My brother Nate came back through Toulouse after spending about a month backpacking through Europe. He was less jet-legged this time around and got to participate in some of my team's activities. The highlights of his second visit were going on a hike near the Spanish border (and then having a jam session afterward) and taking a day trip to Carcassonne. 

France has a carpool system called covoiturage, which we used to get to get to and from the fortified city. It is pretty nifty. Drivers and prospective passengers can post their itineraries on the website along with the price per passenger. Then passengers can sign up with drivers (and vice-versa). You get a code to give to the driver (which they have to enter in on the site to get paid). It worked well for us, and we made some new friends, including a pet ferret with which we shared the backseat on the return trip. 

I could write a short novel about how much it meant to me to have my brother visit, experience a bit of my life and meet some of my friends and teammates, but, instead, I made a slideshow. Enjoy!

My brother Nate has earned the distinct honor of being my first visitor here in Toulouse. He recently finished up a cruise ship gig and was ready for an adventure. Nate was here for a few days at the end of April before embarking on a month-long trek through Europe. 

For jet-lag maintenance, my roommate Lucy and I invited some friends over for a bilingual game night. Nate brought me Pit and Telestrations from home which were both great hits. Our dining room was abuzz with the sounds of laughter and cries of "un, un, un" and "deux, deux, deux." 

The weather was pretty depressing (as in rainy) the entire time Nate was here, but, in spite of the weather, we took in a tour of Airbus, ate some good kebab, went to church (in French), filmed a finger movie, led English group and at this fantastic meal (pictured left). Yes, this was quintessentially French complete with fois gras and crème brulée. It was our first time eating fois gras, and it was surprisingly delicious (my condolences to the fattened ducks that made it possible). As a side note, this was also my first time using a Groupon in France. Half-price fancy French meal? Victory!

The best part of all of this is that Nate is coming back tomorrow! We will hang out until he heads back to the States on Wednesday morning. I'm so blessed to have an amazing brother, and it is wonderful to get to share the same world for a bit! 

Our theme of our RAPP retreat was, "Do you have the courage?" Generally, we think of soldiers, mountain climbers, firefighters and revolutionary leaders as courageous, but what about us?

Throughout the weekend, we considered courage from a worldly and faith-based standpoint. One of the videos we watched was about a 20-something who climbs mountains for a living. He scales steep sheets of ice and wonders constantly if his next move might be his last. He's shared a rope with many friends who have been at the wrong place at the wrong time and fallen. Now he climbs alone. He knows what he does is dangerous, but he can't stop. The summits have defined his identity, and he has given up everything to reach them. He wonders if anyone would love him if he left his solitary life and tried to find community. 

Fear can drive us to be courageous. Love can also drive out fear, making us courageous. This is the difference for me as a Christian. On my own, I am a fearful creature. It's in my nature to hide in shame or try to conceal my weaknesses by an air of strength based on my accomplishments. But I am capable of courage because of God's perfect love. 

"There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love." -- 1 John 4:18

In reading 1 John 4 in context, it is through the Holy Spirit, which abides in believers because of the atoning work of Jesus Christ, that we receive God's perfect love. I have no fear because He is with me. 
 
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” -- Joshua 1:9

Yes, I do have courage, but this is not of my own, it is the result of the power of God's love at work inside of me. Do you have the courage?

Sometimes as a driven, perfectionistic overachiever, I want to be able to do everything. And not only that, but I want to do it faster, better and beyond anyone's expectations of me. 

As you might imagine, this often becomes a stumbling block of sorts. And when you run full speed into a stumbling block...well, let's just say that it isn't a pretty sight.

You might say it is kind of like lasagna after being locked (literally) in an oven for 24 hours and then going through the cleaning cycle (in order to disengage the lock) – still in one piece, more or less recognizable, but not really beneficial for much of anything. 

One thing I have learned to do during my first months here is to celebrate small victories. It is in reflecting on these little improvements, that I see progress and the grace of God in my life. Here are some of the victories I have celebrated since I arrived in late February:

• understanding everything spoken to me in the check-out line
• taking a nap three days in a row
• praying in French
• successfully conversing with a native speaker
• learning how to pronounce my name (it is so hard from me to distinguish my name from "Daniel" and to mute the "h" in "Hance")
• roasting peanuts and making my own peanut butter (a lot cheaper than buying it here and tastier)
• being invited into a French friend's home
• sharing the story of my call
• successfully navigating myself to a new place in the city
• being able to feign accents while speaking French
• greeting and having small talk with my neighbors
• building our French association's website
  
• having friends accept my invitations to come to events
  
• being asked if I was French
• hanging out with a group of friends
• successfully giving directions
• hosting a game night
• making an appointment with the chiropractor

When I look at this list, I realize that, as cliché as it sounds, there are a multitude of abilities that I have taken from granted. And one of the beautiful results of living in another culture is a newfound appreciation for what I can do. It is also a greater realization of my dependence and necessity of God's power and strength. I can't do everything, and I don't have to. But I will do what God calls me to do, knowing that He is able to do immeasurably more than I can ask or imagine by His power at work inside of me (Ephesians 3:20). 

One of my favorite things about being on a team is having the chance to brainstorm together. 

When we were trying to think of creative ways to tell the long story of the Israelites that Stephen tells in Acts 7 (before he is stoned), Binia had the idea that we could do a finger play. 

A play turned into a film that we played for our RAPP (pre-church) event on Friday night. Binia and Lucy did the hard work of creating the scenery and costumes and also spending the long hours of filming on their knees. Special thanks also to my brother Nate (he didn't know he came all the way from the United States to be put to work :)) for being my filming assistant and for the old man who reads the Bible in French (which I found in MP3 format on the Internet). 

I enjoyed doing the filming and editing (and adding sound effects :)). If you watch really closely you might catch a few malfunctions along the way. The film is in French, but for those who are not Francophones, you can follow along in your Bible (Acts 7:2-45). Happy viewing!