wanna read an old blog from august that never got published? This was during the heat wave that killed some 13,000 french people.
The evening, as the sun boiled down on us Parisiens, I noticed a Kraft style piece of cheese being melted to the sidewalk. I passed by an Indien family and the little baby girl with wide eyes and frizzy black hair stared at me from her stroller. She must have only been about 1. A little gem was planted squarely on her forehead.
Our grammaire prof thought it would more convenient to take our test today rather than tomorrow as planned...so we did. Fortunately there was no passé simple in subjonctif. I don't know what I would have done if there had been. We spent 2 hours in the un-airconditioned phonetics lab while the rest of the world cooked outdoors in the sun.
Today I learned about the goods and bads of Franco. I'm slowly catching up on my spanish and french and german history thanks to my new classmates.
9/07/2003
Gros(se)- /gr oh(s)/ adj; big or fat
Mot- /mo/ (m) noun; word
Gros mot- /gr oh mo/ exp; bad word
Riding along on the RER Friday last, I was being entertained by a young guy challenging the gal across from him in her morals- He asked her if she knew Jesus and then proceeded to either hit on her or preach to her. I couldn't tell which. She was obviously disturbed by this and asked him, "How can a person like you, who doesn't know me, challenge my morality?"
I listened, unable to put all the conversation together... The train approached Bry-sur-Marne. Suddenly the conductor hit the brakes, trying to stop, but instead we cruised through the stop and then we heard his voice: "Sorry, I was supposed to stop there, but I missed it..." A groan when up from all the intending exitors as well as a few "gros mots" directed at the conductor. A smirk formed on my lips as I tried to keep my straight train face; it was just too funny- A train that missed its stop.
The young man continued his haggling of the young woman who began to insist out of nowhere that she loved her son...
Mot- /mo/ (m) noun; word
Gros mot- /gr oh mo/ exp; bad word
Riding along on the RER Friday last, I was being entertained by a young guy challenging the gal across from him in her morals- He asked her if she knew Jesus and then proceeded to either hit on her or preach to her. I couldn't tell which. She was obviously disturbed by this and asked him, "How can a person like you, who doesn't know me, challenge my morality?"
I listened, unable to put all the conversation together... The train approached Bry-sur-Marne. Suddenly the conductor hit the brakes, trying to stop, but instead we cruised through the stop and then we heard his voice: "Sorry, I was supposed to stop there, but I missed it..." A groan when up from all the intending exitors as well as a few "gros mots" directed at the conductor. A smirk formed on my lips as I tried to keep my straight train face; it was just too funny- A train that missed its stop.
The young man continued his haggling of the young woman who began to insist out of nowhere that she loved her son...
9/04/2003
9/03/2003
So today was the grand day that I registered for my language classes. I got up and didn't hurry too much, arrived at the Sorbonne, found the line and stood in it. I didn't realize it, but it worked out nicely that I arrived just before 10h when the doors opened so I was one of the first 50 or so people in line. The rest of the time would have gone just as nicely but didn't. I was instructed to try out the new system which included a hike to one of the other buildings and when I got there, I was waiting patiently to pay with the very simple check method since they don't like "plastic" and the finance lady disappears with a "plastic" machine that has gone "en panne". Station 1 was a gal who checked over our info and prepared our student cards and station 2 was the finance lady. I sat with number 21 in my hand and watched station 1 call to 18 and 19, then 20. Suddenly there was a cufufel and both ladies began to pack up! It wasn't even lunch time! Follow us back down to the old system- this new one doesn't work.
I'm beginning to understand why it takes so long for things to change here in France, especially at the Sorbonne.
Back in the original building, I lost my "next in line" place and became one of many frustrated foreign students. I prayed that they wouldn't "claque" the door in my face as soon as I got to it. My watch arrived at noon and then 12h30. I made it through the process and have a student ID to show for it.
It looks like my schedule will be more afternoon evening classes. I can't figure it out here. So anyway, the adventure has re-begun and I'm feeling pretty good about it.
A guy stopped me at the corner of Blvd. St Michel and Rue des Ecoles. He wanted to know where the metro Cluny La Sorbonne was. I told him that it was right ahead of us and off he went. He was going to meet a friend.
I'm beginning to understand why it takes so long for things to change here in France, especially at the Sorbonne.
Back in the original building, I lost my "next in line" place and became one of many frustrated foreign students. I prayed that they wouldn't "claque" the door in my face as soon as I got to it. My watch arrived at noon and then 12h30. I made it through the process and have a student ID to show for it.
It looks like my schedule will be more afternoon evening classes. I can't figure it out here. So anyway, the adventure has re-begun and I'm feeling pretty good about it.
A guy stopped me at the corner of Blvd. St Michel and Rue des Ecoles. He wanted to know where the metro Cluny La Sorbonne was. I told him that it was right ahead of us and off he went. He was going to meet a friend.
8/30/2003
So it is Saturday morning August 30th of 2003 and I treated myself to a 'graisse matinée' until 8h30 because I successfully finished my first month of school at the Sorbonne's langue et civilization program. You would think that by now I would be competely straightened out concerning that powerful little instrument in my mouth and of course entirely civilized now, but alas, I am not. Sometimes the fact that 'the more you know, the less you know' really takes on reality.
Two days ago I had one of those very strange experiences where I was sitting in a little chinese joint on the fringe of the 5th and 6th. I looked out the window and watched the traffic for a minute and was thinking through a fog of grammer and drowsiness. I suddenly realized that those funny looking trucks and little cars and crazy motorcyclists who drive up on the sidewalk as a short-cut were becoming familiar. So I did a quick brain search for what american cars and drivers are like. I remembered but then I was hit with that crazy question that pops up every once in a while, "How in the world did I get here, and what in the world am I doing here?"
The answers are simple: I followed the God I love and my dreams, and I am greatly profiting from my time here. Although I am far from 'rica' where all my family lives and a large part of my closest friends abide, I am equally stoked to be in a city as amazing as Paris. Everyday I see people from what seems like hundreds of nationalities. Last night I ate in the Indian quarter. As Sev and I walked up the sidewalk the city turned into a neon light show and Sarees where being sold in every other store; the markets were transformed on shows hosted by hindi speaking shop-owners. The married women wore little red dots on their foreheads and gold jewelry was abundant.
An hour earlier, I was one of two white people in a métro full of different african-origin people. I live in one of the most multicultural cities in the world.
Today I'm giving myself a break. I slept in and I'm going to talk about ministries in the area with a fellow believer for lunch (in french). I live far from what was most familiar. I now live in a world that is going to stretch me and push me to my extremes-- and its only going to make me a stronger and better person. So today if it is hard, I'm giving myself a break.
Two days ago I had one of those very strange experiences where I was sitting in a little chinese joint on the fringe of the 5th and 6th. I looked out the window and watched the traffic for a minute and was thinking through a fog of grammer and drowsiness. I suddenly realized that those funny looking trucks and little cars and crazy motorcyclists who drive up on the sidewalk as a short-cut were becoming familiar. So I did a quick brain search for what american cars and drivers are like. I remembered but then I was hit with that crazy question that pops up every once in a while, "How in the world did I get here, and what in the world am I doing here?"
The answers are simple: I followed the God I love and my dreams, and I am greatly profiting from my time here. Although I am far from 'rica' where all my family lives and a large part of my closest friends abide, I am equally stoked to be in a city as amazing as Paris. Everyday I see people from what seems like hundreds of nationalities. Last night I ate in the Indian quarter. As Sev and I walked up the sidewalk the city turned into a neon light show and Sarees where being sold in every other store; the markets were transformed on shows hosted by hindi speaking shop-owners. The married women wore little red dots on their foreheads and gold jewelry was abundant.
An hour earlier, I was one of two white people in a métro full of different african-origin people. I live in one of the most multicultural cities in the world.
Today I'm giving myself a break. I slept in and I'm going to talk about ministries in the area with a fellow believer for lunch (in french). I live far from what was most familiar. I now live in a world that is going to stretch me and push me to my extremes-- and its only going to make me a stronger and better person. So today if it is hard, I'm giving myself a break.
8/20/2003
I've been discovering the neighboring arrondissements to my school. Since the temperatures have cooled down, I've taken to promenading in the 6th and 5th. A day ago, I sat in the place at St. Sulpice and watched the few tourists and the pigeons.
Its a huge square with a magnificant fountain and plenty of benches and too many pigeons. They all waddle over to a suspect and eyeball their lunch with those beady eyes. One woman tossed the rest of her sandwich over her sholder and they all blew in a torrent to it and devoured it. The birds came from every direction. Then another person across the place dropped their sandwich causing a rucus to ensue. Every bird seemed to have seen it and they flew like a herd of turkeys toward the opposite corner of the place. My hair blew with the rush of their wings and I watched as a unsupspecting Parisien got hit in the face by one of the flying missiles. The bird did a few corkscrew flips before it regained its equilibrium. The young man was smiling and laughing as was I.
Pigeons are one of the ugliest birds known to mankind. These grey, homely creatures in the late summer waddle along until they find a good spot on the cement or perch themselves on unknowning cement and bronze statues, fluff up their weathered feathers, even pick at them with their sharp lips. Then they pretend to sleep, feathers sticking up like Alfalfa's hair. Every once in awhile, a jerk can be spotted- as if he had something more than all his forelorn family, he'll dominate, attack and peck the others who may or may not have both claws. That's my analysis of parisien pigeons.
Its a huge square with a magnificant fountain and plenty of benches and too many pigeons. They all waddle over to a suspect and eyeball their lunch with those beady eyes. One woman tossed the rest of her sandwich over her sholder and they all blew in a torrent to it and devoured it. The birds came from every direction. Then another person across the place dropped their sandwich causing a rucus to ensue. Every bird seemed to have seen it and they flew like a herd of turkeys toward the opposite corner of the place. My hair blew with the rush of their wings and I watched as a unsupspecting Parisien got hit in the face by one of the flying missiles. The bird did a few corkscrew flips before it regained its equilibrium. The young man was smiling and laughing as was I.
Pigeons are one of the ugliest birds known to mankind. These grey, homely creatures in the late summer waddle along until they find a good spot on the cement or perch themselves on unknowning cement and bronze statues, fluff up their weathered feathers, even pick at them with their sharp lips. Then they pretend to sleep, feathers sticking up like Alfalfa's hair. Every once in awhile, a jerk can be spotted- as if he had something more than all his forelorn family, he'll dominate, attack and peck the others who may or may not have both claws. That's my analysis of parisien pigeons.
8/12/2003
8/10/2003
Phenomen this morning as I woke up and jumped from the shower into my clothes: It started to rain! I haven't seen rain in what seems like a lifetime of heat wave. So now we have a small luggy breeze flowing through the house and I don't get to stay and enjoy it. Instead, I'm off to fend for a seat on the RER.
So I survived another week, only to be thrust this morning into another. I am actually excited to be busy studying and learning and practicing my french. The only bummer about another week is the predicted heat.
Things I'm learning about myself: 1. If I sleep on my hair wet, it will be curly in the morning. 2. I have very high arches in my feet and must buy comfortable and, unfortunately, expensive shoes. 3. I hate to get the cash register and give up my carefully selected peaches because I don't have enough change.
Things I'm learning about myself: 1. If I sleep on my hair wet, it will be curly in the morning. 2. I have very high arches in my feet and must buy comfortable and, unfortunately, expensive shoes. 3. I hate to get the cash register and give up my carefully selected peaches because I don't have enough change.
8/08/2003
The evening, as the sun boiled down on us Parisiens, I noticed a Kraft style piece of cheese being melted to the sidewalk. I passed by an Indien family and the little baby girl with wide eyes and frizzy black hair stared at me from her stroller. She must have only been about 1. A little gem was planted squarely on her forehead.
Our grammaire prof thought it would more convenient to take our test today rather than tomorrow as planned...so we did. Fortunately there was no passé simple in subjonctif. I don't know what I would have done if there had been. We spent 2 hours in the un-airconditioned phonetics lab while the rest of the world cooked outdoors in the sun.
Today I learned about the goods and bads of Franco. I'm slowly catching up on my spanish and french and german history thanks to my new classmates.
Our grammaire prof thought it would more convenient to take our test today rather than tomorrow as planned...so we did. Fortunately there was no passé simple in subjonctif. I don't know what I would have done if there had been. We spent 2 hours in the un-airconditioned phonetics lab while the rest of the world cooked outdoors in the sun.
Today I learned about the goods and bads of Franco. I'm slowly catching up on my spanish and french and german history thanks to my new classmates.
8/07/2003
The evening, as the sun boiled down on us Parisiens, I noticed a Kraft style piece of cheese being melted to the sidewalk. I passed by an Indien family and the little baby girl with wide eyes and frizzy black hair stared at me from her stroller. She must have only been about 1. A little gem was planted squarely on her forehead.
Our grammaire prof thought it would more convenient to take our test today rather than tomorrow as planned...so we did. Fortunately there was no passé simple in subjonctif. I don't know what I would have done if there had been. We spent 2 hours in the un-airconditioned phonetics lab while the rest of the world cooked outdoors in the sun.
Today I learned about the goods and bads of Franco. I'm slowly catching up on my spanish and french and german history thanks to my new classmates.
Our grammaire prof thought it would more convenient to take our test today rather than tomorrow as planned...so we did. Fortunately there was no passé simple in subjonctif. I don't know what I would have done if there had been. We spent 2 hours in the un-airconditioned phonetics lab while the rest of the world cooked outdoors in the sun.
Today I learned about the goods and bads of Franco. I'm slowly catching up on my spanish and french and german history thanks to my new classmates.
8/06/2003
Its been 7 months or so since I visited the coiffeur. About a week ago, I woke up and noticed a split hair... a long split hair.... with about 20 different splits in it. So I decided to gut it and go to the coiffeur here in France again.
The first time I made this enquête, I felt like a miserable failure and walked out with what the girl wanted to give me instead of what I wanted. It was frustrating and expensive and I gave up and returned to my mom who trimmed my hair for the rest of that séjour in France.
This time I started by hunting around in the little streets around the Sorbonne, my new school. Certain places advertised for student rates and so I began hunting for their prices and watching through the windows to see what kind of work they were producing. I say all this because I am quite attached to a talented hairdresser that I have in Portland- namely Jen at Salon 181. I miss that girl.
The going rate for students in spendy Paris is still 3 times what I payed Jen, but I took the dive today and met my new coiffeuse Marie. I chose a little place a block from my new school and across from a little park where they once beheaded people and just two steps from the café where Jonathan and Karen secretly met all of 4 years ago.
I took a photo along, trembling as I pulled it from my shorty's backpack as she said she couldn't "see the coiffe". Mince! I let her talk and tried as hard as possible to assimilate all the new vocab, but since I had been up since 6:30 when the glass recycler came by, and I had spent a good 3 hours in french class and the phonetics lab, my best was to follow what she said. She gave my head a good washing and quickly whisked it forward into a ponytail and wacked it off. I was a bit scared but I relaxed as I watched her mold it into a nice cut, layered around my face. The head wash was done in cold water which was quite refreshing considering its about 40 degrees Celsius, but she had to insist on styling my new head and swiftly applied her hairdryer to my rebellious hair. I thought my scalp would broil.
Voila! I have a new doo! still quite long but with all the possiblilities of "chic" to "rebel" and a new coiffeuse.
