in the south of France

RESET, Toulouse members

There’s just something stimulating and at the same time calming about being out of one’s normal routine gathered with a community of folks of like mind and anticipation but away from the hustle and bustle of urban life with its cacophony of noises. Voila, the setting of a student retreat, near the end of June, in the foothills of the Pyrenees, an hour’s drive from the huge university city of Toulouse, France.

studying how God callsCharles Gravely, a keen missionary associate working with us, and myself had the responsibility and fun of team-teaching a retreat for one of Students For Christ-Europe’s sister groups, RESET. Lead by extremely competent nationals, José and Sonia Ruiz, RESET, Toulouse is poised to make a BIG splash in this city with the second-largest student population (over 100,000) in the entire french nation.

la France profondeThe theme of the retreat, “Discovering My Talents & My Calling”, is a recurrent one in the university milieu. Questions like, “What are my giftings?”, “To what area of ministry/vocation is God leading me?” are common among college students. As usual, the weekend proved too short to treat all aspects of the subject but for some a clearer sense of God’s specific direction was evident and for all a confidence that God’s sovereign hand was guiding our every step in this adventure with Him.  See more of the view in our photo gallery.