December 20

This weekend another chapter of life closes. It's been an amazing experience. You will all be glad to know that I've passed my course and been moved up a level to B1, which I'm sure means nothing to you unless you know the rating system. But it is an accomplishment I am proud of. More importantly though, God has added to me precious people, shown me more of Himself, and deepened a call that He is still revealing to me. It is an odd feeling to be drawn to a people and a place and so natural all at the same time. I have so many questions still and am so confident of God's leading.

Please pray for me:

that during my time at home I will be able to effectively continue my French studies.

for God's continued provision through people's generous support.

that God will reveal more of His plan for me. In particular, what I should do at the end of my school term in June.

that I will know my Father better each day.

So, this is it for a while from France. The blogs for the next 2 months will be from good ole Russellville, AR.

Merry Christmas, everyone!!
Joyeux Noel!!


**The pic is of me and Hannah at her fancy birthday dinner at Le Ciel de Paris. It's at the top of a 50 story building overlooking beautiful Paris. She got us all dressed up and we had a great time. Thanks to her dad for providing for such a wonderful experience.

December 2

Happy Thanksgiving, a little late. We had a great Thanksgiving feast here the Wednesday before. Here are a couple pics from that day. I hope everyone enjoyed family and friends. We did the traditional giving of thanks around the table, international style. It was wonderful.

(Pics: Lauren and me; Deborah, Elizabeth, Hannah, and Katie; table decorations by Katie)

The big news, if you haven't gotten the newsletter, is that I will be home for Christmas. I am very excited about this. It will be good to be home. I love it in France. I know this is where God has me. I also see my need to be restored. So, I will be home for 2 months and return to France at the end of February and attend Les Cédres until the end of June. I will continue to study while at home with the help of books and friends to keep me up on assignments and the ever generous help of Mme. Freeman.

My friend, Amy Coonagh, came to visit this past weekend. We know each other from when we did our DNA year in England 10 years ago. We had a great time. It's always so encouraging for me to see the ease and goodness of the God-connection. We had a time of worship on Friday night. It was so refreshing. Something I really needed.

It was my day to give the meditation or devotion for our class chapel yesterday. It was my first "message" in French. I shared about our complete dependence on God. So many times we know what to do and we just move along without really paying attention, and then... God is faithful to remind us of our need for Him. I mean isn't it nice to just get on and do what needs doing. Isn't it nice to be strong and independent. hmm... But the truth is He is our source in all things. And we will always run out of strength, energy, resources at some point. The good news is "ma grâce te suffit," "my grace is sufficient for you." Isn't it good to know that we have an unlimited source to plug into!? It's not always fun or comfortable, but God is dependable and life giving. Merci, Dieu. So, I encourage you, if like me you're at the end of you and all your resources, trust in God for He loves you. He is faithful. And His grace is sufficient. And then there's the whole life abundant thing, but that's another topic...

November 23

This blog is going to be an attempt at giving a little perspective on the French people. Please keep in mind that these blogs are simply that, blogs, made up almost entirely of my opinions. However, I will add a few historical facts to give what I say a little backing.

The French Revolution began in 1789. The monarchy had bankrupted the country, in part by funding the Americans in our revolution. The people were starving. And "the philosophes of the Enlightenment had provoked hope for the improvement of people's lot and provided the philosophical template for a new political order."* The result was a bloody and violent revolution. The guillotine was invented and anyone who had an enemy with any kind of influence lost their head along with their family.

Protestant Chritians had been severely persecuted and massacred. The idea of separation of church and state was born in France. I think this was the removal of God from society. Not that there are not always believers and lovers of God in France, just that as a society I think this was a major turning point.

