A Typical Day in Language School

I haven't been updating this blog much for the last few weeks, partly due to being very busy, and partly due to the fact that language school, while very helpful and necessary for a missionary, is not too exciting to read about.  But all the same, I thought you might like to know what a typical day is like for me - now that I am mostly settled in with a regular routine.

If you know me well, you probably know that I am a natural early riser.  So it is quite normal for me to be awake and alert at around 5:30am.  I exercise, have breakfast, spend some time with the Lord, and get ready for the day.  On most days, my classes start at 8:30 so I leave my apartment around 8:00 and walk to school, usually getting there with time left over for a little last-minute studying.  I usually have around 4 hours of classes each day.

Here in France, meal times are very important - not surprising when you consider that French gave the English language words like "gourmet", "connoisseur", "restaurant", and "cuisine".  So there is always a good time allowed for lunch - at least an hour, sometimes an hour and a half.  I prefer to bring a packed lunch, and that doesn't take long to eat, so I usually have extra time to do homework and write emails.  By the time my classes are over and I walk home, it is usually late afternoon. 


After class, I sometimes take the tram to the bank or grocery store to run errands.  There are no grocery stores in walking distance - except for the bakery, which is almost next door (yum! French bread is really good!).  Thankfully, France has an excellent public transportation system.  I typically have a few hours of studying to do in the afternoon and evening, with a bit of time left to rest and unwind before bed.

So there you are - a typical day in language school for a first-term missionary ... at least for this first-term missionary!  Please continue to pray that I will be a good testimony for the Lord to my fellow students.  Pray especially for my classmates Rebecca, Jessica, April, and Miyu.

On another note, please pray also for a university graduate student who has visited the church several times recently.  She visited as part of her research for a project on world religions, but has expressed that she is fascinated by what she has seen and wants to know more.  As far as I can gather from listed statistics, there is scarcely any gospel witness in her homeland in east Africa, and not much in France either.  Yet in spite of all, the Lord brought her our way so she could hear the gospel.  The Lord has impressed her on my heart many times this week to pray for her.  Please pray with me that she will come to know our wonderful Savior.