The first time I made this enquête, I felt like a miserable failure and walked out with what the girl wanted to give me instead of what I wanted. It was frustrating and expensive and I gave up and returned to my mom who trimmed my hair for the rest of that séjour in France.
This time I started by hunting around in the little streets around the Sorbonne, my new school. Certain places advertised for student rates and so I began hunting for their prices and watching through the windows to see what kind of work they were producing. I say all this because I am quite attached to a talented hairdresser that I have in Portland- namely Jen at Salon 181. I miss that girl.
The going rate for students in spendy Paris is still 3 times what I payed Jen, but I took the dive today and met my new coiffeuse Marie. I chose a little place a block from my new school and across from a little park where they once beheaded people and just two steps from the café where Jonathan and Karen secretly met all of 4 years ago.
I took a photo along, trembling as I pulled it from my shorty's backpack as she said she couldn't "see the coiffe". Mince! I let her talk and tried as hard as possible to assimilate all the new vocab, but since I had been up since 6:30 when the glass recycler came by, and I had spent a good 3 hours in french class and the phonetics lab, my best was to follow what she said. She gave my head a good washing and quickly whisked it forward into a ponytail and wacked it off. I was a bit scared but I relaxed as I watched her mold it into a nice cut, layered around my face. The head wash was done in cold water which was quite refreshing considering its about 40 degrees Celsius, but she had to insist on styling my new head and swiftly applied her hairdryer to my rebellious hair. I thought my scalp would broil.
Voila! I have a new doo! still quite long but with all the possiblilities of "chic" to "rebel" and a new coiffeuse.
8/03/2003
Well, the plan was to go to bed 30 minutes ago; that's changed. My homework took longer that I wanted it to- it always does, but I feel I did my best for the first time round. Tomorrow I have to be at class by 8:30 and I will spend a third hour in phonetics. When I untie my head from the headphones, I'll eat lunch and study and wait for the afternoon conference. I want to get a feel for these lectures.
I can say that after my hour of digging through the dictionary for a one-page exerpt from Maupassant, my brain is dripping with new words that I tried to "redige" back into my little notebook in complete sentence form for my new professor, Mme Vrillaud. I'll let you know what she thought of my few lines. I have a feeling that I will spend quite a bit of time digging through the dictionary, and I'm not talking about one of those French/English ones- I'm talkin' the real thing- french all the way through; so that when I don't know what a word in the definition is, I have to go and dig up its definition.
I can say that after my hour of digging through the dictionary for a one-page exerpt from Maupassant, my brain is dripping with new words that I tried to "redige" back into my little notebook in complete sentence form for my new professor, Mme Vrillaud. I'll let you know what she thought of my few lines. I have a feeling that I will spend quite a bit of time digging through the dictionary, and I'm not talking about one of those French/English ones- I'm talkin' the real thing- french all the way through; so that when I don't know what a word in the definition is, I have to go and dig up its definition.
7/29/2003
Well, we've done quite a bit of touring around these past couple days. I need to get back in the swing of bloggin'.
Sunday was a rainy day to start off but it ended bright and shiny with lots of "yellow"!! Yeah, we couldn't resist the crazed 'foule' that pressed all the barricades along the Champs d'Elysees, so we joined them. Michelle, Christina and I pressed in with a wild and diverse crowd of Tour gawlkers. Hours upon hours of standing just to see him speed by in his bright yellow jersey- Lance Armstrong! We came within a couple meters of him and watched him pull out the last 10 laps of the sprints. Among the gawlkers we discovered standing near us "Rowdy Rowdy Piper"- arms as thick as trees, gazing upon the crowd and racers from his perch on the Champs. ....Lance won for the 5th time in a row.
I've taken time to see a few sights before I launch back into school. Christina and I visited the chic department store La Samaritaine and enjoyed sandwiches and juice from the upper terrace. What an incredible view!
I hit the books on Friday at 8:30am. I am reverted to the morning schedule but I think it will work out just fine. I have morning classes and then a few seminars 3 days a week. It will be nice to be in a bigger campus setting. I hope to glean from the French culture in a new way these next few months. I also hope to get to know a bit more this grand city in which I find myself.
We're saying good bye to Sophie who has a teaching post in Austrailia. I'm sad that she is leaving; I wish I could have spent more time with her. Her flight is Monday.
Sunday was a rainy day to start off but it ended bright and shiny with lots of "yellow"!! Yeah, we couldn't resist the crazed 'foule' that pressed all the barricades along the Champs d'Elysees, so we joined them. Michelle, Christina and I pressed in with a wild and diverse crowd of Tour gawlkers. Hours upon hours of standing just to see him speed by in his bright yellow jersey- Lance Armstrong! We came within a couple meters of him and watched him pull out the last 10 laps of the sprints. Among the gawlkers we discovered standing near us "Rowdy Rowdy Piper"- arms as thick as trees, gazing upon the crowd and racers from his perch on the Champs. ....Lance won for the 5th time in a row.
I've taken time to see a few sights before I launch back into school. Christina and I visited the chic department store La Samaritaine and enjoyed sandwiches and juice from the upper terrace. What an incredible view!
I hit the books on Friday at 8:30am. I am reverted to the morning schedule but I think it will work out just fine. I have morning classes and then a few seminars 3 days a week. It will be nice to be in a bigger campus setting. I hope to glean from the French culture in a new way these next few months. I also hope to get to know a bit more this grand city in which I find myself.
We're saying good bye to Sophie who has a teaching post in Austrailia. I'm sad that she is leaving; I wish I could have spent more time with her. Her flight is Monday.
7/26/2003
"its raining, its pouring, the old man is snoring..." Some days are grey and so is the case today. We feel lazy and have been hanging around. I did get my email inbox cleaned up a bit. Now I can write another newsletter and get blasted again. So to top off the day, we're taking Christina into Paris to see the Champs d'Elysées at night. I'll take my camera and finish the roll that I started the other day.
I have decided though, that I can't keep shooting film. This must come to an end! I can't afford it. So I'll be looking for a digital camera that will be more useful here on the ministry field.
Tomorrow the chasers of Lance Armstrong will cross the finish line in Paris and I plan to be there. A friend predicts that Lance has already won and followed his comments with "vive les US!"
I did get enrolled to start my next leg of language studies. From August 1 til December, I'll be studying at the Friends of the Sorbonne.
I have decided though, that I can't keep shooting film. This must come to an end! I can't afford it. So I'll be looking for a digital camera that will be more useful here on the ministry field.
Tomorrow the chasers of Lance Armstrong will cross the finish line in Paris and I plan to be there. A friend predicts that Lance has already won and followed his comments with "vive les US!"
I did get enrolled to start my next leg of language studies. From August 1 til December, I'll be studying at the Friends of the Sorbonne.
7/24/2003
Amazingly I'm back at bloggin'. The OIKOS team has survived another summer of evangelism, the joy and tears of hard work, and, for me, what it is like to slip back into life in France. I watched a terrific team of new friends leave on airplanes from Charles de Gaulle, but I was left here in Paris to begin another chapter of life here. Instead of going "home" to rest or return to school or work- I'm here. Shopping again for bagettes, creatively slapping together my best salsa, and considering the fall.
To be honest, the outreach was very tiring and I've decided to stay in hot Paris for the month of August. Today I go to enroll at an affiliate school to the Sorbonne to begin my studies again on the 1st. This means I will be back in school, but like I have never been in my entire life. The Sorbonne is huge. It is ancient and renown and I am a pitily american trying to learn the language they will teach in. I am so glad that I am not to be enrolled in Paris IV, but that I will occasionally receive the lectures of those profs. My courses will be advanced language learning, phonetics- lab and all, and culture and civilization lectures. August will be my running start for September. It all starts on the 11th and will culminate mid-December with exams.
So I'm going to get to experience August in Paris- and I'm grateful that today and the next couple days are cooling down. There are places to explore, classes every morning and La Rentrée to experience. I have also enlisted myself in an exercise discipline. We can pray that I will be faithful to my commitments and that I will physically benefit from the blood-pumping. Yippee!! I certainly would love to find a program a little more interesting than a morning jog, though.
To be honest, the outreach was very tiring and I've decided to stay in hot Paris for the month of August. Today I go to enroll at an affiliate school to the Sorbonne to begin my studies again on the 1st. This means I will be back in school, but like I have never been in my entire life. The Sorbonne is huge. It is ancient and renown and I am a pitily american trying to learn the language they will teach in. I am so glad that I am not to be enrolled in Paris IV, but that I will occasionally receive the lectures of those profs. My courses will be advanced language learning, phonetics- lab and all, and culture and civilization lectures. August will be my running start for September. It all starts on the 11th and will culminate mid-December with exams.
So I'm going to get to experience August in Paris- and I'm grateful that today and the next couple days are cooling down. There are places to explore, classes every morning and La Rentrée to experience. I have also enlisted myself in an exercise discipline. We can pray that I will be faithful to my commitments and that I will physically benefit from the blood-pumping. Yippee!! I certainly would love to find a program a little more interesting than a morning jog, though.
7/15/2003
So I survived my second Bastille Day in the heart of Paris. 2000 was pretty spectacular. We were seated in the front row, if there is such a thing: right up under the Eiffel Tower and just before the bridge over the Seine. We were sprinkled with the cinders of the artificial fire accompanied by a very powerful sound system that stretched the entire length of the Champs de Mars.
This year, 2003, we were again joined by the masses to view the light and smoke display. My perspective was a little different, though. I sat nearly at the end of the Champs, out of earshot of the powerful speakers and my view was blocked by that large pointy monument known as the Eiffel Tower. The show took on a new nuance as the Tower lights were exstinguished and the smoke and lights backlit the scene. They used similar plumes of sparkes as in 2000 and even the same twirly white ones that I had so admired. Our little clan was fortuante enough to take the 3rd to the last train home from the city, while our other half was separated and took the scenic route home..., at 8am. In some ways I'm jealous of the grassy sleep-over they had and the moonrise silhouetted Tower they witnessed.
I am reminded so easily how pitiful man is. Tonight, the 15th of July, God had another light show scheduled. The french are amazing architechs, and serious pyros when it comes to their independence day. But their show only reaches so far into the heavens and their fire leaves smoke, and their sound system sounds like the cheap paper speakers that get blown on the first trip out in comparison to the light show God put on tonight.
Tonight I witnessed, for free, from my own house, viewed from any window or perch with a view of the sky, the spectacular power of a living God. I started into the dishes and a few flashes of lightning lit up the clouding sky. The wind had picked up and the humidity and heat that still clings to the cobble and pavement collided with fantastic bass and frantic white light, fingering out across the sky- 20 times the size of anything we saw at the Tower. It started slow and began to gain momentum. I dropped the dishes and ran for the windows and threw them open to have a clearer view. The storm moved around the house so I went outside and joined 10 more worshipers of our amazing God and his fire show.
I can't help but wonder if one person in Chelles asked God for a sign, or if God was just putting on the show to put us Bastille celebraters in our place, or perhaps he was throwing a rave party for the angels. One can't say; but I know this- That a sky that is lit by fire that cannot be tracked, anticipated, or predicted; accompanied by bass and percussion like no other; and can be explained through scientific means, really is authored by something much much greater than any human ever has or will be. This is my God: awesome, powerful, renown, merciful, and patient.
We stayed out until the rain began to push us in, but I recovered a perch in my kitchen widows. I had a wide angle lens view of a diving lightning bolt that split at the tail and forked into the black sky. Over and over again, but never once the same. Clouds splintered one piercing beam making the lightning remind me of fishbones. Never in my life have I been so in awe of nature powered by my God.
I came to France with anticipation of seeing these lightning storms, but never have I seen one so powerful, expansive and magnificent as was tonight. I'll quote Roy on this one, "I wish my eyes had a record button."
This year, 2003, we were again joined by the masses to view the light and smoke display. My perspective was a little different, though. I sat nearly at the end of the Champs, out of earshot of the powerful speakers and my view was blocked by that large pointy monument known as the Eiffel Tower. The show took on a new nuance as the Tower lights were exstinguished and the smoke and lights backlit the scene. They used similar plumes of sparkes as in 2000 and even the same twirly white ones that I had so admired. Our little clan was fortuante enough to take the 3rd to the last train home from the city, while our other half was separated and took the scenic route home..., at 8am. In some ways I'm jealous of the grassy sleep-over they had and the moonrise silhouetted Tower they witnessed.
I am reminded so easily how pitiful man is. Tonight, the 15th of July, God had another light show scheduled. The french are amazing architechs, and serious pyros when it comes to their independence day. But their show only reaches so far into the heavens and their fire leaves smoke, and their sound system sounds like the cheap paper speakers that get blown on the first trip out in comparison to the light show God put on tonight.
Tonight I witnessed, for free, from my own house, viewed from any window or perch with a view of the sky, the spectacular power of a living God. I started into the dishes and a few flashes of lightning lit up the clouding sky. The wind had picked up and the humidity and heat that still clings to the cobble and pavement collided with fantastic bass and frantic white light, fingering out across the sky- 20 times the size of anything we saw at the Tower. It started slow and began to gain momentum. I dropped the dishes and ran for the windows and threw them open to have a clearer view. The storm moved around the house so I went outside and joined 10 more worshipers of our amazing God and his fire show.
I can't help but wonder if one person in Chelles asked God for a sign, or if God was just putting on the show to put us Bastille celebraters in our place, or perhaps he was throwing a rave party for the angels. One can't say; but I know this- That a sky that is lit by fire that cannot be tracked, anticipated, or predicted; accompanied by bass and percussion like no other; and can be explained through scientific means, really is authored by something much much greater than any human ever has or will be. This is my God: awesome, powerful, renown, merciful, and patient.
We stayed out until the rain began to push us in, but I recovered a perch in my kitchen widows. I had a wide angle lens view of a diving lightning bolt that split at the tail and forked into the black sky. Over and over again, but never once the same. Clouds splintered one piercing beam making the lightning remind me of fishbones. Never in my life have I been so in awe of nature powered by my God.
I came to France with anticipation of seeing these lightning storms, but never have I seen one so powerful, expansive and magnificent as was tonight. I'll quote Roy on this one, "I wish my eyes had a record button."
After more than a week of long, hot draining days, the main thrust of our evangelistic outreach is coming to a close. 10 Korean Americans joined the 4 of us OIKOS girls, Jonathan and Karen (and Sammy), a crew from the church at Claye and Lagny, and a clan of Alsacans who love Jesus and play all kinds of brass instruments. We sang love songs to our Savior, talked about our God, and prayed to Him for the select lives that we would meet in the town of Chelles.
46,000 people later, we gleaned an astounding 60 interested souls, listened to Soul music, Gospel music and shared our lunch with neighborhood kids playing in the park. We trudged from door to door in 90 degree weather, trusting the Lord to direct our steps and our tongues. I admit that I have never felt so wonderfully tired in all my life.
Everyone made amazing efforts to keep the team moving forward. We were a generally calm team with few bumps in the road except that we were forced to give up one super team member, Audrey, on Thursday. She finished strong in prayer and in ministering to her hospital roommate. (It is now official that the OIKOS apartment stairs are quite dangerous and all persons must now used the handrail without fail.)
Pictures and video are available for viewing at Michelle's blogspot and at the LA Hanmi website. You can also meet the Korean team here and see stills of people that I know like Evrard and Swanson and the Hodapp family. Enjoy!
