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