My French Adventure

Geography

2011-08-10T06:52:00.000-07:00

First to tell you where I have been exploring I need to give you some idea of France's geography. France is divided into 27 regions. 22 of those are in "Metropolitan France". Like our 48 continental states compared to the 50 if we count Alaska and Hawaii.

The Region where I live is called "Nord-Pas-de-Calais". It has a population of 4,024,490 and a surface area of 12,414 km² for a density of 323.7/km² (838.4/sq mi).

But more important is the next smaller governing area, the 'department'. There are 101 departments and mine is 'le Nord'. Literally translated means 'the North'. The departments are given a number in alphabetical order. Nord is given the number 59 because it falls at 59th in the long list. This is also what determines our postal code. All postal codes in the Nord start with 59 like mine 59600 for Maubeuge or 59164 for where BLF Europe is located.

It gets even more exciting and closer to home when departments are divided into arrondissements. This is what I want to talk to you about. I live in the section (arrondissement) of the Nord called Avesnois (Ah ven wah) who gets its name from its "county seat" Avesnes-sur-Helpe.

Avesnois is 1,408 km² of green beauty. There are 151 towns ranging from 34,000 to 71 inhabitants to total 234,131 people.

So far I have visited 41 towns out of the 151.

Be back soon

Mission Avesnois

2011-08-04T08:50:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged in a while but I found something fun to talk about. For my vacation I will be visiting all of the 151 towns in the area where I live.

I live in a very green area. Most of the towns where I live are in the regional park "Parc naturel regional de l'Avesnois". I also add that my area is unknown to most if not all tourist maps that look at France as a whole. There are many wonderful things to see here. I like finding things that aren't well known. Especially in the outdoors.

The first time I went exploring was on July 23rd an overcast / rainy Saturday. I went to Locquignol, Hecq, Preux au Bois, Robersart, Bousies, Fontaine au Bois, Landrecies, Maroilles, Noyelles sur Sambre, Leval, and Monceau Saint Waast. I will post photos of each town but for now here is my route.

My French Adventure: A visit to Seattle, God willing... October 2010

2010-10-29T07:53:00.000-07:00

A visit to the NW

I learned that I will need to see the doctor in Seattle in order to renew my Multiple Sclerosis(MS) treatment [or Sclérose en plaques(SEP) in French]. I plan to take advantage of this appointment by seeing my family during the holidays, including my niece Haley of whom I have only seen pictures because she was born not too long after I left. I hope to arrive just before Thanksgiving and stay until just after Christmas. I have already scheduled my doctor’s appointment for the 16th of December.

My prayer request is that my check-up goes well (I am feeling well). But I also need to ask for your prayers as I don’t yet have my plane ticket because of my resident card. I started to renew my resident card in May to have the process completed before it expired in July. However, it wasn’t done in July so I got a slip to go along with my old card. Just after my trip to Mont Blanc and the Normandy sites, my friend David and I went to the city of Dunkerque where I lost my wallet for the second time this year. I was able to replace all the important papers and cards, but I am still without my French identity. Without this I cannot leave the French border (my declaration of loss won’t do) without losing my reentry rights. I called the local office recently, and they said that the card is still in process. Please pray that my card is processed and delivered soon so that I can get my plane ticket and be at my appointment. The other times I have had it renewed, it did not take more than two months. It has almost been six months. I know this too is in God’s hands.

I am scheduled to speak in churches Sunday morning on November 28th, December 5th, and December 12th. I would love to see as many other people as possible. This will be my first time to be on North American soil in two and a half years. I look forward to seeing you in person and sharing what God has been up to. I also look forward to seeing the Cascade Mountains and the Space Needle.

This reminds me how Hebrews 11:13 says, “All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth.” We Christians do not have our citizenship here on earth but just a temporary card that reminds us that we are just passing through. Wouldn’t it be funny if we had to renew our earthly resident card every year.

Vacation time

This year was one of the biggest vacations that I’ve had for a while. A friend of mine, David, came from Seattle and we did the Tour du Mont Blanc (TMB). It is a 10-day hike around the tallest peak in Europe. The day after I picked him up from the airport, we drove more than 8hrs to Les Houches, France, where we stayed the night and left the car before beginning our adventure the next morning. This was my first multi-day hike and my first time on such difficult terrain. We stayed in large refuges — only accessible by foot, helicopter, or mule — to avoid carrying tents and more gear.

My favorite part of the hike was two-fold. I loved the views; but what was more amazing was standing on one of God’s beautiful mountain passes, looking way off in the distance to another tiny spot, and being able to say, “I was there”. Wow! It was also extraordinary to cross the border from France to Italy and from Italy to Switzerland just by mountain passes.

Secondly, for those who know me even a little bit know that I am a people person, I had a great time talking to different people along the trail, which I describe as a moving international community. They were from all over France, Europe, and the world, but I didn’t see more than one or two Americans. I enjoyed speaking French and getting to know other hikers. I remember laughing and playing UNO with a nice French family at a mountain refuge until late.

The parts I had trouble with were not the steep climbs but the areas where the path was flat and only a foot (30cm) or less wide with one side that plummeted down several hundred feet. In the worst of these areas, I had to walk slowly behind Dave only looking and stepping were his feet stepped. I thank God the neither of us died on the trip. We didn’t even get hurt.

Then we drove eight hours to Caen, the big city near the D-Day landing beaches.

Print shop - BLF Europe

Here at the print shop we have been pretty busy. We have just finished 5,000 comic book Bibles (New and Old Testaments). That’s 768 full color pages printed, folded, collated, sewn, cover glued, shrink-wrapped and boxed. We are in the process of doing 5,000 of the New Testament and the Gospels.

I’ve been taking on more responsibilities. I have taken more page layout work to let our other designer focus on additional work. This is something I really enjoy. I think that French punctuation rules are a blast. I have also taken on the responsibility of leading the teams that come from the States while they work in the shop.

We have recently put out some great books:

In September we received the first shipment of the third volume of the Bible in manga form, Manga - Mutinerie (English title: Manga - Mutiny). They are drawn and printed in Japan, and we do the translating and editing of the French text. The first two volumes cover the Gospels and Acts. The newest one goes through Genesis and Exodus. They are all selling well, and there is even a plan in the works to use the Manga Messiah books as a way to teach Christianity in French private schools.

La guérison du guérisseur by Walter Vappiani (Healing of the Healer). Part of a new biographical series. This story is about Walter who met Jesus when he was a spiritual healer.

Décidé à tuer by Stephen Lungu (English title: Out of the Black Shadows). A great story about a leader of a rebellion in Africa who planned to kill Christians but God miraculously saved to reconcile those around him.

Praise God for these new books. Pray they would reach those seeking God and challenge Christians to grow in their faith. Also pray for Crazy Love by Francis Chan and Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas, two great books that we are currently working on.