46,000 people later, we gleaned an astounding 60 interested souls, listened to Soul music, Gospel music and shared our lunch with neighborhood kids playing in the park. We trudged from door to door in 90 degree weather, trusting the Lord to direct our steps and our tongues. I admit that I have never felt so wonderfully tired in all my life.
Everyone made amazing efforts to keep the team moving forward. We were a generally calm team with few bumps in the road except that we were forced to give up one super team member, Audrey, on Thursday. She finished strong in prayer and in ministering to her hospital roommate. (It is now official that the OIKOS apartment stairs are quite dangerous and all persons must now used the handrail without fail.)
Pictures and video are available for viewing at Michelle's blogspot and at the LA Hanmi website. You can also meet the Korean team here and see stills of people that I know like Evrard and Swanson and the Hodapp family. Enjoy!
7/07/2003
We are swinging full speed into our mission in the city of Chelles. We have a team of about 25 people, from France and the States. Tomorrow is the big day when we walk all over the town putting invitations in mailboxes. It is a crazy day and we all get very tired, sore feet.
My responsibilities are for the worship time each morning. So far we are getting in the groove and teaching a few of the main songs in french and english. Our american team is doing wonderfully as they learn to twist their tongues around the new words and sounds. This whole project of leading my team in songs to the Lord is a curious one: I am doing my best to go ahead and struggle- grow and not be perfect. I'm also challenged by coordinating a large populous of talented musicians with differing styles. I keep reminding myself that it will all work out, not to get frustrated.
My responsibilities are for the worship time each morning. So far we are getting in the groove and teaching a few of the main songs in french and english. Our american team is doing wonderfully as they learn to twist their tongues around the new words and sounds. This whole project of leading my team in songs to the Lord is a curious one: I am doing my best to go ahead and struggle- grow and not be perfect. I'm also challenged by coordinating a large populous of talented musicians with differing styles. I keep reminding myself that it will all work out, not to get frustrated.
7/04/2003
Well I finally got some pictures up in a new album.
We are full speed into a 10 day mission. I hope to keep updating my thoughts. So far, I'm stoked to be meeting 10 Korean Americans from LA. They bring honest positive attitudes and fresh reminders of why I'm here for a longer time. They have reminded me of the differences and the reasons why I am struggling with certain cultural differences for the moment. I pray that I can reestablish my heart attitude and enjoy the change of pace, even though it is faster than normal.
We are full speed into a 10 day mission. I hope to keep updating my thoughts. So far, I'm stoked to be meeting 10 Korean Americans from LA. They bring honest positive attitudes and fresh reminders of why I'm here for a longer time. They have reminded me of the differences and the reasons why I am struggling with certain cultural differences for the moment. I pray that I can reestablish my heart attitude and enjoy the change of pace, even though it is faster than normal.
6/30/2003
The gromits of suburb Paris think 'bad' equals burning cars. Today, as I approached my train station for a quick run into Paris, I noted a burned garbage can. The gray plastic mini dumpster had been melted to a meer bassin with wheels.
I'm on the upswing from my cold. Yesterday's nap and long night sleep helped quite a bit.
I'm on the upswing from my cold. Yesterday's nap and long night sleep helped quite a bit.
6/29/2003
Its been very tiring lately. I am exhausted and the heat of the sun hasn't been too helpful. In addition, nature saw fit to strike me with a timely cold and sore throat. I'm dealing with it all as graciously as possible. I have one week to recover.
I am beginning to anticipate our 10 day stint in Chelles. There is always an extra bit of energy that surges through the team when we work to invite an entire city to a Gospel concert. This time round, I am more excited to see how things have changed in the world of evangelism since I was last involved in a summer mission. We've been working hard on organization of the music, and others, like my roommate are planning the training of the entire team of 40 people.
Even with this new adrenaline pumping, I feel a personal frustration with language. I don't hear it much at home and only seem to speak it when I am outside the house which is considerably less in the last month. They say learning a language is like climbing a mountain: first, you go up and its super tough but exciting cuz you can see your progress. Then you climb along a flat place that is so dry and hot and, in my case, sun scorched; you can't see too well where you've been nor where you are going; in fact- you feel more like you're doing worse than you were a few steps previous.
Add a few wet tears to the already running nose, a homesick lump in the throat and cracked dry lips and you've got a pretty clear picture of life for the moment...and thank God, its just for the moment.
I am beginning to anticipate our 10 day stint in Chelles. There is always an extra bit of energy that surges through the team when we work to invite an entire city to a Gospel concert. This time round, I am more excited to see how things have changed in the world of evangelism since I was last involved in a summer mission. We've been working hard on organization of the music, and others, like my roommate are planning the training of the entire team of 40 people.
Even with this new adrenaline pumping, I feel a personal frustration with language. I don't hear it much at home and only seem to speak it when I am outside the house which is considerably less in the last month. They say learning a language is like climbing a mountain: first, you go up and its super tough but exciting cuz you can see your progress. Then you climb along a flat place that is so dry and hot and, in my case, sun scorched; you can't see too well where you've been nor where you are going; in fact- you feel more like you're doing worse than you were a few steps previous.
Add a few wet tears to the already running nose, a homesick lump in the throat and cracked dry lips and you've got a pretty clear picture of life for the moment...and thank God, its just for the moment.
6/27/2003
The much needed vacation behind me, I was greeted by a swift sore throat and cold this morning. There is much work to do in preparation for the week in Chelles but I need to rest.
One highlight from the trip to Nice: Adrienne and I spent the first day in a town called Juan Les Pins, just one stop east of Cannes. We shopped and found our very own spot on a sandy beach, swam in the Mediteranean, dried off, swam again and dried off again. Then for dinner at about 8pm, we targeted a pizzeria on the beach. We sat about 20 feet from the waves, wiggled our toes in the sand and ate amazing pizza's in the "palm tree and sunset sky". This town is my recommendation to any person desirous of a little 'repos'.
One highlight from the trip to Nice: Adrienne and I spent the first day in a town called Juan Les Pins, just one stop east of Cannes. We shopped and found our very own spot on a sandy beach, swam in the Mediteranean, dried off, swam again and dried off again. Then for dinner at about 8pm, we targeted a pizzeria on the beach. We sat about 20 feet from the waves, wiggled our toes in the sand and ate amazing pizza's in the "palm tree and sunset sky". This town is my recommendation to any person desirous of a little 'repos'.
6/23/2003
A little work, a little play. Every summer that was the theme. I had to weed one row of the garden and I could play the afternoon. Its been a busy spring time with language learning, church ministry and summer ministry preparation. Tomorrow I get to take off and rest for a couple days. I'll be back on Thursday. The sun of the riviera is calling and heaven knows, I need it! This will be my first visit to Nice.
6/22/2003
there's a first time for everything
I don't remember my first word, or my first step, but I do remember my first piano recital on that clanky piano at Elk Plain so many years ago with Wanda Fisher so proud of us students. My hands sweat so hard that I thought the piano would melt.
I had my first solo flight into Paris back in February. It was freezing cold and because the Russian president was in town they had closed half of the métro line I needed and so I ended up walking the Champs d'Elysées. Yesterday I experienced my first Fête de la Musique. I have been rehearsing with a group from Noisy Champs for over a month. We took to the stage and played our best renditions of Negro Spirituals. It was quite an experience and I did enjoy myself although I never thought of myself as a gospel accompanist. We took to the city after our little show and I joined thousands of Parisiens and tourists at République for a fantastic show of live music and people. There was a sea of people pouring out of the streets, from the main square, and the métros.
This morning I set out on my next first time adventure. Katie and I jumped in the bus to head for church, my first solo flight. I was able to sucessfully manoeuver the desiel manual transmission, 9 passanger van from our "hill" driveway and out the gate. We then discovered we needed to buy fuel. So I bought desiel for the first time here in France- no problem! We headed off and took the scenic route to church. This means that I missed our exit for one freeway and ended up on another where I had to pay a toll to get myself turned back around. The freeways in Paris run in circles and I've been all mixed up since arriving here but I think, after the solo flight today, I have it straightened out- at least in my head.
We were only 45 minutes late for the practice! It was Katie's first day to play at church with us. She did great.
I don't remember my first word, or my first step, but I do remember my first piano recital on that clanky piano at Elk Plain so many years ago with Wanda Fisher so proud of us students. My hands sweat so hard that I thought the piano would melt.
I had my first solo flight into Paris back in February. It was freezing cold and because the Russian president was in town they had closed half of the métro line I needed and so I ended up walking the Champs d'Elysées. Yesterday I experienced my first Fête de la Musique. I have been rehearsing with a group from Noisy Champs for over a month. We took to the stage and played our best renditions of Negro Spirituals. It was quite an experience and I did enjoy myself although I never thought of myself as a gospel accompanist. We took to the city after our little show and I joined thousands of Parisiens and tourists at République for a fantastic show of live music and people. There was a sea of people pouring out of the streets, from the main square, and the métros.
This morning I set out on my next first time adventure. Katie and I jumped in the bus to head for church, my first solo flight. I was able to sucessfully manoeuver the desiel manual transmission, 9 passanger van from our "hill" driveway and out the gate. We then discovered we needed to buy fuel. So I bought desiel for the first time here in France- no problem! We headed off and took the scenic route to church. This means that I missed our exit for one freeway and ended up on another where I had to pay a toll to get myself turned back around. The freeways in Paris run in circles and I've been all mixed up since arriving here but I think, after the solo flight today, I have it straightened out- at least in my head.
We were only 45 minutes late for the practice! It was Katie's first day to play at church with us. She did great.
6/20/2003
6/19/2003
I'm not an English teacher but I am considered a native speaker here by some. Tuesday I went to work with my roommate, Audrey. Audrey is an English teacher and I was her "show and tell" all day long. I met approximately 100 kids, told them all my name, where I was from, about my family and about Portland. I showed a little flick prepared by my talented friends in Portland, footage of the Pharmacy guys and Dept of Sk8boarding.
The toughest part of the whole day was speaking English only and not letting on that I understood any french. So many times I just wanted to break out in French, answer questions that were constantly being syphoned through Audrey. Amongst these restless Jr. Highers I discovered a few skaters. One moment in particular was tough for me. I hear a little dude say he wished those guys would come to France and skate with him and his friends. I wanted to say, "Yeah, that's a great idea. I'll call them up and ask them if they'd do that." Each class time I saw so many eyes looking at me wondering what I was, excited to tell me what little English they could. Many talked about musicians and had picked photos of their heros to show me. I saw huge trends toward popular music and musicians who were my own age: one woman killed a few years back in a plane accident- the girl said that she would live on in her heart.
Crazy that girls my age are making millions singing and dressing in hardly anything and changing the lives of some Jr highers all over the world. I ask what kind of impact I make. These women and men may pass just as quickly as the New Kids on the Block, but can I keep going and leave even a bigger legacy? I guess its not so much me who wants the legacy- but I desire a life that counts for more than just a pile of money or fame. My life is filled right now with the hunt for where I can continue to discover a life that is counting for something on this earth.
The toughest part of the whole day was speaking English only and not letting on that I understood any french. So many times I just wanted to break out in French, answer questions that were constantly being syphoned through Audrey. Amongst these restless Jr. Highers I discovered a few skaters. One moment in particular was tough for me. I hear a little dude say he wished those guys would come to France and skate with him and his friends. I wanted to say, "Yeah, that's a great idea. I'll call them up and ask them if they'd do that." Each class time I saw so many eyes looking at me wondering what I was, excited to tell me what little English they could. Many talked about musicians and had picked photos of their heros to show me. I saw huge trends toward popular music and musicians who were my own age: one woman killed a few years back in a plane accident- the girl said that she would live on in her heart.
Crazy that girls my age are making millions singing and dressing in hardly anything and changing the lives of some Jr highers all over the world. I ask what kind of impact I make. These women and men may pass just as quickly as the New Kids on the Block, but can I keep going and leave even a bigger legacy? I guess its not so much me who wants the legacy- but I desire a life that counts for more than just a pile of money or fame. My life is filled right now with the hunt for where I can continue to discover a life that is counting for something on this earth.
6/17/2003
6/16/2003
Thanks Jonathan for blogging even when you wanted to protect your eyes from the harmful screen rays. I'm snagging your link to Global360. There is just too much cool stuff there.
I didn't stare blankly at the page you should click on above. Instead I pondered where I have been in relation to where I am today. Less than 6 months ago I would never have stumbled onto a blog page or a site like YWAM's and followed links around like a child chasing spilled cheerios. Today I read through people's thoughts on missions, what it is like to be a Christian in their world, be it India, China, Austrailia, UK, or good ol' US of A. Why do I so desperately want to know what they are doing?
For some reason the world seems smaller from over here in Paris. Maybe I see more cultures represented on a daily basis. I'm in a constant struggle to learn to live in another culture, speak another language, and love the people like Jesus loves them. I'm deciding that even though this country has so few Christians, it is just like the US in that Christians exist, they want to love God and worship Him with all their being, and my job is to love them, stand by that flame, and testify to its beauty- praying for its growth and all the while knowing I'm weak, a "foot washer", and leaning on Christ for grace in all the mistakes I'm bound to make.
I didn't stare blankly at the page you should click on above. Instead I pondered where I have been in relation to where I am today. Less than 6 months ago I would never have stumbled onto a blog page or a site like YWAM's and followed links around like a child chasing spilled cheerios. Today I read through people's thoughts on missions, what it is like to be a Christian in their world, be it India, China, Austrailia, UK, or good ol' US of A. Why do I so desperately want to know what they are doing?
For some reason the world seems smaller from over here in Paris. Maybe I see more cultures represented on a daily basis. I'm in a constant struggle to learn to live in another culture, speak another language, and love the people like Jesus loves them. I'm deciding that even though this country has so few Christians, it is just like the US in that Christians exist, they want to love God and worship Him with all their being, and my job is to love them, stand by that flame, and testify to its beauty- praying for its growth and all the while knowing I'm weak, a "foot washer", and leaning on Christ for grace in all the mistakes I'm bound to make.
6/15/2003
"ÇA VA?!!!!!!" I was woken again this afternoon from my nap by the return of M. Surf. The ride is up and running again and the music has started again. I guess I'll give him a break today since its Father's Day. It feels like its been an extremely long day so far but the evening is quickly approaching...too bad I took a nap. Now I'll be up til late hours. But that works fine for me, cuz I need to call my Dad and tell him how much I love him...
6/14/2003
For the last two nights, the citizens of Lognes have been partying in our backyard until about midnight. Loud music pulsates from little kiddy rides and bumper cars. Madonna screams out her popular hits from a ride called Miami Surf, which tosses it's crazed fanatics around in a large circle. They board the "Surf" and choose one of the 20 seats all lined up in a row. Then a large padded bar gently settles in their laps and the megga board takes off clockwise with a yell from the conductor. "Ça va?" he yells. "Ça va!" and then he sends the ride flying counterclockwise. One particular girl's hair is quite a site as it flies around in circles. It just shows how much more violent the ride is than it looks. "Laissez tout!" and all the hands go in the air! This seemed to be the popular ride for the teenagers. For now- I'm glad they turned off Madonna and the Surf conductor has turned down his lights and smoke and strobes. I will sleep in relative peace...until tomorrow night.
