Thursday, November 8, 2007

Chapter I...peace, and at such a time...part 1

The above title to this post is found in Ezra chpt. 7 verse 12. The verse actually says PERFECT, peace. And so with this....as I write this account of my journey of HOPE...I indeed was graced with Perfect peace...at such a time. (quite often)

Knowing this will be a lengthy continuing post..I will have to break it up into segments. My post on WHY GOD as my introduction. "peace, and at such a time" I will list as part I etc. so you can follow in order.

This journey of HOPE... began in 1982. My husband and I had been praying for some time to go to Europe as missionaries, ever since his graduation from Bible School. It had been a couple of years and then one day a door opened for him to accept a job in Switzerland. It wasn't to be missionaries...but, it was an opportunity to get to Europe and perhaps be used of the LORD while there. (little did we know this was God's plan).

The amazing thing about this..is that I was pregnant with TWINS and already the mother of 4 children under the age of 6! ...and I had peace about this. ( I want to add here...that I was still a young Christian in my faith, and that this peace was something I can't fully explain...except that GOD did give a measure of faith at such a time!)

So that I can get to the heart of my journey, I will quickly go over some preparations we had to make in order to go to Switzerland. First, we had only 3 months to arrive there, this was the middle of December. We had a house to sell (and the market was not good at this time)... sell our belongings/decide what to take...and get passports.

The company my husband was going to work for was not going to move our belongings; so we decided we would take 4 trunks and suitcases. I had the arduous task of picking and choosing the most important things to take. Yes, one trunk was toys! The household items sold in one day with a yard sale...a man came by at the end of the day and offered to purchase the remaining items left on the table! What a blessing! Now,the house needed to sell. (Little did I know, my husband asked the LORD to further show his will for us, by closing on the house Jan. 31) We closed on the house...January 31st. Our passports were to take up to 6 weeks...they arrived in two. We were all set to depart. February 14, 1982...7 months pregnant with twins.

Upon our arrival to a foreign country in which we knew no one familiar, had no family and no church. We would rely on God for his continued care and guidance. We also did not have time to learn French, the language for the area we would live in. Through the providence of God (too lengthy here to cover) we found ourselves living in a small mountain village of 200 people; in a home not usually given to strangers( Americans).

In God's great care, we were befriended by a neighbor who would be used of God many many times to help us. She only spoke a little English and through time, we would communicate in three languages..well four..one would be charades! My husband some how (GOD?) was able to learn French quite quickly on the job..and already familiar with German. NOTE: Switzerland borders several countries..thus they speak all the languages surrounding the country..and have their own dialects (even each village!).

This dear lady would help me find a doctor...the nearby tiny grocer...the dairy...and comforts of her own home. I would honor her here by just saying her name is Claudine. (forever in my heart). She is/was a farmer's wife and had two children of her own and always always busy..but never to busy to help in time of need; even with our language barrier.

Before I begin the next post... I would like to say that in sharing this...I know there are many who have suffered loss and some greater than mine. There are those who are still suffering with sorrow, or the trial is existing. I, as my name entitles...HOPE, that through this account of a Christian's journey; some would be encouraged in their faith, some would find faith, and others would rejoice with me in thankfulness for God's work of Grace.

I Peter chpt. 1 verse 6-8 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more preious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory...

copyright 2007 Hope

4 comments:

Pam--in America said...

Hope, I'm so glad to finally be able to read your whole story of how God has guided you and provided for you. Thank you for writing this; I can't wait to read the next part.

Heather said...

Hope, I am so excited that you have decided to blog. Pam speaks of you in such a way that I feel I know you myself! This post left me literally on the edge of my seat-I can't wait to read what sounds like a tremendous journey! Thank you for sharing!

HOPE said...

Thank you for stopping by Heather. I pray that you will find a cup of refreshing here when you visit.

TO BECOME said...

Hope, I gave you an award on my blog http://ouryearsasatalethatistold.blogspot.com

You can go there to pick it up if you are interested. Thanks for having such a good blog. connie from Texas