It is no secret to anyone we have spoken to lately that our most obvious challenge in France is the language. When we arrived, Tara had studied French in the U.S. but had few chances to practice, and I (Trent) had studied Spanish, which is close but not close enough. Our prayers have been that God would give us the ability to quickly progress in language acquisition, and peace for the process. He has done both of these things to an extent that amazes me.

With the language skills comes the ability to create relationships at church and understand new things that the Lord wants to teach us. This Sunday the topic was on the battle of Jericho. It is a story I remember well from my childhood, so I was able to focus on what the pastor was saying (again, in French). What I understood as a child is that God can do amazing things against overwhelming situations. Perhaps it is my American cultural spin, but I always took that to mean that I should not give up in difficult situations. The point that the pastor made is that the success at Jericho was not a performance that God would repeat in following battles – he did something different each time. The fall of Jericho was a test of the Israelites obedience and a sign of the Lord's power. He could have taught the Iraelites the tactics and technology of siege warfare, as he gave instructions to Noah for building the Ark. But people would have marveled at the trebuchets and military discipline. A coordinated mob marching around a town in silence day after day would have been confusing and rediculous to onlookers and participants alike. And what do you know? God chose that as his plan. It got the attention of the new generation of Israelites, who had not been a part of the Exodus from Egypt, and showed the Caananites that there was a God who travelled with this wandering nation.

Now with any good message, the point is for the audience to reflect on their own lives and apply the lesson. This one seemed easy to me. Tara and I have made an exodus from the slavery of sin by Christ's salvation. We wandered the Midwest for a few years and saw undeniable signs of the Lord's provision. We were shown the land that we were to go and be a witness, and knew the challanges that would include. Now we have crossed a body of water and are facing our first big battle. We can see that God has the power and is faithful, but his methods have not always followed a pattern. I am no longer surprised when the Lord levels walls or calms seas, but I am always amazed. Rarely surprised, always amazed.