Enjoying spring with family
Though it has rained, rained, and rained, we have enjoyed moments of sunshine that remind us that spring has truly arrived. Last evening the sun came out for a bit and we enjoyed a few minutes in the park. Here are a few pictures we took during that time. They give you a glimpse into our family outing.
We are looking forward to a busy, yet joyful Rusurrection celebration this Sunday. We will be hosting 10-12 people in our home for dinner. Two friends of Ruth from her last semester in language school have promised to come and perhaps a third.
We are praying for the growth of God's Kingdom wherever the King is proclaimed.
We are looking forward to a busy, yet joyful Rusurrection celebration this Sunday. We will be hosting 10-12 people in our home for dinner. Two friends of Ruth from her last semester in language school have promised to come and perhaps a third.
We are praying for the growth of God's Kingdom wherever the King is proclaimed.
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Miriam turns 5!!
Five years ago today, God blessed with a beautiful girl: Miriam Ruth Bixby. We love her dearly and find it hard to believe she is five years old.
Here she is a few days ago with the cake her mommy made for her to take to her birthday celebration at school. She now has a two-week winter vacation from school which she is excited about.
May God raise up the next generation to be lovers of God and proclaimers of truth.
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Grandparents' visit
Fri, Jan 15 2010 05:41 | Bordeaux, Eglise Baptiste de Pessac, family | Permalink
We had the privilege of hosting Ruth’s parents (Rick and Judie Pahnke) and her grandmother (Maggie Bell Pahnke) for a week over the New Year. It was a slower week on the ministry end which made it nice for visiting and enjoying baby Zacharie.
However, we did have our Watchnight Service to bring in the new year, in which they jumped right in and participated. We didn’t make any long trips because of the newborn, but we got to take them into Bordeaux to see the city, out to the beautiful village of St. Emilion (on a very cold and windy New Year’s Day), and of course, shopping. We even had a snow day to enjoy together!
"Me-Ma," "Papa," and "Oma" Pahnke were the first relatives Zacharie has met beyond his parents and siblings. I think he enjoyed the fact that he was nearly always being held by someone.
We thank God for our family.
Watchnight Service at Eglise Baptiste de Pessac
Visiting with Papa, Me-Ma and Oma Pahnke
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Birth Announcement
Why did we name him "Zacharie Christian"?
Zacharie is the French form of the Prophet Zechariah and the priest Zacharias. Being the father of John the Baptist, he plays an important role in the nativity story which we celebrate at this time of year. More importantly, his name means “God remembers,” and Zacharias stands as a testimony (even through his imperfection) of God fulfilling His promises in response to His peoples’ prayers. There is a good sermon by Layton Talbert preached at Cleveland Park Bible Church (“Providence and Prayer”, available on sermonaudio.com) that made this meaningful to us.
Christian is a name we have like for quite some time. It is very French and also very, what can we say, Christian. The French name book says it once was a genuine statement of one’s faith. In the first century, believers in Antioch were dubbed "Christians" by unbelievers because of their constant verbal witness to Jesus Christ. The name also reminds us of the character in Pilgrim’s Progress, in whose steps we hope our son will follow along the same journey.
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Zacharie Christian Bixby
Zacharie Christian Bixby was born on December 16 at 1:09am. He arrived, by God’s grace, safely and in good health, less than 20 minutes after we arrived at the hospital. He was born in a regular hospital bed before they had time to wheel Ruth down to the birthing room, before the doctor arrived, and yes, before the midwife had time to put on her gloves.
Christian is a name we have like for quite some time. It is very French and also very, what can I say, Christian. The French name book says it once was a genuine statement of a family's faith faith. We want it to be such for ours. It also reminds us of the character in Pilgrim’s Progress, who we hope our son will follow in the same journey.
Zacharie is the French form of the Prophet Zechariah and the priest Zacharias. Being the father of John the Baptist, he plays an important role in the nativity story which we celebrate at this time of year. More importantly, his name means “God remembers,” and he stands as a testimony (even through his imperfection) of God fulfilling His promises in response to His peoples’ prayers. There is a good sermon by Layton Talbert that he preached at CPBC (“Providence and Prayer” available on sermonaudio.com) that made this meaningful to us.
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Nine Years and Counting
Thu, Sep 24 2009 12:31 | Throughts from Tim, family | Permalink
I thank God that on September 23, 2000, on a rainy afternoon in Raleigh, North Carolina, Ruth Renée Pahnke said, "I do." I am a better man because of her. I am happy to rise up and praise her (Proverbs 31:28). Here are the vows we wrote together, memorized and quoted to each other on our wedding day.
