Author: David M. Hare

Please be praying as we begin our A2 exams this week. Perhaps you could set aside 5 minutes on each day we have a test? We long to succeed in French so that our ministry is not hampered in Cameroon. Here is the schedule for our exams: Thursday, December 12: Written Comprehension and Biblical Vocabulary.Friday, December 13: Grammar and Written Production.Monday, December 16: Oral Production (two sessions).Tuesday, December 17: Oral Comprehension, Dictation, Oral Reading. If we pass these exams it will signify that we: Can understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of most immediate relevance (e.g. very…

By Stacey The truth is that everyone has those days. Whether you are a Christian, Muslim, or Buddhist living in America, France, or India we all have days we want to give up. We all have days where our three-year-old loses some screw in his brain and spends the entire day screaming at the top of his lungs. We all have felt the deep, hollow, shock of losing a mom, sister, or friend. We all get frustrated with ourselves when we lose it and scream at our kid, spouse, or co-worker. We all have those days when it is just…

by Dave You may have seen a recent story about a French Catholic Priest that was kidnapped in the extreme north of Cameroon. The kidnappers appear to be an Islamic Nigerian militant group called Boko Haram, which was just recently designated a terrorist group by the Nigerian government. Nigeria has been rife with tension as groups such as the Boko Haram seek to take control of the country by force.We are fortunate that the situation in Nigeria has spread into Cameroon very little. The compound from which the French Priest was taken is only 15 miles from the Nigerian border, and it…

by DaveHave you ever read any children’s books about the Flood? Throughout the last few years we have accumulated quite a few books that recount biblical tales for children, and several about the Flood. Here is one such retelling in a small Dalmatian Press book we have called “Noah’s Ark”: God told Noah to build an ark with one window and one door. Then he told Noah to put two of every kind of animal on the ark. God sent the animals to Noah two by two. There were two elephants and two mice, two toucans and two lions, two…

by Stacey I remember the first time someone I had just met tried to give me a kiss on the cheek here in France. Quite honestly I wanted to run away. Apparently “the kisses” (one small kiss on each cheek) is the French equivalent to the American hug. Each time it happens my former missions professor pops into my head and says, “Remember, it’s not good, it’s not bad, it’s just different.” I have since gotten used to kissing people on the cheeks instead of a hug, but there are still plenty of other things to get used to.  For example, in my…

by Dave For French practice I chose an article in a French Christian magazine to translate and respond to. Below is my translation and some of my thoughts: New Martyr in Kenya  On February 7, 2013 at 10am, Ahmed Abdi Welli, a Somalian Christian living in Kenya, was assassinated in the middle of the street while talking with a pastor in the city of Garissa. We suspect the Al Shebabs to be the origin of the attack. The pastor with whom he was found, Ibrahim Makunyi, was injured and drove to the hospital to undergo an emergency operation.   Abdi…

by Dave Picking up our kids from school is always an adventure. After a brisk bike ride from our campus to theirs we join the French version of the running of the bulls: a vast ocean of the parents and caretakers of 120 three to five year olds flooding through a single pair of double-doors. Being responsible for four of those children, all in separate classes, we cannot merely ride the back of the wave. So we squeeze through, call back “Excusez-moi” and head for two rooms each. Then comes the fumbling French as we try our best to understand…

By Stacey Let me begin with two stories: The missionary nightmare A zealous missionary went out to evangelize Europe. He went our believing with all his heart that God’s grace was sufficient and that God would supply his every need. And what happened?  He reports that he was severely beaten by the nationals. There were many attempts on his life. He was rejected by the people to whom he was ministering and he was even rejected by people from his own country. He was in danger in the city andin remote villages. He was in danger from the so called “Christians.” He had a life of toil…

by Stacey “The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.” Acts 17:24-25    Sickness and Death We have been studying French with a friend here in Albertville who is preparing to go to West Africa to serve as a pilot. He is married with four young children. A couple weeks ago, he found out he had a tumor on a Friday, flew…

by Dave In my daily devotions I have been reading through the Gospels and I was struck by the way Christ responded to what we would call “seekers.” Three people approached Jesus, seeking to follow him, and he responded in a surprising way to all three: Seeker 1: As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”   Seeker 2: To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me…