09 January 2011

Bonjour, Paris!

I have finally checked in to the guesthouse where I am staying, and I am so ready to crash.  However, so many amazing things have happened already that I have to write this now, or I would sleep away all memory of it.  (If there are typos, French keyboards are SO different from American ones!  You will note the lack of contractions; I cannot find the apostrophe!)

The flights went pretty quickly (and I slept a lot), and I walked out of the airport and into the train terminal around 7:15.  Riding the train in to the City of Lights (it was still dark) was interesting; I got to sit and look out the window, but I had to haul my two rolling suitcases through some challengingly narrow turnstiles.  I arrived in the neighborhood of this guesthouse and spent the next half hour trudging through the suburb dragging my bags and getting weird looks from joggers and early-morning dog-walkers.  Let us just say that the guesthouse looks just like an apartment, and I was picturing a monastery.

There was no one around, so I stashed my bags in a luggage closet and, after hastily digging through my carryon and changing running shoes and sweatshirt for peacoat and flats, I took a long walk, hugging my purse and trying to look as Parisian as possible.  I think I could have succeeded if I did not keep abruptly turning the other direction in an attempt to navigate.  Let us blame the jet lag.

All in all, the people I have run into seem much friendlier than I had pictured them.  Two middle-aged women bonded with me over a confusing turnstile, a little girl on the metro might have told me that she was enchanted to meet me, and tons of people have dogs, which just makes me happy.  I went to Hillsong Paris after the standard wander past, turn, wander back, repeat.  (Unfortunately I am wearing my red coat, so people might start to notice.)  It was great to be around a welcoming, dynamic group of Christians, and not only did I learn some French worship songs, but the (bilingual) sermon was really encouraging.  It was about the future and the plans of God, (the future is not before us, it is within us), which was encouraging to hear as I start this new adventure. 

In short, God is still the same, everything else is different, and I like it that way!  Bed time!!!

Prayer requests:  Energy, peace, and and a smooth transition on the metro tomorrow (more hefting really heavy bags) and into orientation.  Thanks!

2 comments:

  1. Sounds completely amazing!...And quite funny. I love the apostrophe thing! Hahaha. Did you see any French guys who were blessed with stunning looks?
    I just prayed for all of those things, and I hope everything keeps going well!

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  2. Oh Wow! I can't believe your lights went out! I'm glad it was for a short time! I wonder what the names are for the four different types of bread? :)

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