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

KidsGames...

Bonjour Tout le Monde!!

Hope all is well with you! I wanted to take this particular blog post to share about a very special opportunity I had last week! I was invited to to go to Geneva, Switzerland to work at a day camp for kids called KidsGames! It was an incredible week full of challenges, laughter, and Jesus! So in this post, I will be sharing with you about this incredible experience.

First off, I have to say in the midst of the week and a half I spent with these kids, I would not have said it was incredible. I would probably have said it was awful, miserable, and I wanted to leave. Why? Well it was an incredibly challenging time for me. My language skills were really put to the test, being as most of the kids in my group didn't speak English, the coach (or counselor as we would call them in America) I was working with spoke almost no English... in fact most of the people I was working with didn't speak English. We were with them from morning until night, completely surrounded by French. It was EXHAUSTING! So I have to admit, that while I was going through it, I didn't always have the best attitude. But looking back on it, I am so glad I did it! My language has improved, my fear of speaking French is pretty much gone, and the Lord moved this week in such incredible ways I feel completely blessed to have been there to see and experience it! So now, let's have a run down of a typical day, then I'll share some cool stories!

A typical day began with waking up around 7:15 or 7:30. We'd go eat breakfast, then stand outside in front of our team flag (mine was equipe 17! Woot woot!!) and wait for the kids to arrive. Then around 9:30 or so we'd head into the huge tent where all group activities were held. There would be singing, storytelling, announcements, etc., then snack, mid morning activity, lunch, then afternoon activities which could consist of tchukball (a very fun game to watch, but hard to explain in the written word!), kinball(another fun but hard to explain game!), stilts, planting herbs, making flower arrangements, or slacklining. In the evening, around 5:30 or 6 the kids would head home, and we'd have a debrief meeting. After that was dinner, then "tent time" where we would have worship, prayer, and sharing from guest speakers. It was an incredible time that the Lord used to speak to all of us, and really move on the hearts of the young people we were working with. See, most of the coaches we were working with were no older than 18, and a large percentage of them were not saved either. So it was cool to see how the Lord would move in the morning, with the kids, then in the evening with the teens!

So, story! There's one that I really want to share. It really blessed me, and I hope it blesses you as well. There was a little boy in my group. He was the youngest and smallest. He was sweet, but a little wild. He had blond hair, glasses, and a big smile. He was just so precious, and loved to talk! One morning we had a time for the kids to come forward and talk with some of the spiritual leaders that were in leadership over the camp. They could ask questions, or pray with them if they like (Many of the children were not coming from Christian homes). So this little boy, Florian, went to the front. He went and talked with Alex, a man who had become a good friend of mine during the week. I watched as Florian spoke with Alex, and Alex prayed for Florian. Florian began to cry, softly, and prayed as well. I didn't know if I should go up and help, and when Alex had moved on to working with another child, but Florian stayed there, tears silently falling down his small ruddy cheeks, I went up. I tried to talk to him, but Alex stopped me, "No," he said to me, "He's having a moment with the Lord." So I nodded silently and just held little Florian's hand in mine. I prayed, that Jesus would move in this child's life, that He would continue to move on Florian's heart. After a few minutes I was pulled away to pray with a girl who only spoke English. I was blessed to be able to pray with her, and tell her that she could talk to Jesus whenever she wanted, because He was always with her. After I was done praying with her, we had snack time. I went outside with my group, and Florian was sitting in the grass quietly, a small smile on his face. I smiled at him, and picked him up. "How are you?" I asked him, but he didn't reply. "Are you okay?" I asked, and still he didn't answer. This was strange, he was usually very talkative. Suddenly he laid his head on my shoulder and whispered in my ear, "God is in me." I smiled, "Really?" I replied softly. He nodded, "Yes." and I said, "That's true. He's in me too." he lifted his head, looked at me, smiled, and nodded. I smiled back and twirled him around. My heart was so lifted by this moment, knowing that even if I couldn't communicate perfectly, and I couldn't be the perfect coach, the Lord could still use me.


So I think I've regaled you long enough with stories of camp, and how difficult and wonderful it was! I wouldn't have traded this experience for the world (even the cold that came after)! I loved being able to meet so many amazing people, and work with some pretty incredible kids. My heart was so blessed during this week, and I am truly fortunate to have been able to go!

Okay, so just a quick update on newsworthy things! Only four more months of internship! WOW! Time has flown by! I am excited, but sad all at the same time! The end of September my mom is coming to visit, which I am completely excited for! The end of October I am making plans for a survey trip to Belfast, Ireland! This is a trip to learn more about church planting, get ideas for how church planting works in a different context, etc. I am really excited for this trip, and can't wait to head over there, learn more about what God's doing, and how I can use what I learn there back here in Marseille. After that trip I'll be coming back to get ready to head back to the states on December 15th! So time is flying, but hopefully not too fast! Thank you all for your continued love, prayer, and support! It means the world to me!

Blessings and Love,
Chrissy

Florian and I!

Kinball

Shenanigans! 

Thcukball

Flower Arrangements!

Equipe 17!

The Power of Prayer

Salut Tout le Monde!

I apologize for not having written in a while, things have been a bit hectic lately! So this month I really wanted to touch on a subject that's very important to me, and I think that it's very important for all missionaries: Prayer. It is really important that not only are we cultivating a strong, healthy prayer life, but also that our supporters are also supporting us with prayer. This is something that I've been thinking a lot about lately because I have definitely have been experiencing some difficulties lately, and I thought it would be a good idea to discuss prayer specifically this month.

