happy new years!

New years!

Happy New Year everyone! I hope that you all had a great new years time and I wish you all the best for this great year of 2006!

This weekend I went on a retreat with Agape. It was great. We got to stay at a nice place and it was unlike any other retreat place I’ve stayed in. I don’t know how to explain it well though. Anyways, I rode there with 2 people from Marseille and I roomed with natacha, laurianne, and priscille.

We got there Thursday afternoon and I helped natacha make apple pie stuff. Then everyone started arriving. It was fun to see the Toulouse people again. I think they’re pretty cool! (Hey Paul, number 1 fan- thanks for reading!)

First we played some games. We played charades, some game like 4 on a couch or something and something else I think, but I forget now. It was fun to get to meet new people as well as spend some time with the people I met in Montpellier a few months ago.

We had a French man, David, who is living in South Korea and the pastor for francophone there come to share with us. It was excellent. and it was great to listen to what he had to say. Then after that time, we had tea and talk and sleep.

Friday we got up and had breakfast, (natacha, laurianne and I went in our pajamas) praise and worship, and another talk from David and then discussion groups. Then lunch, and free time. I learned a new game called settlers of (I forget the name). This game seemed like something I wouldn’t enjoy, but I figured, why not try, and I ended up really enjoying the game. It’s really fun; I would even put it on the top 10 list of board games to play. I really enjoyed Friday evening as we got a paper of questions to reflect on from the past year and upcoming year. It was really good to have the time and questions to help me think back on all that’s happened this past year. All the great things God has done. Some of the things I am extremely thankful for are: family, healing of and from relationships, intl ministry, graduating, moving to France and getting involved in ministry and a church, provisions for everything, people in my life. I have really been able to see the Lord at work this year in my life and the lives around me and I am really excited to see what He has in store for 2006.

Saturday, we had the same schedule as Friday. During the free time, I took a walk with one girl who is now spending 3-5 years in France with agape. She was really nice and it was good to get to know her. Then I helped (taste tested) the desserts for the dinner and I studied Japanese and talked. Then dinner time was great. We had a nice festive meal. See pictures. Afterwards we swing danced, swung danced. Whatever. And when it got to be closer to midnight, we began to sing praise songs and spend some time in prayer. One of the coolest things was we got in 2 lines and did a prayer thing so each person was prayed for by everyone, 2 people at a time. It was great and then we prayed for David. After we finished, I think it was like 2 or so. Then we began to DANCE DANCE DANCE! Around 5 am I went to bed.

We got to sleep in till 10:30 and went to brunch (pajamas again). Then it was clean up and go home time. It was such a great weekend. It kinda makes me sad that I don’t get to see all these people on a more regular basis. So looks like ill be taking a trip to Toulouse soon!

Aside from all this, I’ve become a tea drinker. I drink about 4 cups a day.

I hope you are all looking forward to this next year! I know I am! 2006 here I come!