I have been going through a rough patch again (the roller coaster ride of language school), missing my family, feeling a little depressed, fatigued from so much studying. I know we just had a break, but other than visiting a few towns around here, I mostly studied! And now we are back to school, learning more material and studying hard for our exams for this section (A1). If I don't pass, I will have to repeat this all over again, and the prospect of that is definitely discouraging. So, this morning, the Lord woke me up early, and again I found myself prostrate before Him, asking for help. The good news is that He is always there to hear and encourage. I started my devotional time as usual with "My utmost for His highest". In todays reading, he speaks of living a life of faith. He uses Abraham as an example, who is definitely one of my top examples of leading a life of faith! "He went out, not knowing where He was going..." Hebrews 11:8. Here are a couple of quotes from the reading... "Living a life of faith means never knowing where you are being led. But it does mean loving and knowing the One who is leading. It is literally a life of faith, not of understanding and reason- a life of knowing Him who calls us to go. Faith is rooted in the knowledge of a Person." This is so hard for me, because I want to understand, and I like reason. But God is calling me to be a person of faith! This is a difficult journey, as any of you know, who are also striving to be people of real faith!
Later on in the reading, another gem; "A life of faith is not a life of one glorious mountaintop experience after another, like soaring on eagles' wings, but is a life of day-in and day-out consistency; a life of walking without fainting" (Isaiah 40:31). Lord, help me to walk without fainting!
I am always in a state of reading through the Bible. This mornings' reading just happened to be (you guessed it) Isaiah 40! Isn't it cool how when God is really trying to show us something, He does it in multiple ways. I personally think it's because we are pretty thick-headed and He has to hit us over the head multiple times before we get it!!! So my prayer this morning is to run and not be weary, and to walk and not faint.
Thank you for your prayers, and please continue to pray for me during the next 3 weeks as I prepare for and take my exams. Whatever the outcome, I want to become a person of stronger faith, trusting in who God is, and that He is in control.
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Le Fromage Usine (the cheese factory)
I've been able to do a little sightseeing while on a break from school. One of the most interesting places I have visited is the small village of Beaufort, high in the Alps. In this town, most of the people are animal farmers, cows (vaches) and goats (chevres). The use the milk to make a variety of products, but mostly cheese. We got to tour the factory where they make the cheese, and watch the men at work, mixing the cheese, pressing the cheese, wrapping the huge wheels of cheese in cheese cloth. Then we watched a video of their way of life. Again, super interesting, and I understood quite a bit of the French spoken in the video. Then the tour ended in the store, where we got to taste and buy cheese. Yummo! They say the 4 food groups in France are; bread, cheese, wine, and chocolate. Oh boy, my waistline is feeling it. I gotta go back to eating salads or I'll be in big trouble. I will try to post some pictures of this little adventure, but for some reason I am having trouble getting them to post. So, check out my pics on facebook.
Monday, March 3, 2014
Gratitude
"Lord, you have given me so much, but I ask for one more thing; a heart of thankfulness".
Things I am thankful for today:
1) Being a child and friend of God
2) His word
3) my wonderful family- and a shout out to my son, Chad, who's birthday is today!
4) wonderful friends, old and new
5) living in France for a year; what a journey to live in a new culture and learn a new language
6) the opportunity to serve God in missions
7) French Bolangeries (the bread here is amazing)
8) the French Alps (every day I get to look out my window at magnificent mountains)
9) Having a rental car for a couple of weeks (YES! Freedom)
10) Skype- so I can keep in contact with those I love (can't imagine how hard it was for missionaries in the past to leave their families, and never see them again!)
11) A break from language school- so great to give my mind and body a rest.
12) the ability to listen to my pastor's sermons (in Riverside) on a podcast. I love going to the French church, but still only understand about 1/4 of the message, so to hear a message in my heart language is super important.
13) Homemade peanut butter (since peanut butter is rare in France, and super expensive, a friend here taught me how to make peanut butter in a food processor with just peanuts, a little oil, and a little honey. Super yummy!)
14) Hopefully, a chance to visit some nearby French towns this week (if only the sun will come out, and it will stop raining and snowing).
15) Cards and packages from friends and family back home- they mean so much!
Well, I think that's about it for now. Love you all, Sandie
Things I am thankful for today:
1) Being a child and friend of God
2) His word
3) my wonderful family- and a shout out to my son, Chad, who's birthday is today!
