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Sabbath near Charleroi
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Today went very well. Rees came by a bit after 11:00 am and we drove over to see Mr. Jean Carion, a long-time pastor who is in his 80s now and not in the best of health. We've known him ever since we started serving in France in 1985, close to 25 years ago. We welcomed me warmly and we sat by the fire in his living room and talked for over an hour. We talked about old times, and he asked about the health of my parents and common friends, catching up on the news of the past years. He has an old world charm that is disappearing in more recent generations, even in Europe. It was a pleasant visit, and I was very pleased to see him again.
From Mr. Carion's house we drove to the hall for services. Halls are often not easy to find in Europe, and the hall they are using near Charleroi does not have any heat. Thankfully this Sabbath was a sunny day and very warm for the season, in the upper 40s and lower 50s F., so it was not as cold as it could have been in the room.
I was happy to see several members from UCG who had accepted the invitation to attend. Daniel and Cindy Harper had made the trip all the way from Cherbourg in Normandy to meet the members of this congregation. As we fellowshipped, I met people I knew well from when we worked in the neighboring church circuit. It was very nice to meet old friends and catch upon old times. Several commented laughingly that they remembered me being younger, but then they were remembering events of 15 or more years ago.
We sang several hymns before Rees Ellis made some announcements, and then introduced me for the sermonette time, during which I gave a brief overview of the work of UCG and of our French department in particular.
After another hymn, I gave the sermon on the topic of strengthening our faith, using several examples from the lives of our brethren in the developing world. The sermon was warmly received and a number of people asked questions and made comments of appreciation for the chance to have news of Church brethren in other parts of the world.
We fellowshipped for about two hours after services; enjoying very pleasant and encouraging conversations. Quite a few people said they hoped we could meet together more often, and hoped they would have more such visits.
Rees and Fanny Ellis had invited me for dinner at their home, so we drove over and enjoyed a delicious dinner prepared by Fanny, a first course of home-made soup, followed by the main course of duck steak grilled over an open flame, a dish I particularly enjoy. We talked about many things, past present and future, especially how we might work together and better serve our brethren in French-Europe.
I took my leave about 8:30 pm and started the drive back down to Paris. A bit before 11:00 I took a hotel room not far from the airport for the night. Now I'm repacking one last time and preparing for the trip home. I can't wait to see my family again. It's been a full and successful three weeks, but now I'm quite ready to be home!
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