French Visas
In order to live in France for the school year, we need visas. And in order to get those visas, one must apply in person (if over 12) at the nearest French consulate. So, here we are, a few blocks from the French consulate. In San Francisco.
A fun trip to San Francisco wasn’t really on our list of things to do before we left, but once we got the assignment to head to Albertville, we made our visa application appointments – which can only be made at least a month in advance – and here we are.
This morning Matthew and I and Axel flew into Oakland and, always making an adventure out of saving money, took the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) train from the airport to downtown SFO. We are in a sweet little hotel in Little Saigon, but less than a mile away from the French Consulate downtown.
Axel did so well on his first flight. He and I took a nap after an early morning. And he loved the train across the Bay, ate for the first half, the half where Mommy and Daddy didn’t realize we were headed the wrong direction, and slept the second half, when we were finally headed west.
We got off the train, walked to our hotel, where they let us check in a little early, dropped off our bags (we are so proud of how light we packed – a backpack and a rolling briefcase, plus my purse) and headed to get some lunch. We found an awesome Burmese place just a block away, then came back to rest for an hour before setting out to practice our route for our morning appointment.
The walk was a breeze and Axel loves riding on my back in the carrier. After we found the consulate, we jumped on a streetcar and headed to the Fisherman’s Wharf. It was fun to walk around, see the tourists (and be one!), and eat some delicious sea food – crab cakes and clam chowder. We even took a moment to check in with Idaho – Amelia and Levi are hanging with some family back at the house, so they are in good hands.
Now we are resting back at the hotel. We are also supremely grateful for the cooler weather! I never would have thought, being a Washingtonian, that I would need to go to California to cool off from being in Idaho, but it barely got above 70F in SFO today and it has reached 100F nearly every day in Boise for the past three weeks!
Tomorrow morning, if you think of it, please be praying for a smooth appointment with the French consulate. They will go over our millions (well, almost) of documents and see if we are fit to live in their country for a year. Hopefully, they say yes and we will get our visas in about a week (seeing that the last two families we know to have applied for the same reason in the past month have gotten theirs back in a week).
Then tomorrow evening we fly back to Idaho and resume packing, sorting and getting our house in order to rent. We are making great progress in all of those areas and the house is really coming together.
If you are getting this by email, check out a couple of pictures from today on my Instagram feed, located on the right hand side of our website. Thank you for your prayers and thoughts as we countdown these last thirty days in the US!
Clean Kitchen
In the race to organize, sort, pack, process, say goodbye and all of that…there is also the day-to-day. The kids still need food – three meals and a snack – and attention and play and sleep. And we still need to eat (though, between the busy-ness and the heat, we probably would miss more meals if we were kidless) and sleep and shower. But, sometimes, the day-to-day chores get left behind in doing the rare chores.
Usually, I do the dishes after each meal. I LOVE my kitchen in this house, so dishes are a fun chore for me and fairly quick. However, the kitchen has been getting nearly 100F and I’m so busy trying to sort and pack things, plus help Matthew on the house projects, plus spend time with kids…that I haven’t kept up on the cleaning. I get our dishes washed and that’s about it.
It has bothered me for sure, but we can’t have it all, can we? So, I decided to not let it bother me anymore. But I really wanted a time to spend cleaning the kitchen. I won’t say that I prayed for it, per se, but I really wished I could just scrub everything down.
Then, this morning, I came into the kitchen still half asleep, carrying a sweet, but hungry Axel on my arm, to prepare his oats and applesauce for breakfast. There, on the counter, was a harmless little black ant. I’ve seen them outside in bigger numbers lately, but here was a wayward one. I flicked it off the counter.
Pausing, I am grateful for our first year in Congo – it made me totally cool with finding random bugs in the house. I used to think even one bug inside was cause for pest control, alarm and general panic. Now? I barely even notice. This even applies to some spiders under some circumstances.
