It's About Time.....PARIS

Wow. I can't believe it has been a year since my last blog post. Nothing too exciting was happening though so y'all didn't miss out on much. School started...Christmas was awesome...I got a job at a health food store...became a vegetarian...finished my first year of college...and of course couldn't go too long without getting out of the U.S. so I went to Paris, France.

My school (CBU) is very big on missions and carrying out the great commission and so each year they said out heaps of teams to different countries. When I first started hearing about it I instantly knew that it was something that I wanted to be a part of and that God could use to grow me even more. We applied before Christmas but didn't find out which team we were on until January. We had a big team reveal night where you get put with your group and then everyone finds out at the same time where you are going. It's pretty crazy and really fun! When my groups time came we all were blown out of the water. Our leader was wearing a funny hat and we didn't really know why until he announced that we would be traveling to Paris!!! We would be there for a total of 3 weeks. For the first month and a half or so we had no idea what we were going to be doing other than working with College students over there and building relationships with them. At the time that meant meeting them in Cafe's, touring different places with them and finding wherever else they hung out at. As you can imagine, we got many snide remarks from people who thought France was not a M-field. If only they knew how dead that place really is. We trained for months once a week and did fundraisers and various activities which were awesome and built team bondage. We eventually discovered that we would be doing what is called Ethnography where you go and do surveys, studying the other people group by immersing yourself into their lives and culture. I was SO stoked for that. I mean I love getting to know other cultures and seeing how others live their lives...what they value, how they deal with different situations...all of that stuff. I love it and now I was being given the chance to go to one of the world's most famous cities and use that love to show others Christ's love. Ultimately the workers there want to build a church/community among the university society because really there isn't one right now...or at least one that is growing at all. Soooo the training that normally takes about 7 or 8 months to get through, we received in about 2-3 haha. It was awesome though. Learning how to listen and ask direct questions that could lead to deeper things...it is pretty difficult....heaps more difficult than I imagined it would be. One person generally asks most of the questions while the other writes down info. We thought we would be paired with a person from our own team but when the times came closer for us to leave we discovered that some of us would be with students from the States who were already living there for the semester. At first I was very anxious about that since I was one of the people who would be paired with a stranger...haha...looking back now that seems so ridiculous. I knew God was in control, however, and I was determined not to get down about it and just trust Him. Things always seem to turn out better when you do that :)

SO we left for Paris on May 4th at 3:30 in the morning....geesh that was early...but it's alright since that meant we all wanted to sleep on the plane. Once arriving there we were met by the lead worker, a couple who is living there for a few years and another woman who is only supposed to be there through this year I believe. Anyways we bought and received our 'Navigo' passes which got us around the city on Public Trans for the 3 weeks. Man I wish the States had better public transportation. We had the option of taking Metros, RERs (like subways), Trams or buses. I loved that cuz that meant you also did heaps of walking....awesome :). So we got settled into our hotel and immediately headed to meet the 4 students that we would be paired up with and they sent us on a scavenger hunt for a couple of reasons. They wanted us to stay awake...get used to the public trans system and just briefly see all of the biggest tourist sights. We all weren't really sure what to think of the 4 of them at first but over time they proved to be one of the biggest blessings for me. The day was exhaustive but just what we needed to stay awake enough to sleep at the normal time in Paris and the next day we just discussed what exactly we all would be doing and why it was important and all of the informative stuff. I was so excited going through it because we were actually going to live out the months of training we had been prepping for.

The next day they split us up into our pairs and sent us to our schools...there were about 4 schools I believe and each had 3 CBU students and one Hands On student. My partner's name was Katelyn and we were at a University called Censier. We headed over there with the other CBU pair and just prayer walked around it a bit and asked around about what this university was really known for. It is a mainly Literature and Cinema studies school. It is one of the smaller ones but I liked that because it made it easier to run into the same people again and again. Each day we would be on campus for about 5 hours....4 of ethnography and then 1 for a lunch break. It's strange to walk up to random people and ask them if they speak English...but you get used to it after a while and we came to realize that it was not as difficult as we originally assumed it would be. The common stereotype of the French being rude and closed off to Americans couldn't have been farther from the truth. When we explained what we were doing and asked if we could ask them a few questions they were always more than willing to help us out, if they had the time. Ultimately we wanted to build relationships with the students we talked to and Katelyn and I had such good chemistry together and our personalities meshed so well that making friends was not very difficult. Prayer was SO important, however, and we tried our best to not rush things our way but wait and rely on the Holy Spirit to lead us...when we did that, we were continually blown away by the conversations we were able to have with people. We were able to go so in depth with some people on the first conversation and share our beliefs as well and they still wanted to talk with us later and meet up again, haha. It was awesome! Well, awesome and sad at the same time. In going deep we were able to see the need that is there and just how dead the city really is. Church has become a past time for old people and God no longer exists in anything anymore. There are still believers out there of course, some of which we did run into :), but the majority are searching, ignoring or don't care. There was one day where I really feel like God was allowing Kate and I to feel what it was like to be alone and away from Him cuz she was not able to concentrate and simply could not feel God's presence at all not matter how hard she tried and while we were praying she asked for Him to help us feel what it is that the students felt and tears immediately came to my eyes as I realized that what we were feeling for one day was so little compared to what they feel their entire lives....and to think, people laughed at us going on a trip like this to Paris....the city of lights and love....kinda makes me want to slap 'em ya know? We had our ups and our downs but through it all Katelyn and I encouraged each other and searched through the Gospel for encouragement. Every morning I looked forward to meeting her at the school and seeing what God had planned for us that day.

