My year abroad

Helen Bond talks about being an assistante in Charente

I spent a year as a language assistante in a lycée in Saintes.  It was over that year that God blessed me by living with a wonderful Austrian Christian who was also working in the same school, and it was there that I got to grow in a loving France Mission church, pastored by Christian Pradel.

It was also there that God stretched and moulded me as I struggled with him, and it was there that I eventually gave in and truly abandoned myself to his will. To mark this growth I was baptised in the Charente Maritime sea on 8th August 1999 - a day I will never forget! This immersion in France led to immersion into church life in Ireland when I returned home, and I haven't looked back since!


Paul Chandler shares his experiences of life in Lorraine

Studying two languages at degree level, the first half of my year abroad was spent at Nancy University in North-Eastern France.  I have to admit that I automatically assumed that France was almost 100% Roman Catholic and so did not bother to try to find out if there was an evangelical church in Nancy.

On arriving in the town, I saw the Reformed Church building, which seemed to be continually locked up behind iron gates; but then whilst wandering around the town centre I came across the Salvation Army hostel which had a notice showing where their meeting hall was. From then on I attended the Salvation Army services although through them I also found the university Christian union (GBU) and other evangelical churches.

What struck me the most, however, during my time there was the spiritual difference compared with what I had known in England.  I came from a 300-strong church which was only one of several from the same movement in the same area and which was surrounded by similar numbers of churches from other denominations.

In Nancy, though, there was just a handful of evangelical churches with relatively few members.  Compared to the occult, for example, the church seemed to have very little impact on society.  It was whilst milling these things over in my mind that I felt the Lord put it in my heart to come back to serve him in North-Eastern France.

At the time, I had no idea how - and to be honest the idea did not fit in too well with my career plans!  But, eight years later, after having studied at a Bible institute, I found myself back in Lorraine and later in Luxembourg as a full-time missionary.