On The Ground

Hey All!
Well I've been in Gabon about 3 weeks.
What in the world have I been up to you ask?
Take a look over the next couple posts =) ...

The first week we had our Field Forum.

The Gabon Team + the short term team from Allegheny Center Alliance Church

 The entire Gabon team met at a hotel in Lambarene, a town about 4 hours into the jungle on the 10 hr drive to Bongolo. So off we went in our 4x4s...

Off to Lambarene!

We passed many interesting things, here are just a few...

Furniture for Sale along the main highway

Vegetables for sale

A homestead

Lovely faces at the market

The Equator and the Highway Rest Area... (aka pick a bush ;-)

The week was filled with business meetings but also time of worship together in English, hearing from the word in English and prayer. We were all so thankful to the team from Allegheny Center who lead us in worship, brought us the word and taught the kids in VBS.

We also had lots of fun getting to know each other better- like our team wide photo scavenger hunt in Lambarene =)

The locals seemed to have fun helping us in our crazy game- although I can just hear the conversations over dinner that night- "did you see the crazy white people running around taking pictures today??"

We also enjoyed taking a little boat out onto the river and just talking and soaking in the jungle that surrounded us. It was so surreal to be on a little paddle boat on a river in the middle of the jungle in Africa. We are so not in Kansas anymore...

Getting closer to Bongolo...

And then the week ended and it was time to head to Bongolo! I was so excited and anxious to get on the road and head to my new home! Since we were half way into the jungle, it was only another 5 hour drive.

The bridge right before heading to the hospital- we're almost there!

Yaay, we made it!!!

So sweet of the Holsenbacks and their 2 y.o. daughter Elena....

Barry and Terry Newman are so gracious to take me in these first couple weeks.
The container has not yet arrived with my bed and stuff to move into my house, but I am so thankful after this long road, to see the fruit of God's leading and to finally be at Bongolo!
Thank you for your faithful prayers.
Love and miss you all.


              Love from the Jungle,
                         ~Amanda 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMANDA!!!

Amanda, please know that even as you celebrate today at the new home to which the Lord has lead you, far from your old home, you are loved and missed and in our thoughts and prayers.  Happy Birthday, Jungle Nurse :-)

Off to Gabon!!!

Hello Everyone! 

It's here!!! The day has finally arrived!!!

"I'm leaving on a jet-plane, don't know when I'll be back again...."

My flight for Gabon leaves TOMORROW July 21st at 12:50pm (6:50am eastern time). I will have a layover in Casablanca and will arrive in Libreville, Gabon at 4:30am Sunday morning. 

Looks like Africa's getting ready for me! =)

Tonight I sat here in Marseille, France at a hotel restaurant, awaiting my flight to Gabon tomorrow, eating my last meal in the Western world for the foreseeable future. 

I was sitting outside in the sweet, warm air, a light breeze curving itself around me and the palm trees dancing with relief in the evening's coolness.

I still haven't become accustomed to staying at hotels and eating at restaurants all alone, but it gives me time to reflect and think on all that God has done along this journey. 

After 13 years of following the Lord's leading, 

the day has finally arrived.

I'd like to tell you that I have it altogether, that I'm not nervous about moving to the African jungle tomorrow. I'd like to tell you that I'm not going to freak out if there's a snake in my house or that I'm going to be really strong if I get malaria. I'd like to tell you that after 7 months of language study, it will be a piece of cake to teach in French. I'd like to tell you that the constant heat and humidity won't be an issue and that I'm not going to struggle with being lonely or being away from my family or Christopher or my friends. I'd like to tell you that I'm a "super Christian" and I always respond in a Christ-like manner, that I'm not prideful or selfish. I'd like to tell you that I am "Rambo's daughter" and that I will be tough, come what may.

The reality is- I'm not. 

I'm just a girl, trying to obey God

-and this is where He's leading me. 

But  I do know my God. 

I know His strength and His might. 

I know His power and His enabling. 

I know His presence and His comfort. 

I know His saving grace and Love for the nations. 

I know His patience and slowness to anger.

I know His selflessness and humility.

I know His provision and His miraculous intervention. 

I know His healing and wisdom. 

There is NOTHING my God cannot do. 

And if our God is for us, than who can stand against us?

 Each morning I try to read a Psalm before my feet hit the floor and the day gets crazy. This morning was Psalm 23. We all know that Psalm, we could recite it over and over again. 