Along with the work...we also got to play :). We were able to travel to the main tourist sights and take heaps of photos and have heaps of laughs! The Eiffel Tower was incredible but while we were waiting in line to go up it started to rain on us...haha...typical Paris weather I guess. We made the best of it though and still thoroughly enjoyed seeing the sights from the top. There was one evening, also, where we saw the sights at night and we got to see the Tower light up with hundreds of twinkle lights...it truly was magical and I felt like I was on the top of the world. Then there was the Notre Dame. Oh the Notre Dame....it's gotta be one of my favorite sights in Paris. I love old cathedrals and this one is simply outstandingly gorgeous. Totally crowded of course but being able to walk through it and simply stand before it's marvelous engravings was sooo cool. Also during the night tour we went there and I was able to just stand before the incredible carvings in awe of the beauty...in front of and around me. We took a couple trips to the Louvre...the first time it was closed and the second we were able to walk through....oooo goodness it is huge. It really is overwhelming to try and take it all in. Incredible and beautiful of course, but you have to REALLY love museums and all types of art to appreciate the whole thing. The Mona Lisa really isn't that impressive but still...it's history and that made it cool. At one point my friends and I came upon this room where not a lot of people were there so we layed down on the couches for a bit (totally NOT Parisian politeness) and then they told me to sing cuz the acoustics were incredible. So I started to sing Ave Maria and was taken back to the good old days of high school choir with Andy and it was sooo beautiful. I wish I could have continued but people started to come in and give me funny looks (something that I am pretty used to hehe) so I decided I should stop. We were able to walk along the river that runs through Paris also a few times and eat long the side of it. People do that all the time to just hang out and it is so much fun. It is such a romantic place (when you aren't smelling the weird smells that also come along with the city) with so much beauty to it. Those weren't the only places we went to but I think you get the idea that we had heaps of fun also...all the while serving our Father!

Paris really is incredible. I was expecting to stand out a bit more with my loud laugh and random breaking out into songs but the Holy Spirit totally enabled me with an adaptation to their culture that I did not expect. I had prayed that I would be able to be respectful of their way of life and He definitely answered that. I was perfectly content to be quiet and meditative at times and actually I wished I had had more time by myself. I'm not sure if it was because I was used to traveling by myself for so long or what but the hardest thing for me was actually being with my team for such a long period of time....we really never got alone time and with a group of 9 extroverts...that can wear on a person; even being the outgoing and bubbly person that I am. For this reason, also, I was so thankful for the Hands On students because they, having been there for a longer period of time, were used to the culture and knew how to behave out and among the people. Not to mention that they were so much fun and I felt so connected so quickly with them. I enjoyed getting to know them just as much as I did the french students, haha. I know that God was teaching me patience among other things through me dealing with having 10 people around 24/7 and I am glad for that but it was still so difficult sometimes. But hey He never says it is going to be easy right :)

So as things were winding down I knew it was going to be difficult to say goodbye. I always get so attached so fast and this was only 3 weeks! I was used to being with people for months at a time with my other travels and this time I didn't have that option...that was pretty difficult to accept at first but we were able to have a pizza party at the very end for all of the friends we made that was so much fun...in more ways the one...and it made saying goodbye a little bit easier. It is still hard knowing that our part was accomplished and now it is up to God and those still living there to carry on what has begun. Of course that does not mean we stop praying...cuz prayer is equally important...but we can't keep wishing we were still there longer cuz we aren't and there is a purpose for that. I miss it greatly already but I rest in the knowledge that there are still people working there and God is not done with that city. "Savior, He can move the mountains...my God is mighty to save".

Someday I'll go back...not sure when or how but someday. I plan on for sure seeing some of the Hands On students again...if not hopefully all of them but first they have to come back to the States. Can't live in Paris forever unfortunately. The rest of my team is splitting up for the Summer and doing various things. I start to now prepare for a week in June with my friend from Australia as well as a week trip with my church to Guatemala in July...that will definitely be interesting. I'll have more stories i guess from that also :). Until then hugs and kisses!