You may be wondering about the French going on strike. Well as your on-the-ground reporter, here is what I know of the French strikes without watching any news.

- The post office has gone on strike randomly.

- Buses and trains don’t seem to be reliable from day to day (I have a car).

- Gas deliveries were cut off for a little while until the government told them to deliver again. (We are close to Belgium so we can get gas there, but it was bad for those more inside of France).

- All the middle school and high school students walked around my town of 35,000 protesting the retirement thing. They blocked roads and blocked entrances to the schools and had police escorts. What was interesting was the adults who would look on the students and say, “Way to go, they are so right.”

I am not sure when it will stop, but it definitely keeps us on our toes. It made me think that we too often hope in our country. I was thinking that, when the intersection was blocked by cars honking for no apparent reason, my hope is in Christ and not in France or America.

Prayer & Praise

Please pray that my resident card would be renewed quickly.

Pray for safe travels.

Praise God that I didn’t fall to my death during my walk in the mountains.

Pray for our health and safety at the BLF Europe print shop.

Pray for the Christians in France that grow in faith and wisdom.

Pray for opportunities to share the reason for the joy that I have.

Its slushing in Maubeuge

2010-02-20T14:16:00.000-08:00

This evening I went to see a musical based on the Blues Brothers movie. Before going I stopped by Brico Depot, the French version of Home Depot, to get a wrench to fix the toilet. Currently my toilet leaks. It's most likely because of a bad gasket but I cant get the lid off to see inside because there isn't a lever but a button on the top in order to flush. So ya I needed a wrench from the hardware store.

The theater where the musical was to be held was right next to the store so I just walked to the theater after getting what I needed and I left my car in the Brico Depot parking lot. At the intermission I found my car unacessable because the parking lot's gate closed at 7:30pm. I was able to get a ride home from a friend Marc who came to the show as well. The sign said that they close the gates at 7:30pm and reopen the next day at 6:30am 'the next day' but I don't think that applies for tomorrow because they aren't open at all on Sunday. My other friend Gaëtan who was at the show offered to take me to church tomorrow which is good.

There is a story for the day.

Christmas Eve

2009-12-24T05:23:00.001-08:00

Yesterdays we finished a new book Je trouve la vie déjà bien difficile or literally in English 'I already find life really difficult'. It is written by a French woman to reach pre-teens with the Good News. This book was different for me because I was involved in the editing process as liaison between the editor and our illustrator.

The author wanted a cartoon raccoon to follow along the reader of the book. We found a friend of a summer intern who is an awesome artist. I gave him all the instructions and the list of drawings that we needed. This was fun because I translated everything from French to English.

I was invited over to a friends house for lunch yesterday. We had raw oysters, soup and mashed potatoes. Then I tried something new. I tried cow tongue for the first time. It was good. The idea is kind of funny. It tastes like beef (coincidence?) but the texture is a little smoother.

Today we worked a half day to finish a few things including getting a few orders of Je trouve la vie déjà bien difficile. It was finished before Christmas but it won't be delivered until just after.

Tonight I will be at my director's house for a Christmas Eve meal. Tomorrow I will go up to Brussels with friends for a Christmas get together.

I pray that God would bless you all where ever you are this Christmas. If you are troubled I pray God would grant you the peace that only comes from him. If things are great I pray you will know that the only real joy we can have is in God. If you are busy I pray you make time to slow down and remember our God that took time to set make himself like us to pay the price for us to be with him.

2009-08-29T02:48:00.000-07:00

X-rays from my ankle.

My foot just aftward the sprain.

August

2009-08-22T08:36:00.000-07:00

In the month of August here at BLF in France we get 3 weeks off. At the shop we had a barbecue with a visiting team from the states on Friday, August 31st our last day of work. I however missed out on the barbecue to travel to Alsace, a region in France near Germany. My friend, David drove up from Paris Thursday night to stay the night at my place and we left at 6am in the morning. Our reason for going was to film a wedding ceremony for a friend of a friend of ours, Ruben. David was able to borrow two professional video cameras from the place where he works giving us three cameras with Ruben's camera. It was a 6 hour drive from Maubeuge France. We took a nice break in Luxembourg to visit its beautiful capital.

We arrived early in the afternoon after traveling through the gorgeous pine covered Vosges mountain range which is really close to the Cascade range near Seattle. The houses and buildings in Alsace are much more like German houses than the houses here in the north of France. That evening we set all of the cameras in place at the church and stayed for tarte flambée (Flammekueche in Alsatian) for dinner. Tarte flambée is like a thin crust pizza with a light white sauce, bacon, cheese and onions. Mmm I could eat it all day, but we were too busy setting up to get our fill so when we got back to Ruben's parents house where we were staying, I had a snack.

The next day, Saturday, the wedding. After breakfast we went to a store called E.LECLERC (pronounced Leh clair when I see it I think electric) to get a shirt for David and a sleeping bag for me (which comes in handy later). Then after lunch we headed to the church. My job was to stand behind the main camera, pan to focus on musicians and change the cassette. Not hard but important. It went well, more than two hours of standing on a table behind the camera for a lovely wedding for two people that love each other and Jesus. After the ceremony I packed up the equipment and David went around the crowd doing video interviews with family and friends. Then more tarte flambée! They also had large pretzels like you might find at your local American sports stadium.

Then we were off the the 'dinner'. In France there is a general order to wedding ceremonies. First the couple and close family and friends will go to the town hall to sign official papers and become 'married' because here the state does not recognize a pastor to marry a couple. Then there is the ceremony similar in many ways to the States. Last is the dinner, which is a long event which can start around 6pm and goes until 2am or later. There is food and there can be dancing and time for sharing. Guests are either invited to the ceremony or to the ceremony and the 'dinner'. David and I didn't know the bride and groom but because we look good behind a video camera we were invited to the dinner. The food was great. Not too many courses. I think just the normal appetizer, main course, and dessert. That evening there were slide show presentations, skits, singing, dancing, and live music from family members. From working during the wedding and not sitting I got tired that night so we left at 2am when the party was still alive.

The next day we got up in time to eat and go to church with Ruben's parents at the same church. David and I found that we were the only ones to show up to church from those at the dinner everyone else must have been pooped or it could be a cultural thing. Sunday afternoon we had lunch and took a well deserved nap. In the morning we headed back to the north directly to a two week outreach mission in Douai, a city Forty-five minutes west of my place. Believe it or not we had McDonald's on the way which keeps my average to one time a year for fast food. David dropped me off at André et Esther Schwab's place in Rouvroy twenty minutes from Douai. André is the pastor heading up the two week outreach. He also started a bar, Équitable (meaning fair trade), downtown Douai, alcohol and tobacco free that serves fair trade products.