I, Timothy, take you, Ruth,
To be my companion and my wife by covenant;
And I do solemnly promise before God and these witnesses
To love you as Christ loved the Church,
Giving Himself for her:
To be your head, even as Christ is the head of the Church,
Leading her, protecting her, and providing for her,
Both materially and spiritually:
To strive by God’s grace and empowerment
To dwell always in harmony with you,
Being patient and kindhearted and humble in spirit,
Not rendering evil for evil, or insult for insult,
But blessing instead;
To dwell with you according to knowledge,
Giving honor unto you as unto a weaker vessel
Whether in plenty or in want,
In health or in sickness,
In joy or in sorrow,
Until God by death shall separate us.
I, Ruth, take you, Timothy,
To be my companion and my husband by covenant;
And I do solemnly promise before God and these witnesses
To reverence and honor you,
As the Church doth reverence and honor Christ as her head,
To submit unto you in all things,
Even as the Church is subject unto Christ,
To strive by God’s grace and empowerment
To dwell always in harmony with you,
To be patient and kindhearted and humble in spirit,
Not rendering evil for evil, or insult for insult,
But blessing instead;
To look well to the ways of our household
In all chastity, meekness and faithfulness,
That I may be one in whom your heart may safely trust
Whether in plenty or in want,
In health or in sickness,
In joy or in sorrow,
Until God by death shall separate us.
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Tracts in hand
Fri, Sep 11 2009 02:03 | Eglise Baptiste de Pessac, friends, family, Spain | Permalink
On Wednesday (the children's weekly day off of school) we drove down into the mountainous Basque region of Spain to pick up 9,000 tracts to use for a distribution among the new influx of students to the area. We were graciously hosted for lunch by the Juan Alvarez family. They are Mexican, missionaries sent out from their home country to minister in Spain. They have served as a team with the Andy Bownikowski family for more than 10 years. They are humble, unpretentious and full of wisdom. We had a delightful time with them, sitting around their skinny table in their third-floor apartment, sharing experiences and pegging them with questions. Though both their native land and target field are different from either of ours, we benefitted greatly. We are now hoping they will pay us a visit sometime later in the year.
On the way home, we got off the highway to see some of the sights of the coastline in San Sebastian. The north shore of the Spanish coast is truly beautiful and an eloquent testimony to its Creator. We got home both tired and refreshed ... and with 9,000 tracts that will have to be folded by hand! Anybody want to help?
The Juan Alvarez family
El pollo was mucho fantastico!
The city of San Sebastian
The beautiful coastline of northern Spain
The tracts issue a general invitation to and explanation of the church. They are beautifully printed with the picture of our building on the front to help with visual recognition.
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First day of school in France: ACCOMPLISHED!
We are giving thanks to God for the way He has answered our prayers (and the prayers of so many of you) according to our desires for this first day of school. The children both woke up quite excited about their new adventure, and they demonstrated absolutely no hesitation about being left there this morning. Their school schedule is 8:30 until 11:30, when we get to pick them up for a two-hour lunch, returning them at 1:30 and then finally picking them up for the day at 4:30. They only have school on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. (There is no school on Wednesdays or on the weekend.) Miriam did immediately break into tears upon seeing me when I went to pick her up for lunch, but the tears quickly dried up as we were asking her brother how much he understood of what was said in French, and she inserted enthusiastically, "I understood one word: goûter!" (For all of you non-French speakers, that means "snack!" ;-)
We were grateful to have the two-hour lunch period for a rehearsal of the morning's events, and for re-energizing for the afternoon. When the time came for them to go back for the afternoon, Miriam had no trouble at all walking right back onto the playground where all the other children were already enjoying themselves. We were pleased to see her greet us with a big grin when we gathered with the other parents outside her classroom window at 4:30. As to Micaiah, he had nothing but good to say about his day. His teacher does speak a little bit of English, and she was therefore able to help him from time to time. Other than that, he caught on pretty quickly to the art of watching what the other kids were doing around him in order to know what to do next. (In fact, we found him at lunch time running across the courtyard with a group of boys from his class towards the lunchroom line--where some children do stay for the lunch period--as he had become quite the expert at the game of "following the leader".) He was able to give us a detailed report of everything they did today, and the teacher confirmed to Tim that things seemed to have gone very smoothly for him. We are grateful that he will be receiving some extra language help during class hours through a program the school system offers to foreign students.
So that's pretty much it for day 1. We know (and have already seen in some small ways) that the school year won't be without its challenges, but we are grateful for the way the Lord has led, and are committed to pursuing this avenue for at least one year to see what the Lord has for us through it.
Click here to see a slideshow of some of the kids' first-day experiences.
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La Rentrée !