Something maybe more familiar to all of us are the two World Wars. Just think, these wars were fought on French soil. They were pounded again and again on their home soil. Two generations of men were lost. Americans can't understand this, not on a gut level. So, if a stereotype of the French is that they are cynical, one can begin to understand why. If I don't see a lot of hope, one can begin to understand why. If the French think we are too happy and not based in reality, one can begin to understand why. We need to be ever thankful for the hopeful culture we have. Don't misunderstand me, we have plenty of problems, but as a nation we can usually have hope for a better day. We even have a holiday for giving thanks!

++Pray that God will bring hope, healing, peace, joy, and true freedom to France. Pray that God will raise up laborers for working the soil and bringing in the harvest. Pray that God will visit France with the power of His Spirit.++

*quoted from "Instant European History" by Robert P. Libbon


just for fun:

Please understand that I don't associate the following with what I've said above.

Elizabeth and I visited the catacombs under Paris. There are the bones of around 6 million Parisians from several centuries decoratively arranged there. One must descend 20 meters below Paris and then wind your way through the catacombs. Being the nerds and generally odd people we are, we loved ever minute of it. I'm going to add a couple of pics from the catacombs with this blog. Enjoy...

November 17

This blog is in honor of my friends Greg and Day Burns who took a very active role in educating their friends for the election. Day, you said you were interested to know what the election looked like in France. So here is an Arkansas girl's take on the French view of the U.S. election.

Obama is a rock star! He is a savior to right all that is wrong in all the world. (according to the French) There was a spirit of celebration when Obama was elected. The French are passionate about what is happening with our politics. If people assumed I was English I didn't correct them because I didn't want to talk about the election. They always wanted to know who I voted for. And then would cheer Obama. I'm talking about random people you meet in the shops. I asked one guy if he could actually vote. He wouldn't drop it. People here are sick of Bush, the war, and the struggling economy. The European economy is suffering as well as in the States.

I told my teacher that Americans think the world revolves around them. I always thought that was an arrogant assumption. But she pointed out that we are a strong power in the world and what we do effects everyone. An English lady studying here put it this way, "We have to keep an eye on what Bush (the US) is doing." In other words we can't let you screw things up too much. (my interpretation)

So, there it is in a nutshell folks. My observation of the US presidential election in France. It's been eyeopening for me.

November 11

Armistice Day, Veteran's Day... We remember and are thankful to those who have given everything for the freedom and peace we now enjoy.

In the past weeks I have been struck by the costs involved with what I am doing. I knew it would sink in, and it has. It's difficult to be away from friends and family when they go through life's joys and difficulties. Community is nice, but so are a cozy couch and a bath. Being in France but realizing you'll never be French. Knowing God is big enough to reach these people and feeling way to insignificant to think I can do anything to help.

Fear not! I'm not discouraged, at the end of my rope, or ready to give up. I'm just sobered a bit. There are months of language learning ahead. I know I'm supposed to be here and God can use even me mightily. But I still have no idea what that will look like practically after school.

In the meantime, I study and love and try to be a help to the beautiful people He has put here with me. I seek God and marvel at His generosity, goodness, kindness, and grace. Our God is faithful. I want to be like Him.

November 3

So another 2 weeks between updates... Couldn't be helped. I was on holiday...Here's what happened.

Hannah and I spent the weekend of October 24th with the Leighs. We had a great time. David showed us around the area. It's very beautiful in Alsace and the Fall colors just enhanced the experience. We were able to tour the French Christian School and attend the Sunday service of their church. God is really at work in Alsace. I was struck by the presence of God in the prayer time before the Sunday service. Then we had an extended time of prophetic worship during the service. It was very powerful.

Somehow I got out of Alsace without a Leigh family pic! But here is a pic of David and Hannah in a WWI battle trench.)

Thanks again David and Angela for your hospitality. They are great people!

Then we moved on to Switzerland to visit my friend Simone and her family. Naomi, Simone's daughter, was 2 yesterday! Bonne anniversaire, Naomi! It was so good to see Simone. God started our friendship 10 years ago in England and it is still a blessing today. It rained most of the time we were there but it's still beautiful. And the last night we were there it snowed! I was like a little kid out in the street playing in the snow in the dark. It was also a great opportunity to practice speaking French with Simone's parents. It was a time of peace and rest and amazing Swiss food! Thanks Simone. You and your family are always so generous.