6/12/2003
Love/Hate
Why do I have such a love/hate relationship with change? I love change. I think everybody should be looking for change. I think change is great. In fact, I have even taken it so far as to say that "change = learning". If I'm not changing, then I'm not really learning. Learning is a sign of growth. "The minute you stop learning, you stop growing." "Our greatest fear in life is getting 'stuck'." Its a thought of progress, movement, forward action. Its deeper than just memorizing, regurgitation on some exam; it's personalizing, transforming, making me someone I wasn't before. Some have called this developmentalism (thanks Dr. Patty). Its more than a romanticized exploration of self and environment; more than facts and memory tricks, more than discussion with people and theorizing, and more than a 'pavlovization' by culture, teachers, parents and profs. Some of the coolest stories come from people who tell how they were and how they are changed.
I hate change. It means passing from comfort to uncomfort. It means stripping me from "me" and replacing it with new. It means humiliation and an almost seemingly hypocrisy. Its saying one thing and then later, a transformation of thought that comes out saying the opposite. It feels fickle. It makes one eat humility. It means being weak when we had always thought ourselves strong. Its painful to change. It means mistakes, retries, and 'brain smoke'. It makes one tired, a forced battle with self.
I tried to imagine the world full of changing people. Everyone was focused on expanding their reservoir of knowledge from a learner's point of view. People content in their humility and weakness- seeking the better, stronger way but never flanting strength.
Today I had some RUG time with my friends Katie and MaryBeth. It was so awesome to pray together for people we know and love, for ourselves and for France. We praised God for His creation and His love. The more we prayed to Him, the more we were overcome with this Yahweh. It makes me feel small- a good place to be!
Why do I have such a love/hate relationship with change? I love change. I think everybody should be looking for change. I think change is great. In fact, I have even taken it so far as to say that "change = learning". If I'm not changing, then I'm not really learning. Learning is a sign of growth. "The minute you stop learning, you stop growing." "Our greatest fear in life is getting 'stuck'." Its a thought of progress, movement, forward action. Its deeper than just memorizing, regurgitation on some exam; it's personalizing, transforming, making me someone I wasn't before. Some have called this developmentalism (thanks Dr. Patty). Its more than a romanticized exploration of self and environment; more than facts and memory tricks, more than discussion with people and theorizing, and more than a 'pavlovization' by culture, teachers, parents and profs. Some of the coolest stories come from people who tell how they were and how they are changed.
I hate change. It means passing from comfort to uncomfort. It means stripping me from "me" and replacing it with new. It means humiliation and an almost seemingly hypocrisy. Its saying one thing and then later, a transformation of thought that comes out saying the opposite. It feels fickle. It makes one eat humility. It means being weak when we had always thought ourselves strong. Its painful to change. It means mistakes, retries, and 'brain smoke'. It makes one tired, a forced battle with self.
I tried to imagine the world full of changing people. Everyone was focused on expanding their reservoir of knowledge from a learner's point of view. People content in their humility and weakness- seeking the better, stronger way but never flanting strength.
Today I had some RUG time with my friends Katie and MaryBeth. It was so awesome to pray together for people we know and love, for ourselves and for France. We praised God for His creation and His love. The more we prayed to Him, the more we were overcome with this Yahweh. It makes me feel small- a good place to be!
6/11/2003
Today Audrey brought a few students over to make American Chocolate Chip Cookies with real live Americans. We had a blast. Check the photo link for a new album called Les Français, where you will see picturess from the event! They had a blast and so did we. They made some of the best cookies I have ever tasted...but they were being coached by the pros!
6/09/2003
Church Picnics
I remember fondly the little church picnics which were hosted annually at Elk Plain Community Church in Spanaway, Washington. There were always two events that I looked forward to: 1. Watching a crew of adults sing a rhythm of crazy phrases and act them out (my favorite line was "Hark, a lark, flying through the park- splat!" and my second favorite was "Give Betsy give, the baby's gotta live!"). The second and most coveted of all activities was the lawnmower race. Steve Fisher and Mike Sherman would always show up with their souped up mowers, ready to mow down any person fending for their championship. My personal favorite activity: the log they suspended above a pile of hay where two kids would get on it like a horse and beat eachother with pillows, trying to knock the other off. Sorry- its a bit violent but that's how I grew up.
Today I went to another church picnic. They say the weather always is nice and today it proved so again with record heat in the 30's. (celsius!!) All the churches in the Paris region association gathered to eat and play and hang out together. There were soccor games, water fights, basketball and kids activities. I took advantage of the sun and mostly layed around, entertaining a few conversations here and there with friends. I was so encouraged to talk with one friend who is moving soon to Austrailia. Our question of the day: Why do we have to keep re-learning to trust God for our lives? It would be so much easier if we could learn it once and have it over with.
I remember fondly the little church picnics which were hosted annually at Elk Plain Community Church in Spanaway, Washington. There were always two events that I looked forward to: 1. Watching a crew of adults sing a rhythm of crazy phrases and act them out (my favorite line was "Hark, a lark, flying through the park- splat!" and my second favorite was "Give Betsy give, the baby's gotta live!"). The second and most coveted of all activities was the lawnmower race. Steve Fisher and Mike Sherman would always show up with their souped up mowers, ready to mow down any person fending for their championship. My personal favorite activity: the log they suspended above a pile of hay where two kids would get on it like a horse and beat eachother with pillows, trying to knock the other off. Sorry- its a bit violent but that's how I grew up.
Today I went to another church picnic. They say the weather always is nice and today it proved so again with record heat in the 30's. (celsius!!) All the churches in the Paris region association gathered to eat and play and hang out together. There were soccor games, water fights, basketball and kids activities. I took advantage of the sun and mostly layed around, entertaining a few conversations here and there with friends. I was so encouraged to talk with one friend who is moving soon to Austrailia. Our question of the day: Why do we have to keep re-learning to trust God for our lives? It would be so much easier if we could learn it once and have it over with.
6/07/2003
I was walking along on the sidewalk in Noisiel today reading yesterday's calender verse and comments. More than the content of the little piece of paper, I realized I was walking through a French town who had a church growing in it. Elise had just commented that people came to a book stand presented by the church there in a market to ask questions. My mind took a quick side-trip to a town I visited 3 days ago with Jonathan and Chris: Chelles. We had made a visit to the skatepark there. Chelles is without a church.
I just read through a little article associated with Answers in Genesis. They interviewed a french scientist and I found what he had to say worthy of thinking about.
I just read through a little article associated with Answers in Genesis. They interviewed a french scientist and I found what he had to say worthy of thinking about.
6/05/2003
I've got a new roommate. The OIKOS house grows and we are two americans and a french gal now. Lucky Michelle is on a long weekend to Bordeaux, but I am happy for her nonetheless. Audrey and I shared dinner and chatted tonight, mostly in French. What a cool addition to our house.
Today I went to airport to drop off one friend; tomorrow we greet another. Katie is coming from New York and brings another music instrument to the house: her viola. She is staying for 6 weeks. We'll be working together on this summer's worship times.
Today I went to airport to drop off one friend; tomorrow we greet another. Katie is coming from New York and brings another music instrument to the house: her viola. She is staying for 6 weeks. We'll be working together on this summer's worship times.
I can't leave tonights blog without mentioning some certainly very cool people, Lorenzo and Marie-Alice. We were sitting in day one of L'Eglise en Devenir (Emerging Church conf.) when they were presented. A young couple with two small children, and ministry in a fashion that caught my attention: Pays Basque, Surf, Snowboard, only 2 churches, camps, students. I tried to control myself as Marie-Alice spoke about her everyday life being where she lived her faith. My heart resonated with her words and I was able to briefly speak with her after their presentation. As far as I'm concerned, these people are key and a definate link to where my heart is headed. Check them out.
I've just lived an incredible week and anticipate more incredible days to follow. The weather has been warm and humid and sometimes those showers and thunder. Things are a little calmer at the OIKOS now that the Emergent Church conference has passed through.
Although it's past and the calm is settling, it doesn't mean that the ideas and "ologies" that were discussed don't still hang thick in the air. My brain is busting with thoughts and dreams and every once in a while a conversation will dip into topics that are being tossed around from London to Prague and beyond. The second day of meetings came to the OIKOS in Lognes and Michelle and I prepared for about 40 people. It was incredible to have so many people, enthusiastic about their lives in Christ sitting in our living room. The resonating theme of day 2: the kingdom of god is a house full of poor people partying. Everyone is talking about it.
For me though, I was swept away with Andrew Jones' comment on "Do this in rememberance of me." To set the stage: Jesus and his housefull of partying poor people, aka disciples, are hanging out together, talking, eating, sharing a bottle, or skin of wine and Jesus profoundly says, "Hey, do this in rememberance of me." Whatever this is, we ought to be doing it. Somewhere in my finite american brain a bell rang; whenever I hung out with friends and passed such awesome times together, we always would say, "Hey, we oughta do this more often!" Its a THIS.
jump around on my links to jonathan's and jonny's and andrew's and matt's blogs... you'll find not only more profound thoughts on our conference, but pictures as well.
Although it's past and the calm is settling, it doesn't mean that the ideas and "ologies" that were discussed don't still hang thick in the air. My brain is busting with thoughts and dreams and every once in a while a conversation will dip into topics that are being tossed around from London to Prague and beyond. The second day of meetings came to the OIKOS in Lognes and Michelle and I prepared for about 40 people. It was incredible to have so many people, enthusiastic about their lives in Christ sitting in our living room. The resonating theme of day 2: the kingdom of god is a house full of poor people partying. Everyone is talking about it.
For me though, I was swept away with Andrew Jones' comment on "Do this in rememberance of me." To set the stage: Jesus and his housefull of partying poor people, aka disciples, are hanging out together, talking, eating, sharing a bottle, or skin of wine and Jesus profoundly says, "Hey, do this in rememberance of me." Whatever this is, we ought to be doing it. Somewhere in my finite american brain a bell rang; whenever I hung out with friends and passed such awesome times together, we always would say, "Hey, we oughta do this more often!" Its a THIS.
jump around on my links to jonathan's and jonny's and andrew's and matt's blogs... you'll find not only more profound thoughts on our conference, but pictures as well.
6/03/2003
Welcome to June. I've already got a head start on my tan! Paris has been hot this last week and now, its raining and staying warm. There is so much to talk about from the last couple days. But for now, I'll just say that I added some more pictures to my image station and anyone who likes to ride a skateboard should check it out... I'm starting my little collection of places in France!
5/28/2003
I have to say that a rollercoaster that takes off backwards with you strapped in can totally surprise you. Not only that, but my brave friend Adrienne didn't know that there was a loop in it which we didn't see until it was too late. You gotta love Indiana Jones!
They told me at Disneyland Paris, to keep my imagination alive by noticing small things. Tonight, as Michelle and I wandered into town for dinner (we still can't get over it, that just going into town means Paris central) we came across the long tubes of Châtelet and Châtelet les Halles. I was tromping down the stairs and saw on the floor a small, but large for it's personal category, very dead and somewhat squished cockroach. I always ask myself, why in the world did God create such an ugly bug? They aren't good for anything, except maybe eating- for some people; nor are they attractive like some beatles, and they are the epitimy of stupidity: they think they are smart, but they really are quite dumb... like the 3 inch one I encountered in Malaga Spain who thought that he could hide and protect himself by scampering over to a table leg and sitting there next to it as if he was a camelion... Someone once told me that a person eats 4 or 5 spiders in their sleep every year... I don't even want to think about the statistics for cockroaches....
By the way, Michelle and I had a wonderful, very reasonable dinner in the 6th arrondissement. I had turkey slices swimming in a pool of crème d'anis (in the family of licorice), laced with pasta. Chelle went for the bœuf Bourguignon. I need to create a list of my favorite places in Paris. The weather is bright and tomorrow its predicted to hit 26°C, quite hot like today. And yesterday I had my first sun of the summer.
They told me at Disneyland Paris, to keep my imagination alive by noticing small things. Tonight, as Michelle and I wandered into town for dinner (we still can't get over it, that just going into town means Paris central) we came across the long tubes of Châtelet and Châtelet les Halles. I was tromping down the stairs and saw on the floor a small, but large for it's personal category, very dead and somewhat squished cockroach. I always ask myself, why in the world did God create such an ugly bug? They aren't good for anything, except maybe eating- for some people; nor are they attractive like some beatles, and they are the epitimy of stupidity: they think they are smart, but they really are quite dumb... like the 3 inch one I encountered in Malaga Spain who thought that he could hide and protect himself by scampering over to a table leg and sitting there next to it as if he was a camelion... Someone once told me that a person eats 4 or 5 spiders in their sleep every year... I don't even want to think about the statistics for cockroaches....
By the way, Michelle and I had a wonderful, very reasonable dinner in the 6th arrondissement. I had turkey slices swimming in a pool of crème d'anis (in the family of licorice), laced with pasta. Chelle went for the bœuf Bourguignon. I need to create a list of my favorite places in Paris. The weather is bright and tomorrow its predicted to hit 26°C, quite hot like today. And yesterday I had my first sun of the summer.
5/27/2003
This morning I took off with Karen again to the ladies Bible study. We spent most of the time praying for the children of the church, of these women, and of relatives. I was pushed to pray in French. It is a wierd sensation to be forced to do my communication in French; the truth being that I desperately want to pray in French- but I don't want to be the one making all the grammatical fautes in front ot "God and everyone." Oh well, this time I was paired up with a woman who is Malagash in origin and I did my best. What's cool about my God is that He knows me inside and out- whether or not I speak a language of this earth or not.
Well, I scored a free entry into the "america" of Europe today: EuroDisneyland here I come!!
Well, I scored a free entry into the "america" of Europe today: EuroDisneyland here I come!!
5/25/2003
So its been a long weekend in a way... School is behind me and now I'm transitioning into the summer's activities. I've got music on my mind. The next few days I will plunge myself into the worship books in search of songs for this summer. Today has been a day to learn more about iMovie. I'm slowly working my way through the program; my big question in life is "how does it work". This is a decently simple program but all the same, some questions must be answered. I'm thrilled every time I stop and think about how I keep learning. I have been told to never stop learning. So whether its the A,B,C's or MP3's- on I go...Learning = Change.
5/23/2003
5/22/2003
Today I passed my test. Tomorrow I will find out if I suceeded. It was definately a little rougher than the first two... but I'm stoked that it was challenging- it will show more precisely where I am in this whole language learning process. It's a tough one but well worth it. A few days ago I felt stuck; yesterday I started talking and today I even challenged my prof. I guess I have the equivilant of "senioritis" and I'm ready for "summer vacation" which amounts to the reception of an american outreach team, organization, and hopefully dishwashing in a camp somewhere in the south of France.
To celebrate, I treated myself to another trip to the cinemas, this time to watch the Matrix Reloaded... in french. What a workout! I'll have to watch it a second and probably third and fourth time like everyone else, but for the purposes of comprehension. HA! If I suceeded on my grammar test today, I think I got "moyenne" on the comprehension tonight at the cinema. Fortunately there were no known prof's sitting within earshot of my brainwaves.
To celebrate, I treated myself to another trip to the cinemas, this time to watch the Matrix Reloaded... in french. What a workout! I'll have to watch it a second and probably third and fourth time like everyone else, but for the purposes of comprehension. HA! If I suceeded on my grammar test today, I think I got "moyenne" on the comprehension tonight at the cinema. Fortunately there were no known prof's sitting within earshot of my brainwaves.
5/21/2003
Ok. I think I just told Blogger to speak French; so let's give it a whirl. I want to show you something cool about my God.
