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[life-rhythm]

November Update
"Conflicts Without, Fears Within"
In reading 2 Corinthians 7.5 recently, I noticed something interesting. Paul notes that as he and his companions entered Macedonia, "our flesh had no rest, but we were afflicted on every side: conflicts without, fears within." At that time, Macedonia covered southeastern Europe. It's interesting to realize that as Paul entered Europe and began to engage in ministry, he experienced "conflicts without [and] fears within." Much the same could be said of our current ministry in Europe. There is conflict and turmoil - both externally and internally. Please be in constant prayer for our staff team (Darrin, Julie, Teal, Megan, Kerri, Adam, Tasha, Apryl) as we engage in ministry and experience added hardships both internally and externally.

What One is Expected to Know
I'm often asked what life is like in France. In the next few updates, I'll include short capsules that, to me, articulate French life.
One of the most challenging adjustments for a foreigner in France is adjusting to when offices and stores are open/closed. You will be extremely frustrated if you try, for example, to go to the bank at lunchtime. Most offices and stores are closed every day during lunch, all day Sunday, and sometimes all day on Monday. And sometimes very important work that you need to get done (such as visa paperwork) is hindered by a closing or time change you knew nothing about.

The following excerpt from the book, "The Forger," by Paul Watkins illustrates this aspect of French life. The main character, an artist, is sitting on a bench in Paris, waiting for a museum to open. He's been waiting over an hour and a half when an old woman arrives and sits next to him on the bench.

"Oh, you're Canadian," she said, having noticed my accent.
"American. My mother was Canadian."
"American," she corrected herself. "You aren't waiting for the museum to open, are you?"
"Actually, yes, I am."
"Well, you will have to wait a long time. On the weekend, it is only open on Sundays."
I stood up suddenly. "What?" I marched out into the street. "Well, why, don't they have a sign posted?" I shouted at the gloomy building. The locked doors and shuttered windows made it look pug-faced and asleep.
"I don't think they've ever had a sign," said the old woman. "It is just a thing one is expected to know."
I spun around. "This whole city is making me crazy!" I shouted. I marched back to pick up my portfolio and tried to calm myself. "Thank you," I said to the old woman. "I apologize for shouting."
"Not at all," she said. "One expects this sort of things from foreigners."

Teaching
I've recently taught twice at our Sunday evening gathering. The first was on the meaning of "the Gospel" and a study through the book of Matthew. The second teaching was on the Lordship of Christ and chapter one of Colossians. (We've had some recent problems with our recording system, so unfortunately I can't pass on the audio recordings.)

Leadership Assessment
Teal and I spent three days last week in Amsterdam to be assessed as team leaders within Christian Associates. We stayed at the home of Phil and Laina Graf (who work with Christian Associates and also catered the wedding of Hilary and I!) The assessment went very well as Teal and I met with Laina and discussed both areas of strength and growth in our role as leaders. This trip marked the first time that Hilary and I had been apart since we've been married (over six months.) We certainly missed each other, but Talli seemed particularly distraught as she eagerly awaited my return home. And Hilary and Talli seemed to have grown closer in my absence.

What's coming up...
...[iccp] is hosting a Thanksgiving meal on Sunday, 23 November. We hope to have around 150 people sharing a meal together.
...As I continue to work with our university student ministry, I'm shifting to more of a discipleship and overseer role. We started the semester with two small groups, and we now have three groups led by five new leaders! I'm looking forward to the opportunity to disciple and focus on individual relationships.
...The annual Christmas Carol Service is 6 December. Almost 1,000 people gather in the large cathedral and celebrate Christmas together. Hilary will lead the choirs, and I am heading up the usher team.
...We have several visitors coming in December! Hilary's mom and aunt arrive on 5 December, and some of my best friends arrive on 26 December. It should be a great time with friends and family!

Prayer
...Please be in prayer for the Thanksgiving meal and the Christmas Carol Service. These events are great opportunities for us to connect and build community with a large number of diverse people.
...Please also be in prayer for The Coates family (friends of ours from a French church in town.) Their 21-year-old daughter recently died in a small plane crash. I attended the funeral this week.
Thank you for your support, encouragement, and prayers!


Lately and Next
Bonjour! Life has been crazy busy lately, but good stuff has been happening.

What’s been happening...
…[iccp] hosted our annual Rentrée party chez Anderson. Over 150 people enjoyed marinated chicken roasted over homemade fire pits (in the the pictures slideshow, they are the bricks stacked in circles), live music from a band from our church community, Weatherbeat, and great conversations that build community.

…I’ve started French class this fall through an association in town. (I was previously taking private lessons.) In addition to costing only 20 euros for four hours of class a week (unbelievable price!), I am learning a lot and in a new community of people on the opposite side of town. Here is a picture of the diversity of the class: there are 18 students and 15 different nationalities! (And I’m the only American; it’s great to be around so many different cultures.)

…I’ve taught twice so far at our Sunday evening gathering. The audio for the second teaching didn’t come out, but you can listen to the first teaching on serving in the church here. (Click on "Ekklesia" from 21 September).

…One of my areas of leadership is co-leading the university student ministry with one of my teammates, Kerri. We’ve created space for students to connect with God (Community Groups and D-groups) and with each other (Fun nights on Thursdays, movie discussions, hiking, etc.). We’ve also placed a large focus on leadership development, offering students leadership training and the opportunity to lead small Bible studies this Fall. We hope that the skills they learn will be beneficial in whatever they do.

…Seminary has been great! I’m learning a lot and I’m really enjoying it! I register for Spring class next week. Strange to think that I’m almost half-way through the Fall semester! It’s currently a challenge adding this on to my normal ministry schedule (all together, I’m working 60-70 hours a week), but I’m working on ways to free up some time.

What’s coming up...
…I’m giving leadership to the beginning of a HouseChurch format in November! We’ll go with it for a trial period and see how it works. The idea is that we would meet in smaller, house settings in place of our normal Sunday evening gathering. Our hope is that a smaller, interactive setting will foster both growth in the church community and encourage new participation in leadership.

…I’m also giving leadership to exploring Montpellier as potential site for a new church plant. I’ will be traveling to the city in November with two other guys from Christian Associates for a short scouting trip in preparation for the larger research trip in March. It’s exciting to be involved in new, advancing activities!

…Both our staff team in Aix and Christian Associates as a whole are beginning to implement a multi-person leadership structure. So, instead of one person as the head of everything and trying to operate in every possible strength and gifting available (which is impossible), we are exploring how 2-3 people can share the responsibility of church leadership, utilizing each of our unique gifting and strengths in a more effective manner. Darrin, Teal, and I have begun this process in our team in Aix. I look forward to seeing how this works out practically in various leadership settings across Europe and, specifically, in France.

In-between reading for seminary, I’m currently reading, The Forger, a fictional story about an American artist in WWII Paris who is hired to forge the great works of art in Paris in the face of the Nazi invasion. I read an interesting line that rightly reflects French life and culture today:

”I quickly learned that you couldn’t underestimate the importance of a neighborhood café in the lives of the people who used it. The choosing of the café was a delicate and personal affair…”

Cafés are central to French life and culture. It is the place for conversation and community. And, yes, almost everyone has a certain café that they call their own. Every café has regulars who come every day and order the same thing and talk to the same people. Just a side note...but hopefully it gives a glimpse into French life and culture and the centerpiece of conversation.

I hope you are doing well in your part of the world. Ciao for now!

Life in Full Swing
Bonjour! It’s hard to believe that September has already arrived! Hilary and I have at last found and moved into a new apartment! Check out the pictures page to see the photos that Hilary took. We’ are both excited to be in our “first” apartment together as a married couple (our four month anniversary was Wednesday!) We have already had many people over, and we look forward to the opportunity to use it in further ministry opportunities as the year moves along.

At the end of July was the annual Christian Associates conference, "Connect." Author and pastor, Greg Boyd, did a great job as the main speaker. I was responsible for all of the tech elements (i.e. some audio and everything that goes on the screens – song and teaching slides, team report movies, podcasts, etc.) You can subscribe to the free podcasts of the main sessions here. Each day involved around 14 hours of work. It was great to serve but I have very much enjoyed resting the past few weeks!

I began online classes at Dallas Theological Seminary last week. I am thoroughly enjoying it! The courses that I am taking are, “Bible Study Methods and Hermeneutics” and “Intro to Theology.” I spend three hours each Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday morning viewing the class videos, posting and responding in the forums, and completing class work. (I tell Hilary, “I’m going to class now.”) I am highly enjoying the experience so far! If you are interested in giving a gift towards seminary, I’ve listed some gifts that would be helpful on the contact page.

After taking a break during August (c’est la vie en France), [iccp] is back in full swing beginning this week! On Sunday we have a Rentrèe Party –a huge BBQ with live music that connects us with about 200 people. My ministry roles this year include overseeing our Sunday evening gathering, co-leading University & Young Adult ministry, and some teaching both at our Sunday evening gathering and within our University ministry.

In addition, I am giving leadership to two new initiatives. The first is in Aix, as we are exploring using a HouseChurch format in place of some of our normal Sunday evening gatherings. Though we are still awaiting the OK from the elders, the HouseChurch would be give space for much more intercommunication and growth within the church body. I would have a potential role of both co-leading a HouseChurch, and overseeing in planning and leadership development. As I mentioned, it’s not official yet, but I’m very excited as we continue to explore new ways of personal and church growth towards maturity, and new opportunities to communicate the beauty of Jesus in this community.

The second new initiative that I am involved in is giving leadership to a research trip to Montpellier, France. The purpose of this trip is to explore the possibility of a future church plant in this city. The dates of the trip are being nailed down at the time of this writing, but, Lord permitting, it should be done by the Spring at the latest. It’s a wonderful experience to move with God in sharing His fame in new places in this country!

I hope that you are doing well in your part of the world! Please check out the connect page for ways in which you can support this ministry. Ciao for now!

Weddings and Camp
A quick note this month...

Hilary and I just returned from California, where we celebrated our marriage with family and friends. You can see pictures from both the May wedding and June celebration on the the pictures page.

This past week was our third annual kid's camp with almost 50 kids - double from two years ago! I did the teaching for the week, teaching four aspects of David's life: responsibility, passion for God and truth, value to God, and courage. I also led the kids in memorizing Joshua 1.9. It was a fantastic week in loving these kids and their families with the love of Christ.

Hilary and I are doing well. We're staying very busy, going from camps, to a staff retreat, to the Christian Associates conference at the end of the month. I'll be leading the media, tech, and design teams at the conference.

We're continuing to search for an apartment, which is proving harder than expected. But we are still eager to see the provision of God!

I'm getting ready to begin seminary courses by starting the textbook reading. I'm very much looking forward to this experience!

Please be in prayer for these things: God to give birth to the beginning seeds of the Gospel planted during camp. Growth and wisdom in both conference work and beginning seminary. An apartment for Hilary and I that would be used to the glory of God!

Thank you for your prayers and support! More soon!

