The first step of a new year

I am excited for a fresh start in 2014. Because I know that even though I am a follower of Jesus, I am a sinner every day. There is the saying (I don’t know from where, sorry… ), that whatever we feed in our lives will grow, not just our bellies, but every habit in our lives, whether good or bad. We are never staying exactly the same, we are always either shrinking or growing in every area of our lives. And for a while now I have been feeding a few of the wrong habits, like:

Food: One of the ways I am coping with culture shock is baking constantly (in my tiny toaster oven, which I know is funny to imagine but it’s true) and then eating way too much of what I bake, so starting today we are going to stop feeding ourselves as much bad and more of what is good again. I have realized that food is actually one of my biggest passions and joys in life, which is not bad, but I have to be careful that it doesn’t consume me or ever become an idol in my life. 

Exercise: With a smaller living space, no more gym to go to, and colder days, I have not been moving enough, so today I am starting to work on this too. Not to lose weight, but to be stronger and healthier (in all ways). I still don’t have a great strategy, so pray for that, because those first three barriers are still present.

Learning: I actually love to read and learn, but this is not a habit I feed nearly as much as I would like too. It’s probably because I’m always baking or cooking. So I want to learn to carve out more space in my life for learning and experiencing new things. 

Prayer life: This is the hardest one to freely admit but it is true and I know others can relate so I will share it. My prayer life has been really struggling lately, I know because as I look through my prayer journal, there are several weeks or sometimes whole months missing. I am not sure why, and I am tempted to blame culture shock, or spiritual warfare, or anything else, but the true blame rests with me. God is always present and it is just me he is waiting for to show up. So I am working on that too. 

I will post part two to this tomorrow, because I don’t want it to be so long I bore you all to tears. But have a happy new year and come back tomorrow to read part two. 

Merry Christmas

We went to Strasbourg this past weekend, which is the “Capital of Christmas” (self-proclaimed, I’m assuming). The city gets all decked out for Christmas with lights, garland, and all sorts of decorations. It also hosts markets the entire month of December that sell spiced cookies, mulled wine, books, toys, German food, and almost anything you could think of really. We had a great time wandering the narrow cobblestone streets and taking it all in. Here are some pictures if you’re curious.

Strasbourg was a part of Germany until after World War I.
Now it’s French, but many buildings have a German feel.

Decorations, people, and the Cathedral in the background. 

A more imposing view of the Cathedral. 

Erin would take a picture of every single bakery if I let her.

A stand in one of the markets.

Another stand.

The streets at night. 

More streets at night.

Us (just to prove we were there). 

Thankful hearts and stomachs

Happy Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving is not celebrated in France, however we've been blessed to have had two Thanksgivings so far (and we'll probably have a modest one just the two of us today). We celebrated with our colleagues a few weeks ago and yesterday with our fellow classmates who are also learning French. I just wanted to share a few photos from yesterday and also a hymn we sang at our team Thanksgiving I really enjoyed the lyrics to. 

May you have a special day as you reflect on all the ways God has provided and blessed your life and of course enjoy all the good eats. 

Getting set-up 

Lovely ladies making the final preparations 

I had fun explaining what some things were to people from other countries.
This photo captures our friend eying the sweet potato casserole
(which was the weirdest but most delicious thing to them). 

Ryan almost ready for seconds

The grand finale, yes please...

Come, Ye Thankful People, Come

Come, ye thankful people, come, 

raise the song of harvest home; 

all is safely gathered in, 

ere the winter storms begin. 

God our Maker doth provide 

for our wants to be supplied; 

come to God's own temple, come, 

raise the song of harvest home. 

All the world is God's own field, 

fruit as praise to God we yield; 

wheat and tares together sown 

are to joy or sorrow grown; 

first the blade and then the ear, 

then the full corn shall appear; 

Lord of harvest, grant that we 

wholesome grain and pure may be. 

For the Lord our God shall come,

and shall take the harvest home; 

from the field shall in that day 

all offenses purge away, 

giving angels charge at last 

in the fire the tares to cast; 

but the fruitful ears to store 

in the garner evermore. 

Even so, Lord, quickly come,

bring thy final harvest home; 

gather thou thy people in, 

free from sorrow, free from sin, 

there, forever purified, 

in thy presence to abide; 

come, with all thine angels, come, 

raise the glorious harvest home.