I wasn't totally sure what I was getting into. I found out there were old fashioned games and we were playing music, circus acts (juggling, unicycles, face painting, balloon animals) along the street of the bar Équitable. As well as a car wash at a nearby parking lot. All donations from the street activities and the car wash went to two organizations. One, SALAM, formed after the Red Cross center moved out takes care of refugees in the north of France. The other, SEL, gives food and vocational training for kids who are taken advantage of in Africa We stayed at the Schwab's house, most stayed the whole two weeks, some left early and others came late but we tended to stay above thirty mouths to feed. There was a group from a town called Bitch in the east of France several Germans amongst those from the north of France. It was a great time of fellowship with old friends and new ones.

I volunteered for the car was which I enjoyed. We had all the supplies but no signs so I made six signs two make our work known. The first day I think it was 5 cars. Then 6 and the on the hottest day 30°C (86°F) we only had 3 cars. Then the next day there were 9! It was great providing a service for others and the money donated didn't go to ourselves for a trip or nice hats but to those who really needed it.

With thirty youth and adults at André's place we had the rooms full and some guys in tents. I started out in a tent but my allergies acted up. I moved into the house on the third floor. Then I had a fever and hard of breathing. I went to the doctor and got some prescriptions. Sunday I was feeling better for church. During the free time I went and played soccer with our group. One person from our group even had the chance to share the good news of Jesus with some local youth and invited them to play soccer with us. That's when it happened. CRACK !!! The X-ray showed that my ankle wasn't broken but sprained. I could no longer was cars :( . The next few days I stayed at the house and hopped about on crutches. I would read, occasionally help cut veggies at the house and I made certificates for those that scored the highest during the week for the games along the street.

There were articles in two papers about our project "Tendons leur la main" (roughly translated Reaching out to lend a hand"). One was the regional paper and the other was the paper for the city of Douai. The final day after two weeks of games, music and cleaner cars we had a big show with live music, skits, more unicycles and juggling for the people from Douai to enjoy. We served drinks and snacks to those who came and there was a gospel message at towards the end. Saturday we all went to the beach and everyone else in the region had the same idea so the freeway was packed. It was fun but I don't recommend crutches with sandy beaches. Sunday we had a good church service, then lunch. A friend was able to drop me off in Maubeuge as I didn't have my car and I couldn't drive anyway.

Coming back home was weird and too quiet after two weeks of being around people and lots of activities. I am very thankful to have an elevator in my building to go to my apartment on the 4th floor. Even doing the simplest of things are difficult with one foot. I am also thankful for the help from others the other day my neighbor saw me struggling to take the garbage down to its receptacle and she took all my bags for me and my friends from the shop did some shopping for me. God is good and he still provides for all of my needs. Thank you all for your prayers as I recover.

Sunday the 23rd two weeks after the crack I had friends come over after church. One of them brought the meal. We had a great time eating fondue. To accommodate four adults and three kids we moved the table into the living room. It was fun to have people over after a whole week that was way to calm. Now I am back to work after three weeks off. Its nice to be back at the print shop but annoying that I can't do much.

I will post some pictures soon. I hope you enjoyed reading about my vacation as I did living it.
nathan@blfeurope.com

New French Resident card

2009-08-19T04:45:00.000-07:00

Today I didn't do much again because of my ankle. I did do some reading eating and chatting. I also managed to do some laundry. Praise God I have my own washer. I also got a phone call from the office that said my new French resident card was ready. So after getting ready I hopped outside where it was 32°C (89°F). What is normally a 2 min walk was close to seven. I forgot one of the papers so I got the chance to make the trip twice on crutches. I got the card so I can continue to live and serve in France. Have you heard the song Every move I make that goes:

Every step I take I take in You
You are my way Jesus
Every breath I take I breathe in You

After asthma problems and a sprained ankle during the same two week stay I am realizing that all I do is through Christ my Lord.

Hoping around

2009-08-12T14:17:00.000-07:00

During time off from work I am at a two week long evangelization event While playing soccer (we call it football here) I heard a CRACK when my left ankle found itself in between the legs of another player. Falling down in agony I decided to take a break (a long break) as soon as my friends could get me off the field. The next day I was off to the hospital which lead to an X-ray. That's where we found that I have very nice bones in my foot and ankle. It's amazing I use my feet all the time but I've never seen my feet bones. With everything intact they gave me a nice ankle brace. I'll be off it for at least a couple weeks. I have been using crutches (béquilles pronounced bekiy) and also hopping about to get around.

Thank you for your prayers.

So far this year.

2009-07-28T02:49:00.000-07:00

Hello from Maubeuge, France! I want to thank everyone for their prayers and financial partnership as I serve in France. It has been one year since I came back to France, and God is good! I stay busy at the print shop with varying tasks. I am learning a lot of French both in and out of class. It is also a joy to get to know my neighbors better.
At the shop, Manga Messiah is still selling well; and the second volume, Manga Métamorphose, covering the book of Acts, will be coming out in September along with our third shipment of Manga Messiah. We have just finished the illustrated Bible. It’s 254 pages of full color illustrations that we produce for the Bible League. I made more than sixteen plates for the press. We also just released the French version of The Dangerous Duty of Delight by John Piper. I recommend this book to anyone who hasn’t yet read it.

Art expo
I’ve always loved to draw. In college I developed a style where I just draw with lines. For several years I have taken my sketch book with me everywhere. I have taken a few of my drawing and made paintings from them. I was inspired to do even more this spring when I was invited to display some art at the third annual Found Object Art Festival in a nearby town, Louvroil. I produced fifteen pieces to put on display using various materials on which to paint. I used a cupboard door, a piece of a desk, and scraps of wood from around the print shop. I have enjoyed doing more art, and it’s great to meet other local artists.

French class
In March I started French classes at a center within walking distance from my apartment. I could communicate before, but now with my classes, I am more confident with my pronunciation, reading, and writing. Most of the other students are women from Morocco, Algeria, and Senegal so I have tried to pick up a few Arabic words on the side. I will begin classes again in the fall, but this time on a more challenging level, working more on my pronunciation and writing.
Visitors from my home church
I love to have visitors. In May, Dan and Joan, from my home church in Seattle, took the time to see me after a cruise around the United Kingdom. They were able to see the sights here where I live. Taking a walk in town, we stumbled across the annual International Horse Jumping competition, which we enjoyed. We took the evening to visit Val Joly, which literally means “Jolly Valley”. Sunday was my first time translating a church service for anyone. I found it challenging. That afternoon we visited Fort de Leveau near my church. There were people dressed up as WWI soldiers, and there is a memorial to Captain Patton who crashed and sank into a marshy area in a nearby town during WWII. In 2001 he and his plane were found well preserved. Monday and Tuesday, Dan and Joan relaxed while I was at school. Then they helped out at the shop. After their stay at my apartment, they took a bus to see my sister in Germany. It was fun to show friends how I live here in France. If you too would like to see how I live and minister in France, come on over!

