Testibyte Time

We did it! Last Friday, one week ago, Kevin and I were appointed as missionaries in Oklahoma City with 32 of our friends. The service was held at Southern Hills Baptist Church (as Sebastian, my nephew used to say, a Big, Big, huuge, church). The choir was about 75. They had rockin’ worship music and vibe. It was a blessed time for us, one we will always remember.

One portion of the service was when each of the candidates gave his or her, in our case ‘our’ testibyte. We were limited to 155 words, together! Kevin and I both totally messed up during rehearsal…so you can imagine the stress and nerves while waiting to see if it would happen again. Only three units (yes, we are a unit) were after us…so the wait was long. Oh, and after rehearsal, complete with walk-throughs and microphones and seating arrangements, one of the men in charge said, “Oh, and tonight they will have a closeup of your faces on the two big screens that you face (in the rafters). So just don’t look at yourself, and you’ll be fine.” Yikes! Nothing worse than myself magnified by 50% (math people could help with that estimate) and shining off of 3 screens in the auditorium.

We made it! I still blanked out on 2 words, but filled them in with something suitable (I hope). We found that we were able to listen and concentrate more on the entire event AFTER we were done sharing. Fortunately, they video taped (CD’D) the service, and we will receive a copy in about a month. So we can go back and listen and watch it again, without the sound of adrenaline rushing through our ears.

The blessings of our great God, fantabulous friends, adopted family, cool music, good charge to the candidates, chocolate at the reception, … A great time was had by all.

And Tiny Tim said, “God bless us, every one.”

Look-out!

Being eloquent and totally bilingual in French (I hope you recognize sacasm when you read it), I impressed someone who will probably never respect me…

As a part of our journey to live and work in France, we must secure a Visa (not the kind with variable interest rates and bonus points). I wasn’t worried, as we have a French consulate in Seattle, a mere 2 1/2 – 3 hour drive, depending on traffic. I hunted down the phone number and called the consulate, never considering that the people working there could possibly be French citizens (or at least totally bilingual). When the receptionist answered the phone, it was in total and speedy French! I was not prepared. Let me give you a direct quote on of my witty comeback.

“Uuhhhh,” I said.

Quite clever, non? I may as well have handed over my certificate of future French dork. Let’s see, au francais, ‘Je suis une idiot americain.’

I could hear her rolling her eyes (do they do that in France?) and mentally switching gears to help the pathetic petitioner on the line.

Nevertheless, she was quite helpful, and informed me that we had to travel in person to San Francisco to procure our Visa. I’m sure I detected a faint smile when she told me this. After 9-11, the French consulates were reduced to 6 worldwide, and they require in person visits for a biometric (is that the right word????) Visa. Meaning, we will have a microchip on our Visa that includes fingerprints and photo. Ahhhh, technology.

My honey and I are off to San Francisco, probably in August. We will entertain ideas of favorite tourist destinations and/or restaurants. No idea how long we will have to stay, or if we must just buzz back home. Buzz in this case means a day and a half drive one way.

Send us your ideas, s’il vous plait!

My bad! I haven’t blogged for quite awhile…but who’s counting? Kevin and I are getting ready to head to Richmond, Virginia, and Oklahoma City for our appointment week! Yeah! That means one more step in the process to serve the Lord overseas in east Paris. 🙂

I was reminiscing recently, thinking back to when our 2, Bub and Bubbette (thanks Grandpa) were preschoolers. My journey through missions began then. But my love of all things French started much earlier, high school, or maybe middle school. I was fascinated with the French people and culture. I dreamed of visiting or studying in France. (visited – yes; studied there – no). My mom likes to say I was born French, just in the wrong country.

Fast forward to Kevin and I having 2 little Q’s. I needed something to do with them on Wednesday nights, while Kevin was working with the youth. Nothing was offered for preschoolers or children. Our pastor suggested we try Mission Friends. Wow! What a great and life changing choice for us. The curriculum is great. We had a ball learning about people groups, countries, cultures, customs, foods, languages…and missionaries that lived and worked in different places around the world to tell others about the love of Jesus. With each lesson and unit, I became more and more involved and in love with missions (living with the love, heart, and eyes of Jesus).

Skip forward many years. I was blessed to write curriculum for Mission Friends (another love of mine is preschoolers) and articles for Mosaic. With each assignment, I became thirstier to join the team of those serving the Lord in other lands. My call to missions didn’t happen immediately, but God used numerous layers of experiences to point out and confirm His will for me. Another layer was the mission trips I took. Kevin went with me to Paris to work alongside believers in the city. That trip confirmed our call to serve overseas. It also gave us our destination – Paris.

