Ministry in Canada is...

Ministry in Canada is...
Batts Abroad - November 2021

The last two months have flown by in a flurry of language learning, ministry opportunities, overcoming Covid, and seeking wisdom. As we've reflected on this fall, we've realized how different ministry is now from our time in Tennessee, Oregon, or even Alaska.

In this season of life, ministry is...

Hosting and participating in prayer and testimony times with other language school students.
Sitting in an overly crowded emergency room with someone for six hours, knowing we can't actually go into the hospital room because of Covid guidelines.
Perfecting French so that we can better communicate with... everyone.
Intentional conversations with our kids demonstrating and explaining what it looks like to show love to someone.
Planning weekly Bible studies and prayer times, then canceling when everyone (us included) catches Covid.
Inviting others into our home for a time of rest and Christian fellowship.
Delivering packages for others that get left on our doorstep at least once a week.
Translating Sunday School lessons for our kids so that they can participate in the lesson, too.

We're seeing more and more that ministry - true ministry - is opening our home, our hearts, and our lives on a daily basis. It's choosing service over comfort, sacrifice over sleep, and others over self. It's beholding Jesus so that we can look more like Him and having that transformation reflected in our daily lives.

May God be glorified in it all.

A Behind-the-Scenes Glimpse at Our Life:

1. For about three weeks in November, while Covid ran rampant on campus, we didn't step foot out of our apartment. In that time, we watched approximately 1,578 movies, worked through hours of Ruth's kindergarten schoolwork, and attended classes online.

2. We celebrated American Thanksgiving as a family with a team of coconut shrimp, chicken nuggets, cranberry sauce, salad, and homemade cheesecake.

3. We visited ABWE teammates in Québec City and loved experiencing the "old European" feel of the town.

More behind-the-scenes looks at life and ministry are available on our blog, which is updated several times a week!

Batts Abroad Website

Ruth is a self-proclaimed "Math Genius" who loves playing with dolls, watching movies, and doing her schoolwork. She turns six on December 4th! Pray that her heart will be open and that she'll turn to Christ for salvation.

Clara loves animals and has been playing "Paw Patrol" everyday for weeks. She always races to open the (very heavy) door to our apartment building so that she can show how strong she is. Pray for peace in her heart and for her salvation.

Hudson says the funniest things sometimes and is constantly cracking us up. He loves trains and can spend hours playing with his wooden train tracks. Pray for his continued growth and development.

Allen and I wrap up our final semesters of language school (!!!) in mid-December. We're considering plans for next semester and exploring how we can best serve the campus here at Parole de Vie. Pray for success in our finals, wisdom for the future, and (as always) good rest.

Thank you for praying for our family!