The Logos Hope Trip
A friend Jeremie joined the crew of the Operation Mobilisation (OM) ship Logos Hope on two-year commitment, working in the engine room. The Logos Hope is staffed with volunteers from fifty different countries to provide literature, humanitarian aide, and evangelization. For more information, go to logoshope.com. They have sailed around Northern Europe and the U.K., and later they will sail to the Caribbean. I also know a couple from France, Ruben and Elizabeth (he is French, she is American), who are also on the ship. Elizabeth works in at the welcome center, and Ruben does video production for the ship. When they came to a port in January only four hours away, David, a French friend, and I took a trip to the Netherlands to see our friends. We stayed on board two nights as guests. We got to see all around the ship including the engine room as well as the town of Harlingen, Netherlands. It was great to see friends and how OM operates and serves the world around them. One of the coolest parts for me was seeing all the different cultures together in one spot.

No big rigs on Sunday
On our drive to the Netherlands, I didn’t see a single semi-truck on the freeway, which I found odd for a four-hour drive. David told me that in most European countries, semi-trucks are to be parked from 10 p.m. Saturday to 10 p.m. Sunday. I find that to be funny and strange.

New words
au cas où (oh ka oo): just in case. This phrase can be very useful.
bagnole (banyol): car. This word for car is only used in the north of France.
chapelure (shaplur): bread crumbs for recipes. I made the mistake of asking for the ‘miettes de pain’ (the literal translation) for the cordon bleu I was making, but the clerk didn’t understand. I ended up smashing some dried bread. Next time I have a recipe that calls for bread crumbs, which isn’t often, I will know the word.

Prayer & Praise
* Praise God for how much I have learned in my classes.
* Praise God, my support level is at 96%.
* Praise God for all the people I’ve been able to meet from French class and art expositions. Pray that I would be a light to everyone I meet.
* Pray that my resident card renewal goes well. It should be ready in the middle of September.
* Please pray for the people who receive our books and tracts, and that God would be glorified in all we do. Thank you all for your prayers, cards, emails, notes on Facebook, and financial support.

Sharing the Good News in French class

2009-06-16T13:04:00.000-07:00

Today I had my appointment to renew my resident card. Everything is in order and it will be ready sometime before September 17th.

Last night I took seriously where God has placed me and began to pray for my classmates and neighbors. Earlier today in my French class which is mostly Muslim women from Algeria and Morocco. Today, I am not sure why, the teacher brought up religion. She is Catholic and after finding out that everyone besides her and I are Muslims she asked me to explain what Christianity is. Wow what an opportunity! It was challenging because even though Jesus is mentioned in the Qur'an they don't know who Jesus is. So I started of 'Jesus was a Jew...'. The teacher said we could continue talking about the subject tomorrow. Wow! Please pray for my Muslim classmates and my teacher, who has a Catholic background believes that pretty much all gods are the same with different names. Pray for me that as I speak that God would work and change lives.

2009-02-05T13:51:00.000-08:00

I am so tired, wiped out, but I had a pretty good day. I just got back from a great study on 1 Thessalonians at the chuch which followed the message from Sunday. Earlier I made the 4 final plates for the mailing when we mail out thousands of tracts to those who have subscribed. I have also started scanning illustrations from The Pigrim's Progress so we can reprint it in a different format in the near future.

2009-02-05T09:45:00.000-08:00

Hello from Maubeuge, France!

Since my last letter, I have watched the dollar go up and down versus the Euro, I have heard about the collapse of major banks, and I have watched America usher in our 44th president. It is interesting to see the U.S. go through changes while I am here in France. Thank you for your faithful prayer and financial support even during a financial crunch. I wouldn't be here serving at BLF if it wasn't for you. It's in times like these that we can know our hope is inChrist alone and not in money.

Manga Frenzy
Our most popular book at the moment are the Gospels in a Japanese comic format called Manga, le Messie. The English title is Manga Messiah. The word Manga means ''quick sketch'' in Japanese. The book was edited and translated here at BLF Europe and printed in Japan. We have already ordered a second shipment because we've sold over 6,000 copies of the 10,000 we received in November. This is exciting because Manga le Messie has found its way into Catholic and secular bookstores in France.

We have also recently published French editions of The Treasure Principle and The Purity Principle by Randy Alcorn.

My R19
I am very thankful for the car that Nico, our press operator, gave me when I got here. It is a bronze 1989 Renault R19. One morning, I went down to my car and found my passenger window smashed out. During the night someone broke my window and took the nice CD player/radio. This type of thing isn't covered by my insurance so I was glad that a repair place could put in a new window quickly and for only 100 euros. A month later I came home to see a car, parked three spaces from mine, completely burnt. There were police, firemen, and a crowd watching as the fire was put out. I am glad it was only my radio that was taken!

Sophie Kapitaniuk
October 11th, we celebrated the 80th birthday of Bill Kapitaniuk, my director's dad and the founder of BLF Europe. Peope came from all over to thank Bill and his wife, Sophie, for their years of service to our Lord. It was only a month later, November 11th, that we gathered again to remember Sophie Kapitaniuk. After several years of poor health she went home to be with the Lord. We know she is glad to be in Heaven with Jesus, but she left a big hole no one can fill.

Prayer & Praise
- My church just started a new series on 1 Thessalonians. Please pray for us as we study together.
- I have been running weekly but I haven't been sleeping well.
- Praise God, my support level is at 96%.
- Praise God that I am able to speak French as well as I can! I will be taking classes this Spring to fix my mistakes. This will also be a great way to meet people outside the print shop.

today

2009-02-04T14:18:00.000-08:00

Today at work I did 4 or so plates for the offset press to print these tracts.

Tonight I stuck a pizza in the oven (goat cheese and ham and I added spicy sausage tomato and more cheese) with 15 minutes. Then I went for a jog. I don't recomend this. It ended up kinda burnt.

Being helped

2008-09-02T11:55:00.001-07:00

The dark rainy view from my apartment in Maubeuge,(mow boojz) France.

As most anyone who knows me knows that I am someone who likes to help others. I often lend a hand of service to others and find it hard to say "no" (or "non" when I am in France). What you might not know is that I received a "Most Helpful" award in high school. At the print shop I get to help my coworkers often.

Something I've noticed that it is, for me anyway, harder when I need to be helped for two reasons. One needing to be helped means that I have a problem that needs fixing. Its easier to deal with something that you aren't in the middle of. The other reason is that it is humbling to ask for help. Oooo ouch.

I needed help and got it twice today. I have great friends. This is my first mac computer and its been going great until last evening when my lovely laptop didn't want to connect to the internet and wouldn't shut down right. Not knowing macs I called Daniel K. and this morning he helped me repair the problem with advice for the future. Thank you, Daniel!

Another first, my first car in France, and this evening I saw steam from the hood. It looks like the water hose has a hole. I am not the most gifted with cars so I called Roger S who came by to look at it, and make sure things were good until I get to work tomorrow. Thank you Roger!

