When it rains, it pours…

And I mean that literally and figuratively. Although right now as I sit at the table look out the window, the skies are blue and there is a cool breeze blowing through the house, yesterday was the complete opposite. It was the type of rain that reminds me of the middle of a Monsoon in August in Phoenix when you swear the raindrops are the size of golf balls! I really love the rain! Especially the scent right after or right before it rains. But I’m not a fan when it starts raining just as you are starting an English club at an outdoor sandwich stand about 500 yards from a building! Haha The group ran to meet in one of the buildings but I decided to stay at the sandwich stand for a few more minutes in case any other people came looking for our English club….bad idea! The rain only got harder! So I was forced to run in the rain and cold wind…in my nice light cotton shirt, with no umbrella…to the building only to find out that group hadn’t moved to that building! So I had to cross 2 streets, both of which had now been replaced by rivers, and in the process, managed to fill both my shoes with water and splash water about a foot and a half up my pant legs! Awesome huh?!? When I finally found Del and Katie, I looked like a soaked dog…and they were perfectly dry! Haha, oh well, I still love the rain!

Also speaking of pouring...I have had so much fun over the last 3 weeks meeting new people! We have had SO many responses from people interested in our English clubs and in language exchanges! So awesome! Through this we have met some people who are truly becoming our friends! YEAH for friends! I asked for many of you to pray for Friends and God has totally answered our prayers! So thank you! Its so nice to know people to go out with and have fun with!

Lastly… I have been telling you that I have been looking into playing at a few open mike nights….well Bruno, one of the guys that we met through a response to our flyers, is a musician!!! So…. tomorrow, Tuesday night, he and I will be playing a few songs at and open mike night at a bar called L’Intermediare!!! A friend of mine is going to be taping it, so I will put the videos up as soon as I get them!

I'm from a Soda State! ~ Another Random Entry

I was listening to Air1 the other day and found this news story funny! Luanne von Schneidemesser, PhD in German linguistics and philology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and senior editor of the Dictionary of American Regional English researched and then wrote an article on the coke vs. soda debate. He then created a map to demonstrate what areas of the United States say coke, who says soda, and who uses pop! So find your state and see if you agree. Apparently I'm from a Soda state!

A product that wouldn't sell in the states!

Onomatopia at its best!

My Birthday Party!

So in follow-up to my last blog with the pics of the birthday box, I thought I would show you how we used the stuff the church sent. We had a cluster training meeting in Spa, Belgium and my birthday landed right in the middle of that week. So I decided to take my loot along and have party with everybody there! Everyone had a GREAT time and they were all SO blessed by the generosity of my home church! Love you guys! Enjoy the pics!

A Birthday Belgian Waffle!
Sippin the plate clean (I bet my mom is SO proud right now!)Karaoke with Claire
Fun with balloons!

Wyatt with one of the LOUDEST noise makers EVER!!! The parents loved them! haha Claire with her Prize!
NO No No...the Donkey is THAT way

What would a party be with out cake smeared in someones face...

... or Guacamole if you're out of cake. Look at those BEAUTIFUL donkey tails!
Would you like a Pirate Mask or a REALLY LOUD noise maker!
And GO!
Sarah, the Queen of Musical Chairs....she won the adults round!

About to play pin the tail on the donkey!

Princess Claire with her treasure, including a tiara and a ring carefully picked out and sent over by the beautiful princess of Chats-a-lot!
A war of the noise makers!

Decorating donkey tails...Claire's was of course pink...and Will's was of course anything BUT pink!

Wyatt....I mean, Peg Leg Pete...
My party was invaded by pirates!
Look at all those kids and donkey tails! We had SOO much fun!

THANK YOU!!!!

Hello there!!

SO this post is simple. I have been reminded in the last week how much all of you support me and I just want to say THANK YOU!!!! Every few weeks I get a comment or a note from someone just saying they are praying for me! One story from this week and then I want to share some specific prayer requests with you since I haven't been very good at doing that.

