A practical update
1) Language study. We're itching to start! Our evaluations are on Friday 8 October, and we will be assigned to our classes then and begin (I think) on Monday 11th. We are hoping that we'll be able to continue to meet the kids for lunch and that we will have Wednesdays off, because the children do! Otherwise we will have some quick thinking to do.
2) Banking. So far all seems to be working OK. We have a savings account with Firstdirect which will hold the equity from our house till we can buy over here. We have our current account with Credit-Agricole and we can get statements on the internet from both banks. The real test will be whether our support transfer from UFM arrives this week. STOP PRESS - it did arrive OK
3) The work. We had our first talk about the work with Sammy Foucachon, the pastor here, just a week ago. There's lots of work to be done, and we will need to know in some months' time how large a part the student work will play in our role, and what our involvement in the Gironde churches will be.
4) Housing. Our house is great, though rents in Bordeaux are expensive. It would be wiser to buy a house, but for this we will need to take out a mortgage because houses are expensive to buy, too. To some extent where we buy needs to be guided by the work we are doing, but also the children's school is a big factor. Once they are settled properly at their school we won't want to move them if we can help it, and so we would need to buy on the south side of the city as near Pessac as we can. (near the campus, too, so great for students, by the way)
5) But first - LANGUAGE. I'm amazed at what we've been able to achieve so far, thanks to God's help, to our determination (and sometimes desperation) and to the kindness of the people who've been dealing with us. But there's a long way to go, still. Mustn't be impatient. We're only three weeks in, and our course hasn't even started yet...
2) Banking. So far all seems to be working OK. We have a savings account with Firstdirect which will hold the equity from our house till we can buy over here. We have our current account with Credit-Agricole and we can get statements on the internet from both banks. The real test will be whether our support transfer from UFM arrives this week. STOP PRESS - it did arrive OK
3) The work. We had our first talk about the work with Sammy Foucachon, the pastor here, just a week ago. There's lots of work to be done, and we will need to know in some months' time how large a part the student work will play in our role, and what our involvement in the Gironde churches will be.
4) Housing. Our house is great, though rents in Bordeaux are expensive. It would be wiser to buy a house, but for this we will need to take out a mortgage because houses are expensive to buy, too. To some extent where we buy needs to be guided by the work we are doing, but also the children's school is a big factor. Once they are settled properly at their school we won't want to move them if we can help it, and so we would need to buy on the south side of the city as near Pessac as we can. (near the campus, too, so great for students, by the way)
5) But first - LANGUAGE. I'm amazed at what we've been able to achieve so far, thanks to God's help, to our determination (and sometimes desperation) and to the kindness of the people who've been dealing with us. But there's a long way to go, still. Mustn't be impatient. We're only three weeks in, and our course hasn't even started yet...
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