May, Marriage, Moose

May - for the month we are leaving behind

Marriage - for the ladder we continue to climb

Moose - for the meat we ate for the first time !

And with that, another month is closed. The weeks seem to fly by, as busy as they are, and we continue to feel more and more at home here in Quebec.

May was a beautiful month. It brought challenges, victories, tears, growth, opportunities, and lots of rain. These months during the PCYM school have not been easy for David and I, but we praise God for His continued patience with us as we learn from the lessons He brings. He is the best teacher !

GROWTH: We see some of our greatest personal growth in the areas of relationships, communication, and team unity. We have once again realized the vital importance of honesty in relationships, and we continue to learn how to bring truth and grace with our words. There will be conflict in any work setting that involves other people, and we have already faced multiple tense situations. However, we are blessed to work with people whose hearts are for unity, and who desire the same honesty and openness that we do. We are all learning together, and it's a beautiful adventure !

LANGUAGE: French is still a challenge for me (Elise), as I feel incapable of developing the depth of relationship that my heart longs for. Marrying into another language and living in immersion is the hardest thing I have ever done in my life (yes, even harder than my nursing exams!), and sometimes I want to simply pack up and leave. BUT I continue to press forward and am encouraged by the improvement I see in my fluency, as well as by my wonderful and compassionate husband !

**My latest treasure, which I received from a fellow nurse here, is a manual for nurses working in "la chirurgie" (surgery) ! I can't wait to start studying !!

MINI-THERISOD: I have my first medical appointment and ultrasound next week, and we rejoice to have a bit more awareness of what is going on inside of me ! There has been nothing that concerns us up until this point, but it's still an unsettling feeling to know that something so incredible is happening in your body, but that you have no control over and that you cannot see or feel. Praise God, who DOES see this little one and who holds our child in His hands !

PCYM: David and I continue to host speakers that come from around the world to teach at the PCYM school. Two weeks ago, we hosted Jack Hart from the U.S., who brought the topic of creativity to our class. Marjo, a good friend from Switzerland, has been with us this week speaking on how to develop healthy boundaries with children. We have the opportunity to learn from these very gifted and experienced people even after classroom hours, around the dinner table !

Two weeks ago was outreach week for the school, and we saw God put things into place and make connections in His own amazing way ! We felt the call to have vertical and horizontal ministry (worship and prayer to the Lord, plus service and connection with the community) and that is exactly what we saw !

• Monday: David and I were in charge of a fun day with the students before our busy outreach week began.

• Tuesday: Intercession and practical ministry preparation.

• Wednesday: Outreach day on the Native American reservation in Manowan. Worship, prayer, and heart-to-heart connection with the people there.

• Thursday: Our team split into two groups, one to drive around and worship in various parts of the region, the other to spend the day at a local food bank where we helped serve people from the community and had opportunities to pray with them.

• Friday: Worship and prayer time with local pastors. Spent time at a local mall, painting, singing, and dancing in the hallways as an offering of joy to the Lord (we were eventually told to leave the building, but we were able to publicly express out hearts' joy for the time we were there). Went to McDonalds and sat down to converse with people who were there alone and wanted to share their stories with us. Had an afternoon activity with local preteen girls, and also handed out fruit to the neighbors while sharing about the fruits of the Spirit.

Just three more weeks and the school will come to a close ! We have enjoyed these months of investing in the students, but we also look forward to having more time to pray with the team and to begin developing and investing in the long-term ministry activities we will be doing here.

Thank you again for your faithful prayers for us ! They are powerful, and we realize more than ever our need for the Lord as we face different challenges every day.

CURRENT PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Continued health for our baby

• Clarity from the Lord as we continue to ask Him what His purpose for us is here in Quebec (and what that looks like practically)

• Grace as David and I navigate through, and grow in, our married life together AND as we prepare to be parents

• Wisdom as we make decisions about our summer

• Courage with the French language for Elise

Blessings to you all in this new month of June. May you be fully enriched by the grace and joy of our heavenly Father who gives so abundantly !