Tuesday, November 30, 2010

leaving home, for home

We're settled into our hotel near the Paris airport for the night. We need to be up and on a shuttle by 7:30am for our 9:30 flight (that's 2:30am CST).

What an amazing last week in Europe we had. We were in Italy for 5 days and were soooo loved on - by the people and by Jesus! Mitch taught all day for 4 days at a Prophetic School. In the evenings we spent time perusing the nearby mall and then dinner at the pastor's home. ITALIAN food for 5 days! :)

The Italian people were so loving and we felt like family. The last couple days, Jesus began lavishing His extravagant love on me through those beautiful women - I have several new pieces of jewelry, including some diamonds! :) Amazing!

Monday was cleaning, laundry and packing day. And that brings us to the train ride to Paris today - 3 1/2 hours on a fast-moving train, dropped off at a station, hopped on a bus and arrived at this Novotel Hotel.

And so here we are, nestled into our hotel rooms for the night. We have 2 rooms, as is required in France for more than 4 people (so frustrating) but it's kind of a blessing for tonight. The kids are in one room watching "Monsters vs. Aliens and Mitch and I are about to watch "Robin Hood" in our room.

In a few short hours, we'll be off and on our way - headed away from 'home' to home. Until next Spring...

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

our last week abroad

We had a wonderful weekend in Pontarlier. 4 services in 2 days... people were really blessed and ministered too. Jesus is so faithful!

The family we stayed with had a 'petite maison' (little house) behind their home which we stayed in. It's always nice to have your own space when you travel as a family. We have been so blessed by the church body here!

We were just 10 minutes from the Swiss border and there was a group of believers that came over for the weekend meetings. They blessed us with A TON of Swiss chocolate! 20 bars... yikes. Between that and my container of olive oil -fresh from this southern region- I will have a 50 pound bag. :)

Today is again a 'regrouping' day - laundry and clean up. We also will be having lunch with the pastor of the Istres church here shortly. Him and the church have been such a huge blessing to us!

Tomorrow we drive to Torino, Italy - about a 5 hour drive. Thursday begins a 4-day prophetic school which Mitch will teach at all day all 4 days. Unless he pulls me into it. :)

Then we rush back here to Istres to 'regroup' and then take a train to Paris to fly out next Wednesday. It will be quite a week!

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Nice in November is nice!

Two weeks from today, we'll have landed back in the States from our 3-month adventure in France... and Mitch & I will be on a flight to Houston. Gotta love a traveling ministers life!

We had a great weekend here in Istres last week. The Lord showed up strong in the Sunday morning service as Mitch preached and our family prayed for nearly everyone in the service.

Sunday evening Mitch went to pray for a man and his wife- separately, because their marriage was a mess and they not even living together anymore. The Lord encountered both of them strongly and the next day the man moved back in with his wife. Their marriage being restored in a glorious, supernatural way!

Tuesday we drove to Nice and ministered at a church there. We had an awesome time of worship as the pastor led and Mitch moved prophetically before preaching. It was a wonderful time in the presence of the Lord with our new friends! A pastor from another church was in the service and would like to have us in his church as well - it won't work this time but next year... The Lord's connections are so amazing!

We stayed the night and then spent the next day visiting the downtown and the beach. The kids even got in the water for a while - it was a nice day but too chilly for me! Nice really is a beautiful city and we're blessed to have connections there.

Today we regroup with school and laundry and then get on a train tomorrow to Pontarlier. It is in the northeastern part of France, near the Swiss border and is COLD right now! The forecast even shows snow over the weekend. What a dramatic change - in the ocean one day and 2 days later in snow. I suppose it's the Lord's way to prepare us for our return home. :)

As time is winding down, the excitement in the kids builds. They are so ready to see all their friends and family again. Mitch and I will be ready to be in our 'homeland' again as well!

Friday, November 12, 2010

and 2 weeks later...

Internet time has been limited - will be happy to be back to my 'internet-on-demand' lifestyle in a few weeks. :) But wow, life is good!

We had a great time in Strasbourg with our new friends. Wonderful hosts they are! We had a great time with their homegroup a week ago Thursday night and were spoiled with their hospitality through the rest of the week.

Also, Mitch ministered in Germany last Saturday and Sunday. The Lord again, visited and released His power and love, to His people. He drove back and forth from Strasbourg because it was only 1 1/2 hrs drive, so the kids and I joined him for Sunday morning. It was fun being in a primarily Ugandan church with a few German people as well.

We were able to be in a service with our good friend Jeff Collins on Friday night and then have dinner with him on Sunday before he returned to Texas on Monday. Beautiful fellowship...

Before we came home on Tuesday, we visited the European Parliament building - not the inside, but we walked around the outside and released the Kingdom of God in the area. Powerful time!

Once again, we are back in the 'laundry-cooking-cleaning' season for a week before we go back North to a small town near Besascon. This weekend, though, Mitch will minister for a second time at our host-church. We are so blessed to have had this apartment to call home for these three months and pray that we can be a blessing to this church family!

Also before we head north again, we will minister at a church in Nice. We are very excited for this new connection and pray that the Lord will minister His power and love to this group of believers!

Yesterday, we spent the afternoon with our dear friend, Pierre-Daniel - the one who has connected us here in France. We spent some time looking at a potential schedule for another extended trip for our family in Fall 2011, as well as a shorter trip for Mitch and I in the Spring. Then he took us on a beautiful hike right near the Mediterranean Sea in some rocky hills. Beautiful!

We are praying to finish well and strong in these last weeks and are looking forward to being back home for the month of December to reconnect with family and friends before jumping into the new year!