I know, some of you may not believe in these things, or may have differing theological views on what I'm going to be saying here, but I'm going to say it anyway. We may differ on some views, but we are all part of the body of Christ, so bear with me. I believe that in being here in France, as a missionary, trying to share Jesus, and love others as He has called me to I am in the middle of a battleground. While Jesus is the light, that shines through me, there is a darkness that we are fighting here. The powers and principalities of this world that Paul talks about in Ephesians 6 are at war with what we are trying to do here. That being said, they are none to happy with us being here, and are going to try attacking us in any way they can. This is one of the reasons it is important for me to be spending time with Jesus, reading God's word, and cultivating a deep relationship with Him, so I can fight back the enemy. But there is another aspect to this. This is where you come in, and why I'm sharing on this subject with you, I need my family and friends to be coming alongside me in prayer. There is power in numbers, we know this in a physical battle, and the same goes in a spiritual battle as well. Sure, I can fight my enemies alone, or even with just the people on my team here, but how much stronger are we when we're fighting together, from all over the world? Much, much stronger.

Now here is thing: this past month has been one of the hardest yet. I've felt attacked spiritually, and it's been extremely hard to get back on my feet. I've been doing my best to fight, and ask others to fight alongside me, but now I'm asking you. Please, please, commit to praying for me. Commit to praying for our team. commit to praying for what God is doing in Marseille. I have seen so much progression here, people getting baptized, and starting a new, deep relationship with the Lord, people in leadership classes, learning all they can about sharing their faith with others in an effective, loving way with those around them. People have been healed, freed, and I've been able to deepen my relationships with people, even helping to disciple others. God is moving in a big way here, and the darkness that is here, does not like it. At all. So the darkness has been pushing back, and I have been feeling it. So once again, I ask, please continue to pray, to intercede for us. You are our family on the other side of the world, you are standing with us against the darkness in this place. You are just as vital and important to this team as I am. I love you all very much, and appreciate all your support so far. Thank you, and remember, you are part of my team, I love and appreciate you more than you know!

Blessings and Love,

Chrissy

The Start of a Movement: Part 2....

Hello All!

I'm sorry it's been so long! I've been quite busy since returning from my break. I wanted to continue updating you as well as share what's been going on these past few weeks!

So I left off telling a bit about the conference in Ales. It was truly a lovely time in a small town about two hours north of Marseille. We were able to attend this conference, a gathering of believers all throughout France, met to discuss the miraculous and the power of the Holy Spirit. It was a time of inspiration for me, to see so many believers gathered together to celebrate the power of God. The Lord spoke very deeply to my heart during this time, telling me so many incredible things. I know that the Lord is really moving in this country, and there is a revival coming that will bring the healing power and love of Christ to a nation so desperate for a God they don't know they need. i am so excited to be a part of this time to come. France is being talked about all over the Christian world. Seeing so many who are sold out for Him in such a big way at this conference was truly amazing. Worship was so beautiful, the presence of the Holy Spirit was felt, and it was incredibly refreshing for me.

Shortly after the conference we headed out for our two week break. First we headed to London, and we were able to visit our friends from the London team. It was so fun to be able to take a break, relax, and just be! We went sightseeing quite a bit, and were able to experience the beauty and history that London had to offer us. We also sampled some British cuisine during our stay. It was delicious! in the middle of our time there we went up to York to visit our friend, Annie. She works at the YWAM base in York, so we were able to stay there with her, which was such a blessing! Our time in York was very relaxing, a time to just pause, and breathe. I really enjoyed our time there, and while we were there we had an interesting conversation, and while we were sharing with some people about what we're doing in France, one woman shared with us: France had recently come up at a conference she had been at. That the Lord would start a revival in Europe right here, in France. It blessed my heart to hear yet another conformation in the coming revival here. The Lord is doing something big here, and even though we can't see all of it in the natural right now, I believe the Lord is working in a big way in the supernatural here in France. Please continue to join me in praying for the softening of hearts, the breaking of strongholds, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit here in France.

After our stay in York we returned to London for a few days before heading off to Paris. We did quite a bit of sightseeing there as well. Upon returning to France I felt more confident in my language abilities. It was very encouraging for me to realize this. I was really excited to actually be aware of the progress I have made, since I had begun to really wonder if I had been making progress.

Since returning to Marseille I feel as though I've been quite busy! Since Sarah was here by herself, she began to really build relationships with the people we have mostly been acquaintances with, so I've been able to hang out with them more as well. This has really helped with my progress in language, as well as deepening the connections I have here. I've also been growing closer with one of the local girls here. She has really become a dear friend to me, and I am so thankful every day for her friendship. I love her very much, and really enjoy spending time hanging out with her, sharing with her, and talking about the Lord with her.

So that is pretty much where I'm at now! We are heading on a retreat tomorrow with our Global Internship Leaders, Paul and Amy. I'm excited to spend this time away, just getting to debrief, and really reflect on life here. Thank you all for your continued support and encouragement! I really appreciate all you do! Please continue joining me in prayer for this nation. Your prayers for our team, and for the people of the nation of France are truly appreciated!

Blessings and Love,

Chrissy