Another day out in Colmar and youth group

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After a busy and tiring week of working with the group of Dutch people who had come to visit the school and the 3eme and 4eme, helping them to translate their projects on persecuted Christians, I was ready to get away from Guebwiller, even if it was just for a day. So when Anna suggested going to Colmar to meet up with two other English assistants, I instantly accepted.

Luckily we caught an afternoon bus in - I don't think I'd have been capable of dragging myself out of bed any earlier than 9 o'clock.

The two other English assistants, Megan and Laura (it was the first time for me to meet them), got off a train at Colmar at 1:30. Once assembled, me and Anna acted as the guides and led them across the busy, commercial and more modern part of the town, to the older, authentic and more touristy side. I've been to Colmar quite a lot now and I thought I'd be fed-up of it but the charming, traditional Alsacian architecture and quaint,windy streets still managed to charm me,just as it did all those months ago on my first visit. The beautiful spring weather and the vibrant bursts of colour from the flowers and tree blossom,makes everywhere round here seem very pretty indeed. And Colmar was no exception. The Easter decorations set around shop windows and in outdoor plants also added a creative and original touch.

After some wandering and marvelling at the beautiful French town, we stopped for buagettes and munched on them under the warm spring sun. I don't know about the others but I sensed very much a 'holiday-feeling' in the atmosphere around me - people strolled about in t-shirts and sunglasses, cameras swinging from their necks. It was great.

We browsed in a few shops on our walk around the town, taking advantage of the wide selection of post cards.

Unfortunately our time in Colmar was limited to four hours so after a quick drink at one of the many outdoor cafes/bars, we headed back to the bus/train station. We all agreed how pleasant it had been and I found Laura and Megan to be really lovely girls and we'd all been able to enjoy each other's company.

When me and Anna arrived back in Guebwiller, I went back to her flat with her - we had a quick coffee together before I headed off for youth group.

We'd all been encouraged to go along to this particular evening because two special guests were coming in to speak to us. Someone had already ruined a bit of the surprise for me the day before, by letting slip that one of the 'special guests' was Patricia, one of the teachers I work with at school. I easily guessed who the second guest would be. But what they had come to speak to us about turned out to be a bit of a surprise,but a refreshing one: relationships, sex and marriage.

We (there was only a small group of us) got into a semi-circle and I for one listened intently to what Patricia and her husband had to say. What I commented on afterwards to myself was how honest and open they both were whilst speaking about those things which are often so hushed up and treated as a bit of a taboo. Another mental comment I made to myself afterwards was the fact that the boys and girls had been able to listen together, rather than being separated as is often the case in matters such as these. And rather than having the woman speak to the girls and the man to the boys, Patricia and her husband were there together, speaking to us as one. I liked that and a lot of what was said that night put my heart and mind to rest. God really spoke to me and I was very grateful - it showed me that He cares about EVERYTHING that's on our heart.

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