If it's Saturday, I must be in...

"The people who are now living in darkness will see a great light. They are now living in a very dark land. But a light will shine on them." (Isaiah 9:2)

...PARIS. Bonjour, mon amis.

With time winding down, I thought it would be nice to take a day trip. So off I went this morning at about 5:00 am to catch the Eurostar from London for the approximately two hour high speed train ride to the "City of Lights." I've always wanted to go to Paris. Being this close, I was not going to miss out on the opportunity. Day trips in the US, from Philadelphia for example, often mean taking a train or a car to New York City or to Washington, DC, both roughly two hours away. On the European continent, a day trip can be to France, Belgium, Germany or some other nearby country in two hours or less. That's what's so exciting and strategic about being in Europe. At the train station, I talked with two Canadians who are in London for the Olympics. One of them mentioned that they had just made a side trip to Portugal and Spain, about an hour from London by plane.

Some impressions about Paris

After arriving at Gard du Nord train station in Paris, I took a tour bus in order to maximize my time and make getting around a little easier. Like London, Paris is a city right out of the pages of history. On the bus, I was able to see all of the famous landmarks...the Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, Seine River, Champs-Élysées, Place de la Concorde, Château de Versailles and my most favorite, the majestic Eiffel Tower. These timeless monuments are still holding their own against the backdrop of a modern day Paris, which is showing signs of internal decay. I was surprised at how dirty the streets were in many areas. At different points, I passed by people on the street begging. One lady, caked in filth, was asleep on a bench.

I don't recall seeing any active places of worship during my visit. I purposely wore my tee shirt with the  "Lay Witnesses for Christ" logo to see if anyone would react or ask me about it. No one even noticed. And if they did, no one said anything to me. According to a source, "the majority of French do not actively practice any faith, and an increasing percentage indicates they are atheist or agnostic." And it shows on the faces of the people and in the lifestyle I observed. As Christians, we are so focused on sending missionaries to Africa, Asia, Central and South America and to so-called impoverished countries like Haiti. We need to send missionaries to Paris. And to places like Holland and Sweden. I'm sure that God already has a remnant there, but we need to pray, specifically, that the light of the Gospel will penetrate the darkness in these countries.

Breaking down the barriers

On my way back to the train for my return trip, I passed by two older men sitting on a bench who were having a rather loud conversation in another language. I actually passed by them, but halfway up the street, the Spirit said, "Go back." So I did. When I got to the men, I motioned with my hands for them the move apart on the bench so I could sit down between them. Since I don't really speak French, I just got right to the point. I told them my name ("Je suis Carolyn") and called them my brothers ("Mes freres"). I told them that God loves them. Then I spoke to them in French, "Mon coeur est pour vous" pointing to my heart.

I gave them each a Gospel track translated into French that I just happened to put in my travel bag that morning! I told them that they were going to die one day ("mort") and that if they wanted to go to heaven (pointing to the sky) they needed to believe in Jesus and pray this prayer from the heart:

Cher Dieu, je sais que je suis un pécheur. Je vous remercie pour l'envoi de Jésus mourir pour mes péchés. Je veux me détourner de mes péchés et de croire en Jésus en ce moment. Montrez-moi comment vivre et je vais chercher à vous suivre le reste de ma vie. Au nom de Jésus, Amen!

One of the men looked at me, smiled and kept repeating in French what sounded like "missionary," but I can't be sure. I just smiled and hoped what he was saying was good. We parted company and I walked to the train feeling like my trip hadn't been a total disappointment. At least, I had planted a seed in the hearts of those two men. Maybe that (and they) were the whole purpose for my coming to Paris in the first place?

Becoming a passionate witness

Christians are called to plant seeds. When Christians stop being concerned about what to say or what people will think of us, we will be uninhibited in sharing the Gospel with others. And if we ask, the Holy Spirit will embolden us and fill us with compassion for the lost. We are God's seed planters! Pray that the seeds, which were planted in London and Paris during this mission trip, will grow and multiply to the glory of God. After all, this really is our purpose and our mission.