Very exciting news from out of the blue... and a bit more.

I've had a pretty exciting week, so far.
On Sunday evening, after an afternoon of self-service church thanks to a Grace Church preach podcast on my iPod, I rang my family on skype and then checked my emails before bed... I had Facebook messaged my friend Clare's cousin, Simon, who had done this same assistantship programme last year in Nimes (just a bit further South from here) to ask him if he had some contacts for the church there, as I couldn't go every week, but once in a while I'd probably make a trip. He's in China at the moment and has problems Facebooking from there since it's effectively banned out there, so the reply was delayed and I knew it was coming by email... But on Sunday evening I happened to find it had been waiting in my junk mail folder since Friday - as if!
I opened it and he had written all about the church - but also that actually, he knew a young couple from the Nimes church who had got married last summer and moved to Valence last year for their jobs but also to be part of a church plant here. Here was their email, he said, and definitely email them! I couldn't believe it - this in itself was a massive piece of news - as I really had begun to wonder where there were, IF there were any Protestant churches in Valence - let alone ones connected to New Frontiers, the same family of churches as my home church in Nottingham.
So, I emailed them starightaway and waited for their response... The next morning, I woke and found they had added me on Facebook (let alone we also had a 'mutual friend' on Facebook!) and in the afternoon, Maellou, the wife, emailed me and very excitedly welcomed me to Valence and asked if I'd like to come to dinner the next evening, Tuesday?? I accepted immediately and we arranged to meet in front of the station at 18h30.
I spent a lovely evening on Tuesday with them at their top floor loft appartment of a large house in the area of the town behind the station. It's such a cosy and welcoming appartment - and they welcomed me like family and I felt so at home. By about 5 minutes in, I felt like a good friend already, and the conversation didn't stop all evening! They told me their story about the church in Nimes, getting married, moving to Valence - and all about the church here. Maellou said straightaway that Valence is actually great for Chtistian activity as there are lots of Christian organisations here - and that there are good links between the churches. Our church is based near the centre and is full of twenty-somethings, that's perfect for Soph and I! In October they are about the start home-groups for the first time, so I'll love that, as I do at home in Nottingham!
Also, another strange coincidence was that we have a mutual friend - made known to us via Facebook! We discussed and laughed over the coincidence of it all*, over dinner - a delicious fresh quiche from scratch, followed by the mini macaroons I'd bought as a present from Gaulthier's, the chocoloatier, for dessert.
I could go on and on, but I'll conclude by saying, what an incredible blessing and suprise that that has been this week - and God has really shown me His provision and, in only 6 days, has linked me up with the Christians and church support in Valence! I am so excited to get involved in the year ahead,and will go for the first time the Sunday after next (October 10th).
******
So - that's the big news, on other events:
- This week Soph and I climbed up to Chateau Croussol, the ruined Chateau on the moutains above Valence  from which you can look down at an incredible panorama of Valence.
- I've met more people in my Foyer, who are lovely and I chat to at mealtimes - a couple of guys doing Classes Preparatoires [which are classes for those who score in the top 2% of Baccalaureat results for their year, and is a 3 year course preparing them for exams for Les Grands Ecoles, specialist research schools -so, they are a bit like Oxbridge candidates.] and an Algerian girl and guy who do work in Valence and do an engineering course, respectively.
- I ventured to the Piscine on Tuesday to go swimming. Shorts are banned, men have to wear speedos, and all women have to wear caps - so I was transported back in time slightly to primary school as the latex cap pulled at my hair making me wince as I pulled it on. I went at lunchtime, but oh my gosh, even in Wellingborough, I have never seen so many grown people trying to lane swim at one time! I managed to swim constantly for an whole, but as there was at least 8 people in each lane, it was certainly much more slowly than usual. I was amaused by the cultural differences I could see in this pool compared to home, not only with the swimming hat thing, but also with no fast, medium or slow lane everyone simply wen tin whichever unless less were 'Nageurs confirmes' or in the lane for flippers. So at one point, I was swimming so slowly behind someone, that I was looking around the pool. I looked over to another lane and to my suprise, I saw a tube coming up from the water. Moving slowly in the direction of the flow, I followed it with my eyes, until I noticed it was attached to a head - which rose up to the surface displaying a man in full snorkelling kit! What!?  WHY WAS SOMEONE SNORKELING IN THE SWIMMING POOL??! With that, I knew I'd seen it all  - and very much amused by my experience, I left and decided I'd come at different time next time, definitely not lunch break again.
 - And so that ends pretty much my first two weeks here, as yesterday I caught up with some reading and played Handball in the evening with my Foyer (I didn't do too badly seeing as I didn't know the game until last night - and I was played with 6ft something european giants with as much strength and prowess as Michael Jordan had in his basketball prime!) - and today I'll be getting a French SIM and having dinner with Soph and some assistants. I am on a training weekend this weekend in Grenoble - and from Monday I start my teaching...
So, au revoir - and love to England, or wherever you are reading this from.
XXX

* Maellou had met him when she had done FP (a Christian gap year) at a Church in Kent... Small world, and Facebook makes it smaller, so it seems!