And thank you everyone else who has helped me.

Anyone who needs a hand here is a photo of mine.

My French Adventure, Germany, the Czech Republic… and some USA

2008-08-28T11:20:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends,
Click here for the PDF file MFAAugust08.pdf

I want to thank you for your prayer and financial support. Sometimes our plans, no matter how difficult they seem to be, just tend to work out and we praise God for those times. Then there are other times when we are stuck in a situation and we don't have any control over. In those times, like when I missed the train in Germany or I got on the wrong train, we pray to God just to get us through it.

In August most of France shuts down for vacation. Offices and even some stores are closed for some important time off. Here at BLF Europe we only take three of the four weeks off. During these three weeks we have the opportunity to relax and explore Europe.
For ten days of my vacation I decided to visit my sister Colleen. Her husband, Jacob is now stationed in Germany with the Army. I took the train from Mons, Belgium to her town in Germany with stops to change trains in Brussels, Belgium, Koln, Germany and Nuremberg, Germany.
It all seemed straightforward, at the stops where I was to change trains I would get off and see where I would catch my next train. That worked great in Brussels and the most beautiful part of the ride was between Liege, Belgium and Aachen, Germany. It was in Koln where it got confusing. All the announcements on the train were in German, French and English. I think their English wasn't great because I remember hearing an announcement about the next stop but I didn't understand it. I looked for the right platform, I found out it was the one across from the train I came from. By the time I got there the doors were closed and the next train didn't come until another hour at a different station.

I took the next train and was ok until the next change in Nuremberg where I had to buy a ticket for the last train. I lost some time looking for the place to buy my ticket so I ran to the train and sat down. I used the important traveling phrase "do you speak English?" to borrow someone's cell phone and I called Colleen to tell him I would be late. The person next to me was the one to discover that in the hurry to get to my train I had got on the wrong one. I got off at the next stop and called my sister to tell her the name of the small German town where I was.

I was learning the train system in Europe, Colleen and Jacob were learning their GPS. They entered in slightly the wrong town name and were coming from the north and they ended up one hour south of where I was. I got home to their place late but it wasn't bad, I finished the book I was reading. I had a great time in Germany. One day when Jacob, my brother-in-law, was left for field traing, Colleen and I took a day trip to Prague for lunch. The American Military base was very "American". From fast food restaurants, large cars (compared to European cars) and everyone spoke English. That is normal for some, but I was used to being in France and Europe. It was as Bases generally are, 'little piece of America'.

As great as it was I am glad to be home where I can struggle with my French around Maubeuge. We started working back at the print shop the 25th of August.

Three new books at BLF Europe!
Before going on vacation BLF Europe finished three new titles. They are on shelves as we speak. I was a part of all of these from making the plates to gluing and cutting. Many thanks to all the others there that put their time and energy into these books. Please pray for these books and those that will read them.
"Moi aussi je voudrais croire ! Mais..." (Me too I would like to believe, but...) Is a book written by Raphaël Anzenberger to specific questions that French people have about Christian faith. Soyez dynamiques (Be Dynamic) by Warren W. Wiersbe is a commentary on the book of Acts Chapters 1 to 12. Soyez vigilants (Be Alert) by Warren W. Wiersbe is a commentary on 2 Peter, 2 & 3 John and Jude.

Blogging
I have been blogging at http://nathansfrenchadventure.blogspot.com. A blog is an online journal with my photos. The name comes from the shortening of the word weblog. I try to keep it updated a few times a week if not daily. You can subscribe to my blog so you will receive emails as soon as I update.

Did you know?
Depending on who you ask french fries either come from the South of Belgium or the North of France. In the North of France (where I live) there are friteries (translates to "fry shops") where one of the popular things to order is what is called an "American" which is a piece of baguette with some meat inside like a sandwich then they cover it full of fries and then sauce.

Nathan Phillips
Residence Touraine N 32
2 Rue De Normandie
Les Provinces Françaises
59600 Maubeuge
France

nathan@blfintl.org

To call from the US
011 33 3 61 21 10 92

Distributing tracts

2008-08-23T11:52:00.000-07:00

In America it is illegal to put anything in any mail box. In France it is perfectly legal. The Christians here say "Ah ha, we can distribute tracts in mailboxes".

Today Stephane, Jeremie (my director's sons), Rachel (their cousin), and I distributed in Recquignies, the town where Stephan and Jeremie live. We did the whole town and distributed around 941 tracts in mailboxes. We were on bike and on foot to give out this tract here, "Le message essentiel" (which easily translates to "The Essential Message").

We now pray for responses that the people who receive the tract that they would come to know the Living God. Sometimes when there were people already outside and we handed the tract to them. From those people I noticed a positive response to at least receiving the tract.

Apartment photos (bienvenue)

2008-08-22T10:48:00.000-07:00

The Kitchen

Living room

3 new books

2008-08-21T14:58:00.000-07:00

Before going on vacation BLF Europe finished three new titles. They are on shelves as we speak. I was a part of all of these from making the plates, folding, sewing, collating, gluing and cutting. Many thanks to all the others there that put their time and energy into these books. They are available for purchase at BLF Europe's site.

Moi aussi je voudrais croire ! Mais... (Me too I would like to believe, but...) Is a book written to French people who have questions about the Christian faith.

Soyez vigilants (Be Alert) by Warren W. Wiersbe is a commentary on 2 Peter, 2 & 3 John and Jude.

Soyez dynamiques (Be Dynamic) by Warren W. Wiersbe is a commentary on the book of Acts Chapters 1 to 12.

Torndado in my area

2008-08-21T13:01:00.000-07:00

I left to visit my sister in Germany. The night be fore I left there was a huge wind and strong rain. Later that night my power in my apartment went out for about 30 minutes. When I got up and left for the train station the next day I saw some of the destruction caused by what I found out was a tornado. The worst of it hit Haumont a town near Maubueuge (where I live) where several houses were destroyed many damaged. Three people died and around ten were injured.

This has changed the shape of the town. things are totally different.

click here for more photos others took

Sore Hip

2008-08-14T15:21:00.000-07:00

For those of you who know what time it is here you would know that it is too late to be up. It is 12:10 am, but I am awake normally at this hour. I am watching soccer (Liverpool against Standard, English teams) and eating compté, my favorite cheese.

I got back yesterday from visiting my sister Colleen in Germany. Today I had free so I did some dishes and some laundry. This afternoon I watched the World Champion Parachuting competition. It just happen to be this week in the same town where I live, Maubeuge, France. There were teams from around 30 countries around the world. Today they gave out the medals for the winners. The teams were scored on the stunts and acrobatics that they did in the sky before opening their chutes. Team USA won 1 bronze 2 silvers and 1 gold. I lost track of how many medals France won. They have a great team. I bet you the only medals given out today were in China. They also had an air show with biplanes and jets.