Tomorrow is a big day in the life of the Bixby household. For the very first time since our first child was born six years ago, we are sending our children away from our home and into the big, wide world without their Mommy and Daddy! Tomorrow is the French rentrée. It literally means a “return”, and is commonly used in French to designate the end of summer vacation and the beginning of a new school year. We have been trying to prepare mentally and emotionally for this day for many months now, and it is hard to believe the time has actually come.In planning for our enculturation into French life, one of the aspects we had to consider as a family is how we would choose to educate our children. While Tim and I were both home schooled for most of our lives (I attended Christian school during my elementary years), we have prayerfully considered this possibility of placing our children into the French public school system, at least for these initial years while they are young, for a long time now. Philosophically, being a part of the same educational system as are most of those to whom we plan to minister seemed like a wise move. Not only would it allow us to better understand the life and struggles of our French brothers and sisters in Christ, it would also open a door of opportunity for getting to know many unsaved French people for the purpose of developing redemptive relationships with a people who are naturally very private and hard to get to know. In addition, there is the aspect of French enculturation for our children. I have especially seen the need for this immersion into an all-French context in the intervening time since we arrived two months ago. While our children have adapted very well and are quite content in their new French home, even having begun in this short time to learn bits of the language, I am confident that this educational process, especially in the area of language-learning, will greatly advance our enculturation goals.
The process of actually getting our children into the school system has been a bit more complicated and involved than we had originally expected, mostly due to the timing of our arrival. When we first went to register our children at the town hall early in July, we were told that the (neighborhood) school our children should be attending was already full and therefore we would have to be transferred to another school in the district. That announcement threw us into a whirlwind of uncertainty that was not completely resolved until just yesterday. We were kept on a waiting list at our neighborhood school but told that our chances were slim of being admitted. We also had friends here in our church who wanted desperately to help us get special permission to send our children to their children’s school in another town. Therefore, for an extended period of time we were left wondering which one of the three schools our children would ultimately be allowed to attend, and we had to patiently wait for our requests to get through the system during a month of national vacation in which very few French people actually work regular hours. Finally on Monday of this week, with the other two doors apparently closed, we interviewed with the directors of our third-choice school (the one to which the town hall had recommended we transfer), 
and were settling into the idea of them going to that school. While we were at our interviews on Monday, we received a telephone message on our home phone that there was now room at the original school in our neighborhood into which our children should have been inscribed. So a mere 48 hours before their first class, the decision was finalized that our children would be able to attend our neighborhood school. And that is how we have now come to Wednesday, the day before the rentrée, and our children are finally set and ready to go to school at École Jules FERRY de Pessac tomorrow morning at 8:30.
and were settling into the idea of them going to that school. While we were at our interviews on Monday, we received a telephone message on our home phone that there was now room at the original school in our neighborhood into which our children should have been inscribed. So a mere 48 hours before their first class, the decision was finalized that our children would be able to attend our neighborhood school. And that is how we have now come to Wednesday, the day before the rentrée, and our children are finally set and ready to go to school at École Jules FERRY de Pessac tomorrow morning at 8:30. As a mother, I have to confess to a little anxiety about this whole process. Over the last few weeks I have viewed a number of my stateside Facebook friends’ pictures of their children’s first day back to school. These pictures have revealed the smiling faces of neatly dressed children, many of them headed off to meet their Christian teachers and Christian friends at their Christian schools. Others of them sit at a table in their kitchen or family room with siblings close by, hovering over their parents’ choice of Christian school textbooks in their home school. And all of them are studying in their native tongue, English, and will therefore be able to focus on learning their course material and not just trying to figure out how to survive in a foreign context. I must own up to a little bit of jealousy and have occasionally wondered if I am depriving my children of the opportunities I should be giving them. But Tim and I both remain convinced that God has led us to this point, and He has answered our prayers by directing us to École Jules FERRY.
Our children themselves, to this point at least, have not displayed the least bit of anxiety and are really quite excited about their first day of school tomorrow. While I am conscious of the fact that one day of school could change their perspective, I
am very pleased and excited by their eager anticipation and am praying that God will continue to keep their excitement level high. Will you pray with us that God would keep Micaiah and Miriam safe and secure in His care, that their minds would quickly adapt to the new language and environment, and that God would accomplish all His purposes for us as a family through this new adventure? In the future, we will need God’s wisdom to know how long this form of education will be best for our children, and if and when we should switch to home schooling. For the present we are convinced that this is what God has for us, and I am claiming these verses that I read just this week in Psalm 121: “The LORD will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever” (vv. 7-8, NASB).
am very pleased and excited by their eager anticipation and am praying that God will continue to keep their excitement level high. Will you pray with us that God would keep Micaiah and Miriam safe and secure in His care, that their minds would quickly adapt to the new language and environment, and that God would accomplish all His purposes for us as a family through this new adventure? In the future, we will need God’s wisdom to know how long this form of education will be best for our children, and if and when we should switch to home schooling. For the present we are convinced that this is what God has for us, and I am claiming these verses that I read just this week in Psalm 121: “The LORD will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever” (vv. 7-8, NASB).
