Things are great here in Nantes (pronounced Nahn-tuh)!! We've had meetings, doctors appointments, practices, fitness, and even a team building scavenger hunt through the woods. This team is much different than what I expected, but in a good way! The coaches demand so much out of the players and they demand excellence. They do not allow you to get away with non-effort. From what I've heard about teams in Europe this is usually not the case and causes many Americans to pull their hair out because it is different than NCAA volleyball. So I am very lucky that all of my teammates are very hard workers and super committed to making themselves and everyone around them better. Every practice starts with some sort of fitness. We usually have running with agility stations in between! At first I dreaded this part of practice but now I am starting to enjoy it because it reminds me of training in the States! Then we have a proprioceptive circuit with a lot of balancing. This is good for my unstable ankles for sure! This is followed by a band workout to warm up our shoulders! Then we start training which is very intense. :) I am thankful for this.
My coaches are great! And I love love my teammates. They all speak English which is a huge blessing because I will actually be able to become friends with my teammates! Practices are usually run in English (who would have thought?). My coaches are funny and they take really good care of us! The club president and staff threw us a welcome party after the first day of training and they got all of the players flowers and we had refreshments! It was very nice! Once again I am very lucky to be a part of the Nantes Volley Feminin family... it truly is a family.
We will get our team cars soon... and yes they are manuals. uh-oh. Luckily one of the girls volunteered to teach us and she will probably get a huge laugh out of it! We made a trip to IKEA and got some things to make the room a little homier! I am starting to like my room more and more and my apartment is in a great location! It is about 5 minutes from the gym and very close to the tram station!
Nantes is a great city! Nicole and I went to explore one day in the center (downtown). It is really cute and there are really cute shops all around! We also discovered a Castle where the Duke of Normandy used to live! That was crazy to stumble upon lol!
Tomorrow (Sunday) we will have training in the morning and after all of us girls are going to the beach for a picnic. I believe that it is about 30 minutes away! We asked what we should bring and they replied "Chips and Dips!!!" Apparently that is American... I didn't realize. So Nicole and I are making a 7 layer taco dip. On Tuesday we will run the beep test in the morning (yes interesting for volleyball I know) and then we will head to La Baule until Saturday. La Baule is a beach and we will all stay in a house and train there! I am pumped for that!
Ok so there is what I have been up to, now on to the reason that I wanted to write this blog entry.
On Wednesday at our first team meeting, Michel gave a speech about the upcoming season. It got me really fired up!! The whole time he was talking about volleyball, all I could think about was Jesus. He gave us 4 terms that he wanted us to remember the whole season and I think they help me be aware of my walk with the Lord. So here they are:
1. SPIRIT- We have the Holy Spirit with us always. It made me think of Romans 8:11: "And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you." That is sooo legit. We have the same spirit that overcame death living inside of us. We have the Holy Spirit. How often do I forget that I have God living inside of me? How many times do I wish that I truly walked and was led by the Spirit? How would my life be radically change if I submitted to the Spirit daily?
2. GIVE- God gave us life and then we sinned. Then he gave us Jesus so that we could be saved from death. Someone in your life probably introduced you to Christ. They gave you truth. Now it is my turn and your turn to give to someone else. Tell someone about Jesus. That is the greatest gift you could ever give someone. But why am I so scared to tell someone about the one thing that is most important in my life? Do I not realize the importance and the magnitude of the Gospel? That is not ok? I want to be able to have spiritual conversations with family and friends even if it is uncomfortable. But why do I let my comfort decide whether or not I could possibly introduce someone to Jesus? I need to be a giver of the Gospel.
3. COMPARISON- Michel told us that we can not compare our present team with teams in the past or to our experiences in America. This is so true! I am on a new team now and this is an entirely new experience. When he was talking about this I immediately thought about being content. God has led me to France for a reason. I need to be content in my current situation and know that God has a purpose for me being here. I must continue to walk by faith and not by sight. I want to be content with what God is doing in my life, but I never want to be content in my walk with God because I want to always be growing and never stagnant. Are you content in your present situation?
4. SMILE- We need to smile! I have Jesus. And I have joy because of that. Pure joy. Happiness comes from your circumstances, but joy is despite your circumstances. Do you have joy?
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