Blown Away

"Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ." Ephesians 5:20

One of the songs in my running workout playlist talks about being amazed by God's daily gifts.  This song, entitled "Blown Away," always puts a skip in my step and reminds me to praise the Lord for who He is and the things He has done.  Friends, I can tell you that this past week I have been BLOWN AWAY by God's grace. From a nice long nap during my 24 hour journey to Switzerland, to the incredible welcome by folks here and God's merciful, unceasing presence through it all, I just can't stop smiling.  

What does life look like right now? Well, I'll start with the caveat that it has only been one week since leaving the U.S. so I hesitate to give an exact description, but the overall principle has been soaking up French. School is a 15 minute walk from my house and extends from 0900 to 1215 Monday through Friday, but the learning does not end there! I have school in French, church in French, shopping in French, conversations with my host family in French, cooking in French, corrections to my cultural mistakes in French, and the list goes on...I absolutely love this style of learning, though I do often feeling like a child since my vocabulary and grammar only extend so far. (Let's be real though, I think I'll always be a child at heart! Yours truly was playing with sand alongside the kiddos earlier. It was kinetic sand! So cool!) It is fun to reach the end of my vocabulary bank and then try to find a way to explain the concept for which I don't have a word. The two benefits to this are the opportunity to practice speaking in French, which is the most difficult for me, and the reward of a new vocabulary word once my audience understands the word or concept I just attempted to explain (sometimes with an accompanying charade). 

My host family, Didier and Elisabeth, are super! They remain patient with my language learning and we enjoy spending time together.  A few highlights from the week have been making Tiramisu with Elisabeth, discovering that there is an Aldi here, trying to explain the concept of the words "sketchy" and "chick-flick" with classmates to one of our French teachers,  and enjoying the beauty of the Swiss landscape

Today in church was a special harvest celebration, in which we were able to reflect on God's goodness, His work in our lives, and His provision. One thing for which I have been deeply grateful is that even with this new change in season of life, the objective remains the same, as do Gods provisions for striving toward the goal! I am so grateful for God's enduring Word, the efficacy of the Gospel, the incredible love of Jesus, and the goal of magnifying His glory. Please pray with me that God would be at work opening the eyes of Switzerland to their need for Him, even as we pray for those in Togo to know His truth. Please pray also that God would help me have an attitude of humility and love in seeking to reach out to others during my stay here. Thank you so, so much for your prayers and encouragement! The way the Lord has used both recently truly does blow me away. :)  Praying for you all! Don't hesitate to send me an email, I would love to know how you are doing!

To Him be the glory,

~Theresa

A view of Lake Neuchatel during a walk with Elisabeth.
What a beautiful day it was!

My host family was more than willing to share their grandkids with me! 
These twins are the youngest of them. So cute!!! 
We went to explore the Saturday market together.

I could spend all day by the Lake
 (though it is quickly getting colder, so I'll soak it up now!)

Dinner with an assortment of cheeses with Didier and Elisabeth.
 I think I was a little too excited. So far, my favorite is still Gruyere. 

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