Where in the world is Cole Casper?

As a Community Leader and Baylor fanatic, it was a very hard decision to decide to study abroad. I wanted to stay at Baylor so badly that I didn’t believe it would actually happen. Believe it or not, here I am! It is now 18h04 (6:04pm) in France and 11h04 (11:04am) in the United States. My family members miss me and keep in contact through my daily blog and e-mail. I talk to at least one of them every day. I miss them, my friends, and Baylor, but I wouldn’t trade this opportunity for the world!

Last night I had dinner with a pastor’s family and a group of students from a local Baptist church here in Caen. The entire night was full of laughter and fellowship. Every once in a while I would turn to one of my American friends and say something in English, but for the most part, I was speaking French the entire time. It was something of which I could have only previously dreamed. It was me, in France, with Francophones, in a Christian atmosphere full of joy. I never thought that I would be able to express myself in French like I can in English until I experienced this night. At one point it was just me telling a story to seventeen people all listening attentively. Was this actually happening? Could these people actually understand me? YES! They could! They were laughing! It’s a miracle! Only God could bring me out of my comfort zone, to a country in the middle of Europe where I CAN speak the language.

This semester our Baylor Basketball teams are on fire and I’m missing it! I knew that there was a possibility that this would happen. That’s why one year ago I had a conversation with my hall director. I was having mixed feelings about studying abroad because I knew how much I would be giving up at Baylor to live in France for a semester. She told me that she wasn’t about to let me stay at Baylor for a semester and listen to me complain about the opportunity I could have had to be in France. She was right. I would have been screaming my head off in the Bear Pit at the Ferrell Center every weekend, but I would have been miserable. Thanks Sharia! (Mom, please don’t hurt her for talking me into it!)

I may have only been here for three weeks, but my life has been rocked! Imagine a way of life totally different than the one you’re used to living! Imagine walking down the street and seeing men and women hauling long loaves of bread to their home! C’est marrant, as the French would say. Imagine speaking another language that has gender for objects like boat and table! Imagine yourself at Baylor for the first time, trying to make friends, but being afraid that you might be made fun of for your American accent. Let me just say; when I return to Baylor, there had better not be a single foreign exchange student sitting alone in the cafeteria! I’ve been there! I’ve done that! It’s not easy, nor is it fun! Life is filled with ups and downs, but for every down, there is an up twice as long. Every day is a new experience! Every week I’m a new person. Every month… (We’ll have to wait and see!)

Tonight I have two friends coming to visit my French Family and me for dinner. I have been so blessed to be placed in a Christian French home where I’m treated like another member of the family! Just now my French mother offered her home for my parents to come and visit during the month of April. Who does that? She also said that she would keep the refrigerator stocked in case we get hungry. She said all of that in French!

I can’t wait to come back to the states to share all of the amazing experiences that I have and will have had, but I am sure going to miss France! I’ve already had two dreams where I was back in the States. They were cold dreams that made me thank the Lord that I woke up in France! I don’t know what He has planned for me for the next three months, but if there’s one thing that’s for certain, He has plans and they are big! Stay tuned! www.cole-en-france.blogspot.com