It's The Most Wonderful Time of The Year...

Hello all!

Well, it's December 1st. I'm leaving for the States in exactly two weeks.... I can't believe it! Really, I can't, it hasn't hit me that I'm leaving France so soon. I keep saying it, wondering if it will hit me. But it doesn't. I'm excited to see many of you soon! But I'm also sad to leave behind those that I have grown to love and cherish so dearly...

The month of November has been an interesting one. I spent the first part of this month in Belfast (See last blog post), and it seems as though it's been one event after another since then. Claire's family came to visit, I was glad to be able to see them before they left since they arrived while I was gone. Last week I was able to reconnect with one of my dearest friends here. We hadn't seen each other for so long because of busy schedules, but we were finally able to make time for each other and catch up with each other. This week was Thanksgiving, and what a lovely Thanksgiving it was! I was able to cook the turkey, which to be honest, I loved! It was a fun job! Everyone involved, the new interns, our team, and Sarah and Cece all pitched in, and everything that everyone made was completely delicious! It was a little taste of home for all of us I think. It was a time of thankfulness, and sharing our lives together. I was also able to meet, and connect with a young woman who is new to Evolution 13. I am so excited that I'm able to make this connection, even if it is right before I leave. We both had seen each other a few times, but didn't really know each other. Then one Sunday at church, during and intense and beautiful time of worship, we ended up praying for each other. The Lord used that moment in such a big way, we both had words for each other, and in a way, it brought a deep connection between us. I'm excited to be hanging out with her this evening!

Now, it's December 1st. Two more weeks, then I'll be heading back to life in America. But I will not be the same. I have been changed by my time here, in so many ways. The Lord has grown and changed me, making me more like the woman He has called me to be. I have been touched by each person I have had the privilege to know here. I have come to know a little bit about other cultures, not just French, but German, South African, Gabonese, North African, just to name a few. Many of these people in my life here have become family, they are relationships that I cherish, and pray will continue even after I leave. I cannot describe how I've changed, and I do not know how deeply leaving here will affect me, but I do know that I am not the same person you knew when I left. My eyes and my heart have been opened. I cannot wait to share, in person, with you, all that I've learned. Be blessed!

Blessings and Love,

Chrissy

Belfast....

The Titanic Museum

So, I've promised you all a special blog post about my time in Belfast. So here it is! I'm so excited to share about my time there, and all of the amazing experiences I had!

So to start, let me explain. One of the really amazing opportunities I have being on internship with Bethany is to do a "survey" or "vision" trip. Essentially it's a trip to check out a ministry or place that you could see yourself doing or being long term. So, I went to Belfast, to check out a church plant that Every Nation had started there. Man, was it a blessed time!

It's a very new church plant, with just Johann and Andrea Vizagie are the Pastors and leaders of the church plant. They have baby girls, who were also such blessings to me! The other leaders of the church plant are Lenny and Caly Konschewitz. I was so blessed by these two couples during my time in Belfast! I was able to go to staff meetings, learn a little bit about establishing Every Nation Belfast as a church plant, I went out with Caly one day on a hunt for ministry opportunities with youth centers in the area. I had an amazing night, Halloween night, going out with an organization in Belfast called Night Light. Essentially helping people who are anywhere from homeless to drunk off their heads. We were able to be the hands and feet of Jesus, handing out coffee, tea, or soup, sharing good conversations, and sometimes just being an ear to listen. I absolutely loved being out there, helping and loving on those that need it the most. Another day we went out to Queens University, and did God tests. Essentially, just taking a survey of the students, finding out what they thought about the existence of God. This led to some great conversations, and amazing connections! It was such a wonderful experience, being able to work with this team, and hear their hearts, and their vision for what it looks like to impact the community.

Now, there is something to mention about Northern Ireland. It's a beautiful place with some of the most kind and welcoming people. But it is a place that has also been rife with conflict. I was able to do some research, to learn more about the history of Belfast as well as demographics, to help the team a bit. While much of the violence of the past has subsided, there is still an underlying hostility within the community there. Much of this conflict derives from politics and religion. Catholics and Protestants are at odds. There are even "peace walls" blocking off Catholic neighborhoods from
Protestant neighborhoods. Part of the goal that the Belfast team has is to bring unity to the community. To bring peace to what seems like an endless conflict.