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Family Bike Ride
Last week, we were able to take our first official family bike ride. Tim's dad (who is with us for just a week) took us to a park he often visits. We rode through some woods, around a lake and right through a vineyard. There is a lot of beautiful French countryside for us to enjoy at just a short distance out of the city.
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Bob & Bonnie Bixby leave for the States
This picture was taken this morning at 4:30am, just before I left with my parents to take them to the airport. They are flying to the States for a 6-month furlough. It is the first time they have taken this long of a furlough since 1987. We have enjoyed the last two weeks spent with them here in Bordeaux and will miss them while they are gone.
Vacation in the Dordogne
My parents will be in France until July 14th. To celebrate our brief time together, they arranged for us to spend three days together in the beautiful region of Dordogne in the vacation home of a Christian family from Paris.
On our way, we stopped for a brief visit with Matthieu & Jeanine Desilles in their home in Brive. Matthieu pastors a small church in that city.
On our way, we stopped for a brief visit with Matthieu & Jeanine Desilles in their home in Brive. Matthieu pastors a small church in that city.
Below are pictures taken at the house where we stayed. It was a beautiful and peaceful place to be! While we were there, we celebrated my parents' 40th wedding anniversary. I am so grateful for the parents that God has given me and for their faithfulness and love for each other.
We went out one morning and strolled through an open air market in one of the villages nearby. From fresh goat cheese to jewelry, they had it all.
We enjoyed the beautiful scenery of the Dordogne (called the land of 1,001 chateaus). We toured one (dating from the 13th century on) which contained a slew of original medieval instruments of war. It was a very peaceful and enjoyable way to recuperate from the packing and traveling.
Trip to France: Completed!!
We have, by God's goodness, arrived safely in Bordeaux, France with all our luggage.
We left the parsonage in Spartanburg, South Carolina (our home for the last 1 1/2 years) on Wednesday morning about 9:30. Donna Bixby and Judy Hurst and Ruth's mom Judie Pahnke took us to the Charlotte airport.
Our first leg was from Charlotte to Chicago. We were within about 100 feet of the ground, the landing gear was out and we were about to land when the pilot picked up speed and we flew on past the airport. A storm was moving across the field just as we were about to land and it made it too rough to land. Because we didn't have enough fuel, we had to fly over to Midway Airport, land and refuel while we waited for the storm to pass. We then took off again and flew the 12-minute flight back to O'Hare. The unintended detour provided us with a beautiful view of Chicago. Bob, Jennie, Patience and Corban Bixby had come to the airport to see us. Because of the delayed arrival, we only had 15 minutes together! However, it was fun to see and hug them.
Our flight into London Heathrow, the bus trip across town to London Gatwick, and the flight into Bordeaux went well. It was good to see Papi and Grandma Bixby waiting for us at the airport. Below are some pictures of arriving at their home, unloading the car, and eating supper after we had all showered and were enjoying having the trip behind us.
All the emotions of permanently moving to another country and realizing that all the hoopla about getting to France is behind us and now the real thing lies in front of us is a bit overwhelming. We are so grateful for a wonderful network of friends to rely on back in the States and for my parents here in Bordeaux (for the next two weeks) to welcome us and help us get adjusted.
This afternoon, we went down to the university to try to enroll Ruth in the summer session of language school, but they were closed. Tonight at 8 p.m. we will be attending the church's prayer meeting. Thank you all for your prayers for us.
We left the parsonage in Spartanburg, South Carolina (our home for the last 1 1/2 years) on Wednesday morning about 9:30. Donna Bixby and Judy Hurst and Ruth's mom Judie Pahnke took us to the Charlotte airport.
Our first leg was from Charlotte to Chicago. We were within about 100 feet of the ground, the landing gear was out and we were about to land when the pilot picked up speed and we flew on past the airport. A storm was moving across the field just as we were about to land and it made it too rough to land. Because we didn't have enough fuel, we had to fly over to Midway Airport, land and refuel while we waited for the storm to pass. We then took off again and flew the 12-minute flight back to O'Hare. The unintended detour provided us with a beautiful view of Chicago. Bob, Jennie, Patience and Corban Bixby had come to the airport to see us. Because of the delayed arrival, we only had 15 minutes together! However, it was fun to see and hug them.