Today I got stuck on the 1st verse,

"The LORD is my shepherd; 

 I Shall Not Want."

God will not let us go wanting, He takes care of our needs.

I saw that provision repeatedly throughout my day today. 

God provided a ride to Marseille today with one of the neighbors of my host family, he happens to work at the airport.

After some unexpected expenses getting here, I wasn't sure the cash I had taken out for traveling would stretch, but God provided. 

For lunch, the same neighbor invited me to lunch with some of his co-workers as a guest.

Then, this afternoon while I was organizing some papers in my duffel, I found a random 20 Euro bill -plenty for dinner and lunch tomorrow. 

I Shall Not Want. 

God, our provider. 

It was as if God wanted to remind me of this before I head out tomorrow. 

He knows no limits- time, distance, money. He can and will take care of us through whatever life throws at us.

God, our provider.

  Here or in the US, or in Gabon, He remains the same.

Thank you for your prayers in this final leg of the journey to Gabon. 

 It is a joy to serve with you, to know as I go, you go with me in prayer. 

                                                       Love from France, 

                                                             -for the last time-

                                                                            ~Amanda

p.s.

I love this song by Priscilla Ahn, somehow it captures tonight.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ed_IPf2YECc 

 

Graduation from Albertville

Madame Gothié et moi

Hello to Everyone,

Another chapter comes to a close...and the revolving door of "hello's" and "goodbye's" swings again. I praise the Lord for His faithfulness and empowerment in seeing us all through the end of language school here in Albertville. It has not been without its challenges, but God has brought us through another step on the road to the work to which he has called us- sharing who He is in a language not our own.

Receiving our diplomas...

With my teacher Anne, celebrating kicking 6 months of
language school in the face

Thank you to our teacher Anne, who with her endless patience, gentle correction and joyful spirit put up with countless hours of us trying, failing, succeeding and just generally slaughtering the beautiful French language in her class ;-) 

For our teachers, this is very much their calling, through which they are significantly contributing to the growth of the Kingdom. I continue to be amazed at how God chooses to use all of us with our different gifts and passions to draw people unto Himself. 

And for all the memories shared with new lifelong friends....

Our hike up the Belle Etoile

the laughter

the tears

the adventures

of 

iron sharpening iron.

This is what happens when you study too much French

Thank you to all of you for your prayer and encouragement to carry me through these six months of language study in Albertville. You are an indispensable part of the team and I am so thankful for each of you!

What's next you ask? Check out the timeline tab for a quick glance, but I am heading to the south of France to the city of Montpellier to take a 3 week Medical Vocab course in French. It is a secular school and I will be living with a French family. Please be praying for opportunities to share the Gospel and for a really profitable time to solidfy my French and grow in the Medical vocab arena in these next three weeks, July 2nd-19th. 

After that, Lord willing I'll be leaving for Gabon July 21st! 

It's almost here!!!

Love from Albertville, 

  ~Amanda

A Little Somethin'Extra: to experience a little more of our "cloture"or graduation, below you'll find a video of our choir or "chorale." Every semester each class is required to participate as another way to learn French. Feel free to watch or not watch, just know ahead of time they taught us how to speak French- not how to sing ;-)

Madame Gothié

I would love to introduce you all to Mme Gothié.
She is a sweet, dear retired nurse who agreed to the challenge of teaching me some foundational medical French.

 My sessions with her have been the highlight of my stay here in Albertville, I am so grateful for the blessing of her friendship, medical knowledge and steadfast faith in Christ. I have truly found in her a kindred spirit.

Every Wednesday I had the privilege of riding my bike to Madame Gothié's house, and today you sort of get to do the same. She has graciously allowed us all a rare peek into what a French Savoie home looks like =)

 So here we go on our bike ride....

....the road with the arrow leads up to Madame Gothié's house- you can choose if you want to ride up or walk your bike ;-).

  I always felt as though I were in a fairytale or something, biking through the Alps in a little mountain town with the little Swiss chalets on either side and hundreds of flowers surrounding me...I think all I would need is a red hooded cape and I'd be all set.

This view is the reward after mounting the top of the hill in the mid-day heat- it was worth it every time.

 

Just around the corner, we arrive at her house and her beautiful garden!

Living Room

Kitchen

Our desk

We reviewed anatomy and physiology and went over a LOT of pronunciation of medical words in French- it was so helpful. 

