October 6, 2014
Hello friends,
I am finally here in Marseille, France! It is good to be back here after so much work. After a long couple of days of travel, it was so nice to be in a familiar place with familiar people. It took me two planes, three days, two buses, one creepy hotel in Paris, one train, almost no sleep and a lot of time assuming I was going to be lost in the world forever, but I finally made it!
It was so incredible to see how God provided for me throughout the whole process of getting back here. In just the travel portion of getting here God provided me with people who spoke English and were willing to help me find where I needed to go. God provided me with one specific women who helped me find the correct bus stop (that was down a block or so from where the first bus dropped me off) and helped me figure out my stop for my hotel. This woman lives in Paris but had lived in the Bay Area for a while! I was so blessed just by her presence and the comfort she brought to me. She made the fact that I was lugging two large suitcases and a very stuffed purse and backpack in a foreign city in a foreign country not feel as foreign. God knew just what I had needed in that moment and He provided for me so effortlessly.
Preparation for my trip had not been easy, but God took care of me through the whole process. From raising enough funds to head out (I am almost half way funded!). I was slowly but surely receiving support. At first I was so overwhelmed by the idea of having to raise so much money, but God eased that issue from my heart and has been taking care of it (Through all of you!).
A huge hurdle in making my way back to France was getting my visa. To apply for my student visa I had to apply through something called Campus France. It is a section of the government that controls study abroad students. Since I will be attending French courses, I fell under this category. To apply through Campus France they required a very extensive application. Such as essay answers as to why I wanted to be in France and how I thought France would affect my professional plan in life… And an endless supply of paperwork that they were never pleased with. At one point I had received an email from them saying that my application was cancelled (Campus France also wasn’t to keen on returning my phone calls or emails). That was a ten days before I left for France. But God miraculously intervened and I was finally granted permission by Campus France to go to the consulate in San Francisco to officially apply for my visa. Which again God provided for me and I got three days later.
With all the busyness and rushing around to prepare, I was so shocked to see that October first had finally come and I was leaving. Somewhere along the line I guess I forgot to factor in that I would be in another country, away from my family and friends for nine months. I didn’t even think it would be so hard and for so long. Leaving my family at the airport and then being alone in airports and a hotel was incredibly painful. I felt so lonely and sad. But God again is working in me through this, He is still mending my heart from being broken when I had to leave my family, but He is also giving me a new strength. A strength where I can survive so long without my normal comforts of home and rely on Him to be my sole provider of comfort.
All of my interactions from leaving my family at the security point in Oakland to now have been God taking care of me and giving me what I need. I am just starting this journey and there will be so much more that God will do for me and so much more pain and sadness. But there will also be so much joy and happiness to come. I am so excited to continue moving forward here in France, with learning French, meeting new people, and allowing God to be the sole provider.
Yesterday a friend and I were translating verses from English to French. We started with an easy one we both loved and it fits perfectly with the start of a new adventure. Josue’ 1:9 Ne t'ai-je pas donné cet ordre: Fortifie-toi et prends courage? Ne t'effraie point et ne t'épouvante point, car l'Eternel, ton Dieu, est avec toi dans tout ce que tu entreprendras.
Please continue to pray for me while I am in France:
Please pray that God continues to work in my heart and provide for me in ways that He knows I need
Please pray that as I start to study French that God gives me the ears to hear the words clearly and blesses my mouth as I try to replicate
Please pray that I am able to form Christ honoring relationships with everyone I encounter and that I can ultimately bring Him glory
Thank you so much for your time and support! If you are interested in supporting me financially please go to www.pccaroundtheworld.com. Scroll down to the GIVE button. In the drop down box click mission trip support, and write Shelby Hurst in the comments box.
Thank you for your love and time!
God Bless,
Shelby
One of my favorite things I get to do here in France is co-lead an English class for children. If you received my newsletter there is some more background information for you about the class and why us being there is so special **. But I specifically love it because I love kids. And I really like just being in the presence of children. Its also great because they love me too, and I really like that.
My ministry partner Linda and I have the privilege of teaching an hour long class to children six and up, and then a half hour long class for children 2-5. We have been trying to go through basic things, like the days of the week, different animal names and simple sentences. The learning abilities in our group vary, by a lot; we have some very hyper active children and some who are more subdued. But its a really wonderful group!These are two brothers in our class, Yacine and Jabril. I tried to get a good picture with them but they would not stand still. Yet they were insistent that their picture got taken. They are easily one of the highlights of my week. Linda and I are praying that a relationship blooms between us and their family. I would love for their family to view us as more than English teachers, but as friends that they desire to know. I’m praying that God opens that door soon.
Every time I am at my class it breaks my heart that I cannot just say what I want to to these kids. Especially to Jabril (In the blue shirt). There is something about that boy that makes my heart ache. I am so desperate to know him! So, I either need to become a better English teacher, or I need to work harder and continue to pray for the development of my French. In my opinion, becoming better at French seems like the more realistic solution.It is such a blessing to me that I get to continue to be with children, even on the other side of my world. God knows my heart and He is providing for me in ways that I need. I am so overjoyed with my Lord.** Above I mentioned my newsletter. If you did not receive one but would like one, send me your email address. I will get one to you soon!Thank you for reading! And thank you so, so much for your prayers, your time, and your support!God Bless,Shelby Hurstp.s. I am still in need of funds to fully support my time in France. If you would like to donate please go to www.pccaroundtheworld.com. Scroll down to the GIVE button. In the drop down box click mission trip support, and write Shelby Hurst in the comments box.