who have been helpful friends to me at one time or more, in word or deed.

All first names are initials-only, as if alphabetically ordered; in the case of married couples, the wife’s name precedes the husband’s one. I have then placed your surnames first, for added mirth on my part!

For those I have not had the privilege of studying the Bible with:
To find your name & any message I have left you, pay attention to the order given; those who with me share in the freedom, er, I mean the unmarried, categories, have been listed first.

My married friends are then acknowledged. Whom I try to pray for, but probably not often enough as I suspect you need!!

Do look around for any message addressed to you, though - I do want you to know how very thankful I am that God put you in my life!

Have fun hunting your name in the brouhaha. (*giggle*)

Bible Study group, 2009:
I’m thankful to God for the fellowship we can share, for the deep intellectual discussions over Scripture, for the love especially among the sisters of the group.

Also am I thankful for your tolerance & patience with my babel-fish English translations of French Bible passages (and for supporting my preparation for Paris mission in this way)!!

For the willingness & perseverance of the group, especially those I know least well, in padding along every week.

For the forbearance of all of you, in spite of our diversity of personalities & learning styles.

And now, a few personal comments & Bible verses for you:

*CHONG, H. & G. ..We grew up together; it’s been great to stick around so long with you, to share in the good fight of the faith for so long. May it continue! EPHESIANS 6:9-10

*LIM, J. ..I’ve been so encouraged by your openness & consideration throughout the year so far. I always look forward to our car trips because of the gracious and well-seasoned conversations you so often lead us into. COLOSSIANS 1:3-4

*LING, J. ..Your ongoing hospitality, generosity & eagerness to serve never fail to lift my spirits - they are a testimony to the work of God in your life and it’s such a blessing. 1 THESSALONIANS 5:23-24

*LEE, J. & M. ..It is a thrill to see your thirst for deeper knowledge of God & His Word, reflected in the questions you’re always asking during study time - even when they’re not easy ones to ask or be answered! EPHESIANS 1:17

*ZHU, R./WOO, S. ..Still don’t know you all that well, but I appreciate, Richard, your commitment to the group; & am so thankful, Stephen, for your generous transport attitude! PHILIPPIANS 4:19

*CHOI, S. & E. ..It has been heartening to see your endurance in Christian faith during these recent times of uncertainty & insecurity. I’m thankful also for the hard work you do to keep the group up & running - in preparation, hosting, administration, general service to us. 2 THESSALONIANS 2:16-17

*LI, S. & R. ..In the many years we’ve been acquainted, God has so graciously blessed our friendship. May He continue to bless you, remind you of His love & care, bring delight to you in knowing Him & give you the desires of your hearts. You know me too well to assume I’m saying any of this glibly; you know what I’ve had to cope with - & so, for you, I leave one of my most personal Bible verses. 2 CORINTHIANS 4:17-18

In moments of calm reason like this - looking back over friends like these that God has given me - how could I not be sure how much He loves me?

Thank you God for these fantastic Christian sisters & brothers, for Your gracious & loving provision of them in my life!

Thanksgiving still to be posted for:
~ "draquila"
(Bible Study group, 2008)

~ "da Artarmon housegroup"
(Bible Study group, 2006 & ’07)

~ Missionary Committee/mission-minded friends

~ Numerous random friends - unmarried & married

And that’s just CCC Milson’s Point.

It’s not over yet.. .. ..nowhere near it!!

Une prière très belle

Not sure why I bookmarked this blog of someone I don't know. There must have been some interesting article on it somewhere.

http://cranmercurate.blogspot.com/2009/02/anti-semitism-very-definition-of.html

But on it, I found this lovely prayer, quoted apparently from the BCP:

"O Merciful God, who hast made all men, and hatest nothing that thou hast made, nor wouldest the death of a sinner, but rather that he should be converted and live:
Have mercy upon all Jews, Turks, Infidels, and Hereticks, and take from them all ignorance, hardness of heart, and contempt of thy word;
and so fetch them home, blessed Lord, to thy flock, that they may be saved among the remnant of the true Israelites, and be made one fold under one shepherd, Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen."

Somewhat archaic in language but beautiful in content. I'll definitely use this one!

Un troupeau des jeunes

It has been 4 years since I said goodbye to a flock of 109 young rams, whom I shepherded for just one term.