Retreats and Challenges
Bonjour! The last six weeks have been packed full of both good and challenging experiences:

At the end of February, I led a church retreat to a lived-in chateau in the Cevennes region of France. God stirred the hearts of two young women (one who is American, the other is French) to see the community of believers in a new way, and begin to see the beauty of Christ in His church. The young French woman even sang in a small choir that Hilary led this past Sunday. She wouldn't consider herself a follower of Jesus, but she is encountering God and His church for the first time. It's exciting!

The following Sunday, I taught at our Sunday night service. You can download the .mp3 here (click on "Download"). A few days later, Jeff Gardner and Richard Wilson were in town to join in several retreats. Richard went on prayer walks through the towns of Orange and Avignon, praying for God to work powerfully in these places. At the same time, Jeff and I spent three days in a silence and solitude retreat at a monastery! It was an amazing experience to be silent for much of the retreat, participating in prayers with the monks (I definitely improved my French language skills!), reading several challenging books, and communicating with God in a new way.

The monastery is home to around eight Benedictine monks. The focus of their life is prayer, as they gather to pray seven times a day (beginning at 5am!). We could join them in their prayer gatherings, walk the surrounding mountainside, or stay in our room - the retreat was shaped however we desired. Silence was requested for most of the time, such as at night where absolute silence is required from 8pm to 7am the next morning! That's not a huge deal because after waking for a 5am prayer gathering, I was exhausted by 9pm.

We ate with the monks (you guessed it, in silence). We did get to know one of the monks, our host, Père François. I personally enjoyed the required silence. It's amazing how much noise there is each day - most of which seems to originate from my own mouth! Scripture like James 1.19-20 comes to life when dwelling in an environment of silence.

I also took a lot from reading two books: N.T. Wright's new book, "Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church", and a collection of writings from the Early Church Fathers - specifically the seven letters of Ignatius, the letter of Polycarp, and the account of the martyrdom of Polycarp. One of several interesting quotes that also seemed to relate to the silence retreat:

"He who has really grasped what Jesus said can appreciate His silence...his very silence will reveal his character." -Ignatius

This past weekend was the first "CA France" retreat, a gathering of the three Christian Associates churches in France. It was a good time to dream, share resources and ideas.

On a personal note, pray for me, as this is a challenging season of life and ministry. My financial support continues to struggle (the huge drop of the dollar has not helped), and I continually feel a restlessness to explore what new things God is doing. Pray for joy. Hope. Life-giving days. And most importantly for God to be glorified in me and in His church for all eternity.

Thanks for praying. Reading. Supporting. May you desire to live His renown with your whole being (Isaiah 26.8)!

The Rhythm of Life
Hello all! It’s February and the year is moving quickly, which is nice! Hilary and I are both looking forward to the wedding on May 3, but even more so to the marriage that follows. We’re plugging away at wedding plans, though it’s taking all of our free time at the moment. We’re hoping that can improve soon.

I’ve jumped into this semester with a Bible study for university students on the topic of relationships. Almost 20 students have attended each of the first two weeks! It’s been a great study. I taught the first week on “cultivating faithfulness” (Psalm 37.3), and last week on Genesis 24 and principles for choosing well in the area of dating and long-term relationships. We wrap up the series next week with Pat & Lindsey and David & Brittany talking about what a Christian marriage looks like. Our intention with the series was to take a Biblical look at relationships, and it seems to have grabbed the attention of a lot of the international students. My prayer has been that they woul’d approach relationships in a new way in light of this study.

I’m teaching again at our Sunday night gathering on March 2. Our current series is an expository study of James. I’ll be teaching on James 2.1-7. Pray that the Word of God would richly dwell in our hearts, affecting how we live, and that I would speak boldly and confidently in the power of Jesus.

This semester is full of events: the Cevennes castle trip, the first-ever conference for Christian Associates churches in France (“CAFrance”), Easter, wedding in France, and wedding party in California. It’s also a time of transition as two of our team members head back to the states to take graduate education. Please pray for all of our team as we transition in team dynamics. Pray also for me as this transition allows me to explore what new roles I can take on.

Pray also for Hilary and I was prepare for marriage and look for a new apartment (which can be an adventure in France!) Pray that we would not be overcome by the current rhythm of life, but rise up in freedom and rest in Jesus.

I've been reading a lot the last couple of months. Below is an excerpt from Desmond Tutu’s “No Future without Forgiveness.” He writes about the reconciliation process in South Africa after decades of systematic racism, violence, and oppression. Powerful book with a world-shifting message.

Thank you for journeying with me! More to come soon!

“God has set in motion a centripetal process, a moving toward the center, toward unity, harmony, goodness, peace, and justice, a process that removes the barriers. Jesus says, ‘And when I am lifted up from the earth I shall draw everyone to myself’ [John 12.32] as He hangs from His cross with outflung arms, thrown out to clasp all, everyone and everything, in a cosmic embrace, so that all, everyone, everything, belongs. None is an outsider, all are insiders, all belong. There are no aliens, all belong in the one family, God’s family, the human family. There is no longer Jew or Greek, male or female, slave or free – instead of a separation a division, all distinctions make for a rich diversity to be celebrated for the sake of the unity that underlies them. We are different so that we can know our need of one another, for no one is ultimately self-sufficient. The completely self-sufficient person would be subhuman.” –“No Future without Forgiveness”, pg. 265

A Good Eye
The past few weeks have been full and exciting! At the beginning of the month, I taught at our Sunday night service. I walked through the story of Naaman. There was a lot of positive feedback; you can listen to it here (click on "Download"). You can listen to the podcast here.

Later that night, Hilary, Darrin, Julie and myself played live music at a local burger restaurant/pub. Over 30 people came out, and we had a great time! A few days later, Richard Wilson (from Charlotte) and his family came to visit. Hilary and I really enjoyed spending time with them around town and on a trip to Cassis. I also taught a Bible study the past three weeks for university students exploring the historical setting of Jesus’ teaching and life. Last week, I was laid up with a fever/stomach sickness for a few days. Something’s going around; pray for the health of myself and our team as the seasons begin to change!

I’ve been thinking and studying lately a lot about giving. The ancient rabbis used to speak of one who gives generously as having “a good eye”. They took the imagery from a passage such as Proverbs 22.9, which literally reads: “A good eye will be blessed, because it has given of its bread to the poor.” It was said that one who gave had a “good eye”, while the one who wouldn’t give or wouldn’t wish for others to give has “a bad eye.” In fact, as people would ask for donations, they would request, “Give with a good eye.”

It’s striking, then, reading the teachings of Jesus (a Jewish rabbi/teacher Himself) as He interprets Torah and living rightly before God. He takes the language and imagery of his contemporaries, but wraps it deeply into His theology for living in the Kingdom of God:

"The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy [Greek: “good”], your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” (Matthew 6.22-24)

For Jesus, having “a good eye” encompasses more than just giving. It affects how you live, and it determines whom you serve. To give, to have “a good eye,” means that your life is full of light – signifying beauty, glory, and living rightly before God. But to have “a good eye” also means something else. Jesus, like so many other times, brings the discussion straight towards lordship. Having “a good eye” shows that our master isn’t money and possessions (both are meant by the Greek word translated “money” in verse 24.) Instead, having a good eye shows that our master is the one, true God. The discussion of giving is intrinsically tied to lordship, and the discussion of lordship is intrinsically tied to giving.

That has been some fascinating and challenging teaching that I’ve been meditating on recently. In November, I’ll have an opportunity to teach this, along with some other material, for a series on giving at [iccp].

Works in Progress
After six weeks of travel, I’m back in France! It was great to see many of you in the US, take part in our staff conference in Hungary, and spend a few days in Vienna (I got engaged -- more on that in a moment!). But it’s also good to be home.

In updating my website, I noticed the picture for this section. It’s a picture of a road construction sign that Hilary took in Uganda. On the sign are the words, “Go, Slow. Works in Progress.” There is something that rings true in that sign: “works in progress”.

The other day, I went kayaking with a French friend of mine in the Gorges de Verdun. We were on the water that morning before anyone else as we paddled through an amazingly picturesque canyon. After entering from the lake side of the Gorges, we eventually started paddling against the current of the river, even causing us to walk along the side rocks at times to get upstream. The force of the current was so strong as it pushed against my legs.

I thought of how moving with God is very often challenging. In fact, it may never be easy. But maybe that's ok. If my friend and I had stopped fighting to get upstream, the current would have quickly carried us backward. We would have missed out on both the goal of the finishing the course and seeing the beauty that lay ahead. If we stop actively pursuing Jesus, maybe we will get carried away from what He is calling us to be.

I read recently that the word for “disciple” in Hebrew is talmid (the plural is talmidim.) It’s the equivalent of the Greek word that is translated as “disciple” in the English New Testament. One writer defines talmid as “a learner, one who is open to change and is actively seeing to learn how to live life to its fullest potential in the kingdom." A talmid is one who “walks with God by living out in practice the teaching of his rabbi.” (see "Meet the Rabbis" by Brad Young.)

The pursuit of God may be difficult, like fighting to get upstream in a kayak. But for a talmid of Jesus, the pursuit never stops. It’s an active pursuit of growth, change, redemption, beauty, and completion. And in that pursuit, God is establishing new creation. Though it may be messy at times, there is a work in progress. And it’s a good work. In fact, Paul reminds the talmidim of Jesus in Philippi of the work in progress in their lives. And he reminds them of the God who works is purposeful and will carry it through until the day of completion in Jesus (Philippians 1.6).

It’s ok to Go Slow. Works are in progress. But, go. Actively pursue. Live out the teaching of your rabbi, for your God is actively working in you.

For recent news…
Hilary How and I got engaged on August 18! We were in Vienna with my staff team from Aix. I proposed at Schonbrunn Palace. It’s a beautiful place, and you can see pictures on the pictures page of my website.

Our staff had just completed a conference with our mission organization, Christian Associates. I had the opportunity to serve at the conference, giving leadership to the media (i.e. everything that goes on the screens and also the stage lights.) We used moving video loops (thanks Charlotte folks!), live video for the speakers, and recorded some of the teachings for a podcast. Check out the podcast here. The media went exceedingly well, and it was a great experience to help facilitate the worship experience.

Lastly, I was reminded the other morning that this month will mark one year since I first picked out my dog, Talli, at the local animal shelter! She has been such a blessing; I love having a dog. Her and Hilary seem to get along well now, too (Talli has some attachment/jealously issues that we’re working through), so all is well for the future! Here’s a picture of Talli getting a bath this summer!

ciao for now!

Uganda recap
Salut! I arrived back from Uganda last week. It was an amazing experience as we worked with Rev. Ben Tumuheirwe Juna Amagara Ministries! Our team of eight spent most of the trip in a rural village in the southwestern part of the country (near the border of Rwanda.) We helped start the foundation of a learning center by moving bricks (by tossing in a line of people) and pouring concrete (by passing a bucket in a line and dumping it in the trench.) Almost all of the materials are from the earth – mud bricks dried in the sun, rocks used the foundation picked from a nearby stream, dirt/sand dug from the side of a mountain, and water gathered from local streams (there’s no running water/indoor plumbing/etc in the area.) It was hard work, but very beneficial for us as a team, and, I believe, a help for the workers who continue to work at the site today.

