Witnesses
Recently I had my first “tête-à-tête” with a Jehovah’s Witness. Rachel called me on the phone hoping to convert me. We decided to get together to discuss the Bible – and believe me, I was really nervous! She probably was too when she found out I was a missionary. Although she was not open to reconsidering her false doctrine, I benefited from the opportunity to brush up on the Bible’s clear teaching of Jesus’ divinity. After this encounter I have thankfully felt less scared about talking to JWs.

Weekends
In January I got to lead two weekends of music teaching: one in Bordeaux and one in Paris. What a blast! The Lord worked out so many details for me, including allowing me to catch a train with nary a second to spare. Although my stress level was very high (as those of you who have done extensive teaching in a second language can relate), relationships were built, musical concepts were learned, and hearts were encouraged. Twelve different churches were represented in the two weekends. Another weekend is in the works for this summer in the south of France, this time with an emphasis on composition.

Warriors
Please excuse my alliteration…it’s probably in my genes from three generations of preachers. Many thanks to the prayer warriors who are upholding me and those I love in this battle for souls. Please continue to pray for Hazel. I am glad to report encouraging developments in the children’s ministry – new kids are attending and we are planning two Easter clubs. Pray that my little neighbor L. will come! Discipleship opportunities abound; A. continues to grow after her baptism, and another girl, S., is hungering and thirsting for righteousness. Many, however, are lukewarm or remain very weak. Over and over I sense my total inadequacy in serving the Lord here and He brings me back to His instructions in 2 Timothy. Please pray that I (and other servants of God) will be faithful to Him to the very end.

For His Name’s sake,
Kristi Colas

Headaches and silly slip-ups
Thank you for your prayers as I continue to adjust to life in France. Whether it is trying to figure out a different kind of oven and ruining several meals in the process, learning my way around town by taking many wrong turns, or accidentally giving the choir instructions in English, I am finding that adjustment takes a ton of time and patience. There have been some hilarious moments, of course – like when I asked for a cashier’s check at the bank in order to buy my car. I got my numbers mixed up and asked for 400,000 Euros instead of 4,000! (400,000 Euros is over half a million dollars.) You should have seen the teller’s face! Last evening one of the guys at church asked me if I’d noticed what section of the newspaper I’d used to decorate a Sunday School poster entitled “Good News.” When I said no, he chuckled. “You used the obituaries!”

Waiting for the “fish” to bite
Sibylle [see-beel], my unsaved handicapped friend, has thanked me over and over for reaching out to her. Lucy, who has huge doubts about everything the Bible teaches, continues to keep in touch. I have also made some new contacts, including Zora, an amiable young Muslim woman, Ségolène, a single mom my age who lives upstairs, and Soizicka, a lonely divorced French woman. Tâm has promised to start reading her Vietnamese Bible soon, and my Kurdish friend Canan plans to visit me in February. I am looking forward to seeing which of these women will be the first to find new life in Christ.

New wheels
The Lord allowed me to obtain a car for the Stevenson family several weeks before their arrival on the field, which motivated me to exchange my US license and learn to drive à la française. Please pray for the Lord to lead me to a reliable car to drive long-term. A children’s Sunday School class in Colorado heard about my car and asked, “Does Chef Soufflé have his own car seat?” As you can see from the photo on his web page, he is petrified when I drive because I don’t understand the bizarre right-of-way rules! He had his French debut during our New Years’ Eve service. I blindfolded him and asked him to guess where he was. “Times Square?” “No, even better! We are finally in the church I told you so much about, Chef Soufflé!”

It is a great joy for me to be serving the Lord in Rouen. Thank you for making it possible!

Thankful for His grace,
Kristi Colas

The Lord has been doing great things in hearts here according to His glorious might. Right before I left Paris, my friend Samia told me, “Jeanne, I thought you’d like to know that I accepted Jesus as my Savior last week in the metro.” I was absolutely thrilled; the believers in Paris have been planting and watering the seed of the Gospel in her heart for two years, and it was so neat to hear that the Lord did give the increase. I had to chuckle that she turned to Christ in the metro – a true Parisienne, for sure.

I’ll save the rest of my news for my next update. It’s such an honor to be here as a full-time missionary. The Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name! (Luke 1:49)

With gratefulness to you and to the Lord,

Kristi Colas

- My Vietnamese friend T. came over to teach me how to cook some Asian food. As I told her of some of the wonders that God has done for me, she said in astonishment, “How is it that you know God like that? Could I get to know Him the way you do?” Since she comes from a Buddhist background, I proposed that we meet for a Bible study (starting with Genesis 1:1) and she readily accepted.