Our flight into London Heathrow, the bus trip across town to London Gatwick, and the flight into Bordeaux went well. It was good to see Papi and Grandma Bixby waiting for us at the airport. Below are some pictures of arriving at their home, unloading the car, and eating supper after we had all showered and were enjoying having the trip behind us.
All the emotions of permanently moving to another country and realizing that all the hoopla about getting to France is behind us and now the real thing lies in front of us is a bit overwhelming. We are so grateful for a wonderful network of friends to rely on back in the States and for my parents here in Bordeaux (for the next two weeks) to welcome us and help us get adjusted.
This afternoon, we went down to the university to try to enroll Ruth in the summer session of language school, but they were closed. Tonight at 8 p.m. we will be attending the church's prayer meeting. Thank you all for your prayers for us.
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Baby News
Micaiah turns 6!!
Visas in Hand!
Tue, Jun 2 2009 02:15 | Cleveland Park Bible Church, family, Spartanburg, CPBC | Permalink
We are so thankful that our visas are now in our possession! April 14, the day we applied for them, seems so long ago. However, it has all been in God's good timing, and we are thankful for how it has forced us to prayer at every stage of this adventure. Thank you so much to all who have prayed with us about this need. It is hard to believe that by the end of this month we should be in France!
We are in the process of purchasing one-way tickets for Wednesday, June 24. We will be leaving from Charlotte, NC, stopping in Chicago then landing in London. In London we will have to collect all our bags (so we are told), and then catch a bus across the city to the other airport. From there we will fly straight to Bordeaux.
On Sunday, June 21 (our last Sunday in the States), Cleveland Park Bible Church (our sending church) will be holding an official commissioning service. Both I and Ken Jensen of EMU (our sending agency) will be speaking. There will be a fellowship meal following the service. You are all invited to come!
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Jim and Rachel's Wedding
Thu, May 28 2009 07:32 | North Carolina, family | Permalink
Last weekend we spent in Raleigh to participate in the marriage of Rachel Joy Pahnke (Ruth's younger sister) to James Daniel Small. I was honored to be the officiating minister and Ruth to be the pianist. It was a very happy occasion, not only to see God's grace to Jim and Rachel in giving them to each other but to be able to visit with so many family members and friends. After their honeymoon, Jim and Rachel will be settling in the Raleigh area. Please pray for them as they begin their new life as a married couple.
Sunday morning we attended Friendship Baptist Church with the Pahnke family. In the afternoon we drove down to Burlington, NC where we were able to update the members of Beacon Baptist Church on our latest news and I was privileged to preach. We are thankful for the support we receive from both these churches.
The last few days back here in Spartanburg have been spent pitching and packing. We decided to start with the basement and work our way up. So far, we are still in the basement.
As to our visas, we still haven't heard any news. Please keep praying with us that they will arrive soon.
Tim
Sunday morning we attended Friendship Baptist Church with the Pahnke family. In the afternoon we drove down to Burlington, NC where we were able to update the members of Beacon Baptist Church on our latest news and I was privileged to preach. We are thankful for the support we receive from both these churches.
The last few days back here in Spartanburg have been spent pitching and packing. We decided to start with the basement and work our way up. So far, we are still in the basement.
As to our visas, we still haven't heard any news. Please keep praying with us that they will arrive soon.
Tim
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Visa Update: Approval Granted!
Just a little while ago, we received a phone call from our interviewer in Atlanta. He wanted to know if he had indeed given us the form to be filled out by the Protestant Federation, and if so, why we had not returned it to him. (He had received the documents we had mailed.) Tim carefully explained why we had been unable to get the Protestant Federation to fill out the form, and how we had instead obtained the other invitations in hopes that they would serve as replacements. Tim tried to politely communicate the fact that while we are Protestant, that doesn't mean that the Protestant Federation is the only Protestant group out there. Our "friend behind the window" said that he understood that, but that this is a new measure that must be implemented, and the Federation must learn that they are going to have to work with the government in this. The end of the story is that he said he would allow us to receive an exception since we had applied so long ago, but he made it clear that we needed to understand that we are receiving an exception. We are rejoicing in the fact that the king's heart really is in the hand of the Lord, and as Johanna Hanson prayed while we were giving thanks to God, our friend could not make a decision that was out of the will of God, no matter what his personal will was.
All that said, it will still be a comfort when we actually have received the passports and visas in hand. They should be fed-exed to us, and so could arrive as early as Friday. Of course, this also makes us very aware of the fact that it could be even more difficult for the Coles to obtain their visas because of this "measure", and so we need to be carefully considering over the next months what steps we should be taking to pave the way for them.
