THE POWER OF ICE CREAM
While we have a lot of goals for our time in Massy during our language training, there is one that we do not want to pass us by. During this next year we have the opportunity to share life with other people who are also heading to the mission field just like us. Whether they are staying here in France or heading down to one of the many French-speaking countries in Africa, there is so much we share with them, and it is exciting for us to be connected to such a unique group for this time.
Our language school has approximately 50 students total, and in our class there are 10 students with half staying in France and the other half serving in Africa. Our class is diverse in age, backgrounds, personalities, and more, but we all seem to get along very well and have a strong, unifying common interest: to learn French to share the Gospel.
We are in the beginner’s class, and as such our ability to communicate in French is extremely limited. However, one of the rules of the language school is that we are only allowed to speak French on campus for a vast majority of the time, especially the classroom. As such, we have been enjoying the group of people in our class, but we still did not know each other that well. This brought on the idea of having an ice cream social.
So last week, we invited our class over to our apartment to enjoy some ice cream, coffee, and fellowship. It was such a pleasure to sit back, enjoy some sweets, and just chat with this great group without worrying about verb conjugations or correct pronunciations.
In an attempt to get to know everyone a little better, we went around the room and shared all of the countries where we had visited or served. It was an incredible testimony to God’s work throughout the world to hear everyone share where they had traveled and worked for short-term projects, internships, full-time ministries, and even non-ministry positions. We tallied up how many different countries were represented by the group, and we were all surprised by the final tally. Our group had been to about 70 different, unique countries!
There are so many things about moving to Massy, France which are exciting. There is living in a new country, taking day trips to Paris, tackling a new language, or even having delicious baguettes available around every corner. While we are here in Massy, though, we are committed to not letting one of greatest sources of excitement and interest pass us by: the amazing and unique followers of Christ that we are sharing this experience with at our language school. Our prayer is that just as we hope God moves through our work here in France, we pray that he moves through the hands of all of his servants worldwide.
Thank you for your continued prayers. We tell you with confidence that they are meaningful and have already shaped our time here.
In His Service, Glen and Jessica |