Today in Albertville was lovely. The sun shone brightly and the sky was blue. The highlight of the day was visiting the park with Abi. A very awesome park it was, I must say, with all sorts of ingeniously designed structures. I also biked to the sports store and bought myself a pair of running shoes so that the training for the 5K in May can begin in earnest. Also did a smattering of study here and there throughout the day, although the exams I have on Monday and Tuesday are a little bit more difficult to study for. The other exams this week were good - written comprehension and written expression, grammar, and Biblical vocabulary. Next up is lecture (tests your pronunciation and intonation), oral comprehension, oral expression, and dictation.
The week also bore great sadness for many here in Albertville and, indeed, for people all across the world who were following the story of Hannah Kelley. There is a missionary family at Tenwek in Kenya (the same place where the McCropders served for two years) who very suddenly and unexpectedly lost their baby girl, Hannah, barely one year-old, to a brain tumor. The story is heart-wrenching, devastatingly and deeply sad, but the family's faith throughout this trial of immense grief and suffering is incredible to behold. I urge you to go read the story for yourself in their own words on their blogs - mrskelleyinkenya.wordpress.com and http://www.aaroninkenya.com/2013/03/we-treat-jesus-heals/. There is also a beautiful, raw, honest reaction on the McCropder's blog: http://mccropders.blogspot.fr/2013/03/tenwek-tragedy.html. If you read these posts, you will go away with a heavy heart, but you will also be encouraged for the Lord has been glorified greatly throughout it all.
The week brought good news too - three of my babies have progressed in their adoption! Two of them will be going home very soon... Tuesday and Wednesday's little boys in case you still keep track, which I most certainly do. And Thursday's girl's parents will be going to Haiti shortly for their first visit. I am overjoyed by this news; it is so exciting to see their processes finally moving! Thanks be to God. I will keep you posted.
As evidenced by the title of this blog post, I was planning on recounting further stories from travel, but thus far this post has had nothing whatsoever to do with the stories from vacation, and now I'm off to an evening with some friends. All French-speaking friends, so it will certainly count as studying for the oral expression exam on Tuesday. Hopefully stories from travel will come shortly!
Sorry to hear the sad news from Kenya, but thrilled about the news from Haiti. I think the best way for you to prepare for the exams this week is to go out into Albertville and have as many interactions with people as you can. Listening to and speaking French with real French people...no better way to study! Maybe you can go to a French church service tomorrow too.
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