- One day on the train I sat across from an Algerian young man plagued with vitiligo (a skin disorder in which melanin disappears in patches). Since I also have vitiligo, the Holy Spirit asked me to use that as a conversation-starter. He claimed that the disease was a good sign from Allah because it is turning his dark skin white. My heart was burdened for him to understand that his real problem is not the color of his skin but the wickedness of his heart.

- An Albanian friend came for dinner and shared with me some of the heartaches she has suffered (including the assassination of her grandfather when she was a child during the political upheaval in her country). She seems open to the Gospel.

- T., a young woman from the country of Georgia, stopped me on the sidewalk outside my school building to ask if I would be her English conversation partner. I am looking forward to sharing Christ with her as we meet once a week.

- A Korean-American classmate told me over lunch that she knew all about the Bible but does not believe it is literally true. “Besides,” she said jokingly, “Hell can’t really be all that bad, right?”

- “Your story is so inspiring,” said D., a classmate from Poland. She had been curious why I had moved to France, so I suggested we meet for coffee so I could fully explain. It is possible that she has been exposed to the Gospel before.

“Attention – ça s’appelle reviens !”
(An expression French people use when they let someone borrow something – literally, “Watch out – its name is ‘come back!’”)
Along with amusing French idioms, I am studying grammar, phonetics, and French history 25 hours a week. Listening to the radio and reading the newspaper is slowly getting easier, but talking on the phone is still quite a challenge. Once I tried to find out some information from someone from church, but after asking him to repeat himself several times I gave up and called someone else. The best part of making progress in French has been the opportunity to enjoy greater depths of fellowship with believers.

“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.” Prov. 4:7
As I spend hours each day applying my mind to a greater understanding of French grammar and inclining my ear to the nuances of French pronunciation, my Heavenly Father has been challenging me to pursue wisdom with even greater ardor. I am desperately in need of a deeper knowledge of Him and a more sensitive ear to His voice. But with such a demanding schedule I find myself daily battling the temptation to cut short my time of Bible study and prayer.

Newest piano student / missionary recruit
Priscille Xandry is a very gifted pianist in my church. It has been a joy to teach her, and I am eager for her help in developing French sacred music resources in the years to come. Miss Hannah Lawton, age four, recently told her grandma that she wants to fly to France and be a Christianary with me.

Prayer requests for July/August:
- Total dependence on God’s grace as I teach the Bible to T. and continue to develop relationships with others. I have lost contact with the girl Marilyn that I mentioned in my last prayer update.
- Wisdom in balancing my studies with my other responsibilities
- Pursuit of God above all else

Although the pressures are mounting and the needs around me are overwhelming, His grace is sufficient. There is nothing else in the world that I would rather be doing. My heartfelt thanks to those of you who are keeping me here through your financial support and your prayers.

By His grace,

Kristi Colas

Comment tu t’appelles? – “What is your name?”
Many have written to ask me how my new alias, Jeanne, is pronounced in French. It sounds much like the English “John” but with a soft j – “zhohn.”(By the way, please do not feel like you need to call me Jeanne unless you are speaking French!) When I introduce myself to French people, they often comment on how easy my name will be to remember. To my great amusement, they also have been very puzzled about my accent. I have been asked if I am from Italy, Germany, Ireland, or Russia. I probably have my Quebecois friends to thank for my unusual twang.

Je fais des bêtises… – I have gotten into mischief…
The Barnes have been teaching me everything from how to make my own vinaigrette to how to deal with cultural differences when leading French choirs. I will be very sad to see them leave for furlough later this month. They probably have had second thoughts about allowing me to stay here this summer, however, after I managed to break both their salad bowl and their dryer in one day. My inquisitiveness has also gotten me into mischief. On the way to a meeting at church, I asked Pastor Barnes, “How will I be able to tell the difference between Albert and Rajee?” thinking he would give me tips on which of the two Indian believers were taller or older. Putting faces with names has been a challenge. He chuckled and replied, “If you can tell the difference between a man and a woman you should be OK!”

