We wanted to blog and post pictures sooner, but it has taken a couple of days to get internet setup in our apartment; our French isn’t that good after all! We went through orientation at the French school today and classes will start tomorrow. Adjustment to life in France overall has been smooth and we thank you for your continued prayers as we learn this language! Merci!

Here are just a few of the things that we’ve been experiencing:

• Goat cheese pizza
• Pink toilet paper
• Gendamarie (police) with machine guns
• Bonne année – “happy new year”
• Granny and grandad’s help with the kids
• Princess bubble bath–Disney princesses no less
• Chocolate milk (called “Candy Up”), cheap cola
• Letting agent made the mistake of telling the landlords that we speak French well
• Landlady speaking French 100mph
• Big block of cheese and cakes from our landlandy
• People wanting to practice their English
• Women on bus asked me how to get to the prison
• 2 and 12 sound similar thus we’ve accidentally said we have 12 kids!
• Pizza place across the street from us!
• Lots of dogs as pets
• Fresh bread on the cheap
• Shoot in the cupboard for trash

2011 was a big year, not only for us but all around the world. If you need to remind yourself of all this year’s happenings, check out Google’s very moving 2011 year in review on YouTube.

For us, 2011 has been a year of seeing God do marvelous things. We welcomed our beautiful baby boy Henry into our hearts and home. We sold the vast majority of what we owned and moved to Texas about halfway through the year. We lived in Dallas for sixth months, completed a course in linguistics, and said goodbye. And then just before the year’s end we are moving to France.

This year God has also allowed us to share with you our hearts for Bible translation. This year God provided us with a group of supporters who give and pray for us regularly–you! This is truly a miracle. Thank you and merry Christmas from the four of us!

O children of the forest free, the angelsong is true;
The holy child of earth and heav’n is born today for you.
Come kneel before the radiant Boy,
who brings you beauty, peace and joy.
Jesus your king is born, Jesus is born. Gloria!
— Jean de Brébeuf
trans. Jesse Edgar Middleton

Last night was sort of a fitful night because not only was Friday the last day of my classes at GIAL but also the day we needed to get our apartment cleaned and ready for the housing inspection. The cleaning wasn’t too much trouble but I was awake nonetheless thinking about how we were going to manage all of our belongings and two kids at DFW airport early Saturday morning. We had five suitcases packed and Emily was still trying to stuff them with the last few bits and pieces that kept coming out of the woodwork. I had gone to bed after Emily assured me she’d be able to cram it all in one way or another. Still, at 2:30 I found myself awake (like tonight) and unable to sleep (like tonight).

One thought that came to mind while lying in bed was of the first question of the Heidelberg catechism: What is your only comfort in life and in death? I love catechisms because they ask questions that really get you thinking before they provide at least one possible, well-thoughtout biblical answer. And I love the answer to the first question that Heidelberg asks. It’s the answer to the question that puts a ballast in your belly, as John Piper would say. If you can answer this question–your only comfort in life and in death–you will find yourself fully reoriented to face anything, whether that’s depression, anxiety, stress or a move to a foreign country with two kids. So, the answer. What is your only comfort in life and in death?

That I am not my own, but I belong to my faithful savior Jesus Christ.

Amen! And to report on how everything went yesterday with luggage and flying and kids, it really couldn’t have been smoother! Poppy and Henry both slept the duration of the flight from Dallas to Pittsburgh. We were immediately welcomed into the loving arms of Memaw and Papaw Maust. We drove to Bob Evans and were treated to delicious comfort food. Later in the evening, my brother Matt and family came to spend the night at my parents’. Poppy enjoyed terrorizing the house with her cousin Lily, who by the way gets more beautiful every time we see her! Thank God for family!

So, what does the rest of our year look like. We’re here in Greensburg, PA, until December 29 when we’ll leave for France to start French school. My first day of classes is January 3. Instant immersion! We’ll do a post when we’ve arrived.

