A French Affair♥

Dear Friends,

As I am writing to you, I can hardly believe the fast track that my life has suddenly taken. Having recently completed the masters of music program at UNT, I have decided yet again to go back to school to seek a completely different venture. In just a very short time I plan on embarking on the adventure of my life by moving to Tours, France for the 2009-2010 academic school year. I have been invited to be a part of the school's highest exchange program by working at the Université François Rabelais as a guest lecturer in the English department.

From the months of September 2009-August 2010 I will be teaching varying levels of English classes to college-aged French students. I will be living in a local «collocation» or "apartment share" (in English) with two other French women who don't speak any English. I will truly be experiencing life as a european, right down to being enrolled in their healthcare system! Tours is located just outside of the Loire Valley and is said to be where the "purest" form of French is spoken. It is my dream to truly acclimate myself to a new culture and mastery of the language so that I will be able to share it with my students when I am one day a teacher back in the US.

On Thursday August 6th at 7pm, I am very proud to bring you a performance not just with myself, but also with one of the finest musicians I have ever had the privilege of knowing, jazz pianist Graham Richards. Graham and I met a year and a half ago at the University of North Texas and very quickly fell in love. We have had such a wonderful adventure so far, and I am so honored in his support to travel with me to Tennessee to perform for you with me. I feel so pleased with the opportunity to showcase not only the artistic talents that I have worked so hard to cultivate, but his as well, and the love for music we have together.

Ebenezer United Methodist Church has provided us with this wonderful opportunity to share our talents with you, and while I am looking forward to this chance to truly perform, I am also wanting to do a little fundraising as well. The post that I am accepting this year is a paid position, however I now find myself left with the difficult task of making the transition from one country to the next by my own financial means. Between visa applications, apartment down payments and airline tickets, the costs of this endeavor are well beyond my means, and so I humbly come to you again to ask for your support.

I have never really felt comfortable asking for money, but today I would like to invite you to our benefit concert and also ask you to consider giving a personal donation to help me on my journey to my newest life adventure. A love offering will be taken up at the intermission of the concert and should you choose to make a donation part of the proceeds will also be donated to EUMC in thanks for their contribution to the event. I would also like to give many thanks to all of you for your continued support in past, present and future. I am so grateful to have such a strong foundation of family and friends here in Knoxville, and forever thank you for always cheering me on.

We hope to see you on the 6th.

WIth Love,

Sarah

Ebenezer United Methodist Church

1001 Ebenezer Road

Knoxville, TN

37923

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