Le Premiere Jour en France (1st day in France)

Oh my, transition!! With all the stress of travel and change, I know it will be a good three months because I am still feeling happy and hopeful!

Today we had orientation in Angers (2 hours southwest of Paris by TGV) with the new class - 28 students from 18 different countries.  The nationalities represented are Nigerian, Malagasy (from Madagascar), Colombian, Venezuelan, Mexican, Italian, Croatian, English, Canadian, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Indian, Spanish, Bangladeshi, I think I covered them all..of course, many of these people are not returning to their home country after their study in France, a large number will be working in Africa.  It's nice to find kindred spirits, even when we can't communicate much verbally yet.

The school is supported by a Catholic Diocese in France, so most of my classmates are priests or nuns.  It's pretty wild:) A very different kind of community than I have ever participated in. We will have two optional masses a day in French that will complement our learning, which is in addition to 9 hours of class time a day.  Classes began today, so pray that I will have patience, courage and a good sense of humor.

Here are some pics of my new home, Le Maison de Bon Pasteur en Angers, France.

The view from my bedroom window.  There is an apple orchard on the monastery grounds.

Ma chambre - small, but all that I need.  We each have our own showers but share a toilet.

The chapel where we have mass every morning and evening, down the corridor from our dining area.

The other chapel! We don't usually use this one because it's too cold.

The reception area with 1,000 year old stone statues surrounding it.  Incroyable.

My new home for the time being! 

There is a park with a running trail just next to the monastery.  This tunnel I ran through reminds me that even though my french language acquisition can leave me feeling in the dark sometimes, I know there is light on the other side!