Happy Valentine's Day!

All of us missionaries over here in Europe are celebrating Valentine's Day with our

I Heart Europe Missions Campaign. Would you join us in one or several of the following ways?

I headed off to England on January 3 for meetings with a group of missionaries from various mission agencies. I took the Eurostar from Paris to London on Friday, January 3. After my arrival in London, I proceeded to walk to the Euston train station, just a few blocks away, to wait for my next train to the Birmingham area.

I took perhaps ten steps and felt my left foot give way and turn either in a hole or at an uneven level of the sidewalk. Very quickly, I spun around in midair and landed on my back on the sidewalk! Thank God for the young man and woman who helped me up. I could walk but very slowly and painfully.

Well, with the Lord's help and wisdom, I found a pharmacy, got some ibuprofen and a freeze spray for my foot, elevated my left leg during the rest of the journey and made it to my colleagues for the weekend of meetings. They took royal care of me with a bag of frozen peas on my foot for ten minutes every hour and continued pain medication. We all thought it was a bad sprain.
It wasn't until Tuesday, January 7 that I saw my doctor here in France. She also thought it was a bad sprain but prescribed an x-ray. I discovered the same day that I had a fracture at the base of my fifth toe. That evening at 6 p.m. I found myself in a half cast for the first time in my life! What a surprise!

With the cast, and celebrating without the cast!

As you can imagine, it was quite a change of life-style for the month of January. The Bridge International Church congregation mobilized and took wonderful care of me visiting, cooking, grocery shopping, cleaning, driving me to my doctor visits and to church. Thank God for the body of Christ!
The cast come off on February 1 and now I am in stage two of recovery, visiting the physical therapist three times a week to learn how to walk again! :-)
Needless to say, a few blogs and sermons can be developed from all that I have experienced in January 2014. It will ever remain an unforgettable month and beginning of the year for me.

We welcomed Kelly Delp, AGWM Missionary, for her first term as a full-time missionary. Here she is with me at The Bridge International Church shortly after her return to France.

Thank you for your cards at Christmas, my birthday in January, your care packages, and generous Christmas gifts! I appreciate your faithfulness in prayer and in giving so that together we can continue serve the Lord here in France.