Prayer Letter

Language study is now well under way, and we're getting used to the daily routines of classes and the short, twice weekly French chapel services at our language school 'Les Cedres'. Joel has been happy going along to the creche at our school and now the weather is better they've started venturing to the playground outside, to play under the shade of the large cedar trees which gives the school its name. It's also nice to hear the sounds of small children playing through the open classroom windows as we tackle French grammar and sentence structure!

With the end of this session coming up we'll be undertaking our first official French language assessments. The assessment comprises of an aural section followed by a longer written one. Each of these are split into 3 parts which increase in difficulty; we've done a couple practice written assessments in our class and you certainly feel tested by the end of it.

With the end of term many of the students at Les Cedres will be moving on. Six students in Ingrid's class will be leaving, so just Ingrid and one other will be continuing language study. The students in the most advanced class will also be leaving. With the new term though, undoubtedly, there will be many new faces, and hopefully we'll be able to pass on our new found wisdom in French living for foreigners!

The children will start their summer break soon but we will continue with French language study into the summer.

Mark will shortly finish the summer term at the state French school he has been attending, and because of his age will move up to the Elementary school in September. Unfortunately, this means the 4th school in 4 terms, since starting school last September. Thankfully, a lot of his class will move up to the same school and his current teacher has requested that Mark be in the same class as his new best friend, which will certainly help. There was an information evening at the elementary school recently, and although the French was very fast, the teachers there seemed lovely.

We've seen a few of the tourist sites in Paris since arriving, but are looking forward to seeing a bit more of the country. We hope to take a short holiday over the summer, although we haven't yet chosen which of the many beautiful areas in France we might visit.

As part of our settling into the area, we have also been attending a local evangelical Christian church in a nearby town. It was recommended to us by some of the other students we know and it has been a welcoming place, the Sunday school teachers even speak a little English which has been helpful for Mark. We knew that France took it's secularisation very seriously, but having met so many students who have moved huge distances to help shine the light of Jesus to this country, it really highlights the need here too. We have been surprised to hear that a third of evangelical churches in France no longer have a pastor to lead them.

Praise God:

Presidential elections in Chad passed relatively peacefully.

Mark has settled ok into his first term at French school.

Prayer Requests:

For our ongoing language study.

For the building up of contacts in the African prosthetics and orthotics world.

For the staff and patients and witness of Jesus at Guinebor II hospital in N'Djamena.

Thanks again for your ongoing support, we so appreciate all of you who are coming on this journey with us!