Welch Update #5 - 10.26.24
Je lève mes yeux
Goodness, time is moving quickly. It’s hard to believe summer is already in the rearview mirror, and fall is quickly becoming a blur as we steam ahead into the winter months.
The summer holiday was good to us, bringing so many sweet visitors our way. We also enjoyed exploring more of the beautiful creation around us and practicing our French along the way.
We started back to classes at the beginning of September and have been chugging steadily along in our B1 level course since then.
As mentioned, we were so blessed to have family and friends come to visit and encourage us over our summer break!
First up was Grandma and Papa (Joy and John Welch – Joe’s parents)! They have been a constant encouragement to us and faithful prayer warriors along this journey.
Not only was it just special to have them here and show them around our home in Albertville, but they also braved the voyage with our young family to visit the beautiful cities of Strasbourg and Colmar in France as well as Berne, Switzerland.
Next up was a visit from Uncle Michael and Aunt Anna (Joe’s brother and SIL). We were so grateful they made the time to come and visit us amidst their own transitions. They have such genuine hearts and adventurous spirits and it was a joy to have them
(Sorry Mike for chickening out on paragliding with you – next time 😉
Grandma & Grandpa Toupin (Alyssa’s parents) were able to spend several weeks with us at the end of August which was a sweet and refreshing time. Eden was especially happy to have her partner in crime (aka. my mom) here. They were able to celebrate both Gil and Joe’s birthdays with us too !
It’s hard to believe Gil turned 1 year old in August!
He brings so much joy and laughter to our family and definitely keeps us on our toes as he’s a big walker now and is into EVERYTHING!
Eden had her first day of school the same day that we went back to school in September. It is required in France for a kid to start public school at the age of 3 ! The first few weeks were really challenging as Eden is the only English speaker in her class – but she has been such a trooper and seems to be enjoying school more and more. She’s even starting to use a little more french at home (and definitely sounds way more French than we do ! )
Aunt Jenna and Uncle Tim (Alyssa’s sister and BIL) came to spend time with us and love on our family at the beginning of September. Jenna was even able to convince Alyssa to go paragliding with her and Tim over lake Annecy – which was absolutely breathtaking! (Thanks sis for being persistent ! )
And last, but certainly not least, was a visit from one of Alyssa’s oldest and dearest friends from high school, Chelsea, along with her husband, Tim, and their two kids Declan and Corrie. (They are the family that we re-homed our dog Louie too – who we dearly miss but are comforted to know he is doing great with them ! ). Traveling with littles is not for the faint of heart, and doing it overseas for only a few weeks is next level. So we felt incredibly blessed that they made this trip happen! It was really sweet getting to watch our kids play together.
Our classes are back in full swing and keeping us quite busy. We both shared morning devotions in French again this past month . B1 has a heavier focus on oral production and being able to share your opinion – which we would both say speaking is the hardest part of French for us – so it is humbling but good to continue to grow in our ability to communicate.
Sharing morning devotions in French
Some other highlights include:
For Joe’s birthday we rented e-bikes and biked around Lac du Bourget. It was absolutely beautiful (and we were very grateful we had e-bikes for the “hills”)
We’re missing the warm weather as we frequented a small lake nearby to take turns swimming laps while the kids played (a win for the whole family!)
Gil had his first haircut (and mom was equally scared)
Time really does seem to be flying. It’s hard to believe we’ve been living in France for almost 10 months and only have a few months left here. Our faith and trust in the Lord has been stretched and strengthened through the highs and lows of this season as the Lord continues to show His faithfulness and goodness to us.
