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I am back in Denton. I took over 700 photos on the trip and am picking which ones I want to share on here. I hope to post longer this weekend and tell of all God did on this trip. I will say that 5 kids came to know Christ as their personal savior and I got to see God work in big ways in my heart. I hope that all is well with everyone and will write longer soon! Sending my love! Anna B.

VBS

Hey everyone... its Wednesday here at 5:30. We are resting before we go and watch fireworks for Bastille Day. They day France celebrates their independence.

VBS has gone off well. The whole week is jungle theme and it has been fun to get to interact with the kids as well as a language challenge. I don't think I thought about how many French speakers we would have at an international Bilingual Camp this week. Its been a humble learning experience though. I have had to learn that my interaction with kids is not based on language but love. Love is an international language. I may be learning a word of a day, but I can hug, smile, and give a gentle pat on the back to speak my heart to these kids. I am so thankful though for the staff we are working with. They have been so great teaching and ministering to the kids. The kids learn a bible verse a day, and listen to story. Then we go to music where they learn the songs, sports and snack. Then there is lunch, and the Jesus video where they listen and watch the gospels acted out for them. After the video they go to science (today we dissected a chicken), crafts and then bells (very loud but the children love them!). Then we have wrap up and the kids get to say their bible verses for prizes. They learn them in either French or English depending on what they prefer.

A story today was a girl in our group shared her testimony and God used it to spark the interest of a boy who then accepted Christ! It was amazing to see God work. I have been learning how God is so much bigger than me! It has been so neat to see God working in these kids!

Please pray for our hearts and that God continues to work! Your prayers have been seen at work here in the hearts of the Children! Thanks for them!

Made it to France

Bonjour!

We have made it to France. I have enlisted the help of two of the missionary children to help teach me French. Yesterday we took a tour of the city Cagnes in the morning and went to the church in St. Paul to have dinner and see all of the missionaries. Today we went up to the church to help set up for VBS and went around St. Paul. St. Paul is a city within a 1300 Medieval Wall. The city is all with in the wall still and many people come to visit. The church rests within the wall which overlooks the city of Cagnes. Its so beautiful! Tomorrow we will be going to church and meeting the other group that will be helping with VBS this next week. I am slowly getting over the jet lag and enjoying getting to know the city. Tomorrow will be a long but fun day as we have church in the morning, a pot luck after church in St. Paul, setting up for VBS after church and then going to Nice for church at night.

I got to show off my soccer skillz tonight as I played soccer along the beach with the Orozcos. We went out to the beach to have fellowship with some of the members of the church. It was a fun time of eating pizza, talking with others and enjoying our time together. The other part of our team also came in tonight. We are all here and excited about the upcoming week.

Thank you for your prayers and I hope you are all doing well. Please pray for our hearts as we start to get very busy here. I do not want to get so wrapped up in the preparation that I don't see how I can serve the missionaries here. They are building wonderful relationships with in a culture that doesn't think they need God. Please pray for the people of France, and Europe. Thank you and sending you my love!

Anna B.

Leaving today and Prayer Requests

So I am not bringing my computer, but will get to use one of my teammates computers while we are there. I do have a couple of requests: please do not text or call me unless it is an emergency. The rate over there is very high. Second: please email me your prayer requests so that I can be praying for you while I am in France.

I am packed (for the most part) and ready to go. I have a couple of errands to run today, one of them being the eye doctor. I have a problem with my left eye, and the dr was nice enough to squeeze me in before I leave this afternoon. My flight is at 9 tonight. We have a lay over in London and then its onto Nice. CRAZY! I am very excited and only have that nervous pre-flight feeling in my stomach. Do you ever get that? What if I forget something? What if I don't remember my passport.... I tend to get that feeling when I am about to fly.

I don't think I can say Thank You enough for your prayers and support. I cannot go to France with out money of course, but your prayers are so important! Here are some prayer requests so that you can pray specifics.