Leap ahead again! (God knew we would take awhile to be really ready!) We are poised on the edge of leaping totally into His arms of care and into a different culture. Our little Mission Friends are grown up and ready to live independently of mom and pop (ouch! it went so fast). So instead of them leaving home, well, they really have already, mom and dad are moving away!

On Friday, June 27 in Oklahoma City, we will be appointed as missionaries. (Please pray for our commissioning service and the weather! As true northwesterners, we are used to volcanoes, rain, wind, snow, dust, sun, snakes, scorpions…not tornadoes!). Upon our return home, we will prepare in earnest to transfer residence to France. The house is gone, but too much stuff is still hanging around. You know what that means ~ yard sale, storage unit, giving away, selling, packing, loaning…the paperwork alone is daunting. Kevin will still be PK (Pastor Kevin) until December 28. In January, we travel to Richmond for orientation and training. We anticipate being in Paris and attending language school in early April. Tres bien, oui?

Good news – we have YEARS of experience. Bad news – it is harder to learn a foreign language as an older (not ancient) adult. We were even advised of this tidbit at a previous meeting. Sigh. But I do believe these 2 old dogs can learn new tricks – and vocabulary. So, woof woof, I mean au revoir, mes amis.

Have you ever had a song stuck in your brain? I had that song “Hold on tight to your dreams” running through my brain (and out my mouth at weird moments) all day. I had no idea where it came from, but I just kept singing it.

It’s been one of those over busy days. In fact, the next 3 days are like that. I’m looking forward to Monday already! But tonight, I was finishing up some gifts for our Women’s tea, and making homemade chocolates (Grandma Hill’s recipe, yummers, sugar free NOT, maybe I’ll share it later). I decided to call our youngest to check on her. Well, if you know teenagers, they have other things to do besides talk to mom. She barely had time to talk with me – maybe 2 minutes max. Then she had to go and continue with her previous pursuits.

That was a signed, sealed, and delivered invitation to my own personal pity party. Put on the hat and get out the party horn. I had a little whine fest (notice I spelled WHINE, not WINE), thinking of my empty nest, and how the kids have grown up and don’t need me anymore. They are ready for their own life, sans maman (without mom). So what about poor old mom, who is on her way to white hair and dentures, if you ask Peeps. Ok, I confess, I even shed some woe-is-me tears. Just a few. Sheesh. Only the cat seems to need me these days. And the husband.

Then I heard that song. For real, not just in my head. “Hold on tight to your dreams, hold on tight to your dreams, yeah.” You know, it’s a car commercial for a popular brand that is stolen and stripped quite often in our valley. Smell the tires burning and hear the screeching brakes. It was like God put the brakes on my pity party and slapped me back to reality.

“Hello? Are you down there? You need to hold tight to your dreams. Hold tight to my dreams, the ones that I have for you, remember? It’s not over for you. It’s just going to be different. I have some great plans for you, exciting and new adventures. So put away the pity party hat and horn. And hold on tight to my dreams. It’s gonna be fantastic.”

I was reminded of something I recently heard at a Women of Faith conference. When God says Behold, He means be there (be present) and hold on tight, I’m gonna do something great! Hmmmm, behold is used a lot in the Big Book. I better pay attention to that one, be present (it’s way too easy to be somewhere but not be present) and hold on tight, ready for the ride.

So, party is over. Even though I could still sing “It’s my party, and I’ll cry if I want to…” I won’t (at least for now). I’ll just keep that car commercial song playing instead. “Hold on tight to His dreams, yeah!”

I still have a cat on my lap and a sleeping, snoring, drooling (oops, that’s me) husband. Ain’t life grand?

Take some risks! That was sage advice given to us in the last year from our soon-to-be supervisor who lives in France. He told us to enjoy our time in the good ol’ US of A and enjoy the family, but get out there and take some risks.

I must say, I am finally doing something(s) outside of my box. I usually stick to what is planned in my calendar. Trying a new restaurant, especially one that doesn’t have a decent looking facade, was a risk. PK and I like to call those times adventures (some adventures are good, some not so good, yuck!)

But upon considering risks, and trying something new…I have really been feeling it for our young people. There are so many depressing, negative, and downright scary things out there. I was reading an article that said most young people need 3 things. I may have them a tad bit off, let’s just say it’s author’s license…They need family, church, and peers. Family, members living and caring for each other, make up the foundation for a healthy life. Church builds on this and creates a wider network of supportive and guiding relationships. And then peers (and I might add, most young people put these closer to number 1, or at least it seems that way with the young people in our family) give feedback, relationships, fun, and hang out buddies. Boy, am I getting wordy on this one…The whole point is that young people love to hang out with friends, and the number one place to meet and greet seems to be coffee shops (yes, we live in the northwest – for now).