In addition to helping with the foundation of the learning center, we spent time with a children’s home that supports and provides Biblical teaching children in need in the area. We led several teachings from the Bible, taught English, and played games. Through gifts from [iccp], we were able to leave a tangible blessing – shoes for each of the 54 children! Many (if any at all) had ever owned shoes. It was great to be a part of that blessing.

At the end of the week, I had the opportunity to preach at a local church. It was a wonderful morning as we sang, clapped (a lot!), and led the children in three songs.

The last two days were spent on a safari-type trip in Uganda’s National Park, and visiting the source of the Nile river (did you know it started in Uganda?) At the national park, we saw hyenas, water buffaloes, a lion, hippos, and elephants! The elephants even blocked the road as we tried to leave the park. It was a bit of precarious situation as we had to step on the gas and try to get through without these massive creatures becoming freaked and charging us!

It was a powerful, humbling, and growth-building 12 days. Our team was amazing in jumping into the work and diving into relationships with each other. Everyone should go to Uganda!

May has arrived in Aix! We’re gearing up for two summer camps in late June and mid-July. Before that time, the city will shift as more tourists arrive and the locals disappear. It’s strange but part of life. ciao for now!

Support need, students, teaching, rest
Support Need
The end of February will mark two years since I first arrived in France! It’s been a long, hard, wonderful journey so far, and I look forward to the days ahead. In looking back at the initial financial support goal set two years ago, I’m so thankful for how God has provided and how generously and faithfully so many of you have given.

Recently, the monthly support commitment has decreased in a significant way. At this moment, the amount needed to reach my support goal is $1,000 in monthly support. In other words, it would amount to 10 people supporting at $100/month or 20 people supporting at $50/month.

I ask that you would join me in two ways:

1) Pray — If prayer is something with which you’re comfortable (for some, I recognize, that this may not be a normal part of your life), join with me in praying that God would provide the $1,000 in monthly support. Pray for the 10 supporting at $100/month or 20 people support at $50/month (as I outlined above.) It’s so wonderful to look back on what God has done that you can’t help but believe that He is able to do this!

2) Support — Will you prayerfully consider increasing your current support level? Whom do you know who may be interested in hearing about what God is doing through this ministry in France? Feel free to pass on my contact information or website. If you are interested in increasing your current support level (or giving for the first time), you can send a check to:

Christian Associates International
18950 Base Camp Road
Monument, CO 80132

Make the check out to the Christian Associates, and reference this number on the envelope: 041860 (my support account within Christian Associates.) If you would like to give on a monthly basis through Electronic Funds Transfer, they will send a form for that option with the receipt of your initial support (and an envelope for mailing a check.)

Some recent news
…I recently began taking French lessons with a friend of mine. I’m enjoying the one-on-one tutoring style. I have an hour lesson each Monday and Thursday morning, along with several hours of homework in between. So far, I feel I’m improving on specific aspects (those “small things” of learning a language), and I look forward to continuing with the tutoring.

…Student events at [iccp] are going very well! Last week, 30 new students were in my apartment(!) for a New Student Gathering. In addition, we will begin Aix Forum this Wednesday. Aix Forum is a discussion group for international students from all backgrounds. Rather than just a gathering of Christians, we hope to create space for international students from all life-perspectives to interact and intelligently discuss a variety of topics. I’m giving leadership to the first night; I’m looking forward to it!

...I’m scheduled to teach at [iccp]’s Sunday evening service this week! Be sure to sign up for the podcast (it’s free)

...I have a new email address. Same name, but gmail.com (instead of yahoo.com.) Please make the change in your address book.

Prayer areas
…Support -- as mentioned above, pray that God would provide the needed funds to reach my support goal. And pray to what end you may participate.

…Rest – the last few weeks have been extremely busy, and the coming months look to be in the same mold. Pray that I would take time to rest, a brief vacation (something I haven’t done since last summer – yikes!), and regain strength for each day. I’ve also been sick again recently; pray for renewed health!

…Teaching – pray that I would speak the words of God that He would receive the glory in all things (1 Peter 4.11) as I teach this Sunday night.

…Protection – I’ve been reminded lately of the continually need of protection physically, spiritually, and emotionally. Pray that God would surround us!

Ciao for now!


Holidays in France, teaching and discipleship, Galatians 4.13
Bonne Année! I hope your New Years has been good. My first holiday season out of the US was good. My parents sent a package of presents that I opened on Christmas Day, which was nice. And on Christmas evening, over 15 people – who had no place to go for Christmas – gathered in my apartment for dinner. It was good to be host for many who are away from home for the holidays. On New Years Eve, several of the staff went to chez Jones. Good time with friends, though I was a bit exhausted!

On New Years, I had the opportunity to teach at [iccp]. Pat Pettyjohn and I taught together on the theme of “Offering of First Fruits”. The evening was very meaningful for a lot of people. This was the third time that I’ve taught at [iccp]. You can download the recordings of the last two teachings here:

Offering of First Fruits - 31 December 06
Carried - 29 October 06

On February 11, I’m going to teach on the story of Gideon (Judges 6-7). I’m excited!

Another thing that’s been very exciting the past few months is the opportunity to be in discipleship with several guys (meeting together regularly to grow in faith and life.) I meet regularly with two of the new staff guys, Adam and Pat, as they make the transition to life and ministry in France. In addition, I get together with two French guys, Sebastian and Tom. Sebastian and I have been reading through the book of Ephesians and meeting to discuss what we’ve read. Tom and I are meeting tomorrow night to talk about baptism – what does it mean? What’s it’s purpose? I’m looking forward to the discussion. I’m so encouraged to be able to be used by God in the lives of these guys. God is doing something unique and special in each of our lives!

I’ve been a bit sick lately. Sinus contestation, fever for a couple of days, etc. (A lot of people are sick; I think part of it's the weather – it’s 64 today! 64! That’s very bizarre.) In light of my sickness, I was reading something the other day that encouraged me:

In Galatians 4.13, Paul writes: "...it was because of a bodily illness that I preached the gospel to you the first time…”

So, Paul was sick and his sickness forced him to the stay in the region of Galatia. And while he was there, he preached the message of Jesus. And he says that it was “because of” his bodily illness. Paul’s plan wasn’t to go to Galatia, but he landed in that region because he was sick. And God used him in a huge way. I was encouraged to think what God might do in the midst of my sickness. I normally don’t like being sick (I know, who does), but instead of resenting it, I have a new perspective.

One last treat…Hilary and I did some Christmas music on the main street in town at the beginning of December. To listen, click here.

I hope you are experiencing life full where you are. My tentative plans are to be back through the States in the early summer (perhaps June or July.) I hope to catch up with many of you face to face at that time. Ciao for now!

New apartment, [iccp] teaching, ewok?
Good morning! I’m little bit sick as I write (I think it’s just a cold), so the morning is stretching for me today! (The French have saying for a lazy morning, faire la grasse matinée. I'm ok with that today.) Some recent news…

I’ve moved into the new apartment that I mentioned last month! The process was SO amazing! I felt like God blew open doors at so many places. Some highlights:

-I was able to communicate in French for almost all the process (with help from Tasha and Andi on a few parts.)
-When I told my former owner that I was leaving the apartment, she completely understood and even helped in writing a letter in French that I needed to write (part of the process of leaving an apartment in France.)
-To leave an apartment, I must give two months notice. But if someone decides to rent the apartment during the notice period, I don’t have to pay. The conversation about leaving was on Tuesday night. By the end of the day Wednesday, two people had come to see the apartment. By Friday, the total was four. And the apartment was rented by Monday! Crazy!
-My relationship with my (now) former apartment owner was kept in good standing. They are one of the nicest French couple I’ve met, and it’s such a blessing to be able to keep relationship with them.

The new apartment has been put to good use already. 20+ people each Thursday to watch new episodes of LOST, Bible study on Wednesdays, and various dinners. To see pictures of the apartment, click here.

Last Sunday night, I taught at [iccp]’s Sunday evening gathering. I spoke on the story of David and Mephibosheth in 2 Samuel 9. To download the mp3, click here.

This past Tuesday was my birthday. The staff surprised me with a spontaneous road trip (handed me a map and said, “Where do you want to go?”) We ended up driving east to a small town near Antibes, called Biot. The town is known for glass blowing. We had a lunch at a crêpe resturant and went to the factory where they do glass blowing. After arriving back in Aix that night, there was a surprise party with a lot of people! It was a great day! Click here to see pictures of Biot.

Things have been busy lately, but it’s good as life is constantly in motion. I’ve started leading a Bible study entitled, “Jesus and the Kingdom”, looking at the setting of Jesus’ day (politically, socially, economically) to grasp better how His life and message would have been understood in His day, and what it could mean for us today. I’ve really enjoyed building worship teams recently. I feel like that God is opening new possibilities both musically and relationally. It’s been a good experience. In addition, we had a worship night at my apartment last Monday night. Twelve people gathered to enjoy time in the presence of God through song, communion, and prayer. It was a very cool experience, and, as we closed in prayer, I sensed that God was doing (and was going to do) something special and unique in our midst.

That’s all for now, but for those interested…the newest pic of Talli, click here. She's definitely the cutest dog in the world! (Even though KMB thinks she looks like an ewok!)

ciao for now!

It's getting a little chilly!
Hey! It's October already...hard to believe! The mornings and evenings in Aix are a little chilly, a sign that fall is not far away. Sorry for missing September, but here are some updates of what's been happening...

//After Uganda, I went to the States for a week. It was a good time with my parents, and I was able to visit an Internal Medicine doctor. The doctor did the full array of work, and, though he didn't see anything out of the ordinary, he did have good advice for making changes in my eating and sleeping patterns. In addition, I also picked up some good vitamins. Those changes have made a marked difference the past few weeeks as I feel more energized and less dragged down. One of the changes I made was to take time and cook dinner. In that process, I've actually found (a) I enjoy it and (b) I feel a lot better physically. It's been good!

//[iccp] has kicked off the Fall! New students and families have arrived, which always seems to add a new energy. I will continue with building worship teams, working with University students, and doing some graphic design. I'll also be leading a Bible study in mid-Oct and teaching during our Sunday evening service the last Sunday of October!

//New staff! In the past two months, our staff team has doubled! We've welcomed the Teal & Megan Rapp and their two daugthers (meet them in the recent [iccp]abide newsletter, Adam & Tasha Hoover, and Pat & Lindsey Pettyjohn. They are doing a great job diving into life in France!