Cultural Differences: Part II

To get started with some cultural differences, I’ve decided to list 10 this time but to elaborate a little with each one. Remember these are just some little things we’ve noticed here in France that are not wrong… but different. 

1. Cars park on the sidewalk. This one can make the narrow sidewalks feel non-existent sometimes. But, I’m sure if they could find a real parking spot, they would park there. 

2. Motorcycles don’t appear to follow any driving laws, they drive on sidewalks, through red lights, and in between lanes. 

3. Trains are a little different than the good old Green line T in Boston. I think they are safe, but you do feel completely cut off from the conductor, so if there was a problem, I’m not sure what you’re supposed to do.

4. Graffiti is everywhere. Some of it is real art and adds something to the environment, but there are ugly tags too on just about every train, building, and bus stop. And almost every train window has scratches all throughout so you can’t entirely see out the window.

5. Dogs and grown men relieve themselves on the street (usually facing a building thank goodness). I will admit that in the city sometimes it can be tricky finding a bathroom if you don’t live or work there. And for dogs, I pity that they have next to no grass, especially in Paris, so I understand that part but don’t really understand why their human owners don’t pick it up.

6. Beaucracy (expect long lines and lots of paperwork). We still have some important things to finish, like getting our VISA’s validated. We had to start the process over and re-mail in the information because I didn’t complete one tiny field on accident. Hoping this will be resolved soon because they are other things we can’t begin until this is taken care of.

7. Most stores & restaurants are closed on Sundays. Not the end of the world, and in some ways it’s kind of cool that they hold onto that tradition even though they don’t go to church, but we do need to make sure we have food for Sunday’s then, which isn’t quite second nature for me yet.

8. Less personal space seems to be needed. This was really apparent standing in the Eiffel Tower line the other week. We had a French family in front of us and a German family behind us. We had a constant stream of people trying to pass through in front of us because we were leaving an American-sized gap between us the people in front of us (which was the only gap in the whole line), but without fail the family behind us was literally touching us or within what felt like a centimeter the entire time. And elevators, can be so tight that I literally don’t think I breathe while I am in them with other people. Normally, I just opt for the stairs.  

9. Strikes and riots are the norm, but normally it is planned and posted the day of or before which is helpful. Our teammates asked us if we were free to hangout Thursday (which we're not, bummer) because their son won’t be having school that day because the teachers are striking. So everyone knows in advance and it’s just one day, I don’t really understand what this accomplishes but it must accomplish something...?

10. Men's fashion options are broader. There are not as many things here that only women wear. For instance, men wear capris in summer, they carry purses, they wear scarves (not just for the cold), some even have fur hoods on their winter coats. I think the only fashionable distinction that is really noticeable are high heels. 

That is all for today, but we will try to be continual observers and share what we notice, hopefully not in a negative fashion but in a fun and interesting way. 

Cultural Differences: Part I

A post or series we’ve been thinking about for a while but keep forgetting to do is just sharing about the little cultural differences we encounter here in France everyday. When you work overseas in pretty much any context, and certainly in the Christian worker community, a phrase you hear people say over and over is “It’s not wrong, it’s just different.” Because when you begin living in a new culture, the tendency is to compare everything new with what you’re familiar with in your home culture. At first it is so exciting and cool that everything is different. It is invigorating. Then, as the weeks go on, something shifts, and those same things that were amusing and cool before, start to rub you the wrong way (if you let them). Like the police or ambulance sirens, at first I loved that they were different, but now each time I hear them (especially at night) it is kind of a subtle reminder that I am not at home. 

There are many stages in the cultural transition process and each one is unique with it’s pros and cons, but we are determined to love this place and these people. So we feel it is important in this stage, when the temptation grows to get discouraged and irritated by all these little differences, to rather embrace the all so popular mantra “it’s not wrong, it’s just different.” There are and will be easier and harder days of course, but God’s grace is sufficient for the small and large challenges we will face. 

Also, a tip we’ve employed is not feeling bad when we need a taste of home, whether it be an American movie, a coffee shop, or what have you and taking a small France time out. So stay tuned, later this week we’ll post a list of some specific cultural differences.

