So, it has been months (yikes) since I have updated anything here. What has the Heyman family been up to these past couple months? Here are a few snippets for those of you who track with what we are doing here in France.

* After a difficult fall full of trials, spring is coming. We do see light at the end of the tunnel and are grateful for all of you who have been praying for us. God has taught us so much through all of these challenges and drawn us closer to Him. We trust His sovereignty in all of the situations we have been facing and some we continue to face.

* The Holidays were a rich time for us as a family. We spent some time in Austria on vacation in the snow which was so much fun. It was great to be away and spend quality time as a family.

* Youth Group is continuing to go well here. Renee and I just got back from a week at our first ski/snowboard camp. We took five students with us from the youth group here and connected up with another CAI church plant from Aix and their students. The Champfleuri staff was great, and I believe each of our students grew closer to God through the experience. It was also fun to get some snowboarding in too :)

 * Samantha and I are looking forward to attending our third leadership summit this week in Lisbon. Michael Frost is going to be our speaker, so I am really looking forward to that. He wrote Shaping of Things To Come with Alan Hirsch and also wrote Exiles. I am reading Exiles right now and would highly recommend it.

* The kids are continuing to do well in school. Thea is loving her art class. She had an art show last week in Grasse and was the star of her class. She loved every minute of it. She is always creating something in her room. Silas is full of energy as ever. He copies everything his older brother and sister do. I think he is going to be an extreme sports guy. Isaiah is doing well in school and enjoying playing basketball. He is also so excited about learning how to snowboard. I took him up for the day a couple weeks ago, and he loved it. 

* Renee has arrived, so we are super excited to have our teammate and friend back with us here in France. She is staying with us right now until we can find her a place. The kids love having her around. The youth group girls are thrilled too.

* We are thankful for all of our friends here and the relationships that continue to deepen.

 * We are praying about some big decisions which will impact significantly our family's future and would love to have you pray along with us for wisdom, guidance, discernment,etc. More details coming soon.

* God has brought me personally into a new season of joy, hope, freedom, etc that I have not experienced in a long time, so I am grateful for this. I am also learning more and more that He speaks to me through the lyrics of songs which is really cool. Thanks for this enlightenment Kristina. I also sense Him wanting to renew and recharge Samantha and I in this next season of life after all that we have gone through. We are learning how much the enemy loves to attack our thought life. Like Paul says to the church in Philippi, "whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable -- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy- think about such things."   In general it feels like God has been teaching Samantha and I so much lately and I am grateful for this in spite of the trials we have had to endure. 

 Ok, this is getting wordy. Time to close. I will try to be better about consistency in the future :)

awed by His Grace for us,

Justus

Posted by Samantha at 11:15 AM CET

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Have you ever noticed how trials, problems, etc come in bunches? We have just gone through one of those periods where you look back and think, "dang did all of that just happen in the last couple weeks?" So, in the past four weeks we have had the following take place:

1. Samantha miscarried and hemorrhaged so badly that we had to race to the emergency room. She was hospitalized for two days and had to be given a blood transfusion because she had lost so much blood. Thankfully after two weeks of bedrest she is beginning to feel better.

2. an irs audit.(thankfully we have discovered it is their mistake not ours)

3. a broken hot water heater.

4. a toilet broke in our house

5. the car battery died.

6. our new cd player broke

7. the renewal of our visas is still on hold. we will have to go to the prefecture a 5th time with even more paperwork which has never been asked for before.

8. electrical problems in the house

9. my laptop died

 Yes, we have been discouraged and beaten down, but through it all God is carrying us. It's been a good time to remember what scripture teaches us about trials. They are a part of life in this fallen world. They are most definitely a part of a Christian's life. Jesus promises that we will have trouble in this world, and Peter tells us not to be surprised by the trials we face. So how should we respond to these bad times in our lives? Here are just a few things that have come to my mind lately.

1. Jesus never promised to take all of our problems away, but he did promise do be right there in the middle of them with us. Just this week I have been reading in Joshua where it says"Be strong and courageous; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.'

2. God uses trials in our lives to build character (Romans 5:3-5, James 1)

3. They make us more like Jesus as they shape us into his image(Romans 8:28-29)

4. They create genuine faith (I Peter1:6-7)

5. They help put things in perspective about what matters and doesn't matter in life. When your wife is ill, all of a sudden it becomes crystal clear what relationships and people are most important to you!

