We all needed a rest from classes.
I found myself overwhelmed with what I know and can not yet use with out thinking really hard.
For the first time ever I failed a class. Just failed.
I suffered from major test anxiety and made first time test taker mistakes - stuff I tell my kids to do, like skip the hard one and watch your time, I did not do! I could not make out the words on the taped oral section: accent? pitch? speed? train station voice? I guessed poorly on things I wasn't sure of. I missed easy things and got hard things.
I wept.
Then I smiled and kept going to class but my heart was not there.
Thank God it was time for vacation. 2 weeks off.
The school gave us a new couch. Our old one was really broken. So the first Saturday of break I rearranged the living room and put up pictures. I made it ours.
Week one was mostly sitting with sick kids. We watched French tv and movies. We skied one day, but the sick came back and I stayed home some more with the kids.
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| Our ski day |
I had had time to pray, read my Bible, and be alone. I took a bike ride alone. I walked alone. I skyped with friends and family and was encouraged. I rested. I listened to my old favorite 'Out of the Grey' album and thought about the words. I rested.
Sunday we went to church and took a 20 min. ride up the mountain from Conflans. We ended up taking a walk in the snow near a fort. Beautiful.
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| Snack in the snow |
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| My favorite guy |
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| The kids playing in the 'field' |
Monday kids felt even better. Kristin and I went to her friend's house for the afternoon.
For dinner we went to our friends' apartment. We felt spoiled by the wonderful time and food.
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| Faith wearing Ben's hat |
Tuesday we went to a chocolate factory and took a tour.
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| Looking at the beans as part of the tour. |
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| The tasting room |
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| Playground outside the factory |
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| Swan on Lake Geneva |
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| Light Saber battle of course…. |
Wednesday the pastors from the church I grew up in came to visit. What a blessing that these folks care enough about us to come all this way! It was good to talk to people who know the same folks we do. Clay asked me what my favorite place here is. I had to think. The tea shop? Conflans? Or the bike trail - the one like Blackwater Creek trail back home? I am thankful that they listened and prayed for us and shared how we could pray for them and Rivermont Presbyterian too.
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| In front of our school |
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| Pastors Clay and Brett the tourists…. |
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| The view of Conflans |
Thursday we will go to the zoo in Lyon. We get to meet our friend Marcus for dinner too.
Then we will rest and study and get ready for school again.
I'm not sure what school will be like this session. But I am thankful for what the rest has shown me. I need rest! I need time alone. I need time with God. I need to be encouraged by friends close by and far away. I need friends I can pray with and for. I need to smile and make others smile. I need to not stress about French and enjoy living right here right now. And any success I have in French is definitely a gift from God. And He is good. All the time.
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| A banana from Cameroon to help us remember why we are here |
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| Spring is here! |