1. For God's grace in Flying. Our team is flying in at 3 different times on 3 different flights. That our bags get there and that we go through customs okay. Also that we have good conversations with those sitting next to us on the way there and back. (I like talking to people on airplanes. They are stuck with you for the duration of the flight)

2. For our team: Emily, Diane, Amy, Sarah, Mont, Emrie, Rachel, Colton and Myself. That we would represent grace and love to the people of France while we serve selflessly and don't complain. That we would bond in fellowship and community, encouraging one another. For the team there from other parts of the US as well. We will all be working together to put on VBS

3. For the Vacation Bible School: that the kids hearts would be open to hear of the gospel and for their parents to listen to what they learn. For the logistics to fall into place and details to be taken care of.

4. For those we meet in France: that we listen well and share the gospel without fear.

5. For the missionaries there: The Arnold Family, Orozco Family, Donna, Amy, Jill and the Servers who are leaving, when we return, to go to France full time. These people serve in France full time. They, through the provision of the church body, live their lives in France, serve and lead 2 churches and minister to different people groups across the southern part of France. To find out more about them and how you can support them visit the Serve Website: www.serve-intl.com They are in constant need of prayer and encouragement. They are the ones that will be building deeper relationships with the families, kids and people of France when we leave.

6. For my heart: That I would serve selflessly while I am there, not seeking my personal satisfaction but seeking the Lord's will. That I would be open and share God's grace and love without fear to all who I meet. And that I my ears and eyes would be open to seeing what God is doing in France and what the needs are in this country.

Love the Lord with all your heart, mind, soul and strength. Love your neighbor as yourself.

Thank you for your continued prayer. I leave you with a devotional that I find has encouraged me as I leave on my first international mission trip and as I serve here in Denton. I have been reading Paul David Tripp's A Shelter in the Time of Storm as a devotional. He is an amazing writer, speaker and counselor, who I had the privilege of seeing at the Biblical Counseling Conference. His Safe poem, speaks wonders to me and I hope it will to you.

I am safe not because I never face danger, but because God is with me in it.

**2:30pm update: I have an eye infection in both eyes! I am trying to have an upbeat attitude. I get to wear my glasses and put drops in my eyes for the next week! Wahoo!**

HI I am an Over Packer

I tend to over pack! Currently I am sitting here surrounded by the things I need and empty suitcases line my walls.

I leave tomorrow! I am so excited to see what God is doing in France and serve him there!

Just an FYI: I am not sure if I am bringing my computer or not... but will find a way to post at some point to keep you informed. Just in case I will leave a list of prayer requests on here so that you can pray for the team. I also attached our Vacation Bible School course overview so you can be praying for the kids and their hearts as we teach them God's word.

I could eat you up I love you so!

I got to spend some sweet time with my siblings this past weekend. My brother turned 21! It was kinda crazy to think of him as an adult. To me he is my little brother. BUT it is neat that our relationship has transformed into a friendship. He no longer needs me to be the naggy older sister, but we get to have 'adult' conversations about politics and world affairs. I am so proud of the young man he is.

I also got to spend Monday with my littlest brother and sister. They are amazing and I love spending time with them. We made breakfast, ran errands, 'cooked' dirt pie (worms and all) and then watched movies. One of the movies we watched was Where the Wild Things Are. A line in the movie is: "I could eat you up, I love you so." Do you ever feel that way? Where you look at someone and think, I love this person so much I just could keep squeezing them? I know that I feel this way a lot. I have four great siblings who I love a lot, parents who I am thankful for, and friends who I consider family. All of them I love dearly. There are times when I truly feel that my heart will burst with love for these individuals.

Then I remember that God loves them even more. God loves them more than I do. He loves them more than I can understand. That his good for us is truly good. That there are times I don't understand why something happens or turns out the way it does, but God loves my family more than I do. We are made in his image, as Genesis tells. Unable to live a life that is sinless, God didn't leave us to die but sent his son, Jesus Christ, to die the sinners death. For those three hours God turned his face and let death over take Christ. The death that we should have died, Christ endured. Then three days later Christ rose from the dead. Conquering death and paying the cost of our sins. Christ rose. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.~John 3:16 We are God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved. Paul talks about Love throughout his letters. He tells of God's love for us. And the greatest of these is Love.

My question to you and to myself is do you love God so much that your heart could burst? I know I don't. So many times I put the things I love before God. But God's love for me should be the reason that I love.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength. And love your neighbor as yourself. (Mark 12, Matthew 22, Luke 10, and Deut. 6:5)

Thank You

Thank you to all who have supported my mission trip through prayer and financially.