Swiss pics are: Simone and Naomi; Simone's parents, Ursula and Willie, Naomi, Hannah and me.)
**As always there are a lot of pics on my Facebook page. Check them out! Lots of scenery.**

We had a bit of an adventure getting out of Switzerland because we booked our train tickets online with a French company and the tickets wouldn't print. So we thought, we'll just do it at the station.... Well, Swiss stations can't print from the French system. So after trying all we knew to do, we just got on the train and prayed. Shortly after the trip began, the porter came by to take our tickets. We handed him the printout from the internet showing our reservation and did our best to explain. He was not happy. All he wanted was tickets, this meant nothing to him. We stayed calm and polite and when Hannah finally said ok how do we buy more tickets, he said to check at the main station! Then the next porter, because they changed during the trip, was completely cool with it and didn't mind. And we didn't see anyone on the last leg of our journey into France. God gave us favor that day. We thought at one point we would have to pay twice for our tickets back to France.

I had been longing for the country after being in the city for two months. This was the perfect break. So imagine my surprise as I thought to myself as the train pulled back into Paris, "I'm so glad to be back. Wait, did I really just think that?" I guess this is home for now. God is good to keep that settled in my heart.

Classes start again this Thursday. Then it will be December 19th before Christmas break. For those of you who may not have heard, I will not be home for Christmas. That had been my original plan. Now I am planning on finishing the school year at Les Cédres at the end of June. So I will return for two weeks in February for Christie and Andy's wedding. (What a great thing to come home for!!) But I can't really do 2 trips so close together. So I should be stateside for about two weeks starting around February 14th. Then I think I will be around for a while this summer after school is out working on getting a visa to return. This is what I know now. Everything is subject to change! So just stay tuned in folks....

October 18

Sorry I missed a week to update all of you. And I had sent a prayer request with no follow up for you to know what has happened. So now I can fill you in.

All is well. I had asked for prayer because several of us were experiencing sleeping problems, sickness, and general malaise that we couldn't shake. We (five ladies) got together to pray and felt we discerned there was a spiritual element involved. So we prayed for each other and our school. Then a few of us wrote home for prayer support as well. Within 24-48 hours everyone was sleeping better, feeling better, and one of the ladies had some direction come through for her time coming up. It was so exciting to see the power of God and the prayers of the saints at work in our lives. Thank you to all of you who took the time to pray! It made a big difference in our lives and the atmosphere here. Please don't stop praying!

Last weekend I was blessed with a visit from Jeff and Maureen Grace. They are friends from home. It's always good to see people from home when you're in a strange land. I spent the afternoon with them. It was a great visit. They filled me in on their trek up Mt. Kilimanjaro. They were on their way home from two weeks in Tanzania. What a fantastic couple! You see them pictured here with the Eiffel Tower in the background. (The other pic is of the clock that is in the building of the Musée d'Orsay. Hannah and I enjoyed the impressionist paintings there.)

This Friday, October 24, Hannah and I are going to visit David Leigh and family in Alsace, an eastern region in France. I am so excited about this trip. David has been helping me since last December and is the reason I found Les Cèdres. I think this will be a significant time for me this semester. Please pray that God will bless this time with the Leigh's and that He will bless the Leigh's for their hospitality and generosity. This is their website if you'd like to check it out: www.leighweb.com

We will move on to Switzerland to visit my friend Simone. Simone is a dear friend from my DNA year in England. I get to meet her two year old daughter, Naomi, for the first time. I really enjoy Simone and her family. Another reason I am really looking forward to this trip. And fortunately Alsace and Switzerland are next to each other.