A beautiful view of the horizon with hot air balloons
Almost every morning I, Joe, drop Eden off at her school. On one of the very first mornings, after a drop-off with lots of crying and tears, I was really questioning and wrestling with whether or not we should be sending our daughter to a completely French speaking school at the age of three. As I was walking back to our own school with my head drooped low, I felt as if God said “lift your eyes to the mountains”. As I looked up, what did I see? The mountains, with their midsection covered by cool, crisp clouds and the morning sun rising over the range. Wow… I was speechless. Then He said “go ahead, look down”. I looked down and what did I see? Grass. “Did I not create the majesty of the mountains and each blade of grass on the ground? I am the I AM”. Surprisingly I did not cry that morning (probably because I had used all of my tears on the way back from the very first morning drop-off), but I had a sense of awe, wonder and thankfulness as I was reminded that God is sovereign and is in control of all things.
One would think that I would be on a spiritual high for at least a couple hours, but right after that moment of awe I again let my thoughts deteriorate. Thoughts like “I will never be able to learn French” and “I am going to fail miserably at my devotional I have to give in class this morning”. Then I felt God saying to me “I am surprised it took you this long to figure out that you can’t do it.”
“You can’t do it, but I can. Surrender it.”
“You can’t protect your family on your own, but I can. Surrender them.”
“You can’t win your own salvation, but I already have.”
“Look up, look down and look all around. I am God and I love you very much.”
Psalm 121
A song of ascents.
1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord watches over you—
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.
Psaumes 121
1. Je lève mes yeux vers les montagnes… D’où me viendra le secours?
2 Le secours me vient de l’Éternel, Qui a fait les cieux et la terre.
3 Il ne permettra point que ton pied chancelle; Celui qui te garde ne sommeillera point.
4 Voici, il ne sommeille ni ne dort, Celui qui garde Israël.
5 L’Éternel est celui qui te garde, L’Éternel est ton ombre à ta main droite.
6 Pendant le jour le soleil ne te frappera point, Ni la lune pendant la nuit.
7 L’Éternel te gardera de tout mal, Il gardera ton âme;
8 L’Éternel gardera ton départ et ton arrivée, Dès maintenant et à jamais.
Praises
- Summer “Vacances” and Visitors – We were really blessed to have a break from the rigors of class and so grateful for the friends and family that came to visit and encourage us over the summer holiday.
- Eden’s School – The first few weeks were really hard for all of us, so it is a huge answer to prayer that Eden is adjusting well to school now and overall enjoys going each day.
French Studies – While we often feel discouraged by our desire to communicate more fluently, it’s incredible to reflect on how far we’ve come in just 10 months. Our understanding and ability to communicate in French have grown significantly, and we are truly grateful for our time here and the strong foundation it has provided us.
Prayer Request
- Final Months in France – Please pray that these last few months are fruitful in both our French studies and our preparations for departure. Pray that we remain motivated in our learning and continue to improve in our speaking abilities. Prayers also for peace and wisdom as we begin planning for our move and the many logistics involved in resettling again.
- CCEF School and New Families – CCEF, our language school, has been teaching missionaries French for over 50 years. Unfortunately, since COVID, student numbers have declined, and the school now faces difficult decisions to continue operating. We ask for prayers for wisdom and peace for the leadership and teachers and that the Lord would continue to provide for this school and the students here.
- Alyssa’s Health / Travels and Time Stateside – unfortunately the steroid injections mentioned in our last update did not help Alyssa’s hands. We’re grateful for the resources available in France and are continuing to work with a hand surgeon to pursue further workup / treatments while we are here. Our desire is to depart to Togo in January, but our team at Samaritan’s Purse has encouraged us to ensure we can work at full capacity before arriving at the hospital. Because of this, we’re planning to return to the U.S. after our final exams at the end of December. We have some medical appointments scheduled and are hopeful they will provide further guidance. We ask for prayer for complete healing and that we’ll still be able to depart for Togo in January, as originally planned.
Thank you all so so much for your continued prayer and support! We are truly humbled and blessed. We love hearing from you and also would love to know how we can be praying for you specifically as well – so feel free to shoot us an email.
Hugs to my sweet Alyssa. Those hands have always been so busy. Hoping for good results and that God’s timing is as always, PERFECT. Hugs to the entire family during these challenges. Aunt Linda