Ales, France

So it has been a couple of months since my last blog and I apologize greatly for not updating you on my French adventures.
I will now give you a basic picture of what time has been like since my last update.
I got into France the second week of September and began immersing myself in the culture I try and do everything like a French person I eat like a French person (fork in your left hand knife in your right and bagget in your mouth), I dress like a French person, I do however bathe unlike a French person, But most importatly I talk like a French person or try,try, and try again. I have been told I speak French with a Spanish accent lol that made me happy.
France is B E A U T I F U L if you haven't been well it's just outside our normal beautiful I can't explain it the land is beautiful with the vineyards and the olive gardens, the architecture is absolutely gorgeous, the clothes are so fashionable and very good prices, the people are great a little somber but I try and make them laugh or at least smile, but most of all the history is what blows me away.
If you know anything about the Religious wars you'd know that when the Catholic began persecuting the Protestants they hid in the mountains here In the south of France. If were like me and knew nothing than basically a couple houndred years ago (I don't remember which year) Catholisism was The Religion and anyone outside of it had to be converted at whatever means deemed necessary and so began the struggle and eventual fight between the Protestants and the Catholics. I could go into to greater detail but I'll leave it a mystery.
This school has had such a great impact on my life, I wouldn't change a thing. The time here has strengthened my faith soooooooooo much I am not only learning from the teachers (from S.Africa, Washington, U.S.A, Canada, California,U.S.A,etc), but from my own personal time with God, my great new friends in school here and people I have meet, but my favorite by far is outreach Wednesdays where we go out and just be with the people or evangelize on the street. We go to HLM which is the low income housing where we play in the park with the kids, we go to downtown Ales where we just pray for the city and the people (my prayer life has increased ten fold over this past six weeks) and I have gotten to really make some great friends and I've really been able to share my faith with them and they want to know more which surprised me it is so great how open people are here I've had amazing oppertunities to witness to people here and have from that made great friends.
So in YWAM(Youth With A Mission) we have a lecture phase that lasts 3 months then we have a outreach phase where we really just put into action what we learned here. So we have two teams one team going to Togo,Africa and my team which is going to French Polynesia (both french speaking countries).
Two weeks ago was our outreach week where we learned to work as a group and do pritty much exactly what we are going to be doing on the big outreach week starting in December. It was amazing I saw such amazing things happen. In one instance we were just playing music in the park and just out of nowhere came some guys with there instuments and... guess what... two of them spoke Spanish yayayayyaya I was so happy they where from Southern Mexico and we just talk it was such a great day. I also got to teach English in the schools for five hours uhhhhhh nah just kidding I loved it all we were doing was chating and helping with any problems the high school kids had and just got to talk about everything which usually moved into talking about God and now I have lots of French friends on facebook yay Jui Parle France Pu A Pu!
One of my favorite things about the school here is we have four professional cooks! Yes! Four! and they are all going to French Polynesia on the same outreach as me ahahahahahahahahah! yayayayayay! happy! happy! happy! One is a Pastry chef, two are fish and sauce chefs, and last but not least a Italian nona. Wow God is good!
Ive gotten to travel a little and see things like the dessert museum, Pont Du Gardu(A huge Roman aquaduct system), a couple Castles, and just things here and there that are just beautiful.
I am doing great and I just really want to thank you for everything you've done for me your prayers really are working this has really changed not only my life but I've been able to touch others as well.
Calmly,
VanDoren

Now if you feel I was dragging on a bit then you should read faster and if It seems to you I didn't write enough well then read slower/reread what I wrote.
I will be updating my blog a lot more now so brace yourselves for some more Doren

The Untold Story of Lost Time.....dun dun dun

Bonjour Amigos,
In the time since my last blog I have done many many fun and dangerous things which in the end were extremely fun.
On the 12th I got my 11th Mastercard so yet again I get my name on a plaque YAY two months in a row! I have really really enjoyed working at Steinmart because I just love to help people end their shopping experience with a smile and brighten the rest of their day.
I have also been doing a lot of parkouring(free running) with Josh and have been in a pritty good amount of pain ever since but pain is a small price to pay for such a skill as parkour. If you dont know what it is Youtube it and you'll be blown away I also have some sad babyish parkouring videos and pictures on my facebook.
I bought my tickets to France last Saturdy so theres no turning back now. I am so excited for such a wonderful experience and time of deepening my relationship with God( I haven't even been there and I know God is going to blow my mind with HIMSELF and is his will for my life).
I ask that you pray for me as I am still trying to raise support I need approximately $1,500 at the least possibly more towards $2,000 but I am trusting God to provide because in just this short period of being in the states I have seen Him do amazing things in and around my life.
I also ask that you pray for God's will for my life to be revield to me while im out and about on my travels and schooling. God has really been talking to me lately and its been awesome just moving forward with what He wants me to do. I have discovered that no joy is greater or more fullfiling than God's joy, that He gives you when your in his will.
I went to the international dinner at The House Sunday night and that was really cool getting to see all the international kids there and get to hangout with them and be with friends. Lets just say Sunday nights are my stay out late nights(Sorry mommy lol).
I want to thank Albert for helping me with all my Europe plans and giving me advice on what to do and what not to do Love(in a brother way) you dude.
I have to say yet again how stoked I am about all my travels and just say Ill miss all my friends here y todos mis amigos no! todo mi FAMILIA en Mexico. Te extrano much Saltillo Oklahoma no tiene la hermosura de tus montanas o todos los colores maravillosos en los cielos como tu.
Yes, thats right I did just write in Spanish. Sorry those of you who don't understand but I just miss Saltillo and everyone there.
Adios(goodbye),
VanDoren