Last weekend I overheard Clemente’s conversation with her daughter on her cell phone. She said, “I gave Carole her antibiotics this morning, but I need you to give her eye drops at noon and at suppertime. Be sure you don’t forget.” Later I remembered the conversation and asked Clemente, “Is there something wrong with your daughter’s eyes?” She gave me a very puzzled look, and then burst into laughter. “Oh, you mean our rabbit, Carotte! She’s been sick and the vet gave us eye drops for her.” I had a good laugh at myself!

Vous avez gagné la droite d’étudier votre livre de conjugaison. – “You have earned the right to study your verb conjugations.”
My French teacher made that comment multiple times in my first week of French class at the Sorbonne. I am very pleased with the course thus far, and have enjoyed making friends from countries like Iran, Vietnam, and Albania. In my first writing assignment, I mentioned that when I teach piano to Christians, I enjoy teaching them how to accompany hymns for the congregation. My teacher crossed out the word “congregation” and wrote “mass.” What a vivid reminder of the grip that Catholicism has had on this country for centuries.

Je ne suis pas croyante. – “I don’t believe in God.”
Marilyn, a young French woman, told me this after I gave her a tract. She went on to say, “When my mom was really sick, I did pray for God to heal her if He does exist.” Marilyn had stopped me on the sidewalk to ask me where I had bought my shoes. We ended up having a long talk about the Lord. At one point, she said, “I have huge problems right now. There’s something missing in my life, but I don’t want to turn to alcohol like so many people do. Can you help me?” I offered to do a Bible study with her, and she was very interested. Please pray that the Lord will show her the solution to her biggest problem of all: her sin problem. He gave me other unusual opportunities this month, including a talk on a train with a girl from Mexico who raved about the “exorcist mass” she had experienced. In downtown Paris, an elderly Frenchman told me, “Jesus was a complete failure. The world is worse off now than it was when He came.” I even had the opportunity to share the Gospel at length with an American man while we were standing in line for train tickets. It was a luxury to be able to tell him about Christ in English!

Prayer requests for June:
That I would apply myself to learn how to share the Gospel clearly in French.
That God would give me a heart of compassion for hurting people.
That He would use me as an encouragement and challenge to the many young women He has brought into my life; some are believers and some are not.
That I would learn patience as I make progress in French – one verb at a time.

Since some of you were curious about the things that are different here, I snapped a few photos:

not in Kansas anymore

Pictures from my commissioning service can be seen here:

commissioning service

. It is such an honor to serve the Lord here in France; thank you for making it possible through your prayers and financial support!

For His glory,
Kristi Colas

Rescued by sharp eyes
In two instances I saw God’s hand of providence keep me from disaster. Two days before Dad was to drive the VW Bug all the way from New Hampshire to Colorado, Mom noticed a suspicious bulge on one of the tires. We were able to get the tire replaced just in time. The night of my commissioning service, my friend Kristen handed me something and asked, “Do you think you might need this for your trip?” It was my passport! I had left it on the copier that afternoon. A humbling reminder of my absent-mindedness and God’s mercy!

Sent by a beloved church, family and friends
Mountain View Bible Church officially commissioned me as their representative for Christ in France on Saturday evening, April 26th. What a special time of rejoicing and anticipation! I am so grateful that the Lord allowed my parents, grandparents, and future co-workers, the Foxes, all to take part in the service. My heart was touched by the presence of pastors and friends from at least ten different churches and by this note Pastor Andy Dean sent a few days later: “We have been praying with you these many months, eager to see you reach the field, and what a joy it was to see the culmination of those prayers! [Your family’s] eagerness to see you off and serving the Lord was a challenge to me. I looked down the pew at our eight children and found myself praying that the Lord would take each one of them for His service, and that I would, like your family, be willing and eager to see them go serve the Lord wherever He would lead them… I could hardly wait to get to church to share what a wonderful service we’d witnessed.”

Surrounded by newness
You may assume that because France is a civilized Western country it is not very different from the US. Let me enlighten you. The following things are all different here: unlocking a door, taking a shower, shopping for groceries (the brands are almost all new to me), doing laundry, ironing, typing (since they have different keyboards), greeting people, even flushing a toilet! Those are just a few of the things I have noticed. Getting acclimated to new surroundings is very draining mentally. The Paris public transport system is so complex that it makes the metro systems of Boston and Washington, D.C. look like tiddlywinks! My consolation in all these changes is that “in every change, He faithful will remain.”