Thank you to all who have prayed about this. We will let you know when we actually have the visas in hand!
All that said, it will still be a comfort when we actually have received the passports and visas in hand. They should be fed-exed to us, and so could arrive as early as Friday. Of course, this also makes us very aware of the fact that it could be even more difficult for the Coles to obtain their visas because of this "measure", and so we need to be carefully considering over the next months what steps we should be taking to pave the way for them.
Thank you to all who have prayed about this. We will let you know when we actually have the visas in hand!
"Getting Kids to Smile Sweetly in the Sun"
We visited Albany, NY's Washington Park this week. Albany is preparing for its annual Tulip Festival which will be held this coming weekend. We decided to beat the crowds (we won't be here for the festival anyway) and enjoy the beauty. It was the perfect photo op. The only problem: it was one of those days that was actually overcast but the UV rays were hard on the eyes. Let me interject here that in nearly all the Bixby family photos that still exist from when I was a kid, Timmy is either squinting or holding his hand over his eyes. However, I was convinced I could do better with my kids than my parents did with me. But before I held my first "Getting Kids to Smile Sweetly in the Sun" seminar, I decided to produce a few examples to use as teaching aids. Here's what I got.
First, you lie to the children, telling them the sun
isn't really that bright, they just think it is.
If that doesn't work, you isolate the children. Peer pressure tends to work against a good photo shoot. If you can get the children alone, you can normally convince them that the sun is really not bright.
If that doesn't work, bring in the children's mother. Mothers are a natural calming influence on the children and if they don't believe you when you say the sun is really not bright, they're much more likely to believe their mother.
If that doesn't work, tell the children that their mother is actually there to provide shade for their eyes. At this point, you acknowledge that the sun could be a problem, but insist that the shade provided by the mother more than compensates for any brightness in the sun.
If that doesn't work, there is always the option of forgetting about the children and focusing on the mother. She is normally willing to produce a beautiful smile, and I have found from my vast experience that the mother's smile fills the children with such joy (even in the presence of bright sunlight) that they irresistibly smile themselves. However, the results are often short-lived so the photographer must be quick to catch the candid moment.
Finally, if that doesn't work, there is the ultimate "look-up-with-your-eyes-closed-until-I-count-to-three" technique. (Boy, I wish I had known about this one when I was a kid!) To effectively use this technique, you must teach the children to pose facing the camera, yet with their eyes closed. Tell them that on the count of three, they are to open their eyes, allowing you to snap the picture. Assure them that the whole process will be over before they know it. Warning: with some children you will have to specify that both eyes are to open on the count of three, and with others that the head is to remain facing the camera. If you can master this technique, you are guaranteed a picture worth posting on the internet.
Oh, I almost forgot. If a complete stranger walks by and offers to take a family photo, jump at the opportunity. Kids, oddly enough, tend to smile better for total strangers.
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Visa update: Documents in the Mail
Mon, May 4 2009 07:21 | Throughts from Tim, family | Permalink
This morning I went down to a post office here in the capitol of New York state, and mailed several documents to the Consulate in Atlanta. We are not sending them exactly what they asked for. I was told by the consulate that I had to receive an invitation from the Protestant Federation. The Protestant Federation declined to issue the invitation because the church I plan to work with initially in France is not an official member of that federation.
However, the Evangelical Baptist Mission of France (basically the French arm of Baptist Mid Missions) was gracious enough to issue me an official-looking invitation to come and work in France. (It helps that my dad is the vice-president!) We then contacted the Evangelical Federation of France (my parents doing most of the footwork), and they kindly produced a letter attesting to the validity of the Evangelical Baptist Mission of France and adding their own stamp of approval to our plan to come to France.
Those are the two documents I sent off this morning. Here is our prayer request:
Please pray that these documents will be accepted without challenge and that we will be issued visas soon so that we can continue with our plans to fly to France on June 24.
It is comforting to know that our God reigns!
However, the Evangelical Baptist Mission of France (basically the French arm of Baptist Mid Missions) was gracious enough to issue me an official-looking invitation to come and work in France. (It helps that my dad is the vice-president!) We then contacted the Evangelical Federation of France (my parents doing most of the footwork), and they kindly produced a letter attesting to the validity of the Evangelical Baptist Mission of France and adding their own stamp of approval to our plan to come to France.
Those are the two documents I sent off this morning. Here is our prayer request:
Please pray that these documents will be accepted without challenge and that we will be issued visas soon so that we can continue with our plans to fly to France on June 24.
It is comforting to know that our God reigns!