Of that flock, 2 are Christians who are involved in churches/youth groups on a regular basis.

Attended a rock concert tonight where many of them performed (I'm not into rock, just so you know!), and left with feelings of nostalgia for what once was, and will never be again.

Sometimes you just wish time could stand still.

That the happiest or most interesting days of our human existence don't have to end so soon.

That little ones don't grow up so fast!

I remember when most of them were shorter than me.. .. ..but not anymore.

Well, as long as they are found in Christ alone on that last and greatest Day, I don't mind.. .. ..too much, anyway!

Choses à faire

7 weeks (plus 3 hours) from now, I'm flying far, far away!

Am starting to be quite eager to be away. Looking forward to distancing myself from Australian life, battling face-to-face with French life (and French language), and finding out what could be the next step on returning to Sydney...

But so many things to do!

In random order:

1. Submit job applications.
Finally, there are a couple of jobs I can apply for..
...but the competition is pretty stiff, in light of the GFC. I'll do what I can, but it would take divine miraculous intervention for me to win either of these two jobs over the hundreds of other applicants (all survivors-of-GFC-related-redundancy, like me). That said, I know my Dayspring friends believe in this kind of miracle. Let me know if you prayed for it!

2. Sort and tidy masses of accumulated paperwork from 6 years of teaching (and Sunday School).
Enough said!!!!!

3. Finish posting my thank-God-for-you messages on the blog!
The "Just-In-Case-Something-Happens-And-I-Never-Return-To-Australian-Shores" thanksgiving list. Next in line in my appreciation queue are the many regulars from the church-of-my-heart, Chinese Christian Church, Milson's Point.

4. Make a few more comments on Jean/John Calvin.

5. Organise general travel stuff.. .. ..

6. Write out legible copies of the following pipeline songs, possibly attempting to get Isaac Wong to help record them:

Precious in His sight
Turn
Why He had to die

(Warning - 2 of these songs have been in the pipeline since 2005, so progress is pretty slow!)

49 days and counting.

Pourrais-je dormir?

This is hysterical.

My first day in Paris, 27th June (Sat.), I will arrive at Charles de Gaulle Int'l. 13h (1PM) French time, after nearly 23 hours in the air.

As I'm going economy, I don't expect to have gotten much sleep in those 23 hours.

Our first mission team meeting will be around 17h (5PM) that same day...here's a direct quote, which I have translated for you!

French:
"Pour samedi le 27 juin. On prévient l'accueil entre 17 et 18h, pour commencer une soirée légère à 18h avec toute l'équipe."

English:
For Saturday 27/6. Welcoming [of team members] is anticipated between 5PM & 6PM. to begin a light evening at 6PM with all the team.

In other words, 23+4 hours after leaving Sydney, and around a total of 34 hours since last placing head on a horizontal pillow, I get to register properly and meet my fellow team members.

Does anyone have an experience of a team-meeting like this one, that you attended after straight 33 hours of sleep deprivation, to share? I'd love to hear every possible tip that might help me get through this first meeting awake (on that day in June)!

52 days to work this one out!!

Jean Calvin ressemble-t-il moi?

One of my principal weaknesses, one of the greatest hindrances in accelerated Christian growth over the years, is a difficulty with controlling my temper.

Seems like Calvin shared this difficulty, on occasion! In the little book I'm re-reading, 2 instances are mentioned where he lost his temper at people he was in theological arguments with.

Now I am NOT saying that kind of behaviour is acceptable for either the old French reformer or myself! But it is somewhat comforting to know that despite his failings, God used Calvin anyway.. .. ..

Je me demande:
What will He do with me?

La Reformation et Jean Cauvin (Calvin)

I'm not a church history expert, but I've been reading a little book about John Calvin, "Man of Geneva". I can promise you, as a result, that there will be at least one more French history lesson (good grief, I sound like such a teacher.. .. ..oh, wait, I already am one!). I hope to make some comments (avant de partir/before leaving) about the impact of La Reformation en France. Why the city of Strasbourg is différente, par exemple. And possibly where the city of Strasbourg actually is. Among other not-so-random vignettes.

Planning to post something on Calvin this week.

LTTC.