//Moving! I've started the process of moving to a new apartment! I currently live in a studio apartment that has been a HUGE blessing the past year and half. However, I'm ready now to move to a slightly larger place to have students over and have a separate bedroom. There is an apartment avaialable in an AMAZING location for a great price. The intial costs will be high (first months rent, two month deposit, and one month's worth for the rental agency; and purchasing furniture) but it has a huge living room area to have people over and a bedroom set in the back of the apartment. I've started the paperwork, which, in France, can be a long and (potentially) discouraging process. Pray with me for joy and for God's leading throughout the process. Thank God with me for the amazing place He has given this past year and half, and that I would use the new place to be a blessing.

//Last but certainly the most adorable...I got a dog! Her name is Talli (variation of Hebrew word, "tallit") and she's a Tibetan Spannial. Click here for pictures!

Thanks for reading and thank you for your support and friendship! ciao for now!

Uganda Update
Hello from Uganda! I have a few minutes online and wanted to write a quick update. I arrived safely to Kampala (the capital). After purchasing a stove for the children’s home, Matt, Emma (another visitor) and I made the four drive to Mbarra. It’s a beautiful country, and the people are warm and welcoming. The poverty is definitely striking and weighty, but it is amazing to see how God is using Matt & Crystal in specific areas of need – with this orphanage and through evangelism.

We spent last week doing landscaping/construction on the land of Matt & Crystal’s new home. I spent one morning with a machete trimming the banana trees on their property (pictures to come; you’ll have to imagine for now). We’ve been digging and leveling a field for the children to play on, and construction an outhouse (i.e. 18 foot hole in the ground surrounded by a concrete structure.)

Yesterday, I preached at a local church, a small congregation with a huge heart. Pastor Bernard has a fiery passion for the Lord. I preached on Jubilee, Freedom, Forgiveness. (Basically expounding on what I had written in the Life-Rhythm section my website a few months ago.) It was a message of forgiveness that stirred all of us, particularly with cultural and political situations in Uganda. And, by God’s grace, a woman gave her life to Christ! The readiness to receive the gospel in this country is unique and, I believe, God-driven. With that said, there is a huge need for discipleship.

Thank you for your prayers and encouragements. This week, we will work more at the construction site and perhaps visit some schools in the surrounding regions. Also, last night I came down with a bit of a fever. It has seemed to subsided, but pray for renewed strength and health. I look forward to sharing pictures with you soon! Thanks!

Jubilee
490 is a big number. But even bigger is another understanding of the text.

Scholars believe that one of the writings widely read by Jews during Second-Temple Jerusalem (roughly fourth century BC to second century AD) was the book of Daniel. The Jewish people had been freed from the Exile in Babylon, but there was a real sense that “the Exile” wasn’t over. Yes, they were back in their land, but the promises of God found in the prophets were yet to be fulfilled, climaxing in God reigning fully evident to the world as King, the rebuilding the Temple, and the establishing Israel as a light to the world, to which all nations would be blessed. But the reality of that time period was quite different: from Persia to Rome, the Jews were ruled by pagan nations, the Temple was in fragments, and the people of Israel were scattered all over the known world.

Perhaps this is one of the reasons that Daniel was so widely read. The prophet spoke of when the Exile would be over, and the Jews of the Second-Temple period would have poured over the text as hope and longing for God to bring His reign, the kingdom. When would the kingdom come? With echoes of former Jewish scriptures, Daniel 9.24 answers:

“Seventy units of seven have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy place.”

So, the decree is for seventy units of seven to pass, or seventy times seven. (It’s often translated “seventy weeks”, but the original text is listed as the generic units – whether weeks, years, etc.) So what does that mean?

In Torah, God had commanded that His people observe a year of Jubilee. Every seventh year, the land shall have a Sabbath rest from work, in which the people would not sow the fields. After “seven Sabbaths of years” (Leviticus 25.8), or forty-nine years, the people were to observe the year of Jubilee. In that year, those who were poor and had been forced to sell their family property received it back. Those who had become so poort that they sold themselves as slaves and hired workers to their fellow countryman were set free. And the land itself was given a rest.

The year of Jubilee was a year of redemption and freedom.

And perhaps that is one way in which the text in Daniel was read - as a sort of, as N.T. Wright puts it, “ultra-Jubilee”. God fully evident to the world as King, with redemption and freedom as the heralding marks of His coming.

And perhaps that is a way to read the statement of Jesus, several hundred years after Daniel. Peter asked Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times? Jesus answered, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.” (Matthew 18.21-22)

Peter gets it...but doesn’t get it. Jesus says that it’s not about seven times. It's not even about 490 times. Nor is it about an abstract, innumerable amount. Forgiveness is about Jubilee. It's about redemption and freedom. It's about the fulness of God's design of Jubilee in Torah - the year of Jubilee brought into your everyday life. It's a picture of the kingdom of God. This is why Jesus immediately breaks into a parable in the next sentence, beginning with: “For this reason the kingdom of heaven can be compared to...(Matthew 18.23a)

Jubilee. Redemption. Freedom. Forgiveness.

490 never looked so big.

//04June06
Greetings from a warm Aix en Provence! Last Saturday night, we had a going away party for students. We enjoyed a wonderful time chez Anderson for a pool party, BBQ, and a (spontaneous) bonfire and "groove." We also showed a slideshow of pictures from the past semester. Check it out. So, yes, people are still leaving. It’s continually difficult, and hopefully I was able to convey a side of it in the previous post (below). It’s a strange time.

For me, the theme of living has been even more striking in the past two months with three of my grandparents have passed away, the latest occurring just last week. That, on top of a very meaningful friend going back to the states and the remainder of the students exiting now, brings the theme of “leaving” into full force. I’m continually learning how to process and close well.

Cool stuff has been happening at [iccp]. I’ve added two links on the front page of my website. One is a link to [iccp] podcasts. Click on the link, and it will open up iTunes and take you to the music store. Podcasts are a free service that will automatically download a new “episode” each week. So, each week the message from [iccp]’s Sunday evening gathering will be automatically downloaded to your computer without having to go to a website and manually download. (Wow, everything in the western world is truly becoming on-demand. I don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing...)

I’m growing more excited each day for this trip to Uganda! (If I happened to miss you on the email about the trip, click here for the info.) I booked the flight today and, Lord permitting, will send away this week for the needed visitor visa. I’ll be in the city of Mbarara (5 hour bus ride from the capital of Kampala). My continually prayer is that I could go and be a blessing.
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For those into statistics, the CIA Factbook info about Uganda is startling. As a means of context, here is a comparison between Uganda and the States. It’s obviously not the best comparison because of huge differences in land (Uganda is about the size of the state of Oregon) and population size (1/10 of the USA) among other things, but hopefully it can still provide some context. The figures for the States are in parenthesis:

Age Structure: 50% of the population is 0-14 years old (vs. 20.4%)
Median Age: 15 (vs. 36.5)
Birth Rate: 47.35 births/1,000 population (vs. 14.14 births/1,000 population)
Infant Mortality Rate: 66.15 deaths/1,000 live births (vs. 6.43 deaths/1,000 live births)
Life Expectancy: 52.67 (vs. 77.85)
People living with AIDS (2001 est.): 530,000 (vs. 950,000 - note again the difference in population above)
Literacy [15 and over can read and write]: 79% (vs. 99%)

For me, those were (and still are) quite startling statistics. Yet so much more than a number, I’m so excited to be able to engage and be fused with the tangible people that I interact with. I’m moving forward humbly, joyfully, and reliant in Christ.

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers! Ciao for now


A New Gate
Leaving is hard. There is no going around that statement. A day comes and you have to say goodbye. Thankfulness rises as the tears fall. Emotions swirl. And reality begins to creep in slowly. Leaving is hard.

It’s that time of year again in Aix – meaningful friendships take a vastly different shape as many people who have come into our lives over the past nine months return home. They leave a place that was life altering in many ways. Life is different now, but the words to express the change that occurred are seemingly just out of reach.

Throughout the last several chapters of Ezekiel, God gives Ezekiel a vision of the design and function of the second Temple in Jerusalem (the original was destroyed by the Babylonians.) The Temple in Jerusalem was the central place of worship and identity for the people of God, the place in which the people would gather for massive, extravagant, week-long festivals of celebration and consecration to their God.

In Ezekiel 46.9, God says that as the people enter for worship by one gate, they are to exit through the opposite gate. “No one shall return by way of the gate by which he entered but shall go straight out [through the opposite gate].” If they entered by the north gate, they were to exit through the south gate. If they entered through the south gate, they were to exit through the north gate. There doesn’t seem to be anything particular about the gates themselves. So, why this command to exit through the opposite gate?

Maybe God wanted to remind His people that something wonderful, something life-altering, was happening when they went to worship Him. And as they met with their living God, the experience would change them.

You can’t leave the same way in which you came.

For us in Aix, whether you want to leave the same or not isn’t the issue. It’s out of your control. Change happens. You’re different. Those who leave are different. So are those of us who stay. We have all been affected by deeply meaningful friendships. We all find ourselves faced with walking through the opposite gate.

As reality creeps in, we move into this wonderfully affected life by way of a new gate.

10 April Salut tout le monde! It’s April and Spring has arrived! For me, there is something refreshing about bright, warm sunshine! It’s been nice to sit in the park and go hiking in the midst of the past few weeks. It’s been a nice break and refreshment during the busyness of this season.

At the end of March, I spent a week in The Hague, Netherlands for training with Christian Associates. It was a great time hanging out with a small group from various CAI churches in Europe. And Holland wasn’t as cold or rainny as I expected. (I mentioned to a Dutch friend that it had only rained one day the entire week and he was shocked!) The week was good, though I landed on the other end of the emotional spectrum the morning I was to come back to Aix.

Around 5am, I heard my cell phone vibrating. It was my mom, calling to tell me that my grandmother had suddenly and unexpectedly passed away. A few hours later, I was on a train back to Aix and jumped straight into an extremely busy and wonderful week with Global Velocity (a band from Chicago) that was in town to play concerts – of which I had coordinating leadership (more on that week in a second). A few days later, my computer crashed – though it’s since been restored withal the files, a huge blessing of God! So, emotions have definitely been all over the place – a fun week in the Hague, along with going at some intense personal issues, coupled with my grandmother’s death, the inconvenience of not being able to access computer files, and going from 8am to 4am almost every day for a week straight. There wasn’t much time to process and grieve, but God has been faithful and good. One way has been in claiming promises in His Word. I would just wake up and pray Isaiah 40.29 each morning; it was all I could think of with all the strength I could gather. Another way has been through friendships. I’m realizing, perhaps for the first time, the value of specific, refreshing friendships. I’m thankful to God to be able to send a text and ask to just hang out or have dinner. I’m sometimes asked, “What is the hardest part about living in France?” The hardest part is watching friends leave. It’s going to be really hard these next few weeks, but I’m resting in the truth that, somehow, in the midst of it all, God is still good. He has been. And He will be.

