Winding down

  It's hard to believe that my time in France is coming to an end.  I'm watching the sand run right through the hourglass.  In all honesty, the memories have been many and the regrets few.  And the great thing is that I still have 2 weeks to enjoy.
  Recently, we've been spending our time with our church friends. We get together several times a week to eat, play volleyball, or just spend time together.  Last Thursday we had a church outing for the Grace Brethren churches in France.  There were about 5 churches represented and about 150 people (I actually just made that up, I have no idea how many people were there).  The young people went down the night before so that we would have time to set up and practice music.  It's always awesome to play with talented people.  Needless to say, it was an excellent time of fellowship and worship.  Elizabeth and I had the privilege of meeting the missionary couple that will be the "Missionaries in Residence" at Grace next year.  An older couple named the Hoberts who have been in France for over thirty years and are very dynamic people.  This event was held at the Château de St. Albain which belongs to the GB church, and it is also where our French Professor, Jacqueline Schram, grew up.  I also spent a large portion of the afternoon playing soccer with the young people.  So, it was a special experience for Elizabeth and I on many levels.
 
   And as if there wasn't enough excitement, Elizabeth's sister, Natalie came on Saturday to spend a week here in Dijon.  We both went to Paris to get her, and had a great time seeing a little of Paris before our train headed back.   Also this week, we have the bulk of our exams, so if we don't seem to be connected to the cyber world, don't be scared.
 

Go South, Young Man

As some of you may have heard (or seen on Facebook,) my girlfriend Elizabeth and I went to Spain for a sort of "long-weekend."  I had wanted to go see the Heldenbrands, not to mention wanting to see Spain.  The cheapest way we could find to get from Dijon to Málaga was the bus.

  Lots of people warned us that the bus ride would be long and cramped. So, we checked into flying...  But, the wallet is mightier than comfort, and the cheaper method of transportation prevailed.  (Not to mention that the bus was very hassle free.)

Liz and I above Málaga and the port. 

We spent the next three days hanging out with the family and seeing the sites of Málaga. We tasted some of the local products like olives, cheese, ham, and fish.  But, we especially enjoyed the atmosphere of an American family, something that we really missed.  It was fun discussing the NFL draft with Derrick (and find that he was much more up to date than I was.) Of course we talked about all sorts of things, but there was seldom a conversation in which my Dad was not brought up.  

The Heldendbrands and I by the sea. 

 
Unfortunately, it rained everyday that we were there.  Everyone we talked to expressed remorse for the weather, saying that it wasn't typical.  However, no one apologized because it had been the driest winter that Spain had had in seventy years.  We were still able to have a clear day (Monday) to visit the old city, see a fort from the time of the Moorish Occupation, and even dip our feet in the Mediterranean Sea.

 Before we knew it, Tuesday morning had arrived, and we headed back to France.  Elizabeth agrees with me that it was well worth the long trip.