Friends and Family,
Thank you
for your support leading up to and during my recent trip to France. Your kind
words, prayers, and financial donations made it possible for me to return to a
place that is very close to my heart. I am writing to share my experience with
you and give you an update of how you can continue to pray for me and my team.
For the
first day and a half and the last day of the trip, we were sightseeing in
Paris. I love the beauty and the history of the city. My favorite sites were Notre
Dame and Sacre Coeur, two very large and exquisite cathedrals with gorgeous
sculptures and stained glass. The Eiffel Tower was just as good the second time
as well. At night it is all lit up and glowing. None of the pictures turned out
very well, but it was really a beautiful thing.
We spent the majority of our trip in
the small village of Taizé.
The best way to describe the Taizé
experience is that it is like a summer camp in many ways. There were three
church services each day (morning, afternoon, and evening). During each service
we would sing songs in different languages. A lot of the songs we sang that
week were English, German, and French, but the Brothers of Taizé change it up every week
depending on what kinds of visitors they have.
In the mornings
we participated in Bible study and small groups, and in the afternoons we did
work around the community. This work included setting up tents for the
thousands of visitors that are expected to flock to Taizé for Easter and the Holy Week. The morning small
group time was one of the best parts of the day. I was in a group with one of
my teammates, two French girls, two German girls, two German boys, and a
Turkish boy, all between the ages of 19 and 20. It was interesting to read
Scripture together and talk about how to integrate our faith into our daily
lives. The relationships that were formed in the small group allowed me the
opportunity to hear the stories and struggles of my group members and to
deliver a message of God’s love, justice, and redemptive power.
I went into
this trip expecting a time of rest and spiritual renewal. I got what I expected
and even more. I learned to be attentive to the people around me, to listen to
their stories, and to take advantage of opportunities to share truth. That is
the kind of stuff that I usually shy away from, but I am learning to sow seeds
and watch God do the work of growing those people. During my week in Taizé I learned to take joy
in my salvation. I have been given a beautiful gift of a new life in Christ and
I am being called to bring others into that joy as well.
Now that I
am back at school, reality has been a bit of a shock. The pace of life is much
faster here and classes are back in full swing. In addition to that, I still
have the financial aspect of my trip to consider. At this time I have a balance
of $490 to pay off. I am expected to pay 10% of that balance each week for 10
weeks. This is where I need your help. I ask that you please consider making a
donation. Any amount (even $5) helps. Donations can be given directly to me or
online at this link: https://www.formstack.com/forms/tiu_forms-missions_giving_france_2013
Beyond the
financial side of things, I ask that you be in prayer for the cross-cultural
relationships that were formed during my trip. I am still in contact with some
of those individuals and I pray that God works through our conversations.
I would
love to share more stories of my travels or answer any questions you may have.
Please feel free to ask me about it at any time! I am incredibly blessed to
have such supportive people in my life who help make these opportunities
possible. I am grateful for each and every one of you and pray that the Lord
blesses you as much as you have blessed me.
Merci beaucoup!
(Thank you very much!)