Put that coffeeshop meeting spot and wanting to connect with, get to know, and help young people, and you have a new thing I have been doing. PK and I have been talking about this idea for awhile, and both of us feel a concern for what young people face in today’s world. So one Wednesday night, after many conversations with some young people we know, I jumped from preschool teacher to Coffeeshop hanger-outer with the young people. We are meeting Wednesday nights at a nearby coffee shop. It’s great. We’ve been getting to know each other, playing games, discussing life questions, connecting with each other…and we are working on getting to encouraging and helping others. And yes, we drink coffee! Well, I usually have caffeine free, or low caffeine and calorie content (my age is showing).

Tonight, let’s just say, bandaids are involved. 🙂 Oh, it takes me back to my college years as a resident advisor, and earlier than that times working with youth groups.

Interested in other ideas for games and interaction starters…hint hint.

So, Coffeeshop is one risk and change. Maybe I will use change instead of risk. Change is harder for most of us, is it not? Who moved my cheese? (read that book if you have ‘issues’ with change)

Some other changes – hold your seatbelt – I am getting rid of responsibilities! Wow! I’m not there yet, but I am working on it. God has been helping me. Really, I used to be such a control freak. He is helping me to let go of that (ok, honestly, I have a few moments of regression, but still!). PK and I are seriously downsizing, sold the house, many belongings, giving away things, getting rid of stuff…That’s big change for me, pack rat that I am. But we can’t take it when we leave the country. 🙂

Oh, and we can’t discount leaving our children (and our parents) on their own! Talk about change – difficult change!

Yes, Big Change Number One – moving to another country! France ~ An adventure big time! The 3 of us – God (the Author of our change), Pk (my marvelously wonderful partner), and I (the goofy sidekick). What a team.

Tada! (mental picture of me with my arms thrown up, looking smashing in a gymnast outfit, and great trumpet music in the background). I am FINALLY trying (big time trying) to blog. My friends from Richmond have been trying to get me to start. I kept procrastinating and making excuses. And for good reason! I can’t even figure out how this thing works! I think it is for younger, more flexible brains…

Disclaimer: I choose to randomly throw in French words, since all things French are one of my love’s. 🙂 And it’s my blog, so I can do that. Maybe you will learn a little French (maybe some incorrect French, I should say) when you read it.

I should back track. My first love is Jesus Christ. There. Now I pray that all entries reflect that love and the growth and development in my life as I transform to be more like Him. That doesn’t mean I will be perfect, no siree. Just forgiven and loved. (That almost sounds like another disclaimer, doesn’t it?).

My second love is my honey. Kevin, Mr. Q., PK, pastor, Dad, Fajah (oh, you mean FATHER), Kev…the man of many names. He’s also my bestest friend (and I also warn of impending incorrect English errors, of which there will be many). We are high school sweethearts, and have been together since 10th grade (give or take one year off, which he will gladly tell you all about and how it was my fault). We celebrate our 23rd anniversary in June. This year we will spend it in Richmond, Virginia, at appointment week (more later on that subject – this is to introduce you to my immediate family, so you can break the code when I make jokes or comments).

With the love of my life, we have 2 wonderful, fantastic, probably brain damaged from us, children. I mean one son, 19 going on 20, who is in the Army training in mechanics, Tay-Man, and one daughter, 17 going on 35, who is just finishing up high school and her AA at the same time, Pee-pah. Now, their REAL names are Taylor and Chelsie. But we, like most of you, have a variety of nicknames, and these nicknames are used with certain tones of voice to imply what level of trouble each is in, (or what feelings we have, or what we need them to do, etc. etc.). We are almost all the time empty nesters. Sigh. They grow up so fast. Enjoy your babies. Sermon over.

Our third child, of whom you will be hearing, is Annabelle. She has weight issues, a saggy belly, an attitude most of the time, hogs the bed, demands fresh water and treats, sheds black hair on everything, and loves her mommy most. Nanna is our black and white tuxedo cat. Let it be said that she is a cat in every sense of the word…

Well, I think that is good for my first post. NOW, if I can figure out what to do next. I may accidently lose this (and then I will be mad and not do blogging for awhile) or send it to France or Australia or outer space…Help me out with some tips, please!

Bonjour (hello) Tout le monde (all the world)!