Mes cousins/tantes/oncles: Je rends grâces pour vous#2

Maternal relatives:

TOUS LES COUSINS
As I look back on my early years, I know that the happiest times of my childhood were spent with you, my cousins of the noble house of Lee. Oh what fun we had! At family houses, at restaurants, us girls taking turns to wear the Lee "heirloom" dress, getting Pohpoh across the road to Mandarin Club before the traffic lights went green, watching our parents try to dissuade Pohpoh from giving too generously.. .. ..and the meals, what meals! Pavlovas, smoked salmon and prawns, potato salads and noodle salads - I thank God for all that goodness, the mirth, the merriment, the memories.

(Chrétiens: Eleanor & Ken, Norman & Becky, Greta, Mark et Annabelle)
To the cousins who are not only my closest relatives but share my everlasting hope in the death, resurrection and reign of our Lord Jesus - it gives me great joy to know of your faith in Him. Greater joy still that, even though we haven't been together that much since Pohpoh died, we will be in glory together on the last Day. Truly our citizenship is in heaven; may all of you continue to await from there Jesus our Saviour. (PHIL. 3:20)

{Pas chrétiens: Michael, Peter, Karina & Perin)
To my younger cousins - I am thankful to God for the recent chances we've had to see each other more often. K. & P., I have especially loved talking the dance side of rhythmic gymnastics with you. For all four of you, I pray that God will continue to preserve your lives, and that you might one day hope in Him also.


MES TANTES ET MES ONCLES
To the Lees of my mother's generation - her brothers and their wives:
I thank God for your input in my life since my birth, your concern, support, and ongoing interest in me and my welfare. You have been like a community of parents to me, especially in the years where Mum brought us up on her own. Growing up with you around, even in the tough times, has enriched my life. I have so appreciated all your care - including, of course my uncles' medical care as my doctors, so often at very short notice!

(Chrétiens: Aunties C. & J., Uncles D. & S.)
God has so graciously also used you to encourage me in my Christian walk. Auntie J., thank you for the times you made yourself available to ask how things were going at times when mum wasn't around, for taking us into your home in that long-ago time when the house had flooded and it seemed life was falling apart, and for your advice on matters of mission, ministry and the heart. Auntie C., thank you for your many contributions over the years to my musical development - for your critical ears and skills that have helped me pass my music exams AND made me a much better musician and performer than I could have ever been if left alone. I look back on my achievements in music throughout my life and I thank God for the part you played - as, funnily enough, I played to you!

{Pas chrétiens: Auntie K. & Uncle K.)
I'm so thankful for the many times you hosted us on the Central Coast, even though it must have been a huge task managing all of us; for your hospitality, your delicious food (those curries!), and more recently, esp. Auntie K.'s information feeds on dealing with unemployment and getting casual teaching work. I've still got all those useful numbers and contacts you gave me! May God show you even more mercy and kindness as you have shown to me all the years of my life.

Paternal relatives
{Ma-ma, Uncle H. & Auntie S.H., Auntie H., Rob and the boys}
I thank God for your input in my life - esp. to Uncle H. & Auntie S.H., who have done so much for us, Hudson's 3 girls. I want you to know that all those little financial gifts, given over time, have always made a difference - you have been one way in which God has worked to help provide for the little needs of life, and I'm so thankful for you. I rejoice also in your faith in God, in times which I know have not been easy for you - and know that one day, many of us will rejoice together before the throne of God above.


{Voyage en France: Just under 56 days to go!)

Famille/meilleurs amis: Je rends grâces pour vous#1

FAMILY
*À ma mère (Cheng, L.A.)
Where to begin?
There are so few blessings in the world that God has not provided through you.
I love you and I wish I loved you more than I do, and gave you the credit due to you.
You have loved me unconditionally my whole life long.
You have sacrificed so much for me and been a consistent model of the love of God in Jesus Christ for me.
You have always been there, through everything, always protecting, trusting, hoping and persevering.
You have tried to raise me in the fear and knowledge of the Lord Jesus, and God has graciously enabled you to succeed.
You have endured so much in your life and for me and my sisters, and yet your faith is unshaken.
You have always listened to me and I only wish I'd inherited your superlative listening skills!
You have always wanted God's best for me and supported me in all I have been able to achieve through Him.
I thank God for such an invaluable relationship - that of being your daughter. You are the very best mother God could ever have made.
As I have sung for you before, so I continue this song:
That when the heavens and earth are gone, I pray that you'll stand in His day. [Lyrics: L. Tsi-Tje Cheng©2003]

