Wrapping things up

I cannot believe that a year has gone by so fast. It seems just yesterday that I arrived here in the Marais, slightly overwhelmed by this church but eager to serve and see it grow. I personally have gone through many ups and downs, but has been so faithful through everything to show me why He works the way He does. There is a song by Third Day, a popular Christian rock band in the States, that is called "When the Rain Comes" and it goes like this: When the rain comes it seems that everyone has gone away When the night falls you wonder if you shouldn't find someplace To run and hide, escape the pain But hiding's such a lonely thing to do I can't stop the rain, from falling down on you again I can't stop the rain, but I will hold you 'til it goes away When the rain comes you blame it on the things that you have done When the storm fades you know that rain must fall on everyone So rest awhile, it'll be alright No one loves you like I do When the rain comes, I will hold you I think back to so many times that indeed when the storms in my life would come, I would blame it on the things that I had done. But then I would see that storms are a reality in the battle. It is in the storm that we learn trust and faith. Life and faith would be pretty easy if things were always clear and understandable. The Lord has said, "I will never leave or forsake you." Also, "If the Lord is for us, than who can be against us?" One of my least things about Paris is the winter. It gets very cold and rainy, and often stays grey for days and weeks at a time. It was in the these times that I often questioned the nearness of God, for it echoed what was happening in my heart. "When the rain comes, it seems that everyone has gone away..." Now the spring is here and we see that what we see is often not reality. The reality is that He hols us close in the rain, in the storms. Psalm 36:7 says, "How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings." Now I have officially less than a month here. My decision to return back to the USA is driven by many factors, but most importantly I feel it is the next step. The church has grown so much in a year and I am so happy to say that I have been able to be a part of something bigger than myself. I have learned what it means to lay your life down for someone and for something. I praise God for what He has done. Next year will bring new assisants, new members, and who knows what else. Thank you for being part of something bigger than yourselves as well. Let us all keep praying that God would bring light to a very dark place. Christina Hazel Christina_Hazel@baylor.edu