We couldn’t have asked for better weather during our short, but sweet visit to Indy this month for the funeral. It allowed for a very good turnout and what a joy to see so many people from our distant past all gathered in one place! The ceremony was beautiful and the highlight was definitely David and Olivia singing “Good, Good Father” as a duet.
The other highlight was experiencing Rachel’s first solo artist exposition of her light and sound creations at a local gallery. We helped set up, attended her opening night and then a private live performance with the rest of the family a few days later. At the same time, she’s launching out on her own this year as a freelance designer – Have a look around at her website majuscule.co !
We want to especially thank our friends, Tom and Wendy, for blessing us with their lovely home, a car and a pantry full of food that made this trip so affordable and comfortable!
Back in France, David continues to juggle the regular ministry responsibilities at church and the House of Prayer with the occasional IT job on the side. His participation in the November 11th WWI Armistice commemorative day of intercession with Germans and French stirred his heart again for European reconciliation work. Recently his search for more steady employment has unearthed the real possibility of working in nearby Germany. He just tested at a B1 level and would need to be at a B2 to really survive in a German work context, but it’s a challenge that entices him since this was the language he studied 7 yrs in school. However, a remote job would be less taxing at this season of life, so we’re continuing to pray in the best position for him!
I have been in a real creative flow since my return: editing my children’s book (that my girls will collaborate on,) restoring my mother-in-law’s vintage dolls for display and preparing the first Valentine’s Day party for our church. The goal is to redeem this holiday from the erotic “for lovers only” reputation that it has in France. So I’m making garlands, creating a PowerPoint of the history (400 AD to today) and a game challenging them to translate Brach’s candy conversation hearts. Everyone will bring snacks and we’ll sit in small groups at tables and reflect on 20 questions about spiritual and relational love in our own lives, followed by prayer ministry as desired. I’m kind of excited about it.
All these activities accommodate my lower energy levels, but I’ve also come alongside the new cleaning team at church, as well as babysitting in smaller doses. I’ve also been fasting the news for several months now, replacing it with more prayer and viewing testimonies and the exciting prophecies for 2019. This has given me a real joy boost, especially as our church building and house project are in stagnation mode. I am convinced that a positive and hopeful outlook is spiritual warfare all by itself, especially in today’s world and in French culture in particular!
Happy New Year,
Angela