I arrived in Paris on August 8 with my squad, and we immediately broke down into our 4 small teams and spread out around the city, ready to see how God would use us in this city. He has been moving quickly and it’s hard to keep up! He is in passionate pursuit of the people living here.
Before we arrived, our leadership explained that the refugee camp in Paris would be our main ministry focus. But every day as my team began the day in prayer to ask God what He’d want us to do that day (we call it ‘Ask the Lord’ or ATL) we often found God leading us to areas other than the refugee camp.
For instance, we ended up going to a park where many men from several African countries play checkers. We made some friends there, including two Muslim men, Yassine and Habib. My teammate Bradley and I ended up having coffee with them to talk about the Bible and the Quran. And while we were at coffee, another Muslim man joined our conversation. I found myself at a table with 3 Muslim men talking about the love and forgiveness of Christ. We were able to plant seeds that day, and we’re going to try to have coffee with them again soon.
Another re-direct away from the refugee camp was when during ATL God gave our team a vision of a man selling hot dogs, with the colors red and yellow very prominent. So, although it seemed ridiculous to think we would find a man selling hot dogs in Paris, we set out on a journey to find him. We ended up by the Louvre, and happened to run into Matthew (he is on our squad, but on a different team and in a different part of the city than us). And then Matthew told us that he had seen a carnival nearby and there would probably be hot dogs there. As we walked, we found a man selling hot dogs underneath a red covering, with a bright yellow pole nearby… red and yellow! This was the man. I told him that we had come to tell him how much God loves him. I felt led to ask if he had had dreams. He said he had dreams of his daughter, that she visited him in dreams. I’m guessing she passed away. He was really listening after that. I told him God knows him and cares for him and his situation, and that we had seen a vision of a man selling hot dogs that God wanted us to talk to. He had a line of customers and had to get back to work, but he told us he was very happy we had come to tell him that. There have been 2 other people that God gave us specific visions of and we actually found them! It has been so cool to see God work in that way.
Three days ago my team and I made it to the refugee camp. I will write a whole blog or several about that, but for now, I will share one story. As I walked with my teammates Kiana and Emily, we decided to sit with 2 men and talk with them. Another man joined, we’ll call him Musef. He is 24 from Afghanistan. He fled after the Taliban had invaded his city. He said the Taliban tried to force him to join them, but he decided not to, even under the threat of death and harm to his family. He told me that there was no way I could understand, bringing up that I am American, and saying that me sitting there talking wasn’t doing any good. I told him he was right, there’s no way I can understand what he’s been through, but I think it’s doing a lot of good to talk, because people need to be seen and loved, and know that there is hope, even in his situation. I told him a little of my testimony, and that though there has been suffering and pain in my life, I have found hope, peace, and joy in God, and he can too. He was listening to me. I told him that he is brave, kind, courageous, and he made an incredibly high character choice when he didn’t join the Taliban. I told him he has a lot to look forward to, and I encouraged him to pray to God (even though he is Muslim). I hope that Musef will pray to God, and I hope to see him again before we leave Paris. I am glad for the chance to meet him and encourage him in some small way.
There has been so much happening, I’d love to write about everything but it could be a book already if I explained everything! Thank you to those who are praying for my squad and I, and please keep praying! Please pray for Musef and another young man (16 years old) at the refugee camp, Albert, who I got to talk with. Also pray that I will see them again. Thank you!
