1st Report from Marseille

Hey ya'll!!!

See I'm living in France with a whole bunch of people from the SOUTH!!!! And they say ya'll when they're not speaking in French!:-P

So we're all here now! I've been in Marseille about a week now and I'm loving it! Its interesting walking around in a place where everyone is speaking a different language. But it is not so terribly different that I have experience any extreme culture shock, and I thank God for this. Katie and I have settled into our 5th floor, 2 room apartment. Most of our furniture was from Ikea and so all of it is now built. We have our clothes stored in the huge closet we both share, and we have spent several nights in our hoodies and sweats watching tv shows on DVD sitting on our almost comfy couch, that others might affectionatly call a fouton.

We both feel very blessed to have such a wonderful, clean place to live. It tends to be a little cold, but thats what happens when you try to save money by not turning on your heaters! haha

So far most of our time has been spent settling in. Starting tomorrow we will have language school at an American university in town from 8:00-12:45 in the morning. Then at night for the next week we will be having some language orientation and administrative training from some visiting directors.

Yesterday, Del, Katie, and I walked down through a commercial part of town where they have lots of stores, and then down to the old port. I have pictures that I would love to show you, however my computer is refusing to add any more pictures right now, so I'll have to add them later on this week. Basically there are hundreds of sailboats and old buildings that surround the port. Its cool to just walk around and explore our new home. Marseille is a big but old city. If I step out side my front door (which is right by the resteraunt that we live above) all I can see is buildings, but about a 40 minute walk away is the ocean and some very beautiful beaches! We haven't been to the crystal blue beaches yet, but hopefully soon.

Well I feel this post is a little scattered, but I hope it gives you a little glimps into what my life has been like this last week. When my computer is deciding to cooperate, I will post pictures to give you a better idea! I'll leave you with a few prayer requests.

• As we start school this next week, pray that we will pick up the language quickly and be able to effectively put it into practice soon.
• Pray that we all will be able to wait patiently on God's timing. As a group we have discussed that we all are having a hard time with the fact that our ministries as we see them cannot start immediatly because of language barriers. Pray that we will desire His perfect and holy will and surrender to Him our own desires, as Jesus prayed in Matthew 26:39 "Yet I want your will, not mine."
• Pray that even now, when we can't communicate very well with those around us, that God will be tearing down barriers. Pray that the strongholds of the "strongman" will be broken. (Matthew 12:29)

I hope you all are doing well this weekend! And i hope all of you will enjoy the Superbowl!haha We're not sure if we will be able to watch it, but don't email me with the winner, because we won't get to see it until monday, after you all have seen the game. I love you all! Enjoy your Sunday!

Courtney

Got a Visa?.....Botta Bing, Botta boom!

So talk about fast! I recieved my visa in the mail on Monday afternoon. At this point I called the IMB to let them know I had recieved it, thinking they would want to get me on a plane the next week. Well I didn't know they would get me on a plane on SUNDAY!! But thats Exactly what they did!

So I will be leaving to go to Marseille this Sunday morning, January 27th. I am very excited to get to France and join my partners. I can't wait to see how the Father is going to use each of us individually and as a team!

Over the last few weeks I have experienced so many blessings I just have to share these praises with you:

• My visa came!!
• A plane ticket was ordered
• All of my stuff fits in my suitcases :-P
• Our team in Marseille was able to find an apartment for Katie and I and an apartment for Del
• God has given me opportunities all over the place to talk about what I'm doing and that often leads into amazing spiritual conversations!
• I was able to see my friend Tatums's new baby boy! Thank you God for Babies!
• I was able to see how God is really blessing my home church, the WG, with several new college and career students and in so many other ways!!
• I was able to spend some great quality time with my family
• And I was able to spend some quality time in the word with my Lord! My uninterrupted time with our Father is so valuable!

A few requests:

• Please pray for safe travels as I will be traveling for just about 2 days to get to France
• Pray for my family as it will be very different to send me so far away for such a long time
• Pray that we will be able to settle into our new apartments quickly
• Pray that God would give us superior language retention as we start language school with our tutor in a few weeks.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! And for those of you whom I didn't get to say goodbye to, I'm sorry, but know that you are in my prayers and I thank God for every one of you! Next time I write you, I will be in FRANCE!! Praise Jesus! God Bless you all!

Its Coming!! Its really coming!!