Burdened for souls
On one of my flights I had the opportunity to briefly share the Gospel with a sweet Irish girl who told me she had never heard it before. Yesterday I spent eight hours at the Préfecture waiting to get an appointment for my residency permit application. Muslims, Hindus, and people from many unreached people groups all waited their turn with me. The Lord allowed me to befriend a gentle Pakistani woman named Shakila. In broken French, with a broken heart, she told me that she is in the midst of a divorce and is losing custody of her dear children. As I watched the tears roll down her cheeks, I longed to tell her of Jesus, who heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds, but because of the language barrier I was only able to give her a church invitation. When I told her I would pray for her, she smiled, shook her head, and said, “Muslim.” Oh, that God would send more laborers to Muslim countries!

Prayer requests for May
-that I will have the humility to ask for help, for directions, for people to repeat themselves
-that God send a believer to Shakila who speaks her language
-that He would give wisdom to Mrs. Stratton, a dear friend in my sending church, who will be taking over the Bible study at the assisted living home
-that I would be a blessing to my future church family in Rouen as I spend the weekend of May 11th with them. It will be such a joy to see them again!

I am praising the Lord for Pastor & Mrs. Barnes, who have opened their home to me here in Paris. I have already gleaned much from their years of experience as missionaries in France.

Thank you for making it possible for me to have the honor of serving Christ in France. May much fruit abound to your account!

For His glory,
Kristi Colas

Hello, my name is…
After pondering the question for some time, I have decided to go by my middle name, Jeanne, when I am with French-speakers. My month in Quebec settled it, particularly because the name “Kristi” sounds like a swear word to French-Canadian ears! Other practical reasons for this change include: 1) “Kristi” is hard for French people to remember, pronounce, and spell 2) I dislike the way “Kristi” sounds in French and 3) it immediately identifies me as a foreigner. “Jeanne,” on the other hand, is a normal French name and will put people at ease (unless, of course, they associate me with the intrepid Jeanne d’Arc). Is it coincidental that two of my three names are French (Colas being handed down from French ancestors)? I think not! You can still call me Kristi — but don’t be confused if you try calling me in France and “Jeanne” answers the phone! When I mentioned to a Quebecois family that I was going to use my middle name (which in French is “second name”), I accidentally said, “I am going to use my 12th name in France.” They gave me a strange look and a little boy asked, “You have twelve names??”

Deputation in review – some stats that attest to the lovingkindness of my God
Churches contacted: 110 / Invitations for meetings: 76 / Supporting churches: 18
Miles traveled: 23,000 / Accidents: 0 / Flat tires: 0 (I’m sure that the Lord assigned a task force of angels to protect me!)
Number of times I got sick (other than colds): 0
Number of times I had to cancel a meeting because of weather: 0
Number of times my DVD presentation malfunctioned: 1
FAQ: “When are you leaving for France?” “Are you fluent in French?”
Longest stretch without support increase: 6 months
Shortest stretch without support increase: 1 minute
Most embarrassing moment: Getting lost on the way to a pastor’s house for breakfast - I was an hour late (this was pre-GPS!)
Funniest memory: When a man prophesied that I would be the pastor of a mega-church
Favorite Chef Soufflé memory: Finding out that little Drew Neiner was such a big fan of the Chef that his parents got him a chef’s outfit for Christmas
Least favorite part of deputation: Calling pastors on the phone (at first it took me about 30 minutes to get up the nerve!)
Favorite part of deputation: Sharing over and over with congregations the wonderful works of God (Psalm 111:1-4)

New contact info
Mailing address through Sept 08:
Kristi Colas
Chez Steve & Rowena Barnes
82, rue victor renelle, Apt 6002
93240 STAINS
France
Email (same): kristi.colas@gmail.com

Prayer requests for April
Commissioning service (April 26th) – Safety for those traveling long distances (parents from CO, grandparents from PA and MD, the Foxes from PA); that God would receive the glory that He so greatly deserves; that my unsaved friends would attend
Departure (April 29th) – That it would be a time of rejoicing; that I would have a good opportunity to share the Gospel on the plane
Adjustment: That I would be an encouragement and help to my missionary hosts, the Barnes; that the Lord would be my Rock in the midst of many changes

Your sacrificial prayers and support are a sweet aroma to the Lord and an unspeakable blessing to me!

