France in a quick flash





Oh where to begin. Usually I am decent with expressing myself. I have no words for France. I have no words for the way this place makes me feel. As I peddle through the breathtakingly beautiful parks on my way to class I ask God "how did I get to be in the place I am? Why did you bless me with such an opportunity?"

I guess I will begin by saying that I am happy. Although my happiness may not be so evident on the exterior (I maintain a stoic face to blend in better), I assure you my loving friends that I am flourishing. FLOURISHING.

The family I live with is a carbon copy of my real family. Comprised of 5 people. mom, dad, a boy and two girls. Mother is the chorus, the father the conductor. Each one of them special (although I haven't yet met the oldest as she lives in Peru with her Peruvian husband) and each one of them willing to help me with my pursuit of the French language.

School is great, very intense. I am in my third week and each day I realize a new perspective of the language, a true gift to my conscious. As I take the advice of my predecessors, I have chosen to limit my anglophone friends and reach out to the francophone community. It's a little more difficult to do so during the summer as not many students are on campus, but with the bit of confidence I have, I've been able to make friends with two very special French girls.

As I live about a mile and a half from campus and I currently take the bike, my exercise regimen has been kicked up a few notches. No complaints. Buns of steel.

However, during the fall and winter time my bike rides to campus will be much less enjoyable and in fact frigidly cold. Thus, I have made the decision to buy a scooter. Yes, my very own French scooter. Mom, Dad, if you are reading this, I am sorry but I have to buy one and I PROMISE I will be careful. (as in scooter I mean mini motorcycle)

In other news, I have managed to visit a fair part of Southwest France. I went to Toulouse, France where I made friends with the most kind Toulousain one could imagine. He was kind enough to be the guide for the trip and make us feel at home.

Me and four of my American friends learned a great lesson that weekend in Toulouse. The rumors of wallet theft in Europe are incredibly true. My friend had her wallet out for two seconds, casually looking it and all of a sudden a crowd of about 4 young gypsy-type girls came up and snatched it. Yes the wallet was retrieved but only because my courageous, 5 foot 9 inched friend ran after her and bonked her on the head with a baguette. Oh clichés, you're just so accurate at times. Needless to say, our eyes were opened wide and we all learned a serious lesson.

Last weekend the USAC group headed to Pays-Basque, which I would argue is thus far my favorite part of France. Bayonne and Biarritz changed me. I was very secluded the entire day. I got a lot of writing done on the beach. I was sitting on a cold rock on the ocean front of Biarritz praying. Lately my prayers have been a bit selfish like "God please take care of this and this and this" and it was at the moment on the rock in Biarritz that God revealed something very interesting to me. He told me that I'm not in France for myself. I am not there to get fluent in the language or comfortable with the culture (although these are things that will evidently happen) but rather that I am in france to lead more people to Him. To be an example of Godliness and Holiness, to be a warrior for Him. This tug is so real and something I can no longer ignore. I am trying hard to find the vessel in which He wants me to do all of these things, and I feel it's just on the horizon, but for now I wait patiently for His next great whisper.

Oh those whispers, how I love them. How I love HIM.

Until next time my sweet friends,

Courtney

Comments

  1. Wow! I'm so happy to hear about how much you are enjoying France!!! But boy, that is kinda scary about the wallet being out for only 2 seconds!

    ReplyDelete
  2. great to hear u had fun and about the wallet ...wow lovely pictures.

    -cris

    ReplyDelete
  3. That was a good read.

    Shame you had to ruin it with that shit about god at the end, but still a good read nonetheless.

    ReplyDelete

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