Feelings for France

The term "missions" brings a lot of places to mind, but for most people, France is not one of them.  Many people do not realize their need for the Gospel.  After living there, Brandon and I were affirmed in the fact that we were called to share Christ with the French people.  We have been back in the states for 6 years, only visiting once, and at times it is easy to put our feelings for France on hold and to lose momentum in our pursuit to return.  Its easy to get comlacent and comfortable in our lives here and that's when God gives me these little reminders of my feelings.  Last week there were several of these reminders.  The first reminder was when I was looking at the facebook page of one of the missionaries that just moved to France in December.  She had a baby boy about a month ago and since I love to look at baby pictures, I wanted to check them out.  As I was looking at the pictures of this infant in front of the Eiffel Tower, having a meal with our missionary friends, David and Kathryn, and even at the hospital with the French doctors and nurses, I was admittedly a little jealous that they were there.  I look forward to taking my kids to the Eiffel Tower and showing them all the things and people that we love about France.  Karis has been to France once, but she was too young to remember it.  There are many things that we will miss when we move, but also so many things that we will enjoy about being there.  Don't misunderstand me, we don't feel called to France because we think it will be a great place to live.  As beautiful as it is, I struggle every day with the idea of being so far away from friends and family here and I think that is why God uses these reminders to show me that I do have feelings that He has given me to reach the unsaved and unchurched people of France.  The second and probably more important reminder was reconnecting with my friend, Angelique.  She attends the church that we went to while we were living in France and we became very close.  She even visited us once here in the US about a year after we came back to the states.  I was able to chat online with her a couple of times last week.  It was not something that I planned, but it, again, made me realize my love for the "young people" that Brandon and I had the opportunity to work with while we were living there.  I was worried that I had lost a lot of my French since I don't use it very often, but I was able to communicate fairly well all things considered.  The third reminder was a little different.  I was reading the blog of another World Team missionary who is currently raising support to go to Africa and do Bible translation.  Their most recent post was titled "I'd rather be in Africa".  It just made me think about how there are many times that I, too, think "I'd rather be in France".  I won't say I always feel that way, but I think that's why God gives me these little reminders so that I don't forget about France.  Let me finally say that missions and ministry is not fueled by feelings or emtotions and even when I don't "feel" that passion, Brandon and I are without doubt that God has called us to reach the French people.  However, I think God in His mercy allows me to "feel" that passion so that I will be excited and push forward with an urgency that these people need to hear about Him and see His love through me.  

baby Luca in front of the Eiffel Tower

Angelique holding Karis during our visit to France