Plane Crash

Please pray for my friend Debbie, who was in a plane crash yesterday in Africa. She is a missionary in Sudan. After a short time of rest in Kenya, she was returning to Sudan by airplane and, due to weather conditions, the plane crashed. There were only 5 aboard, and all were injured, but no-one was killed. Praise God that he preserved the lives of all the passengers. Debbie has hurt her neck, so please pray for quick and complete healing and for safe transport back to Kenya where she will receive additional medical treatment.

Language Shock?

Language learning is a bit of a stressful experience. When one learns language by immersion (as I am doing), there is more than just the language to learn. I had a bit of a bad day yesterday. Quite honestly, I was at the edge of tears most of the day. For those of you who know me well, you know that I don't cry often. Fortunately, I benefited from the empathy of a few people who knew exactly what I was going through.
You see, as a language learner, I can really only function as a child. In fact, most of the time I can only function as an infant. However, I still have the responsibilities and desires of an adult. Many times I can't really understand what is going on around me. Even if I understand most the words spoken, I often misunderstand something or miss the meaning all together. One example is when Serge, the chef here, was joking with me yesterday. As he was dishing up some shepherd's pie he explained how he made it. He used a word that I didn't recognize, but I didn't think anything of it. I discovered later that he was telling me that he added glue to the meat. Oops, I was supposed to laugh at that:0)
To add to the stress, I am in a culture and land that I am not yet accustomed to. I don't know the names of streets or stores, and I don't always know the significance of local news. And in addition to that, I have given up much of my freedom to be here. Instead of having my own house and car, I've decided to live in the dorm and to sell my car. And as enjoyable as the Bible School students are here, they are still significantly younger than I am.

Please pray with me, that I would learn the French language quickly and well, and that I would also be able to rely on God in the rougher times. Also, pray that I would remember to set my mind on heavenly things.

Abele Update

I received an email update from my friends a few days ago. Below is what the Abbotts said about their visit with Abele.

"We were able to stop and visit with Abele at prison on our way home. He is thin and hungry but otherwise doing well and in good spirits. It is still uncertain how long he we will remain there. Continue to join us in praying that God will strengthen him and continue to bring him to complete repentance and restoration."

The Conrods also recently updated their blog with a post about Abele. You can find it by clicking here

Praise God that He is preserving Abele during his time in prison. He is truly suffering the consequences of his actions, but God has more than enough grace for Abele and for each one of us. Continue to pray for his protection. Pray also that he would truly understand the depth of God's grace and forgiveness and that he would be able to communicate that same grace and forgiveness to his fellow inmates and to the guards at the prison. Continue to pray also for his children who are without father or mother until Abele is released.

Coffee

I have an announcement! I drank coffee today!!
OK, that announcement doesn't usually produce cheers and whoops of joy. In fact, most people would respond with a confused look. So, let me explain. Yesterday at dinner I spoke with my new French teacher. He was asking what my plans were for the evening. I responded that I would probably study. His response to me was that it was Friday night and I shouldn't be studying on Friday night, especially since classes haven't even started yet. I was reluctant at first, but with some prodding from another student, I decided that I really wasn't going to study.
You see, I have been expecting a lot from myself. I've been in Quebec for one week now, and I don't know French yet. Absurd, I know, but I fully expected to be able to understand people much better than I can, and I also expected that I would actually be able to contribute to conversations. So, in an effort to survive my experience here, I have been hitting the books hard, and being hard on myself when I don't understand or when I can't communicate well.
But, I have to remind myself that I am a language learner, and learning a language takes time. It will take time to get used to the Quebecois accent, to the slang, and to the speed of speech here (let alone to figure out the language itself).
Later yesterday evening, I read the blog of a friend, who, in the midst of many piles of things to do, decided that she would first have to just eat her strawberries. That inspired me. I decided that since I have not been fair to myself, I would set an attainable goal for myself. I thought about what would be attainable, practical, and enjoyable. Coffee! Perfect! I set a goal to drink coffee today. And guess what! I attained it! I am so proud of myself.
In addition to drinking my morning coffee, I also attended a conference on ministering to Muslims, attempted to go shopping with some friends, had some valuable conversations, attended a piano concert, and drank more coffee at Tim Hortons.
Ah, Timmy's. That is another Canadian thing of note. I guess the American equivalent to Tim Hortons would be a Dunkin' Donuts. Hmmm... I wonder if there were a competition between Timmy's and Dunkin' Donuts...Ah, it would probably be a draw, Eh?
Speaking of competitions, I just want to point out that the Americans won against Montreal today. Please pray for me, as I might get mobbed by angry hockey fans.

La Tire

I went with the Bible School students to la cabanes à sucre today. It was a uniquely Quebecois experience. Most Americans are familiar with the Maple tree, but many of us don’t even know the difference between real maple syrup and the imitation kind. Well, I now know the difference!!!

We had a tour of the facilities, which consisted of tapped maple trees, a collection shack, and a larger shack for boiling the sugar. Once the sugar is boiled enough, it is syrup.

We all headed outside, where there were long wooden boxes filled with packed snow. Each of us took a popsicle stick and waited for the treat, ‘la tire sur la neige.’ A pot of sugar was boiling in the sugar shack, and at the right moment, it was brought out and poured into the snow. That is when the sticks came in handy. We poked and twirled our sticks in the sugar and out they came. Maple popsicles!! Yum, c’est tres cool!!


I start classes next week. In a way, I am glad to have some time to rest a bit, but at the same time, I am working hard to strengthen my French now, in order to be able to communicate with my new friends.

Wide-Eyed Foreigner

I’ve made it!! My first destination after leaving California was North Carolina. I took a course called Missionary Medicine Intensive (MMI). I learned a ton, but still feel quite unprepared for the immense medical needs that I will no doubt encounter in Cameroon. The best part by far was the interaction with other missionaries.

After a very intense 12 days in North Carolina at Equip International for their Missionary Medicine Intensive, I flew to Quebec. The night of the 10^th was spent in a hotel in Montreal, since it was too late to catch the bus to Sherbrooke. Yesterday, the 11^th, I took the bus two hours and was met by the Christensens at the Sherbrooke bus station. It was so good to see familiar faces!

I am staying in the dorm with all of the Bible students, who speak French as their native tongue. The girls that I am staying with made a point to come greet me when I arrived. They are quite friendlyJ There is also another single gal, named Jen, staying in the dorm who is also studying French. I anticipate making a bunch of new friends here.

Yesterday, as I was making arrangements for the bus, I realized how foreign this little piece of North America is to me. I looked around, and everyone looked so American, but, in fact they were French speaking Quebec natives. I imagine that I probably resembled the foreigners that visit the United States, wide eyed and confused. But God is good, and He has provided for me a wonderful place to learn French and to make new friends. Soon I will be able to communicate with more ease and will know better how to navigate life in Quebec.