Happy New Year

A couple of picturs I took in Andorra.

The kids on Christmas morning.

The Estrada family.

Our time with new friends finished well.  On Thursday they showed us how to make Tortillas, the real way.  They were very good.  Lilia said that they were better than chocolate.  We also had a visit from our friends from Magrie.  Their daughter is leaving soon to spend 6 months in Australia to improve her English.  She will be staying only a hour from a good pastor friend of mine.  I took the Estrada family back to Barcelona on Friday, we saw a pretty rainbow on the way down.  Andrew and I stayed for lunch with the pastor in Barcelona.  We enjoyed getting to know them better. I was able to follow the gist of most of the conversations, the pastor speaks fairly good English.  He has invited me to come speak for them in February, which I am already looking  forward to.  It will be nice to have the family with me as well, so they can meet all of us.  Saturday the kids played outside a lot, they are enjoying the basketball goal that they got for Christmas.  We did not let them stay up to midnight, because they were already tired, but we did let them stay up later than normal.  Angie and I saw the New Year in together.  We celebrated our fourth year in France this past week.  What an amazing God that we have, to get to the end of the year and see how good he has been to us, not just this past year, but our entire time in France, and our time together, and out entire lives.  Surely those reading this can realize the same thing, I pray that each of you know my King and Savior.  I try not to get too preachy in this blog, because the goal is to keep everyone up to date with our family and life here in France.  But, I do think it is important to share the greatest love in my life, Jesus Christ, and I hope that it is evident even as you read about our daily life in France.  If you do not know Jesus and you would like to, you can contact me by email at abainfrance@hotmail.com.   Sunday services were well.  There were a half dozen first time visitors at the church in Carcassonne.  One young couple were from Australia, he is playing Rugby for Carcassonne.  I stayed for the meal and business meeting with Lilia and Micah.  We enjoyed the rest of the day and hearing the services of our sending church over skype.  Monday was somewhat surreal, the kids realizing that it was their last day of vacation.  They were excited as well about school starting back.  I am enjoying my first day back in the office for a while.  God bless, JASON

Back to it.

We finally took an updated family portrait.

The New Years got started of good and busy.  Sunday services were good at Carcassonne.  We enjoyed sitting in on the members meeting afterwards.  A couple joined the church and I enjoyed hearing their testimony.  Monday the kids started school back.  Andrew is now going the whole day because I can proudly say that he is potty trained.  YEAH! Monday, Angie and I did some shopping.  Tuesday, I started catching up on some work and started my lesson.  Basketball practice went well that evening.  We have a game this Saturday that I hopefully will be able to attend.  It all depends on if my paperwork is completed.  Wednesday I took the kids swimming and Caleb to basketball practice.  We also celebrated the "fête du roi".  This is a French holiday which commemorates the arrival of the wise men to see Jesus.  On this day you eat a special pastry (usually almond flavored) that has a small toy baked in it.  The person who gets the piece with the toy gets to be the king and a paper crown is provided.  Lilia found the toy, which I believe is her first time to do so.  Bible study is this evening and I am excited about getting back into the weekly routing and seeing what this New Year brings for the work in France.  I am not much for New Year's resolutions.  I read that a "New Year's resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other". I would like to finish reading through the French bible this year and several other books.  Arianna has not been sleeping good that last few days.  Correction, she sleeps good, just not at the normal times.  Night before last, she didn't go to sleep until 2:30 am.  She is finally getting over a cold that started on New Years day.  I pray that your New Year is a blessed one.  JASON

A new year

Santa showed up at swimming class.

The kids going for a donkey ride.

Arianna gets herself trapped in bed.

She is out for the count.

I took the kids to see the movie "Tangled" or "Raiponce" here in France.  They liked it, afterwards I realized that even though it was in French, I didn't have any problems understanding it 100%.  Thursday evening we were invited to eat with our neighbors.  We had a wonderful evening with them.  The kids were well behaved and we enjoyed ourselves.  I hope that we can have further chances to build relationships like this one with our neighbors.  We celebrated the New Year as a family.  We set off seom fireworks and let the kids stay up until 10:30.  Angie and I saw the New Year in together.  Enjoy some more pictures from this month and I hope you are happy and blessed new year.  JASON

Twenty Ten

The New Year was kicked off well. We enjoyed bringing in the New Year with a couple from Carcassonne. We started this year off in prayer. Wise considering what all we will have going this new year. Last week we did receive boxes from my parents and from my sister and brother-in-law. That made for two more Christmas celebrations during the week. We enjoyed getting them and are truly thankful for them. The gift from my parents had been opened and searched, I would imagine in wake of the recent bomb scare on a flight. Last week was dificult week of culture shock for me personally. I found myself not even trying to comunicate in good French several times. Thankfully a New Year has been started. Yesterday we took the kids to McDonalds, with Angie being sick and then the holidays, it has been over a month and a half since we had gone out to eat. Afterwards we enjoyed a good talk with my younger sister and her husband on skype. Kids will be back in school Monday. I will be bringing the lesson at the prayer meeting the next two weeks as the pastor in Carcassonne will be traveling. Also Friday will be our first home bible study, Lord willing. I am working on an introduction to the Bible. I pray that God will bless this Bible Study. As well I have email a request for someone to be my French Conversation partner, I hope to receive a repy soon. Evidently I am in need of help with French (even my kids remind me of this). The picture is of us opening the box from my parents. God bless, JASON

Last time for the year.

Sunday marked our two year anniversary in France. The Lord has truly blessed beyond what I thought was possible. My apologies for trying to limit God with my plans. It has been wonderful. I have my report done and have sent to to my dad for approval. I have my lesson almost all completed for the prayer meeting tomorrow. Today we had Yelena over for lunch and we practiced some songs for the Bible Study that hopefully will take place next week. Today we went and spent some time with some friends from the church in Carcassonne. We had a wonderful time together. The kids were able to play on some of the games and we walked and saw some lights. We then went to their house for pizza and discussed some about the upcoming year concerning Sunday School. We will be helping the church in Carcassonne in their Sunday school program. A break-through happened throug the evening. I said the prayer in French and did not have to pause to think about what I was going to say next. Okay, so it's not that big of a deal for you, but I felt like real progess has been made. Lilia is having two girlfriends stay the night tonight. We are going to try and invite some friends over for a New Years eve celebration tomorrow. Pictures are the kids taking a break from all of the fun they had this evening. God bless, JASON

A New Year

I realized a couple of days ago that we will reach the new year before many of you do. We will start the New Year somewhat the same as last year, sick. It was the flu that was making the rounds this time last year. I have had small fever and been congested and coughing for a couple of days now and a couple of the kids have to. Angie received her drivers license in the mail today, as soon as I feel up to it we will go get them translated, so that we can exchange them. Attached is a picture of the boys in Batman gear they received from a church in the states. We were really blessed to receive several offerings and gifts from others. We pray that you have a happy New Year. God Bless, JASON