Greetings from Belfast. I left Paris 12 days ago, had my Masters’ Graduation, saw some friends and visited my Church in London, collected my car and then drove back to Belfast. Somewhere en route I picked up a really bad cold and cough and I feel pretty run down and have lost my voice! Hopefully this will clear soon. I am so thankful for the time I had studying French in Paris and actually pray that I might be able to return there some day. The College was superb and God blessed me with really lovely friends. My reading and writing is much better and I am managing to follow most conversations and say simple sentences. I still have a long way to go in terms of learning much more vocab and more complex grammar and being able to speak with much more ease. I want to improve so please pray for God’s help with this. I’ve found a French tutor here and I hope to continue working through the textbook I was using in Paris.

What a blessing it was to live in beautiful Paris for a while and be able to see Monet’s Water Lilies, the Sacré Cœur, Notre Dame and relax in Montmatre. It seemed quite a contrast from some of the other places I have lived in recently! However even in my brief stay there I was able to understand more just how secular France is and how difficult it is to witness to Christ there. Laws prevent people in government organisations wearing anything that shows religious affiliation (i.e. a Cross / hijab / dog collar) and you are not even ‘allowed’ to invite a colleague at work to something run by your Church. Most people have never seen a Bible and there are more registered mediums than priests / pastors.

My Masters’ Graduation in Greenwich

This was a really happy day with my parents and it was great we were able to see each other for a day as I returned from France and they headed out to their house there for half-term.

Bible College

I planned to do some study at a Bible College here in Belfast. Unfortunately they are now unable to provide the tuition they had originally offered. I have applied to do an Islamics course at All Nations Christian College in Herts. in Dec.

News from Burundi

A Burundian friend recently shared some of the challenges in Burundi. There are serious food shortages and 48% of population suffer from malnutrition. Around 300 000 refugees remain in the camps in Tanzania living in inhumane conditions to try to force them to leave. My friend said it’s just another ‘hell’ when you return to Burundi and there’s nowhere to live and grow crops. Young people born in the camps don’t have life skills and don’t know how to cultivate the land but they’re just left to get on with it.

Prayer Requests

- God to transform Burundi (see above).
- Continued learning of French.
- God’s guidance in my final preparations before I move to Burundi.