Anyway, I looked to grab a bowl…another ant on the counter. Then I saw two more. I looked toward the nearby sugar bowl…two were scurrying around the lid. “Ohhhhh no.” Then I turned toward the sink…a whole line marched along the edge. Finally, I turned to the greasy, dirty stove – the one I’d tried to ignore for the sake of packing and getting everything else done – a whole pile devouring such lovely grease spots. “OOOOOOOOHHHHHHH NOOOOOOOOOO.” This was more of a groan of annoyance than a shout for help, but it’s hard to type that.
Matthew and I managed to kill the ants and disinfect the major areas of the counters. Thankfully, I had made the potluck food the night before and it was safe in the fridge. And we still had eggs and sausage for breakfast, once the stove was clean.
And after church, I came home and scrubbed the kitchen. Just like I’d longed to do. Further, I dreamed of the day when we live in Congo again and I can look forward to almost always having ants in the kitchen (and being more prepared for their arrival). But for today, I am thankful for the ants and the clean kitchen.
For further resolution, Matthew’s eight years in the pest control industry has always been super helpful! We found where they are coming in and will, hopefully, be able to prevent it.
Today’s Project
Today’s project, which will surely spill into other days, is the mass sorting of every item of clothing our family owns. Africa, France, Store, Give Away…it will be very good for my personal sanity to FINALLY have it done! I’m actually really excited about!
That is a king size bed, just for perspective…
Update…about one-third sorted into categories…and some Toy Story.
Update…floor cleared, sorted into categories by person. Now for the hard part…
Some of the piles sorted by person.
Hot
It’s been hot here. Like, stupid hot. On the one hand, it’s a fun throwback to our days in Kinshasa before, and a good reminder of what it is really like to live in the heat. On the other hand, ew. Our adorable house does not have air conditioning. And the basement is great for cooling off, but still rather under construction and now, both bedrooms house both kids down there so we can pack, thus we cannot easily hang out after bedtime. However, the past week it has been over 95 and I think topped 100 a few times, with only hotter temps in the near future. We’ll survive, of course, but it makes it hard to work. We are looking forward to one more winter before moving to a hot climate, since we do love winter and miss Alaska, of course.
Also, we want to thank those of you who bought something from our Amazon Wish List. We got items the next day! So cool! There are still more things if you’re interested in checking it out – and we’ve added a few more items as we talk more about what we have and still need. Of course, if you’re also still wondering if you could support our ministry on an on-going basis, we still need a few families to jump on board in that way, too.
Finally, if you get these updates via email, I want to let you know I’ve added a few things to the website and would encourage you to visit. We are trying to gear up to use more social media to keep you all involved and informed on our life overseas. I set up an Instagram account and you can see the photos on the sidebar of our website – you don’t even need an account! Same goes for Twitter. We really want our sending team – those of you who are praying for and financially supporting us, especially – to be truly part of the ministry. In this world of instant and constant communication, we want to take advantage of the opportunity to involve you all in the ministry in this direct way. No more waiting for months for our prayer letters (though, you’ll still get those, and they’ll still be informative), no more wondering how your support is being used. BAM – nest thing you know, you’ll be sick of us! Well, hopefully not…
Amazon Wish List
So, we need a few things still to take to Africa and some of you have expressed interest in helping. So, we’ve put together an Amazon Wish List to make buying easier. I’m not 100% sure how these work, but at least you now can see what we need and MAYBE help support us this way.
You can sort the list by priority, and we’ve commented on the items so you know what we need most. Some are totally just fun things we’d like to have (like a few games) and some are absolutely essential to bring (like our water filter and dishes), but please pray about perhaps buying something if you’ve been wondering how you can help.
There’s a link here or on the right side of the blog. And, as always, THANK YOU for supporting us!
Looking Ahead to Language School
I think we have about 51 days until we depart. We are busy gathering ourselves together to leave – mostly focused on house projects and packing and sorting. We moved the kids into one of the basement bedrooms in order to use their old room, on the main floor, for our packing/sorting central. Matthew painted it last night so that it’s ready once we’re done. Hopefully we’ll get all organized in there by the end of the week.