In the midst of the language learning, the growing friendships, and planning trips, God has been working in my heart. I'm sorry I can't really put it into words what He's doing or what I'm feeling. My teacher has caught me daydreaming in class and asked if I was ok because I had been so quiet. I assured her I was good and that God was doing something in my heart. The morning before that conversation I suddenly became aware that people were praying for me. It was an amazing feeling. Thank you. I can feel your prayers and I covet them.

October 5

It's October!! How did that happen? Time is flying by. I'm sure you find it the same with work, school, and activities.

I'm going to post some pics from last weekend in Paris with the girls. We went to Sacre Coeur and Montmarte. And for the evening we had a picnic on a lawn by the Tour Eiffel. It was a great day, the weather was perfect. But what makes such a day wonderful is the company. I cannot express how rich I am in relationships here. God has been so good to bring good friends, each with their own gifts, beauty, and treasures to share. Three of these special people, pictured here, are Hannah Glover, Elizabeth Bricken, and Katie Berry.

I mentioned time flying by. Well, the days are so full and I realized I hadn't taken time to pray. I missed God. I mean He's the reason I'm here in the first place. Don't get me wrong, my days are spent in communion with Him. It was some quality one on one I was needing. So, yesterday I went to the park for a walk and talk. On the way home, the face of a teenage girl in the back of a car struck me. Again, I was aware of how people need hope. People everywhere in every country need hope. Who's going to share it with them? Will it be you or me? In the States the odds of someone who knows Jesus being around to share Him are so much greater than in France.

I learned Friday about laicite. The idea is basically "separation of church and state." But it runs much deeper in France than in the States. Our politicians will still affiliate themselves with religion. Religion is not even mentioned or talked about in schools, government, etc. Religious symbols such as a cross, star of David, or Muslim head covering are forbidden in schools. If one is not raised in a religious family how will they learn about faith of any kind? Can you begin to see the odds? Where are the workers for the harvest? God prepare the soil.

Ok, so there is so much more I could go on and on about, but I won't. If anyone is interested in knowing more about the culture here just let me know and I will share as much as I know, which at this point is still not a lot.

So, I was sobered by the need for Jesus in France. But I know that it is God who will reach the people of France. And for some reason He has historically chosen to use His people, as frail as we are. So, I'm going to end this blog with a word of hope. (Which is fitting, don't you think?) I received an email from missionaries in Italy that I've kept up with since my YWAM summer there. They shared about two ten year olds, a boy and a girl, who had had God visit them in dreams. After the girl shared her dream she said, "Something big is going to happen!" These kids have no agenda for making these things up. God is up to something, something BIG! HA! I can't wait!

May God fill you with His hope and visit you with dreams and visions.

September 27

Hola, amigos! Wait. That's not French. Yes, well, we had a Mexican food day on Wednesday this week. We had two birthday girls and lots of food. It was a lot of fun. The pictures are from that day. The four ladies are: l to r, Anette and Helena from Norway and Katie and Lauren from the US. Aren't they beautiful! The other picture is Clemmon (German), Saraly (French and our director), and Lauren.

Well, I'm not sure what to report. It was a good week overall. My teacher made me cry and I had to leave class yesterday. Don't worry. It was just one of those moments. I don't blame my teacher. The ironic thing is I've made students cry before. I always felt bad about it. Now I know what it's like on the other side of the fence. I went back to class after about ten minutes and finished my test. I think I did ok. After that the day was fine, good even. Sometimes you just have to let off a little steam.

This will be a short post for now. Overall, I would say that I am finding a better balance with school, homework, and life. There are lots of things rolling around in my head. I just don't think I can put them into writing yet. Maybe soon....

September 20

I am looking down the barrel of another weekend filled with hours of homework. Ugh! The week has been better, but this weekend is promising to be tough. I had a stomach bug on Tuesday, but was back to normal by Thursday.