A Peace Wall inscribed
"Open your heart to change,
but don't let go of your values." -The Dali Lama

Belfast Castle

I was so blessed by Johann, Andrea, Lenny,

Albert Memorial Clock
Tower

and Caly during my time in Belfast. They prophesied over me, spoke words of life, encouragement. I felt so valued, accepted, loved. I knew that these were the right people to bring unity and healing to this place. I cannot explain how incredibly blessed I was by these wonderful, amazing people. I am so thankful for all of them, and continue to pray that the Lord will use them in mighty ways in the years to come!

All in all, my trip to Belfast was an incredible one. I cannot believe how blessed I am to have gone on this trip, met these people, and been used by God during my time there. I pray that the Lord will continue to restore and bring healing to the land. I hope that someday, I will be able to return.

Belfast Castle Gardens

The End is Near....

It's the end of October... I only have about a month and a half left here in France. It's bizarre! I can't believe that it's almost time for me to go home. The new interns arrived last week, and it's been such a joy having Kate and Cassie here! It's given a bit of a fresh perspective, and a new light on life here. It has become so normal living here, so seeing it through their eyes has been quite refreshing!

I leave for Ireland on Wednesday to learn more about church planting. I'm so excited to be able to experience this, and learn more from the people I'll be working with. I'll be writing a special post next month after I get back to let you know how it all went, and share what I learned!

This month has been a bit of a whirlwind. Since Jenny, our dear friend from Florida, had to go back to the States for a bit, I've been heading up children't ministry, working under Cece. It's been so great! I really love doing lesson planning, and working with the kids. I feel like I've really found something that my heart really enjoys, and I think it's because it's so similar to what the Lord has called me to do with my life. I feel so blessed, and so privileged to work with these children, and I have so much love for each of them. Grayling and Sandra have also arrived (yay!!!) If I haven't mentioned them before here's a little background: They were missionaries in France for twenty-five years, then went back to the States for a while, and Grayling was working on Bethany campus. I was able to meet him and Sandra there, and they've been support raising to come back here. Praise the Lord, they're here! It's so nice to have them here with us, and to be able to hear their perspectives on things here, and hear their hearts for the people here. They are truly a blessing to have around!

Now a little bit of reflection on my time here. I have changed since living here. I've begun to really think about when first arriving and how I am now, and while at the core of myself I am still me, I have been changed by my time here. I have experienced life in such a different way, met some of the most interesting and wonderful people, and had my eyes opened to a totally different culture. My faith has been challenged and tested, the Lord has walked with me through all of it. I have learned more about life, love, sadness, and joy. I have made friends that I will keep for the rest of my life, and met strangers that have changed my view on life in one single moment. My heart is all at once saddened and elated at the prospect of going home. There is no way to really describe this on a deep level to someone who has not experienced this for themselves, but I can try. I love this place, and I love the people here, the ones I've met, and the ones that I've just talked to in passing. I pray that I've been as much of an impact on them as they have been on me.

So here we are. On the edge of a new season. It's scary, but exciting all at the same time. I pray that I will be able too see you all, my supporters, my friends, who have stuck with me through this whole process. I am excited to share, in more detail all of my experience here. I am blessed by your support, by your prayers, by your love. You have been as much part of this as I have. So thank you, and I hope to see you all soon!

Blessings and Love,

Chrissy

With Autumn Comes Changes....

Well, it's the end of September.... Wait, what? It's the end of September already? Tomorrow's October? What?!? The time has just FLOWN by! I can't believe it's already almost October! Soon I'll be boarding a plane to head back to the States, and that's just too crazy to think about.... So here's some reflections on this month.

The beginning of this month was my birthday (yay 24!) which was celebrated alongside Christine, who's birthday was the day after mine, along with some very dear and lovely friends! A big thanks to Claire and Sarah who organized everything, it was such a wonderful time spent with those dear to our hearts! (As a side note, you should also check out the blog that I wrote on my birthday about the persecuted church in Iraq in case you missed it.)

