Hey hey, Nikki here. Let me begin by saying how thankful I am for everyone who has been supportive of us thus far in one manner or another: for how our families have taken the long view and have prayerfully sent us out with their blessings, in spite of feelings of personal loss; for the churches who began praying for us when we first began raising support and for those who came behind us along the way; for all of the many, many people who have touched our lives in uncountable ways up until this very moment.

I am thankful for all of that because this year has been difficult. On days when I have been sick, I have felt like I have spent way too much time being sick this year with one thing or another. And this month I lost my grandpap to cancer. I’m not writing all this to complain. I am writing it to say that as much as I have been happy to be in language school and have in an odd way enjoyed my linguistic frustrations and love that I am doing what I am supposed to be doing, that this hasn’t occurred without some personal cost. I was told to count on migraines, stress, and feelings of helplessness when you just don’t know the words for things. In fact, school was precisely as expected, aside from not knowing how to handle the reactions of others who did not adjust well. But I didn’t consider what would happen when everyone at school is sick and everyone’s kids are sick and it just keeps getting passed around. Or how I would fail poorly at stress management when my grandpa’s cancer came back. Or how I would handle being on the other side of the ocean when people I love are hurting. All this while trying to raise a three year old who is generally a sweetie, but is still very much 3. Greg has very much helped me hold it together on the harder days (and braved the pharmacies for me when I just couldn’t). And now that we are literally sweating our way through exams again… where has the time gone?

In less than two weeks we’ll move to Loches, settle in, and begin our training there. In some ways we (or maybe just I!) feel unprepared. Am I ready to plunge into a training program that’s all in French?? Ok, so in some technical ways, I probably am. I know, in theory at least, a great deal of French for such a short amount of schooling. I understand most of the sermons on Sunday now. I can understand a question from someone I’m not used to speaking with if they’re willing to repeat themselves a time or two. I suppose I am as ready as I can be. So it’s onward, toward more unknowns, but with immense trust in God and in the people he has put in place to lead us.

We are so thankful for the time we have spent here at CCEF Albertville, for the teachers who have poured into us, and for the new friends we have made. We are thankful we have spent the past 7 months in a supportive environment, living upstairs from landlords who care about us, and the chance to be linguistically humbled along with other christians of various professions who are going to serve in many different countries as doctors, nurses, engineers, pilots, pastors, teachers, etc. Many of the students we began with in January have left or are leaving soon, most flying straight to their new post in various countries in Africa.

Thank you to everyone who made language school possible for any of us students so that we are better equipped to serve where we have been called. Please be in prayer not just for us, but for all of the students who pass through the doors of the language school here in Albertville, France. God continues to call people from all walks of life to work in the francophone world to meet a myriad of needs, just like he calls others to stay in the same neighborhood for years and be a light to the people there. To any and all of you who continue to say yes to God, no matter the request, you continue to inspire us and those around you. God bless!