“I will go in the strength of the Lord God: I will make mention of Thy righteousness, even of Thine only.” (Ps. 71:16)

Looking unto Jesus,
Kristi

Visa verified
My visa has been approved! The Lord has heard your prayers! I will have until the end of July to apply for a residency card in France, which I will have to renew each year for several years. I am also praising the Lord for providing a place to live in Paris during language school this summer. Missionary friends in Paris just “happen” to have a mini-furlough planned during the months I will be in Paris, and they have generously offered their apartment. Once again, I marvel at God’s sovereignty. He is not just sending me to France - He is shooting me there like a torpedo!

Expanding horizons
This time in Quebec has already proven to be extremely profitable. In addition to many special opportunities to serve in the different churches, the Lord has given me some terrific resources and contacts for my future projects in French sacred music. My head is spinning with ideas. Please pray that I will have wisdom in knowing which projects to tackle first! The needs are enormous.

French frolics
Forgive me if I slip into French in this email. Since arriving in Quebec on March 7th, I have only had a few opportunities to speak English (which is exactly what I want and need). Donc, the more French I speak, the less English I remember. Oh well, c’est la vie! I do not understand 100% of what people say, but I usually manage to get the general idea. No doubt some of you have been anticipating hearing some of my hilarious faux pas in French. I am afraid that I must be giving people the impression that I am horribly arrogant because of some of the things I’ve said:

In describing something, I wanted to say “I was amazed,” but instead I said, “I am amazing!”

When a pastor said to me, “I hear you are an excellent pianist,” I replied, “I try.” He raised his eyebrows and snorted with laughter. I realized that “I try” sounds almost exactly like “I know!”

A Quebecoise woman told me I had an angelic singing voice (which is disputable) and I smiled and nodded before I realized what she had said. The default “smile and nod” response can certainly get one into trouble!

May you enjoy a blessed Easter celebration with your church family.

“He who refused to come down from the cross came up from the grave, and it was a greater matter to arise from the grave than to descend from the cross: to destroy death by rising than to save life by descending.” - Gregory Nyssa

for His glorious Name’s sake,
Kristi

Countdown to departure: 6 weeks

Missionary mail
Letters like these remind me of the immense responsibility of being a good example. They also make me wonder why everyone doesn’t want to be a missionary.

“Dear Kristi, I want to grow up to be just like you! You are my favorite missionary!” – Miranda Parrish, age 11

“Hey, I was just wondering how your ministry is coming. Do you have any more stories about God’s provision? I would love to hear them! . . . I am praying for you! Thank you for coming to our church.” – Bethany Turcotte, age 16

“I’m sorry to hear that you do not have too many kids in your church in France but hope that you will soon. Chef Soufflé will win them over!” – Stephanie Bright, age 11

“It will be absolutely great by the grace of God to have you here; we need you ……… big!” – Lucy, one of my friends in France

He may have accepted God; but will God accept him?
Last month I bought some boxes from a local U-Haul store. The thought crossed my mind that I should say something about moving to France in order to turn the conversation to spiritual things. But although I should know by now how important it is to obey the Holy Spirit, I chose not to say anything. Strangely enough, I soon found that I had bought the wrong size of boxes so I had to go back to the store. This time I did mention where I was moving and why. The clerk asked, “So you’re one of those people who think they need to be forgiven for their sins?” Intrigued, I retorted, “Don’t we all?” He went on to tell me that when he was my age, he knew his life was going the wrong direction, so he had gone to a priest. “He helped me, you know, accept God,” he said. When I asked him to explain further, it became clear that this man had been reformed but not regenerated. He was trusting in his own righteousness. The Lord brought Romans 3:9 and 2 Cor. 5:21 to mind and the question, “When you stand before God, how do you know He’s going to accept you?” The clerk abruptly ended the conversation and walked me out of the store, saying defensively, “See, I’m opening the door for you; I’m not such a bad person.”

Prayer requests for February
1) The U-Haul clerk: that he would see his need for Christ’s righteousness
2) The assisted living Bible study: that the ladies would understand God’s holiness and their sinfulness; they listened well to the study this afternoon
3) Visa: that I would soon receive all the necessary paperwork for my application
4) My Grandpa Thompson (recent cancer diagnosis): that God’s abundant grace would sustain him and his care-givers

I thank my God upon every remembrance of you (Phil. 1:3).
For His glory,
Kristi Colas

PS. Be sure to read the last installment of the special eye-witness report from France (below). This month’s is the funniest and saddest of all.