Ceux qui sont en bonne santé n'ont pas besoin de médecin, ce sont les malades qui en ont besoin. Ce ne sont pas des justes, mais des pécheurs qui je suis venu appeler à changer de vie. -Jésus
In other words, Jesus came and walked the earth for the sick, hurting, in pain, depressed, injured people. He came calling out to them, healing them, forgiving their sin and recovering them from shame: a changed life.
Canneberge
It took us about 15 minutes of my conversation class to figure out what a cranberry was. I couldn't remember the word in French and we didn't have a dictionary to help us out until the end of the discussion. It all started when I pulled out my notorious "ziplock bag" of Craisins that my wonderful mom brought to me a few weeks back. I was munching on them, (kinda like Audrey Hepburn does in the movie Charade when she tells 'Mr. Bartholemew' that he's "doing a fine job scaring" her) when my prof JB askes what they were. I stuttered and told him that I could explain but that they were a little red, round berry, dried, and a little bitter. I explained that they floated in water, that we like to drink their juice and all kinds of stuff. I finally told him to taste one. So he did. He then agreed with me that he had never had anything like it and didn't know what they were. Several others in the class tried them and couldn't figure it out either. JB went to get a dictionary and I flipped through it to find the word I was looking for, "une canneberge". JB was pretty stoked on them. He said, "Actually, the flavor is found after the berry is gone." I think he liked them.
Ceux qui sont en bonne santé n'ont pas besoin de médecin, ce sont les malades qui en ont besoin. Ce ne sont pas des justes, mais des pécheurs qui je suis venu appeler à changer de vie. -Jésus
In other words, Jesus came and walked the earth for the sick, hurting, in pain, depressed, injured people. He came calling out to them, healing them, forgiving their sin and recovering them from shame: a changed life.
Canneberge
It took us about 15 minutes of my conversation class to figure out what a cranberry was. I couldn't remember the word in French and we didn't have a dictionary to help us out until the end of the discussion. It all started when I pulled out my notorious "ziplock bag" of Craisins that my wonderful mom brought to me a few weeks back. I was munching on them, (kinda like Audrey Hepburn does in the movie Charade when she tells 'Mr. Bartholemew' that he's "doing a fine job scaring" her) when my prof JB askes what they were. I stuttered and told him that I could explain but that they were a little red, round berry, dried, and a little bitter. I explained that they floated in water, that we like to drink their juice and all kinds of stuff. I finally told him to taste one. So he did. He then agreed with me that he had never had anything like it and didn't know what they were. Several others in the class tried them and couldn't figure it out either. JB went to get a dictionary and I flipped through it to find the word I was looking for, "une canneberge". JB was pretty stoked on them. He said, "Actually, the flavor is found after the berry is gone." I think he liked them.
5/20/2003
We're working on the "passe simple". This is the tense I have so much trouble with. Thank goodness I really don't know to know how to write it with ease, only recognize it when I read it. I don't even think they are going to really test me on it. They will, on the contrary, test me on oppositions and concessions. Today I floundered through an exercise where I was supposed to "imagine" the first half of the sentence and make it work with the given "expression de l'opposition" or "concession". My brain went dry. Normally, I am quite and imaginary and creative girl, but not today. I will be sure to spend some quality time with that grammar book that Jonathan lent me before Thursday.
I'm not an electrician, but I made it work!- that dull, dusty stereo that has been sitting on a bookshelf in this apartment since 'who-knows-when'. I peeled the ugly yellowed tape and instructions on how to "turn it on" off the speaker and carefully applied a little fingernail polish remover to remove the "sticky" left by the aged tape. I dusted the sucker, cleaned the connections, reattached the wires and, VOILA! FRENCH RAP!!!! What more could a girl want???! (It was what Marco suggested I listen to ADO in order to orient myself to the subculture of eastern Paris.) I do have to say it is a good thing to have at least one constantly available stream of french broadcast available in our place. This morning's topic: Which God was the incarnation of true love? I listened to France's equivilant of Howard Stern banter with his fellow show-hosts until they decided it was some god I'd never heard of.
I'm not an electrician, but I made it work!- that dull, dusty stereo that has been sitting on a bookshelf in this apartment since 'who-knows-when'. I peeled the ugly yellowed tape and instructions on how to "turn it on" off the speaker and carefully applied a little fingernail polish remover to remove the "sticky" left by the aged tape. I dusted the sucker, cleaned the connections, reattached the wires and, VOILA! FRENCH RAP!!!! What more could a girl want???! (It was what Marco suggested I listen to ADO in order to orient myself to the subculture of eastern Paris.) I do have to say it is a good thing to have at least one constantly available stream of french broadcast available in our place. This morning's topic: Which God was the incarnation of true love? I listened to France's equivilant of Howard Stern banter with his fellow show-hosts until they decided it was some god I'd never heard of.
5/19/2003
It's Monday. It's raining. I have 5 days of school left and an exam on Thursday. C'est lundi. Il pleut. J'ai encore cinq jours d'ecole et un examen jeudi.
The weekend was tiring. Saturday I was able to attend another meeting about the cafe/bar ministry that the church at Pontault is hoping to launch next year. They are working on a name and the details of a budget and ministry goals. It looks to be an expensive endeavor and they have a few name options. I'm intrigued by the whole thing. The french way of doing things is a little different than I am used to, so I just have joined in for the ride. I'm excited about serving coffee and such. Maybe my place will be behind the bar. If you've got a quick connection, you could check out the promo video.
The afternoon I spent helping the choir from Noisy-Champs work on their pieces for the 21st of June. I was good and tired for the rest of the day and Sunday I got myself to the Bussy church for morning worship. My church, Claye, was off on a retreat that I couldn't make because I was already booked for the Pontault/Noisy-Champs projects.... 4 churches: one busy weekend. One of my friends who knows me from Portland warned me on Friday- "be careful not to spread yourself too thin". Thanks Gabe, I need to keep that in mind.
The weekend was tiring. Saturday I was able to attend another meeting about the cafe/bar ministry that the church at Pontault is hoping to launch next year. They are working on a name and the details of a budget and ministry goals. It looks to be an expensive endeavor and they have a few name options. I'm intrigued by the whole thing. The french way of doing things is a little different than I am used to, so I just have joined in for the ride. I'm excited about serving coffee and such. Maybe my place will be behind the bar. If you've got a quick connection, you could check out the promo video.
The afternoon I spent helping the choir from Noisy-Champs work on their pieces for the 21st of June. I was good and tired for the rest of the day and Sunday I got myself to the Bussy church for morning worship. My church, Claye, was off on a retreat that I couldn't make because I was already booked for the Pontault/Noisy-Champs projects.... 4 churches: one busy weekend. One of my friends who knows me from Portland warned me on Friday- "be careful not to spread yourself too thin". Thanks Gabe, I need to keep that in mind.
5/15/2003
The word for squish in french is much more violent sounding than in english: ecraser (said [a-craz-a]). Bugs can get "ecrased" and then they are smooshed, splatted, or flattened. I was nearly "ecrased" in rush-hour traffic this morning. It wasn't because I was tail-gating or even driving. I was in a metro with people who tend not to have such a defined bubble of personal space as the "american" in me. We had no choice. As the RER line A approached the center of Paris, more and more people tried to flood into the train. There was literally no space left. I was determined to get off at the heart of the city at a stop called Chatelet. The only problem was that the people were so packed into the car that we couldn't get out, and to make matters worse, there was a platform of anxious people, 15 feet deep trying to get into the car I was trying to get out of. At one moment when I thought for certain that my lungs would collapse between the 5 'pressing' people, all trying to go in separate directions in the paralysed mass of bodies, I decided that if I couldn't get out of the train until La Defense, I wouldn't complain. Somehow, I was spit out in the mass of yelling people and one woman caught my arm as I nearly tripped on the hundreds of feet lined up as a gauntlet letting the few of us get off the train. I touched the arm of the woman who has been 'ecrased' up next to me, and wished her a good day and we went our ways. I think this is an experience I will not forget.
I found a little reasonable sandwich place near my school and a park to go with it... I sat and rested from a long weary walk and munched a parisien sandwich and watched a group of young boys get high. Two of them grabbed skateboards and took off in one direction after some time and the others moved on to cigarettes as they headed off for the rest of their afternoon.
I found a little reasonable sandwich place near my school and a park to go with it... I sat and rested from a long weary walk and munched a parisien sandwich and watched a group of young boys get high. Two of them grabbed skateboards and took off in one direction after some time and the others moved on to cigarettes as they headed off for the rest of their afternoon.
5/14/2003
5/13/2003
The french people pay a lot in taxes. The working class pays the retirement of the non-working generation. Apparently the people are not too excited about the present nor the proposed situation for the future. So they are striking again today. The metro and train system in Paris is almost completely paralyzed. I stayed home and have been catching up on life.
Life Together
I'm thinking about this life together paper that I'm supposed to have written and posted for the world of Guilder's to read. I wanted to have something readable yesterday but, alas, it is now today and I haven't really made anything available expect my blogspot.
The reason for all this is that I am in 'overdrive' on the integration part of it all. You see, I live in a community whose goal is "life together" for Christ and with Christ. We aren't a hippy compound, just a simple house in the eastern suburbs of Paris France, full of people from the US and France. Some of us can't even speak to oneanother without avoiding 'miscommunication' because of the language. We are calling ourselves OIKOS, a greek term for "household" or "family." We share food, living space and ministry.
Since I am an intern, which is what OIKOS is made up of (interns and full-time workers (aka: missionary), I meet regularly with Jonathan, the full-time worker here. I mentioned that I was working on this paper and the book. I told him about CREDO, Steve Patty, and one of the toughest moments in my life: being rejected for a project that I thought I was capable of. I got to explain the pain of being refused (he knows just like any of us these feelings) and he listened. And then he encouraged me. It was a simple encouragement that I was growing and would continue to, his perspectives from these last 3 months. Funny, it doesn't change the disappointment of those moments or the fact that it happened, but I am reminded that I am indeed a part of the Body- destined for another project in another place for another purpose but with the same goal in mind. And I will continue to grow out of my faults by the grace of God who supports us so strongly until we physically reach His side.
Jonathan's reaction here within our little OIKOS experiment provides an glimmer of example that I want to dwell on in regards to Bonhoeffer's book. None of us is perfect and neither is our little house of saved sinners, but something is happening here that has immense value in the grand scheme of things. According to Bonhoeffer, the community lives out several things: togetherness in worship and love, solitude in the LORD, interpersonal ministries, outreach, and confession and community.
I'll leave it there for now and convert this to a paper for the Guilders... That's enough to keep the head spinning for the afternoon.
I'm thinking about this life together paper that I'm supposed to have written and posted for the world of Guilder's to read. I wanted to have something readable yesterday but, alas, it is now today and I haven't really made anything available expect my blogspot.
The reason for all this is that I am in 'overdrive' on the integration part of it all. You see, I live in a community whose goal is "life together" for Christ and with Christ. We aren't a hippy compound, just a simple house in the eastern suburbs of Paris France, full of people from the US and France. Some of us can't even speak to oneanother without avoiding 'miscommunication' because of the language. We are calling ourselves OIKOS, a greek term for "household" or "family." We share food, living space and ministry.
Since I am an intern, which is what OIKOS is made up of (interns and full-time workers (aka: missionary), I meet regularly with Jonathan, the full-time worker here. I mentioned that I was working on this paper and the book. I told him about CREDO, Steve Patty, and one of the toughest moments in my life: being rejected for a project that I thought I was capable of. I got to explain the pain of being refused (he knows just like any of us these feelings) and he listened. And then he encouraged me. It was a simple encouragement that I was growing and would continue to, his perspectives from these last 3 months. Funny, it doesn't change the disappointment of those moments or the fact that it happened, but I am reminded that I am indeed a part of the Body- destined for another project in another place for another purpose but with the same goal in mind. And I will continue to grow out of my faults by the grace of God who supports us so strongly until we physically reach His side.
Jonathan's reaction here within our little OIKOS experiment provides an glimmer of example that I want to dwell on in regards to Bonhoeffer's book. None of us is perfect and neither is our little house of saved sinners, but something is happening here that has immense value in the grand scheme of things. According to Bonhoeffer, the community lives out several things: togetherness in worship and love, solitude in the LORD, interpersonal ministries, outreach, and confession and community.
I'll leave it there for now and convert this to a paper for the Guilders... That's enough to keep the head spinning for the afternoon.
5/12/2003
funny: my other blog is just as popular in Korea as it is in the US. And I don't speak Korean. I do know of one friend who's probably responsible for the hits... Can't wait til you visit Paris, Steve. We'll have to laugh about all the funny stories in a cafe.
5/11/2003
Saturday, I worked with Elise on music for the 21st of June. France a music celebration where everyone gets out and plays or sings in the parks. A local church is going to do a small spectale into which I have been enlisted to play "gospel". So, Elise and I plugged the piano into a stereo and recorded the music so she could practice the parts and teach the choir. We had a blast laughing and singing "Oh 'Appy Day" and "Swing low."
Michelle and I took off around 2pm to sightsee. We decided to get off at Nation and walk to the Bastille. It was a beautiful day to walk and I took the little video camera along for kicks. We discovered green parks with children playing and parents "bronzing" in the sun. We bought icecream and had to apologize to all the french families who's kids squealed with delight that "there [was] icecream!" I tried the Rhum-raisin flavor. Yum...
We made our way into the Bastille and wandered through an outdoor market which reminded me of Saturday Market in Portland. We sat and talked in the make-shift bar/cafe and talked while people milled around checking out Chinese goods and donkey sausage and mimicking people as they went by; "Avec ce-ci?" "Ca te plait?" "Ah bon!"
Our final destination was the latin quarter. But first we walked along the Seine in search of some swing dancers. We found the location but no swing dancers. I will keep my eyes pealed from here out. I miss doing the Lindy Hop at the Viscount and swingin' in the park in Portland. Michelle and I found a little street and wandered down it to discover a nice Moroccan restaurant just outside of the Latin Quarter. We enjoyed the dinner and remarked the location for the next time we crave a nice Moroccan dinner.
Email me for pictures... I took a few and can sent them to you.
Michelle and I took off around 2pm to sightsee. We decided to get off at Nation and walk to the Bastille. It was a beautiful day to walk and I took the little video camera along for kicks. We discovered green parks with children playing and parents "bronzing" in the sun. We bought icecream and had to apologize to all the french families who's kids squealed with delight that "there [was] icecream!" I tried the Rhum-raisin flavor. Yum...
We made our way into the Bastille and wandered through an outdoor market which reminded me of Saturday Market in Portland. We sat and talked in the make-shift bar/cafe and talked while people milled around checking out Chinese goods and donkey sausage and mimicking people as they went by; "Avec ce-ci?" "Ca te plait?" "Ah bon!"
Our final destination was the latin quarter. But first we walked along the Seine in search of some swing dancers. We found the location but no swing dancers. I will keep my eyes pealed from here out. I miss doing the Lindy Hop at the Viscount and swingin' in the park in Portland. Michelle and I found a little street and wandered down it to discover a nice Moroccan restaurant just outside of the Latin Quarter. We enjoyed the dinner and remarked the location for the next time we crave a nice Moroccan dinner.
Email me for pictures... I took a few and can sent them to you.
