Christmas Carols

I couldn't sleep last night. Like an old movie, my mind kept rewinding to an event that happened three years ago. Greg and I were on our very first trip to Lyon to explore ministry opportunities, and one event in particular solidly changed the course of our future for good.

That event was the annual International Christian Community of Lyon's Christmas Carols service.

Jet-lagged and disoriented, we arrived at the service not knowing quiet what to expect. We knew the ICCL consisted of just a handful of families, so to see hundreds of people pour into an 17th century church on a cold, rainy evening was exciting to say the least. The service itself was fun, festive, and family-like. People of varying ages and cultures enthusiastically sang traditional carols together, many doing so in broken, heavily accented English. I vividly remember sitting towards the back of the church, taking it all in, with a wide grin on my face. I recall thinking that Christmas brings out the best in people. Example: a very classy elderly French lady sat next to me, and I remember her literally jumping to her feet and singing loudly during the French verses of an international rendering of "The 12 days of Christmas." That would be considered very "un-French" like behavior on a normal night, but this night was special.

Fast-forward the memories three years, to today. We now live in this beautiful city, and we're on the eve of the annual Carols service once again. For those of you who reside in or near Lyon, please join us! It's this Sunday, December 1 at 4:00 pm at Temple du Change in Vieux Lyon. Warm up your voice and be sure to bring your Christmas cheer!

My 3 Thanksgivings

This morning I read this promise from Jesus in the Bible: "...there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms for my sake and for the gospel's sake, but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age..." These words brought great comfort. Today is Thanksgiving in America, and I miss my family terribly. But even where loss dwells, God showers blessings: he's given me three Thanksgivings this year.

Thanksgiving #1: ICCL
Our church celebrates Thanksgiving each year in mid-November with a potluck luncheon before the Sunday afternoon worship service. Like us, the founding pastors of the ICCL (International Christian Community of Lyon) are also Americans. Many years ago, after inviting French families to celebrate Thanksgiving with them in their homes, they discovered that internationals really enjoy the concept of a festive holiday centered around gratitude. At church, we're constantly giving thanks to God for his manifold blessings; it makes perfect sense to combine the custom of a Thanksgiving meal with our worship. Our meal is hardly an "all-American" feast, however. The table is filled with foods with distinctly international flavors. We do have the traditional turkey, sweet potatoes, and cranberries...along with Pakistani chicken curry, chrysanthemum tea jelly from east Asia, and of course, French bread.

Thanksgiving #2: Home
Even though the girls have a long school day today, we'll have a "thanksgiving" meal on our own this evening. I plan to get a rotisserie chicken, and I'll fix my grandmother's escalloped pineapple, mashed potatoes, and green beans. For dessert my girls requested chocolate chip cookie bars -- they aren't big fans of pumpkin pie. Growing up, my family's tradition was to go around the table after dinner and share the one thing we were most thankful for that year. I hope to Skype in during my parent's meal (usually a late lunch, so the timing should work out well) so we can continue the tradition long-distance.

Thanksgiving #3: American Club
On Saturday we plan to participate in Lyon's American Club annual thanksgiving meal. It's another potluck -- still more pineapple and cranberry dishes to prepare. I look forward to meeting more Americans living in this city. I think about 20 families are expected to attend.

So as you can see, I'm not missing out on Thanksgiving. Actually I'm just extending the festivities -- before, during, and after the actual date! I hope and pray that everyone out there has a blessed Thanksgiving. Remember, there is a lot to be thankful for!

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His lovingkindness is everlasting.

Baby, it's cold outside

The celsius scale makes sense: zero for freezing, 100 for boiling. But even after four months in Lyon, it's so strange to read the temperature in celsius. Yesterday's high was 1. That's right, one! Brrrrrr...on any scale, that just sounds cold to this southern gal.

We officially got our first snowfall of the year on Wednesday. Nothing stuck "in town" near the rivers,  although the snowflakes slowly floating down were beautiful. However, the suburbs just a few miles west of town saw several inches of snow. Some of our friends posted a picture of their yard:

Yesterday, the girls reported that it hailed & sleeted a couple of inches at their school. The teenage boys were so excited to see the white stuff -- you couldn't really call it snow -- that they ran outside during a break and made "sleet-balls." (Which, of course, they delightedly threw at all the girls).

