Bonsoir!
I cannot believe it has only been two days since I arrived in Paris! So much has happened in such a short period of time. Upon my arrival, we headed to Genesis, which is located a few blocks away from Notre Dame. Genesis is an activity center run by Trinity International Church that not only seeks to reach Parisians, but also immigrants and students. We got to the center just in time to observe English Conversation. This event is meant for those who know some English but would like to become more fluent in the language. A variety of topics are discussed in the hopes of building relationships with those who consistently come as well as to gauge where people are spiritually. I was able to talk with two older women, one from Poland and one from Bulgaria, who were excited to see a new face. They were very friendly and told me all the reasons they love France and Genesis. We also had our weekly Event Night, which happened to be a group game night this week. The people who come to Genesis are aware that we are Christians, but not all of them are believers. They come from different backgrounds and religions and many even combine different religions to form their own. I am told that in France, Evangelical Christianity is viewed almost as a cult. We hope to break this perception and welcome questions about our faith. We do not see the French people as projects but as friends. We hope that they will see the love of Christ in us through our friendship, which can provoke questions about Jesus.
My second day in France, another intern and I had the opportunity to familiarize ourselves with public transportation. Because I live in Meudon, a quaint town just outside of Paris, I have about a 30-minute commute into the city each day. This means that I have a transportation pass and must understand the metro, tram, train, and bus systems. There is a phone app that has proven very useful called Citymapper. It gives different options for getting to a specific location and the amount of time it will take. The first part of the day, we spent a few hours finding our way to The Lourve, Les Invalides, and the Canal Saint Martin. After getting lost a few times which caused us to arrive at church 30 minutes late, we think we have finally mastered the app!
Sunday was our first experience at the church, and it was great! Trinity International Church is a Christian and Missionary Alliance church that meets on Sunday afternoons. The entire service is in English, which is helpful for me to both understand the sermons and to get involved with the worship team. After the service, I was able to connect with a group of “young adults” who attend Catalyst. Catalyst is a Bible study that meets on Wednesday nights and consists of many students who are between the ages of 20 and 30. If you know me, you know that I love my youth students! This is why I can already tell that Catalyst is going to be my favorite place to get involved. We went to dinner that night and stayed out for hours talking and enjoying each other's company. I met someone from Shanghai, Toronto, Ohio, Paris, and Korea, each interesting with different stories to tell.
All of this happened in a matter of two days! Tomorrow is my first day with a consistent schedule, so I look forward to having a leadership role in the upcoming weeks. Additionally, Envision aims for us to build a strong relationship and meet consistently with at least two people. Ideally, one person will be a nonbeliever and one will be someone from the church. It is my hope that I will have the opportunity to start building those relationships this week. I have already heard so many great stories of salvation, and I look forward to how God will use me these next three months!
Prayer Requests
- That I will meet at least two people to mentor on a weekly basis
- That we will see a rise in the number of people coming to Genesis and the church
- That two events we plan to start hosting, a Q&A on Christianity and a Friday worship night, will be successful
Thank you, everyone, who has supported me both financially and in prayer! Bonne nuit!
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