A Fortnight of FIRSTS!

Well, some of which you already know about from previous posts, like our first final exams, our first school fair/program/fund raiser, but there have been more wonderful first we have yet to tell you about.

FIRST of all, we had our FIRST day to hit 70 degrees, and then after that a few not so lovely ones, and then this past nearly a week, has been nothing short of GORGEOUS!! It truly has. Blue skies, ok not completely, but it just has the pretty clouds, light and fluffy. Heather even got her first little sunburn of the year!!! YEAH! Rejoice with us this is a BIG deal in Belgium! Note to self, visitors will love the weather in late April and early May!

Our next FIRST was a BIG one, we had our FIRST train ride, and it was our FIRST time to leave Brussels period. We took a 30 minute ride to a nearby town (in the farm lands) called Neufvilles. It was a beautiful ride with lots of lush green grass and beaucoup des cows and animals. New missionary friends of ours invited us down for the night and day. It was WONDERFUL! The family we were with were excellent hosts. The children got to run in a BIG backyard and play in the sand box. They had sooo much fun. When they did come in they ate and ate, b/c they had been playing so hard, and were having so much fun. Their little boy goes to full immersion French school also, so the kids were able to practice French with each other. Makinna had a wonderful time with their daughter who is only 10 days younger than she is. (Can you believe June 5th Makinna will be 2?) It really was LOVELY to leave the BIG city on a grand adventure, and to spend time with other Christian's on a similar mission!

We had our FIRST Belgian Labor Day holiday. It was this past Thursday, and since it's on a Thursday most of the Belgian's take Friday off, as well. Why not!?! So no school, no shopping, and no working for two work days. WONDERFUL! Belgians know how to take a break, Americans could stand to learn from them on this. It is VERY VERY rare to see a store open on Sunday period. If you do it's probably a quickie mart not a big store. I am telling you finding these open is even difficult to find. It's refreshing.

Brian received his FIRST real Belgian kiss (on the cheek) from a male friend at our French church. He let Brian know that they are good friends so "Beezoos" (French/Belgian one cheek kisses) will be carried out from now on. It's really is neat, but we are all still getting use to it. Strangers don't normally do it to one another, so it's nice and an answer to prayer, to be being accepted. Heather's natural tendency is to hug someone, and Brian's is to shake hands. They think either of those are strange. Heather hugged a teenager girl at church after a beezoo, and the girl seemed like she wasn't quite sure how to hug back. Cultures are FUNNY things. You wonder how we can be so similar, yet, so different, at the same time.

Rejoice with us and praise our Father for His wonderful provisions for us!!! He is truly a carrying and loving Father! Thank you so much for praying for us as we adapt. Please continue to lift up Josiah, Aubriana, and Makinna as they adjust to full immersion French school/daycare. It's tough at times, since they understand so little. We have started doing French language classes with them at home. They are loving it, and picking it up quickly. Thus far the "Big two" can write fille, garcon, ecole, and lundi (girl, boy, school, and Monday-which isn't captalized in French-interesting!)

Josiah asked Heather to teach him how to write in cursive (or should I say, "Swirly"-as Aubriana calls it!). He is doing wonderfully, and after one lesson (his FIRST) he could write his name nearly perfectly, the transition from "O" to "S" is tricky, but the rest is amazingly good. Someday we would love to find an art class for him, to attend, he truly has a natural God-given talent for it.

Please keep lifting up your praises and prayers to the Lord on our behalf and for all those serving Him throughout the world! We are so blessed to be here in Belgium to tell others of His great GRACE and FORGIVENESS. May you be blessed. Don't forget to give us your requests, as well. We lift you up before the throne of grace!

Request- please pray that we would recieve our first phone and electricity/gas bill soon. They bill you every other month for the 2 months, but it has been more than that. We'd like them to arrive, so we can know how much we need to put aside each month to cover them. Pray, as always, that we would be good stewards of all He has given and continues to give to us.