It was time to blog. What am I doing you ask? Well that’s a
fantastic question. Right now I’m kind of in a limbo waiting for things to
start. We’re staying with the couple in charge of the organization we’re
working with. They’re amazing people, funny, crazy, intelligent and such a
great relationship to watch. Dinners are always filled with stories, banter and
a lot of laughter. It’s been great to see their relationship, pray with them,
and see how relational missions are actually working abroad.
This organization has a lot of different programs and tracks
that attempt to lead to forming relationships. Some these include English Live,
discussions on hot topics discussed mostly in English, tutoring local kids
mostly of African descent living in their neighborhoods, prayer meetings,
retreats, homeless ministries, surveys and many more that I haven’t heard of
yet. I’ve had the chance to go to a couple of meetings and so far I’ve been
impressed with their commitment to relationships, commitment to loving people.
Being in Toulouse has been a roller coaster of an
experience. The city is beautiful; cafes, stores, squares, fountains,
restaurants line all the streets and with the public transportation system its
super easy to get anywhere. Taylor has been showing me around which has been
great. One challenge I’ve encountered is simply not being able to communicate.
My pride wants to be able to say exactly what I want or just not say anything
at all—which just leads to walking around town all day and not actually doing
anything, not that I know that from experience J.
It’s also been interesting going through the whole culture
shock thing. It’s just a totally different world than Uganda, and a totally
different world from the States. I wrote some papers for a class at Taylor University
that I took while in Uganda and it was weird how writing about memories at my
practicum seems like a totally different lifetime. Even living here now, it
doesn’t always feel real. I’m in France yet it isn’t this wild and crazy
adventure I had pictured in my head. It’s just life. It’s exactly what I
realized in Uganda, people are people anywhere you go. People are all living
life, just in slightly different ways, different languages, and different core
principles.
It really does seem like multiple different lives. The act
of trying to figure out details for back home while being here has been an
interesting experience. Things like time differences and just the amount that I’ve
changed added to the fact that everyone else has changed has separated my life
now from my life “then”.
Things you can pray about for me!
-
Travel. We’re embarking on our world traveling
Saturday morning which includes at least 6 countries and 10 cities. So far we’ve
figured out the first 8 days of. Due to a calculation error we actually have
900€ extra to spend so that’s a total praise. We managed to fund everything—flights,
trains, ferry’s, hostels, an apartment on an island, and roughly estimated food
for 500€ for two people. It took us about 12 hours of planning BUT we made the
impossible possible. J
Pray for safety, ability to make all our flights etc, stay under budget, and
have a great time seeing the world!
-
That we would find people and build friendships
with people we meet during our travels—in hostels, trains, etc. Changes to be a
witness of who God is, even if it’s just a simple conversation.
-
Language. I’m still trying to learn more French.
I’m getting really good at the whole “smile and nod” thing and reading body
language but I still guess at answering questions that turn out to not even be
related to the actual question asked J It’s also been easy to
just let the people I’m with do the talking but I’d like to grow in this more.
I ordered an chocolate ice cream by myself and felt really proud! Haha.. small
baby steps my friends..
-
Open hearts. Taylor and I want to keep open
hearts and learn, teach, impact the most we can in the short amount we’re here.
-
English speaking people. During our ministry
time we’re going to do a lot of relational activities and pray that I find
people who speak English/actually want to speak English with me!
Well…..
I think that’s all for now! We’ll have internet along the way in different
hostels and places we’re staying so I’ll try update without give all the
information so no creepers can take us. My dad told me before I left, “You
know, if you get taken, I have no special skills so I won’t be able to save
you.”
Thanks
Dad. J
Au
revior mes amis!!
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