Sat 11.27 with your whole heart

It may seem trite but I have not been able to get Jer 29 out of my head.
"For I know the plans I have for you says the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope."

But as always I am thinking more about what follows:
"THEN you will come and pray to me and I will listen to You. You will seek me and you will find me when you seek me with your whole heart."

On the way to Frankfurt I thought the Italian guy was gonna be the talker but then German Richard Schitzer showed up at the last last second. He was hurried and nervous at first. Then he talked until we landed 6hrs later. Richard is a few years younger than me. Can you believe when he married his wife he changed HIS name because of his stepdaughter? He was here on vacation: he had gone to Chattanooga and ended up in the factory there that buys parts he made in the factory where he works in Germany!?!
Stranger still, he met his friend's boss here. All of them are native Germans and it's the twin of his boss back home!!! This was his first trip abroad ever!
He was a friendly but lost father of 2 stepfather of 1. Youngest of 6 himself and was talking about euthanasia for his 83 yr-old mom. He talked a lot about feeling unfulfilled at work in his last 3 jobs. All I could think was how great he would be as a believer!
We didn't exchange info but he told me he's on Facebook a lot. Guess who was convicted to learn some German.



Jeff Kim met me at the Airport in Toulouse to drive to Auch 45 mins away where I'm staying with him and his wife Veronique and their 5 yr old Victor. The Pyrenees were visible in the distance as we drove. Cold and beautiful! Victor was so excited. While I recovered he chatted away and asked questions and invited me to play blocks with him. Veronique is originally from Lyon. She and Jeff met briefly in France when she was 17 and he 26 then reconnected years later in St. Louis and eventually married. It took them as long to build their team to move back to France as missionaries as it is taking me!

We spent the afternoon and evening getting to know each other and sharing our journeys up to this point. And eating. I am doing well with keeping small portions but I forgot how many more courses there always are. Victor has sort of adopted me as a big brother and explains everything to me in English in case I don't understand the French, lol.

I am grateful and encouraged immediately by how easy the KIMs are to talk to and befriend.
Goodnight!