One of my favorites, cars parking on the sidewalk

Protestant en Fête

Yesterday was a unique experience. One that we really didn’t even know existed to tell you the truth. This weekend was the 2nd Protestant en Fête ever. It is a gathering that takes place every 4 years in a rotating city in France. This year’s gathering took place in Paris and, in addition to many concerts and other events that took place all weekend long, the Fête (“party”) ended with a church service on Sunday morning at one of the larger stadiums in the city. I think someone said the stadium seats 17,000 and there were around 14,000 people there. The choir (both on stage and in the seats at left and right of the stage) consisted of over 500 people from 100 different church choirs. The event is part of an overall effort to unite Protestant believers and churches in France. It’s exciting to see the different believers in France coming together to worship God together and to encourage one another. 

I think it is starting to sink in though, that we have a lot to learn about the church and the culture here in France. It is hard to even begin to explain without making too many assumptions (that may or may not be true… because we’re still learning). But I will share some of our very preliminary thoughts. In the midst of the event, at first we were wowed by the number of believers under one roof, but the more we thought about it, it didn’t actually seem like that many for the country of France. And it got us thinking about the truth of the numbers. My French teacher today also made a comment that she isn’t sure what percentage of the audience would be French verses other nationalities and also Christian workers like us. One other thing we are learning is that there are lot of different types of Protestant churches in France, much like in the States. Some of the things they agree and disagree about are similar to what we’re used too, but some are as new and foreign as this land. 

But still, we are impressed by the unity despite differences. And we don't want to downplay or talk poorly about the Fête at all, because we think it is a very good thing. We just wanted to share briefly about this unique and very cool experience and also give you a small peek into some of the conversations we are having. At this point I can say two things for sure, God loves this nation and these people, and we have a lot to learn in order to be effective here.

Visiting at the Meru church

This past Sunday we visited a church in a northern town called Meru that was started by some of our teammates a few years ago. It is still growing in maturity but it was really great to see how God is at work in this community of believers. The first thing we noticed was how many young people were present. Something we haven’t seen at many churches so far. The pictures don’t really capture it but there were about 10 teenagers and probably 8 or so younger kids who were at Sunday school when I took the photos. 

The message was about king Josiah in the Old Testament, and Pastor David talked about how amazing it was that Josiah was 8 years old when he became king. At this young age he was already following the Lord, and what’s more, at age 16, Josiah began purifying the kingdom from the many forms of idolatry that were prevalent during that time. The Pastor drew a powerful parallel to the Meru church and it’s youth. Speaking directly to them, he told them how powerful their witness was for the Lord, and that there is no age too young to follow God with your whole heart. 

He spoke so clearly (in French) I was able to follow along and pick up most of what was said. Which I can tell you that so far... that has not been the case. Lately, the ability to understand anything in worship is such a gift. It was a wonderful visit and we got to reconnect with a few faces we haven't seen since our summer internship in 2010.

Weekend getaway in Gisors

Ryan and I were on the receiving end of a great gift in that we stayed with our new teammates and friends, the Shorbs, for the weekend. They are such an inspiration and encouragement to us. They have been in France for almost three years and have done everything in their power to help us transition smoothly into life here. In fact, all of our teammates have been so welcoming that already they are beginning to feel like an extension of our family. This is one of the most beautiful pictures of what the body of Christ is meant to be, and we feel privileged to be beginning to experience this reality so soon after landing. 

The Shorbs are living and working in Gisors, a small village about 1½ hrs north of Paris. They are part of a team of six who are sowing seeds of the love of Christ in this town by hosting Alpha courses, bible studies, and in general through their lives and relationships. They are prayerfully and diligently working to get a new church off the ground in the next few years. 

During our visit with them, we got to hear many stories about how things have been going for them since arriving here. It was a transparent picture of the good times and the hard times. And they also helped us in some very practical ways including setting up our cell phone plans and searching for loufa’s at the store, since I ruined ours already! It is strange how good it feels when we accomplish the smallest objectives. When everything is foreign, the fact that we go to the post office and succeed at mailing something feels like a grand triumph. It sounds funny but it’s so true. So we are thankful for the little triumphs this weekend.

We also ate very well. Cooking has been a little mundane for us lately. Mostly because we are still slowly accumulating cooking supplies and because I’ve been too tired to both think about what to make and then actually make it. But this weekend we had American night (which included hamburgers, fries and Texas sheet cake for dessert), French night (duck breasts with a delicious plum sauce, vegetables, a cheese course, and an apple tart for dessert), and comfort food Sunday (Goat cheese lasagna, salad, and more Texas sheet cake). And we even squeezed in a campfire and had a s’more each. We were too stuffed to have more than one, but it felt so comforting to sit around the campfire and talk late into the night with new friends. 