6. Trials give you greater compassion and sensitivity to others going through painful things.

 So those are just a few thoughts running through my head. Already looking back there are some positive things that have happened out of all this. We have been encouraged by so many of our friends here who have reached out and helped in so many practical ways from providing meals, planning playdates for our kids, praying for us, watching our children while I was visiting Samantha in the hospital, etc. So many friends in the States and around Europe have been praying for us and sent encouraging notes and emails. God has used these trials to help me realize yet again that the most important people in my life are my wife and children. I am also reminded that life can be very hard at times, and I have a greater sense of compassion for all of those folks in the world going through far greater difficulties then we are. It's great to know that we are not meant to walk this journey of life alone but in community and that we have a God who intimately understands our lives and chooses to interact with us.  

Random thoughts -

 - what is up with my Cowboys?

- Isaiah is beginning to really like riding his bike. I look forward to riding with him as he continues to get bigger and stronger. IT will be fun to start mountain biking together

- Thea is so creative. She just made me the neatest birthday hat last night and decorated our whole living room for my birthday.

- Silas and I have had a lot of fun running errands together recently while Samantha has been recovering. He expects a "pain chocolat" though everywhere we go as a reward. 

-- As I have fufilled the role of chief homemaker these past couple weeks, I am so reminded how demanding a role this is. It's nonstop from 7am to 9pm each day!! Cooking, cleaning, shopping, errands, caring for the kiddos, taking them to and from school, helping with homework, baths, etc. The list never ends!! 

Posted by Samantha at 3:26 PM MEST

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We have been home in France a little over a week after all our travels this summer. Our trip to the States and then to Hungary for our annual staff conference both went really well. More on that in another post. We are trying to recuperate and re-enter life in our community here in France. There is so much to catch up on. We are really excited about this coming year and what God has in store for us and the ministry here.

One exciting thing that has occurred over the past few months is that we as a team have decided on a name for the ministry here on the Cote D'Azur. Behind every name is a story, and so I thought I would share some of the tidbits of how God brought us to the name Parfums De Vie - a multilingual Christian community on the Cote D'Azur. As God has continued to unfold the vision for the ministry here to us it is exciting to look back at some of the milestones. We have gone through many ups and downs, transitions, trials, challenges, surprises, blessings and the like our first three years here in France. We now feel like we are entering a very exciting chapter in the ministry here. We love working with Nicole and Vincent and see how God has brought the four of us together as a team. (Renee we can't wait till you rejoin us too.)

So the name story goes something like this. We have been praying for the last year that God would reveal a name to us that would symbolize who we are and desire to be as a network of missional communities seeking to live in the way of Jesus on the Cote D'Azur. Many people praying for us and the ministry here kept bringing up the passage in scripture where Mary anoints Jesus feet with perfume. Several prayed for us that we would be a sweet fragrance of Christ in this community. That really struck a chord in me and others on our team. Last fall, I began looking at some of the passages in scripture which talk about aroma, fragrance, etc.

I came across 2 Corinthians 2:14-16 which says, "But thanks be to God who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?" So the picture became clearer. We want to be the fragrance of life here on the Cote D'Azur. Grasse, a nearby city where a part of our ministry is focused on, is the perfume capital of the world. Thus the obvious connection. We want to saturate the Cote D'Azur with the love of Christ.  Parfums de Vie means fragrance, aroma or flavor of life in French. We pray that who we are and what we do as a community of Christ followers would be a sweet, life giving aroma to those arounds us.

Random tidbits:

Silas is definitely two right now. He sure gets into everything and is asserting his will.

Isaiah is going to soccer camp next week. This is his first exposure to team sports. I hope it is a great experience for him.

As a family we are trying to slow down a bit and catch our breath before school begins.

My knee is finally doing better. I have been back on the bike for the first time in 5 months!!

The Olympics are addicting!! 

Posted by Samantha at 4:53 PM MEST

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So our trip to the States went really well. It really seems like a blur at the moment. We arrived home last night to France after more than 24 hours of travel including the time change. The kids did really well on the plane. Right now it is 5am and I have been up for 3 hours already with Isaiah, Thea and Silas. Oh the joys of jetlag.

Anyways, it was great to connect with friends and family in California these past couple weeks. We had a great time sharing about what God has done with us and the ministry here on the Cote D'Azur this past year. We had so many praises to share! It was fun to catch up on many of your lives as well. Ashley and Curtis' wedding was a real joy to be a part of also. Thea was such a cutie as the flower girl. I think we ate a ton literally of Mexican food.!

This year, Samantha and I made a concerted effort to spend more time with our kiddos and not run ourselves so ragged like we did last year when we visited the States. We are still learning how to say "no" and have a sustainable pace:) I think by God's grace we were more successful with this. We took the kids to the beach a couple times, went to Legoland, Sea World  and more. The hard part is that we never have enough time to see everyone we would like to in San Diego. For those of you we didn't get a chance to conect with, we hope to see you next time we visit. Or better yet, come see us here in France!!

