April 07 Update

Spring has sprung in France and its just marvelous! :)

 

 I love spending time
outdoors, and now its warm and sunny, everythings turning green, and
the flowers are popping up everywhere.  I love spring as it brings new
life.  And this April its not just the flowers, but I've the joy to
tell you all that I have a new nephew! 

Bienvenue to the world



Matthew David Hollins!

So much has happened since I last wrote! -

here's a little of a lot.

read what you will.

know that your
prayers
and
support
and greatly appreciated and needed....

see requests at end...

~ I
went home for my grandfathers funeral...
thanks for praying, the service went really well, and I'm so thankful
to have been able to be there with my family and see a few friends.

~ We've had lots going on at
church from
youth group to Easter services to preparing for upcoming events.  I'm
feeling more and more able to communicate and participate.

~ Speaking of studies..... I took my
semester finals
last week and was so encouraged by the results!  96/100 and it was 20
pages long! aie aie aie!  Praise God for bringing me this far!

~ I've started playing volleyball with some
french friends
who live in my building, and have spent more time exploring Paris. Does
the body good! and mind and spirit! Plus its great practice to just
spend time chatting.

~ I participated in a
Easter concert/service
with my classmates at a retirement home near school.

~ I've done lots of planning for the
future
and Lord willing will be signing for an
apartment
tomorrow morning!
*see prayer requests!*

~ I also may have found a great deal on a
car
which I will be test driving tomorrow morning as well

~ Also tomorrow a group of us from church are putting on an
easter concert
at a retirement home in Chalons.

(Big day tomorrow, eh?!)

~ Next week the Marshall's (who just got home from the states Monday. yay!) and I will be leaving for a
conference
with French EBM and Baptist Mid-Mission missionaries.

~ AND... Big news - I've received my
carte de sejour
!!!  what's that you ask? a little card that is hard to get, but is
required for me to be a legal resident.  Praise the Lord that I got it
after only 3 months!  I have friends at school who've been in France
since Sept. and still don't have theirs!

so there's a bunch of bits of new life in France

PRAYER:

*Thank God
for a strong end of my first semester at school

*Thank God
for opportunities to serve along side of the French at church and in the community

*Thank God
for providing my residence card, and good leads with apartment and car

*Pray
for continued fruitful ministry in Chalons - this month I'd ask prayer specifically for 2 people - thet first we'll call "
Bob
" - a young guy who's seperated himself for church and is avoiding all contact with us - seems to be depressive. Also for "
Jane
" a dear sister in Christ who's had a lot of hard blows lately in her life.

*Pray
for God's provision as I move forward with buying a
car
(likely to be around 11-14 thousand) and the
apartment
(have to pay around 1500 euros up front and then still buy all
furniture, frig, washer, oven/stove, even light fixtures! these apts
come bare!)  I know God will provide - I just pray that I will make
wise decisions and that all these "things" can be used as tools for
ministry - from picking up kids for Bible club, to hosting youth group,
prayer meeting, and visitors (hint hint)!

ok, gotta let ya go and get to bed to be ready for a big day tomorrow.

Au Revoir for now from France, may you be blessed today as we strive together to glorify our Lord! ~Amy

bon ben... alors, qu'est ce que je peux vous dire - mes amis voulant lire en français...

Je suis "naz" à ce moment,
donc j'ai presque rien à dire. :)  et comme ça ma grammaire... bof...
c'est nulle!  Mais tu sais quoi? Je commence à aimer quelques
conjugaisons qu'avant avaient me gener (il faut que je vous dise que je
n'ai pas le capacité à faire le chapeau sur le 1er e de gener!) ;) 
Example... le subjonctif est très utile et beaucoup plus utiliser que
j'avais reconnu au debut.  Soit je dit "il faut + l'infinitif ou il
faut que + subj", soit je dit un verbe après un verbe de crainte, un
verbe qui exprime un souhaite, un jugement, un verbe "de tete" au
négatif, etc! voilà il y a pleine des occasions pour utiliser le joli
subjunctif! ben, je dit "joli", mais quand meme je souhaite qu'il soit
moins compliqué! bon. je vous laisse. il faut que je me couche tout de
suite! à la prochaine! bisous!