We were up and about before the birds Monday morning preparing for a 6:30 AM taxi ride to the airport. As we were plenty ahead of schedule, there was time for a leisurely coffee and croissant before boarding our 9:15 AM flight to Lyon, France. We deplaned outside in chilly rain (a real shock after the Spanish heat of the previous week!) and ran for the terminal. Rain continued as we picked up Fiona, our Fiat 600 ride for the week. A 4-hour ride to Bourges – more rain. We agreed to walk to a Crêperie that evening – still in the rain. Tuesday morning we walked to the impressive 13th Century Cathedral there! A five-hour drive north followed (same weather) until we arrived in Normandy – blue skies! Wow!
That night we were with Thierry and Melissa Eudeline, hearing their story, catching up on what God was saying to them, sharing good laughs and praying together after breakfast the next morning before heading south to see Anne & Malgwyn Elmer, and their son, Chris, and wife, Elaine. Chris leads the Vineyard church in his parents’ home (an incredible old schoolhouse!). I lead their Wednesday evening Bible study. Thursday included a riverside lunch at a nearby restaurant with Anne & Malgwyn, then a raclette dinner back at their house. We left yesterday morning for the Atlantic coastal town of La Rochelle, squeezing in a visit to the local Aquarium (Sue’s got pictures!) and a quiet evening together.
Today, we head northeast near Tours to see Tim & Jane Rocke, Vineyard friends who run a campground, largely for folks on the Campostella pilgrimage (think Appalachian trail, but in the Pyrenees Mountains). They invite their guests to a short chapel service where they pray blessings for the journey that is ahead of them. Sunday, we’ll head toward St. Etienne. Early Monday, it’s back to the Lyon airport for our flight back to Barcelona. We’ll catch our flight home on Tuesday, arriving in Richmond at midnight, exhausted, but thrilled with the sweet contacts we’ve had these two weeks. Thanks for praying! Really looking forward to seeing some of you Wednesday night and, of course, all of you next Sunday. PD
Don graduated from Regent University in 1988 and moved to France for seven years, coming back to the US briefly to marry Sue in 1990. The work in France included working in a Christian School and helping plant a church before returning in 1995. He’s been pastor of Peninsula Vineyard since 1999. He enjoys counseling, especially married couples, traveling back to France (with Sue), reading, doing Sudoku puzzles and sleuthing out good, dark chocolate. Don serves as the senior pastor of the Vineyard Church Peninsula, in Newport News, Virginia.