*Ma sœur jumelle (Cheng, L.W.T.)
You are precious in God's sight and in mine, and honoured, and God loves you, and so do I. (ISAIAH 43:4)
We have been together from the time of our conception ever since.
In so many ways that you will not acknowledge, you are my better half.
There is no-one in all creation apart from our heavenly Father who knows me as well as you do.
We have laughed and cried and prayed together so often, struggled together through the daily grind of putting to death our earthly natures, and we continue fighting that good fight to this day.
For all of my life you have been there for me, and I thank God so much for your almost total and complete understanding & support of me.
O that you would ever remember the atoning sacrifice of Christ, in which God demonstrated His great love for us - and never doubt that love He has for you and me both.
I thank God for all He has done in you, and for all that He is yet to do - and how much we both know and hope eagerly for our future of citizenship in heaven! Stay confident of this, the living and unfailing promise of God, that He who began a good work in us will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

*Ma sœur aîné (Cheng, S.S.L.)
You have been not only an ideal sister but a Christian sister as well.
You were always there, always part of my life, and more recently have walked with me so patiently in my Christian life.
I thank God for your love, your loyalty - especially when we were small - and your listening ears in recent times.
You have backed me, defended me, shaken foolishness out of me (or at least tried) when I needed it, and given me more broad and different ways of viewing the world than I could have conceived on my own.
Your counsel in a variety of situations and the love and concern driving it are of profound value to me.
Your determination not to give up on your faith, your writing or yourself has been a great encouragement to me and I pray that you might continue to persevere.
"Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart." (PSALM 37:4)

*Mon beau-frère le plus cadet (Lin, J.)
Jeremy, it has been a delight to watch you grow (from being that runaround toddler who never used to sit still enough to be fed!!) and commit yourself to Christ.
I thank God for His mercy to you, and so much appreciated your support in those times you've found me when I was down.
May you ever rely on God's strength, loving all those He calls you to love because He first loved you.
May you continue to live in Christ Jesus our Lord, just as you received Him, being rooted & built up in Him, strengthened in your faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. (COL. 2:6-7)

*Mon beau-frère le moins cadet (Lin, A.)
Anthony, I thank God that we've always gotten along well, and for the growth I've seen in you.
I have valued your moments of helpfulness and willingness to engage in thoughtful dscussions.
I am also thankful for your generosity and creativity - esp. the culinary creations!
May God bless you and keep you; make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; turn his face toward you and give you peace. (NUM. 6:24-26)

*Mon beau-père (Lin, V.A.)
Uncle Victor, in the last 7 years you have shown all the love and support that God intended for fathers to show their own children. I thank God my heavenly Father that you are my step-father; I can't imagine any better choice He could have allowed.
You have cared and fussed and provided and rebuked and admonished and listened as so many earthly fathers just don't do, and I know that just like my mother you want God's best for me (even though I'm often stubborn and resistant).
I appreciate your tireless involvement and interest in my life and future, and pray the same for you as for my mother.
HEBREWS 12:2-3.

*Mon père (Cheng, J.H.)
Dad, you have always tried to listen and give helpful and wise counsel to me.
I wish you could have been around more while I was growing up; things might have been so different. And yet we both know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. (ROM. 8:28)
I thank God that He has kept hold of you, and that through Him you threw your support behind me when my face was towards Tanzania in 2006 - your letting go was of tremendous value to me.
May God supply your every need according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus. (PHIL. 4:19)

To some of my best friends, thanks be to God for your friendship:

*Mok, L.P.Y.
To this day, dearest 'Onie, I can still hear your gorgeously rare laugh bubble through my ears. As sisters in Christ with the additional perk of being second-cousins-by-marriage, it has been a huge blessing knowing you, meeting so often with you to talk and read God's Word together and pray for each other.
Continue as ever to be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power! (EPH. 6:11)

*Soo, C. (now Chin, C.)
Dearest Chris, I know our lives have taken us in different directions in recent times, but your encouragement and faithfulness to me in the early part of this century can never be forgotten. I always appreciated your insights, your consideration, your perseverance and your open affection, and I miss the times when we talked and studied and shared and prayed together.
Through all that life has still to offer you, whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (COL. 3:17)

