Last Saturday I attended an outdoor prayer/worship service at the Place de la Bastille. Location of the start of the French Revolution, the Bastille that afternoon became a place of liveliness and hope where people from different churches (mostly of the Assembly of God denomination) came to lift up prayers for the people of Paris and for the churches here. Coming to check it out, not being sure what to expect, I'm glad I came. It was cool to see the dozens of speakers come - Christians from various sectors of life in Paris - and lead the people in praying for people of those fields. There was a young woman who was a lawyer, who prayed a prayer of intercession for all those working in the justice and law enforcement departments in Paris. We prayed for their wisdom in administering fairness and justice for all, and that they would seek God. There was a man whose title was simply "father of 5" who prayed for all the families and parents in Paris. There was a pastor from the Marais who prayed for all those in the arts, particulary graphic design. Throughout the service, we prayed that day for the salvation of more and more French in Paris. That the Lord would give all of us courage and boldness to love our neighbors here in showing them the love of Christ, regardless of background or profession. What made the event fun, too, was the live music and gospel choir from the church coordinating the event. They were pretty good! Some of the songs they played came from Chris Tomlin ("How Great is Our God" and "Holy is the Lord") and Michael W. Smith ("Forever"). The best aspect of the prayer revival, however, was how it was clear that the aim was to see God glorified, and not us. That's what really counts, right?
I tend to not go outside without wearing a scarf or wrap around my neck.
I tend to just eat bread for breakfast, preferably with butter and de la confiture (jam) and tea.
I'm walking a lot more. Out of sheer necessity!
A lot of people in Massy and Paris ride bicycles. It's a great way to discover the city and get around. So I bought a used bike here and it's been great. There are a lot of scenic trails and routes around here!
At least 2 times a week I walk to a local boulangerie to get my “demi-baguette”. Once I move into my apartment and start having to provide my own breakfast, I think this will be more often.
I am starting to enjoy espresso, their version of coffee. One waiter who served me a few weeks ago called American coffee "jus de chaussette" ("sock juice"!).
I love going to the various parks here in Ile-de-France (Paris and suburbs). They are a refuge in the city…my favorite one is the Jardin du Luxembourg, where I like to go jogging.
It's odd to think I haven't driven in 7 weeks. But getting used to taking public transportation has been good, although it can get tiring. Yay for Navigo passes!
I intersperse random French words when speaking English with my teammates, like "fixe line" (to mean "landline") or "Donc, voila" (when wanting to express "and so, there you go.")!
When talking about a 2-room apartment, I will say it is a "2-piece", and this is not referring to a bathing suit :)
I'm wearing darker colors and more monochromatic schemes in my wardrobe. If I wear bright colors, it will be as an accent, but my whole outfit won't be bright!
One of the harder things for me in living in France is having to adjust my expectations, adjust what I think should happen by a certain time in my relationships and interactions with my French brothers and sisters.Being a Filipino-American, and a very personal, extroverted one on top of that, I tend to be very open and friendly, even with strangers. So when people begin to distance themselves or if they do not reciprocate that same level of goodwill or friendliness, it can be a bit décourageant (discouraging).I’m discovering in the 7 weeks I have been here so far, from my own interactions with the French here and from talking with other foreigners who have been in Paris for years, is that relationships in France tend to take longer to develop.They tend to remain more formal over a longer period of time.Earning the trust and personal friendship of a Parisian is like having to get over a high wall. It's hard and takes more time, courage and perseverance, but once they let you in, it is for good. (This is what I have been told by two different people already and I can see how this is true).Paris is a city of wrought-iron fences, steel doors, and apartments where, in many of them, one has to pass through several entryways and digicode boxes just to get to get to a tiny studio apartment.
Some of the questions I have been pondering have been “How do I connect with people here?”;“How is my team and I, how are we going to help model and lead new believers to become interdependent upon each other in a culture that values privacy, self-sufficiency and guarding personal space?”So in other words, not only is there a language barrier to living in Paris, but a cultural barrier.No wonder why France is known to be a “hard” place to plant churches!The guarded, cautious nature of the French, at least in Paris, is evident in the layout of the apartments, the way they dress (even in the warmer weather we've been having, women and men here are still wearing heavy jackets and scarves, and they tend to wear dark-colored clothing so as not it seems to avoid standing out too much), their love for holiday and the quiet, undisturbed life.
As Christians, we are called to live bold lives of radical trust and abandonment to the Lord so that we can give ourselves to each other in love to one another, to have deep fellowship unto Christ, to be of one mind and spirit. These are things that cannot happen outside of the power and grace of God. I believe the French truly crave relationship. They are endowed with the universal need for deep, personal relationships with each other and with Christ.They are hungry for community.The culture may not be conducive for these things to take place naturally, but this is a supernatural thing God has called me to be part of. The power for a culture to change lies not within me, but with God.
With time, or rather courage and consistency over time, and with God’s help, those high walls can become shorter and easier to go over.
Changing my perspective, even though I may be strongly convicted about certain things regarding relationships, having to accept things of the culture here, changing the way I think about things….these are all hard, but I will do it gladly for the sake of the Gospel. Through my quiet times with Him, God is graciously reminding me that nothing is impossible for Him.This is not my enterprise, but HIS.I am just a part of His plan. And it's the Holy Spirit who will open and convict hearts, not me. So I am not to fret or lose confidence in my Lord. In humility, I also need to remember that I am a visitor here and not get discouraged when my attempts to reach out to someone here is met with reserve, cautiousness or even suspicion.