After our work was done for the day, we'd sit and visit for a couple hours, in French over a cup of tea. 

Le Muguet- traditional flower given the 1st of May

At the end of every study session, Mme Gothié would always brighten my day with a bunch of flowers from her garden.  

With no place to put them, she would always place them in the side of my bag as I headed out on my bike. So there I would ride home, my satchel over one shoulder and a bunch of flowers peeking out the side, my hair blowing in the wind and the Alpine mountains reaching high into the sky on either side of me, refreshed and ready to face another week of language school....

 

I am so thankful for the foundation in Medical French as I head to Montpellier for my medical vocab class. 

Merci Madame Gothié!

Kids Camping Weekend!

Hello Everyone!

I hope you all are doing well! Summer is on it's way!

This past weekend I had a ton of fun being involved in a local kids camp!

 I was asked to speak for the Sunday evening service, but they ended up being short a girl counselor, so I got to join in the fun for the whole weekend =)  

The weekend ran from Saturday 1pm- Monday 1pm and we had about 40 kids ages 8-14.

The kids are all part of a group called the Flambeaux (ages 11-14) and Petits Flambeaux (ages 8-11), an organization similar to scouting for boys and girls.

Our group joined together with the kids from the near-by town of Annecy for a weekend of camping about an hour away in the mountains.

And the theme.....?

You guessed it! 

PIRATES! 

Well, the parable of the hidden treasure to be exact.

So Saturday it was off on a pirate sea voyage for us,  with lots of Jack Sparrows', Captain Hooks' and maiden pirates in distress. 

Saturday we set up camp...

Center of camp, meeting point and where we ate our meals.

My lodging next to the kids

Then we got the kids active and out in the woods. They had lots of great games teaching them very valuable pirate (and life) skills. The final afternoon their efforts were rewarded with an actual treasure chest filled with gold coins- well chocolate gold coins ;-) 

The girls after making a team lunch together.

Trying to rescue the key from the captured pirate and find the treasure chest!

"Flambeaux" literally means "torch." The group's name reminds them to be a light into the world.

Sunday night Fête

Sunday night we had a fun fête including a sausage BBQ, skits, music, costumes and a Bible lesson.

Pirate sketches

We had time for small groups where we were able to see how the kids were processing what they were learning and see if they had any questions, and we also had some time of worship. The song  above you might recognize, the one below is their Flambeaux song.

The whole weekend was great French practice, but especially Sunday night. I was to share my testimony and talk about Matthew 13:44, about a man who found a treasure that was worth giving all that he had.  I shared how I had once found a treasure that worth giving everything for. That treasure was being able to communicate with my God. When I was 13 at a camp, God taught me the importance of reading my Bible and spending some time talking to him every day. It changed my life. It was a treasure worth surrendering my whole life for, to grow in knowing my God, even if that surrender meant it would take me to the Jungles in Africa.

Our littlest pirate...

The Captains of the Merry Fleet

Everyone accounted for...no one had to walk the gang plank

You know, the kids were so gracious with all my mistakes in French. They did however, find it hard to understand why it would be so difficult for someone to learn to speak their native language.

I do wish I had brushed up on a couple French phrases to have on the tip of my tongue before I left, like;

"DON'T RUN WITH THE POCKET KNIFE!" or

"DON'T DO THAT YOU'LL SET THE TENT ON FIRE!"

You know, everyday stuff. 

A beautiful end to a tiring yet rewarding weekend...

But the last night, as all the leaders sat around the campfire and all the little ones were in bed, and the sky was filled with a dusty, majestic shade of purple, the leader, Isabelle said she had been praying with the younger girls in their tent that night, and one of them prayed, "And thank you God for Amanda, thank you for sending her here to share with us, even though it is so hard for her to speak French...."

Motivation to finish the final three weeks out strong?

I laid my head down in my sleeping bag, smiling...

Prayer Requests:

A lot of the kids this past weekend came from non-christian homes. 

1.  Please pray for the seeds that were planted

2.  Please pray for the kids who already have a relationship with God, that they would continue to grow and start having a daily quiet time

3. For the parents of the kids as the leaders build relationships with them

Thank you to all of you for coming alongside and doing this with me. 

I couldn't do any of this save my Lord and all of you,

 Love from France,

 ~Amanda