Euro Trip, Take Two

Summer is almost over, playtime is coming to a close. No longer can I half-heartedly apply for jobs; it's time to get realistic and figure out what's next.

Four months after becoming a statistic and no longer getting up for the 40 hour work week, I can't help but look back amazed. I know I've said it before, but I never thought God would have done as much with me as He did. I've seen Notre Dame, been up the Eiffel Tower, revisited my favorite Dutch city, made new and deeper relationships with people in my extended family of believers, and still managed to have the resources to live.

Beyond the grand sites of Europe, my heart and soul did some searching while abroad. Since I wasn't really able to post much while we were gone, I'm going to attempt to piece things together now. However, a lot happened and it may be hard to really explain everything. So much was in the moment- I'm hoping the pictures will help reinspire my thoughts.

This trip was nothing like last year- at all. We had a larger and much younger team, added another country, and even stayed in people's houses in Holland rather than altogether at YWAM. Those may seem like small changes, but it made a huge difference.

The high school students that came blew me away. I've known most of them for a while now, but was not prepared for how mature and even how necessary each one was. The humor, insight, depth, strength, courage, and humility displayed by these youth would make some adults look bad. They took on challenges that were uncomfortable, brand new, risky, but altogether worth it.

Alright, let's get down to it. First up-Paris!

To be honest, I was a little skeptical about going to France. Not for any particular reason, or because I didn't think we should, but because of all the unknowns. Having never been there, not knowing what we were actually doing, how the city worked, what the weather was, what are rooms would look like....all sorts of excuses for being a wimp, I was a little nervous. After two days of wishing I was healing from jet lag in Holland, we boarded another plane bound for the country of Oscar Wilde, the Hunchback, and of course, baguettes. Praise God Gregg Chastain has a heart of gold and sent us info about transportation early- we had a terrible time getting around at first and figuring out where to go, even having that info! After spending a little time reading maps and signs, the Paris Metro system became a new part of my job. It makes sense once you know it, but for Ryan and I it took a few wrong turns to really settle into it.

The hotel we stayed in was...well what can you say for 14 euro a night? I showered with sandals on, tried not to use the restroom (both of which were co-ed...hello Frenchmen) and the windows were conveniently closed despite the high humidity and lovely heat. I guess it wasn't all bad- we had our rooms all next to each other, and the girls even spent one evening in my room with Heather and Madison and played MadLibs. Blister juice anyone? :)

Mike Dente, pastor at Calvary Chapel Paris, was truly a saving grace. He helped us find our hotel, told us where some grocery stores were, provided us with guitars for the outreaches, and made our whole trip much more smooth. In turn, we helped him clean the carpets at the building they use for their church :)

Our mornings in Paris were spent at a nearby park doing a devotion and some worship songs, then talking about the plans for outreach. The first outreach was done in front of a somewhat modern art museum, called Centre Pompidou (I think?). It's built to look as though the whole building is inside out.

Our group sat down on a little hill in front, guitars and French tracts in hand, and prayed for our time. We sang worship songs together, and as people came by we would attempt to have conversations or hand out the tract. Ryan and Tanner met a rad guy named Mike, who they actually saw later on in the week near the same area. Conversations typically consisted of people's current views of Christ/religion, questions they had about religion, and then letting them know there was a church available if they were interested.

After a short debrief, we ate and headed south to visit this:

and this:
yah, that was pretty sweet :) It was at this point in the trip that I realized I was back in Europe and not just on a quick trip in another city in the states.

The next day of outreach was done here:

Sacre Coeur. Jessica and I met a French lady and her two kids who gave us a tour inside. I couldn't ever understand her first name, but her kids' names were Salome and Pablo. She is married to an Egyptian man who is Muslim, so naturally the family is all Muslim. Her English was limited, but we did our best to talk with hand gestures and motions. She was more than happy to be our guide, even though she wasn't interested in hearing about our true purpose for being in France. Before we went inside Sacre Coeur, she called her daughter, who is currently studying in Mexico and knows English. She handed me the phone and I spent a few minutes talking to her oldest daughter and got to tell her who I was and why I was there, and also why I had met her mom. Who knows, a seed could have been planted indirectly. We then spent the next fifteen minutes or so walking around the inside, with our new friend and her kids pointing out all the beauty around us. She asked if we were Catholic, and when I told her no she seemed surprised. I then explained that unlike the Catholics, I don't need to confess inside the church with candles, and we don't need to build structures like this to beg for forgiveness. I'm not sure she understood all of it, but God knows where she is and can find another way to communicate to her.