After all that happened in the sky and after dinner I wanted to get out. I went for a jog along the same path that I jog on every Saturday, but this time I jogged to the same bridge from my place which is the opposite direction. I ended up running at 9pm around 5miles (8k) one way and I walked back. I would have ran more but my hip was killing me with an acute pain and my knee was giving me pain too. I'd like to do this run often but without the pain part. hopefully when I am in more shape it won't be as bad. We will see.

ok time for bed

Uprooted

2008-06-29T23:48:00.000-07:00

Saturday after jogging Nicolas and I started some work in the yard. He wants to put in a fence in the backyard on the side facing a path. To do this we needed to move a stump that was in the way.

Dieu est fidèle

2008-06-13T02:35:00.000-07:00

I want to say greetings from France and thank you for your prayers and financial support. I have been back in France for two weeks now, and things are going well. Until I find an apartment, I am living with Nicolas, the press operator, and his family. Nicolas' wife is Sabrina, and they have two kids: Noah (20 months) and Bérénice (2½ months). They are French, so speaking with them has helped my French language come back quickly.

I am finding my place back at the print shop. In my first two days at work, I made 14 plates for the inside pages of a book; and since then, I have made 18 more for tracts and book covers. When I make plates, it frees up Daniel to do other things. I have also helped collate approximately 6000 New Testaments.

God has blessed me with a car! Nicolas had a car that he wasn't driving, and he gave it to me. When it changes ownership, it needs to pass a thorough test for safety and emissions. Right now, it is in the service center to get work done so it will pass the tests. This could cost some or a lot of money.

I have 90% of my support. I am ok now; but to continue here for the full four years of my term, I will need to be at 100%. That means, I need another $240 a month to fill the gap.

Praise God:
- For the car Nicolas gave me.
- That my French has come back rather well.
- For all the literature that we have been able to produce.

Please pray:
- For the team here at BLF Europe—especially Françoise, our editor-in-chief, who is having trouble working.
- That my car would pass all the tests just fine and that it won't be difficult to get insurance.
- That all the machines and the press would work smoothly. When the machines don't work as they should, it really throws things off.
- For all of those on the receiving end of all of our tracks and books.

Nathan Phillips
nathan@blfintl.org
Rue de Maubeuge 59164 Marpent, France

Je suis là (I am here)

2008-05-31T23:46:00.000-07:00

I waited as everyone boarded the plain to Brussels. I watched as the gate seating area emptied the monitor informed me that business class was filled and probably coach as well and even if there were room in first class I couldn't sit there as standy. When It looked like everyone was on I went again to talk to the man at the counter (in my head I was preparing myself to accept that I would need to make arrangements to stay the night in DC until the next days flight. He said he would see what he could do and we just needed some luck, to me that meant prayer. In a minute he called me up asking me to follow his instructions carefully. That I am to take my ticket but there is someone there and this person in business class is to change seats to first class.

God is good. He is faithful. He worked things out. On my way down I read Psalms starting at ch 1 and I continued to Brussels. I read up to Ch 42.

Arrived in Chicago

2008-05-29T13:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my flight took off at 8:15 am. My family, my pastor, youth pastor and a deacon came to see me off. I was chosen for a more thorough search, which went great. At the gate my stand-by ticket was turned into a Economy Plus seat at the exit row which meant more leg room.

I am here at the BLF USA offices for a briefing before going to France. I will be here one more night and leave 1:30 pm Chicago for Brussels, Belgium with a layover in Dulles (Washington DC). I am flying standby and as of right now the Chicago to Dulles flight has lots of room but the empty seats on the Dulles to Brussels flight are growing fewer. I would prefer not to spend the night in DC but I am willing to accept the adventure where ever God takes me.

Last day

2008-05-27T10:44:00.000-07:00

Today is the day when I finish packing and pick up last minute items. God is faithful.

visa in hand

2008-05-13T00:01:00.000-07:00

A couple of days ago I received a Fed-ex envelope and inside was my passport with the visa inside I am official now no red tape left. Well there is the whole standby ticket thing. There is plenty of room but... it is exciting I might not get on the flight that day or.... I might get bumped up to business class.

MY FRENCH ADVENTURE May 08 Back in France 31 May

2008-05-05T15:44:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone
Here is my May update. I currently have 86% of my monthly support. I will be leaving Seattle May 28 and arriving in France May 31 with one day in Chicago. Thank you for your prayers. You can either download the version I designed to look nice or just read the text in this email.

To download this newsletter in color click here: MY FRENCH ADVENTURE May 08 Back in France May 31

If you don't have Adobe Acrobat Reader you can download it for free
here: Adobe Acrobat Reader

God bless
Nathan Phillips

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MY FRENCH ADVENTURE May 08 Back in France May 31

Hello Friends,
I need to apologize for not updating you on what I have been doing. My computer died and it took a while to find all the email addresses. My email that is working best now is nwphillips@hotmail.com. I was fully supported at my previous goal of $1,958 but there is always the unknown factor, which can intervene at any time. Since my quota was set in June 2007, the US dollar has fallen even further. At this point my departure won't be delayed but I am at 86% of my monthly goal of $2,329 and I have 100% of the $4,000 in start up costs. I want thank all of you who have supported me in prayer and financially. If you would like to partner with me financially to reach others for Christ you can email me or call me. I will be flying from Seattle to Chicago May 28th. Then I will stay a day in Wheaton in the BLF office. I will leave Chicago May 30th and arrive in France on the 31st. Before leaving I flew down to the French consulate in beautiful San Francisco to apply for my Long-stay French visa. It took a quick 13 days to get the call of approval.

Did you know?
Just a short walk from the BLF Europe print shop in France is a windmill that dates back to the 1100’s. There are plans to restore the blades that have come off over time.

Giving God 100%

Getting very close to going back to France and again working at the print shop makes me think of when I first arrived back in Seattle after a full year in France. I wanted to jump back on a plane to return to France. Looking back I have grown tremendously in many ways. Since being back in the great Northwest I have spoken and sometimes preached at (21) twenty- one churches and one school. I’ve driven from Seattle to as far north as Bellingham, Washington, as far south as Oakland, Oregon as far east as Boise, Idaho and as far west as Sequim, Washington. I have learned a lot and become more confident at public speaking and sharing what God has put on my heart. I have also learned more about God and who He is. One night in the past couple months as I was laying my thoughts before God asking him to provide 100% of my support so that I could return to serving him in France. Then thought came to me “Have I given 100% of myself to God?”. Too often I ask God to provide for me when I have yet to surrender all of myself to him. I am still working on giving God 100% of myself daily. I believe only when we give ourselves 100% to God we can experience true joy.

Youtube video

Have you ever wondered how the books on your shelf were made? I have put together a couple of videos
of how books are made at BLF Europe. The videos can be viewed at: www.youtube.com/frenchadventure.

