Vingt (20) Champagne vineyards, Moules-Frites, and Normandy…
Bonjour,
It's time to catch up! I was hoping Tyson could add some thoughts for the September blog, but things got too busy for him, so you are stuck with me writing again!
It was a busy month; here are a few of the highlights……
At the end of August and the beginning of September, we spent a few days in Limoges. We set up our tents at an interesting campground with its very own castle! We arrived in the evening in time to set up tents. It was a quiet atmosphere with many trees; our eyes caught a sign underneath a large redwood with the word ¨Sequoia,¨ written on it. We had enough time to explore our surroundings before nightfall and walk in the woods.
The next day, Tyson dropped me off in a quiet neighborhood in front of a rickety old gate. Clutching a packet of papers in one hand, I stood at the gate wrenching around on it until it finally freed up and swung open; at the end of a cobblestone walkway, I was met by a grandmotherly figure. She ushered me indoors, took my packet of papers, and looked over them. They were documents that needed to be OFFICIALLY translated for our Visa renewals, and her title was ¨Official Translator¨. She began sharing little tidbits about her life as she looked through my papers. Her husband is an Egyptologist (how intriguing!); he travels worldwide, giving lectures about ancient Egypt! She told me about her work, travels, and children. Then she started asking me questions when she noticed the words ¨Mennonite Church¨ on the paper she was looking at. She wondered what Mennonites were. So, sitting at a quaint wooden table, surrounded by walls adorned with eye-catching Egyptian art and relics, I shared little bits of the story of the Anabaptist faith, the history of the Anabaptist people in the vicinity, and the Mennonite Church. She was a very attentive listener, asking questions here and there. She invited us to go on a tour of Egypt in January with them! What fun that would be! Maybe someday we will get to do that! :))
Later that afternoon, we checked out Oradour-sur-Glane. The SS destroyed the village in WW2. It was heartwrenching to see the devastation that war brings. We stood in the church where 245 women and 207 children were executed. Charles de Gaulle imposed the conservation of this martyr village, and virtually everything was left untouched. It is a stark reminder of the ravages of war. (Seamstresses, you will find it interesting that in the rubble of the homes, we often saw an old metal sewing machine.) The town's story is very interesting. Read about it below…
Oradour-Sur-Glane- Village destroyed by Hitler´s SS
We ended our little trip by doing some tract work and returning to Lille.
On the weekend of the 8th, we were in Paris with Halyna and Mikail. (Our Ukrainian friends have lived in Paris for around eight years.) We arrived at their apartment at 11 a.m..Halyana scurried about passing around coffee and pastries. We chatted until lunch, and then I helped Halyna put the finishing touches on lunch. We were at their house for about 5 hours. We sang, laughed, talked, and prayed together. They have faced many challenges living in Paris, and finding a church family they feel comfortable with has been difficult. Feeling God's presence and guidance in these conversations is always comforting. We enjoyed our time with them! As we were leaving, we began planning a trip for them to visit us in Lille for the weekend soon! We will look forward to that!
We headed out of Paris with our Peugeot 5008 pointed towards Normandy. The highway was jammed up because of the closing ceremonies of the Para Olympics. We had passed through Paris a few weeks before, and the traffic had been crazy during the opening ceremonies. Here we were again.. stuck in traffic! C´est dommage!!
We reached the Normandy region just before dark and set up our tents in a quiet little gated campground! It was very peaceful, cool, and comfortable that evening as we listened to the wind in the trees and the pitter-patter of rain on the top of our tent! No need for a noisemaker!
The next day, for my birthday, we visited a WW2 museum. ( I know this might not be every gal's dream birthday, but it fits the bill for me! :))) We also toured the surrounding historic war areas and ended our adventures at St. Malo and Mont-St. Michel. (Amazing!) It was a wonderful birthday; taking the day off and enjoying the area's history felt good. I´ll put some interesting highlights below.
WW2 Museum—C'est très intéressant!
Angoville-au-Plain- A church used as a medical station with blood stains still on the pews.
St. Malo— C'est une belle ville sur la côte !
Mont Saint-Michel- C'est magnifique !
The following morning, we packed up our tents and headed home. We stopped at some artisan shops in one village we were passing through.. I found a gorgeous vintage cream-white tablecloth with intricate handwork and matching napkins. In my justification of the purchase, (ha!) I told Tyson that Bella may want to use them someday for her wedding table or bridal shower. (C´est possible, non? :)) He thought maybe she should have seen it before I bought it if that were the case! (HA!) However, she had been more interested in petting the darling ragdoll kitties lazing on the chaise lounge. ((This of course was far more important to a 12-year-old girl who loves cats!)) Consequently, she came away with a vicious scratch and a disdain for all cats in the variety of RAGDOLL! >>
We did some tract work along the route and tried to meet with a contact in the area, but it did not work out as planned. All in all…a lovely weekend!
