Wivell Prayer Letter

"Are you excited?" many people have asked me over the last few months.  It's hard to believe, but it's true: the deputation journey is finally at its end!  Monthly support is complete, my visa is in hand, plane tickets have been purchased, deputation meetings are concluded.  All that is left is to pack and board the plane.  So, am I excited?  Oh, yes, I certainly am!  But I also know that the days ahead will be challenging ones.  There will be much to learn, experience, and adjust to as I launch into my new life on the mission field.  Please be in special prayer for me in the upcoming months.

The End of a Journey

In the weeks since my last letter, I have gained a new supporting church, and the Lord has provided for two current supporters to increase their support, completing my monthly support goal!  After 5 years of part time and full time deputation meetings, this stage of my life is finally over, and I'm ready to launch into full-time ministry on the field.  What a marathon of endurance, perseverance, and faith deputation has been!  In the challenges I will face on the mission field in the future, may the Lord continually remind me of the trials and the victories that He led me through on deputation.

The Lord has also helped me work through many practical matters essential to my departure for France, not the least of which was applying for a student visa for France.  After some weeks of gathering paperwork, I drove to the French consulate to apply in person.  The application itself was quite a simple procedure, and in a few days I had my passport back, complete with visa.

My primary task remaining as I finish my time here is packing and organizing.  That can be much more complicated than it sounds!  I plan to leave for Chad directly from France as soon as I complete language school, so I need to pack for living in both Europe and Africa.  Whatever does not go to the mission field will remain in long-term storage in the USA, or will be thrown or given away.  Please pray for wisdom as I decide what to take and what to leave behind.

The Start of a Journey

The next few weeks will go by very quickly.  I will be departing for France on January 12, just 24 days from the writing of this letter!  I will arrive in France on January 13, and on the 16th I will take a placement test.  This will determine my current proficiency level in French so they can place me in the right classes, which begin on January 23.  I'm looking forward to gaining greater communication skills in French which will help me minister better in Africa, but I also know that adjusting to a new culture and language is never easy.  Please pray for me as I start classes and adjust to the French culture.

Once I leave Indiana around the 5th of January, please note that my former American mailing address and phone number will no longer be valid.  I will be temporarily living with a missionary couple while I look for more long-term lodgings.  Please note my new (temporary) mailing address at the end of this letter.  I will let you know my new phone number after I have settled in France.  My email address will remain the same.

Thank you all for praying for me during these exciting (and sometimes stressful) days!

In Christ's Service,
Anna Beth Wivell