*Chan, S.L.W.
Captain Chan, we've marched through Sunday School, high school and uni. days side by side. Without God's provision of your occasional steadying words and kind deeds in the last 10 years, I don't know whether I'd have survived! I thank God for your unique military outlook and perspectives, for the lessons I've learned through hearing about your experiences and recommendations.
You then, my brother, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.. ..enduring any and every hardship like the good soldier of Christ Jesus that you are! (2 TIM. 2:1, 2:3)

*Kritsotakis, S.
Simon, nous avons travaillés ensemble at the Alliance Française, in the HSC and through undergraduate French and psychology. We can thank God simply that we got out alive!!
And who could have known that God would give me a friend like you of such great value in all that time? So often since our teenage years, you have understood, listened, counselled, talked me back from the edge of insanity - and stuck with me through thick and thin. God's Word speaks of a friend who is closer than a brother (PROVERBS 18:24) - and you are that very friend! The only sadness I have is that I don't know, on that last great and glorious Day, when Jesus Christ my Saviour and my Lord, my very heart's desire comes in glory, si tu resteras avec moi en ce jour.
O that my God would do His best for you!

FINALEMENT
To these people, my nearest and dearest
- I know God is such a great and loving God, because..
...He so richly blessed me with knowing you!

Je rends grâces à mon Dieu pour vous

As you follow the blog in the next 2 months, you will see a post occasionally titled JE RENDS GRÂCES A DIEU POUR VOUS.

Simply translated, this means, "I give thanks to God for you."

Virtually everyone who visits this blog is someone I have:
a) known
b) loved
c) worked with
d) studied the Bible or "churched" with
e) had meaningful conversations with
f) various combinations of, if not all of, (a) to (e).

And life.. .. ..well, it's transient. Fleeting. One minute you have it, the next it's gone.

I thought, what if I go overseas, something tragic happens, and I never return alive?
Or what if something happens so that I don't live to go overseas at all?
What if this were the last year I live?

And now, I hear YOU think, why is she being so morbid? Why is she talking like this?

Get real, people, get rid of this assumption that we're all going to live to a ripe old age.

Says JAMES, the brother of our Lord Jesus Christ (or so I understand):
"Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring.
What is your life?
For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.
Instead you ought to say,
'If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that'." (ch.4, verses 14-15)

Says ISAIAH, my favourite prophet:
"All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.
The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the LORD blows on it;
surely the people are grass.
The grass withers, the flower fades,
but the word of our God will stand forever." (40:6-8)

So, if this were my last year to be alive - I'd want to make sure YOU all knew, collectively and individually, how much I have appreciated God's placing every single one of you in my life. (Imagine I was never able to tell you, because I died before I could say thanks!)

I hope to post these "thank God for you" messages in the following order:

1. Famille/FAMILY
2. Amis/FRIENDS - the closest ones
3. Famille/EXTENDED FAMILY
4. Amis/FRIENDS - CCC Milson's Pt. COMMUNITY
5. Amis/FRIENDS - CATHEDRAL COMMUNITY (acknowledging your children as well, if they know me)
6. Amis/FRIENDS - mission-minded ones, & missionary committee at CCC
7. Filles d'ACES/ACES girls (and maybe some EUers, too)
8. Amis - autres/FRIENDS - other
9. Anyone I forgot about!!!!!

Keep an eye out for the appreciation message that mentions YOU. Because if anything does happen to me, I just want you to know how thankful I am for your input.

Mais pourquoi la France?

Why France?

Why indeed?

Those of you who went with family/friends to CMS Summer School may be a little less surprised, but for the probable majority who never thought France needed the gospel – think again!

(Of course, if you've had a look at the links included in an earlier post, you'll have a better idea.)

Now for a brief lesson in French religious history.
WARNING: May be vague, contain errors or embellishments. May also contain traces of dairy, egg, nut, shellfish and wheat.