Friday night four of us went into Paris to attend a Hillsong church. The service was in English and French which was great for learning. We were in the Pompidou area and also walked by St. Eustace church. We only had time to go to the service and then had a late dinner before catching the train home. That was my fun for the weekend. It was an enjoyable evening. These outings are helpful in building friendships. God has blessed me with some great people here.

I had a fun, informative, and inspiring conversation Thursday night with a group of people that represented these nations: Norway, Colombia, England, and USA. The mix of people is enough to make it interesting. We really provoked one another on some 'controversial' topics. (Depends on who you are if they are controversial or not.) And then I was told by a young woman who has live in France 8 years and works with the church that the French people have no concept of accountability..... Ok, let that sink in. It's still working into my head. The French are very private. I knew that. But apparently even with close loved ones, one tends not to share everything. I'm investigating this a little more. As you can see from the list none of the people present were French. However, I did ask a French woman, one of our teachers, this morning. As I was describing what accountability is I could see on her face that this was a new concept. And she told me that this would be a strange concept to most French people because they are very independent. hmm....

Ok, mes devoirs (homework) awaits me!

*The picture was taken from my window at sunset. Of course, the picture doesn't even come close to capturing the real thing.*

September 15

Monday morning of week 3 at Les Cedres....

I am better rested. Thank you to everyone who is praying for sleep and rest. We definitely still need prayer about that, but it is better. Class is not so overwhelming and my teacher has had mercy on us concerning homework. There is still plenty of work. It's just not the overload like before. So I would say I am starting to get my feet back under me. Life is so much more enjoyable and digestible when your sense of humor is intact, especially when you're constantly making mistakes.

Becky said that $450 was given at FOC this month. That is the amount we knew had been promised in monthly donations. This leaves about $550 per month still needed in donations. Please pray for God's provision. Thank you to everyone who is supporting me financially as well as in prayer. I couldn't do this without all of you!

I find myself focused on learning the language. That's good! That's why I am here. However, I must not forget why I am learning the language. I was reminded of this very clearly Saturday night on the crowded train home from Paris. A young man sat in the corner of the train car looking forlorn. I wanted to go to him and offer to pray for any need he might have. I just don't have the vocabulary to do that yet. And so I prayed for him quietly and this morning went to class with a little more purpose...

I am posting some pictures of our Saturday outing. Hannah needed books for class. Getting books for class has never been so fun. We also visited Notre Dame and had a cafe at a cafe in a nice quarter of the city called Marie. Then we had dinner at a restaurant that had all kinds of Mediterranean decor. And when we walked out into the Parisian night, wow. I like Paris, but I love Paris at night! I now understand why it is called the 'City of Lights.' There are people everywhere, lots of street performers with various skills, and the city itself is beautiful. Our Korean friend Debora was with us as well as Katie, a girl from Ohio who now lives in Toulouse.

I hope you enjoy these pictures. I will post more on my Facebook so you can check them out.

September 11

Hello to all. I can't say that I have anything interesting to report. I thought I would just say that I was able to get some rest yesterday and today is going better. It is so much easier to deal with mistakes when one is rested. The work load has been a little more bearable this week. We will see what our teacher, Regine, gives us for the weekend!

Thank you to everyone who is praying. The dollar is getting stronger to the euro as well. You guys are doing well. Keep it up!

My English friend said to me first thing this morning, "It's September 11th." It is a day the world remembers, not just Americans. Let's remember those whose lives were so dramatically changed that day.

September 8

Ok, it took me 6 hours to do my homework this weekend. Needless to say I am tired today. It will get better, but I am yawning in class all the time. I need to be able to think! Please continue to pray. These first few weeks are going to be intense.

September 6

Hannah's luggage has FINALLY arrived. That's the big news of the day. Please continue to pray that our sleep patterns will settle in so we can rest better. Also, we need God's help with our studies. We need discipline mixed with a divine ability to absorb everything we are learning. And it is time to pay tuition. The Euro is much stronger than the dollar right now. Please pray for the exchange rate to improve when we go to pay our bill.

