Salut!

So we had the first group last night.  I did pizza and cookies - bad idea to put the oven on in this heat.  Lesson learnt!  Anyway, there were 8 of us.  In true French style they started to make things very official and plan for Christmas.  (I still have things to learn!)  It was quite difficult to guide the conversation and at times it turned into ‘lets criticize the church’ which I found a bit difficult to cope with.  But all in all it was a good start and we are going to meet twice a month.  (Weekly house groups are a bit of an anathema to French people.)  Amongst the 8 of us there were 5 different nationalities!

 

I have a fridge that works!!!  And I have an internet connection at home that works!!!  Hurahh, praise God!

Yes, this morning has been full of visitors.  The very welcome fridge men, now I can have ice cubes and ice cream again!  Hurahh!  Then the pastor’s son came round to sort out the internet connection.  And then my landlord came round to glue a TV cable up round the door.  I had made cookies yesterday so I was able to furnish them all with treats!

Here is my fridge in all it’s glory!

 

Tonight is the first young adults group.  I’m gonna make a big pizza.  I think I should also make some more cookies as I’ve either given away or eaten the ones I made yesterday!  Opps! 

Ahhh.  I am beginning to resign myself to a life of practical difficulties.  Yesterday went to applience shop after a lot of arguing te agreed to give me a refund on my fridge.  Then I went out and bought a brand new one with a long warentee for a cheaper price!  Then, in the afternoon the men came to give me my cooker which I have been without for 10 days while they ‘repaired’ it and take away my washer which isn’t balenced properly.  Anyway, the cooker wasn’t repaired and in the process of taking the washing machine they broke the stop tap and started a flood in my kitchen.  They then cheerfully waved goodbye and told me they had no idea when the washer would be brought back.

 

At this point I sat down and cried lots.  It would be very nice to say I sat and prayed.  But to be honest I just cried very loudly!

 

I called the pastor who came straight away and tried to help.  but the flood continued so he called my landlord…and he prayed with me.  The pastor that is, not the landlord!

 

Anyway, landlord arrived and he is a bit a of a ‘Mr Fix-it’.  He blocked up the flood until he could buy a new tap the next day and he also fixd my cooker!!  Hurahh!!  I am having the pastor’s kids over tomorrow for pizza so we will see if the oven works or not. 

 

Also internet still not connected for those of you who are asking.  Spent 30mins on the helpline this evening listening to trashy music only to be cut off.

 

On the work front - Starting a mother and toddle group tomorrow morning…but I think they don’t understand and think it’s a babysitting service.  It could all go horribly wrong!  On saturday evening I’m holding the first young adults meeting at my place.  There about about 10 of us lurking in the church but you have to seek them out.  But it promises to be a good night…as long as there is no major fire or electricity cut - I feel prone to disaster at the moment. 

I have been told that pastoral visits last between 30 and 45 minutes.  I thought that in France I should extend that a bit.  The last 2 have lasted over 5 and a half hours!!!!  Very nice but very long!!  My french is taking a real battering.

 

Also, I’m starting a mother and toddle group on Wednesday mornings, 10 - 11.30.  People were quite encouraging about it but most of the mothers asked why it was planned to be so short.  It will now probably be between 2 and 5.  The French concept of time is very different to mine!

 

To contine with the saga of the kitchen appliences…I’m going to the shop tomorow with the aid of a French man to demand my money back for the fridge.  Who knows what will happen.  Whatever happens it won’t happen easily, this much I have learnt.

Yesterday I was sat on a bench in a traffic island, come park, in the middle of the city.  I was doing a bible study with an English girl who has had a knee op and her leg in in a brace.  We were working our way through the first chpt of Hebrews and trying to avoid heat stroke in temeratures reaching 36°.  Anyway…a huge 8 wheeled concrete mover thing starts beeping like a securico van and reversing in our direction.  There is however, a man helping the driver reverse and who has noted our presence very close to the truck.  ‘No need to man handle your leg out of the way or hop onto your crutches Hilary, they’ve seen us’, I calmly remark - being unaware of the sadistic mind of French builders.  This million tonne lorry came hurtling towards us, Hilary managed to swing her leg onto the bench and I just about caught up our bags as the huge monster skimmed the edge of the bench - we could hear the laughter coming from the cab.

Also…the saga of the fridge and cooker continues.  They were supposed to be returned to me today.  But no.  When the pastor rang to ask they said they weren’t ready yet.  Do you know when they will be?  No.  Can you give me a rough estimate?  No.  Arghhhhhhh.  French custermer service is infuriating.

I’ve had my first overnight guests!  The honour of this title belongs to John and Jan from Brixworth!!  It was lovely to see them and to spend time doing touristy things that I can’t really do on my own. 

It’s getting really warm here.  It’s about 33° and I’m finding it difficult to cope.  I husband of a lady from church is coming to sweep my cellar free from spiders this evening - I’m VERY greatful, not sure how long it will stay clear though!

Thought you might be interested to see my appartment with things in it!  It is really lovely and everytime I return home I thank God.  Umtimately he provided, but also most of the furniture was given by friends in the UK and what I have bought here was through financial gifts of friends.  Praise God!

 

 

Ho hum!  The ‘repair’ men came this afternoon - and took everything away!  They have left me with a replacement fridge but no freezer so all my frozen stuff is ruined.  They also took my cooker and left no replacement - so I’ll be eating sandwiches until Tuesday at the earlest. 

I’ve been quite lonely today.  Everyone seems to be on holiday so I’ve spent most of the day alone in my flat.  However, the festivities for 14th July start tonight with a big firework display that I’m going to with the pastor and his family.  It will be nice to have contact with other human beings!!

Please pray that I would make friends quickly and that lots of people would invite me to eat real food with them over this bank holiday weekend…which at the moment promises to be quite lonely.  But God can change that!

Here are some photos of my aprtment at various stages this week!  If you want to see enlargements just click on the photo.

  The Lounge.  (Blinds down to stop me dying of heat exhaustion!)

   Bedroom

 

 

  Kitchen, before the problem appliances arrived!

  The unpacking and buliding starts…

  and continues…

  I was delivered a pastor in a box

  The hero of the day, Nicolas, who spent 2 hours putting together my very purple sofa…another long story there!

Have you ever seen or eaten one of these before??

I was totalled freaked out when I saw it.  French people have funny ideas of what to feed veggies and I have munched my way through many bowls of vegetables but this was taking the micky!  I xould never be able to eat all that!  Luckily, I didn’t need to.  For thoses or you, like myself, who are artichoke virgins, you only eat the little ball of gooey stuff at the abse of each leaf.  Quite bizarre but rather nice!