My second day in France. I write at 11:00pm which is 5:00pm in PA. We are farther north than you might think. It does not get dark until almost 10:00pm. France is as far north as Canada, Carolyn reminds me.

I got two night’s sleep last night. I stayed up all day yesterday trying to get my internal clock to where it ought to be. I fell asleep about 10:30pm with what felt like exhaustion. I woke probably sometime after 3:00am and could not go back to sleep. I tossed and turned for a while and finally resorted to turning on the light and returning to the book I am reading. I read a chapter and then turned off the light and fell asleep again. I did not open my eyes until after 9:00am. So, I am thinking I had two night’s sleep on the same night.

Jerry and I set out to view another castle today. It was really our excuse to spend the day in a way that allowed us to talk about all sorts of things. We have always been able to interact and learn from each other. Our drive to the castle, tour of the castle, and drive home were filled with discussion of theological issues and church leadership issues. Jerry had a meeting tonight to work through some issues and we were able to interact on them. So, while it may seem we were just sightseeing, we were doing much more. I really enjoyed it.

We visited the Chambord Chateau. If you would like to see some of the things we saw, click on the website - http://www.lvo.com/GB/MAG/CHATEAUX/CHAM/CHAM1.HTML

I should tell you it was raining while we were there. We had one small umbrella between us and no jacket. Okay, so we are not the brightest bulbs in the chandelier but we had a great time. And it was dry once we got inside. Seeing how the kings and the court lived is an impressive thing. Unfortunately, the extravagance led to an eventual collapse of the whole way of life. We enjoyed a lunch together (under a dry pavilion). When we left, we stopped at a place where we could see wild pigs and red deer that are indigenous to the area.

We returned home to a wonderful meal of duck with potatoes and a goat cheese salad. I am trying to be careful about how much I eat but Carolyn is rather determined about her hospitality which is of course superb.

Carolyn and I had more time to sit and talk as Jerry attended his meeting. When he returned, Dave Riddell was with him and came to say hello. Dave stayed briefly because he lives an hour away and was in meetings all day and faces more meetings tomorrow.

Part of our discussions of the day have revolved around what it is to be part of a team of missionaries. I share this because the discussions remind me about how difficult it is to serve as a missionary in another culture. While a place like France is a wonderful place to be, it is still another place that is not quite home. Missionaries are put together in teams that become family. They are dependent on each other and could not function without each other. But like families with close relationships, they must be very careful to maintain their relationships. Jerry and Carolyn are very grateful for their team members but I suppose I mention this to remind us all how much support they need in the battles they face.