Start at All Nations

Hi everyone,

Here are some news from All Nations where we arrived around 15 days ago. We are gently settling in and we can now follow the every day routine without too much stress. Life here is quite intense! Théotime and Siméon are going to school and nursery (Théotime until 3 pm and Siméon until 1 pm). The adaptation was more difficult for Siméon: having a school uniform; having homework; staying for lunch,…; and everything in English! The trip to school is quite an organization. Nicolas brings the kids by bike on a quite muddy path… But with the privilege to observe herd of dears and squirrels almost every morning! Melvina goes picking up Siméon with the car, « be careful, KEEP LEFT! » And Nicolas returns with the bike picking up Théotime! 4 miles back and forth, twice a day, that is his sport.

Nicolas follows the courses from 09 am to 1 pm and Melvina joins some of the courses with Gabriel (when he is sleeping) and otherwise follows the online courses.

The life on the campus in community bring lots of joy: the kids playing at each other home spontaneously (and pass each other the stomach flu at the same time … :-D); chatting in front of the community washing machine for 6 – 7 families; eating in the cafeteria while discussing with the other students; organizing shopping trip. We live at 8 (with another danish family who will go to Cambodia) in small corridor with 4 rooms and one bathroom! Proximity is a nice (chatting while brushing teeth; sharing its bodum’s cafe; helping each other with the kids, …) but also some challenges (toys everywhere; clothes everywhere; “sssshhhh, sleeping children”; are these your Legos ?)

Meals at the cafeteria are not always easy for a family. It is noisy and discussions in English make so that our children remember us in their own ways that they also have something to share! We have found small tricks to be regularly in family, such as using THE small 4 people table of the cafeteria or eating in our room using the bedside table!

The next newsletter will focus more on the content of the courses. For now, we are working on our identity: knowing himself is a key aspect when going towards others…. different others!

Best wishes

Melvina, Nicolas, Théotime, Siméon and Gabriel.