In the first part of September, we also got to experience Lille’s famous Braderie. It brings around 2 million people to the area and is considered Europe’s largest outdoor flea market. Tyson and Sterling had ventured downtown on their bikes. Bella and I felt we would be a menace to society if we went on a bike, trying to weave through that many people, so we went downtown in the car. Traffic was AWFUL! and that’s an understatement! Sterling and Tyson found it rather difficult to maneuver around as well. It was interesting to see people heading to their vehicles, pulling little wagons of treasures they had found. Also, a traditional part of the festival is eating Moules-Frites, a dish Lille is well known for! (Mussels and fries!) The restaurants would take the shells of the mussels that had been eaten and pile them up outside their cafe doors to see who had the largest mountain of shells at the end of braderie! Whoever had the largest was the winner for most moules eaten! It was estimated that 500 tons of moules would be eaten this weekend!
Moules-Frites- Look Yummo to you?? :)) (the key is ¨la sauce¨ the French are deeply invested in their ¨sauce¨ making abilities…:) ((Rightly so..they are good at it!))
Mr. Phillipe has been faithfully coming to church at our house every Sunday that we are home. He called us one day in the middle of the week and told us he had been in the hospital. We were very worried for him when he told us he had needed emergency surgery!! He is now on the mend after his health scare! (A dangerous obstruction of the intestines!) We have enjoyed his sense of humor and his interest in truth and the church. He is back with us after a couple of Sundays of recovery. We ordered more literature from Gospel Publishers that he had requested, and he was impressed to receive it. He is an avid reader and has read through a lot of church literature already!
Tyson met a young man named Ulysses this month in the park. They had a very interesting conversation about values, God, and religion. They have since been texting back and forth. He said he would like to come over on a Sunday someday when it works for him for church.
He has also been texting a lot with other new contacts and keeping up with the ones we have already made. One of the contacts is a fellow who attends school at the University of Lille.
This month, I also found myself having a lot of phone or WhatsApp conversations with some of the women we have met. Sometimes, these conversations leave me searching, wishing for the right words, for solutions to calm fears, anxieties, and uncertainties. I remind myself that it's not my job to carry burdens but to point them toward the ¨one¨ who can.… It's comforting to leave it to God, relieving me of that pressure to have ¨deep¨ insights or wisdom. I am mostly a listener. Sometimes, a verse or an example in the Bible comes to mind. I remind them (and myself) because we humans often need reminders…that God cares and is deeply interested….and that when our faith feels weak, we can look back at all the ways he has come through for us in the past. Their vulnerability has inspired me and reproved me at times. I have enjoyed keeping up with them and developing these friendships.
One Saturday this month, we embarked on a journey to the Champagne region. With bulging bags of tracts packs in tow! ((of course)) We were ready to make the most of the beautiful weather! The sight that greeted us as we meandered through the region was breathtaking! The hillsides were covered with vineyard after vineyard… the champagne grapes a deep blue purple and white, hanging thick in ripe clusters; the green leaves just beginning to turn the slightest shades of burgundy and saffron. The valleys below were a stark contrast: a sea of golden corn crops yet unharvested waving in the breeze. We paused to watch as workers meticulously picked grapes by hand, the hillsides dotted with white vans ferrying the workers to and from the vineyards. The earthy smell and warm sun made it relaxing as we sat observing.
Champagne Wine vineyards—((Interesting fact: sparkling wine can only be called “Champagne” if it is made in the region of Champagne. All Champagne is sparkling wine, but not all sparkling wine is Champagne! ))
´´You know you are a missionary in France when a stack of mailboxes all in one spot catches your eyes!¨ Sterling says. We hit the mailbox jackpot in this region! It seemed like each little neighborhood had a stack of mailboxes altogether! Sometimes there were only 6, but sometimes up to 19! Most of the French houses have individual boxes. This was the first we´d ever seen like this! When we left the area, our tract bags were empty!
We think we have decided fall is our favorite season here. The sky is a striking shade of blue, and with the contrast of the changing leaves on the trees, it looks even bluer! And just enough breeze to ensure the temperature never feels too warm when hiking. It´s a lovely time of the year! However, over the last few days, it has started to feel more like late fall. Walking in the mornings or late evenings, I smell the faint hints of wood smoke in the crisp air. Sterling is just itching to get his hands on some firewood! Also, the rain is becoming more frequent. We will enjoy the bit of fall we have left! I think winter is quickly approaching! We hope you are all doing well, and again, appreciate the encouraging words you send us. –L–