Thanks to each of you who prayed for us and encouraged us in so many ways.  Thank you to those of you who spent an evening with us at one of our desserts hearing about us and the ministry here in France.  God used each of these gatherings to speak to us in different ways through you. We have come back to France with a renewed vision for the ministry here. Gosh the list goes on and on for who we would like to thank. Thank you Jane, the Bolts, the Petersons and Cipriani/Hornings for hosting us in your homes. Thank you to each of you who gave financially so that we can continue doing what God has called us to here in Europe. Thank you Linda and Gary and Babak for the use of your cars.Thank you Carole and Cliff for watching our kiddos and giving us space to process with you. Thank you Renee, Katy, Gracie, Linda, and others for watching our kiddos while we had speaking engagements.  

So we are back in Le Rourent for two days and then we head to Hungary for our annual staff conference called, Connect. We look forward to reconnecting with our fellow CA church planters and hearing God speak in new and fresh ways to us. After that, we look forward to being back in France and resettling into life here. Ok, I am getting a little loopy. It's late or really early actually so time to try and get these kiddos back to sleep.

Posted by Samantha at 4:07 AM MEST

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So our trip to the states is less then a week away. Man time just flies by. We are looking forward to seeing so many people in San Diego. We wish we had more time. It's going to be a bit of a whirlwind tour. The kids are getting excited. They can't wait to go to grandma's house and also to Legoland. Rubios and Jamba juice are also high on the list.

 It is amazing how much God has done here in the past twelve months with our team, the ministry, etc. There are so many answered prayers as I look back over the past twelve months.

 I am loving watching the Euro 2008. There have been sensational matches. Man I miss playing soccer. The knee is on the mend. Unlike Tiger, I am hoping to come back at the right time without reinjuring anything. It's so hard.

Silas is talking like crazy. Thea is blowing us all away with her French. Isaiah is getting so big. The other night he stayed up late and watched a soccer match with me. He just wants to spend time with his dad. What a treat. Man do I want to be a good example for him of what it means to be a man who follows Christ. Samantha and I are doing well. We are enjoying our time together in the evenings watching Lost on itunes. Dang it's addicting. 

a bientot 

Posted by Samantha at 9:42 PM MEST

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So my arthroscopic knee surgery went well last Tuesday. I am actually headed off to my second physical therapy appointment in a few minutes. I can't wait to be active again. It has been three months since I have done anything which is an eternity to me. I definitely need to get out and sweat. I go a little crazy when I don't. I can't wait to get back on my bike and play some ball. God has been teaching me more patience through all of this and to be thankful for things. When you are injured, sick, etc everything is put into perspective.

We are busy getting ready for our upcoming trip to the states. I will be officiating a wedding for one of my former students at SBPC on June 29th. It will be a quick visit this time as we have time constraints on both ends of the trip. We do look forward to reconnecting with friends, family and supporters in California though for a couple weeks and updating eveyone on what God has done here in the past 12 months with us, our team, and the ministry. Lots of praises to share!!

 We are so excited with the direction the ministry is heading in. We see God opening doors all over the place. It is such a privilege to be able to share with people about what it means to be a Christ follower and to help people begin to live in the way of Jesus. We seek to be a blessing in our community and demonstrate God's love through word and deed. 

The kids are all growing like crazy. Just lately, Silas has begun putting whole sentences together. He is such a cutie. He loves playing with motorcycles more than anything else. He also likes bouncing on the trampoline in our backyard. He is actually really good at it for a 2 year old. Thea is continuing to impress us with her French progress. She is also becoming quite the social butterfly on our street. Isaiah is looking more and more like a big boy. He is very excited about going to Legoland this summer in San Diego.

Samantha and I are enjoying watching Lost season 3 together right now. We are also looking forward to eating some Mexican food and hanging out with friends in San Diego. After being here in France now for three years, we are thankful for the friends God has provided for us here. We are also thankful for the many people who support us and make what we are doing here possible. What a ride these first three years have been. God is faithful though and so in control.

 Ok, I am off to my physical therapy appointment and then I am going to watch a bit of the French Open and the Giro D'Italia. Then we are off to our friends house for dinner and an evening all in French. Yikes I still have so much to learn in French.