I thought I would take a minute for this blog and give you some impressions and ask for prayer...

I mentioned before that I was pleasantly surprised at how polite the French people are. This was based on my one brief experience in Paris ten years ago. The Parisians I encountered then where not so nice. I have found that the French people are a very respectful people in daily life. If you are rude, they can return the sentiment, but as a rule they are polite. For example, I was checking out at a local supermarket when a man walks in front of me and puts items in front of mine. I was puzzled. When I looked around there was a pregnant lady with a small child. So I moved out of the way, content to give up my place in line. What started as a "what do you think you're doing" moment turned into me having a lot of respect for that man. He happily kept his place in line behind me. Have you ever seen that in the States, or anywhere else? Another thing that has impressed me is that cars will stop in order to let you cross the road. People always greet you with "Bon jour, madame" when you enter a shop and "au revoir" when you leave. We were told yesterday that you can say "merci" or "thank you" several times and it will be appreciated every time. I found that if I showed a lot of appreciation to English friends it seemed to embarrass them. I love the English! But I do feel more at home here in many ways.

On a different note, I have seen another side as well. In just observing people in the shops, walking down the street, and on the train, there seems to be a deep fatigue. Life is hard everywhere. But a word I would use to describe many of these faces is worn. Where is the hope? I want so much to tell these people there is hope and I am stopped instantly by the fact that I can't speak their language...yet. I am often reminded of why God would bring Christians here. The French need hope.

A young French man who lives at Les Cedres told us today that less than 1% of the French are Christian. (This is not including nominal Catholics.) He said that outside of his church he doesn't know any Christians at school, etc. It is so different to the living in the Bible Belt.

I hope this gives you an idea of how you can pray for the French people. Many of the missionaries here are going to African countries after they learn the language. Just a few of us feel a call to stay in France. Please pray for God to send workers for the harvest. There is such a need here. Please pray the Holy Spirit will begin to draw the French people to Him and give them hope. When I think of all the people who need to hear about Jesus, I am overwhelmed. How will they ever get the message!? It will take a supernatural move of God. Please pray with me for France and the nations! Our prayers together will effect and change our world.

September 5

Well, ladies and gentlemen, I have completed my first two days of class and a work week at Les Cedres. It is A LOT of work and very challenging. The first 3 weeks are supposed to be the most difficult. So I should have this licked in a couple more weeks, not... I have 12 pages of homework and an essay to write this weekend. See, I wasn't kidding about A LOT of work. Ce n'est pas grave! It's ok. This is what I signed up for.

On Wednesday, a group of about 30 people from our school took a boat tour of Paris by bateaux-mouche. It is a great way to see many of the historic places in Paris. As you can see, the Eiffel Tower was one of the landmarks we passed. Did you know the French people hated the Eiffel Tower when it was built because they thought it was ugly. Now anytime one thinks of Paris they think of the famous tower. This Sunday we hope to return to the city and check out a museum or two because all museums have free admission on the first Sunday of the month. Free is always good.

Tonight the students have been invited to the home of some of the staff for cake. Everyone is very friendly here. I am pleasantly surprised at how helpful and polite the French people are. And God has so generously given me instant friends to enjoy. Merci, Dieu.

The weather report: currently it is 68 and raining. Most of the days have been cloudy and rainy since we have arrived. It's very refreshing though, especially since there is no air conditioning here.

The update on Hannah's luggage: still MIA! Yes, can you believe it. Her luggage has still not made it here. I don't even think it's in Paris yet. She has had to break down and buy some things to get by. It's not good, but again she has handled it very gracefully.

I'm going to wrap it up for now. I don't know how often I will get to blog now with 2 hours of homework each night. But I will keep it up. If you would like to see more pictures of Paris check my Facebook. A bientot!

September 2, my b-day!

What a wonderful birthday I've had!! I've had so many good wishes from people on Facebook and by email. Thank all of you for taking the time to wish me happy birthday.

