This photo was taken west of Paris in Vernon, France in July 2009. This is near Giverny where Monet painted his famous water lily paintings. When you travel through Paris I strongly recommend making a day-trip to Giverny. It’s easy to do and the surroundings are so beautiful and very peaceful!
Well, as of January 2010 I’m in the “west” again – but this time I’m in the desert southwest in Tucson, Arizona! There have been many changes in my life this past year that you may or may not know about. The most recent change was in December 2009 when I returned to the States after having worked in Europe since May 2005. I went from being a freelance speech-language pathologist working with English-speaking children in the Netherlands, to taking a 4 week course near Paris to get certified to teach English, and now to fund raising in the States!
My goal to get a work visa in France as an English teacher or speech therapist isn’t possible. It comes down to the possibility that a non-EU citizen would potentially be taking away a job from an EU citizen. But I will still be able to return to France and be part of “The Bridge”, an international English-speaking church that’s just starting west of Paris.
The door has opened for me to work as a missionary with The Bridge – which is truly a dream coming true! I firmly believe that opportunities await me to connect with many internationals, just like my friend Cynthia who was studying in the Netherlands. She wrote me a card before moving back to China last year and shared “I believe it was an arrangement from God that you walked into my life and spread the news.” There’s obviously more to Cynthia’s story, and you can meet her in the “Stories from Europe” page on this website. There are many others like Cynthia living in Paris, and I know with confidence that it’s “an arrangement from God” that I walk into their lives!
I’ll return to Paris and join the The Bridge team as soon as I raise the funds necessary to qualify for a long-stay visitor visa. My temporary stay in the States therefore involves building a support team to partner with me in prayer and in financial giving. I hope to reach my financial goal and return to France during the summer of 2010.
I’d like to invite you to learn more about my work with The Bridge by exploring this website. You can also find out about making tax-deductible donations toward my work in France at the “Partnering – Giving & Support” page. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or want more information. Thank you so much as you consider becoming a partner in touching lives in Europe – and beyond!
I look forward to updating you again very soon,
Lora