As we look ahead to spending the next year immersed in the French language, some of you have asked what that will look like – with the most common question being about the kids! Matthew and I will be students at a full time language school. “Full time” in France is actually four days per week (all schools in France take Wednesday off!) with classes during the morning hours. Afternoons and evenings will (hopefully) be spent studying and using the language! Whether it’s just studying grammar or actually getting out and having conversations. The town is familiar with the language school, so we’re hoping to build relationships and get lots of practice in.
The kids will have their own things to do. On-campus childcare will be perfect for Amelia and Axel – they will be cared for and French used around them. We’ll love having them right on campus with us! Levi will be entering kindergarten in the local public school, since he will be 5 (in two weeks!) and there he will learn French quickly. He already has so much exposure, that I’m hoping the learning curve won’t be too much for him. He’s excited to go to school for the year. (We’ll begin homeschooling once we’re settled in Congo.) The school there is also familiar with language school students and so I know he’ll be well cared for. I’m counting on Levi to help me with my homework! He already knows most kindergarten things, so we’re working on the French version (this week we’re teaching him colors in French, for example). Also, his school is only two blocks away from ours, so he’ll still be a close walk from us!
We will have several two-week breaks during the school year, so we do hope to do a little traveling, because it would certainly be a shame to be in Europe and not see at least part of it!
Please continue to pray that the last of our monthly support is covered by new members to our sending team and that we will be using our time wisely in these next few weeks!
Acceptance!
We got an email this morning confirming our acceptance at the language school in Albertville starting in just two months! But, it clearly shows God’s hand….here is an excerpt from that email:
Bonjour,
We thank you for your interest in our school and for your application.
We have had so many people enrolling for that time that our classes were full, but The Lord is leading all things! As you would be on our short list, a family postponed this morning. So we are pleased to inform you that you are registered in our intensive course from September 2014 to June 2015!
We ran around MAF HQ yesterday trying to get all of our ducks in row and coordinating with our Travel Coordinator Extraoridnaire and our Ministry Partnership Coach to make sure this can all work with such a time crunch. We are stepping forward in faith that our finances will be taken care of with the completion of our ministry team in time for school. Thank you for your continued prayers!
Language School
Announcement: We have a language school selected, chosen, and approved! We will be studying French in France, in a little village called Albertville, best known for hosting the 1992 Winter Olympic Games.
While we initially desired a shortened language school term, specifically at an intensive school in Paris, MAF puts a large emphasis on language learning. Because of the necessary communication skill and understanding of French for Matthew’s management role, it was decided to follow the normal course (one full school year) learning French. We are excited to be the best prepared we can be when we settle into ministry in Congo. It’s true, we are sad we now won’t be returning to Kinshasa for another full year, but it is important to reach a level of language comprehension that will leave us able to focus entirely on the ministry.
Language school – the ninth months spent focused on language learning – is also a great time of ministry. We will still be living in community with others, showing our faith to the local town, and just learning to live in another culture with another perspective. It is not considered “wasted time.” And, let’s be honest, who wouldn’t want to spend a few months learning a beautiful language while nestled in the foothills of the Alps?
The school itself is also a very exciting choice. Not only is it in a prime location, it is cheaper than Paris, and it is a school dedicated to training missionaries for service in overseas positions. We will learn French, but we will also learn how to use French to share the hope and love of Jesus Christ with our Congolese and ex-pat friends in Kinshasa.
One last thing we are excited about with Albertville is that we already know two other families attending school there this fall – both planning to serve in DRC upon completion. One is an MAF couple that will serve as a pilot/mechanic family in the East and the other is a Doctor/Nurse couple (and one daughter) who will be serving at the hospital in Vanga (one of our regular flights from Kinshasa). We’ve already met and gotten to know these families in person, so it will be fun to share this time with a common goal.
But, we aren’t done. We have two “asterisks” with regard to all of this information. They are matters that we would hope you will begin to pray about with us.
1. We still need full monthly support before we are released to purchase airplane tickets. School starts in September and while we are currently working on applying to the school and for French visas, we can’t actually go without a complete team behind us. Please pray for the last 9% of our support to come in – perhaps pray about YOUR role in our sending team?
