Immigration is a network-driven phenomenon. Migration flows are determined by the decisions of prior migrants. Actors linked to one another in both sending and receiving countries structure the transitions of new migrants from one society to the next. North American "missionaries" are no exception to this pattern. They too are transnational migrants.
Here in the Paris region, we've recently--in the last 18 months--been blessed by a wave of young (relative to me) transnational migrant workers. They are eager to learn and remind me of the early hardships of inter-cultural ministry; hardships I had forgotten like a woman forgets the intensity of labor pains. I'd like to introduce you to them and to honor them for their courage, humility, flexibility, urgent-patience, and grit. They are all learning to live bi-culturally and transnationally. It's much harder than you imagine. Their stories are fascinating and encourage me.
Pray that we would be an encouragement to them. Pray that they would keep learning over a lifetime to penetrate deeply into the culture(s) in which they have been called to incarnate Christ. Pray that those of us who have gone before them would help to structure smooth, enriching transitions from one culture to the next.
I've listed my new migrant friends in the order they arrived (or will arrive) in France.
Jeremiah and Shaelagh MARTIN
The Martins (username: friend ; password: enter) arrived in France while we were in California last year. We were happy to help them get mobile by selling them our car (a big help to us too!). Their first year in France was also lived out in our apartment in the OIKOS house. Now that we're back, they've accomplished the mammoth task of finding their own place not too far from us.
The Martins have also been serving the church (Jeremiah designed this website) where Karen and I are members (the church that sent the team to plant the Claye Church). It's been really fun to get to know them in person after several years of praying for them daily.
For the last 18 months, Jeremiah has been studying French in the same program I did at the Sorbonne ten years ago. He has made phenomenal progress in the language. And I don't say that just to show off the fact that he finished 6 months early...like I did :-). Shaelagh had a head start with French having lived here as a child...a real advantage. She's already been designing small group Bible study curriculum for one of our local churches! Check out their website to get to know them better and to pray for them more intelligently. If you wonder why their website is password protected, well, it is somewhat my fault.
Matthew and Nichole PASCHAL
The Paschalls are studying French in Paris in order to serve in Senegal. They are really working hard and hope to be proficient in the belle langue by January 2009 when they will move to Africa.
Why are they studying French if they are headed to Africa? One out of every two French-speakers in the world is African. The Paschalls hope one day to have a regional ministry in West Africa. Deeply entrenched migration patterns along linguistic lines makes the Paris region one of the best places in the world to meet Africans from all over French-speaking Africa. I look forward to working with Matt to create missional partnerships between France and Africa. Matt writes great update letters.
Zboyz, Sami and Mikey, have really enjoyed getting to know the Paschall's boys, Jake and Shane. It's fun to see how children so naturally help each other with language and culture learning. It's also fascinating to observe how much faster children learn than adults..
Christopher and Kirstin FURR
The Furrs are pictured here with their daughter in the Paris café where I wooed my wife (or she wooed me?) oh so many years ago. Karen would grade papers there while she waited for me to get out of my phonetics lab. The Furrs and I ate there on the day I took them to check out my old school for their language learning needs. Chris is currently in his very first class at the Sorbonne. His oral skills are already ahead of the grammar he has studied. I'm confident he's going to go far!
Kirstin worked for Delta Airline on flights to Paris while she and Chris were students at Gordon Conwell Seminary and so already has a good level of French...especially if she's serving you food. She made us some excellent quiche! The Furrs are expecting their second child, a son, any day now. Karen says she can't even imagine giving birth in a foreign country. (That's one reason why zboyz were all born in France) Kirstin is not only going to give birth in her second language and culture, but she's also foregoing an epidural. She's that tough!
Interestingly, our connection to the Furrs is through our "French" friends, Marie-Alice and Lorenzo Monge.
Benjamin and Amanda OWENS
The Owens flew from Atlanta to CDG less than two weeks ago. Read their blog (login: owens / password: france) for fresh culture-shocked impressions about everything from French administration, to grocery shopping, to les toilettes sans cuvette (even that sounds good in French!)
My friend and esteemed colleague Doug Livie has been working very hard to get the Owens set up with the essentials. To willingly brave French administration for someone else is even more than to walk the extra kilometre with them, it's to turn the other cheek for them too.
The Owens currently reside in the upstairs apartment of the OIKOS house. We are very much enjoying getting to know them, but we know that they will be relieved to find their own place before their second child is due in August. Lots o' babies around these days.
Blaine and Abigail BUTCHER
The Butchers are "discovering" their financial support in the Pacific NorthWest. I placed them next in the order because of their connection to the Owens. Amanda and Abigale are sisters. That is a transnational connection that is bound to structure a few things for both families. Already, the Owens chose to serve with WorldVenture because of the Butchers connection to our mission agency.
I only met the Butchers briefly almost 3 years ago when they came to France for a "vision-trip." Raising support is one of the most faith-stretching activities I have ever done. Pray that the Butchers would not lose sight of that original vision that allowed them to step out in faith in the first place. To raise support at a time when the dollar keeps getting weaker against the Euro must be discouraging at times.
Blaine and Abigail, we are all looking forward to your arrival. Don't lose heart!.
Seth WESTOFF
Seth will undoubtedly make it to France before the Butchers. He just got word from his home church in Summit County Colorado that they are picking up the rest of his support. Now he's in the process of applying for his Visa from the French Consulate in Los Angeles.
I met with Seth briefly in January 2007 at the Starbucks in Dillon, Colorado (He and I graduated from the same High School... Go Tigers!) Seth had been praying for a long time for the right opportunity to serve in France. He was ripe to go and has accelerated through the appointment process with WorldVenture and support discovery.
We look forward to his arrival early this May.
Kirk and Sarah LIVESAY
Pictured here in Breckenridge, Colorado (where I first met them), it would seem that God has other plans for the Livesays than to come to France. They've been raising support to serve with us in Paris for the last 3 years. The growing strength of the Euro against the dollar ($1.50 = 1€) has made it very clear to Kirk and Sarah that God would have them go directly to North Africa instead...where the cost of living is so much less. They had been planning to do 2 years of language and culture learning here with us before eventually moving on to Africa.
We are of course sad that we will not get to work with them in France, but we are expectant about the possibilities to partner with Kirk and Sarah within the French-speaking world.
So surf the links to check out our transnational migrant network(s) and pray for us all and our growing friendships with each other. Pray for courage for those who are just beginning the journey and, for those who are further along, pray for perseverance.
