So, finally a blog post that is not dour! To God be the Glory is what I want to exclaim!!
I said in the last post that I hoped to have clarity about what to do before the end of the weekend. I also mentioned in either the last post or the one before that about how the Lord had blessed us with connections to some sisters that are here in Paris through a connection I have with a woman who is in the UK, who has befriended one of the sisters that now lives there with her husband and baby girl. Laetitia, the sister in the UK, connected me and Jonathan with her sisters Sandrine, Christiane and Florence who are here in Paris. Earlier in the week we chatted through Whatsap (please download it if you have not yet - free texting between members!) and I arranged a meeting today with Sandrine. Sandrine works in Paris and has a little boy who is 2.5 named Thimothe. She suggested we meet today at an awesome park in the 16th Arrondissement called Le Jardin d'Acclimation, which Google Translate translates into "The Zoo". It is way more than that. I'll have to go back with Jonathan and spend a whole day there - and go back again - and again. The Park has zoo animals, really cool playgrounds, amusement park rides, restaurants, bicycles for small tykes to rent, and just loads of fun, fun, fun. Simply amazing. If I ever thought I would stay in Paris beyond school, I would primarily do so because of all the great things they have here for children. If only they had the fraction of this stuff in NJ. Another cool thing is that these parks with the amusement rides stay open ALL YEAR LONG! They don't shut down in the winter months. They just close and hour or so earlier. Amazing!
So, meeting sweet Sandrine and Thimothe and Murphy were a blessing enough - and now I'm realizing how daft I am: I didn't take a picture of them! I'm such a non-picture taker so please forgive me. I will get better as this blog progresses. How stupid of me - ugh! Anyway, it appears I will have a lot of opportunities to take pictures of them because Sandrine has graciously offered to watch Jonathan on the Saturdays that I am in class! In fact, she will take him home with her on Friday evenings and he will stay overnight with them and I will pick him up on Saturdays after class! Is that not God or what?! My spirit feels right about the whole situation. Sandrine is a Christian and I loved how she was with both boys today. Thimothe was a bit tired after a long night and was very fussy and she was great with him. She requested I come see her home to make sure I am okay with how they live, so I will do that on Wednesday, after my orientation at the school, and hopefully after Jonathan's first or second day at school (more on that in a bit). It's gonna be a little awkward doing the transfer, because, though she works in Paris, it's not near where we live in the 19th, and her home is in a suburb just outside of Paris. Plus, on Fridays, I'll be in class till 6 (though I'll be requesting to leave at 5:30) and will get home to pick up Jonathan at after-school care around 6-6:15. I'm thnking I will need to simply take him to her house myself and then request that we do a hand off at a central location on Saturday evenings after class.
Whatever the case, God has opened this door and He'll iron out the details! I told her how much I would pay and she looked at me like I was crazy. She doesn't want to be paid! She wants to be able to practice her English with me and for Thimothe to have an English-speaking playmate so he can get familiar with it as well. I will benefit from Sandrine's French-speaking and so will Jonathan, by playing with Thimothe and being cared for by Sandrine! What a blessing from God. Is He not the Great Architect??!!
So, the last thing still standing is school. I decided on Friday to go back to the mairie and prayerfully get the agent I had been working with, who had no problem with the papers that I had given her. If I get her, I should get the inscription letter on Monday and be able to go to the school on Monday afternoon or at the latest Tuesday, to get Jonathan enrolled. My prayer is that he is in school by Wednesday. I will have to leave my school's orientation early on Wednesday to pick up Jonathan, because he'll only be in school half-day. I hope adminstration understands - Lord, please make them understand. Thursday is my first day of class and he will have to be in school all day (8:30 - 4:30) and then after school care till about 6 - 6:15.
I decided I would just let go and let God - as the common saying goes - but no lip service: I'm actually gonna do it. I'm feeling more convinced that He did bring us here and He will do the work in and through us that He needs to do - whether I like it or not. Today I liked it a LOT. Of course, me being me, I'll be struggling not to fight Him, not to doubt, and not to try to figure it out on my own.
Lord - continue to please have mercy on me!!
Oh -- and make sure UPS comes either before OR after I do what I have to do at the mairie on Monday. Please don't let me miss them this last time or they're gonna seize our stuff in customs!! Please, Lord, Please!!
Pray for us!!:-) We're praying for you all!
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