As I mentioned, Global Velocity was in town to play several concerts in Aix. The band was made up of 14 members (rotating in and out), playing everything from rock to Gospel. The week of concerts was AMAZING as we were able to connect with a large amount of people. The first two nights, the band played in two of the most popular bars in town – Bistro Aixois and IPN. The bar owners (whom I’ve gotten to know during the past few weeks – more on that soon) were blown away by how great the band sounded and how much fun a weekday evening could be. Friday night was a Gospel concert at the building in which we meet for our Sunday evening service. The week concluded with Global Velocity leading our Sunday evening service. We’re still connecting with people whom we met during this week. At the risk of sounding redundant, it was amazing!

My brother, Miguel, gets married in Guatemala in less than two weeks! I leave for Guatemala a week from today – it definitely hasn’t sunk in. I’m looking forward to the week of fun, rest, and more craziness!

I hope you like my new website. Let me know if you have any trouble viewing it. Also, I recently redesigned [iccp]’s website, check it out. (I know, it looks similar, but we’ll just keep that secret between us!)

Thank you for reading. Thank you for your friendship and encouragement; it means a lot. Ciao for now

Free
Jesus was Jewish. Shocking, isn’t it? It can be easy to forget that fact. We know the completion of the story, so it’s easy to jump forward and forget that Jesus was Jewish. But it gets better: He lived and taught in a Jewish setting among people who, has 1st century Jews, had certain “beliefs” (in a sense of the word), hopes, and lived under a law, a way of relating to their God.

Though perhaps not always the popular place for study among Jesus-followers today, Torah, the first five books of the Jewish Bible (what we know as The Old Testament) contained the Law under which Jews learned how to live in relation to their God. It governed life-actions and was an expression of being the chosen people of God.

In Mark 1.40-45, a leper comes to Jesus and says to Jesus, “If You are willing, You can make me clean” (v.40). Jesus, moved with compassion, heals the leper. But then Jesus commands something interesting: “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a testimony to them.” (v.44)

Like most people groups of their day, 1st century Jews offered sacrifices to their God. In Leviticus 14, God gave to Moses the required sacrifice for when a leper is cleansed. Presumably, this would have been what Jesus would have commanded of the leper that He had healed.

As part of the cleansing ritual, this is what would happen: The priest would examine the person that previously had leprosy. The priest would then take two birds, cedar wood, and a scarlet thread. The first bird would be killed in an earthenware vessel over running water. (The literal Hebrew translation is living water.) Then the priest would take the second, live bird, along with the cedar wood and scarlet thread, and dip them in the blood of the bird that was killed. The one who had leprosy would then be pronounced clean, and the live bird, dipped in the blood of the slain bird, would be set free. Over an open field, the live bird, dipped in the blood of the one slain, would be set free.

Jesus cleansed the leper and then had him experience something that he would never forget. Cleansed and set free, covered in the blood of the one slain.

09March06 chez moi
Salut! I’m looking out my window at a blue sky and bright sun…ok, it’s not actually warm, but it certainly looks nice! Personally, I’m eagerly waiting for summer to commence. The cold seasons are good, I believe, but I definitely look forward to the shining of the sun.

This talk of seasons reminds of a quote by the 17th century British pastor, John Bunyan. I wasn'’t planning on going deeply metaphorical in this section –and it probably sounds like rambling by now – but Bunyan’s words are worth sharing:

There is that of God to be seen in such a day as cannot be seen in another. His power in holding up some, his wrath in leaving of others; his making of shrubs to stand, and his suffering of cedars to fall; his infatuating of the counsels of men, and his making of the devil to outwit himself; his giving of his presence to his people, and his leaving of his foes in the dark; his discovering [disclosing] the uprightness of the hearts of his sanctified ones, and laying open the hypocrisy of others, is a working of spiritual wonders in the day of his wrath, and of the whirlwind and storm. . . . We are apt to overshoot, in the days that are calm, and to think ourselves far higher, and more strong than we find we be, when the trying day is upon us. . . . We could not live without such turnings of the hand of God upon us. We should be overgrown with flesh, if we had not our seasonable winters. It is said that in some countries trees will grow, but will bear no fruit, because there is no winter there.

This has even more force when knowing that Bunyan was in prison for 12 years – 12 years!! – for preaching the life-message of Christ. He had four children under ten, one of them blind. His wife was pregnant at the time of his entering prison but miscarried during the events. Bunyan was told that he would be released if he refused to preach. For twelve years, despite immense suffering, he chose prison and chose to cling to his belief in the freedom of the message of Christ.

It’s a powerful biography, which (along with others) can be found here.

At [iccp], we recently took our retreat to the Cevennes region of France, staying in an old chateau for the weekend. We go twice a year, and each trip is a wonderful experience of growing friendships and experiencing the history of Protestant persecution in the region. During this trip, we took a hike (straight up the side of a mountain!) to a large cave in which Protestants would gather for worship. It’s quite a powerful experience.

I was sick the two weeks before that trip (and during the retreat), but I’m not sure what it was. The doctors thought it was “the beginning” of the flu though I’m not so sure because (1) the symptoms were unlike anything I’ve experienced (unable to walk or stand for more than an hour a day, troubling breathing, low blood pressure, huge amounts of sleeping, etc.) and (2) it never moved into the flu; the symptoms are gone (I think). Ah, life in a different country!

There are several things coming up: I’m headed to the Netherlands 18-25 March for a week of training with Christian Associates. I arrive back a few days before a band from Chicago, Global Velocity, is here for a week to play some concerts, a dance, and do some work projects. My brother, Miguel, gets married 23 April in Guatemala!

I hope you are doing well. Ciao!

from Charity to Justice
Bono spoke at the recent National Prayer Breakfast in D.C. Wow... Take a few minutes to read the transcript or download an mp3 (9.5MB).

09February06 chez moi
Bonjour from Aix! It was great seeing many of you while I was in the States. Thank you for your excitement and encouragement of me and for what God is doing in France! While in the States, I was also able to purchase a new computer, so there are a lot of new pictures on the pics page.

After a few days of readjusting, I jumped right back into life in france. Darrin and I took a weekend trip to Paris – how often in life does someone get to say that?! – to hear author Brian McLaren teach a couple of seminars. It was a very fun weekend at the seminars, and hanging out with our friends who are part of the Christian Associates church plant in Paris.

Back in Aix, I recently gave leadership to a two-week Bible study on the historical setting (political, social, economical) during the time of Jesus, an overview of first century Judaism, what was understood by the phrase, "the kingdom of God", and characteristics of the early Christians. The study went really well, and I’ve enjoyed being able to share what I’ve been learning.

Two weeks ago was a very special Sunday evening gathering at [iccp]. Just a few hours before the gathering was to begin, we found out that a high school student in town passed away from cancer. This student was a friend of a student in the [iccp] community, and we learned that many students were going to be coming to the gathering to process the loss of their friend. In rearranging the original plan for the evening at the last minute, we are able to move with them and provide a place of comfort in the midst of pain of loss. Darrin shared a compassionate message, putting forth the nearness of God. Not only did more than 30 students come, but also the parents of the student who passed away were able to spend some time with Darrin. It was a very powerful evening and an expression of our desire for [iccp] to be a missional community.

You can now download Darrin’s weekly messages from our Sunday evening gathering! Go to the [iccp] website (enter, click on “Downloads”). Enjoy!

One of my recent tasks was a creating a newsletter for those were formerly in Aix and who are now part of [iccp] all over the world. It’s called [iccp]abide; here is the first newsletter.

One of our recent outlets for fun has been American TV shows on DVD. “24” and, particularly lately, “Lost,” have been passed around many circles of friends! And with iTunes, we have been able to stay up-to-date with recent episodes of LOST. It’s been fun and funny -- some friends of mine stayed up until 5.30am watching season 1 of LOST! It’s interesting how things like a TV series are outlets for relaxation and fun when living in another country.

I hope all is well with you. Send me an email when you have a moment; I would love to hear how things are going with you! Ciao!

11December05 chez moi
Salut on a cold December morning in Aix! I fly to the States on Friday – just 5 days from now. It definitely hasn’t sunk in yet, but I look forward to the time seeing each of you!

Hopefully you received the emails about the Dessert Nights in Charlotte and Fredericksburg. These will be very casual evenings of sharing stories and pictures of what life in France has been like during the past nine months. Desserts will be provided by the hostesses (be sure to thank Joy Groves in Charlotte and my mom in Fredericksburg!), so all you have to bring is yourself. I would love for EVERYONE to come! It’s going to be a lot of fun! Here are the dates. Please RSVP soon!

Charlotte: Monday, December 19 @ 7pm
Groves Family Home
3501 Providence Manor Road
Charlotte, NC 28270
RSVP: Steve & Joy Groves: 704.814.7866 or joygroves@carolina.rr.com

Fredericksburg: Thursday, December 29 @ 7pm
Rivera Family Home
19 Sharpsburg Lane
Fredericksburg, VA 22405
RSVP: Juan & Rosa Rivera: 540.368.9569 or rosariv@aol.com

There’s been a slight change in speaking schedule. The dates for speaking at Threshold (Charlotte) and Mount Ararat (Stafford) have been switched: I’ll be at Mount Ararat on Sunday, December 18 and at Threshold on Sunday, January 8. This does not affect the Dessert night in Charlotte, however, it does mean that there will only be one dessert night (instead of two) in Fredericksburg.

Last Sunday night was a city-wide Christmas Carol service at the cathedral in town hosted by [iccp]. Over 1,000 people attended the bi-lingual service, which ended with a candle lighting during the singing of “Silent Night.” A picture of Darrin (who gave a short message during the service) even appeared in the newspaper the next day! I look forward to showing you pictures and short video clips of the service while I’m in the States.

The [iccp] Thanksgiving Meal (mentioned in the post below) was wonderful! Over 140 people attended a meal in one of eight homes! The host was responsible for cooking the turkey and each guest brought a side dish. It was a great time to build new friendships and share a meal with people from (literally) from all over the world. At the home that I was in, we had guests from seven different nationalities: Russia, Italy, England, Palestine, Taiwan, Colombia, and America.

I hope you are doing well where you are! Please take a moment to RSVP to a Dessert Night. I look forward to seeing you soon! Ciao!

10November05 church office
Bonjour tout le monde! I can’t believe it’s November already – the Fall seems to go by so fast! The weather has been back forth between early Fall and early Winter temperatures. The last several mornings and evenings were very cold, but then it’s fairly warm by midday (I’m in a t-shirt and just somewhat chilly.) In addition to the weather, perhaps you are also wondering (like Darrin asked in staff meeting last Monday) if I am in mourning because of the Hokies loss to Miami. Sad, yes, but not in mourning. It's been to keep up with college football (my favorite sport) through internet video and radio streaming. Hopefully the team can win out and get into a BCS game.

On a more serious note, I hear that the recent riots in France have made a lot of news in the U.S. Most of the riots have been around Paris and not near the Aix en Provence area. (Paris is in the north part of the country; Aix is in the south, over eight hours by car.) I will be in Marseille next week (for a Coldplay concert!) and in Paris at the end of the month. I’m curious to see the effects of the violence (such as the curfew in Paris). So I shall report firsthand!