A week of FAMILY

Time has passed since my last post and I apologize for that!
So I wrote and sent out a support letter which was really hard for me. I hate to ask for anything and so when I sent it out it pained me like you wouldent believe but it is a great humbling experience that God is using to draw me closer to Him and to see how He can move through the people around me.
But as some of you might know my family had been here since last Thursday just hanging out with me. We went to The House(HHBC College Ministry) Sunday night and my family loved it. Tuesday we went to the movie Despicable Me and it was really cute Wednesday we went to the zoo and I saw two little kids arguing over some bones in the Buffalo exhibit
"Its a buffalo!"-girl (direct and irritated)
"No! its a die na saurrrr!"-boy (just calm and nonchalant)
"Its a buffalo!"-girl
and on and on they go...
We walked away so we didnt see who won in the end. We then went to Norman,OK for my brothers birthday party at my grandparents home with my family.
So Friday we went garage saling and I bought a bread maker ohh its beautiful we made pizza that with it that afternoon and ohhh my goodness very very good.
Friday night was my little brothers birthdayand lots of people from The House over and we ate, drank,(mexican soda) and were marry. I then got up very very tired finished off some school and said goodbye to my family. What happened next was W O R K and it was fun I have to admit we were working hard Steinmart was very busy which was great and so I sold more cards yup selling is fun but really the whole day is just because of all the diffrent people I get to meet.
My main goal at Steinmart is to make every customer leave with a smile. So far so good!
So in the end im leading a great life, I have great, amazing, God given.... friends, I have an amazing job, I go to a great church, my godparents let me stay at their beautiful home, I have a great new "family", but most of all I have an AWESOME God.



Calmly,
VanDoren

Writeing? righting? witeing? writing? writting? Ahhhhhhhh Who Cares!

So the way to start a pargraph is to grab the readers attention by something funny, dramatic, or thought provoking. The thing I hate the most is when someone goes on and on without any real meanng to the words he/she says. I believe that the writter should be aware of the readers time that they are taking out to read your stuff. It is normal for a person not to have a story line but should that person make up a story? Even if it means telling an old story? What about Co-workers should a co-worker have more blog time then a friend? what about family? Should a girlfriend get more time then say MOM? What about mother-in-laws should they get as much time as friends and family? or maybe as much as your neighbor Bob? How about if In-laws were put in the pets ,teachers, and obscure friends area would that be better?
How in detail ahould a person go when explaining objects? Like "I saw a cool picture today?" or should one say "I saw a painting today that brought tears to my poodle's eyes, its gorgeous attention to detail shook my emotions like a little baby after a ceg of Redbull. I couldn't help but lick and see if it truely was a picture of white with specks of stuff on it or if my vision was blury.Once I had plastered my tongue on it reality set in and I came back to the real world and realized I was licking the McDonalds wall. The time held as every muscle in my body cunvolsed as I began to..." Now see I think thats a little to much detail but I need your oppinion.
How in detail should I go? What is the motive behind my writting? Should it be to tell you what my life is like? Should it be to make you laugh? What ,my friends , should it be?
As you read through this I know its going to be hard somedays your going to be like "Oh my goodness this is a great kid" and others our going to be like " Holy cow! Who gave this kid the computer to write". in any case I DONT CARE what you think! Actually I do I just really wanted to put I DONT CARE in caps and look I did it again... Oh man life is good.

Calmly,
Doren

p.s. See how much fun it can be to be random I really enjoyed writting this but for those of you who read this and didn't like it I apologize this will only happen every once and a while tomorrow I'll write something relevent to my life and God's provision and power.

THE STEAK IN THE SKY KEEPS ON TURNING I DON'T KNOW WHERE I'LL BE TOMORROW...