Travels in SC, IL, SC and NC
Tue, Apr 28 2009 11:52 | South Carolina, travel, Illinois, North Carolina, family, Spartanburg | Permalink
Our journeys in the last few weeks have taken us from South Carolina, up to Illinois, back to South Carolina and a little ways up into North Carolina. We now have more than 223,000 miles on our van! By God's grace, we have not had any mechanical problems so far.
On Wednesday, April 15, we had a meeting at Westgate Baptist Church, right here in Spartanburg. Pastor Bill Bethea and the people of WBC were very kind and generous to us. We were blessed to get to know more believers right in our own town.
Two days later we packed up and headed up to Illinois. We had scheduled this service nearly a year ago, hoping to schedule other churches in the area for the same trip, but in the end those plans never materialized. Our time with Harmony Baptist Church of Galesburg, Ill., was well worth the trip, however. Pastor and Mrs. Bob Eshleman hosted us for supper on Saturday night, and we enjoyed participating in all the Sunday services, including their "Snack 'N Yack" after the evening service.
After leaving Galesburg, we drove three hours north-east to visit with my brother and family, Bob, Jennie, Patience and Corban Bixby in Rockford, Ill. Though we weren't able to hang around for a service at their church, we did enjoy the family time. We are sad that we won't get to see them again before we leave for France.
We weren't there for long before we had to leave and head back to South Carolina for a service on Wednesday night, Aprill 22, at Heritage Bible Church in Greer, S.C. Following our presentation, Pastor Dan Brooks had the whole congregation divide up into pairs and pray specifically for our needs. What a blessing that was for us, especially with our present concern over our visas. Unfortunately, we forgot to take pictures, so I had to steal one off their website! We give thanks to God for this body of believers and for their generosity to us.
This past Sunday, April 26, we drove up to Ramseur, N.C., for a meeting at Faith Baptist Church. Here we remembered to take a picture of the building, but forgot to get one of Pastor and Mrs. Gary Moger! We enjoyed our time with the people of FBC as well as our time with Pastor and Mrs. Moger at Zaxby's following the evening service. Pastor Moger has nearly successfully convinced me that I need to buy the Logos Bible program! We drove home that night, getting back just after midnight.
We will be in our own church this Wednesday, then we pack up to leave again on Friday--this time headed for New York!
On Wednesday, April 15, we had a meeting at Westgate Baptist Church, right here in Spartanburg. Pastor Bill Bethea and the people of WBC were very kind and generous to us. We were blessed to get to know more believers right in our own town.
Two days later we packed up and headed up to Illinois. We had scheduled this service nearly a year ago, hoping to schedule other churches in the area for the same trip, but in the end those plans never materialized. Our time with Harmony Baptist Church of Galesburg, Ill., was well worth the trip, however. Pastor and Mrs. Bob Eshleman hosted us for supper on Saturday night, and we enjoyed participating in all the Sunday services, including their "Snack 'N Yack" after the evening service.
After leaving Galesburg, we drove three hours north-east to visit with my brother and family, Bob, Jennie, Patience and Corban Bixby in Rockford, Ill. Though we weren't able to hang around for a service at their church, we did enjoy the family time. We are sad that we won't get to see them again before we leave for France.
We weren't there for long before we had to leave and head back to South Carolina for a service on Wednesday night, Aprill 22, at Heritage Bible Church in Greer, S.C. Following our presentation, Pastor Dan Brooks had the whole congregation divide up into pairs and pray specifically for our needs. What a blessing that was for us, especially with our present concern over our visas. Unfortunately, we forgot to take pictures, so I had to steal one off their website! We give thanks to God for this body of believers and for their generosity to us.
This past Sunday, April 26, we drove up to Ramseur, N.C., for a meeting at Faith Baptist Church. Here we remembered to take a picture of the building, but forgot to get one of Pastor and Mrs. Gary Moger! We enjoyed our time with the people of FBC as well as our time with Pastor and Mrs. Moger at Zaxby's following the evening service. Pastor Moger has nearly successfully convinced me that I need to buy the Logos Bible program! We drove home that night, getting back just after midnight.
We will be in our own church this Wednesday, then we pack up to leave again on Friday--this time headed for New York!
Visa Update: Possible Breakthrough
This morning I talked with my dad in France. He had spoken personally with the president of the Evangelical Federation of France. This federation is different, and obviously more theologically conservative, than the Protestant Federation to which I was originally sent by the consulate. The president of the Evangelical Federation was very kind and showed a willingness to issue a letter of recognition for us to use with the consulate. He stated that of all the consulates in the U.S., he thinks the one in Atlanta is the hardest to deal with. I have some information I have to fill out and send in to him before receiving the letter of invitation from him.
