Beloved,
I am daily in the trenches of learning the French language and I am fighting to grow more proficient each week. My second trimester of language school is even more difficult because of the vast amount of knowledge I must possess and keep fresh in my mind. Learning French is, of course, a challenge, but what a joy it is to serve our glorious Lord. Pressing ahead in difficult tasks in the service of Christ and His Church brings a joy and perseverance that I need.
The struggles of living in a foreign land have also revealed areas where I am weak and still need to grow more into the image of Christ. I thank the Lord for pointing me back again and again to Christ, prayer, and the Word of God. I have been blessed to have my devotions in French this trimester which has been incredibly interesting to me because it brings out details I never noticed before. Praise God for His Word!
Thank you once again for your consistent prayers, notes of encouragement, and financial support. I thank the Lord for each of you and your ministry to our family for the sake of His Name.
"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord. " — 1 Corinthians 15:58
Gloire à Dieu,
David
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In this newsletter...
- Note from David (above)
- Progressing in our French
- Family
- School Outing: Ski Trip
- Note from Ashley
- Praise Report
- Prayer Requests
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Progressing in our French
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We were richly blessed to spend Christmas Eve with a French family. The feast is called "Le Reveillon", meaning "awakening" or "wake up", because it normally goes on until the early hours of the morning. Pictured above are some traditional French appetizers we were able to try including caviar, smoked salmon, foie gras, cheeses, and tomatoes.
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Ashley snapped this picture during class one day so you could see where she spends much of her time learning French.
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Here's a sample of the whiteboard from David's French class this week. That day we learned the conditional present (le conditionnel présent).
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This sweet lady is Anne-lise. I (Ashley) visit her home once a week to practice my French with real-life conversations. Recently I have been reading French books aloud to her (as she corrects my pronunciation) and I've brought a photo album so I can talk about special people and memories in French. She has been a real blessing!
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One of our neighbors invited the girls over to celebrate her 8th birthday. Their friendships have given us opportunities to have their friends over as well. We are thankful for these language practice and cross-cultural relationship building opportunities!
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Our little Clara is growing up. She turned five on January 18. Thank you to everyone who sent her cards!
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Anna and Lydia both performed with their school classes in a circus show for their school. They both loved it, and their daddy gave them flowers afterwards.
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When our school took everyone skiing in the Alps, it allowed us to make some fun memories as a family! This was the girls first time skiing. They all loved it, except for Clara, who was happier building a snowman.
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A Note from Ashley
Bonjour dear brothers and sisters,
It's hard to believe that we have already lived in France for 6 months. In some ways the newness has worn off now, and yet each day living here still brings many new joys, discoveries and challenges. There are joys like discovering a beautiful lake, going skiing, having a conversation in French with a mom at the park, or hearing my children conversing in French with friends from school! And yet, the absence of family, close friends and the familiar can hit hard sometimes. Some days, language learning, loneliness, sickness or stress can sweep over me like a wave of sadness.
I am thankful for God's Word, especially the Psalms, that express the great joys and sorrows of life. And God's Word reminds me of my unchanging God Who rules the universe with perfect precision. I am thankful for the many ways that God has blessed us and cared for us—and I am also thankful for the trials that put God's grace on display and cause my dependence on God to grow.
It's been exciting to speak and comprehend a little more French each day and seize new opportunities to learn more. It is such a privilege to have this opportunity. Thank you for your faithfulness to pray for us and support us. We always thank God for you and the vital role you play in us being here.
Merci beaucoup!
Ashley
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Praise Report:
- Praise God that our first Christmas overseas, away from family, was still a joyful celebration of Christ's Incarnation. We missed our family dearly, but God blessed us while away from home.
- Praise God for the sweet blessing of family, friends, and supporters who sent us cards and packages for Christmas and for Clara's birthday. Thank you!
- We continue to praise God for each bit of progress we make in our French learning!
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Prayer Requests:
- Pray for God to grants us much wisdom in regards to us leaving France this summer, our final preparations for Madagascar, and all of the logistics we need to resolve by God's grace.
- Continue to pray for God to grant us the ability to learn as much French as we can during our time here.
- We've had a series of sicknesses pass through our family this winter. Pray that God would accomplish all of His good purposes in our lives through these sicknesses and trials.
- Pray for strength and encouragement for our teammates in Madagascar, Faly and Lily Ravoahangy.
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All Glory Be to Christ,
David & Ashley, Isabella (age 9), Lydia (age 8), Anna (age 6), and Clara (age 5)
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"Hold the Rope" Financially
All gifts are tax-deductible
100% of your gift goes towards the ministry
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Some of you have asked how to make a personal (non-ministry) gift to our family. You can send a gift directly to us through PayPal (this is not tax deductible): https://www.paypal.me/missionary1
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View our previous newsletters here.
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