I didn't even remember it was my birthday until I got to breakfast and my new South Korean friend, Deborah, wished me happy birthday. I said, "Oh yeah, it's my birthday." That's never happened to me before. I guess the first day of orientation took over my brain. Or I could just say jet lag. It hasn't been a month yet...

Orientation was ok. I am now more orientated. That part of the day didn't feel very birthday-like. My first class was all in French all ready! My brain was hurting. It takes so much concentration. And the first class was just information and getting to know one another. I was the only one who asked for clarification when I got lost. Then after class a classmate approached me and said, "By the way, we were all lost too. We just didn't say anything." That made me feel a little better. I will always be that kid that asks lots of questions.

Now the fun part!

Hannah asked what I wanted to do to celebrate. I wanted a real French meal at a French style restaurant. So we asked Saraly, the school director, to recommend a place. She printed off directions. We invited some new friends, arranged a time to meet, and off we went to Chez Papa's. It was perfect! The cuisine is from the southwest part of France. It was small and cozy. We were at a long table surrounded by strangers, yet strangely we felt at home. When we left it was a beautiful walk to the train station. The Paris streets glistened from the rain and there was a peaceful calm.

God is so good.

I will write more soon. I want you to know a little about the amazing people I am meeting. And yes there will be pictures! My friends took some great ones. Tomorrow we will go as a school group to tour the city on the bateaux-mouche (boats). I am sure there will be more pictures and stories from that too.

And yes, I tried escargot (snails). I really liked them! Who knew.

September 1

Bon jour de Paris! This is my first blog from France. I am so excited to be here! And technically I'm in a suburb of Pairs called Massy. It's an interesting mix of urban apartment buildings and traditional French shops. The school, Les Cedres, is a nice oasis in between the two.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. I have a little from England left to report. Although most of you read the email about our prayer time. It was a very encouraging time with Martin Scott, Jenny Moore, Judith Scott, Naomi Moore, and of course our Steph. (I'm including a photo of Steph Carr and me.) It was a great send off for Hannah and me.

Our flight was delayed an hour on Sunday, but otherwise there were no problems. Hannah has still not received her luggage. She's a trooper, but it is frustrating. Pray they come first thing tomorrow.

The first people we met when we stepped out of the taxi were from Texas and wait for it.... Arkansas, North Little Rock to be exact! Hannah and I couldn't believe it. The people from Texas are students here and the Arkansans were just visiting. Since then I have met people from South Korea, Norway, England, and lots of Americans.

We have orientation tomorrow which is Tuesday and classes start on Thursday. I am ready to go. So far I've only had to dip my toe into French. Soon they will expect me to speak French all the time. Whew! I get tired just thinking about it. But I am so excited to really learn the language so I can use it effectively in most situations. So, roll up the sleeves and tuck in.

I will give you more detail on the school and what we have been up in a later blog. It's late and I need to get some sleep. (We are 7 hours ahead of Central Standard Time.) Bon Nuit.

August 29th

Another day closes in England. Ralph and Ruth left this morning for a much needed holiday. They are such inspirational people. Through difficult life circumstances they radiate hope and faith. If you want to know what it is to be a human 'being' and not a human 'doing', these are the people to watch.

I am reading "The Shack". It is fantastic. It is stirring me and I'm actually making notes on what God is showing me through it. I was apprehensive to read it at first, but I am very glad I overcame that. If you haven't read it yet, pick up a copy.

Steph Carr took us for a curry (Indian food) tonight. It was great to see her, as always. She is full of God's Spirit and seeing miraculous things happen at work. Isn't that where we should be seeing God stuff is in the work place or really wherever the people of God are?

Hannah Glover made it here, lost luggage and all. It should arrive sometime tomorrow. I was impressed at how well she handled the stress of her trip!
We are on to Paris Monday!

I am feeling good. I still get a little foggy from time to time because of jet lag, but that is minor. Do you think I can use jet lag for an excuse at school? Just how long does jet lag effect one? I might could get a good months worth out of this one.