God, through your contributions, has provided every penny for my support!!! I am humbled, grateful and amazed by all of your support, prayers, words of encouragement and God's provision through you. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

I leave on July 7th and ask for your help in praying for the trip. A week ago we met with a couple that will be going to France to join the full time team with Serve. Our team talked about what we will be doing in France and how we will be helping with VBS. This trip started as a curriculum trip, where we thought we would be developing the VBS materials to teach in two churches. It has developed into a trip where we will be helping a team from other states put on the VBS in St. Paul for the week of July 12-16th. The more we talked with them, the more excited I became to go. I have been told to be flexible with how I will be serving, and what we will be doing. BUT I want to see what God is doing in France and Europe. If you want to find out more about France check out this website: PrayForFrance.org

Prayer Requests:
*For my heart as I prepare to leave.
*For boldness in conversation as we travel and are in France.
*My teammates here in the states and those we will be serving with in France. That we serve as a community and a good representation of love and the church to those in France.
*For the hearts of the children at the Vacation Bible School camp.
* For the people of France. This past week five people from the churches we will be serving with accepted Christ as their savior and where baptized.
* For the Gospel of Christ to spread. John 3:16

Please comment or email me and let me know how I can pray for you.

Vagabond Summer: Road Trip

We took a little Road Trip to the Grand Canyon.... Here are some pictures!!! We left Denton and drove to Albuquerque by way of Amarillo. Took the road to the Grand Canyon. Then we drove on to Los Angeles. Stayed with Meghan's brother and Mariel. Megan Beck came to join our adventures for a couple of days. Then we drove to San Diego. From San Diego we went to El Paso. Then home! It was a fun adventure. Thanks to everyone who let us stay with them and for all the great advice as to what we should do. It was amazing to get to see a different part of the US.



Playing at Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo. Took the Road from Denton to Albuquerque.
Can you see me?

The Grand Canyon!!!



My favorite day was when we woke up early to read and pray at the edge of the canyon. It was so neat to be reading God's word and look out over the beauty he created.


Our friend Megan is working in CA this summer!
Jumping to see if it shakes the earth.
Pacific Ocean.

What are you fishing for?
Megan joined us for a bike ride to Venice beach.






I thought this represented Venice beach well.

Our roommate for two nights.
Insert Name in Star_______________.
Everyone takes pics of the Hollywood Sign... but I didn't know you could ride horses up by it?
In-N-Out Burger was very good!!
Seals in San Diego.
June Gloom in California couldn't keep us off the beach!
Searching for buried treasure.

Now that's one good kiss!!!
The United States 'most haunted house'.... didn't see any ghosts!
Light House in San Diego.


Chaco Adventures!


Near the naval base in San Diego.
We stayed with a friends Mom in El Paso our last night. She makes her own Kim chi. (Spell?)

I am still learning how to post pics and comments on this blog.

This was a fun adventure. I had been to many of the places before but it is always interesting to go back as an adult. It opened my eyes. To stand and over look the Grand Canyon one day and then the Pacific ocean another, reminded me of just how big God is and how beautiful his creation is. I saw poverty and need in the streets of LA and San Diego. I know that this is true no matter where you go. I have been to Chicago and NY, and other big cities. I have served in the downtown areas of St Louis, Chicago, Memphis and Denton. It still amazes me that someone can find their 'home' sleeping on the street outside the house that is for rent. On the day we left San Diego a man and his dog 'Lady' walked down the street pushing a cart. I said Good morning to him and asked him how he was doing. He said "Not good." I asked why? He informed me that the day before was trash day and so he had no food or anything. This man was homeless and lived off of someone else's 'trash'. I offered him the only food I had on me at the time a granola bar. It made me think about all I have, and how selfish I am with it. My money, possessions, and time. I left this trip praying for God to show me how I can better serve my community and excited to go to France. I know God is working in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. I know that God is working because in Christ and through the help of the Holy Spirit he is transforming lives. For God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son that who ever trusts in him shall live eternally with him. I know that God is doing things around the world.