Mission semi-accomplished (mais ce n'est pas grave...parce que Dieu est bon!)

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Just arrived back from youth group and am feeling pretty good, not because I semi-accomplished my mission but because there were two Canadian missionaries there tonight who I had the pleasure of conversing in English with - not great for my French or my mission because it meant I spent most of the meal talking to them...mais bon! They were two very interesting women who greatly encouraged me with their testimonies and also with their response to the things I told them about myself and how I came to be in France - they told me that they were excited by what they heard and they thought it was amazing - that made me think, well maybe shouldn't I be excited too? And this is something I've been trying to tell myself for a long time and also something I've started praying about - I need to just learn to embrace this adventure which other people call life; I need to start getting excited about the things God has for me rather than doubting and worrying all the time. This is going to be one incredible year.Why? Because I have NO IDEA what God's got for me and it says in the Bible that He has only the best for us so maybe I need to start actually believing that!

There have been many times when I've looked back over the events which led up to me coming to France and I've asked myself if I was unwise to be so trusting in God? Was I stupid to just accept that this was where He wanted me to come without asking any questions or doing any research? Was it ignorant of me to do that? But speaking to two people who live all the time by faith and who are guided by the Spirit greatly encouraged me - it showed me that it is possible and not stupid or unwise at all - in fact it's what God wants, it's what He desires of us - for us to trust completely in Him. It's not unwise, stupid, or ignorant - it's just faith.

For those of you wondering if I succeeded in speaking to anyone not English, I did....kind of. Before the Canadians arrived I was with the daughter of two of the American missionaries in church. We spoke mainly in English but a bit in French too. I also spoke to two of the 'proper' French girls - not much but still. I questioned one when she gave me 'fait bisous' (French kiss) to say goodbye - I thought you only did it to say hello but she told me that it's for hello and goodbye - I was pleased that we managed to move beyond the basic discourse of 'Salut, ca va?'

Another thing that I felt God confirm to me tonight was about sharing my testimony with the church. I've kind of felt God giving me these little nudges ever since Cedric suggested the idea and I withdrew in horror (Me? Share my testimony with a load of people I barely know? You must be kidding!) But tonight during the prayer time one of the missionaries came over to me and asked if there was anything she could pray about for me so I said my year in France. One of the things she specifically prayed about was that God would give me courage to share my testimony, to share my amazing story (her words, not mine) and that might just be the purpose God called me here for but she felt that God has more than that for me. I know I don't like speaking in front of lots of people but at the same time I know God has given me the gift of communication with words and writing and maybe I just need to get over my fear of public-speaking. Just as God put words in Jeremiah's mouth I've got to trust that He'll put the words in my mouth.

One of the things that the women said to us as a group was that they'd really felt God wanted them to come to us tonight despite it being their last night and the fact they wanted to spend it with friends. They felt that there was someone who really needed to hear what they had to say. I'd like to think that person was just me, that God urged them to come just so they could speak to me and to encourage me with their words but I'm sure lots of other people needed to hear their message tonight. Their message of a God who fixes what is broken and transforms lives, a message of hope and love - it was really a fantastic message.

John 10:10 "...I came to give life - life in all its fullness."

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