Yesterday was a great Sunnyday, church was great, work was slow but picked up 15min. Before closing , and the steak last night was amazing. Ok let me explain. We went to church and had a great sermon about Jonah chapter 2 then I went to Jimmy Quinn's class where he is teaching about Paul and the diffrent churches he wrote to.
Work was fine just the normal slow but in the last fifteen minutes it got hectic and we where running around trying to get everyone checked out.
After work I went with Joel to Yukon for a party for Van and Nonnie which was fun the food was really great I was really sad when my fork touched down on my last piece of steak my eyes became teary, my tummy whaled, and my hands quivered. It was a difficult last bite cause I didn't want to have to stop I wanted more, I needed more, I pleaded for more, I yearned for one more bite yet to no avail.
So then I came back here and worked on some diffrent things that are irrelevant to quite on this boring blog.
So people this is what my day consists of: work, food, homework, friends, food, family, desserts, sleeping, coffee, GOD, food with God, and I think you get the point.
So life is good, my job is great, my friends are greatrrrrr, church is greatrrrrrer, and God is greatrrrrrerrest.
Calmy,
Doren

A name on a plaque, a mirror, and some scissors

Sorry I didn't blog yesterday so I guess I'll make for yesterday by writting this morning.
Yesterday I sold my tenth card so I get my name on the plaque YAY! I worked eight hours yesterday if you came in the stow I was the guy unfolding all the pants and putting them on hangers. I had a really great day and I got to spend some money at Steinmart so I'm happy. I spent my day just straightening hangers, yah that's really what my day is spent doing when I'm working in mens. I walk around asking people how their doing and they usually say " Fine! I am just looking" or " I'm just waiting for my wife" so I continue walking around turning the hangers to a question mark ( as in they face left).
I actually hand a guy come in and his foot was swolen and so he had me take his shoe off and try a couple diffrent ones on, yuck!
I had a normal day up until last night when I gave myself a haircut and personally it dosent look half bad I have to admit. It was really hard and weird cutting my own hair I would just stand it up and guess what needed to be cut I know it's proboubly horrible but now it looks alot better than before atleast. Well we are off to church so have a great and thank you again for taking time out to read me blabbering on about random stuff.
Calmly,
VanDoren

Me, myself, and a man named Johnny..... Johnny Blaz that is.

So today I sold 3 more MasterCard which brought me up to 9 when I reach 10 I get to have my name on the plaque. YAY 1 away from amazing.
I have spent most of my day with Quint and it's been alot of fun. He is a great and fun guy to hang out with.
I just love working so much I love my coworkers even more though. Jobs are what you make of them and I just try to make everyday great I try to talk and make the customers laugh. Some love my character others are put off on my gayness ( gay as in happy the actual meaning)
It isn't always a good idea to try to be happy to people who are just not in the mood.
I went to Jonney Carinos with my friends and we had a great time conviviendo(chatting and laughing) and everybody here is just great, losiento amigos de Saltillo y ottos lugares, fun and laughter are normal thing with everybody. The coolest person "ever" is Johnny Blaz and guess what.... I know him! Yup that's right everybody! Yo conosco a el persona mas reconosido por ser chido o padrisimo o algo padre y divertido!
Anyway my life consists of work, hanging out with Josh, hanging out at The House, going to church, and talking to you be it by txt, calling, or Facebook.
So this blogging thing is really fun and I can write whatever I want and you'll read it hahahahahahaa I have the power to influence your mind. You may call me Emperor if you'd like.
Calmly,
VanDoren

1st Post Ever!!!!

So I opened up a blog cause I need somewhere to gossip, tell everyone how my life is doing, and really just take a long period of time out of my life and tell you how my day is going because if you are reading this it proboubly means that your a long distance away from me and I havent talked to you in a long time.
In any case I am pleased to say Blogging I think is going to be fun.
Bare with me Writting and myself are feuding brethren bent on hurt one another so my technique might be a little strange I have yet to perfect the skill. So that comment you were going to make about my spelling and writting I woulden't post it if I were you.
Anyway I am enjoying my job at Steinmart greatly I am one of NO the top Sales Associate there now, as far as Mastercard sales go, I have one more mastercard to sell and I have met my quota for the month. Yah thats three days working cash register if I sell four more I get my name on a plaque. So Guess what I'm going to do! I am going to try and sell fourteen more so I meet my own personal goal and I make a new record for this company.
Everyone that I work with are amazing they create such a great working atmosphere and Bruce is THE MAN he is a great boss and Cathy is a great boss and has great goals for the company.
I found a great college ministry out of Henderson Hills Baptist Church that I have been real involved in whenever im not working.
I have also found a international ministry out of HHBC as well that is great its mostly Chinese, Korean, and other nationalities but Korean and Chinese are the main ones.
The Hough's are an amazing family I love them all dearly and them opening up their home to me is an amazing honor and blessing.

So thats a small blog but Im still trying to figure out exactly what the Dorenites want lol.
Calmly,
VanDoren