Quick play by play of recent life

Whew. The last 2 months have been exciting and exhausting. After the rush of finding our apartment 1 month ago, we went to Spain for 5 days for a great training (there is a nice group photo below). At this training we learned how to teach in a way that our audience really learns and remembers. It is appropriately called “Learning that Lasts,” and one of the main objectives is to involve and empower your learners as much as possible, it’s very interactive. The biggest take-away for Ryan and I was starting to see how we can integrate a lot of these methods into leading a church, it was eye-opening to see how learning doesn’t just take place in a lecture-style classroom, but that it can take place anywhere. 

The Learning that Lasts training group photo with
representatives from Italy, France, Spain, and Cameroon, Africa 

After that, we hit the ground back in France working hard to catch up in our French studies since we had missed a few days and a big test. Since then it feels like we have taken test after test after test after test. I (Erin) was really struggling for a couple months in French, I did very poorly on several tests in a row in February & early March and I was quite discouraged. It was a good experience for me though because I have always been one of the first people to try to encourage people if they are struggling with something (be that grades, finances, whatever), but this time I got to experience what it actually feels like to be the one getting the bad grades, and it felt worse than I thought. It showed me I had a little more pride in my abilities than I realized and it drew me closer to God in repentance. So in that area, as well as others, my compassion is growing because God is showing me what it feels like on the other side. But recently, Ryan and I both have been making a lot of progress in French. We both meet with conversation partners regularly and exchange some French and some English, and just a couple months ago, one meeting was very draining, but now it feels more and more like real communication is taking place!

Lastly, just a quick update on the new apartment. We got the keys on April 1st and since then have been going there once or twice a week to clean and paint, and most recently to set-up our oven and fridge so we can prepare and conserve food (very exciting). And next Monday, April 21st we are making the move. We have one week off from classes next week so we will have a little time to settle-in before returning to class the following Monday. Even though it is just beginning it already feels like we are making a cultural transition from riding a bike with training wheels to the real thing. I have already had a nice chat with our ‘Gardienne’ (in France many apartments have a ‘Gardienne’ who lives and works in the building and collects rent, cleans and takes out the trash, and helps the renters with an assortment of things). And yesterday we had our first delivery from IKEA and the delivery guy was a little (searching for the right word here… gruff... French… I’ll just go with…) perturbed. So I had my first negative French conversation in which he complained about several things and I tried to be understanding but also communicate that it wasn’t our fault. And that was just one day after we took a French test that covered subjects like how to complain, contest false accusations, etc. It was one of those wow… God has a good sense of humor type moments.

That mostly brings you up to the present. We don’t have Internet yet at our new place, but as soon as we do we’ll be back to tell you what’s happening!