Friday, November 22, 2002
today I went on a prayer walk with ppl from the deep end (a subgroup at my church here). it was a really good experience… we walked around part of paris and just stopped to pray at these 4 stops: in front of the french embassy, the grand palais, place de la concorde, and madeleine. the group was really small but it made it intimate and calming. we prayed about the french government, justice and peace in the current world events, our neighbors and the reconciliation of the church and the state. I hardly pray enough for those kinds of things and to do it in front of such great edifices was amazing. especially standing in one corner of the huge place de la concorde, I couldn’t help but be in awe of God. annie gave us like a 2 minute history synopsis of what went on there during the revolution and reign of terror, but in those few minutes there was a world of history that so many ppl leave unnoticed, myself included. I just started thinking about how many centuries old the world really is (america really is just a baby of a nation), and despite all that time and all the waves of changes, God is still present. maybe the rest of the world doesn’t think that special, but to me that’s gotta mean something. I was standing on the very same roads that were stained with the blood of martyr and innocent victims centuries ago and it just made me think about all the ppl who have held their faith throughout history… I’m really just blabbing right now and a lot of this is just for my own memory, but wow… I just felt so small yet so secure under God’s greatness. if I’m not expressing myself well right now, I don’t think I can get any clearer.
I also got a chance to talk to ppl with whom I had never formally met or spoken. two of the ones in particular were phil and ang. one thing that’s been so great about being here is the opportunity to meet ppl who are so SO different from what I’m used to. I mean I’m meeting ppl who literally come from all over the world.. ppl who have lived and grown up in countries that are drastically different from one another. phil, for instance, was born in the philippines, raised in hong kong till age 12, then lived in australia (I think?), went to college in england, is currently in paris teaching english and planning to study old testament theology next year. He’s british but speaks with an english/australian/american/other stuff accent that is just beautiful. he’s just one of the several amazingly cultured (compared to me) ppl I’ve met here. I had a good time talking to him about what he was doing here in paris and about both of our cooking experiences and stuff. then nicole and I had fun making him speak with an english accent while we were in a café tasting the beaujolais nouveau (the first wines of the new harvest). I’m just so speechless and amazed at how much God has opened my eyes here.
I still haven’t made up my feelings about going home. I really do want to see my family but nights like this make me realize how much I’m gonna miss it here.. mostly the ppl and the richness of culture. I dunno why but ppl just seem more educated here and it’s so mentally stimulating =) I’m so sad that I’m meeting even more new and awesome ppl when it’s about time for me to leave.
gosh, time flies.
I also got a chance to talk to ppl with whom I had never formally met or spoken. two of the ones in particular were phil and ang. one thing that’s been so great about being here is the opportunity to meet ppl who are so SO different from what I’m used to. I mean I’m meeting ppl who literally come from all over the world.. ppl who have lived and grown up in countries that are drastically different from one another. phil, for instance, was born in the philippines, raised in hong kong till age 12, then lived in australia (I think?), went to college in england, is currently in paris teaching english and planning to study old testament theology next year. He’s british but speaks with an english/australian/american/other stuff accent that is just beautiful. he’s just one of the several amazingly cultured (compared to me) ppl I’ve met here. I had a good time talking to him about what he was doing here in paris and about both of our cooking experiences and stuff. then nicole and I had fun making him speak with an english accent while we were in a café tasting the beaujolais nouveau (the first wines of the new harvest). I’m just so speechless and amazed at how much God has opened my eyes here.
I still haven’t made up my feelings about going home. I really do want to see my family but nights like this make me realize how much I’m gonna miss it here.. mostly the ppl and the richness of culture. I dunno why but ppl just seem more educated here and it’s so mentally stimulating =) I’m so sad that I’m meeting even more new and awesome ppl when it’s about time for me to leave.
gosh, time flies.