As of today (Nov. 9), my computer is still down (it crashed at the beginning of October. There was a huge mess in the needed software getting lost in the mail for three weeks, and the new software that was ordered having yet to arrive. It’s definitely been a challenge not being able to do graphic design, access pictures and files, and various work tasks. I'm noticing how much I use a computer as a tool for work, but it's been good to explore new opportunites in the meantime (such as great convesations with students and getting back into reading.) I’m hoping to get a new (and more effective) computer when in the States next month. Speaking of...

I’ll be in the States December 16-January 11! The breakdown of the cities and dates are below. Also, I’ll send a separate email with dates for desert nights where I can share the exciting things that have been going on the last seven months! If you’re in or near these places, I would love to see you!

Dec 17-21: Charlotte, NC
Dec 21-23: Blacksburg, VA
Dec 23-Jan 2: Fredericksburg, VA (D.C. area)
Jan 2-5: Nashville, TN
Jan 5-11: Fredericksburg, VA (D.C. area)

This Sunday, [iccp] is hosting Thanksgiving Meal in homes of various families from the church. In place of our normal Sunday evening service, we sharing a Thanksgiving Meal together. Over 70 people are being placed across six homes. It should be a great opportunity to share a meal together with new people. The response has been exciting so far, and I look forward to sharing stories!

I hope to be able to post pictures again when the computer gets back up. A few weeks ago we took our semesterly (is that a word? Microsoft Word is telling me, “no”) church retreat to a chateau in the Cevennes region of France. We had a fantastic time and even took some video footage! I'll try to post the video, and bring a copy with me to the desert nights. I also recently took a day trip to Nimes with the Jones’, Andi, and our friend, Hayley. Those, along with random pictures, coming soon!

Thanks for spending those few moments of your day reading what's going on with me. I appreciate it! I’ll talk to you – and hopefully, see you – soon! ciao!

04October05 chez moi
Salut! Greetings from a cold Aix en Provence! During this past week, the weather has suddenly become very cold. (ok, “very” compared to the warm, lengthy summer.) I pulled out my coat, and even had a sweater on for part of yesterday. Seasons are changing!

The fall semester has begun and events are in full swing! This past Sunday, we had our second Sunday evening service of the semester and it’s wonderful to meet new people that God is bringing into the community – from students to families who have moved to Aix for long period of time. The beginning of the semester also means that things are very busy again. I often get asked what my days are like. Each day is different, but I spend a lot of time planning, designing (in Photoshop, etc.), and meeting with people. Here’s a look at my current schedule.

My current responsibilities include forming worship teams and leading worship on Sunday evenings, giving leadership to youth group on Wednesday afternoons, working with Andi in the university student ministry (weekly Bible study and a weekly discussion group), giving guitar lessons to two students, and designing visual and print media. Here is a poster I created for our Rentree party and a weekly discussion group for students called, Aix Forum. I also try to create a theme slide for the series that Darrin is teaching at the Sunday evening service. Here’s the theme slide from the current series. Speaking of Darrin’s messages – I’m letting you in on a secret! – we are now recording his message each Sunday! Last week was the first time and it went very well. We should have each week’s message available for download very soon! I’ll keep you updated!

Coming to the States I’m planning on being back in the States from mid-December to the first week of January. I will let you know of the exact dates as I know them. I look forward to connecting with all of you!!

As noted in the post below, I now have internet at my apartment! So, my hope is that updates will occur more frequently. So check back often! ciao!

10Sept05 chez moi, Aix en Provence
Almost four months to the day that I signed up for internet installed in my apartment, it has arrived! Yay! That means I now have more ways to stay in touch: Instant Messenger/Ichat, Skype, and xbox live. My screen name for all three is aixdom. (If you have a microphone or are on a mac, we can do an audio chat through IM/ichat!). a bientot

07Sept05 Cours Mirabeau, Aix en Provence
Bonsoir! Good evening from Aix. I noticed it’s been a while since I last updated (yikes, sorry!). It’s been a long, difficult summer in some ways. This past month has been particularly difficult, but I’m striving to push forward in the midst of this desert season to it’s completion. The arrival of the Fall and the beginning again of [iccp] (the church took a break during August) is encouraging to move on from the summer and press forward.

All of that aside, I was able to go to some very exciting events and places in the last month and a half. Being in Europe gives a new perspective to summer travel! In late July, several of us went to a nearby town to watch the Tour de France! Here’s a picture of the riders. It’s a bit blurry, but the yellow is Armstrong (I think : )). It was a fun experience. I was intrigued by (1) how many riders there are (a lot) and (2) how fast they actually ride (fast).

During the first week of August, I was in Netherlands for a staff conference with Christian Associates. I had the opportunity to lead worship for one of the sessions, play guitar in several other sessions, and help with Tech (powerpoint, videos, etc.) It was also good to see Richard and Beverly from Charlotte. I’ll post a few pictures on the pics page soon from the conference taken by Rogier Bos, the lead pastor for the CAI church in Rotterdam (I love his photography).

The following week was vacation – a tour through Italy! I went to Pompeii, Florence, and Venice. The beauty of these cities was wonderful. It would have been nice to have someone to travel with, but it’s hard to complain while standing among the ruins of an ancient city or trying to take in the beauty of Michelangelo’s David. And I get to take you along through pictures (but don’t stop reading yet!).

Two weeks ago, I spent a few days in Brittany (Northwest part of France), visiting a friend of my aunt Diane. It was a good time visiting family friends and seeing a different part of the country (and a very good train ride back). This past weekend (this isn’t travel, but very cool), I was able to participate in a fantasy football draft with some of the crew from Threshold in Charlotte through an online audio chat, and listen to VT’s opening football game via a streaming radio station. (Thanks to Darrin and Julie for letting me use the internet at their apartment!)

Looking ahead to the Fall, here are some activities that I’ll be involved in: leading worship and organizing teams, powerpoint/visual media for Sunday gathering, print media/advertising (more on that in a moment), leading youth group, giving guitar lessons, helping guys pub night, aix forum (discussion group for university students), bible study for university students, and (hopefully) language exchange with my banker (she wants to learn more English, which is good because I want to learn more French!). I’ll soon need to do another DTL! (If you missed it last fall, scroll way down).

Also, I want to continue to build connections in the community. As I may mentioned before, I’ve gotten to know (albeit briefly) people at places I frequent: the guy where I get deux pain au chocolat each morning. Whenever he sees me he says, “Le musician d’Aix en Provence! Le tradition?” The guys who work at the café I go to each morning know what I drink and just bring it out. The women at the boulangerie where I buy bread wave whenever they see me. Just other day, we chatted about vacation. Guys at several chawerma places around town say a friendly hello, the women at The Olde Bulldog, where I often go on Sunday nights for Fish & Chips, and Catherine and Diane at the bank, who are always happy to see me and practice English. Yes, almost all this revolves around food, but that’s ok – I love to eat and so do the French! In all honesty, one of my favorite things to do, and something that I feel, for me, helps to connect with people is through sharing a meal. In being by myself, I don’t get to do it as often as I would like (that’s not a self-pity statement, but just goes towards the point of this realization), but when I do it’s a great experience. Even with the people I mentioned, having the medium of food seems to be a starting point for connection.

One of my favorite things lately has been exploring creative expression through designing media in Photoshop and Indesign. Although it takes a lot of time, it really is a joy and one of the ways that I love to express myself. Recently, I created flyers for a Rentree party and upcoming student events. Several others are in the works, and I’ll pass them on as they’re completed!

One last note, my thoughts and prayers are daily on the crisis in New Orleans. Even being far away, I’ve been able to stay up-to-date with the events through internet news and even the French newspaper. I’ve been blown away by the destruction, the turmoil of evacuation, and the looming devastation that is being revealed as the waters recede. I’ve also been floored by how strongly people are coming together to help those in need. That people would give of their resources to help someone they’ve never met is seemingly a wonder of the human capacity to care.

Sorry if that sounds like an unexpected editorial, just wanted to share what I was going through my mind. I hope you are doing well. Ciao for now! (that’s for you, Schuller)

12July05L'Unic Cafe, Aix en Provence
Salut! As I write, I’m sitting at a café that I go to almost every day called, L’Unic. It’s just two blocks from my apartment, en face the daily vegetable and fruit market in Place Richelme. The people are really nice and the drinks are good. I’ve been going there every morning for several months and by now they know what I drink (grande café crème) and just bring it out when I sit down. I like that familiarity.

Another benefit of frequent attendance has been moving from formal to familiar greetings with the staff (a big deal in French culture relationships), and getting to know some the people who are there regularly. One example is Solange and her husband. They are an older French couple with whom I talk each morning. When I say “I talk with” I mean that Solange talks and I respond as best I can! (She doesn’t speak English and I’m still learning French.) The connection has been something that I’ve enjoyed very much. The fact that they are excited to see me each day and talk with me continually even though my French is still in progress reminds me that this connection isn't something of me. We talk about everything from weather to news to music and even family/history – the sharing of such private information in French culture is a big deal. To be invited into their lives has been a good connection. At getting to hear/speak that much French each day is, I think, helping me to grow in the language.

I’ve been staying very busying this summer. (For those at BofA: no “summer slowdown” here either!). June was filled with language school, extended staff building times, and helping with the youth group and teaching at our Sunday service (more on those in a moment).

This month, I’m catching up on everything I missed in June – thank you for your patience with my lack of communication lately! – leading worship and creating visual media (powerpoint, still-image movies, etc.), creating a logo and print media for ICCP, preparing music equipment and band organization for the Fall, preparing for Fall kickoff events, and creating a visual presentation of Aix for the Christian Associates’ Staff Conference.

The conference is in the Netherlands the week of August 7-13. I was invited to play guitar in one of the bands and lead worship for one of the evening sessions – both of which I’m excited to be a part of. I leave Aix on August 4 for two days of band practice outside of Amsterdam prior to the conference.

After the conference, it’s time for a week of rest. I’m off to Italy to hopefully visit Pompeii, Florence, and Venice. Afterwards, it’s back to Aix to finish prep for Fall kickoff events and moving the church office. Then it’s back to Netherlands for a week of training with Christian Associates before beginning the Fall.

I don’t have internet access in my apartment yet – it’s been an interestingly long process with that and the bank – but hopefully I will soon be able to access the internet more easily and keep you updated more frequently.

As I mentioned above, Darrin asked me to teach at our Sunday evening service a few weeks ago. I taught on worship as seeing God and responding to His revelation (check out Facedown CD & DVD by Matt Redman for more on the subject). I also had the opportunity to help with the weekly youth group. In addition to the weekly gatherings, we did two big events: a scavenger hunt and a water gun fight. For the scavenger hunt, the leaders were dressed up and were “hiding” throughout Aix! For example, Kerri was a pregnant woman, Cherina was a homeless person, and I was a street performer. Drew was an exerciser/jogger, Andi and Megan were tourists, and Darrin was…well ‘an eating lunch guy” (slight schedule conflict that day but it worked out!). For the water gun fight, we brought the youth to a local park. We didn’t tell them ahead of time what we were going to do, but just said, “You’re going to get a little wet.” We (Cherina, Kerri, and myself) gathered them in a circle, told them what was about to happen, dumped a pile of (empty) water guns in front of them, and said, “Go!” Cherina, Kerri, and myself, of course, had slightly better water guns that had been filled ahead of time! Both events were a lot of fun. You can see pictures on the pics page.