2. The final decision was made just Friday, so we are cutting the paperwork close. We know God can do anything, but at the same time, the power of prayer cannot be measured. Please pray that there is still space and housing left at the school for the fall, and also that our visa application process will go smoothly and on the short end of the normal turn-around times!
We have just eight short weeks if all goes according to this plan – pray for our peace and for things to just hum along the timeline!
My Hipster Post
I’m not a hipster. I don’t wear skinny pants of any kind. I don’t have facial hair (because, you know…). And, most critically, I am usually the last to know stuff. I get my news from facebook or Jimmy Fallon. (Matthew does read the news every morning with his coffee, so he keeps me informed, too.) Basically, I am behind in all things “hip”. I am okay with this.
But, my hipster post today is because I really did do something before anyone else. I had an epic experience with the next big thing to hit the United States. Before it hit the United States.
You all remember when I had my crazy mosquito-borne illness? Well, it’s sort of being touted as the next epidemic to hit the US, confirmed in 15 US states already, and predicted to spread, especially because it exists in Brazil…where futbol-watching mosquitoes are also feasting, and spreading it.
Chikungunya is the it-thing in medical oddities. And I had it first. Not, like, first-first. I’m not case zero and responsible for its spread. Thank goodness for that. But, I did have it. And I had a classic case. I woke up with joint pain, then broke out in a rash a few hours later, then the fever hit…hardcore. Exactly 48 hours later, the fever broke and the rash began to subside. It took ten weeks for the joint pain to disappear – I just woke one morning able to walk like a normal person! Weird!
So, as you hear more and more about it, just remember – I had that before it was popular.
The rash crept onto my palms and the bottoms of my feet, making them itchy. So awesome.
Matthew said the rash felt reptilian. Again, awesome.
A Week of Fun
Well, the week wasn’t ALL fun, but it’s really about the perspective. You see, we had some wonderful company this week, so that makes it all fun, indeed, even through the work!
Matthew’s sister and brother came into town. It was so fun to have them here hanging with the family – three Lind siblings* under one roof, which is only half of the bunch, can be tough…mostly while they’re haggling out the specific rules of Taboo…but overall it was a wonderful time with family. Levi and Amelia love their aunt and uncle – and Axel got to meet them for the first time.
In just three days, we fit in an MAF headquarters tour (including a half hour plane ride for the three siblings), lunch at our favorite local restaurant, a brief visit to downtown Boise and the capitol grounds, late night outdoor movies (in our backyard, of course), a few rounds of Taboo (David and I totally had the most epic comeback EVER), hot springs, dairy farm tour, lunch at our favorite local pizza spot, and yard work.
We are so grateful plans were made for them to come visit – it will be quite a while before we see them again. Also, my sis-in-law is a great photographer, even with just the iPhone…here are a couple of my favorites that she took to document the week:
Linds and a Kodiak at MAF HQ
Brothers in a plane!
Sister and Big Brother, awww!
Amelia LOVED the cows at the dairy…so. much.
Of course, we continue to invest in the house – mostly time – though we did get it painted this week which is all kinds of exciting. We hired a couple of fantastic guys after they left their card with an estimate on top of our mailbox one day. They did a great job and the house is now even more beautiful (yes yes, pictures…I know…). Matthew and David did some heavy labor in the backyard, leveling the dirt, and relocating it to the side. All of this after Matthew ended last week installing new windows in the basement bedrooms and taking out the old broken back porch and cover for it. Today he cut down two trees and planted grass seed. Whew. Just a bit more work and the outside will be finished! Yay!
And so we begin another week. You should’ve received our latest prayer letter, via email or snail mail. If you haven’t, please let us know so you’re sure not to miss any in the future! This month’s is a rather exciting announcement regarding our assignment in DRC – don’t miss it!
*Yes, anyone with a keen eye for detail would point out that there are ALWAYS three Lind siblings under our roof – Levi, Amelia, & Axel.
The Lind Family 