Ahhh, the joys of winter. I have to admit there is an excitement in the air, as the days get shorter, the street lights come on sooner, and Christmas decorations start to appear in shop windows. Even as I complain on one hand about the weather, on the other hand it's energizing. After getting bundled up in my thick winter clothing, briskly walking down the streets of Lyon, I'm stimulated by the crisp air. I think I'm ready for a winter wonderland!

A grocery bag filled with Home

Today Greg arrived home with a cooler in one hand and a large, heavy grocery bag in the other. I expected the cooler: we had made arrangements for two frozen turkeys to be delivered for our church's Thanksgiving celebration. But the other bag was a question mark. When I asked him what was inside, he grinned. "It's some Thanksgiving treats from Dan," he answered, taking the bag into the kitchen. Dan is a fellow pastor from Marseilles, and he was our source for the turkeys. Apparently, he has access to other American goodies, too, because inside the bag we found all sorts of familiar comfort foods. The girls and I excitedly unpacked the treasures: Pepperidge Farms stuffing mix, canned cranberry sauce, creamed corn, pumpkin pie filling, craisins, brownie mix, and light brown sugar. Best of all (causing actual squeals and jumps for joy), we discovered a package of Nestle's chocolate chips and a batch of homemade chocolate chip cookies!

It's not as if we can't find these things here in France, but A) you often have to pay through the nose for them, and B) they just don't seem to taste the same. Take chocolate chips, for example. Yes, they are available in most grocery stores -- but there must be a slight difference in the recipe, because they just don't have the same flavor. Not a bad flavor by any means, it's just different.

Opening that bag today launched a passionate dialogue about foods we missed from "back home."

Lori: I really miss all the unhealthy foods -- chimichangas, nachos with beef and cheese and beans, the foot long hot dogs from Sonic...
Lindsey: Waffle fries from Chick-fil-A!
Me: I thought you didn't like waffle fries?
Lori: No, that's Dad. We just don't like the ones that still have the skin on them.
Me: What else do you miss?
Lori: BBQ, hushpuppies, oooh, oooh, egg rolls!
Lindsey (loudly): Dunkin donuts! Milkshakes! Oh yeah, frozen yogurt...FRO YO!!!"
Lori: I miss going to get slushies with Taylor.
Lindsey: But you don't even like slushies!
Lori: I know, but it's Taylor.

It seems that food is more than just physical nourishment. Food links us to the places, the people, and the events that are important in our memories and dear to our hearts. I've already written about all the amazing foods that we've enjoyed here in France. And when we leave this place someday, I'm sure we'll have the same nostalgia-filled dialogues about baguettes, pain au chocolat, brie, raclette, chocolate mousse....

I think it's time for a little snack. Where are those chocolate chip cookies?

Raclette

Last year during a visit to Lyon, some friends of ours invited us over for dinner. It was a bitterly cold night, perfect weather for introducing us to a dish called "raclette." This hearty meal originated from the mountainous regions of France and Switzerland, and typically consists of melted cheese, sliced meats, potatoes, and bread. (Customarily, this meal was prepared over an open fire, and I imagine it provided a lot of warmth and conviviality during the frigid Alpine winters.) Our friends had described it to us as "similar to fondue" when they extended the invitation, so at first Greg was not excited (his usual response to "fondue" is "fon-don't!"). He was pleasantly surprised at how delicious raclette turned out to be.

Our friends prepared the meal directly at the table. They had a special raclette machine which included six miniature griddles called "coupelles." Sliced charcuterie selections (dried meats, salami, ham, etc.) and cheese are put on the coupelles and then placed under the electric grill to melt and brown the cheese. Then the cheese/meat concoction is scraped off the coupelles and onto potatoes or slices of bread. The term raclette is derived from the French verb for "to scrape," racler.

When these dear friends moved back to the U.S. from Lyon, we were the happy recipients of their raclette machine. Yesterday was one of those cold, blustery, rainy days -- an "Eeyore" day -- so I considered it to be the perfect opportunity to inaugurate the raclette maker. It was a big success. Since you're creating the meal together as a family, the activity seems to stimulate animated conversation and laughter. The machine even provides extra warmth for the table! Lori claims that this is now her new favorite dinner. It's a very hearty meal, though -- not good for my waistline -- so I'll have to practice moderation!

Ingredients: bread, charcuterie, cheese, potatoes

Step 1: Place meat & cheese onto coupelles

Step 2: Place coupelles under the grill.
Bread can be warmed on top of the hotplate.

Step 3: Scrape the melted cheese onto potatoes or sliced bread.

Step 4: Enjoy! Bon appetit!