C’est tout maintenant. A plus!

14June05 Aix en Provence
Bonjour! It’s bright and sunny in Aix en Provence! The summer has come on strong, (despite some very cold mornings!). I started language school a week and half ago, which has been very good but also very draining. Class is from 8:30am-12:30pm Monday-Friday. I’m enjoying hearing 4 hours of almost nothing but French. I desire to learn the language, and my hope is that this will be a good introduction. This has also been an opportunity to connect with students who are studying in Aix for the summer. At ICCP, we’ve planned several connection points, including Thursday Night Special. Check out the flyer we handed out to students.

I’m enjoying my apartment a lot! It’s been a great location (in center of town, just a few minutes walk from school). I don’t have everything for it yet (hopefully internet will be hooked up soon!) but I’m slowly gathering house supplies. I’ll be in Aix for June and July, in the Netherlands for the first week of August, and then some vacation the following week! There are few places that I’ve always wanted visit, so I’m thinking that will be the time. I, of course, am not going to tell you so that you can check back : ).

I hope that all is well in your part of the world! Send me a quick email when you have a moment – I would love to hear what is going on with you! A bientot

17May05 on TGV to Chamonix
Salut! I’m writing while onboard a TGV train from Aix to Chamonix. (Not actually on a computer, but using old-fashioned pen and paper!) My computer was fixed a couple of weeks ago! I just signed up to have internet in my apartment, so my hope is that, with internet access readily available, updates to the website will be more frequent. Thank you for your patience in the meantime! And pictures – I have a bunch of new pictures to show you! A weekend retreat in the Cevennes region of France, spring in Aix, my apartment, activities from the week that the band was here (more on that below), and Chamonix (ok, I’m typing this after returning, so go with me on the time lapse. Just think of Back to Future…sort of, but not really.)

Last week, a band from Chicago came to work with ICCP. It was a great week! I was responsible for coordinating the schedule/details of the week, which was a lot of fun and kept me very busy. The band played an unplugged set at Aix Forum (our weekly discussion group) on Wednesday, an open concert on Thursday, a dance on Saturday, and ICCP’s Sunday gathering. It was a fantastic time to connect with the community of Aix-en-Provence. On Thursday, for example, over 250 people walked in off the street to hear the music! It was a lot of fun! And during the days the band cleaned out a building owned by the French church that we work with. For many great pictures of the week, check out the Jones’ website.

I started helping with the youth group that meets on Wednesday afternoon (they only go to school for a half day on Wednesdays). This week, we’re going to see Star Wars III! (It’s in English with French subtitles!)

I’m hoping to start language school at the beginning of June. It’s been very helpful to be in the French culture and in French conversations during these past few months, and I’m excited to grow more in the language through a school setting.

I hope that you are well in your part of the world! Thank you for reading and for your encouraging notes – it means SO much!! Check out some pictures! A bientot

27April05 Aix-en-Provence, France
Salut! Last Monday, I was able to move into an apartment! It’s a great studio apartment in a wonderful location. I’ve done some shopping, but not a whole lot (basically just lacking kitchen items like plates and cups…minor things). But I did get an Xbox! Halo 2 has been a great way to connect with some friends around town. We’ve already had several Xbox nights. My computer is in the shop right now, but hopefully it will be fixed soon so that I can update you with some pictures of the apartment and what else has been going on.

Last week, I went horseback riding in The Camargue with the Anderson family. It was a lot of fun! Afterwards, we went to a town called Aigues Morts (I think I spelled that correctly). It’s an old city that is still has a wall completely around it. During the 16th century it was a prison for Protestants. It was amazing to walk through and see the carvings from that time period that are still in the walls. (Pictures of all this to hopefully come soon!) Last weekend, ICCP had a retreat to castle in the Cevennes region of France. It was a relaxing and a very fun time eating, hiking, playing cards, and laughing all the way through!

Next week, a band from Chicago is coming to work with ICCP! There will be a concert Thursday night and a dance party on Saturday. It will be busy, but a lot of fun!

More soon! A bientot

03April05 Aix-en-Provence, France
Bonsoir! It's evening and I should probably go to bed...but I want to continue to fill you (whoever you are reading this!) with what's going on in France!! It's so encouraging when I hear that people are reading this website and we're able to stay connected. Thanks for reading and staying connected!

I arrived safely back from the Netherlands. It was a good trip with a ton of great information, but I was definitely ready to get back to Aix. The following weekend was Easter. On Saturday night, we had a Seder meal for the staff and friends visiting. It was so cool. If you've never done it, definitely aim to do it next Easter with a group of friends (By the way, pictures of all that happened during Easter weekend are on the pics page.) But keep reading first!

The next morning we had a sunrise service that was a blast and attended by over 100 people...who woke up early for the 7am service, particularly since we set the clocks ahead the night before. Needless to say, Sunday afternoon was spent resting! On Monday (national holiday in France), about 25 people hiked Sainte Victoire -- a beautiful mountain just outside of town. At the top is a huge cross and an old monastery. And, oh, by the way, it was so clear that day that we could see all the way to the Alps!! (I’m just trying to make you jealous so that you’ll come visit : )). And, yes there are pictures, but, like I said, keep reading first!

I began the apartment search the other day. I found a small studio in Centre Ville (the City Center) that I liked. Tomorrow (Monday), I hope to begin the paperwork process, which I hear can be an interesting (i.e. difficult) process. But Acts 17.26 is such an encouragement: “and He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.” God has designed the very place where I’ll live – from the city to the apartment. Details matter to God. That is very cool.

I just returned from a great Fondue restaurant (Mike Wiggins, are you reading?) with several people who came to visit the Jones’ and Andi. Come to visit and you’ll eat like you never have before!

I hope you’re not distracted by the plethora of parentheses. It’s late and I’m in a talking mood. And I’ve bet you’ve never seen “plethora” and “parentheses” used in the same sentence!

Last thing…and on a more serious note. I’m sure the news of the death of the Pope has reached many of you. For me, I’m still trying to process it internally and process it in regards to the culture that I’m currently in (France and Europe being largely Catholic). At our weekly church service tonight, Darrin began with a moment of silence and prayer. I thought that it was a very powerfully moment. There were some Catholics in the audience, one woman sitting in front of me who spent the entire hour with her head bowed in prayer. Another person came up to Darrin afterwards to give positive comments regarding the opening time of silence and prayer. There is something uniting in days like this. We were able to pray together that the new Pope would be a man who seeks the face of God as he handles this position of authority. As I said, I’m still processing it myself, but I thought that was powerful tonight.

Bonne nuit!

17March05 The Hague, Netherlands
Greetings! It's been a busy couple of weeks as I am wrapping up two weeks of training with Christian Associates. In the training, I'm joined with 25 people who are on staff in various places (Brussels, Florence, Madrid, and Nice). It's been a lot of good information and fun time hanging out with everyone. Last Saturday, I took a day trip to Brussels (that's fun to say!). Only 37 euros and a 2 1/2 hour train ride takes to you to a different country. I love to travel. I arrived in Amsterdam at the beginning of last week -- in the biggest snow storm in twenty years! Actually, it was only about 4-6 inches, but it was a big deal because the snow actually stuck around for several days (which it typically doesn't do). However, yesterday was quite the opposite -- somewhere between 60-70! It was very nice; I can't wait for spring/summer! I head back to France on the train this Saturday. Pictures to come soon. I hope all is well in your part of the world!

01March05 Aix-en-Provence, France
Arrived! I arrived safe and sound yesterday (at least, i think it was yesterday...the days are blurring together!). The entire team was waiting for me in the airport, having prepared a picnic on the floor in the lounge area. It was fun and drew the attention on onlookers. I'm staying in an apartment south of town owned by a guy in the church who is going to be away for a few weeks, which works out great! I may start the appartment-looking process either this week or in a few weeks when we return from Holland. Heather and Lauren -- here's the picture from Elevation. i hope each of you reading this are doing well! i'll write more soon...

09Feb05 Fredericksburg, VA
There was an interesting article on Crosswalk a few days ago about some recent difficulties between evangelical churches in France and the local government. Read the article here. (I don't highlight this article to stir negative views towards the French government, but simply to give background to the culture.)

07Feb05 Fredericksburg, VA
Reeve Coobs is opening for Steven Delopolos (formerly lead of Burlap to Cashmere) February 9, 2004 8pm at The Evening Muse in Charlotte, NC…Do you remember the band, Burlap to Cashmere, from a few years ago? I went their show at the House of Blues in Myrtle Beach in 1999. It was really good! These guys are fantastic musicians. For those in the Charlotte area, go to The Evening Muse in North Davidson to catch my friend, Reeve, and Steven Delopolos!! It will be a great show! For more info, check out The Evening Muse website.

I hope you like the new addition to the front page of the website (what I’m listening to and what I’m reading). That ever-changing section will be a quick glance at some of the current influences in my life. I fly out for France in less than three weeks! It seems strange to think about it. It definitely hasn’t sunk in yet. I even started saying some goodbyes yesterday, which was kind of weird: “Goodbye, I’m moving to another country.” How crazy is that! But it’s going to be so great!

The next few weeks are going to be busy with travel (j’aime voyager!): I’ll be in Richmond Feb 11-12 to hang out with my friend, Cory, and go to Audrey Hatcher’s concert (see post below). On Feb 13, I’m leading worship with my friend, Lauren, at Mount Ararat for an Impact Virginia meeting. I’ll be in Charlotte Feb 15-17 for a short visit to say hello, goodbye, and play xbox until late into the night. On Feb 19 my parents and I are off to NYC for a day trip to visit my grandmother. On Feb 25, I’m leading worship for Infuse, leaders training for the Elevation conference at Mount Ararat. My parents and I drive to Charlotte the following day, and I fly out of CLT on Feb 27. Whew! Hopefully, I will be able to see all of you within these travels! If not, please stay in touch. Email me or catch me on IM (my screen name is aixdom). I would love to hear from you!!

Kairos, a church-plant in Los Angeles by some friends of mine, made the LA Times! (You may have to register to see the article, but it's free. Just through the crazy form you'll make it to the article.) I kind of like the title -- all of life (even media equipment) can be use to connect our hearts with Creator God. (Perhaps more correct would have been “finding God through projections and electric guitars"?) It’s a good article (very well written) and even has some pictures! That’s my former pastor, JR, in the middle picture (white shirt, arms stretched out). It’s great to see what God is up to L.A.! I so much want to get out there to visit one of these days!

