Welcoming in Fall

These past weeks have welcomed in Autumn here in Charleville-Mézières. Our evening walks now have us in jackets. We are starting to see our breath creating fog in the air. Nights are much more comfortable than sleeping in a warm house without air-conditioning. We have also received our car from the basketball club, so we have been able to make regular trips to the grocery and beautiful countryside drives.

A few weeks ago, our city hosted the “Festival Mondial des Théâtres de Marionnettes”, the global festival for puppetry. Charleville-Mézières holds the world’s most prominent puppetry school, and has a rich history in the art. People come from all over the world not only to learn the techniques of puppetry, but also to craft their own puppets, study the history of puppetry, and much more. Anna and I did not know what to expect with the festival coming to town, but we were quickly introduced when we realized that large parades of puppets travel down our street while making their way into downtown. Loud music, exuberant costumes, performers walking on stilts, and large puppets being carried on performer’s shoulders ran by our home each day during the 10-day festival. In our downtown, the streets were lined with performers, who travel from all over bringing nothing but a suitcase including a puppet and props for their show. Place Ducale, the city center, was packed with large performances that brought hundreds of viewers. Our quaint city of Charleville was suddenly full of action and constantly busy. They say about 200,000 visitors came for the festival. This came to much surprise and it provided Anna and I a great amount of entertainment.

We are now in the midst of the basketball season. We started regular season play on September 9, and have played once a week since. We are currently 3-2, and I think the team is improving each day. The international game is different in many ways, and I have needed to adjust to the differences and inconsistencies here. There have been points of frustration in this process, but more than anything else it has been enjoyable. I have found enjoyment adjusting to a different play-style and learning new ways of approaching the game. It has also been rewarding to build relationships with teammates, coaches, neighbors, and more. Anna and I pray each day that the Lord would push us out of our comfort zones and into meaningful conversations with those in our lives. We want to connect with and know those around us and share with them our story. We pray that God’s love shines through us and that our marriage is a testament to what Christ has done for us.

This past Sunday, we played a basketball game in Paris. Celeste, who had come to stay with us in the States for a few summers, was able to make it to the game. He is currently studying in Paris. The last time I had seen him was last winter and it was so special for him to come to the game. Rob Plaster, our friend via Grace College and French missionary, also came to the game and supported. We were all able to talk after the game, and it was very refreshing to spend time with them.

Anna and I have been able to continue building upon our friendships here. Anna meets with Marie from church a few times a week. Marie has been a great help for Anna and has opened her eyes to many areas of the French culture. We have also been able to spend time with my teammates and their wives and/or girlfriends. Boban is a teammate of mine from the UK, and he and his American wife Jelica are in a similar stage as Anna and I. It is their first year in France and they were recently married this past summer. My teammate Lucas and his girlfriend Lilia have also become great friends of ours. Anna, Lilia, and Jelica sit together at each home game and regularly meet in their free time.

We consider these relationships incredible blessings and answers to prayer. Anna and I continue to pray that we grow in these relationships and that God uses us as beacons of light among those He has put in our lives. An incredible desire for us has been finding ways to meet these people exactly where they are and relate to them in practical ways. In France, Christianity has become so outdated that it is foreign to many people. Anna and I pray for opportunities to present Jesus in a way that is relatable for those around us. We are constantly fighting any thoughts of apathy, isolation, self-righteousness, pride, or selfishness. We are constantly reaching out to connect with fellow believers and find Christian community.

Anna and I are always battling isolation. We recognize that we are not meant to be away from fellow believers, and we long for Christian community. Community allows us to share what God is teaching, be vulnerable with other believers, come alongside others in their struggles, and have them do the same with us. To us, this has been a simultaneous action of both searching and creating; meaning that we are searching for circles of fellow believers and at the same time creating a circle of believers with those around us. Community is not just a means of strengthening our personal faith, but a commandment for those of us following Christ.

God has provided an amazing source of community for us in Châlons-en-Champagne, about 80 miles south of us. Anna and I were able to connect with an American missionary couple, Don and Sue. They have been missionaries in France for over 40 years, and have a church in the city of Châlons as well as a café ministry. Anna and I first visited them in early September. We took the train from Charleville and we met Stacy, Don and Sue’s daughter, at the station. Stacy was born and raised in France and after going to school in the States, returned, married, and settled here. We stayed at Don and Sue’s, where we had an incredible French dinner and attended their church on Sunday. It was amazing to see American missionaries with roots and connections all throughout a city and culture in France. Don and Sue told us stories of their ministry over the years and shared their desire and motivation to constantly be serving the Lord where He calls them. This was so powerful and eye-opening for Anna and I. Since that weekend, Anna has gone down to help Don and Sue in their café ministry, which is connected with their church and serves the community not only in the form of delicious beverages and pastries, but also sharing Jesus with its customers. Anna volunteered two work days in a row and was able to have a great experience. She plans on continuing this every other week. This allows her to not only learn more about missions in France from Don and Sue, but also making friendships and connections with individuals within the café. Yet another incredible way that the Lord has provided for us. We are so grateful.

Thank you for your prayers, we are looking forward to being with you all soon.

top to bottom, left to right:

1. 1. Anna and I with our friends Boban and Jelica (left) and Lucas and Lilia (right)

2. A view on Anna's daily walk throughout the city and through the park

3. With Celeste (left) and Rob Plaster (right) in Paris after my game

4. With Celeste--he's grown since I saw him last!

5. Anna atop the Castle of Sedan, one of the most impressive places we've visited

6. Anna working in the DS Café in Châlons

7. Place Ducale crowded with performers and viewers of the Marionette Festival

8. Going bowling with teammates and friends

9. A street corner performance during the Marionette Festival

10. A lovely evening out on the town

11. Another street performance during the Festival

12. Anna enjoys completing her school work at a café in the center of town

13. Visiting the Reims Cathedral--the architecture and the history are equally impressive!

14. Beautiful country sunset on our train back from Châlons

15. Making our homemade pizzas

16. Our car. It's surely unmistakable!

17. Anna has taken up baking, and this apple pie was wonderful

18. After our most recent game