4) wonderful friends, old and new
5) living in France for a year; what a journey to live in a new culture and learn a new language
6) the opportunity to serve God in missions
7) French Bolangeries (the bread here is amazing)
8) the French Alps (every day I get to look out my window at magnificent mountains)
9) Having a rental car for a couple of weeks (YES! Freedom)
10) Skype- so I can keep in contact with those I love (can't imagine how hard it was for missionaries in the past to leave their families, and never see them again!)
11) A break from language school- so great to give my mind and body a rest.
12) the ability to listen to my pastor's sermons (in Riverside) on a podcast. I love going to the French church, but still only understand about 1/4 of the message, so to hear a message in my heart language is super important.
13) Homemade peanut butter (since peanut butter is rare in France, and super expensive, a friend here taught me how to make peanut butter in a food processor with just peanuts, a little oil, and a little honey. Super yummy!)
14) Hopefully, a chance to visit some nearby French towns this week (if only the sun will come out, and it will stop raining and snowing).
15) Cards and packages from friends and family back home- they mean so much!
Well, I think that's about it for now. Love you all, Sandie
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Misgivings
I have had several tough weeks here at language school; I am studying harder and harder, and the scores are getting lower and lower. Last week, I was just above passing, and this week I was below passing. I have been so disturbed by all of this that I am not sleeping well, I am crying more than normal (I have learned from myself and others that crying is normal in language study!), I cry out to God to help; please show me what I am doing wrong. Well, this morning, when I woke up at 4am and couldn't go back to sleep, I cried out again; what is the problem? He graciously and tenderly revealed to me what the problem is. So, in humility, I share my findings with you. My problem is pride! Hebrews 12: 1 says that we should lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, so that we can run with endurance the race that is set before us. One of the sins that I have wrestled with most of my life is pride. I arrived in Albertville thinking, I know this will be hard, but I can do this, I'm a smart person. After 7 weeks, I have come to the realization; I can't do this, I am not smart! This has been a hard pill to swallow. As I read "My utmost for his highest" this morning, God showed me that my confidence was in myself and my abilities, not in Him. Today's reading is entitled "Our misgivings about Jesus". It laid out my problem before me. We say we are trusting in the Lord, when really we are trusting in ourselves. We have misgivings about whether or not He can really accomplish what He says he can, and our pride is hurt at the thought that He can do what we can't. The reading for today ends with a prayer, that I confessed before the Lord..."Lord, I have had misgivings about you. I have not believed in Your abilities, but only my own. And I have not believed in Your almighty power apart from my finite understanding of it."
I'm learning that I have other lessons to learn here in Albertville, besides learning to speak French. He has to get me at the end of myself, so that I can lean on His power, not mine. A missionary who is depending on their own power is not going to get very far. He is teaching me harder lessons that how to speak a new language, He is teaching me to totally rely on Him. Ephesians 1:18-21 is Paul's prayer for the church in Ephesians, but also for us. He prays that "the eyes of your understanding would be enlightened, that you would know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of HIS power toward us who believe, according to the working of HIS mighty power, which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come."
I will continue to study! I know He expects me to do my part. But I hope that I will recognize more and more that it is HIS power in me, and not my own that is going to get me through this program. Please continue to pray for me in this regard. It's not an easy thing to leave our pride and our will at the foot of the cross.
I'm learning that I have other lessons to learn here in Albertville, besides learning to speak French. He has to get me at the end of myself, so that I can lean on His power, not mine. A missionary who is depending on their own power is not going to get very far. He is teaching me harder lessons that how to speak a new language, He is teaching me to totally rely on Him. Ephesians 1:18-21 is Paul's prayer for the church in Ephesians, but also for us. He prays that "the eyes of your understanding would be enlightened, that you would know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of HIS power toward us who believe, according to the working of HIS mighty power, which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come."
I will continue to study! I know He expects me to do my part. But I hope that I will recognize more and more that it is HIS power in me, and not my own that is going to get me through this program. Please continue to pray for me in this regard. It's not an easy thing to leave our pride and our will at the foot of the cross.