Posted by Samantha at 1:22 PM MEST

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So we are already into May. Amazing. We will celebrate having been here in France for three years on the 17th. Wow, what a ride it has been. Thank goodness God is in control. Things are going well as a family and for the ministry. We were just officially appointed team leaders here by CAI last weekend after serving on an interim leader status for the last 18 months. Yay!! We are so excited to see God continue to develop a network of missional communities seeking to live in the way of Jesus here. We pray that God would use us to influence others to follow Christ and be a blessing to others.

Thea and Isaiah are continuing to do well in school. Thea has impressed us lately with her French. We recently celebrated Silas' 2nd birthday which was a lot of fun. We had a motorcycle themed party because that is what he is into right now.

 So my knee is still annoying. I haven't been able to run, ride, play ball, anything really for two months. My arthroscopic surgery is scheduled for the 27th. They will have to take out part of my meniscus. It has been a stretching time for me with no physical outlet. God is teaching me to have more patience and find my joy in Him.

Looking forward to our time with Scott and Terri this weekend. What a difference a year makes since their last spring under very different circumstances.

Samantha is still trying to find out what is giving her so much sinus pain and making her feel tired all the time. Pray that the Lord gives the doctors discernment.

 Getting excited about our next trip to the States for Ashley Radak's wedding in the end of June. Can't wait to reconnect with friends, eat some Mexican food, update everyone on our life and ministry here and much more. 

Ok, I need to run and pick up the kids from school. Silas is with Samantha getting his first haircut. He has been looking like such a surfer with his long blond curly hair.

Posted by Samantha at 11:04 AM MEST

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l 

 Dad and Silas on a hike.

Thea the explorer. 

Isaiah excited to be playing outside and Silas with a ball. 

 Tomas, Justus and Jay at the CA France Retreat

Posted by Samantha at 2:16 PM MEST

Updated: Monday, 14 April 2008 4:38 PM MEST

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So what are you doing here in France? In other words why are you here, what do you do for a living, etc. This question is often asked of someone like us living cross culturally.

The answer to this question obviously has many layers. For us the simplest answer is that we are here to see a network of missional communities living in the way of Jesus developed here on the Cote D'Azur. We want to demonstrate what it means to be a community of Christ followers and invite others to join us in this journey both students and adults alike. We want to be a blessing to others in our community because that is what God has called us to do.

The other day I was reading a passage of Scripture that really resonated with me. An ancient Hebrew prophet wrote "Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and your renown are the desire of our hearts".

I believe like this prophet that you and I were created for a purpose and that is to please God. We are to live our lives in ways that bring him glory, honor and praise. We find our true destiny and fulfillment in life when we do this. You and I were made for worship. The amazing thing is that we find the most meaning and value in life when we live for Him. The way of Jesus is truly the best way to live. This goes directly against popular culture that says life is about me and pleasing me. But I have found like many others before me for centuries, that living for self is empty. When we live for God that's a whole other story.

 family news:

Our kiddos are out of school this week. We have been enjoying some good time together as a family after a very hectic March. We will be celebrating Silas 2nd birthday soon. Wow. Time flies. I can't believe how fast our kids are growing up. It truly is a joy to be with them. Gosh parenting is challenging though.

Loved March Madness again. What a final.

Bummed that my knee is still messed up. Might have surgery. Injuries are a part of life.

Ok time to go feed the kiddos lunch

Posted by Samantha at 11:39 AM MEST

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What a month. From our time in Lisbon at the CA leadership summit to our time in Aix en Provence for the CA France Retreat to the two short term teams from the states, Gerald Tilley and the SFC team, there have been so many great things happening in the ministry here. It is definitely time to catch our breath though. Easter was awesome. What a wonderful time of fellowship we had as we celebrated our Savior's death and resurrection. 

Not sure where to begin with all of the above things. We continue to see God moving in great ways in our lives personally and the lives of those around us as we seek to be a network of missional communities living in the way of Jesus. Our time with Gerald was wonderful as we dug in deep to Colossians with him verse by verse. Thank you Gerald for your teaching. Our time with SFC was great as well. What an amazing group of students with a passion for God and a desire to be a blessing to others. It was a pleasure to celebrate our Savior's resurrection with you on Sunday. 

Family news:

Thea is five now and had a wonderful batman birthday party on Saturday. We had a big Easter egg hunt and a pinata which the kids loved.

Isaiah is loving his razor scooter right now and his XBOX star wars game. He is getting so big

Silas is saying so many words now.

Samantha and I are excited that spring is here and the chance to play in our garden with our kiddos. I am still hobbling around on a bum knee that I hurt a few weeks ago playing soccer. I am getting antsy not being able to do anything athletic!

 Loving March Madness as usual. 

Got to go pick up my car now from Midas. 

Posted by Samantha at 1:34 PM MEST

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