In the next two weeks, we’re going to get ready for and celebrate Christmas probably much like yourself. It’s Henry’s first Christmas. He’ll be almost four months old on Christmas day. Poppy is really looking forward to opening presents. She’ll be exactly two and a half years old on Christmas day.

If we don’t see you over Christmas, know that we miss you and wish you God’s richest blessings on your family this year and next.

Merry Christmas!

Early yesterday afternoon we arrived safely in Dallas, Texas–or, Tejas for you Spanish speakers. It is somewhat overwhelming finally being here, not only because of the heat (104°F/40°C!) but because we continue to see the Lord’s faithfulness and kindness to us. After all, who buys a 190k mile vehicle off Craigslist, packs up all their stuff in a trailer and drives 1,200 miles with a two year-old and a pregnant woman!?!

By your own hand you satisfy the desires of all who live. Our LORD, everything you do is kind and thoughtful, and you are near to everyone whose prayers are sincere. You satisfy the desires of all your worshipers, and you come to save them when they ask for help. Psalm 145:16-19

Today we’re getting settled into our apartment before orientation on Monday and Tuesday and classes start on Wednesday. We are situated directly behind the childcare center where Poppy will (hopefully) enjoy her first taste of preschool. After touring the facility yesterday, we feel confident that she’ll have a blast and all the fun activities will quickly remedy this miserable mug we captured yesterday while on the last leg of our journey to Dallas. (I definitely use “last leg” as a double entendre here.)

Emily and I will be in class Monday through Friday taking a variety of linguistics and culture courses that will further equip us to serve Christ and his church effectively with Wycliffe. There is quite the community feel on campus much like we enjoyed in Wake Forest, except the majority are linguists and translators with myriad experience and new students aspiring to the same. We look forward to getting in the groove of things next week and completing this next step before heading overseas.

We want to thank everyone for the very kind words and messages we received via Twitter and Facebook while making our way to Texas. Your love and support for us is amazing. We are truly blessed to call you our friends and family. Thank you!

Look at this mammoth itinerary we’ve got planned for the coming weeks.* With gas prices at an all-time low this is bound to be a treat! We’ll leave Wake Forest on June 28 and head to my parents’ in Pennsylvania where all sorts of delights await (Fourth of July at the Maust Cabin and the beach just to name two). Later in July we’ll set out for Dallas, stopping in Louisville to see the ever-awesome Chris & Rhea before arriving in Dallas via Little Rock on July 15. We are aware that Wake Forest to Dallas via PA and KY isn’t the most direct route; but there are warm-welcoming friends and family there who cause us to deviate gladly.

This works out to driving 1,684 miles in about 28 hours if Google Maps has any idea what it’s talking about, which I don’t think it does because there was no place to note that one passenger is pregnant and the other is two.

Of the states we’re traveling through the only one I’ve never visited is Arkansas. My parents claim it is the land of love. That is where they first met after all.

*Plans subject to change!

Since Fayetteville is somewhat on the way toward the coast we decided to take the Monday after to relax on the beach one last time before we leave North Carolina. We visited Carolina Beach on what was mostly an overcast day. That didn’t keep our skin from getting a little toasted though (even with SPF 50). Poppy had a great time splashing in the waves until she was overcome with fatigue and desperately needed her nap. We thought about bringing our pack-n-play out onto the beach, but didn’t want to go to all the effort not assured thatPoppy would actually nap. We eventually got her to lie still on a beach towel long enough to fall asleep. She was that tired! Mummy couldn’t resist having a snooze either. I ended up going for a swim and reading while this beauties rested on the beach.

Later, after everyone had recharged, we walked on the pier and had ice cream that wasn’t nearly frozen enough.

Equally interesting is their recent blog post about twenty lessons they have learned since living in Cameroon. For example, “It’s possible to live with a denser mix of uncertainty and danger in life.”

Here are pictures from the weekend, including our stay with Chris and Rhea, visiting with Isaac and Kelly and then hanging out with Joey, Karly and Cosby.

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View more pictures from our trip.