11Jan05 Fredericksburg, VA
Yesterday, I booked the flight to France! As God permits, I'll leave Charlotte on Feb 27 and arrive the next in Marseille on Feb 28. (Now I'm just waiting on a visa; I'm praying that will arrive prior to the end of Feb.) February seems like a long time from now, but I'm sure it will come quick. A few days after I land in France, I leave for the Netherlands for meetings March 5-19. (It's a hard life, I know :)). It's actually two weeks of "Field Orientation" with Christian Associates, talking about living and doing ministry in Europe. It should be good...plus a reason to travel (which I enjoy).

Last week, I was in Nashville for Passion 05. It was a fantastic four days of joining with thousands of college students to meet with God. God ran me into several friends whom I hadn't seen in a while, which was hugely encouraging. I loaded some pictures from Passion 05 and the group I went with from Mount Ararat. Here as some phrase that grasped my heart and mind:

-Love is not simply making much of someone. Love is laboring (striving, suffering) to enthrall that person with what make them ultimately happy, namely Christ. (John Piper)
-"We will go unless God calls us to stay" (contract signed during the Student Volunteer Movement)
-"God sends us only to wherever He is already working." (Heather Mercer)
-"If in your pursuit of higher knowledge God gets smaller, then you are being deceived." (Beth Moore)
-"It will cost you your life to make others glad in God." (John Piper)
-"We have to be sure what we live for is worth our lives." (banner in Go center)

Last Sunday 10 of us guys played a great game of football (from which I'm still sore...geez, I need to get out more) and followed that by watching the best movie out, Napoleon Dynamite (sweeeet), and Risk (first time playing...yeah, i went out pretty quick). Good times!

31Dec04 Fredericksburg, VA
Greetings! I hope your holiday has been enjoyable. I was able to spend Christmas with my parents, grandmother, and aunt. It was a very good time of rest and lots of food!

God has been doing so much cool stuff lately. On Dec 15, I led worship and spoke on the greatness of God at Flood, the youth gathering at Mount Ararat in Stafford, VA. It was a lot of fun to play with the band and share the reason why I’m going to France (the greatness of God excites my heart and moves me to this response of missions. As Heather Mercer stated at OneDay 03, “Jesus is worth it.”) During the last several weeks, I was able to lead worship several times at a brand new church plant in Dumfries, VA called, Pillar Church. It’s wonderful to be able to serve and be a part of God growing His church (see Eph 4.11-13).

I’ve also enjoyed hanging out with Todd Gaston, the senior pastor-elect (if that’s such a title) at Mount Ararat. He has a fantastic heart for connecting people with God and challenging them to live for His glory. Todd spoke on Christmas Eve, and I was asked to put together some images to give visual to the Christmas story. I’ve posted those, along with some other images that I’ve created recently to use with Powerpoint slides, in the on the re:pics page. I’m still learning Photoshop (maybe one day I’ll be as good as Jonette Wrenn :)). But I’m really excited to be able to express worship through creative images. God is a hugely creative God, and something beautiful happens when we begin to connect with His creativity.

Super exciting news: I was given the release to go to France! Yaaahaaa!! God has been providing in HUGE ways through each of you! Thank you so much! I’ve applied for a visa, which will take about 8 weeks to process. So, we’re going book the flight for the end of February. Once I know more detailed info, I’ll pass it on. I can’t wait!!

More super exciting news: Jan 1-5 I’ll be in Nashville for Passion 05, a gathering of college-aged students pursuing the heart of God. Passion 99 was literally life-changing for me, as God captured my heart with this heart-cry: “Yes Lord, walking in the way of Your truth we wait for You, for Your name and Your renown is the desire of my heart” (Isaiah 26.8). Oneday 2000 and Oneday 03 put Isaiah 26.8 into motion, and I’m looking towards God as we seek Him to do even more in these days!

Speaking of Nashville, as I write I’m listening to some clips from my friend, Audrey Hatcher. (Ok, so i got the opportunity to play a song with her at a wedding a few years ago…we may not actually be “friends” but I told her that when she became a famous rock star I’d tell everyone I knew her :)). In all honesty, she has an amazing heart for God and is a very gifted musician. She’s been a staff writer for BMG for a couple of years. Check out her new album on her website. Particularly, check out “All My Praise” and “One Brief Moment”. The band, Selah, recorded “All My Praise” for their latest album, so you've probably been hearing it!

More to come soon! Bonne annee!

30Nov04 Chesapeake, VA
Whew! It’s been a busy couple of weeks! For the first part of the month, I was in Fredericksburg, VA sharing with more people about the ministry in Aix. In the middle on the month, I traveled to South Carolina to visit family and was able to stop in Charlotte for a day (it was great to see many of you!). I traveled to my grandmother’s home in Rockville, MD for Thanksgiving, which was a great time with family. This past weekend, I was at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA to visit friends and go to the UVA-VT football game. A great time in town, and a great game! One win away from the ACC championship and a BCS game! Beat Miami! I think the one American thing that I would like to be bring to the French culture is American football. I’ll let you know if it catches on!

I’m writing from Chesapeake, VA before heading back to Fredericksburg, VA on Thursday. This weekend, I have an opportunity to play some Christmas songs with my dad at Mount Ararat Baptist Church on Saturday night, and lead worship at a young church plant in Dumfries, VA, Pillar Church on Sunday morning. On Dec 15, I have the opportunity to lead worship and share about France at Flood (the youth group at Mount Ararat). And my family may try to visit my grandmother in NYC sometime prior to Christmas. It looks like December may be busy, too, but God is doing great things! a tout a l’heure

03Nov04 Fredericksburg, VA
/:Greetings! I’ve been at my parent’s home in Fredericksburg, VA for a couple of weeks. It’s been good to spend time with them and share with people in this area about the ministry in France. I’ve also been able to spend time with a great group of folks, Higher Ground. We spent last Sunday night at a huge farm where we had a bonfire, played some football, (ran) through a corn maze, and there was even some square dancing! It was certainly a fun and interesting night! God is continuing to build a ministry support team and I’m praying to be Aix-en-Provence soon!

27Sept04 Blacksburg, VA
/:Salut! I’m currently in Blacksburg for a few more days, but I’ve also been traveling recently. I was in Atlanta a few weeks ago visiting family and friends, I'll be in Charlotte starting on Tuesday (Oct 5) for a week, and then I plan on heading to Fredericksburg, VA.

I was able to attend VT’s first ever ACC conference game two weeks ago and even got a free t-shirt (good bonus). Tech beat Duke 41-17 after somewhat sloppy first and fourth quarter play. Last Saturday was a different story as NC State played as good of defense as I’ve seen this year. VT had an exciting last drive, but to no avail. Next up is #6 WVU. Pulling the upset on Saturday would be sweet!

In addition to going to football games, I thought I’d take you through my daily activity (yes, I actually do work :)). Call it Day in The Life (DTL). The highlighted words are links to pictures to give you a visual of what I’m talking about. Hopefully this will work well and I can do more, as God permits, when I’m in France. So here goes with DTL-Blacksburg...

I usually leave Dave & Wendy Chinn’s house (they are very kind to let me stay with them) around 8:30 and make the short walk to campus. I spend some time reading (right now, it's 1 Peter) near the War Memorial. From 9:30-noon I’m in Torgersen Bridge working on the website, following up with email, and other internet-related tasks. Around noon I walk to West End (dinning hall on campus) to grab some lunch.

After lunch, I walk to the Duck Pond to practice French. Around 2:30, I walk back to Torgersen Bridge to catch up with email and continue practicing French. I’m using a good program for the computer to learn nouns and verbs and practice dialogue.

Around 5pm, I’ll head outside to make a few phone calls, connecting with people regarding the ministry in France. Then I walk back to West End for dinner. After dinner, it’s back to Torgersen to stay up-to-date with emails and spend some more time learning French. Around 7pm, I’ll go outside to the Drill Field and make some more calls, connecting and following up with people who are interested in hearing about this ministry. The sun is setting around that time, so it’s very nice place to be. After that (depending on the day), I’ll either head back to Dave & Wendy’s, go to Homegroup (a very cool Bible study), or hang out with friends I haven’t seen in a while.

Such is a Day in The Life in Blacksburg…I hope you’ve enjoyed! à bientot

31 Aug 04 Blacksburg, VA
/:I love college. Even though I’m not a student there is something about being in this culture and environment that’s both refreshing and exciting. This is the time when reality comes crashing in on every person: my life begins now. No longer are they told what, how, or when to do something. Instead, they must make real decisions with real consequences. It’s a hugely important time, a season that will shape the rest of their lives.

I’ve been in Blacksburg, VA (home of Virginia Tech) since last Thursday night. I’ve spent the weekdays in Torgersen Bridge, a very cool pseudo-computer lab. They have tables with Ethernet connections built in, which is nice. (The entire campus is wired and/or wireless). There are a few new buildings on campus, but I can still walk the same paths I walked a few years ago. A lot of memories come easily.

I'm enjoying hanging out with long-time (and new) friends from [nlcf] – a very cool church on campus. Last Friday and Sunday I was able to sit on some band tryouts. It’s amazing to see students with great musical ability matched only by their love for God.

Saturday night, I gathered with 30 or so people in an apartment living room as we screamed our heads off and cheered the Hokies against USC. It was a great game, and despite the loss (no comment on the questionable face mask, and phantom pass interference call!) the team played as well as I’ve seen in several years. They dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, the defense stopped the run, and Bryan Randall played as good as he ever has played. It was a good game.

On Sunday morning I had great time at [nlcf]. Being in worship in a room packed with 600 college students singing their hearts out to God is a fantastic experience. There is both a sense of community and freedom to be real before God. It’s exciting to see the very cool things God is doing in people’s lives!

24 Aug 04 Charlotte, NC
/:Life is very busy! My last day of work at Bank of America was 20 Aug. It was more emotional than I expected. I look back on the past with great thankfulness to God. That season of life certainly won’t be forgotten, nor will the people with whom I shared it. That’s probably what struck me most – the connection with our group. Jeff Gardner (from Threshold) spoke a few days ago about Infusion. It’s very interesting to step out of a situation and see how infused we became. Take time to savor your connections with family, friends, and coworkers. You have no idea the amount of influence you carry in your sphere of life.

I'm in Charlotte until 26 Aug. Then I’m off to Blacksburg, VA to hang out with some friends from school and to watch the Hokies open their 2004 football season (Go Hokies!!). After a few days in Blacksburg, I’m off to Atlanta to visit my cousins and a friend, Jessica, who was in Aix-en-Provence last year. After a few days in Atlanta, it’s back to Charlotte Labor Day weekend for a fantasy football draft (I kind of like football, if you have happened to noticed :)). Then I’m headed to parent’s home in Fredericksburg, VA to spend time with them and finish raising support. Please be in prayer regarding safety in traveling and time well spent in cars and people’s homes. Pray also that God would connect me with people along the way who would be interested in supporting this ministry. Thanks!