We are additionally trying to secure another invitation from the Evangelical Baptist Mission of France with which my parents are associated. Once we receive these two endorsements, we plan to send them into the consulate in Atlanta in hopes that they will be sufficient for them to grant us our desired visas.
Thank you for your prayers. We will keep you posted!
We are additionally trying to secure another invitation from the Evangelical Baptist Mission of France with which my parents are associated. Once we receive these two endorsements, we plan to send them into the consulate in Atlanta in hopes that they will be sufficient for them to grant us our desired visas.
Thank you for your prayers. We will keep you posted!
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Visa update: Request for Invitation Denied
Tue, Apr 21 2009 06:26 | Throughts from Tim, family | Permalink
As some of you know, when we applied for visas in Atlanta, the man who met with us said that since we were going to France for "religious purposes," we had to have an official invitation from either the Catholic Church or the Protestant Federation. Since he could tell we weren't Roman Catholics, he gave me a form and said that it had to be signed and stamped by the Protestant Federation in France. This seems to be something brand new or just sporadically enforced. I think it is an effort on the part of the French government to keep cults from infiltrating the country. Anyway, I filled out the form and then faxed it to the Federation asking if they could sign and stamp it.
Though things at first sounded hopeful, we were informed that since the church we will be working with in Bordeaux is not an official member of the Protestant Federation, they cannot help us. They did inform us that there is no law requiring their invitation.
Now we have to come up with "Plan B." We will probably seek an invitation from another source that could serve as a "replacement" for the one we could not obtain from the Protestant Federation.
Thank you for your prayers!
Though things at first sounded hopeful, we were informed that since the church we will be working with in Bordeaux is not an official member of the Protestant Federation, they cannot help us. They did inform us that there is no law requiring their invitation.
Now we have to come up with "Plan B." We will probably seek an invitation from another source that could serve as a "replacement" for the one we could not obtain from the Protestant Federation.
Thank you for your prayers!
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Family Time at the Park
Yesterday the kids were needing some outdoor time, and the weather was just perfect for it! Our hosts here in Mentor, Ohio, recommended Penitentiary Glen Reservation to us, and we made the most of it. We had a wonderful, relaxing time making memories together as a family, and thought we'd share a few of our pictures with you.
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Snowy New Hampshire
Tue, Feb 24 2009 06:56 | New England, family | Permalink
We'll be posting a slide show soon about the people with whom we've visited. But for now, we want you to enjoy the snow with us! We haven't had any services canceled yet due to snow, but (as you can see from the pictures) we have been in two churches where it snowed during our visit.
One thing this southern family is agreed on: we all love the snow!
Miriam turns 4!!
Sat, Feb 21 2009 06:09 | New England, family | Permalink
On February 20th, our baby girl celebrated her fourth birthday! She had celebrated her first birthday in France, her second in South Carolina, her third in Maine, and now her fourth in Massachusetts. It was a special treat to be able to celebrate at Uncle Brian and Aunt Johanna Hanson's home. She was treated to donuts for breakfast, a wonderful birthday lunch (she had requested green beans, chicken and ice cream) and a trip to the Boston Children's Museum (courtesy of the Hansons). We praise and thank God for His abundant grace to Miriam and to us through her.
Christmas in Pennsylvania
We enjoyed a wonderful Christmas with my (Ruth's) family (the Pahnke clan) in Berwick, PA. All of the family (17 in all) gathered at the home of Buddy & Rebecca Thomas for several days of all-around Christmas cheer. Some highlights were the opportunities to experience a white Christmas (not a common experience for us Southern folk), plenty of good food, and the excitement of trying out our skill on the ever-popular Wii game. It was great to be together.
Thanksgiving week with family and friends
Tue, Dec 2 2008 12:54 | North Carolina, family | Permalink
We enjoyed a very nice Thanksgiving weekend in North Carolina. We spent Thursday through Saturday with Ruth's parents at their home in Wake Forest, North Carolina. About 20 Pahnke relatives gathered for Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday afternoon. We had a relaxing weekend eating, talking, walking through the woods, playing with the aunts and uncles, riding Papa's tractors around the farm, setting up the Christmas tree, reading and resting. We are grateful for our family.
Sunday, November 30, we spent with College Park Baptist Church of Cary, North Carolina. Pastors Matt Walker, Todd Carswell and the whole church family were very gracious to us. I was privileged to teach the adults in Sunday school and present our ministry to France in the evening service. Following the service, the church immediately voted to partner with us through regular financial support! That was the first time we had ever expereinced a church family partnering with us on the same day as our presentation. After the vote, everyone gathered around the map while I added a pin on Bordeaux, France. A prayer of dedication was then offered on our behalf. What an encouragement to have another supporting church! One more reason for us to give thanks during this season.
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