INFO MISSION

Fifty days with CBV

Our family’s summer mission trip was a fantastic learning experience, a spiritual encouragement and a working vacation like we've never had before. Plus we saw castles, Roman ruins and Canadian war memorials. So, rather than send your teens on a summer mission trip, why not go with them and make it a family affair!

Entries from our travel journal and E mails sent to Canada

Day 1: Two families, together in friendship, together in missions! We arrived in Paris one hour before the Lamberts from Quebec City. We had first mentioned going on a mission trip together at Christmas 1998, and here we are together! We walked through customs and met Terry Smith, CBM missionary. Terry drove us 40 km north of Paris to our first glimpse of "our castle" the European Bible Institute.

The castle itself is fantastic... 14 ft.ceilings, marble staircase, three
towers, a river drifting along the driveway, tame ducks, a swing under a weeping willow tree beside the river which is my favourite spot of all.

We have rooms on the third floor, which probably used to be servants’ quarters… 60 steps up !!! Our window is round with a spectacular view of the castle gate and grounds. Our bathroom is round, being part of the tower.

Day 2 Tears over our job description: Solange and I will be working different shifts, having different tasks and different days off, and not being involved at all in family renovation projects. The first renovation project will be to sand and varnish the new mahogany staircase, a wider, safer exit from the third floor than the spiral staircase.

Day 4 Thank-you Lord that our schedules were readjusted to reflect our desire to work together and assist our families. We will be moving to a small gardner’s cottage, giving us more family time. We will do our own housework and breakfasts, and prepare the noon meal for the school. The rest of our time will be available for family renovation projects.

Day 5 Moved into our new home, transporting furniture, beds, dishes and food. Solange has some nasty bites on her ankles.

Day 6 Visitors in our new home, fleas ! Solange’s mattress was burned. The new staircase is sanded and varnished. It looks wonderful! It's been a challenge to find scaffolding to paint the walls.

Day 10 A special chemical flea bomb was activated in our cottage. We helped Terry & Heather Smith move to the Bible School. Throwing sofa cushions up through the second story window turned into an international basketball competition. The score was Canada 0, France 4!

Terry and Heather hosted a praise time in their newly arranged living room. They shared how they had been feeling overwhelmed by Terry’s new position as director of the Bible school. It was a real encouragement for them to hear how both families were led by the Lord to work with them this summer.

Day 13 An American team of 18 came to help for 10 days. Their major jobs will be to empty the attic and move the library!!!

The greatest joy for the boys so far has been throwing old furniture out a 2^nd story window and then hacking it up with axes. Demolition is their speciality! They get to burn the rubble. Joel got a nasty shock of electricity when dismantling a wired medicine cabinet, but the Lord protected him from harm.

We realize we are in the mission field, and the many
delays and complications could become the focus of our attention. We are trying to keep our eyes on the Lord and serve Him with joy.

Day 14 Fleas are back, with 4 of us being bitten. Solange has an allergic reaction; her bites are raised, red and swollen. Two chemical bombs activated in our cottage.

Day 16 An angel visited our cottage while we were away, and brought in new mattresses, pillows, washed all our sheets and made the beds! Her name was Jenny!

Day 17 Our family instruments are piano, flute, saxophone and drums… none of which fit into suitcases well. So, we prepared to abandon our ministry of music while in France. After all, we had renovations to do!!! To our surprise, instruments were available here, and we were called on several times to lead worship services… Mom on a grand piano, Dad with a flute, Joel a recorder, and Daniel on drums!!! Imagine, me, playing a grand piano! My fingers feel frozen and I can’t remember songs I’ve played for years. Team Canada (Roops & Lamberts) are preparing two songs.

Day 18 Scraping, chipping, sanding, stripping wall paper, plastering, sanding, sweeping, sweating. There is no money to rent scaffolding. I hope no one falls from the ladders.

Day 20 We saw God's provision and protection when Daniel cut his thumb deeply while clearing scrub. A doctor just " happened " to be visiting the school that day, and he cleaned and stitched the wound.

Day 22 Hello Canada! I've got lots of things to tell you. We've had a major life change - empty nest syndrom. The Lambert family returned to Quebec City today, so we feel a bit lost in the 4 bedroom gardener's cottage. Another really neat thing is seeing the Lambert family realizing for the first time in their lives that there are many, many opportunities on the mission field for them. Who knows where God will lead them!

Michael has been helping out with computers as well as other maintenance work. Daniel has been fishing an over abundance of algues out of the river … matts of green mesh 3-5 feet long. Joel has been using a bush cutter clearing a lot of undergrowth. I have been organizing the bilingual transparancies for the chapel services during the year, as well as continuing to deep clean our house for fleas, which continue in spite of 2 fumigations.

Day 25 The 18 Americans left this morning to continue their mission trip elsewhere. Their energy and enthusiam, plus muscle power, was incredible. All this help has been a real encouragememt to the school, for the staff here was overworked, tired and to be honest, discouraged. Perhaps the most important part of our ministry has been the spiritual encouragememt, standing with them.

Day 27 Professional fumigators were called in.

Adults and teens and children played Hide and Go Seek on the castle grounds. I couldn’t find anyone; there were so many placed to hide!

We've had such a wonderful summer with the boys. I really feel that this extra time with the boys has been a gift. At home there is competition with sterio, computer, TV, phone, friends, loud music, homework and housework.

Day 30 Sunday afternoon birthday party for two of Terry’s children, complete with water balloons.

Day 31 – 38 our family vacation week to visit Switzerland and the south of France with its Roman ruins.

Day 39 Vacation is over and we have two more weeks to work. And I'm rather terrified of what they've asked us to do. WE have been asked to be in charge of Guest House meals (oh, let it only be for one week not two!!!!!!!!!!) This will be our main responsibility, plus various other minor repairs and projects. Being in charge of meals is my worst nightmare, so please pray with me. (I sent off this urgent E mail to friends in New Brunswick for prayer. And I’m sure I heard them laughing all the way across the Atlantic. But somebody must have been praying, because the week went well. )

Day 43 Big clean up of the workshop and garage … getting dusty and dirty with Terry and Heather. We filled a 100 cubic foot dumpster with collected junk.

We had tea with the secretary of the school, Ruth. She’s been at the school for 35 years, and lived for 28 years in one room on campus. She explained that the school had experienced 3 years of lack of stability and financial pressures before Terry came.

Missionaries don't just need people to do yucky projects in the summer or money to hire people to do these tasks. They need to laugh, sing and pray with people who care. The staff here is so very touched that God would demonstrate His care for them in sending people to be part of their team. We are so glad to be here, because they need us and we can help. Thank-you for caring, praying and helping us be here in Jesus' name.

Day 44 Sunday afternoon in Paris, seeing Notre Dame Cathedral and talking a "Bateau Mouche" boat ride down the Seine River.

Day 45 Canadian War memorials… what a rich history we were able to share with our sons.

Day 46 Michael is busy updating the school’s computer systems before we leave. We are scheduled to arrive in Moncton on Saturday, Aug. 21. It will be so wonderful to be home, see my flowers and of course, pick up Lucky!

The world of Francophone evangelical missionaries is quite small, and we are making connections from Africa everywhere we go! One friend we haven't seen for 15 years is only 20 min. away from here.

Day 49 It will be hard to leave, but we’re excited too. Our luggage is all ready and they are having a farewell barbecue for us this evening. (But it’s supposed to be a surprise!)

Day 50 Reality check… back to Canada! It feels strange to be back; I think we left our hearts in France.