Monday, February 10, 2014
Adventures in France
It's been a while since I wrote a post. Mainly because I am trying to keep my head above water in this French learning adventure. It consumes most of my day; I wake up thinking about French verbs and articles, and I go to bed thinking about how to ask questions and form sentences. My teacher and I are meeting once a week for one-on-one tutoring, and that has really helped. I think it's starting to sink into my brain. Praise God!
But other than just language learning I have had a few opportunities to experience France in other ways. The Saturday before last I went to the city of Grenoble with a friend here who has a car. She was going to IKEA, and also dropping someone off at the train station there. I have been wanting a more comfortable chair, since these hard straight-back chairs have raised havoc with my bad back. So I jumped at the opportunity. It was a beautiful day out and the scenery was amazing on the way there. Albertville is so beautiful, but it is completely surrounded by high mountains. It's a little hard to get a bearing of where you are in France, or even which way is north or south. This was the first time I had left Albertville in over a month of arriving here. Grenoble is about an hour away from Albertville. It is the "capital" of the region/county of Savoi. France is made up of 95 counties, or regions. Each one has it's city where all the administrative activities occur. I will have to go back to Grenoble in about a month to present my long term visitor visa and get it approved. On the trip there, the valley opened up and the mountains got further away. We could see abbeys, and forts, and castles up on the hills. The river that runs through Albertville, followed along side of us most of the way there. We saw a lot of farms and horses, and cattle. It was really beautiful and refreshed my spirit! Well, we got to IKEA, which is exactly the same as in the states, even down to the Swedish meatballs, which we had for lunch. The only difference was that the food line had a whole section of French pastries, of which we had to partake of with our Swedish meatballs! The trip was a success and I found a very comfortable chair for only 49 euros. My back is thanking me!!! After IKEA, we took Marissa to the train station. I loved driving through the city of Grenoble. The architecture is very French, and very old. It's a beautiful city with lots of museums and interesting buildings. There is a cable car that is made up of individual "bubble' looking compartments (called the Teleherique de Grenoble, if you want to look it up) that goes over the Isere river, and up the side of a mountain to the "Bastille". I hear the views from the top are amazing. I hope to go visit there this spring when we have a break.
My other fun adventure was getting to watch the opening ceremonies of the Olympics here at the school on the "big screen". Well, compared to my laptop, anything is a big screen. One of the men here set up his computer to view on a projector style screen, and we had a party of food and watching the Olympics. Of course, it was on French TV, so all of the announcing was in French. I think that I might start watching a little French TV on my computer because it's good to hear the language in a natural setting.
The school is planning a one day outing to ski. I was planning on going, and just sitting in the lodge and sipping hot chocolate all day, but then I found out that they don't have ski lodges here in France. Since I don't ski (and neither do some others here), and I don't feel like just standing out in the cold all day, a small group of us are planning a train ride to a close by city; either Anechy or Chambery. So, I'll have to fill you in on that adventure once it has happened. In the meantime, let me express my thanks for all the cards and letters I have received from you back home. You have no idea how happy I am to look in my mail cubicle and see something there. Your sweet words and bible verses, and thoughts help to lift me up during the trying times! God is so good, and meets my needs at every turn. I am thankful for this opportunity to learn to lean on Him and trust Him more each day. Love you, Sandie
But other than just language learning I have had a few opportunities to experience France in other ways. The Saturday before last I went to the city of Grenoble with a friend here who has a car. She was going to IKEA, and also dropping someone off at the train station there. I have been wanting a more comfortable chair, since these hard straight-back chairs have raised havoc with my bad back. So I jumped at the opportunity. It was a beautiful day out and the scenery was amazing on the way there. Albertville is so beautiful, but it is completely surrounded by high mountains. It's a little hard to get a bearing of where you are in France, or even which way is north or south. This was the first time I had left Albertville in over a month of arriving here. Grenoble is about an hour away from Albertville. It is the "capital" of the region/county of Savoi. France is made up of 95 counties, or regions. Each one has it's city where all the administrative activities occur. I will have to go back to Grenoble in about a month to present my long term visitor visa and get it approved. On the trip there, the valley opened up and the mountains got further away. We could see abbeys, and forts, and castles up on the hills. The river that runs through Albertville, followed along side of us most of the way there. We saw a lot of farms and horses, and cattle. It was really beautiful and refreshed my spirit! Well, we got to IKEA, which is exactly the same as in the states, even down to the Swedish meatballs, which we had for lunch. The only difference was that the food line had a whole section of French pastries, of which we had to partake of with our Swedish meatballs! The trip was a success and I found a very comfortable chair for only 49 euros. My back is thanking me!!! After IKEA, we took Marissa to the train station. I loved driving through the city of Grenoble. The architecture is very French, and very old. It's a beautiful city with lots of museums and interesting buildings. There is a cable car that is made up of individual "bubble' looking compartments (called the Teleherique de Grenoble, if you want to look it up) that goes over the Isere river, and up the side of a mountain to the "Bastille". I hear the views from the top are amazing. I hope to go visit there this spring when we have a break.