Being in Europe seems to strip away clutter from my mind so that I can focus on hearing God. It is a gift to be able to walk or sit and meditate on what God is saying without distraction. I guess it's part of what God is working in me for the continent. It's been that way anytime I have visited. Or maybe it's being away from a daily grind and routine that makes it easier. Either way I am grateful for the time to be quiet with Him. We will see if it is the same when I have 20 hours of class and 10 hours of homework a week.

August 28th

This entry is coming to you from Cobham, England. I am so glad to be here visiting my dear friends Ralph and Ruth. It is a good way to recover from jet-lag before moving on to Paris. It is good to be back in Europe.

I had a great journey. On the flight from Cleveland to London I had a great chat with a young man on his way to an art school in Ireland. He was very friendly and easy to get along with. I was grateful to have someone fun to sit by on such a long flight. We had a great talk about God and I got to share the Gospel with him. He is a very spiritual person and seemed to enjoy hearing the Gospel for the first time. It was obvious God had orchestrated our meeting. I pray he finds God and His peace.

I had a wonderful walk and talk with Ruth this morning. Friendship with the people of God is a special thing, a lasting bond through the years. We walked up to an old church on a hill. Ruth said it was a Norman church probably built in the 1100's. We simply don't have the history Europe does. Columbus hadn't even been born to think about discovering a new world when that church was built. Cool, huh.

I plan on rediscovering Cobham today or tomorrow. (I lived here ten years ago.) They have a Starbucks now. Which will mean nothing to most of you and something to a few of you. Starbucks seems really out of place on such a quaint English high street. But the English do love their Starbucks just like Americans. (Isn't that right Greg and Brandon?)

I have had my first comment. (Thanks, David.) Keep them coming. It's good to know people are actually checking these out.

Until next time...

August 24th

In my last blog I asked for comments but did not have it enabled. My apologies. I think I have that resolved now.

Two days and counting... I started packing today. I must say not my favorite thing to do. I will be glad when that part is done. It's always a good feeling when you're on the plane and all the prep is finished.

I am really looking forward to seeing my English host family from my DNA year. I will be in the UK for a few days before moving on to Paris.

Some of you may not know that Hannah Glover is going with me to study at Les Cedres. She attended FOC during her time a ATU. Now she has sold her house in North Little Rock and is setting off to learn French too.

I don't know how often I will be able to blog or email in the next week. Once I'm in Paris I will have more consistent access to internet.

That's all for now. Wish me a bon voyage!

Just for fun.

Margaret told me to add fun factoids, so here goes....

I lived in England for a year. England is known for rain. Mme. Freeman tells me it rains a lot in France. So, it seems to me that God is preparing me to return with the Noah-like rain we've had today. :) I waded through the Wal-Mart parking lot today with four months worth of survival supplies for dorm life in Paris. I needed some wellies (rain boots). One step closer.....

Please let me know by email or by comments on this blog what sort of factoids you would like to know about the people and places I will be visiting.

Entry 1

Hello, All. This is my first blog. (Hopefully, many will follow.) My departure date is coming quickly. I leave Tuesday, August 26th. I am very excited. I have details to take care of yet, however, I am ready to go. I want to thank everyone who has shown your support and encouraged me. You are making this possible.

The next four months will be spent learning French at a language school in Paris, Les Cedres. (Check our their website: www.lescedres.com ) I will return to Arkansas on December 22. After that is a big '?'. My heart is to get back to France to live and work in some capacity. I don't know what shape that will take. I'm sure that the next months at school and visiting American missionaries in Alsace will help answer some of these questions.

God has shown his faithfulness and generosity through this process. I am once again humbled and in awe of the love of God. It is wonderful to finally be walking into something God called me to years ago. I don't know what's going to happen in the next months. I don't know what God is really up to, but I know it's gonna be good! This is the great adventure.