When we first arrived the Chefs (chiefs) were very welcoming and patient with our Franglish. After being there for about an hour, the took our phones. Chelsea and I both got hit with the, "good gravy we're in a different country and can't talk to anybody we know.." homesickness. There were people there that acted like my two bestfriends in Texas and that emphasized the "we're in different countries" thing. They kept us awake until 1am, which is very difficult for Exchange Students because we're having to work twice as hard as everyone around us to understand what's going on, and after having our first day of school, it made it even harder.
Saturday we played lots of games which was helpful for my vocabulary because I was able to learn certain words or identify words that were similar to English words. Then we had mashed potatoes for dinner and Chelsea and I both just almost had a heart attack because we both adore mashed potatoes! Its the little things, right? :) We played Scrabble which was extremely helpful for my French and helped identify things I wouldn't have even asked about if they hadn't put it down... then we went to bed around 1 again....
4am: Alarms going off - screaming in an unknown language - no coffee - mass chaos - no understanding - can't speak - people running around - WWI bombs going off - CHAOS.
That is what we woke up to. How is that even a possibility? Je ne comprends pas (I don't understand). I wish I could explain the panic and anger I felt, but there are no words. There's no frustration like not being able to understand what somebody is screaming at you, or why you've been woken up from a deep sleep and good dream. There are no words. At first it was simply confusion and fear... then it turned into anger. They made us do 25 pushups and told us we were on a hunt for a certain spot. We walked for an hour and thirty-five minutes... and our leaders were mad because it was only supposed to take 20 minutes. Once we arrived at "the spot" (a place in the woods) we got a lecture in unknown words and for unknown reasons. A group of 10 students had just walked an hour and a half to get a lecture about how long we'd taken. Really? I kept thinking, "I'm glad I can't understand. This is pissing me off. These people are crazy. I want to go home. Why did I come on this retreat? Why am I here?" and it got so difficult to be there. But I made it difficult on myself, nobody else did that. That was the most, "I want to go home and be comfortable" moment that I've had since I've arrived in Belgium. But it was also the most motivational moments I've had since I've arrived. We lined up and they explained what the upcoming game was supposed to be like, but of course I couldn't understand anything so I just waited until I could follow somebody else. My team went up the mountain to a spot and we played a creepy game of hide and seek. The goal was to make it to the middle without our Chiefs figuring out who we are. To do so, we were supposed to hide behind trees and run. The first time I didn't catch on, the second time I started to understand, the third time I acted, and the fourth time I played. The more I played, the funner it got. This game involved no words, just stealth. I may not be the fastest person on the planet or be able to understand a different language, but I'm very good at watching other peoples mistakes and learning from them. As people would run and get caught, I found a pattern. It made running and getting to the middle so much easier. Had we played longer, I think I could've gotten a lot more questions (the goal was to get questions) but since it took me so long to catch on, I didn't get that many. The first time I made it across that line my Chef exclaimed, "is that Kate!?!" Talk about a rewarding feeling. :)
Something that had started out in frustration and exhaustion had turned into a fun memory that would last a lifetime. How many people can say they've played hide and seek in a European forest at 5am? Nobody that I know....
I found myself more reliant on Christ the more frustrated I got with myself for not being able to speak. When you can't talk to the people around you, all you can do is talk to yourself or pray. That was difficult but I'm so thankful that I was able to go and experience something like that.
Here's a picture of me and Chelsea before we left the VanderVeldes. :)
Something that had started out in frustration and exhaustion had turned into a fun memory that would last a lifetime. How many people can say they've played hide and seek in a European forest at 5am? Nobody that I know....
I found myself more reliant on Christ the more frustrated I got with myself for not being able to speak. When you can't talk to the people around you, all you can do is talk to yourself or pray. That was difficult but I'm so thankful that I was able to go and experience something like that.
Here's a picture of me and Chelsea before we left the VanderVeldes. :)Until next time
KP
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