1. Ancient tribal stuff
2. Roman Empirical stuff
- ie their gods/hedonism/materialism
3. Christian
- presumably once Constantine got in power
4. ?????
5. Roman Catholic
6. Roman Catholic
7. Roman Catholic
8. Roman Catholic
9. [hmmm, this is beginning to sound like music at my old Chinese evening church, it's so repetitive]
10. Roman Catholic [hehe, gotcha!]
11. Revolutionary/Lawless/Anarchistic/etc.
- commencing with the downfall of the monarchy, the Reign of Terror, all that blood-soaked violent stuff
12. Republican (different versions) - LAÏCITÉ

LAÏCITÉ
"Laïcité" is basically the French version of secularism. It filters into most, if not all aspects of French life.

This often means that unless their parents are Christian, French children have much less exposure to the gospel than many Australian children attending, say, NSW public schools.

The average NSW public school (also called state or government school) - while intended back in the 1880s to be SECULAR, compulsory and free - has this adorable little loophole called Special Religious Education (SRE). As a result, until more recently, many public school students (esp. those in K-6/primary schools) went to some kind of Christian Scripture class as part of their school week. So many people grew up knowing something about God and the good news of Jesus (even if they only had little morceaux/bits of knowledge).

The average French primary school student is educated in a system where no SRE exists. Where no SRE has *ever* really existed. A system called école laïque/secular school. God-free schooling, perhaps.

This école laïque ideology follows French people's education into and through their years at lycée/high-school. And into university as well.

Friends who were Christians in your uni. years - do you remember your campus activities with ECU, EU, CBS, Credo, some other Christian student group?..

The O-Week stuff?
The walk-ups?
The postering?
The wearing of mission T-shirts during outreach week on campus?
The Bible talks and study groups you had in lecture and tut. rooms on campus?

In French universities, there is NOT this same kind of freedom.

When I used to help put up event posters for EU, we'd staple them up on various campus noticeboards, and maybe not until 3 hours later they would have been covered over with other clubs-and-society posters, or torn down. And then we always went back and put another layer on!

I understand that if one tried postering like that on a French campus, someone would rip the posters off right in front of you, and tell you flatly that university is no place for that kind of thing.

Did anyone apart from me say "Ouch" at that? I hope so.

So there's a little first-draft sketch of the French situation.

I hope I've given you some reasons for why France needs the gospel, I'd dare to say, even more than the English-speaking Western world.

"Où vas-tu aller?" Mon itinéraire..

Itinerary! (For those wondering where I'll be on different dates.)

26 juin/June {Paris}
SYD-Ban-Lon-PAR
[Vol de 22 heures]

27 juin
Mission starts (based in 7e arrondissement, near Eiffel Tower etc.)
[Séjour de 8 jours (with IFES team)]

4 juillet/July
Mission finishes
[Séjour de 5 jours toute seule]

5 juillet
Running riot around Paris (also hope for Versailles & Mt. St-Michel). Sorry, did I say running riot? Er..I meant walking sedately, of course!
Accom.: Hotel de Littre (Montparnasse)

8 juillet
Last night before leaving Paris
Accom.: close to CDG airport, hopefully?

9 juillet {Londres}
PAR-LON
[Vol de moins que 2 heures]
[Séjour de 4 jours]
Accom.: friends in West Finchley (Jenn and B'Lu)
Catch up with "nephew Ant" & others

11 juillet
Accom.: Park Inn London (Bloomsbury area)
[2 jours]

12 juillet - dimanche/Sunday
Visit St. Helen's Bishopscourt? maybe?

13 juillet {Hong Kong}
LON-H.K.
[Vol de presque 12 heures]
Accom.: biological father

16 juillet
H.K.-SYD
[Vol d'environs 9 heures]
Accom.: chez moi!


NEEDS
~ An air-mattress (pref. about 8in. thick)
~ A bike-pump or similar to inflate the mattress
~ Ongoing prayer - I'm joining a team of jeunes/young-people whom I'll never have met before..
..Of which I'll probably be l'australienne toute seule/the only Australian.
..And those of you who know me best know how I usually cope in pressure-cooker situations (ie. I, um, often don't..cope that well??!?).

Information: Semaine d'évangélisation à Paris

Have a look at these links for more details about the IFES summer team I'll be joining, and the work among students that is already happening in Paris.

http://www.ifesinteraction.org/interaction/app/eventpages/eventpage.asp?PageID=29

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAsm9ebGNZE

OR

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAsm9ebGNZE&feature=related