End of the week in Montauban

     It has been a wonderful week. On Thursday we shared the Gospel and talked about the crucifixion. We even acted it out a little. We also showed the Jesus film.  The French kid loved the crafts and the music. We explain everything in French but they love the American music with gestures and dance moves. Today, Friday, was the final program where the parents could see what their children had learned. The kids sang and played the bells. We gave each child a Bible for their own.

Lydia and Laura enjoyed the games.

Elise and Ozanne were campers last time we came. This time they were our assistants.

Rebecca and Will came all the way from Nicaragua to help us.

These kids were in the oldest group.

We are passing out a Bible in comic strip form ( which is considered an art form here) plus other Christian books on the kids'  reading level.

The week in Montauban continues

We wear team t- shirts that say on the front: His Grace is sufficient.

On the back it says," We carry this treasure in earthen vessels so that this extraordinary power may be attributed to God and not to us."II Corinthians 4:7

Follow Him!!

The kids loved the science experiments which we held in the courtyard outside.

Here I am teaching a Bible lesson about being the salt of the earth. First I handed out tasteless crackers and then salty ones for the kids to see how salt gives flavor.

The first week of VBS

The kids love singing the songs in English.

Here the children are learning about rocks in Science.

A Montauban

Saturday we drove from the Cévennes mountains to Montauban.  There was heavy traffic as people left on vacation. We stopped at Carcassonne for lunch. This is a well preserved medieval walled city. The weather was hot and sunny. The students enjoyed exploring on their own: Lowri, Sabine and Katja Emily. Liz Szews is one of our drivers and she is amazing as she drives a stick shift van on the roads of France!

Vendredi

Friday morning the team hiked to the top of another mountain to see another protestant temple.
 ( Reformed Protestant churches are called temples). We had devotions there and sang together.
After looking at the Roman ruins (under the church), we visited the town of Anduze for lunch.
Then we spent the afternoon planning VBS. Friday evening we had a final picnic with M. de Casenove ( age 95) and his sister Hélène ( age 93).  Both are fit and in good form.

Aigues Mortes

The name of this city means "Dead Waters"and King Louis built it in the middle ages. Some of the crusades left from here. One tower is named La Tour de Constance,  after his daughter. It was used as a prison for the protestant women. One girl, Marie Durand, was arrested on her wedding day and spent 40 years there. We took a tour of the tower and the students thought about what they were willing to suffer for their faith.

Protestant History

We visited Le Musée du Désert and learned about the "desert period" when the Protestants wanted religious liberty and it was denied them. We saw the Bibles that families kept in secret- even tiny ones that women would hide in their hair. The museum is in the house of one of the Protestants from the 1600s. We toured it and saw where the pastors hid from the king's soldiers.

Afterwards, we climbed to the cave where the Protestants worshipped. It was a strenous hike - really more like rock climbing. How did they do it in their wooden clogs and carrying their children?? Once at the cave,  we sang and worshipped together.  The accoustics underground were great!