EYE-WITNESS REPORT FROM FRANCE
Part 3: Fear and Ignorance

(This special series is courtesy of 20-year-old Deborah Myers, whom I met last spring at a church in Kansas. She recently spent over two months in southern France, where she lived with her pen-pal Delphine and her family. Deborah has an amazing aptitude for languages (inherited from her grandma, who speaks no less than nine) and she adapted well to French. Unless you personally have spent significant time in France, you will probably be stunned by Deborah’s humorous and heartbreaking report.)

Deborah writes,
“Another humorous incident occurred when Mrs. A and her friend were talking about how they really were quite religious. ‘Actually,’ her friend began, ‘a lot of times when I’m working in the kitchen, I think about God and I’ll even pray for people.’ ‘Yes,” continued Mrs. A, ‘I do the same thing. I pray often for relatives who have died.’ At this point, I began to laugh. ‘A lot of Americans would think that would be really funny to pray for people who are already dead. They would find that so strange!’ Mrs. A’s eyes opened wide. ‘So who do you pray for, then?’ she asked with amazement. ‘People who are alive?!’

(more…)

Not for weight of glory, not for crown and palm, enter we the army, raise the warrior psalm; but for LOVE that claimeth lives for whom He died . . . By Thy love constraining, by Thy grace divine, we are on the Lord’s side: Savior, we are Thine!
The SGI conference in Detroit (www.studentglobalimpact.com) was an unspeakable blessing. It was like having Thanksgiving dinner every hour for two solid days. My soul was greatly refreshed by the preaching, the music, and the fellowship. I also saw the Lord’s providential hand in the messages that were preached (especially one about making love the theme of my ministry), and in the opportunities He gave me to encourage several college girls about missions.

Chosen to be soldiers in an alien land, Chosen, called, and faithful, for our Captain’s band; In the service royal, let us not grow cold, Let us be right loyal, noble, true, and bold. Master, Thou wilt keep us, by Thy grace divine, Always on the Lord’s side: Savior, always Thine! (Havergal)
God continues to speed me on my way into an alien land. A new supporting church in MA has increased my support level to 93%. I hope to be on the field in just four months!

On the home front
This Christmas season was an extra-special time for my family since some of our extended family came to visit from WI, MI, and TX. We braved the frigid temps in the Rockies and laughed over many games of Rook and Dutch Blitz. Although my sister Karen and her husband were not able to come, we all are rejoicing over an exciting answer to prayer: both of them have been accepted into medical school. My brother Eric flew out for a few days after Christmas, so I was glad to see him one more time before I head to France. We are also thankful that my youngest sister Kelli had a safe trip back to college despite heavy fog that caused a huge car pile-up on the interstate.

Prayer requests for January
Kyle and John: salvation
Visa: Applying in the next few weeks
Quebec ministry trip in March: Pray that the Lord would give me good contacts and resources for French sacred music.
Bible study at assisted living home: Pray for Kathryn to trust Christ; after a recent stroke she asked to speak to Pastor Maxwell, who shared the Gospel with her again.
The Lewis family: My dear friend Pam lost her 22-year-old brother very suddenly the week before Christmas when he died in his sleep. He did profess to know Christ.

Thank you for your faithful prayers and support! Be sure to read the second installment of the special eye-witness report from France (see below).

For His glory,
Kristi Colas
PS: Yesterday I asked a little boy if he remembered the name of my puppet (Chef Soufflé). He asked, “Chef Boyardee?” 

Eye-witness report from France
Part 2: Fear & Ignorance
(This special series is courtesy of 20-year-old Deborah Myers, whom I met last spring at a church in Kansas.She recently spent over two months in southern France, where she lived with her pen-pal Delphine and her family. Deborah has an amazing aptitude for languages (inherited from her grandma, who speaks no less than nine) and she adapted well to French. Unless you personally have spent significant time in France, you will probably be stunned by Deborah’s humorous and heartbreaking report.)
 Deborah writes,
“The biggest need I saw in France is simply the lack of availability of the gospel. Also, most of the French people are satisfied with their life, and have no idea how religion could improve anything. They are also quite wary of anything outside of Catholicism, fearful of being caught into a cult.They are also fearful of death. They would constantly say how awful it was to grow older, and that they wished they could live longer. It was almost as if they already felt they were dying, and were terrified. Almost anytime death, or even heaven, was mentioned, the A. family would say, “Oh, no, we’re not in any hurry to go! We’re too young to die. We have time.”

(more…)