{studio audience}

Last week Allison's daughter got us tickets to watch the live taping of a really popular French radio program. What made this better? There was a live concert featuring a hugely popular French rap group called Sexion d'Assaut. (I'm assured this isn't a sexual reference..) And what made THIS better? Well they decided to seat all 7 of us on the front row in the recording studio. It was crazy. Honestly, I'm not sure what happened for about 80% of the 3 hours that we were there. It was 3 hours of very very fast, very slang French punctuated by me leaning over to Allison's daughter and her French friend, making a confused and panicked face, and them laughing at me. It was an exhausting, ridiculous and memorable evening for sure.

Here is a video of the group performing a medley of their songs.
[You can see me and the rest of my group on the front. I have no explanation for my general awkwardness and any goofy dance moves that I may have executed.]

RA, B and myself with Cauet, the radio host.

[He picked on us hardcore for being American and he made me dance in front of the studio audience]

{La Campagne}

"campagne" is the French term for the countryside. Last week Brittany, Ruth Ann, Allison, Bizzie and I drove 45 minutes outside of Paris to a farm where picked fruits, flowers and vegetables.

les fleurs de soleil with a small village church in the background.

les fraises- strawberries- hanging down from their boxes. unfortunately, there were only a few ripe for the pickin' but we managed to find some that tasted delicious dipped in some nutella.

there was a fairly large patch of punkin's where we all selected our pumpkins for October

a giant squash next to my foot for scale

an unidentified little fruit (or vegetable) any ideas??

wheelbarrows for guests to use when traipsing about.

how I feel here sometimes. so. much. bread. and. cheese. can't. stop. eating.

Best,
mw

{Things of a leafy nature}

Once, on a morning walk to class in Meknes, Morocco, I recall I told a friend that I would rather like to be a leaf on a tree in some beautiful and exotic place.

Well, I've felt a bit like a leaf recently. For 22 years I've been fed with water and sunlight. I've grown out on limbs, and sat pleasantly absorbing the love and life poured into me by my Heavenly Father and by loved ones. I've truly loved every season that I've experienced, every address that has been home, and every warm hug that has been given me. At such a crossroads of heading into another season, I feel it's appropriate to reflect on where I've been in the past 12 months.

The past year: I surrendered to a calling on my life to serve overseas and started the application for Journeyman, I was challenged to lead and pour into leaders, I took 15 hours of French classes and edited a film, I graduated college and I have seen 4 of my best friends get married.

In the past six months: I have worked in a cubicle, rediscovered the beauty of Alabama, I taught hundreds of hours of swim lessons, threw 2 bachelorette weekends, finally traveled to Europe with my best friend, successfully corresponded by letter internationally, doubted and questioned what the next step in life would be, was blessed with community in the midst of a season of dryness.

In the past two months: I have been refined to be better equipped to serve the Lord in my calling overseas, I have sang on stage in foreign languages 3 times, and I have hugged goodbye to those who will be lifelong friends who have moved to the ends of the earth.

All of this has filled me beyond measure, and for all of it (and the many wonderful things not mentioned!) I give glory to the Lord. He is my sustainer and my sustenance and it is for His name that I have embarked on this stage in life.

So much like a leaf I've been, and this time my little leaf has aged with the cooling season and was detached from it's branch. The wind blew hard and carried me away, 7 time zones to be exact, and has planted me in a neighborhood just north of Paris, France.

So in celebration of one week and a day of life here, I want to mention things that I'm learning and things that I have experienced here in l'île de France.

the Father is good, he IS community
it rains everyday, all the time
everybody has this wonderful disinterested, mildly annoyed look when they ride the metro (I'm hoping to perfect one of these)
7 years of French and a major does not mean one is conversationally fluent
hearing simple bible stories will never get old or boring
my cheeks are going to be even brighter red from all the cheek-kissin' that happens here when greeting ladies. I won't lie I love it.

So, off into this season I go.

Best,
mw