If I were you, I would be intimidated by the size of this blog and probably not get through much of it because of that. If it's any consolation, I will let you know that it takes that average reader about 5 min. to get through it. So if you've got 5 min. and are interested, you may proceed and enjoy! :O) Love, Mal
Belleville ParkIt's 7am, and as either the alarm clock or Silas wakes us, mambo music filters into our ears from the floor below. We climb from our loft bed, and cross the musically creaky wooden and brick floors to the kitchen where we make two pots of coffee to bring with us for the rest of the team. We pack up our Kirsch clan and make our way down the spiral staircase. The kind man I suspect is the one who plays the mambo music at odd hours of day, is usually leaving at the same time as us. "Bonjour,"..."Bonjour," we say to each other, and we help one another weave our way out of the sequence of secured doors, and once our faces hit the sun and chilly wind, the neighbor usually passes us, and I watch him walk into his day with his metallic red hand bag, and wonder where it takes him. Maybe we can encourage him with something artistic sometime, yes I will do that...We make breath clouds as we pass the panoramic view of Paris, stop for ten fresh baguettes at the patisserie (pastry shop) where the shop keeper begs us to learn French, and make our way to the factory-turned-apartment where the rest of the team is staying. Onto another adventurously special day in France...
We have not known exactly what each day will bring during our first week in Paris, but each day has turned out a growing experience and an exchange of blessings in many ways. Upon arrival on Tuesday, the 12 of us made our way through the maze that is Paris' subway system, squeezing our suitcases and stroller through the ticket gates, and pulling them up and down, up and down, up and down the countless sets of stairs! It was quite a system we had going by the end, and the team got a good laugh the time I indeed got quite stuck in a ticket gate with the stroller! To say the least, we were quite tired when we finally reached our new home at about midnight.
The next couple of days were a time of settling in, meeting with our contacts, and discovering more of our place and purpose in this country. One thing is for sure, Paris has history. Unfortunately, and honestly, it's not a very pretty one, at all, and the French people have been very scarred. All walls go up at the mention of words like, "church," or "pray," or "God." The majority of the French people are spiritualess. We have learned that this is something to respect but definitely not settle for; that these two months will be great practice of simply being ourselves, of BEING Jesus, of "Being in the world but not of the world." I am so challenged and excited! After living in a Christian community for the last three years, this is a needed transition (since we will return to Seattle after this year) and reminder of the need to be relatable with the rest of the world while being Christ-like but not stuck in a Christian box. St. Francis of Assisi puts it well, "Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words."
us being us.
One morning we had a creative time of music, dancing, and handing out origami roses at a small amphitheater at the Belleville Park below our apartment, it is a park built on land with much history. we plan to have many more times like this to bring life and truth spiritually and directly to the people there. This time we visited a lot with an English man and his two young daughters as he smoked, and they danced to our music. One day we will proclaim our prayers in the form of chalk art on the stone bricks of the park. 
improvisation Dancing in Belleville Park.
improvisation Dancing in Belleville Park.
open-mic night - DTS Student Carlo from Mexico.
This week we have also led a church service for the only Christian homeless organization in Paris, it was so encouraging for them and us evenly to be there! We visited for quite a long time afterward with all of them. Last night we attended an English open-mic poetry night at the bar across the street. One of the students, Carlo, played his classical guitar, and other students shared poems and songs they have written during the DTS. We were inspired and had a fun time talking and listing to the poetic and artistic people of this area who join on these Monday nights to seek English fellowship, as it's difficult to find fellow English speakers here. We look forward to getting together to play music and such with a women from Mauritania who we got to know a bit and wanted to give us her phone number, and also attending these Monday nights again in April. We will leave on Thursday for the South of France to teach creative English, and work with the Salvation Army, and more.
Preparing translation and making cookies to bring with us to homeless service.
We are but 12 people, thankfully with the healing power of Jesus within us. We must rely on this at every moment if we are to plant seeds and make a dent in reviving and reconciling the sensitively sweet but hurt French people and Nation. We will do this by being us and simply loving and serving the French people and through intercession and in right places, times and ways proclaiming who God is. It is also important for us to know and be sensitive of the ground we are stepping on. We have had one lecture and tour of the beginning of France's history by our highly knowledgeable contact Isabelle, this included a tour of Notre Dame. We will continue with a series of 3 more lectures and tour, one being tomorrow.
inside notre Dame.
At the end of the day we lug our stroller back up the spiral staircase. We meet an elderly lady who is not phased by our inability to speak French, but is only joyed over Silas' precious self, rattling off to him in appreciation and stroking his face. "Bonsoir,"..."Bonsoir." Good night Paris.
the france team, minus Gahyun.