Here are a few pictures from the weekend in Gisors… 

Downtown Gisors

An 11th century castle (Chateau de Gisors)

Ryan jumping on a tree stump...

Now everyone jumping on a tree stump

The Shorbs!

Visiting an ancient Cathedral

Just one to prove I was there! :)

The R&D phase, or maybe just R

As we spend the next several months learning French, our plan is to visit every area of the city and spend significant time in prayer there so we can start to get a sense of where God is leading us to start a new community of believers. Here are a couple pictures of us at the Jardin du Luxembourg (luxembourg gardens) doing just that. Walking around, sitting on benches, people watching, and spending time in prayer.

We also found a "american style" coffee shop. So comforting.

The pond was surrounded by kids all navigating their
miniature boats around ducks and other boats.

Also, another key aspect of the plan is to work hard to connect with as many churches and leaders in the city as we can, so we can complement and partner with their efforts as much as possible. So we visited our first church in the city on Sunday. It was one of a handful of churches that were recommended to us so far and it is only 1 year old. Right away we connected with a few people from the church and also a few visitors. And afterwards, we had lunch with some great people. It was a very encouraging first experience and eliminated any nervousness we had about visiting churches where we know no one and don't even really speak the language yet.

The church met in this incredible space with stone walls & a vaulted ceiling.

It is so humbling that upon meeting people who are laboring for the Lord here, the first thing they often say to us is how much of an answer to prayer it is that we are here. We don’t know exactly how to respond, because in our minds we just arrived and haven’t done anything yet. And even if we do eventually do something worthy of praise, it will be God that does it all. It is confirmational but like I said, so humbling. For them, it is huge just that we are here. That’s kind of what we were told last time we were here in 2010 too. French believers are SO incredibly encouraged to know that there are other brothers and sisters around the world who know about them and care about them. And it is mind-boggling and so encouraging to them as well to know there are unseen partners in the U.S. who are praying and giving sacrificially to send people (like us) here to serve alongside them. 

But if you think of it, please pray for us as we are in the R (research) part of the R&D phase, as Ryan calls it. And also for the many leaders and laborers in France that we haven’t even met yet but who are no doubt doing awesome things for the glory of God.  

First apartment in France

We wanted to show you a couple pictures of our apartment. 

In the kitchen there are 2 burners, a small dorm-style fridge, a toaster oven, electric kettle, and a toaster. I think there was a coffee pot too (that I stored under the counter)… if you know me, you know I packed my French press in my luggage. My only lament is that we couldn’t fit the ice coffee maker in our luggage too, because an iced coffee right now would be amazing! So cooking has been fairly simple so far, but as we accumulate more spices and supplies we should be back in business. I already baked chicken in the toaster oven and it turned out pretty good, but I want to attempt baking a loaf of bread in there soon. 

The living area has two lounge chairs, a desk & chair, a dinner table with four chairs, and a bookcase. Some of our teammates gave us the sweet tree on our first day to welcome us to France and they gave us great advice to start well by establishing good roots in the language & culture, and building relationships. The picture doesn’t do it justice, but we have great big windows in the living area and our bedroom. The windows do not have screens but are open air. I am kind of surprised how few bugs have flown in, but I think part of the advantage is that when bugs do fly in they quickly find their way back out. 

Our bedroom is very practical. There is a bed with two small nightstands, a hidden IKEA wardrobe for storing our cloths, and a small sink area. The showers and toilets that we use are a shared space just a few steps down the hall. I was most nervous about this but it really has been fine so far, you just need to do a bit more planning than we do in the States. Outside and below our bedroom window is a small courtyard and garden area for our building and there are beautiful pine trees that are the first thing I see every morning when I wake up. 

We have gotten to explore the area right around us quite a bit. There are three different places we can get groceries, a Carre Four express (normally these stores are huge but this is a smaller one), a small discount store, and a gigantic store called Cora. Cora is our favorite so far because there is such great variety that it’s fun to explore, but once we get a little more confident, there a a couple little markets I would like to try for produce. We have also stumbled across 3 different parks within walking distance. Here we are at one of the parks. The other photo reminds me a lot of the type of scene Monet would paint. The giant lily pads were gorgeous and they had big pink and yellow flowers in them. After five days of being here we are feeling more and more comfortable in our neighborhood. Our classes started this week and are going well, we are excited for the learning process and even more to have the ability to communicate better and better with people we meet.