5/09/2003
Today a man in a suit and tie was dancing in the metro station. It was a Friday after-work commute hour. He had a little stereo playing Michael Jackson and as he moonwalked and did the robot, people stood to the side and let him dance.
A skater carried to worn decks and stood next to me on the platform as we waited for our RER across town. He kept eyeing my Shorty's backpack. It was refreshing to be near those worn down shoes and he even seemed to have that gentle spirit that I miss amongst all my friends at skatechurch. I wondered where he was going when he got off at Nation. It seems that all the skaters get off at Nation. Some day I'm going to get off there and explore.
We ate dinner with the Dixon's tonight. They invited their upstairs neighbor, Eric. He is a third culture guy, having lived in many countries on 6 continents. We learned a lot as he talked about France and the culture here. My theory on conversation being an art was confirmed.
A skater carried to worn decks and stood next to me on the platform as we waited for our RER across town. He kept eyeing my Shorty's backpack. It was refreshing to be near those worn down shoes and he even seemed to have that gentle spirit that I miss amongst all my friends at skatechurch. I wondered where he was going when he got off at Nation. It seems that all the skaters get off at Nation. Some day I'm going to get off there and explore.
We ate dinner with the Dixon's tonight. They invited their upstairs neighbor, Eric. He is a third culture guy, having lived in many countries on 6 continents. We learned a lot as he talked about France and the culture here. My theory on conversation being an art was confirmed.
5/08/2003
It may sound dull and mundane but I did laundry all day. We started with 5 piles in the living room and I still have one shift to make but it will have to wait til tomorrow morning. I think I can agree with Jadwa on this one thing: I love the smell of laundry detergent. Here in France I buy the Ariel kind and next time I'll purchase the Alpine scent. There's nothing like it! Who ever would have thought that I'd be ordering a t-shirt like Jadwa's that says Laundry Team on it and the number 02 to indicate my position...Bright green!!
I haven't heard much on my little nephew. I am waiting for the latest news and praying for his healing and recovery from the trauma. I pray for my sister and her husband too. I can't imagine what they are going through. One minute things are fine, they expect a baby in several weeks, and they will be a family of 5, healthy and happy. Suddenly an emergency c-section and a little boy is born a tad early and needing life support. The hours they spend in the hospital unable to even hold him, hoping, praying. I am praying for God's grace on them and on little "Zippy" Jonathan Douglas. It is tough to be auntie and be so far away and unable to do anything but pray. I don't know how to process the whole situation either. I need more information...
I haven't heard much on my little nephew. I am waiting for the latest news and praying for his healing and recovery from the trauma. I pray for my sister and her husband too. I can't imagine what they are going through. One minute things are fine, they expect a baby in several weeks, and they will be a family of 5, healthy and happy. Suddenly an emergency c-section and a little boy is born a tad early and needing life support. The hours they spend in the hospital unable to even hold him, hoping, praying. I am praying for God's grace on them and on little "Zippy" Jonathan Douglas. It is tough to be auntie and be so far away and unable to do anything but pray. I don't know how to process the whole situation either. I need more information...
5/07/2003
Tonight I enjoyed a delicious Italian sauce and pasta that Michelle was concocting as I walked in the door from school. I did make a trip to the store before we ate to "cherche le vin" and bread for tomorrow but all the extra walking made it so worth it!
I was so tired today. I slept on the RER both ways and my feet hurt from all the walking but it was nice to be back in class. There are a couple gals in my grammaire class who always invite me to go to coffee with them after class. The only bummer is that I am obliged to stay in my seat for another 2 hours of conversation. I am bummed cuz they seem so cool, one Ukranian and another eastern European. I hope that one day I can go to coffee with them. Today they took down my phone number though and said they plan to call me! I hope it works out to get together another time.
I think a lot about what my "ministry role" is here in France is for these two years and for after. I try to keep in mind what my gifting might be and what my dreams are. My parents mentioned that teams need a person committed to hospitality and this began to ring some bells for me. I keep praying that God will make it clear in time where I should be located and with which team. For now... I'll keep learning french and meeting people and getting braver to talk on the phone and invite people over.
Yesterday my folks and I wandered through the Champ de Mars at the foot of the Tour Eiffel and we found the gardens quite attractive and calm. The military was setting up a display in honor of tomorrow the 8th of May and as we found our way through the trees I discovered a little historic Paris that I've been searching for. It was an ancient carosel, hand powered by a crank and precise gears, colorful horses hanging in geometric organization. A little girl was being strapped to her "horsey" and had a little foot-long stick in her hand. The two men running the ride, started pushing the carosel around and as soon as it reached a "crankable" speed, took to the hand crank to perpetuate the ride. Then all the sudden, the little girl was squeeling with joy and as she came around and around I discovered that she had indeed snagged a couple silver rings on her stick. This was the real thing!!! I read about it in a book!!! The Parisian children do this!!! I looked harder at this contraption built in 1913 and saw that the little girl was collecting the rings from a stand on the far side. But it got more exciting as one of the men grabbed a magnetic stick and put a ring on it and moved to another side of the ride for the girl to catch.. she missed and missed and the man would run along side her to help her get it...
The whole scene reminded me of the movie "Man from Snowy River" when there is a contest and the men are riding horses as full speed and jousting the rings with swords. If I ever have a child here in Paris, I'll certainly take them to the carosel men to learn how to joust... and it takes precision... the rings are only about 2 inches in diameter!
I was so tired today. I slept on the RER both ways and my feet hurt from all the walking but it was nice to be back in class. There are a couple gals in my grammaire class who always invite me to go to coffee with them after class. The only bummer is that I am obliged to stay in my seat for another 2 hours of conversation. I am bummed cuz they seem so cool, one Ukranian and another eastern European. I hope that one day I can go to coffee with them. Today they took down my phone number though and said they plan to call me! I hope it works out to get together another time.
I think a lot about what my "ministry role" is here in France is for these two years and for after. I try to keep in mind what my gifting might be and what my dreams are. My parents mentioned that teams need a person committed to hospitality and this began to ring some bells for me. I keep praying that God will make it clear in time where I should be located and with which team. For now... I'll keep learning french and meeting people and getting braver to talk on the phone and invite people over.
Yesterday my folks and I wandered through the Champ de Mars at the foot of the Tour Eiffel and we found the gardens quite attractive and calm. The military was setting up a display in honor of tomorrow the 8th of May and as we found our way through the trees I discovered a little historic Paris that I've been searching for. It was an ancient carosel, hand powered by a crank and precise gears, colorful horses hanging in geometric organization. A little girl was being strapped to her "horsey" and had a little foot-long stick in her hand. The two men running the ride, started pushing the carosel around and as soon as it reached a "crankable" speed, took to the hand crank to perpetuate the ride. Then all the sudden, the little girl was squeeling with joy and as she came around and around I discovered that she had indeed snagged a couple silver rings on her stick. This was the real thing!!! I read about it in a book!!! The Parisian children do this!!! I looked harder at this contraption built in 1913 and saw that the little girl was collecting the rings from a stand on the far side. But it got more exciting as one of the men grabbed a magnetic stick and put a ring on it and moved to another side of the ride for the girl to catch.. she missed and missed and the man would run along side her to help her get it...
The whole scene reminded me of the movie "Man from Snowy River" when there is a contest and the men are riding horses as full speed and jousting the rings with swords. If I ever have a child here in Paris, I'll certainly take them to the carosel men to learn how to joust... and it takes precision... the rings are only about 2 inches in diameter!
5/06/2003
I've just sent my parents off into Paris to find their train back to Frankfurt. It was wonderful having them here. I also know they are ready to be home and are anxious to see their new grandson. The little boy is doing much better and showing signs of recovery each day. We are praying for swift and full healing, health and now for Andrea to be able to hold her little boy on Mother's day.
We have a jour ferie again this Thursday. I intend to clean and get my life together book read and the paper more formalized. In the meantime, you can check out some photos from the reunion party at my place at David's link.
We have a jour ferie again this Thursday. I intend to clean and get my life together book read and the paper more formalized. In the meantime, you can check out some photos from the reunion party at my place at David's link.
5/05/2003
I know "everybody and their mother" knows about homestarrunner, but for those of you who need a link to actually visit it... you should. Check out Strongbad's email. I certainly get a kick out of "techno" since I live here in France and it is considered a popular music style.
5/04/2003
Monday has arrived. My folks are here hanging out. Yesterday it was hot out- 30 C. which translates to about 80 F. Today...? Well the weatherman is predicting strong rain, thunderstorms and around 16 C. We don't know whether to believe him or not. Today I plan to take it easy with my parents and introduce them to some friends in NW Paris. But first, I'll go to grammaire class for 2 hours.
We're taking it easy because of some stressful events in the last 24 hours. My sister after nearly 9 months of pregancy had her little boy. He had to come a few weeks early. There was concern because he wasn't moving around as much as expected. The result was an emergency C-section and a little boy with lots of "fight". His name is Jonathan Douglas Terpening- my new nephew- who within 2 hours was showing good progress in recovery.
It has been rough on my parents who, even though here with me, planned to be there with Andrea the day he would have been delivered. Now with the little one in the ICU of U of Minnesota, undergoing major tests and expected to be there for weeks, there is an urgency to be home/in MN. Many prayers are being lifted up...
We're taking it easy because of some stressful events in the last 24 hours. My sister after nearly 9 months of pregancy had her little boy. He had to come a few weeks early. There was concern because he wasn't moving around as much as expected. The result was an emergency C-section and a little boy with lots of "fight". His name is Jonathan Douglas Terpening- my new nephew- who within 2 hours was showing good progress in recovery.
It has been rough on my parents who, even though here with me, planned to be there with Andrea the day he would have been delivered. Now with the little one in the ICU of U of Minnesota, undergoing major tests and expected to be there for weeks, there is an urgency to be home/in MN. Many prayers are being lifted up...
5/02/2003
Friday has been and gone. It was actually a pleasant day. Last night, I slipped myself a medicine to kick the rest of my bug and slept like a baby... so hard in fact, that it took the phone to wake me at 9am. Fortunately, it was J just reminding me that I had a meeting with him in the next few minutes but that he would be a few minutes 'en retard' after taking Sammy to daycare.
I had good classes and felt decently well most of the day. Chelle and I went for dinner in Lognes at a chinese place where we shared a leisurely dinner. How nice it was to spend time just talking over the food, learning about one another, even suggesting the mundane like, So, do you wanna clean the bathroom this week and I'll take it next week? Check out her site for some pictures. I'm too cheap to pay for blogger-picture-privileges...mainly cuz I think I'll get out of control (now that I have Adobe Photoshop loaded on my Mac!!!!!) I also have just loaded the new killer iTunes 4 and found a bunch of radio stations that play through it and downloadable MP3s for $.90/each.
I had good classes and felt decently well most of the day. Chelle and I went for dinner in Lognes at a chinese place where we shared a leisurely dinner. How nice it was to spend time just talking over the food, learning about one another, even suggesting the mundane like, So, do you wanna clean the bathroom this week and I'll take it next week? Check out her site for some pictures. I'm too cheap to pay for blogger-picture-privileges...mainly cuz I think I'll get out of control (now that I have Adobe Photoshop loaded on my Mac!!!!!) I also have just loaded the new killer iTunes 4 and found a bunch of radio stations that play through it and downloadable MP3s for $.90/each.
5/01/2003
I've been fighting a bug of some sort. It has slowed me down just a bit. I missed a day of school and fortunately today is a bank holiday and I don't have school anyway. Two days ago, Tuesday afternoon, I returned home from school and greeted my new roommate, Michelle. It is a pleasure to have her here, moving in and settling down. The only bummer is that I'm not feeling well, and I pray she doesn't get it. On account of my messed up stomach, her debut french cooking experience was a chicken and veggie soup which is going to be wonderful as soon as I can eat more.
4/27/2003
I had a great joy inviting friends to my house yesterday. They came from all over and we were reunited again after nearly 3 years. Of course, some of them see one another regularly but having a party at my place was especially fun for me even though I couldn't follow all the quick french, slang and jokes. I still enjoyed having them at my place and it was encouraging to just be around them. Sophie put her hand to the main dish and I worked on the salad as the boys brought munchies and dessert. In total, we were 8 people: Sophie, Lydia, Evrard, David, Ruben, David, et Swanson with his broken foot. What a joy for me to see my friends from 2000 all together again. I planning another BBQ for the near future and we will make sure Nico, Melanie, and Audrey show up this time!
I'm preparing for the arrival of Michelle. She will be here on Tuesday. The apt is pretty clean and I'm excited about making room for her and maybe even rearranging some furniture to give the place a little different feel... we'll see.
This morning I had more time to think about how God wants us to be obedient even when its frustrating. I practiced the worship songs for this morning at church and then it all seemed to "flop" musically speaking. I'm am learning to be content even with my feable efforts and smile, shake my head and know that one day I'll play and sing perfectly in heaven- but certainly not here. I keep trying, none-the-less. One rule that applies to swing dancing and church is that a good follow is flexible and willing to obey the leadership of the leader. And we always get better with practice!
Arrived home, I'm tired and my brain is hurting from its efforts but I've received an invitation to join my friend Severine again to see an exposition which includes some Titanic. She'll be here in a few minutes! I am jumping at the opportunity in hopes that an already tired brain will just shut down and quit trying so hard and I'll just start thinking and speaking french perfectly... FAT CHANCE!
I'm preparing for the arrival of Michelle. She will be here on Tuesday. The apt is pretty clean and I'm excited about making room for her and maybe even rearranging some furniture to give the place a little different feel... we'll see.
This morning I had more time to think about how God wants us to be obedient even when its frustrating. I practiced the worship songs for this morning at church and then it all seemed to "flop" musically speaking. I'm am learning to be content even with my feable efforts and smile, shake my head and know that one day I'll play and sing perfectly in heaven- but certainly not here. I keep trying, none-the-less. One rule that applies to swing dancing and church is that a good follow is flexible and willing to obey the leadership of the leader. And we always get better with practice!
Arrived home, I'm tired and my brain is hurting from its efforts but I've received an invitation to join my friend Severine again to see an exposition which includes some Titanic. She'll be here in a few minutes! I am jumping at the opportunity in hopes that an already tired brain will just shut down and quit trying so hard and I'll just start thinking and speaking french perfectly... FAT CHANCE!
4/25/2003
I had another cool occasion to go out to dinner with some french people. I met some more of Sev's friends. The bummer was that I was so completely exhausted that night. We ate dinner in a fairly nice place in the shadow of Montparnesse. I will have to take someone there some day for dessert! :) I had a chocolate pudding/mousse/yumm... in a bed of mint syrup and mint leaves. Ahh.. it was close to dessert heaven.
I'm learning to get along with people who smoke. I guess I never had a ton of friends who smoked in the states but now I can say that I go out "smoking" with my friends. They, of course, do the smoking and I listen to french and try to speak.
I passed the Moyen 2 test again with flying colors. Its seems like maybe I'm not being challenged enough but at the same time I still feel like I'm doing necessary review. They say that Avance 1 will begin to explore the more complex grammar and we'll do more writing... but I remember doing this stage as well at CEF in Albertville. I know that I could use a step up in comprehension. The conversation class is such a wide divide that JB is getting frustrated trying to find ways to challenging both the advanced students and the ones who have yet to talk very much. He thinks I should move up to the mornings where the students are pushed but doesn't think there is enough space.
