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Published: September 19th 2011
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This is the last evening of my five day stay in La Gacilly, Brittany. It has been a restful few days which have done me well but I think the tiredness of the past few weeks before I came here have caught up with me in the form of a cold!!! What joy!! Cecile has given me tablets and mouth spray and yesterday I purchased a very expensive packet of Strepsils from a pharmacie in Redon but nothing seems to be working so far! On top of all that I have drank what must be now litres and litres of French herbal tea (not my preferred choice of drink) and water (again not something I like to drink in large quantities). I pray and hope it will be gone by tomorrow afternoon so I can greet Laetitia and Cedric in full health!
On Friday I enjoyed a wonderful ly-in which was much needed and well-deserved, I think! I was then able to spend the day at my leisure, doing what ever I wanted to. It was another beautiful sunny day and this time I was well kitted out for it. I spent my 'lazy' day on the internet, reading, resting,
eating and speaking to my darling sister on Skype - it felt very strange to see her sitting in our office/junk room - a room which I might not enter for a whole year, depending on whether I choose to return home for Christmas or not.
Alain kept telling me to go in their 'swimming pool' (a medium-sized paddling pool because their large one is awaiting repairs) but I hadn't brought my swimming stuff with me and even if I had I don't suppose I would have had the audacity to bare my chunky, white and hairy legs in front of their slim, tanned ones. My failure to bring a swimming costume had further implications when Cecile suggested we go to the beach on Saturday. I told her my unfortunate news and so she offered me some of her spare costumes but even if they had been twice the size I dare say they wouldn't have fitted. And the French certainly aren't modest when it comes to swim wear!
Although as it happened, Saturday turned out to be not such a nice day and so instead Cecile decided to take me shopping. In the morning after another late
Some Breton scenery
These pictures were taken when I went for a short walk with Cecile. breakfast we went to La Gacilly which is the nearest town and about a five minute drive. We went equipped with a wooden basket like typical French shoppers. All I would have needed to make the look complete would have been a beret and a bicycle. Every Saturday La Gacilly has an indoor and outdoor market so that's where we headed to buy some groceries. When I'm in big public places and everyone around me is speaking a language I'm still trying to get my head round, I worry I look like a foreigner, like someone who doesn't belong. A lot of the young French girls seem to have been dipped in caramel and all the fat scraped off their flawless skin. Perhaps I'll look like that by the end of the year?!
In the afternoon Cecile took me to Redon to do some shopping. We managed to find what I considered to be a modest enough swimming costume, even by British standards (although I was a bit shocked when I saw the changing rooms - a small space at the end of an aisle separated by a piece of curtain). Luckily Cecile offered to stand guard outside (she
obviously sensed my fear of an unruly child or unwitting adult coming and pulling the curtain wide open).
We then wondered along Redon's small high street and looked in a few shops although everything seemed a bit too expensive (I may have saved up for this year for nearly two years but I'm not about to go and spend it in some fashionable French boutiques).
On the way back Cecile dropped me off in La Gacilly to have a wander round while she went back to the house to get some more practical shoes. I was glad of this because it meant I could buy her and Alain a thank you present. The town isn't very big and is very pretty, decorated everywhere with colourful flowers. Unfortunately I didn't have my camera on me so had to buy a few post cards instead.
Today has been another lazy day but I've enjoyed it. I got up late (again!) and did some more of my English TEFL course which urgently needed doing whilst Cecile, Alain and Eric (their troubled friend) had some worship time in the lounge. I later joined them because I thought it would be rude
not to. But all the same I did feel like a bit of an intruder especially when they started praying for Eric and he became a born-again Christian right there in the living room. I just had to keep my head turned away and my attention focused on my Bible. At the end Cecile and Alain prayed for me which was great because God really spoke to me through them - Alain said that God will honour my boldness and that he sees my fragility. After they'd finished praying for me I felt confirmation that this IS God's plan for me and that I am on the right path despite months of battling with myself and doubting everything including God. It's been a difficult journey and I don't think it's over yet, in fact I know it's not. God is taking me on adventure into the unknown because that's what He loves to do and it's a great way of testing our faith and courage. God has certainly tested mine!
Just something important I almost forgot to mention - on Saturday I spoke to Cedric on the phone just to say hi and to tell him what time I would be arriving. He then spoke to me a bit in French about welcoming me and some other stuff which I just responded 'Oui' and 'D'accord' to (these are fast becoming my favourite words). Earlier that morning Laetitia had phoned Cecile to ask after me and my arrival in France - apparently they are very much expecting me and the Christian primary school keeps asking Laetitia if I will be able to teach the younger ones! Again this was just confirmation of God's plan for me here - a plan which I have so doubted but which I am beginning to see is so right for me.
After returning home from shopping I saw some photos of the family - Cedric doesn't look anything like I imagined him - very young (mid-thirties maybe), dark and with a small beard. Laetitia looks more like I imagined her - pretty but not too pretty, fair and jolly. She is expecting their fifth child which is due in April and they are also moving house in a few weeks so my arrival couldn't have come at a better time for them! God's timing and planning is so perfect!
They also sent a lovely message with the photos, saying that they wanted me to feel welcome with them and that I should give my opinion in every situation and that they accept people as they are so I should be my own person - they sound like a lovely family but I'm still rather nervous about meeting them tomorrow!
This afternoon me and Cecile went for a small walk by the house and when we came back Cecile brought their lovely adopted kitten into the house in an attempt to tame her. I played with her for a bit upstairs whilst Cecile prepared tea - she's a really adorable creature!
So it's been a great few days here but I just hope Laetitia and Cedric don't eat as much cheese as Alain and Cecile - I've done my best to like it but I just don't think French cheese and my taste buds will ever be great friends. It's sad but true. I have tried to eat as much as I could though to avoid looking rude and I could have sworn that when I put my clothes on this morning they actually smelt like cheese! Really raw meat is another food speciality that I've had to become accustomed to but any kind of meat and I have always been on quite good terms.
Anyway it's late and I must be up early tomorrow to pack my things - my flight is at 13:25 and Nantes is just over an hour's drive from here so we have to leave at 10:30.
Au Revoir until tomorrow x
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