As the month has progressed I have been able to take on some more responsibilities within the church, Evolution 13. I am so excited for what God is doing! We have started having weekly church services, and I, along with Jenny (An amazing woman who has come to work with us here in France!) have been placed over the young children's ministry. Jenny has already taught me so much, and I'm so excited to be able to work alongside her, and be used by God in this area! Along with that I'm helping to start up a weekly prayer small group, something I'm just as excited about! The Lord has really put prayer on my heart, and it is definitely something that I truly feel is important at all times, but especially in this time of breaking ground here in Marseille, especially in Cours Julien. The Lord is really wanting to move in mighty ways here, and I know that prayer and worship is a huge part of that.

Mom and I in Cours Julien After Church

This past week was a bit busy for me as well because, mom came to visit! It was so great having her here, where she was able to see what I'm doing, and see the city and the people that I love so much! I'm so glad I was able to share this with her, and of course to just have my mommy here! I missed her lots! We were able to explore a bit, and I was a bit of a tour guide for a day, which was fun, but it also put a lot into perspective for me as well. I was able to see how, in subtle ways, I've changed, and adapted to the culture. It was a very interesting and wonderful experience!

And now, just a little bit that's on my heart to share. This past month has been a time where the Lord has just been reminding me about love. He's been growing my heart so much, and urging me to love beyond myself. By that I mean, loving even when it seems impossible. I'm a pretty loving person in general, but in my humanity there are limits, and the Lord has been pushing past those limits, showing me how crucial love it is, and how important it is for me to let His love take me beyond my own capacity to love. So in learning this I also want to urge you to open your hearts to His love. I ask you to press in, to ask Him to reveal His love to you, and in doing so give you a greater capacity to love others. It's not always easy to love others, it's easy to get angry, to mock, to ignore others, but it is our call to love. I think that in this day and age it can be so incredibly easy to be selfish, everything in our society, literally EVERYTHING, is pushing us towards isolation and selfishness. But this is completely opposite of what God intended for humanity, and especially for Christians. We need to be loving each other, helping each other, and not out of selfish gain either, but out of a love born from knowing Him who loved first. I struggle, I'm not perfect, I can be extremely selfish, but I am learning, and I am growing, and I urge you to do the same. Push through the struggle, let it be something that grows you, not something that pushes you back or holds you down. Ask God for help, He will bring you through these struggles, because without Him it just won't happen.

Now for my closing: It's been a quick, and challenging month for me, full of changes and excitement! Here are some things that I'm looking forward to in the next few weeks: Grayling and Sandra arrive! (If I have not mentioned them before, they are a couple who served in France for about 25 years, went back the States for a few years, and are now coming back to serve here in Marseille. They are amazing people, and have been such an encouragement to me throughout my time at Bethany, and I'm very excited for them to be here!) The new interns are coming! My time here is ending, but their's is just beginning, so please be keeping them in your prayers as well! And finally, the end of this month I'll be heading to Ireland on a survey trip. Basically I'll be helping out with a church plant in Belfast for a week, to see what church planting looks like from an English speaking perspective. i'm super excited about this trip and to see what God does during my time there! So that's it! Keep an eye out for next month's blog, please keep me and our intern and Evolution 13 team in your prayers, and remember I am also praying for all of you! Feel free to send any prayer requests to me through facebook or e-mail!

Blessings and Love,

Chrissy

La Reverie, at Musee des Beaux-Arts here in Marseille. She's my favorite piece of art there, probably because I'm a bit of a daydreamer myself....

My Life is Not My Own....

I am writing a special blog post today, it is not to give updates, but to share some thoughts that I've been having. I will post a blog with updates later this month though, so be on the look out for that!

