11 weeks and counting

Things are starting to come to a close here. The reality that I am leaving Québec soon is starting to hit me. I looked at the calendar this week and realized that I will be leaving in exactly 11 weeks. In just a little over two months to the day, I will be in a car driving back to California. My heart breaks thinking about it.

Things are really coming to a close. I had my last Kids' Day event last Saturday, and I had my last English Conversation group last night. We had small gatherings for both events, but there were some encouraging things. Even though we only had 7-8 kids on Saturday, each of those kids is signed up for the camps this summer. I was thankful knowing I would see these kids again, but thankful that they are looking forward to the camps. They want to learn English! An though some of them will most likely have already heard the stories, they want to come anyway! The smiles on these kids faces from just one short three hour event, makes me feel encouraged about the weeks of camp to come. I pray that the Lord will touch each child and family that will be coming this summer.

We had a small group of four people come to the last English Conversation last night. But I was very glad to see that these people were regulars, or had been regulars a few months ago and came back for this last event. I will miss this group a lot. I made several friendships with the people in the groups and it has been a blessing to encourage them along in their English. Someone told me last night that I will be missed, but I know I will be missing them as well. I pray that the Lord will use the work I have done, and the testimonies I have given, to turn their hearts towards Him.

Even though some of my work here is done, I know that I still have a lot left to continue. I keep reminding myself that I still have two more months full of opportunities to serve Him here in Québec, and after that, my whole life to serve Him elsewhere. I do not know where the Lord will take me next, but until then, "I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:14) For I know that Christ is my end goal (Romans 10:4) and that by serving Him and others, I will reach that goal.

Fear and Faith and Love

I just recently finished a book called "Fear and Faith: Finding the peace your heart craves." by Trillia J. Newbell. A friend recommended it to me after I had shared with her my fears and worries about the future. It is a very good book, and I would recommend it to anyone struggling with daily fears.

The book is written for women and concentrates on many different types of fears we have. It talks about different fears such as fear  of man, the future, tragedy, not measuring up, etc, and with each topic the author brings stories from her experiences or other women's experiences. She points out several times that these stories are shared so that we know we are not alone in these struggles and that as we can see how God worked in their lives, we can be encouraged that God will work in our lives as well. The author brings each fear back to God and at the end of the book, she concentrates on the fear of the Lord. God wants us to fear Him, but not entirely in a terrifying fear, but a fear of respect and love. God wants us to bring to Him all our fears, to lay them at His feet. (Psalm 55:22, Matthew 11:28)

A recurring theme that keeps coming back to me is God's love. God's love is astounding (Romans 5:6-9) and He waits for us ever so patiently. We may have fears that come and go, or fears that stay for a long long time, but God is faithful to not leave us. We can be strong in facing our fears knowing that God has not forsaken us.

"But this I call to mind,

and therefore I have hope:

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;

his mercies never come to an end; 

they are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.

'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul,

'therefore I will hope in him.'"

Lamentations 3:21-24

I started re-reading a series a few weeks ago. It is a historical fiction series written by Francine Rivers call "The Mark of the Lion."(I highly recommend this series as well) It is set in the Roman Empire after the fall of Jerusalem. The story mostly follows a young woman who is a Christian Jew. She goes through many struggles and trials  physically and spiritually. At the beginning of the first book, she is weak in her faith and afraid of everything. But the only thing she really has to hold onto is her faith. And so we see her grow in her faith and by the end of the book, she overcomes her fears. The author points out that her fears are still there, that the temptation and memories of that fear are still there, but she no longer gives into them because she knows that God is with her. God has given her the strength to remain strong and fearless.  She sees where God has taken her and sees the steadfast love of the Lord. 

"What then shall we say to these things? if God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died- more than that, who was raised- who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?

As it is written,

'For your sake we are being killed all the day long;

we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.'

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:31-39

How amazing is that!?!!! God promises to give us all we need. God promises to love us. God promises to be with us. We have been told again and again that nothing can come between God and the love He has for his bride, us the church. How truly wonderful and amazing is that!!!

So I just wanted to share with you this joy that I have been reminded of. I hope you have this same joy in your hearts. May you know that God is always with us and we have nothing to fear when God is on our side!