1st Report from Marseille

Hey ya'll!!!

See I'm living in France with a whole bunch of people from the SOUTH!!!! And they say ya'll when they're not speaking in French!:-P

So we're all here now! I've been in Marseille about a week now and I'm loving it! Its interesting walking around in a place where everyone is speaking a different language. But it is not so terribly different that I have experience any extreme culture shock, and I thank God for this. Katie and I have settled into our 5th floor, 2 room apartment. Most of our furniture was from Ikea and so all of it is now built. We have our clothes stored in the huge closet we both share, and we have spent several nights in our hoodies and sweats watching tv shows on DVD sitting on our almost comfy couch, that others might affectionatly call a fouton.

We both feel very blessed to have such a wonderful, clean place to live. It tends to be a little cold, but thats what happens when you try to save money by not turning on your heaters! haha

So far most of our time has been spent settling in. Starting tomorrow we will have language school at an American university in town from 8:00-12:45 in the morning. Then at night for the next week we will be having some language orientation and administrative training from some visiting directors.

Yesterday, Del, Katie, and I walked down through a commercial part of town where they have lots of stores, and then down to the old port. I have pictures that I would love to show you, however my computer is refusing to add any more pictures right now, so I'll have to add them later on this week. Basically there are hundreds of sailboats and old buildings that surround the port. Its cool to just walk around and explore our new home. Marseille is a big but old city. If I step out side my front door (which is right by the resteraunt that we live above) all I can see is buildings, but about a 40 minute walk away is the ocean and some very beautiful beaches! We haven't been to the crystal blue beaches yet, but hopefully soon.

Well I feel this post is a little scattered, but I hope it gives you a little glimps into what my life has been like this last week. When my computer is deciding to cooperate, I will post pictures to give you a better idea! I'll leave you with a few prayer requests.

• As we start school this next week, pray that we will pick up the language quickly and be able to effectively put it into practice soon.
• Pray that we all will be able to wait patiently on God's timing. As a group we have discussed that we all are having a hard time with the fact that our ministries as we see them cannot start immediatly because of language barriers. Pray that we will desire His perfect and holy will and surrender to Him our own desires, as Jesus prayed in Matthew 26:39 "Yet I want your will, not mine."
• Pray that even now, when we can't communicate very well with those around us, that God will be tearing down barriers. Pray that the strongholds of the "strongman" will be broken. (Matthew 12:29)

I hope you all are doing well this weekend! And i hope all of you will enjoy the Superbowl!haha We're not sure if we will be able to watch it, but don't email me with the winner, because we won't get to see it until monday, after you all have seen the game. I love you all! Enjoy your Sunday!

Courtney