Yesterday I took time for myself. I decided what I wanted to do after my medical visit, which makes me legal in France. I found a cafe and sad down with Bonhoeffer (the book) and ordered lunch and a fresh squeezed oj. The moments were wonderful cuz I had no one telling me where to go, what to order and I had plenty of time to enjoy the ambiance of Paris. I allowed time to stop for a couple hours- just me and God, sitting in the sun in the heart of the city, surrounded my a gal on vacation with her "copain" and another on the phone and eating her pasta. I let the sun bronze my arms and face and sipped coffee. I realize that even though the race in my mind to keep up with transition and adjustment doesn't stop, I took time to appreciate Paris and the French way. I may have to take time for moments like that more often- to give me focus, perspective and time for my attitude to catch up with my knowledge.
J keeps reminding me to find ways to "let it out"...the happy and hard times. I think I just found one.
I'm learning to get along with people who smoke. I guess I never had a ton of friends who smoked in the states but now I can say that I go out "smoking" with my friends. They, of course, do the smoking and I listen to french and try to speak.
I passed the Moyen 2 test again with flying colors. Its seems like maybe I'm not being challenged enough but at the same time I still feel like I'm doing necessary review. They say that Avance 1 will begin to explore the more complex grammar and we'll do more writing... but I remember doing this stage as well at CEF in Albertville. I know that I could use a step up in comprehension. The conversation class is such a wide divide that JB is getting frustrated trying to find ways to challenging both the advanced students and the ones who have yet to talk very much. He thinks I should move up to the mornings where the students are pushed but doesn't think there is enough space.
Yesterday I took time for myself. I decided what I wanted to do after my medical visit, which makes me legal in France. I found a cafe and sad down with Bonhoeffer (the book) and ordered lunch and a fresh squeezed oj. The moments were wonderful cuz I had no one telling me where to go, what to order and I had plenty of time to enjoy the ambiance of Paris. I allowed time to stop for a couple hours- just me and God, sitting in the sun in the heart of the city, surrounded my a gal on vacation with her "copain" and another on the phone and eating her pasta. I let the sun bronze my arms and face and sipped coffee. I realize that even though the race in my mind to keep up with transition and adjustment doesn't stop, I took time to appreciate Paris and the French way. I may have to take time for moments like that more often- to give me focus, perspective and time for my attitude to catch up with my knowledge.
J keeps reminding me to find ways to "let it out"...the happy and hard times. I think I just found one.
4/22/2003
Life Together
I don't know why it is that I have such a problem reading. It has been suggested that I come from a generation who is story oriented or has even been labeled "post-literate". This seems to ring true for me: I know how to read; I can read when I have to; I don't prefer to pick up a book but I love story; I have great desire to know what is in certain books but not to read them. All this to say that I have not yet breached halfway through Bonhoeffer's book called Life Together.
I will track a little through my thoughts and experiences though in a "life together" house where I am currently living, called OIKOS, and through the book as far as I have gotten.
Theme 20: Living together/ community/ fellowship of the followers of Christ is a privilege. More often than not, we get sick of one another and can take "only so much" thus resorting to once a week encounters for a couple hours maximum. Where in the heck did we come up with this idea? If I remember Acts 2 correctly they were meeting together daily and sharing everything in common. Paul preached until one dude fell out a window half asleep. So what if you're tired or distracted or pained or drugged or artistic or dull...come and BE WITH THE PEOPLE.
On a personal note, I have recently undergone the "thumb of God" crushing the little pride that rears its ugly head every chance it gets slapping around the people in my OIKOS. I learned, 'again', about asking for forgivness. But I also learned how bouyish my OIKOS can be when forgiving- encouraging me to get back up again and keep going. J even put it in terms of Mission Impossible, "don't hit the self-destruct button". I could just see the little cassette smoking along with all the valuable information and in my case, a dream and potential to serve God in a way that I never would if I decided to "smoke".
Theme 27: "God hates visionary dreaming; it makes the dreamer proud and pretentious. The man who fashions a visionary ideal of community demands that it be realized by God, by others, and by himself.....So he becomes, first an accuser of his bretheren, then an accuser of God, and finally the despairing accuser of himself." What a destructive, devicive tool of Satan to kill the OIKOS. Community is not created or ordained by one person- it is formed of natural causes by the group and the variety of individuals are what gives it shape.
Theme 29: Just a little reminder that being thankful for the small things renders God more likely to bestow the great things.
Theme 34: The danger of human love: seeks itself, doesn't regard truth, only desires for itself and thus has potential for "hatred, contempt and calumny". The spiritual love referred to several pages later is founded upon the Word of truth. Such a different concept than we dwell upon normally: serves rather than desires. "... Life together under the Word will remain sound and healthy only where it does not form itself into a movement, and order, a society, a collegium piaetatis, but rather where it understands itself as being a part of the one, holy, catholic, Christian Church, where it shares actively and passively in the sufferings and struggles and promise of the whole Church" (37).
I see some contemporary translation necessary here: I think that since recently the word "movement" is used favorably to term the Church, I will keep it as positive, but specify that what we should be warned of here is the institutionalization, organization, and pure management of an local Church or group of believers. There is inherently organization in an organism which lives and breathes but the function of the organism is more important than its organization. I don't sit around all day and tell my heart to beat or even ponder why it keeps pumping. I live each day and each moment as they come at me and all my parts react as they should.
Holy= set apart and pure to a certain purpose, Catholic= universal, Christian Church= local gathering of Jesus followers and (do I dare say it?) searchers. It was put to me recently that maybe our churches should be full of people searching and "recovering", not 'pretty' people. I'm tired of keeping my sin a secret, tired of hiding the 'bad girl' in me because of some institutional congregation, meeting in some huge building, projecting some unspoken rule against confessing sin to one another because we are all now repented and clean. I'm looking for a place I can keep coming clean, just as Jesus blood continues to cover me yesterday, today and forever.
I don't know why it is that I have such a problem reading. It has been suggested that I come from a generation who is story oriented or has even been labeled "post-literate". This seems to ring true for me: I know how to read; I can read when I have to; I don't prefer to pick up a book but I love story; I have great desire to know what is in certain books but not to read them. All this to say that I have not yet breached halfway through Bonhoeffer's book called Life Together.
I will track a little through my thoughts and experiences though in a "life together" house where I am currently living, called OIKOS, and through the book as far as I have gotten.
Theme 20: Living together/ community/ fellowship of the followers of Christ is a privilege. More often than not, we get sick of one another and can take "only so much" thus resorting to once a week encounters for a couple hours maximum. Where in the heck did we come up with this idea? If I remember Acts 2 correctly they were meeting together daily and sharing everything in common. Paul preached until one dude fell out a window half asleep. So what if you're tired or distracted or pained or drugged or artistic or dull...come and BE WITH THE PEOPLE.
On a personal note, I have recently undergone the "thumb of God" crushing the little pride that rears its ugly head every chance it gets slapping around the people in my OIKOS. I learned, 'again', about asking for forgivness. But I also learned how bouyish my OIKOS can be when forgiving- encouraging me to get back up again and keep going. J even put it in terms of Mission Impossible, "don't hit the self-destruct button". I could just see the little cassette smoking along with all the valuable information and in my case, a dream and potential to serve God in a way that I never would if I decided to "smoke".
Theme 27: "God hates visionary dreaming; it makes the dreamer proud and pretentious. The man who fashions a visionary ideal of community demands that it be realized by God, by others, and by himself.....So he becomes, first an accuser of his bretheren, then an accuser of God, and finally the despairing accuser of himself." What a destructive, devicive tool of Satan to kill the OIKOS. Community is not created or ordained by one person- it is formed of natural causes by the group and the variety of individuals are what gives it shape.
Theme 29: Just a little reminder that being thankful for the small things renders God more likely to bestow the great things.
Theme 34: The danger of human love: seeks itself, doesn't regard truth, only desires for itself and thus has potential for "hatred, contempt and calumny". The spiritual love referred to several pages later is founded upon the Word of truth. Such a different concept than we dwell upon normally: serves rather than desires. "... Life together under the Word will remain sound and healthy only where it does not form itself into a movement, and order, a society, a collegium piaetatis, but rather where it understands itself as being a part of the one, holy, catholic, Christian Church, where it shares actively and passively in the sufferings and struggles and promise of the whole Church" (37).
I see some contemporary translation necessary here: I think that since recently the word "movement" is used favorably to term the Church, I will keep it as positive, but specify that what we should be warned of here is the institutionalization, organization, and pure management of an local Church or group of believers. There is inherently organization in an organism which lives and breathes but the function of the organism is more important than its organization. I don't sit around all day and tell my heart to beat or even ponder why it keeps pumping. I live each day and each moment as they come at me and all my parts react as they should.
Holy= set apart and pure to a certain purpose, Catholic= universal, Christian Church= local gathering of Jesus followers and (do I dare say it?) searchers. It was put to me recently that maybe our churches should be full of people searching and "recovering", not 'pretty' people. I'm tired of keeping my sin a secret, tired of hiding the 'bad girl' in me because of some institutional congregation, meeting in some huge building, projecting some unspoken rule against confessing sin to one another because we are all now repented and clean. I'm looking for a place I can keep coming clean, just as Jesus blood continues to cover me yesterday, today and forever.
Movie I liked: Seranade
Watched a movie at the Heckman's called Seranade. It got me thinking a lot about cultures and religious ties and stongholds. The story is of a young woman who is half native Austrailian and half Afghani. She has 7 years with her animistic mother and the rest of her life with her Muslim father. She has connection with a Lutheran mission when young. Although the movie is produced by secular, austrailian directors, it brings forth many downfalls of missionaries. In this case the Lutherans are blowing it big-time by imposing western christianity upon natives and exploiting Afghans. The Muslim faith is portrayed full and yet words mean nothing to Jida but an arranged marriage is worth attempting suicide over and in the end she returns to her animistic roots. One huge theme jumped out at me though during one scene: When dishonor and shame are to behad, blood must be shed. Sounds a little familiar: When separated from perfection, payment with blood is necessary (Genesis 3- Revelation).
Watched a movie at the Heckman's called Seranade. It got me thinking a lot about cultures and religious ties and stongholds. The story is of a young woman who is half native Austrailian and half Afghani. She has 7 years with her animistic mother and the rest of her life with her Muslim father. She has connection with a Lutheran mission when young. Although the movie is produced by secular, austrailian directors, it brings forth many downfalls of missionaries. In this case the Lutherans are blowing it big-time by imposing western christianity upon natives and exploiting Afghans. The Muslim faith is portrayed full and yet words mean nothing to Jida but an arranged marriage is worth attempting suicide over and in the end she returns to her animistic roots. One huge theme jumped out at me though during one scene: When dishonor and shame are to behad, blood must be shed. Sounds a little familiar: When separated from perfection, payment with blood is necessary (Genesis 3- Revelation).
Sometimes I can't figure myself out. All in one day I can have a full range of different feelings ranging from stress to joy, pain to excitement, fulfilment to loneliness. Sometimes it seems like down feelings won't ever end and at other times I remember that I will come out on the "up side." Since Monday was a day off, I took advantage of meeting some friends up in the north of Paris. I was absolutely encouraged by talking with these cutting edge people, hearing their stories and learning from their wisdom. They opened their home and put me up for the night too! After the presentation of so many thoughts concerning cultural differences between americans and arabs and french, my head is spinning. I want to find the sweet spot in the culture where I feel at home. I want to find qualified ways of bridging into people's lives, French and Arab neighbors.
Today in conversation class the issue of euthanasia came up. JB watched me and Adrienne closely since Canada and America are usually in the spotlight when it comes to this subject. I was allowed to explain some of what I understood had happened in America with Dr. K. I listened to several students bat around their opinions and JB play the devil's advocate (against). One gal says she couldn't let a close suffering family member go through with it, but when it came to her- she'd want to freedom to finish herself. JB kept his eye on me and I finally threw out the fact that much of a person's opinion was based upon their worldview, how they viewed mankind and life, and morality. I almost wanted to breach abortion but I kept my mouth shut. I felt like I had returned to Harper's Ethics class but this time it was for real and in French. It was strange: at one point I looked around the table at the faces and realized that behind their opinions- whatever they may be- there is fear of unknown and what comes after death. Thank goodness I have proof of life after death: Jesus resurrected and "re-living"!
Tomorrow I get to do an evaluation again. If I pass, I'll move up again to Avance 1 which is a two month course. I'm not really sure what to study because there was no real "programme" laid out at the beginning of the class but we've been reviewing for a week now and I'm feeling ok about it. I think I'm getting better but sometimes I feel as if I've plateaued- that dull spot where one doesn't see much progress.
Its been a rigorous last couple weeks though and I think I've learned more about myself and the culture than I did last month and its ok that my language isn't forefront in my mind. I'm learning to lean on my living God for support when it feels lonely, hard, even joyful. Its a relieving thought that down the road, this adaptation time will become less and less painful til one day, I won't even notice so much.
Today in conversation class the issue of euthanasia came up. JB watched me and Adrienne closely since Canada and America are usually in the spotlight when it comes to this subject. I was allowed to explain some of what I understood had happened in America with Dr. K. I listened to several students bat around their opinions and JB play the devil's advocate (against). One gal says she couldn't let a close suffering family member go through with it, but when it came to her- she'd want to freedom to finish herself. JB kept his eye on me and I finally threw out the fact that much of a person's opinion was based upon their worldview, how they viewed mankind and life, and morality. I almost wanted to breach abortion but I kept my mouth shut. I felt like I had returned to Harper's Ethics class but this time it was for real and in French. It was strange: at one point I looked around the table at the faces and realized that behind their opinions- whatever they may be- there is fear of unknown and what comes after death. Thank goodness I have proof of life after death: Jesus resurrected and "re-living"!
Tomorrow I get to do an evaluation again. If I pass, I'll move up again to Avance 1 which is a two month course. I'm not really sure what to study because there was no real "programme" laid out at the beginning of the class but we've been reviewing for a week now and I'm feeling ok about it. I think I'm getting better but sometimes I feel as if I've plateaued- that dull spot where one doesn't see much progress.
Its been a rigorous last couple weeks though and I think I've learned more about myself and the culture than I did last month and its ok that my language isn't forefront in my mind. I'm learning to lean on my living God for support when it feels lonely, hard, even joyful. Its a relieving thought that down the road, this adaptation time will become less and less painful til one day, I won't even notice so much.
4/18/2003
Dr. Patty classes and themes always seem to pop up out of no where as I live life. This time it comes from CPD. The main idea is to bring the students from point A to point B without point-blank lecturing them but actively organizing the curriculum so that they will stumble upon the truth. I'm in the school of life. Sometimes the profs aren't adept at curriculum development.
I'm coming to understand, again, that the best place to run to when I feel any sort of sentiment, is to Jesus. It is even more evident when the normal comforts of relationship are stripped away that Jesus is and will be the only one who will really be able to take me the way I am. I have learned, again, that I can't run to people around me- we don't necessarily speak the same language; I can't run to culture- they do things differently here and often backwards from what I expect; I can't turn to a close friend- they aren't here to see my face and pray with me and listen to me cry; Jesus is here, he speaks my language, he understands my personal culture, and he's already praying for me.