Urgent needs in Europe

There are several key positions that BLF Europe is lacking. See the list of positions below. If you or someone you know has skills in these areas and would like to work with a great team in France while
serving God you can contact Tom Rice the personnel director: consultant_hr@hotmail.com. Please pray that these positions are filled and pray for the staff that is currently working hard while we seek God for
additional staff.

BLF Europe
Missionary opportunities:
Accountant – manage and oversee publishing house financial operation
Bindery Operator - operate machinery involved in all aspects of bindery
Equipment maintenance - maintain bindery equipment
Pressman - experience necessary
Printer Apprentice - assistant to pressman
Production Coordinator
Graphic Artist Assistant -
assist with book & promotional art work
Office Assistant - variety of duties
Building maintenance - repair and renovations
Host & Hostess couples - care for Impression Teams

• Praise God for supplying 86% pledged monthly support.
• Praise God for good health. I have been running 10 miles (16km) weekly
• Praise God my visa is approved and they should mail it to me soon.
• Please pray that the rest of my monthly support would come in. $321 more will put me at 100%
• Please pray for the staff currently working in France and that more staff would come.
• Please pray for safe travels and that both my standby flights would go smoothly.

Nathan Phillips
nwphillips@hotmail.com

US Address
5422 16th Ave. SW Seattle, WA 98106 USA
206-768-2530

Sending church
Southcenter Community Baptist Church
Pastor Scott Clements
14742 Macadam Rd S. Tukwila, WA 98168 USA
206-242-1337
http://www.scbchurch.org

Mission Address
Bibles & Literature in French
BLF USA
P.O. Box 629 Wheaton, IL 60189-0629 USA
630-221-1980
http://www.blfusa.org/ • info@blf.org
BLF EUROPE
Rue de Maubeuge 59164 Marpent, France
www.blfeurope.com

MY FRENCH ADVENTURE September 07

2008-05-05T15:41:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone
Here is my September update. I currently have 64% of my monthly support.
Thank you for your prayers. You can either download the version I
designed to look nice or just read the text in this email.

To download this newsletter in color click here:
http://home.comcast.net/~nwphillips/mfa0907.pdf

If you don't have Adobe Acrobat Reader you can download it for free
here: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2_allversions.html

God bless
Nathan Phillips

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MY FRENCH ADVENTURE September 07

During the month of August I escaped from Washington state while visiting churches. August 5th I was spoke at Parkview Bible Fellowship in Boise, Idaho. The eight hour drive on August 4th took me along I-90 to I-82 and I-84 to Boise. This was the longest single drive that I have made by myself. The drive from Seattle to Idaho stayed
interesting because most of it is either up or down several mountain ranges. The word Boise means ‘woods’ in French and after seeing Boise from the east I could see how someone would call it that after traveling over the treeless mountains and coming to the forested area of Boise. I spoke both in the adult Sunday school and the morning message. On August 11th I drove south on I5 four hours to Salem, Oregon to share with Bethany Baptist Church.

At Bethany I presented to the middle school students during the Sunday School hour. They should now all be experts on reaching the French world for Christ. The pastor at Bethany is Tim Baker a long time friend of my sending pastor Scott Clements. After church my hosts for the weekend took me thirty miles east of Salem to Silver Falls State Park. The park has many miles of trails and several waterfalls. We took to the trails for the two largest falls, the North Falls and the South Falls. Silver Falls is a great park with lots of shaded trails. I recommend it for anyone that finds yourself near Salem. When I got back from enjoying the falls I was exhausted, so I took a nice two hour mandatory nap before hitting I-5 North through Portland into Washington and back to Seattle.

Living Water
The fourteenth of July is the French national holiday celebrating its freedom from the tyrannical King Louis XVII. It is the equivalent to what the Fourth of July is to America. On July fourteenth, but unrelated to anything French, mychurch, Southcenter Community Baptist, participated in the Tukwila Days community festival with a booth of information about our church. We distributed cold bottled water for no charge during
the warm July day. We kept the water cold in coolers until just before it got to the hand of labeled the bottles with information about our church and the Bible verse John 4:14 (But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst). I have to say that it is really fun to hand out something free that people want. Some people were really shocked to get free water without a ‘catch’.

Needle in the Foot
In my last letter I told you about my bad sprained ankle. I am glad to say that my ankle is much better, but I have to report that the same foot ran into more trouble. In August after the rug was vacuumed I walked across the floor getting ready for work.
My right foot found a needle that had been pulled up from the vacuum. I heard a snap as it went in. I found the larger half of the three inch needle but the smaller part had broken off and was no where to be found. I went in to work as scheduled but I couldn’t put any pressure on my right heel because of the pain. The next day I had
to get it checked out and see if the missing half was embedded in my foot. After getting my foot X-rayed at the Emergency Room the doctor was able to tell me that, yes, he had found the rest of the needle. The inch long needle was sticking up five
millimeters from the skin on the bottom of my foot. After a painful Novocain shot a different doctor was able to cut into my foot and pull out the invading metal after a painful Novocain shot. I received one stitch to hold my foot back together. Now after some time to heal I am back to hiking weekly. Also two months ago my mom was in a car wreck where her right ankle was broken and her left was badly sprained. She is now up and walking slowly.

On the road again...
In September I was on the road again. I attended the Baptist Network Northwest Pastor and Wives Retreat September 10th to the 13th. It was a great time of relaxation and fellowship. Here are some places where I have been and will be this fall. September 16th - Mount Tahoma Baptist Church in Lakewood, WA. Mount Tahoma is the Native American name given to Mount Rainier. September 23rd - Faith Baptist Church of Skagit Valley in Burlington, WA. September 30th - Calvary Crossroads in East Wenatchee, WA. October 26th, 27th & 28th - Southside Baptist Church in Tacoma, WA. November 11th - Trinity Baptist Church in Yakima, WA.
November 18th - EmmanuelBaptist Church

my visa is now APPROVED!!

2008-04-22T23:57:00.000-07:00

Today at 4:50pm Seattle time I got a call from the French consulate in San Francisco saying that my visa is now APPROVED!! I just need to buy a plane ticket and they will mail it to me.

the falling US dollar

2008-04-17T10:44:00.000-07:00

I am planning on going to France in May.

The US dollar continues to fall against the Euro. 'It appears at a time that I am fully supported, but there is always the unknown factor which can intervene at any time'.
Since my quota was set ,in June 2007, it has fallen even further. At this point my departure won't be delaying but I am at 85% of my monthly goal.

My French Adventure - June 07 cheville (french for ankle)

2007-06-19T15:45:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone
Here is my June update. I currently have 56% of my monthly support. Thank you for your prayers. You can either download the version I designed to look nice or just read the text in this email.

