April Newsletter

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Sour Patch Kids are among our family’s favorite candies. So, we were really excited to find them on the shelf at our local grocery store in Albertville, France. When we read the name on the bag though, we laughed out loud. Very Bad Kids doesn’t have the same meaning or connection to the candy at all. Something was clearly lost in translation. This simple candy name illustrates the difficulty and importance of quality translation for the Bible. Preserving the accuracy as well as ensuring a translation that is clear and natural is essential. These and other challenges remind us of the need for trained translators and consultants in the monumental task of ensuring that all people have a Bible in their heart language. Thanks for being part of this work with us!

Lost in Translation

Sour Patch/Very Bad Kids

Our time in France is nearing the halfway point and each one of us has recently received a report card along with a conference with the teacher. Learning a language, even while immersed in the culture, can take an average of about 18 months of full-time study. Since we had a very good base in the language, we are functioning pretty well. The children came in with no French at all and are now able to read and write a little and even understand some of what is happening around them. They are able to play some sports with their classmates. The boys are also getting to be decent with a yo-yo, thanks to its popularity on the playground at school. It will still be a while before they can make their own sentences or carry on a “normal” conversation in French. Despite the challenges, we see God’s protection and provision. We are thrilled with the progress that we are making in our language studies. And, we are encouraged by your continued partnership with us in ministry. Thank you for being part of this adventure with us.

Let’s Praise God for answered prayers!

  • We survived the first semester with exams; we are all making a lot of progress in language learning.
  • We are getting involved in our local church.
  • Our neighbors and classmates have been very helpful, including lending a bike to Eila for the rest of our time in France.

Please Continue to Pray:

  • for continued development of friendships for each of us with our French neighbors and classmates
  • for the kids to seek God and trust Him during this difficult season for them
  • for good health, study habits and motivation to speak in French, even when it is humiliating.

We are truly grateful for your role in the work that God is doing in and through us!

Bonjour, Bonjour Dit Le Soleil

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Josiah memorized another poem for school.  Here’s the text:

Bonjour, bonjour, dit le soleil

Au bon foin qui sent le pain chaud,

À la faux qui étincelle,

À l’herbe et aux coquelicots.

Bonjour, bonjour, dit le soleil,

Il fait chaud et il fait beau.

Le monde est plein de merveilles.

Il fait bon se lever tôt.

by Claude Roy

This translates to:

The sun says hello

Hello, hello, says the sun

To the hay smells of hot bread,

To the sparkling scythe,

To the grass and the poppies.

Hello, hello, says the sun,

It’s warm and beautiful.

The world is full of wonders.

It’s good to get up early.

Réussi

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Nous avons réussi nos examens!

We passed our exams!

We are almost halfway through our language training here in France and have progressed on to the next level and also class. We will have another set of exams at the end of June that will determine if we have the necessary fluency in the French language.

It was a full week of testing that covered speaking, pronunciation, reading comprehension, listening, writing, vocabulary, grammar and of course, une dictée (a dictation), which is typically french. The boys have two dictées each week in school. The grammar test was grueling, but the production exams in writing and speaking were also extremely fearsome.

Test Results

Grades in France are usually based out of 20 points. 50% is passing and anything less is failing.  It is acceptable to get 10-11,9/20 (passable). Scoring 12-13,9/20 is pretty good or a C (assez bien) while 14-15,9/20 is good (bien), which is the equivalent of a B and 16-19,9/20 is very good (très bien) or an A grade.

 

Field Trip Chaperone

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Brian had the pleasure of being able to go with Josiah to a school field trip last Friday.  Josiah’s class of 4th and 5th graders (CM1 and CM2 here in France) visited a steel mill and a dairy farm to learn about the processing and manufacturing of raw materials here in our region.  It was very informative and I was able to translate much of it for Josiah.  We had a sack lunch (un pique-nique) along the way.  Here are a few pictures:

Very exciting being inside the cow shed. Many of the children didn’t think it smelled very good.

Josiah had to wear safety gear to go into the steel mill.

I also noticed a couple interesting things which probably wouldn’t have happened on an American elementary field trip:

First, the adult chaperones split a bottle of wine with their sack lunch (yes, one of them brought a bottle in their sack lunch).  I was offered some, but declined.

Secondly, one of the children fell (slightly, enough to get his pants dirty) into the area where the cows poop.  The reaction from everyone was mostly a “too bad for you/tant pis pour toi — guess you shouldn’t have done that”.  I would’ve guessed a slightly stronger reaction would’ve happened in the States.

 

February Newsletter

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“France is not that different.” said Josiah. Then he went on to say, “except the tiny cars, the long lunch break, half-day Wednesdays, food, and that everything is in FRENCH!” We have been in France for about one month.  We celebrated the new year with a local traditional meal, tartiflette, brought to welcome us to Albertville, France.

Within a week of our arrival on the other side of the Atlantic, all of us had taken placement exams and started school. (Well, Eila started one week later, which was just fine with her!)  The boys are attending a local elementary school: Val des Roses.  Brian and Shannon are studying French at the Centre d’Enseignement du Français.  Eila is going to the Cité Scolaire Jean Moulin, where she is taking lots of FLE (French as a foreign language) as well as other classes in French.

A typical day so far is full of school for everyone. Eila’s school, which is about a 30-minute walk from our apartment, begins at 7:55am. The boys’ school begins at 8:25am and our classes begin at 8:40am, so we have just enough time to walk to the various schools and make it to class on time. We all have a two-hour break for lunch between 11:30am and 1:30pm, and then we finish our classes at approximately 4:30pm each afternoon. After a small snack, we review the kids’ work from the day and start on homework.  The boys spend time playing in the snow, with legos, or reading while we make dinner.  Luckily, we live right across the street from a grocery store.

We are so grateful for your prayers as we are truly starting to feel like we are settling in to life in France and are able to do more than just survive.  We are eager to make friends and practice the French we are learning.

The kids’ reactions and quick adjustments to life in France has been very encouraging.  We see how God has been preparing the way and getting us ready for our next move to Cameroon this summer.

Thank God with us!

  • Saying goodbyes and moving was difficult, but we experienced God’s peace throughout the process.
  • We have moved into our apartment with beautiful views of the Alps in France.
  • All five of us are attending school in Albertville and learning more French every day.
  • We are starting to get involved in extra activities outside of school and are excited to make new friends.

Please Continue to Pray

  • for friendships for each of us with our French neighbors and classmates
  • for wisdom in managing our time and stress levels
  • for studying, and language progress, especially for the kids
  • for continued peace in Cameroon

Bonjour (Update)

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We are just starting to go beyond saying “Bonjour” to actually talking with and getting to know those around us.  We are feeling homesick and yet we are seeing God’s goodness and power in big and little ways each day – like the healing of Shannon’s shoulder pain, an American friend for Thaddeus in his class, a gymnastics club for Eila to join, Josiah’s free skiing lessons with school, delicious bread (among other treats!) and the sun shining on the mountains outside our window.


I lift my eyes to the mountains… My help comes from the Lord.
Psalm 121:1-2