Update From Louvain la Neuve!

Lauren says it best but we've had a great couple of days since our last update! We've thoroughly enjoyed the culture here and we've met some amazing people.  Our days include prayer walks around the town, grocery runs, and meeting with some really great Belgians. This city is great in the fact that I've met more people from other countries in the last 3 days than I have in a year in my hometown. I love seeing people interested, loving, and in a strong daily relationship with God from so many cultures- Belgium, Italy, Spain, France, Germany, the Congo, Kenya just to name a few.

Bonjour! It has been quite a while since the last time I was able to blog. There have been so many wonderful things that have happened over the past few days, that I don't even know where to begin! On Monday and Tuesday, while we were still at CTS, we were able to get so much work done. We had two very long days, doing a lot of landscaping and cleaning around the campus. I cannot even tell you how many people came up thanking us over and over again for what we were doing. Everyone was so appreciative and thankful, and amazed that we would work so hard for them and their school. So even though I didn't feel as though we were doing very much for them, they made it seem as if we had provided them with something that far exceeded anything they had expected.

Tuesday night, we arrived here in Louvain-la-Neuve at the Bonin home, and met a lot of the students involved in Students for Christ. Let me start by just saying, these people have truly changed my life. I have made so many new friends, and I cannot imagine leaving them in a couple of days. The SFC group here has such a heart for God, and it is so encouraging to listen to their stories and see how the Holy Spirit is working through them on this campus. We have the privilege of cooking for the students every night while we're here, and it has been so fun to see their reactions to the new foods that we are introducing. Last night, we served them TexMex, which included tacos, chips/salsa, and rice. Tonight, we are cooking BBQ chicken, potato salad, baked beans, and chocolate chip cookies....yum! We have had a very good turn out each night, and the number of students increases with each meal. I'm so excited for the next few days here, to see what else God is going to do through us and these wonderful students.

On a lighter note, our team has perfected the bisous greeting. We all plan on continuing it once we get back to the states! :)
Au revoir, until next time!

Hello! We've had a great time in Brussels and Sint Pieters Leeuw! Many a beautiful sight and wonderful architecture. Also. . . AMAZING food. I can tell you that a Belgian knows how to make a waffle. There is no comparison. Heres a couple pics to keep your attention!  

Bonjour! Let's just say that today we saw some of the most beautiful pieces of architecture in the world. We were able to tour all of Brussels, learning how to use the metro and walking through the city, stopping at all of the attractions. We were blessed with another beautiful day, all the way up until dinner. I would have to say though that my favorite part was bonding as a team and being able to share the experience together. I couldn't imagine wanting to be anywhere else. Tomorrow, our groups will split up, and the Berlin and Romania teams will be going their separate ways. I'm sad to see us all break apart, but I'm so excited to see what God has in store for each and every one of us. We have an exciting week to look forward to!
Au revoir, until next time!

Bonjour! I didn't get a chance to blog about yesterday. We went to the Neuhaus Chocolate Factory and stocked up on Belgian chocolate. After that, we went to Gasbeek and toured the castle and the grounds around it. Then we went to Waterloo and saw where Napoleon was defeated. Today we toured Brussels. This morning we took the metro (which is the train here) downtown, and then we got off and walked around the city. We saw all sorts of old buildings, and we stopped a few times to eat a delectable Belgian waffle. We got to go inside of a cathedral, and we took the metro to go see the Atonium which is a massive metal atom looking thing. My favorite part of the day was when we go to walk around a park. It was easily the coolest park I have ever seen. Au Revior until tomorrow!

Bonjour! We had such a beautiful day here yesterday in Brussels! We had a "tourist" day and were able to visit many exciting places here in Belgium. First, we were able to go to the chocolate factory nearby and sample or purchase any of the chocolates sold at the store. Then, after we had all stocked up on candy, we ventured to the Kasteel van Gaasbeek for a tour of the grounds and rooms.....and wow was it beautiful! Afterwards, we traveled to the site of the Battle of Waterloo, and then swung by IKEA to eat supper. It was quite an eventful day, and we are all whooped! At the moment we are all sitting around playing games with some of the students here at CTS........so on that note, I'm going to go and join them! Au revoir, until next time!

Salut

Our second day of training has ended and the team is wired for Europe! We practiced sharing our testimonies as to feel more comfortable with what our stories can relate to the people on this continent. We had a great history lesson this morning from Ralph the Academic Dean of CTS and he encouraged us and challenged us with how much power our stories will have when coupled to the power of God and to the guide of the Holy Spirit. I'm sure most of us are ready to take our respective coutries to task! But first!

Its time to see Brussels! To TourISE as a TOURist! I'll tell you how the waffles and fries are as soon as soon can be.

Adieu!