St Emilion
our new home town
visiting a vineyard
11.June.2008
About 3 years ago, we started to sense that there was more to our lives than we were experiencing. We didnt know what this might lead to but we opened ourselves up to all sorts of ideas and just kept an open mind. We never conceived of a permanent move, let alone leaving the country but in our prayers we opened our hearts to whatever God might want to do in our lives. Michael went on a short term mission trip in May of 2006 and came back from India having been profoundly affected by the experience. Another step was taken in our hearts towards something that we could feel was being prepared for us, an adventure and a plan that was purpose made for us. A few months later on a trip to Mexico we started to explore ideas including moving from California. We considered another State, Mexico or India, Nepal, but nothing settled in our hearts.
In December 2004 we had started The Master's Program. A three year leadership development program designed to facilitate Christian leaders in finding their God given purpose in life (quite a feat and one that we were more than a little skeptical about). In summary we looked closely at the core of who we are as people. Our gifts, talents, passions, ambitions, dreams and the specifics of our lives and their history to date. The hypothesis going in was in essence, "you are unique" and at the end of the three years not only did we believe that to be true but we also knew why. In March 2006 the curriculum took us through what was called the Dream Master, where couples explore their dreams and desires. One of the more surprising results of this was the revelation that if we could live anywhere in the world where would it be.....France...the dream began here.
While this was a flight of fancy, quite literally the result of a weekend of dreaming out loud, we now needed to bring it before God and seek Him in the midst of all that was stirring in side us. The reality that we would actually leave California was remote and I think at this time all that we had going for us was an open spirit and a complete disregard for looking facts in the face. I mean, why on earth would we leave the best place to live in the world, a great career, proximity to family, a wonderful church life etc etc....
The only way this would ever amount to anything was if God was involved. If not it would run out of steam very quickly and we would default to the comfort of our current existence. The motive, in other words, had to be clear and strong.
I would characterize the next year as one where we would take a step forward in exploration and then God would open doors. It was subtle but it built towards a crescendo. From October 2006 to October 2007 we remained open and explored the possibilities, starting in Toulouse. We went to visit Toulouse but bells didnt ring. We looked at Montpellier, nope. Michael got a great job offer in St. Tropez but we did not feel a peace about it. Back to the drawing board. Michael sent out resumes to several real estate companies that he liked on the internet. They all called and were interested in working with him. Michael went first to check it out and narrowed it down to four companies. We all took a trip in October 2007 to pick one. When we were in Bordeaux it reminded me of Paris. Bordeaux is 3 hours south west of Paris and in 2009 there will be a fast train which will make it a 2 hour journey. It has its own airport with flights to London on EasyJet.
Michael was offered a partnership with Maxwell International Properties to open an office in St Emilion (30 minutes East of Bordeaux) and sell coutry homes and vineyards, it sounded like a dream. We continued to the rest of the interviews. Some were very tempting but just didnt feel quite right. We just prayed and prayed and St Emilion kept coming up for us. We went back to talk to Karin Maxwell (one of the owners of Maxwell International Properties) whom Michael will be working with in St Emilion and found out she is a Christian which is very rare, most French people dont believe in God or believe but dont really follow. We knew she was the one. Since then Michael has been working on the new website and I will be the official photographer for all the homes. We have been busy packing and taking French lessons.
So....What are the chances that:
- A couple of people in the US would really want to find their purpose in life
- both a husband and wife would be open to going to France
- that they would have access to the job market through a British passport
- that their US and UK real estate qualifications are recognized in France
- that Michael can speak basic French already and Synthia is fluent in Spanish (another Latin language).
- that they would have had their child in a full immersion French school since she was 2 years old
- that this would all be happening when she is now 6 years old, the ideal time to move a child.
- that they would spend a year looking for the right business partner in the right industry and find not only the right partner but also a Christ follower in a country of 60 million people where only 400,000 profess a faith in Christ.
- that this partner would not only be open to but enthusiastic about our plan to link the sale of property to the sponsorship of children in poverty through Compassion International.
- That there may well be numerous opportunities for Michael's specific teaching gifts to be used in the local churches in the area, some of which have as little as one service a year!
And to top it all off, the name of the man that is co-ordinating our move to our new 'promised land' is "Moses"
The castle Glen Eyrie, now home to the Navigators
Original shower, the General Palmer the original owner and builder of Glen Eyrie was a very tall man :)