To download this newsletter in color click here: http://home.comcast.net/~nwphillips/mfa0607.pdf
also here is a painting I have completed http://home.comcast.net/~nwphillips/TheMagicofMusic2.JPG

If you don't have Adobe Acrobat Reader you can download it for free here: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2_allversions.html

God bless
Nathan Phillips

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MY FRENCH ADVENTURE June 07

Cheville(French for ankle)
When I last wrote a newsletter it was before I went to Florida for my friends’ wedding and to see my Dad and Grandma. Two days before going to Florida I sprained my ankle real bad while going down some stairs. My whole vacation in Florida was spent on crutches. I stayed with my grandma who lives near my dad, Lon. It was great seeing them as I haven’t seen them since 2003. It worked out great staying with my grandma while not being able to get around very well because her house is designed for someone who can’t get around easily. I went on a dolphin watching tour and to my dad’s church but mostly I just relaxed at my grandma’s house which is nice to be forced to relax instead of always doing something while on vacation. I had a little time to practice my French there with my grandma’s neighbors. She lives in a retirement park in Florida where many people come down from the cold winters in French-speaking Quebec, Canada.

Then on March 30th my dad dropped me off forty minutes south of where I was staying for the wedding rehearsal and wedding the next day. My friends’ Scott and Shannon had a beautiful wedding. Just before the wedding my ankle had healed to the point to where I could put some pressure on my foot so I was going to try to walk without the air-cast or my crutches. It was good until my right size seven and a half tuxedo shoe didn’t go on. The groom found another pair of nice shoes I ended up wearing his right ten and a half and my left seven and a half. The other groomsmen were great at showing support. They limped down the aisle behind me so I wouldn't be the only one walking funny.
The wedding was on March 31st which is the four year anniversary of my major M.S. attack when I woke up and my entire left side was numb and weak.

Due to a weak dollar, my support quota was readjusted and I now need to raise $1,958 per month instead of the $1,600 per month I was previously raising, so my support went from 52% in March to 66% in May and now it is 56%. I am still confident that God will provide all the resourses needed to get me across the Atlantic. Thanks to all of you who are helping me reach this goal.

Noon-day sun!
In the beginning of June I went outside to do a painting in the beautiful Seattle sun. I was out for 15 minutes when my skin got really irritated, and I became fatigued. I called an MS hotline and I found out this is a rare side effect from both my Multiple Sclerosis and the medicine I take for it.
I am ok now but I was told I should avoid being out during the 'noon-day sun'. Please pray for me as I stay more aware of the sun and how it effects me. I haven’t had it happen since I found out what it was. Praise God.
To the right is the painting that I started outside but had to finish inside. It is the first painting I have done since art school and probably the painting that I have had the most fun with. It is called “The Magic of Music” and it is an acrylic painting of a conductor I drew while I was in France.

Stick
The car that I drive now is a ‘stick shift’ ( or manual transmission). I really do enjoy it now and this feels great knowing that I will be confident to drive in Europe as the vast majority of cars in Europe have manual transmissions. I started driving a manual transmission car after the transmission died on the automatic car I had driven since coming back from France. Learning to drive a stick has been something I have wanted to do since I had trouble learning to do it in France. Now that I was forced to drive on a stick shift here in Seattle where there are lots of hills the French countryside should be easy.

Colleen & Jacob
For those of you who don’t know my sister, Colleen, and her husband, Jacob, are serving in Iraq with the US Army. They are in the same country but they haven’t been together very much and this is tough for them as they are still newly married, in fact they got married just before they were deployed. They were able to take their two week break from Iraq together. The plan was for them to visit his sister’s high school graduation in Kansas. They did what they said they would in Kansas but then they also surprised us in Seattle. Jaws fell, some were shocked and I was at a loss of words when they came by taxi to stay with us for their second week without giving us any notice. We were thrilled to see them and now they are back in the Middle East serving. Colleen will return to Seattle in late July, but Jacob will remain later toward the end of the year. When they are both back in the US they will have a large wedding ceremony. Please remember them in your prayers.

Fresh Bread:
Recently I’ve been following “My Utmost for His Highest” by Oswald Chambers and “Fresh Faith” by Jim Cymbala. Both of these books have encouraged me more to trust God in all circumstances and act on faith. These are lessons I can never learn too much because they involve getting to know Christ more.

Prayer and Praise points:
Praise God I’ve got 56% of my support of $1,958/month.
Pray that this percent will increase quickly so I can help in France.
Praise God that driving a manual transmission car is finally fun and not stressful.
Praise God my ankle is doing better.
Please pray that my ankle would continue to heal so I can run again.

Nathan Phillips
nathan@blfintl.org

Out with the old, in with the standard

2007-05-09T20:54:00.000-07:00

I forget when I actually titled my newsletter "My French Adventure" but it seems to be true. Both here in Seattle and during my year in France; every day is an adventure. The last few days have remained as adventurous.

Yesterday, May 08 07, I met a friend for lunch at Whole Foods Market, an organic grocery store. The car I drive has been having trouble with its transmission. Many of you have seen the car either up close or in one of my newsletters (when the fuel pump went out near Stevens Pass). After a great lunch my red vehicle was acting worse that it has been but I figured driving from downtown I could just make it home like I have so many times recently and then I could figure out how bad it was. Well... it didn't go that way.

I broke down downtown next to a French restaurant called "Entre Nous" (between us) on Stewart St. between 3rd and 2nd Ave. I was blocking traffic and the drive gear wasn't doing its job, but thankfully the chef and waitress were outside to help me push my four wheels into the nearby alley. I during my wait for a friend and a tow the garbage man came by to collect the garbage bins in the alley I was blocking. He was nice though he helped me push the car out of his way and across the street where I was towed to a place to say goodbye to the car. The red Ford Tempo won't be driven anymore we knew the transmission was going out and another would cost more than it would be to replace the car.

So yesterday I had to leave the ease of 'automatic cars' behind. Thankfully my family knew that the car was dying so my brother-in-law found a $300 five speed Saturn. He also gave it a needed engine rebuild something that is still far beyond me. I've loved the idea of learning on a manual transmission and it has been one of my goals as in France all anyone has is standard cars. The year I was in France I wasn't able to get a hang of the manual, so going back full-time driving is a must.

Today I went out to practice the five speed with my friend Scott. We started and stopped to get the whole coordination thing down (coordination isn't something I pride myself on). I am getting it and this evening I stalled while on an errand. So if you are in Seattle and something maroon and stalled is in front of you please be patient with me. It takes practice.

Route 66

2007-05-01T18:13:00.000-07:00

For my first blog I would like to praise God and say that I currently have 66% in monthly pledges and 100% of my start up costs. God is good!

Last Wednesday I shared my ministry through BLF in front of 400 students during the chapel time at Seattle Christian School in Seatac, WA. This is the largest group that I have spoken before. The students, from 13 to 18 years old, were very attentive and interactive.

Today I was able to speak about the French language and culture at the three French classes at Seattle Chrsitian School. The students had many prepared questions for me to get through. I really enjoyed giving a glimpse in to the French life.