Things that Make Me Giggle

~The guy in the white van that always nods his head at me and Rachel.
~My friend Bobby from back home wearing huge clown glasses singing "Oooohhh the Lord is good to me..."
~Rachel's face when she tried osters for the first time.
~Off-roading it with Mary Poppins
~Murray beating off an old lady for ice cream
~Dates with Ernest
~Julie watching "Friends"
~"CouCou!"
~Rachel downing some 40 proof
~Dominique's smile.
~Frédérique singing
~Rachel's discolored tooth brush
~American cartoons in French(well any dubbed show)
~PDA
~Picking a pirate's nose (uhem...Rachel G.)
~Rachel gaging trying to wipe the bird caca off me
~Little girls fighting pigeons with plastic swords
~"Allo Allo Allo!"
~JK, JK (en français)
~Rachel's hollow leg
~"Are you from Japon?" asked of Rachel B.

It has been too long...

Well I did write a blog last week on here. But the lovely electricity here at the school decided to go out, so I got cut off before I was able to post it. So my las t week has been full of tons of stuff that I want to tell you all. So here it goes:

Last Wednesday was Bastille Day, which meant no school for us! Because we didn't need to wake up early on Wednesday, we (Rachel, Rachel, Jody, and I) went out on the town. Last week in LaRochelle they had the Francofollie festival. It is a week long celebration of music and crafts from the countries all over the world that speak French. The streets were full of booths and people. It would have been nice to buy something there to bring home, but most of it wasn't even made in a French country unless "Made in China" is a French brand ;) Us girls were supposed to meet up with Murray, a guy from Virginia that goes to school with us, at the Piano Bar. But that didn't work out because of some miscomunication. So instead we walked around the central village, listening to music and trying to avoid the strangers in the night. Around 11:30pm we were ready to go home. After calling a taxi, we waited for over a half an hour for one to pick us up. This is just a long story, that I will tell later. But the deal is that Rachel and I didn't get to our door that night until 12:45am, exhausted!

Ok so now Bastile day. Sleeping in felt great that day! I never realize that I need 9 hours of sleep each night until I actually get that amount. So we also had slight trouble with public transpertation this day too. We wanted to take the bus to the beach, but we just missed it. Since it was a holiday they only run ever hour or more. So us girls took the hour and 15 mins. walk to the beach. I got more burnt on my walk there then I did laying out on the sand.

So change of tone here. Both the Rachels and I are doing a Bible study each morning before school. It has been going really well and we are learning so much about the Word and eachother. Here in France, there are not many people who have any connection to God in their life. My teacher from MSU has a saying "Baby, Marry, Bury." As in they get baptisted, get married in the church, and have their funerals there, but that is about the farthest as it comes with most people. It is really weird to be in a country that is just so dry. But something really amazing has happened here in France. In class we have been given the oppurtunity to share our faith with our teacher and classmates. Our teacher asks a lot of questions about why and what we beleive. It really ironic that a country whose history was built by the church isn't Christian.

Another awesome part of this trip is that we have met a few other people on the trip that are from Virginia that are Christians. Last Thursday afternoon, 5 of us went to a park and Murray (guy from Virginia) brought his guitar and we sat and sang praise songs. It felt so good to be in fellowship like that with other people. Last Sunday we went to an Evangelical Church not too far frol our house. It was so neat when we walked in cause it felt like home, like we had walked into a family. It is too bad that we only have one more Sunday to spend there. I wish we would have been able to find that church right away.

Seems like my post is getting super long. I hope to post again soon. There has just been somuch going on here that I want to tell you all! Also, please pray for us that we would be able to express the relationship we have with God to people here in French.

Laughter: known well in all languages!

Tonight was a great night! I have never felt so comfortable during my homestay as I was last night. I was able to communicate what I was thinking without worrying so much about screwing up. That usually hold me back in class and at home. I sit silently, watching, waiting, for the right time. I never seem to grab it fast enough, and it disappears with my voice. But last night I had fun! I really haven't had a fun night with my family here in La Rochelle. Webster defines fun as "what provides amusement or enjoyment; specifically : playful often boisterous action or speech" and boy was that what I experienced last night. We talked about what we did during the day, what we wanted to do tomorrow, food(seems to be a fav. topic of ours), Disney, life, etc. Our laughter was so loud, I am sure that the neighbors heard us. It felt so good to have that connection finally with them. I really don't all that weird around them anymore. It still isn't the same as home, but it feels more like a home to me now.

Hmmm...

Do you remember the days when you would have to wait for the school bus out in the rain, carrying a sopping wet backpack, hoping the bus wouldn't be too late. Well I had the priviledge to experience that today. Normally I like the rain. Walks late at night while it pours down are so relaxing and free my mind from the day's stress. But today, in the cold, I didn't enjoy it. I was wet on the bus, and I was wet in my classroom. And I will have to be wet again on my ride home.

Life in La Rochelle has been good, yet a little worryful for me. I know I should be using my French way more than I am, and I am so nervous around my host family. It is kind of like all I am there to do is eat and sleep and shower. I hope that it gets better. I know the Lord is not going to let it be a bad experience. I have already felt the power prayer has had here. The language is getting better, and I have begun to be able to type well on this stupid European keyboard(the letters are all mixed up in different places). But please, continue with your prayers. Us here really need them. Love you all so much, and think of you all daily!

I'm In France

I am sorry I haven't been able to write in here for quite some time! I have been so busy in France! I arrived on July 21st in Paris. My class did so many things. We went to " castles, a zillion churches, the Louvre, le musee d'Orsay, les ardins du luxembourg, and so much more. We left Paris on last Thursday to travel around Normadie for a couple days. We visited the D-Day beaches and the American cemetary. We also visited Mount St.Michael, which is a rock island that has a huge church build on the top of it. Wish I would be able to put some pictures up here, cause the sites us girls have seen are incredible. For the month of July our group is staying in ho,es in LaRochelle (central west coast of France) in French families. It has been difficult so far, but each day we are feeling more and more comfortable in the home. We alqo are talking French classes at a school in LaRochelle. The other night we watched a movie with the family that reminded me so much of Monte Python, Les Visiteurs. Super funny, and not too hard to understand it. Well time is up, and I am back to class. Prayers are needed; I am totally discovering the power that they have!