I'm coming to understand, again, that the best place to run to when I feel any sort of sentiment, is to Jesus. It is even more evident when the normal comforts of relationship are stripped away that Jesus is and will be the only one who will really be able to take me the way I am. I have learned, again, that I can't run to people around me- we don't necessarily speak the same language; I can't run to culture- they do things differently here and often backwards from what I expect; I can't turn to a close friend- they aren't here to see my face and pray with me and listen to me cry; Jesus is here, he speaks my language, he understands my personal culture, and he's already praying for me.
4/15/2003
Apart from the fact that I'm completely wiped out, I'm feeling horribly homesick and noone is willing to try to understand, today was an interesting day where I got to see and hear first hand how little the French people in general know about Easter. They don't know what its about or else have trouble saying what they know. The most interesting part of the day was filming people's responses to a few simple questions: Do they celebrate Easter? What does that entail? and What do they think the celebration is for?
Its been a horrible day and I'm crying my way through the rest of it.
Its been a horrible day and I'm crying my way through the rest of it.
4/13/2003
Ok before we head out today (monday), its like this: J keeps telling us we are a bunch of poor souls partying our hearts out at a party fit for the King. Today we're going out into the streets to collect all the others who are invited. Some are going to have "other important things to do" while there will be more poor and needy who will accept the invitation to come celebrate the living God/Man with us! Party on!
Sunday has come and gone....almost. Evangelistic outreach at Pontault is taking up lots of time. There are now 5 of us at the house and after a few bumps in the road the white van is now running (battery needed charging after sitting for too long in the drive). Today I saw and was part of the formation of the team for this week. We have two goals: give gifts and invite folks to the weekend festivities. For me it has been a learning experience. I have been formed in a sense too. The "campaigns" that I was a part of in 2000 are taking on a new shape. I am learning bunches from those who have walked the road of "changement" in the last few years. What is exciting about this outreach is that it isn't just our team that is out doing all the work or the face to face meeting of people; the church is highly active in praying and have been for the last month. Today we invited those interested to join us is learning how to knock on a door and give a gift to people without coming across too Christian, too "sectish", but clearly present who we are and what we are doing quickly. It's a learning time: about team, for the language, for culture and ministry, and of myself.
Sometimes I feel like a scrambled egg: I'm trying to survive in a different environment, speak a different language, keep my eyes on Jesus, obey what he has called me to, continue to dream, not get discouraged, continue to seek out the best method to live each day by, "make new friends but keep the old,"- all the time in a hot pan.
Sometimes I feel like a scrambled egg: I'm trying to survive in a different environment, speak a different language, keep my eyes on Jesus, obey what he has called me to, continue to dream, not get discouraged, continue to seek out the best method to live each day by, "make new friends but keep the old,"- all the time in a hot pan.
4/11/2003
tonight as I brush my teeth and say good night to a long week, I say good morning to the evangelistic outreach of Pontault. The house is cleaner and ready to be in order for a week of craziness. I will be busy and not very available to write, let alone read or finish my guild paper which was due a day ago or two... I'm late, oh, well. I have good intention to get it finished before long.
4/09/2003
Saturday I had a conversation with a french friend and we talked about the war. She expressed frustration with the injustice that seems to be falling on the Iraki people. I had to agree with her because it seems that they are caught in what should be a personal wrestling match between two world leaders. I haven't found an easy answer to this problem nor that of "why handicap children are born to great people". The one thing that does ring in my ears, says, "If you obey, I will bless you, you and your children, even to the 4th and 5th generation." But disobedience will act like pollution and at a certain point God threatens to turn them over to their own desires, which destroy them. Sin is like pollution...this world is polluted by sin and we are being drug into a gnarly hole by our own choice from day 1. People ask me if there is one person I'd like to meet from history, who it would be. My answer: EVE. I'd ask her why in the heck she did it. The crazy part is that I know the bigger story and purpose for which The Lamb served- from the First Passover, into tradition, and right up Jesus, the final Sacrifice, and on to restoration. Even better, I am convinced of it! My friend wrote me and told me how God has revealed this bigger understanding to her...even though it is difficult, it matches the bigger picture. I pray for the end of the Iraki war, just the same; I also pray for the proper rebuilding of that nation.
Where does the time go? A day or two ago I was riding the "sardine train" home and I noticed a few people. I've always been a people watcher. I used to go to the mall just for the fun of it when in High School and walk and watch people. (The funniest was a guy with a wifebeater tucked into his sagging jeans that were strapped to his hips and slung under his butt... or the cross-dresser who was about 6'5" with his red pumps and blue mini skirt and blond madonna wig; Ah, good 'ol Tacoma WA.) For these to personages that I saw in Paris my heart actaully pondered their person. The first was a young man, probably my age, tall and directed into our crowded car by a metro attendant. He carried is eyes in his hand and immediately found the pole to hang onto. He was blind. I've seen blind people before but this guy looked to be a professional business man, carrying his briefcase and cane. He probably made it a daily ritual to board the train at Auber, grab the pole and say "excuse-me" as he put his briefcase on the floor. Right now its spring in Paris and so beautiful. He can't see it. Sometimes I wish I had the audacity to act as one character in a movie I have seen several times now: Amelie Poulin, running up next to the old blind man she has seen around for years and helping him cross the street explaining all that is around, including the price of meet at the butcher and what the children out side the store are looking at.
The other man I noticed was an African man. I noticed him because of some scars on his face. My first thought was that maybe he had been attacked by an animal because they resembled large cat scratches. But I relented and soon concluded they were there on purpose because of their symatry... two on each cheek and two roughly centered on his forehead. All six fell from upper cheekbone to jaw or from hair to eyebrows and I realized that it was most likely from some ceremony in a tribe. His dark brown eyes darted around the train and I suddenly was struck with the reality of an active tribe somewhere in Africa where this man had grown up and now he was moving about in a huge metropolitan in Europe; he looks to be only in his early 30s. What kind of god does he serve? What does he fear most? What must that transition have been like for him?
The other man I noticed was an African man. I noticed him because of some scars on his face. My first thought was that maybe he had been attacked by an animal because they resembled large cat scratches. But I relented and soon concluded they were there on purpose because of their symatry... two on each cheek and two roughly centered on his forehead. All six fell from upper cheekbone to jaw or from hair to eyebrows and I realized that it was most likely from some ceremony in a tribe. His dark brown eyes darted around the train and I suddenly was struck with the reality of an active tribe somewhere in Africa where this man had grown up and now he was moving about in a huge metropolitan in Europe; he looks to be only in his early 30s. What kind of god does he serve? What does he fear most? What must that transition have been like for him?
4/06/2003
So I've discovered a little bit of heaven here on planet earth. I thought Starbucks did a pretty good job with their coffee and ice cream but I have to admit that for a small price I can indulge in a dangerously wonderful few minutes every once in a 'very-rarely' while. The week that I decide to eat such a thing, I require myself to find a couple extra sets of stairs. Only the French could concoct such a dessert: espresso custard on a bed of carmel topped with a skiff of chocolate sprinkles that I just happen to barely broil served in a little glass "pot". Unfortunately, these little devils come in packs of two at the local grocery store... Man, I can't wait till my roommate gets here to help me out.
Looking forward to seeing you, Michelle.
Looking forward to seeing you, Michelle.
We all see through a grid
I've become frusterated with the political situation in the world today. I have decided that no one can give a clear concise answer to what is happening, nor can anyone really just report the details. I have given up hope in all media including american, french, british and Iraki. The best I can do is to read the opinions of others. Here's a place to begin hearing the "Al-Opiniat"s. All the Al's out there are self expressing and that gives me enough to think on.
I've become frusterated with the political situation in the world today. I have decided that no one can give a clear concise answer to what is happening, nor can anyone really just report the details. I have given up hope in all media including american, french, british and Iraki. The best I can do is to read the opinions of others. Here's a place to begin hearing the "Al-Opiniat"s. All the Al's out there are self expressing and that gives me enough to think on.
4/05/2003
When Madlibs require French
Today my [noun] journee was full. I woke at 8:30ish and started my workcenter: the 'laptizzy'. I [verb] m'attendais [noun] un appel from my friend in the States. I had [adjective] pleine de things to do today [conjunction] mais never [verb] arrivee to do them. I talked to [noun] mon ami on the telephone which did me [expression] du bien .
Before I knew it my day was halfway [adj] fini and Karen was asking if I wanted [adverb] encore to help her color her [noun] cheveux . I jumped into action [conjuntion] parce que I had invited a friend for [noun] le dejeuner and I knew she would be arriving sometime during the noon hour. Karen and I [verb] s'est mises to the task and it worked out so that I was just finishing the color job when Sophie [verb] est venue . We had [noun] salade and rice and chicken from [noun] la soiree last night and she brought [noun] le dessert which was a Paris Brest and a small pear tarte which were [adj] incroyable !
We talked the whole afternoon in [a language] Francais and discussed young Christians and the issue of [noun] mariage and [sentiment] la peur of divorce. [Conjunction] Puis , we conversed about [noun] la guerre and the story of history and how God is the Author of this story and we how should be praying our way through [noun] l'injustice and pain and uncertainty with certainty of His victory [conjuntion] et justice.
It was [train time] 18:30 before we knew it and we took off for [shopping center] Carrefour to do some shopping. Among all the things I had [expression] besoin de faire today, the shopping was probably [definate noun] la seule chose that I was able to complete. It cost [adv] cher but I feel [sentiment] contente that I found shoes and a unmarked sweatshirt to [verb] porte around Paris. I won't be going shopping now for quite some time.
Today my [noun] journee was full. I woke at 8:30ish and started my workcenter: the 'laptizzy'. I [verb] m'attendais [noun] un appel from my friend in the States. I had [adjective] pleine de things to do today [conjunction] mais never [verb] arrivee to do them. I talked to [noun] mon ami on the telephone which did me [expression] du bien .
Before I knew it my day was halfway [adj] fini and Karen was asking if I wanted [adverb] encore to help her color her [noun] cheveux . I jumped into action [conjuntion] parce que I had invited a friend for [noun] le dejeuner and I knew she would be arriving sometime during the noon hour. Karen and I [verb] s'est mises to the task and it worked out so that I was just finishing the color job when Sophie [verb] est venue . We had [noun] salade and rice and chicken from [noun] la soiree last night and she brought [noun] le dessert which was a Paris Brest and a small pear tarte which were [adj] incroyable !
We talked the whole afternoon in [a language] Francais and discussed young Christians and the issue of [noun] mariage and [sentiment] la peur of divorce. [Conjunction] Puis , we conversed about [noun] la guerre and the story of history and how God is the Author of this story and we how should be praying our way through [noun] l'injustice and pain and uncertainty with certainty of His victory [conjuntion] et justice.
It was [train time] 18:30 before we knew it and we took off for [shopping center] Carrefour to do some shopping. Among all the things I had [expression] besoin de faire today, the shopping was probably [definate noun] la seule chose that I was able to complete. It cost [adv] cher but I feel [sentiment] contente that I found shoes and a unmarked sweatshirt to [verb] porte around Paris. I won't be going shopping now for quite some time.
4/03/2003
"Therefore, let him who until now has had the privilege of living a common Christian life with other Christians praise God's grace from the bottom of his heart. Let him thank God on his knees and declare: It is grace, nothing but grace, that we are allowed to live in community with Christian brethren." I'm reading Deitrich Bonhoeffer's Life Together. Interestingly enough it is assigned reading for a guild associated with Dr. Steve Patty in Portland OR and not with OIKOS. We are supposed to write a paper on its 122 pages discussing Christian fellowship and I am already thinking I'll just attach my blog site to the blank document for the other Guilder's to read...
Living together is a privilege. This really makes me think about the Christians scattered all around the world. We long to be together, but that time really would actualize until the angels gather us from the 4 corners of the earth. Bonhoeffer mentions the sick, imprisoned and exiled believers and how they have no access to this rich time believers share with one another at times...such as once a week. What a pity that we can come together celebrating each Sunday and what a greater pity that we don't try on weekdays.
My life has taken a turn for the change in the last couple months. I moved from one country to another and into a ministry where the entire focus is living together....constantly. Soon, we pray, this house where I live will be filled with Christian brothers and sisters learning to live in harmony for the Glory of the Lord with a desire to spread it around and actively doing so in a local body of believers. Already the church body at Claye shows massive signs of this kind of living during its Sunday morning service. I'm beginning to think I'm "on to something..."
Living together is a privilege. This really makes me think about the Christians scattered all around the world. We long to be together, but that time really would actualize until the angels gather us from the 4 corners of the earth. Bonhoeffer mentions the sick, imprisoned and exiled believers and how they have no access to this rich time believers share with one another at times...such as once a week. What a pity that we can come together celebrating each Sunday and what a greater pity that we don't try on weekdays.
My life has taken a turn for the change in the last couple months. I moved from one country to another and into a ministry where the entire focus is living together....constantly. Soon, we pray, this house where I live will be filled with Christian brothers and sisters learning to live in harmony for the Glory of the Lord with a desire to spread it around and actively doing so in a local body of believers. Already the church body at Claye shows massive signs of this kind of living during its Sunday morning service. I'm beginning to think I'm "on to something..."
"Everyday is a winding road..." We all have to learn one day or another the meaning of the word "greve". In my case, I learned the word 4+ years ago in language school. Today I learned the sense of the 'mot'. I even took off early for the RER station in hopes that I might just be able to board as normal the next train that screech's to a halt in front of me every day. I joined a 'foule' of people standing around in the station and read the schedule screen which was abnormally a large yellow block of french saying that all the A ligne was very "purterbed" and something to the effect of no connections at a couple particular stops. I stood amongst the crowd and listened to the person behind the ticket counter tell person after person that there wasn't any info and that there hadn't been any trains for a while, etc... I decided to brave asking one gal standing there who said there had been "aucun train, et aucan renseignment." I decided to faire la greve as well... I walked home.
While the train operators strike, I'm taking the moment to play and worship in my apt and I'm about to pick up my school books to see if I can guess what Francoise is teaching on today. Maybe I'll pumult my brain with a french film too...
While the train operators strike, I'm taking the moment to play and worship in my apt and I'm about to pick up my school books to see if I can guess what Francoise is teaching on today. Maybe I'll pumult my brain with a french film too...
4/01/2003
What a relief it is to have a new grammaire prof. Francoise is a great lady, very patient- maybe too patient- and clear, sharing french culture and history with us along the way. It doesn't seem to be too difficult yet but I've only had 2 days of classes. My anticipation is that it will continue to push me into more and more complex sentence structureing and I think we'll start writing more and more. My only problem at this point in the stage of the game is that I'm completely tired. Its not so much my physical body that is tired from stairs or working out but my brain which after a certain point can't keep up with the speed of french life. Its ok. My brain is a muscle in that way and just needs "to get in shape".
There is crisp spring air out now. The wind will blow pretty decently and the grey clouds come in varying brightnesses because of the rising or setting sun.
It was nice knowing them but now they have to go. I purchased a cool pair of shoes in the states that are beginning to show signs of falling apart. I guess Paris was a little harder on them than I anticipated. Now I'm looking at kicking down some serious cash on some serious shoes. That's what a walking city does to you...
There is crisp spring air out now. The wind will blow pretty decently and the grey clouds come in varying brightnesses because of the rising or setting sun.
It was nice knowing them but now they have to go. I purchased a cool pair of shoes in the states that are beginning to show signs of falling apart. I guess Paris was a little harder on them than I anticipated. Now I'm looking at kicking down some serious cash on some serious shoes. That's what a walking city does to you...
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