The Final Trimester

No, not in pregnancy…there’s none of that going on here…but we were scheduled to be here, in language school, for three trimesters.  And we just completed week one of the third trimester.  You can sort of feel a buzz about it.  It is refreshing energy to be able to draw from in order to study harder, because this is our “last chance” to learn all the French things.  Spring literally sprung around here this week – with new flowers, green buds on the trees, and sunny days with temperatures approaching 70F/20C!  But it’s also the realization that we’re moving to a new place, a new country, a new culture…in four months!  I look forward to sharing with you all more details about the move when it gets closer…and I when I know them!

But, to recap, exam week was a lovely break from routine of class.  Sure, it included exams that left us with only a fraction of our brain power at the end, but we passed and are moving on to study.  Matthew’s class is now spending a lot of time involved in debates and practicing the language, learning little new grammar, but rather nuance and specificity.  I am preparing to learn several new conjugations that will make reading easier (yes, in French, sometimes the written language uses different conjugations than the spoken…it’s super) and I will continue to press on being able to speak more fluidly.  Is that a word?  I don’t even know English anymore…  …with more fluidity?

Last night we had a lovely get together with our entire #teamcongo.  We even had a special guest, Michelle, an OB/GYN heading with Samaritan’s Purse to a village in eastern Congo where MAF has a base.  She is learning French in Switzerland (at a school for singles – no families), but she came in to meet us.  So, 15 of us gathered (plus four babies, who were pretty much in bed by mid-meal) to eat together, bond a bit with some crazy games, and just hang out.  It was super fun, though playing pictionary with mostly medical personnel, when we’ve made all of our owns clues, can be extra special.

These two ladies are amazing!

#teamcongo, minus one who was sleeping

Pictured above, from the left, Tim & Kathy Rice (Vanga), Michelle Doran (Nyakunde), Anna & Patrick LaRochelle, with Miriam & Luke (Nyakunde), Ashley & Dave Peteresen (Nyakunde, MAF!) – baby Daniel was already asleep.  Front row: Nancy Rice, daughter to Tim & Kathy, you know us…and Shannon & Ryan Potter with Sydney.

We are looking ahead to visas, the last visits from family, packing and hearing of our shipment’s send-off, and, of course, cramming all of the cheese we can into our faces before we leave.