This is an update of the things God has been doing in my life in Paris. I mean he works everyday, obviously, but these are the "bigger" moments to note.
Sunday, September 5th, I finally went to church!!!!!!!! Courtesy of Abby and Caroline, my "spotted" azn friends, we found a church called C3. It is led by missionaries Mark and Catherine McCord, graduates of "WOF" and "YWAM" (Cool!). The service is in both French and American. The worship team consisted of like 10 people and it was all in French. I thought it was so cool that I was able to recognize some words in the context of worship songs. It makes the ordinary word so much more powerful. The sermon is given in English, with the wife translating on the side. It was such a refreshing service for me.
The moment I walked in, I just started to cry and cry and cry. I didn't really wail, even though my insides wanted to, but tears just kept on coming out. I don't know what is was but it felt so comforting to be a place where Jesus was so tangible and so loving. The worship team was pretty legit and the girl leading was so full of joy. Seriously, I just couldn't escape His presence, which was a good thing because I needed this feeling for a very long time! Though I am having a blast here, it's sometimes very discouraging to be in the city of Paris, where the Church is dwindling and more and more people just don't care.
But, it's amazing how God has been speaking to me though. Lots of times I am really discouraged and I am so confused about why I am here. I expected to come here and all of God's glory would just be handed to me on a platter and I would be doing magical things to win the salvation of everyone around me...but not so much. Haha! But what I learned is that "what's started in the spirt, nobody can stop." And when I heard that, I was like "Oh man, this is so good. This is just the reason why I am here. The spirit has sent me here and thought I am confused and sad and feeling destroyed, man cannot stop me." Yeah, yeah I'm still don't have magical powers to save every single soul but I just have faith that the reason why I'm here and the reason why I interact with certain people is all part of God's plan. As long as I submit, things will shift and every little thing, is gonna be alriiiiight. Be strong and courageous, right?
Then after service, there was of course, a street vendor fair thingy and we walked around to find many cool trinkets! Then we had lunch at a cafe nearby! And then I got me a pair of 20Euro boat shoes. Holla!!!
(The first picture depicts how much my heart wanted to cry.)
---------------Tuesday, September 5th, Abby, Caroline and I were invited over for dinner by a lovely couple named Bill and Rachel Carroll that my uncle had connected us with through a man he goes to church with in Lyon. They have been in France for a little over a year now, I believe, and just a couple of months ago, they came to Paris, after living in the south of France. They felt a calling to come to France to do the Lord's will and they are now in Paris, in the process of starting a home church. As soon as they contact me that it's begun, I am so there! They are such humble, loving people who seriously have the joy of the Lord in them. It's so evident in the way they live and talk and smile. And!! They had the cutest little kids ever! I really love kids and I'm starting to feel deprived because there are no cute little kids around here to play with, obviously. They were so cute!! AND!! They made us Mexican food!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wish I had taken more pictures but I didn't really want to be rude during dinna time. But anyways, we had guacamole, chips, salsa, chicken burritos, and these yummy churro-like tortilla goodies. Mmmmmm! Mexican food is seriously what I crave the most here. (El Taurino, King Taco, ALBERTACOS?!) But yeah, we just talked and shared about our lives and we ended the night with playing Apples-to-Apples, only ze best.
I was really encouraged to see that they really are missionaries out here in Paris. I thought Paris was so dark and so grey, in terms of the "spiritual" realm, but I'm so glad that God has opened up my eyes to see that people are still fighting for His kingdom. There are people who are really selling everything they have and coming here to do this will. There are people who are taking up their cross daily and doing whatever it takes to show His children that there is love to give and hope to feel. I really feel like God has blessed them because of their decision because they decided to do this for Him. They have an apartment with a heck of a view of the Eiffel Tower. We ate dinner and just watched it sparkled. I couldn't help but say, "this is the life", because seriously it is. It's THE life to sacrifice yourself and give it to God and He then will reward you in whatever ways you need it. He might not give it to you when you want it, but He will give it to you when you need it! Please pray for this couple so that they can keep shining their life and fighting for God's kingdom. Hooha!
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Sunday, September 12, I woke up late for church ): I don't think I've ever done this in my life! I must've been that tired and I kept snoozing my alarm. I didn't have my mommy or daddy to say, "Eeluhnah!!" Sho shad I was. But it's okay!! David sent me a link where I found a message by John Piper titled "Praying in the Closest and in the Spirit". Heck yeah, it hit the spot. It was a message about how we pray because we are already 100% confident that God is on our side (and we know this because God send Jesus Christ to die on the cross for us), not because we want to get somewhere with Him. We do things because we are eager to receive more from Jesus. And we discipline ourselves to pray in our "closets" because we know that we will receive from Him. This message was good for me because to be honest, when I'm here, I don't pray fervently every single night. And yes, I feel guilty and "far away" but that shouldn't be the case. I should have the confidence that God is with me all the time. I should already know that there is nothing I can do to make Him love me less or more.
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I don't think I really know where I'm going with this post because it's long overdue and I'm trying to sum up a bunch of important stuff that's been going on. But I do know that as I remain faithful, God reveals to me all the time. Most mornings/night during my metro commute, I sit there and read the bible, listening to my music, and God just speaks to me through the word. It seriously comes alive. Things like, "If you don't love others, you're not loving me." And, "The rich can't enter the Kingdom of heaven." But really, no matter how far I am away from my church family and whatnot, God is still here, close to my heart, and though there are many distractions and mess-ups, he loves me just the same. And it moves me to fall more in love with him. For the first time ever, I just turned on my worship music and I danced like a crazy fool in my room. Seriously, a crazy fool. I couldn't really jump because of the creaky floor in my apartment but I flung my arms and did the boogie...or whatever. And it was seriously crazy but it gave me joy. Lots of people may not understand this but I know that it's something that is so real. And through this crazy fool dancing moment, I just prayed to God saying, "Let Paris feel this love. Let all of Paris know that you love them, with or without faults, with or without doing good deeds, or with or without anything to offer. Let Paris see your light through missionaries like Bill and Rachel. Let Paris see your light through little-old-mess-up me who complains almost everyday and sucks...but still. Have mercy, Lord!" Something like that.
Anyways, this post needs to end.
God is good,
all the time.
(Even in Paris!!)
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