My other fun adventure was getting to watch the opening ceremonies of the Olympics here at the school on the "big screen". Well, compared to my laptop, anything is a big screen. One of the men here set up his computer to view on a projector style screen, and we had a party of food and watching the Olympics. Of course, it was on French TV, so all of the announcing was in French. I think that I might start watching a little French TV on my computer because it's good to hear the language in a natural setting.
The school is planning a one day outing to ski. I was planning on going, and just sitting in the lodge and sipping hot chocolate all day, but then I found out that they don't have ski lodges here in France. Since I don't ski (and neither do some others here), and I don't feel like just standing out in the cold all day, a small group of us are planning a train ride to a close by city; either Anechy or Chambery. So, I'll have to fill you in on that adventure once it has happened. In the meantime, let me express my thanks for all the cards and letters I have received from you back home. You have no idea how happy I am to look in my mail cubicle and see something there. Your sweet words and bible verses, and thoughts help to lift me up during the trying times! God is so good, and meets my needs at every turn. I am thankful for this opportunity to learn to lean on Him and trust Him more each day. Love you, Sandie
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
The ups and downs of language study
Wow, what a roller coaster ride this is! Sometimes I really comprehend things and feel so positive, like I am actually going to learn French. Other times, I feel defeated, exhausted and like I want to give up. This has been one of the hardest things I have ever done. Way harder than my master's program was! It seems like all I do is study. Last weekend was really tough, because I had studied so hard for my evaluation (nice word for test!). Well, I didn't do very well on it! When I got the graded copy back, and I looked at some of the things I wrote I couldn't believe it. And I completely left one part blank. What the heck??? Well, I guess you can blame it on stress, or maybe it's just the 59 year old brain cells! Anyway, I'm going to just keep trying. I'm also meeting with my teacher tomorrow for a one-on-one tutoring session. Hopefully that will help. Anyway, if you're out there reading this please continue to lift me up to our Father. This was His idea, so I'm completely dependent on Him for getting me through!
On a positive note, I have mastered the French grocery store, bank, bus, and post office. I'm also looking for a language partner, so keep that in your prayers too. I would love to have someone in the medical field so I can learn some of that terminology. I am making friends and have had 3 gatherings in my little apartment for meals and study partners. I have also been invited to some apartments of students for meals, games, etc. My friend Christy and I watch Downton Abbey every week on her computer. I can't seem to get it on mine. That's my one TV show a week. Oh, and I finally got a phone, so now I can talk to some of you back home! Talk again soon!
On a positive note, I have mastered the French grocery store, bank, bus, and post office. I'm also looking for a language partner, so keep that in your prayers too. I would love to have someone in the medical field so I can learn some of that terminology. I am making friends and have had 3 gatherings in my little apartment for meals and study partners. I have also been invited to some apartments of students for meals, games, etc. My friend Christy and I watch Downton Abbey every week on her computer. I can't seem to get it on mine. That's my one TV show a week. Oh, and I finally got a phone, so now I can talk to some of you back home! Talk again soon!
Friday, January 24, 2014
Going for walks
I like to go for walks after all day in the classroom. It clears my head from all the French grammar and also refreshes my body and spirit. Today I took an especially long walk, clear out of town, and up part of a mountain. It was amazing; cold, crisp, beautiful mountains surrounding me. I saw some really cute little French houses, some chickens, a neat little canal, and my favorite Bolangerie (of course, I had to run in to buy some bread!). I took some pictures, and have been trying to post them without much success. So I will keep trying. Oh, and I took a picture for my friend, Mathilde, whose family lives in Chambery (look for the road sign). Well, Bon weekend!
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