That afternoon was pretty fantastic for everyone. Jeri shared with some British guys, Jessica shared with a woman who seemed interested in Mike's church, Curtis shared with some guys who ended up being from Holland, I watched Tanner talk to a small family that happened to be sitting on the same bench, and the rest either prayed or sang along with the worship songs. Part of the reason that afternoon was so memorable to me is because I know that most of those people are not used to sharing or never have shared the gospel with anyone, and the very thought of evangelism seemed terrifying. But that didn't stop anyone. Even when rejection came, I saw my wonderful team keep going and know that they had a mission. It didn't matter if anyone converted or even pretended to be interested-they were serving and sharing what they know and left the rest up to the One who can make things happen.

After our day of evangelism (and much more sun and heat than we knew what to do with) it was time to head to our next destination...

The famous Louvre Museum! What a surreal experience. I saw these lovely ladies:

and even an exhibition on the Egyptians. Ryan had found a website that had directions on how to find the 10 greatest masterpieces in the Louvre, so we saw about the best there is. The whole time I was walking around I couldn't believe that I was actually standing in a museum containing such a vast history in paint, clay, and ancient communication. There were times I could imagine the artists creating their work, wondering who the people really were in their pictures or in the statues. Did they know they had been painted? Would or did they approve of their body or face captured in stone? The whole night was perfect, apart from the constant ache in my legs and ankles from walking. :)

The next morning we got up and decided to go to mass.....here:

For those of you not up to speed on your cathedrals, this is Notre Dame. Like, the real thing. Sadly, there ended up not being another mass scheduled for a few hours after we got there, so we spent time sitting inside, gazing at the intricate details and the character of another of Paris' brilliant monuments. I couldn't help but thinking of how the church functioned years ago, with people trying to take refuge in the church or walking down the halls praying. It was at this moment that I realized how truly blessed I am to be forgiven and that grace is available to me, without having to do anything but accept it. One can't help but feel a sense of serenity, reverance, and even penitence sitting inside there. Walking along the sides I was overcome with thankfulness, hope, and peace. I don't need to create or be part of something that requires inspired reverance. I can come to my Father with no strings attached, broken and used, and He says "I love you". That's not to say Notre Dame isn't amazing and beautiful and ridiculous. It's absolutely breathtaking. :)

Since we missed mass and didn't want to wait, we went back to the Eiffel Tower and decided to take in the view...from the second floor. (Mom, you may not want to look at these...wouldn't want you getting 'sea-sick') ;)

The line to get up wasn't too terrible, and totally worth it. The city of Paris is huge-crazy full of buildings everywhere. It was a perfect day to see the city from up high, and what better way than on the Eiffel Tower! On the way back to the hotel we stopped at the Opera House, but because it was so late we couldn't go in. Still cool to say I saw it though...

Our last day in Paris was spent relaxing. We spent so much time walking and catching the metro, it was nice to check out of the hotel (and leave the wretched showers behind) and enjoy each other's company. So, what better place to relax than here?

The Luxemborg Palace and Gardens! We parked all our luggage in a grassy patch and spent some time talking through our week, debriefing about the outreaches and praying. Then a bunch of the team played hacky sack and found some new Australian friends, some went shopping in front of the Pantheon, and others just simply relaxed in the shade. Great way to end our Parisian experience. :)

Since this post is already a hundred years long, I'll quit for now and move onto the Holland portion later on. I will say this- God is definitely at work and moving in Paris. You might have to look for it, but it's there. The people do not take care of their hygiene always, but there is joy and acceptance in them and I'm confident that with courage and vulnerability, the message of God's love and salvation can be spoken and received. Listening to Mike talk about the city, it's obvious that something is stirring. Just need some workers to plant seeds and do a little harvesting. And of course, the sight-seeing wasn't so bad.. :)

Au Revoir for now!