How faithful our Father is!! How great He is to hear our pleas and answer our requests!! After much prayer and patience.....my passport, with a visa stamped in it, will be in my hands on Monday!!! Yeah! Thank you Father God, my Provider!

So...whats next you might ask?

On monday, once I have my visa, I will call my supervisors and ask them to authorize my travel agent to buy me a ticket. Once the agent finds me a ticket, it will be issued and I will be on my way to Marseille some time in about 5 days to 2 weeks!! My time left on this side of the ocean is very short, so there is alot to do.

God has also provided a flat for Katie and I in Marseille! Hallelujah! Over the next few weeks we (well that is... Katie until I get there) will be buying funiture for the apartment and getting settled.

Thanks for all of your prayers concerning my visa, but please don't stop now!

Requests:

• Pray that God will give me safe travel as I head for that wonderful place called Marseille, France
• Pray that God will help our team as we are meeting new people in our new home and that God will lead and guide our relationships to be honoring to Him
• Pray that we will continue to have a desire for our personal time with the Lord. That the newness of our situation and surroundings won't become yet another distraction to our time with the Father. This will be especially needed as I fill my remaining time at home with packing and goodbyes.

I love you all, and thank you to those of your who have sent me updates and even pictures! I can't tell you how comforting it is to know that I am not coming to my Lord alone. He hears my small voice, but isn't it comforting to know that we are "surrounded by a cloud of witnesses"!

God Bless!!

Courtney

Keep it Up!!

Hello Dear Warriors!

Thanks for your encouragement this week! I haven't received my visa yet...but God is faithful and will get me there when he wants me there! So keep praying! "The prayer of a righteous man accomplishes much!"

Del got his visa last Wednesday!!! So he is on his way to Marseille this coming Tuesday!! How exciting! Please pray for safe travels for him as he goes.

Katie is in Marseille. She is trying to find an apartment for her and I. Pray that God would lead her to the right place and that God will begin to prepare the hearts of those who will become our neighbors for the next 2 years.

I wanted to share with you a devotion I was asked to write. God really spoke to my heart as I was reading Matthew 22 last week and as I was sharing it with my Dad he asked if I would write a devotion for a newsletter he contributes too. I think this is an important verse for all of us to look at. So I am going to put it under of this post and I hope that it might encourage you in your discovery of the Bible during your own study.

Please keep praying! I am praying for you all!!

Courtney

Matthew 22:1-14

As I was reading Matthew 22 the other day I came upon the parable of the wedding feast (v. 2-14). I was disturbed by the King’s treatment of the man who had come to the feast not dressed in his wedding clothes and verse 14 which states “For many are called, but few are chosen”. What do these words mean in verse 14 and why was this man not chosen?

As we look at this parable Jesus speaks of 3 different types of people. First we see those who were initially invited to the wedding feast and yet chose to ignore this invitation. These are the ĸλητόϛ (kletos) or the called. Jesus has called them to the Kingdom of God (the wedding feast) and to follow his terms for life, but they are ignoring His call.

Second, we see the group of people invited off the local highways. This was a mixed group of people, described as both evil and good. While surveying the group the King addresses a man who has come to the feast dressed inappropriately. This man, and the others with him, are also ĸλητόϛ (kletos) or called. Jesus called them to the Kingdom of God (the wedding feast) on His terms. The group accepted the call, however, this man chose to respond on his own terms, not Christ’s. Therefore, he is not chosen, resulting in the treatment that followed.

The third group is only spoken of but not seen. These are the έκλεκτόϛ (eklektos) or the chosen, spoken of in verse 14. The chosen are called to the Kingdom of God; however, unlike the man who was cast out, they have made the conscience choice to accept not only the Lord’s calling but also His terms. Therefore, God calls, but we must choose.

As we look at these three groups, I challenge you to look into your own Christian service. We are all ĸλητόϛ, called; are you like the first group and ignoring that call? Or maybe you are like the man and have heard that call; but have you only accepted it on your own terms? I would hope that we can all call ourselves έκλεκτόϛ, or chosen. If so, we can look at our lives and see that we are answering God’s call and abandoning our own terms and conditions to accept His. As we start 2008, I pray that we as Christians all are able to give into the almighty will and plan of our Lord Jesus Christ, accepting it in full, even if that means making sacrifices and large steps of faith.

"What are you still doing HERE?"

Katie, Del, and I

Hello Friends!


Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!! I'm sad that I didn't get a post out to say these seperately, but I hope both holidays were a blessing for all of you as they were for me. I pray that you were able to spend time with family and friends and most importantly remembered to thank God for the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ, and for the gift of a New Year in which we can honor Him.



I felt it was time to update you on my status. Not because you couldn't know before, but because I have been neglecting communicating with you through the blog. Thank you for all of your prayers and responses. I have had several of you email, call, or talk to me just to see how I am doing and where I am in the process. In fact...most of your comments have been "What are you still doing HERE?" Haha I love it!

Well, easy question to answer. "NO VISA!" Yes I am still waiting on my visa. I wrote to you last asking for your prayers in that direction. There were several bumps in the road, but my application has been IN the official process for about a month now. We are waiting on a positive response from Paris, and at that point the LA consulate will give me the all precious stamp in my passport. Once I have my visa in hand, the IMB can most likely book me a ticket for about a week to 2 weeks out.

• This is my most crucial request. I ask that you join me in praying for a quick delivery.
  
• I am asking that God please bring my visa in the first part of this week. I have faith that He can move mountains. In fact, I have believe that if I truly have faith, and ask God for his power, that I can move mountains.


• Ask that God would deliever the visa within the first part of this week.

Katie, one of my partners, has made it to Marseille safetly and is currently doing some apartment hunting for us.

• Please pray that they will be able to find a landlord that is willing to rent to two American girls for the next two years.


• Also pray that Katie is able to adjust well to her new surroundings. She is living with one of the career missionary families there in Marseille, so she does have some American contact.

Del, the final member of our team, is going to the Atlanta consulate on Wednesday to pick up his visa.

• Pray for safe travel from South Carolina to Atlanta


• Pray that once he recieves this visa, the IMB can find a quick flight for him so he can get to France as soon as possible.

I thank you for your prayers during these waiting times. They truly are very important. During my time at home I am focusing on packing, learning some more French, playing a little guitar, and speaking at churches. If you would like me to speak at your church or to your Sunday School, please let me know. I don't know how many weeks I have left in the states but if I can, I 'd love to come speak. So far God has blessed me with some great opportunities to speak and I have been very blessed by that.

I love you all and I hope that you are all enjoying this New Year. I included the pictures above so that you can put some faces to the names you will hear so many times in my blogs. I want to leave you with a verse. This verse was sent to me in an email from one of you and it has SO greatly encouraged me, I have shared it with others who are in the same position.

Proverb 16:9-A man’s heart deviseth his way;
But Jehovah directeth his steps

Remember that although we have a direction we would like our lives to go, God always is there to guide us and his plan is supreme!

Thanking God for all of You,

Courtney

Introduction

Hello to you, my faithful prayer supporters.

I want to thank all of you for your prayers over the last week as I have started training in Richmond. Through the last 2 weeks there have been times of trial and times of peace, but through it all I have a learned a great deal.

Most of you know me and have met me, however, there are a few readers who I have never met, so I wanted to take a second and introduce myself. I am Courtney Hail, and I will be going to Marseille France as a Journeyman for the next 2 years to spread the gospel. I have lived in Arizona my whole life and just last May graduated from Northern Arizona University with a degree in choral music education. I can't wait to serve God in ministry using my passion for music and people. And if you ever have a conversation with me, which I would love, I apologize now for talking to much! :-)

As I prepare to go to France, please continue to pray for Gods guidance. I have been in contact with the French consulate concerning my visa (necessary for living in the country) and contrary to what their website says, I have to go in person to apply. So I will be flying to Phoenix for one day to meet with the honorary consulate representative. Please pray that a date for this meeting can be agreed on quickly as it will take 2-3 months to process the visa and every day only pushes back the date of my arrival in France.

Second, continue to pray for my team here in Virginia. I will be working with two other Journeyman, Katie and Del, and together as a team we are working on learning the French language. We have some people here that are helping us as well as some great language programs, but as you can probably assume, it isn't the easiest thing we do here. SO pray that God would give us patience and retention of what we learn.

Finally please pray for the post modern movement as a whole. For those of you that don't know what the word 'post modern' means, I would encourage you to google it. Post moderns (a word that describes a large percentage of college students all over the world) are a group of people that do not believe in absolute truths and do not believe in a one true God. What is you believe is true is fine for you, but don't try to make me believe. So pray that GOd would open up their heart to an absolute truth!

THankyou so much for your prayers. Please send me your prayer requests so I can be praying for you as well!

May God Bless you and keep you my friends!

Courtney