| Well, the transition is on! Angela is in the States with Rachel to escort her into the next season of her life...her "university years" where she'll study graphic design and live with my parents in Indianapolis. Noah will be transitioning to over the river (the Rhine) and through the woods (the Black Forest) to attend Black Forest Academy beginning in late August. I hope to transition Collège-Daniel's computer system during the summer and there will be much transition this summer for both Collège-Daniel and the Josué church where Angela and I serve, in terms of leadership, expansion, new projects, etc. The school year is finally over and it ended very well. The last week of school saw a wonderful team from a Costa Rican Christian school join us for a week of cultural exchange and relationship building and the school fête came off very well. I'm still recovering from the extra effort of the last weeks and last few days especially. Finding a new summer rhythm for a family in transition and spread across two continents that's life-giving, productive and restorative all at the same time is my current challenge.
|
- Brave Travelers - Angela and Rachel arrived fine in New Mexico and have enjoyed their first few days of rest and time changes and fun American experiences. They have a round trip coming up including a drive to Phoenix with a flight to Tahoe and back again to visit Angela's sister before taking a one-way flight to Indianapolis. Then, the day Angela leaves to come back to Europe, Rachel leaves from Indianapolis to fly to Pennsylvania to participate in a wonderful prayer walk around Lancaster County. So...a lot of moving around for those two in the next several weeks. Please pray for their traveling safety, continued energy and health and rich relational connection with family on both sides and friends. Pray also for Rachel's prayer walk participation in the last full week of July (21-27).
- Holding Down The Fort - The good news is that Mr. Mom and Olivia and Noah are still eating and wearing clean clothes ;-) There's a ways to go though before we break out the champagne. I've never claimed that "homemaking" was easy in any way shape or form, so I'm not really being surprised by anything. But that doesn't make it any easier either! So, I'd be particularly interested in your prayers for grace to carry extra roles here at home and wisdom to know what I can and can't realistically do during this time...and of course for that extra push to create a welcoming home for Angela on her return the 22nd.
- Summertime...and the livin' is...? - As I mentioned above I'm looking to be purposeful while still experiencing rest this summer. This is not easy for me. I fully believe that this summer is a summer of transition that is very important and as such requires an intentional engagement with God and His concrete purposes. At the same time, I know that my own style of "engagement" is not always what the Lord is seeking. In particular, I struggle with how to "work" using God's strength and fidelity as a foundation and not my own reasoning and planning...which is very fatiguing and typically ineffective. I also struggle with how to "rest" without becoming a big tub of jell-o. Please pray for breakthrough in experiencing grace-filled effort as well as holy peacefulness in cycles of rest.
- Worship Cover - Last summer I spent regular time worshiping at church for 1-hour blocks several times a week. This was done with a desire to "keep the flame burning on the altar" on a regular basis when certain worship times in the school and church take a "summer break." I'd like to do that again this year and I would like to see a progression in it with respect to last summer and for something that could perhaps last into the school year. I'll admit though, that in this first official day of "summer break," I feel like I'm under the "spirit of vacation" that grips France every year about this time. I don't want to do anything! I'm only half joking when I call it a "spirit of vacation." There really is a cultural imprint of sorts that impedes positive progression during July and August. This regularly impacts churches negatively. This is piece of culture that I'm pretty sure is not too helpful for me. I would prefer to be on the side influencing the spiritual atmosphere rather than being influenced by it. So please pray that I could shake off this spiritual lethargy and walk in obedience with what God has asked of me this summer. Pray also that something could "catch fire" with respect to these time that would bring a continuation and a multiplication.
- Noah's Transition - We have two months to spend with Noah before sending him off to Black Forest Academy. While he won't be very far away, our daily contact won't really be resumed until next summer. We need to all make the most of this time. In what way however? I can't say that I have that answer and that's why I ask that you would pray for discernment how to sow specific things in his life that he needs during this time. I don't want to arrive at the end of August wishing we'd spent time differently this summer.
Many, many, many thanks!
David |