Today is my birthday. I am twenty-four now, and I just wanted to reflect on some things that have been on my mind, and the minds of others as well. But before I do, I want to share a little more about myself. Many of you reading this post may already know these things about me, but for those of you who don't, this is for you, to have a peek into my heart, to understand better where I am coming from.
I was raised in a Christian home. For the most part. While there were things, traumatic, life altering things that happened to me in my early childhood, one thing remained constant: Jesus. My family went to church at least two or three times a week, most times more than that. My parents were very involved there, and I was very close to many of the children in our church as well. When I was six, I remember very distinctly the Lord placing a call on my life to be a missionary. I didn't know what that meant, but I knew that it was what I had to do. When I was eight, I learned about Nate Saint and Jim Elliot, two missionaries who gave their lives to share the gospel. That was the first time I knew that this calling could cost me my life. As I grew up, this calling faded into the background, I got caught up in the typical life of the American teenager, struggling with depression, suicidal thoughts, the pressure to be cool, the sexuality of society, and the burning need to be accepted by men. When I was seventeen I made a decision. I was done with Christianity, I was done trying to please a God I wasn't even sure existed. I spent the next two years dabbling in witchcraft, mysticism, and doing whatever I felt like doing, when I felt like doing it. But one day, after a series of events, I heard it. The voice of my Savior. It was a voice that was small, but strong. Not pushy, or commanding, but loving and gentle. That day, four and a half years ago, I gave my life to Jesus. That day, my life was no longer my own.
After all of this, the Lord reignited a fire in my heart for missions. I knew it was what I was supposed to do with my life: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And  behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:19-20 ESV) It wasn't very long after this that God gave me direction of what that would look like for me: an orphanage. This spoke greatly to my heart, I have always had a heart for children, to love and care for them, especially those that needed love the most. Then, He called me to a specific place: Iraq. This was insanity. I had never felt particularly drawn to the Middle East, and of all the places in the Middle East, Iraq was not exactly the most peaceful place... But the I could not deny what He had said. Iraq. Since that day I have carried this dream in my heart. To build an orphanage in Iraq. But the desire to go was just not there. I think you might know where I'm going with this...
The past month and a half has been a steady decline in Iraq. And as things worsened, my desire to go grew. Now it is a burning flame. I know I have to wait, I know now is not the time to go, but I must say this: my heart is breaking. Every day there is something new: children being killed, families torn apart, men and women being executed, all for their faith. Today was one of the best and worst pictures I have seen: A man, a smile on his face, so much joy and peace on his face with a rope around his neck. the last picture was of him hanging, members of ISIS cheering behind him... So many emotions went through me as I looked at that picture. Grief and sadness for the loss of a life, joy that he was able to stay true to his Savior until the end, and is now reunited with him, and hope. Hope that one day, were I faced with the decision of renouncing my Lord, I could stand strong, just like that man, and smile knowing that I would see the face of my Love soon.
"For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." (Philippians 1:21 ESV) Such a short verse, written by Paul, from a jail cell. But a powerful verse. These people, in Iraq are living out this verse. They are willing to die for the truth, they are willing to die instead of renouncing their Savior. My heart yearns to be there, but I cannot be, so here is what I ask, here is what I challenge: Pray. I have talked often of prayer in other blog posts, because I know it is a powerful and effective tool "The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working." (James 5:16 ESV) We need to stand up for our brothers and sisters, in prayer and intercession. God has a plan, make no mistake, and even as lives are lost, hope is born. The Lord is righteous and just, and even if we do not understand His plans, we know that He is working. We need to pray for the strength of believers, for their protection, and for aid for them. Pray blessings over those that are helping them.
I want to take today, my birthday, not to focus on myself, but to focus on our brothers and sisters in the persecuted church, especially those in Iraq. These people, our family, have decided to say "My life is not my own." and lay everything down for the sake of the gospel. I pray for them, and I also pray that if a day comes when I am faced with the choice of torture and death, or renouncing the God that I love, the one who has called me to Himself, who suffered and died for me, the one who has loved me beyond imagining even when I spat in His face, the one who has given me the ability to live, and to love others, that I will choose Him. That I will choose a moment of torture, of pain, and of death, to spend an eternity in the presence of the one whom my soul loves, the One whom has loved me first.
If we truly believe that we are part of the family of God, then make no mistake, we are not untouched by this tragedy. And even as I grieve, I rejoice, because their suffering has ended, and they can now be with the One that they gave their life for, the One that has given His life for them.

Blessings and Love,
Chrissy