Last Tuesday our doorbell rang and it was FedEx with a box for me downstairs. So I went down to the ground floor to meet him and signed for my package. He then proceeds to return to his truck and then emerges with an ENORMOUS 50lbs box!!! He said "Merci et pour vous!" I was shocked...I actually asked him..."For me?!? Really!!" haha So he left and then I turned around and realized that i was now going to have to take this wonderful, 50 lbs box of surprises up 4 flights of stairs!!! AHHH It was quite entertaining! When I did open it up it was a bithday box from my church with SO much amazing stuff in it! My favorite was the heart attack they sent me. For those who don't know that that is I have included a picture, but basically you cut out hearts and write messages on them and then secretly hang them on someones door or in their office. Kind of like teepeeing....but MUCH nicer!!! So they sent me the hearts and some tape which I hung up on my wall!

So thankyou WG! I love you guys and am SO blessed to have such a wonderful home church! Thanks to those of you who responded to my last blog and since then! Your short notes really do put a smile on my face and remind me that there are not only people praying for me at home, but people who love me as well! So thanks!

Some prayer requests:

Travel to Brussels, Belgium next week for a conference. Pray for safe travels and that attendees will been encouraged and challened.

Music Opportunities: If I'm honest, fear has held me back in some ways. I have been feeling some doubt in my abilities since I came and I know that has held me back from just jumpin into some of these musical areas. Please pray that God would give me a confidence that is build in Him and not me and that Satan would not be able to use that to hinder my involvement here

Meeting people in September: Pray that God would arrange meetings with students and that we would respond if we see opportunities to meet people.

Friends: Its hard to meet people here and I REALLY wanting people that i can just call to go to the movies with, or to go get some coffee. Pray that God would send some girls my way that I can truly call friends!

Love you all!!! And I would love to hear from you and hear what is going on in your lives...even if you think its mundane, I love the stories...I mean i certainly tell enough of them ;-)

My birthday box!!!

Look at all the stuff they sent! I'm actually standing in the box they sent it in!

A Heart attack! What you can't see is that EVERY one of those hearts has a message on it! :-D

Good Times Had by All!!

Hello from Massy, France.


Massy is the town where our school is at. The school is small, but there are about 50 others here studying with us. I am definitely being challenged. I understand the concepts being taught in my class since they are mostly review...however my teacher talks SOO fast! The first day she talked very slowly...and then I guess the 2nd day I think she had too much sugar before coming to class and ZOOOOM away she went! She is very animated which makes class fun sometimes.

So overall I am working very hard, learning, reviewing, and doing the homework we are given everyday. But don't worry, there is plenty of time for fun! :-P

Last weekend I went to EuroDisney and I thought I would share some of those photos. Also included are photos from our American soiree (we had tacos, chips and salsa, applepie with ice cream, and we line danced!) As well as pictures from the British soiree that took place tonight! Hope you enjoy them!

Thanks to those of you I have heard from in the last few weeks and I will attempt to reply to all of your emails...but there are many of you I would love to hear from. Now you know about the fun I'm having here...what are you doing? :-) Thanks again to you all!


Katie, Jeff, and I

Check out the guns! :-P

Crash's Coaster

Buzz Lightyear ride! I am a level 4!

Castle

Cotton Candy at the end of the day!

Amazing!

Fireworks!!!!

American Soiree

Line Dancing

Showing the Cotton Eyed Joe

Dosey-Do

Electric Slide

British and Netherlands Soiree

Dancin in the garden to Spice Girls!

Peek-a-boo

The Queen of Netherlands



Regine, the woman on the left, is my teacher

So there was a blue wig around....

Goodbye Marseille...

Well...at least for the next 3 weeks! :-)

Tomorrow I am headed to London for 3 days of wonderful vacation in a place where they speak English! Don't get me wrong...I am really comin along with the French, but it will be nice to understand everyone for a couple days. In fact it will probably be a little bit of a shock! :-P

After 3 days in London, Katie, Del, and I are off to Paris for a 3 week language school. We will be participating in an intense language course on a campus just outside of Paris. We will probably be doing alot of reveiw which will be wonderful since I am shocked when I realize how much I have forgotten! Also, we will have some free time so we are planning on getting out to see a few places...Normandy and Versaille being two of those.

So we are hoping that our French skills prove strong enough to survive the classes. Also there will be some side sessions that we are hoping will prove very helpful. The 2 I am taking are Biblical French and Singing in French (it is actually a little different than speaking).

So if you think about it, please pray that we will be safe in all the traveling we do in the next few weeks and that we are able to recall our French and remember what new stuff we learn while in the classes.

I love you all and thanks to those of you who have sent letters, emails, or facebook messages!