Bonjour Family & Friends!
Paris grows on me more & more, & I enjoy my time spent here very much. I love how completely normal it has become to see Parisians in the street, baguettes tucked away safely by their side. I love picking up on some French to use with the locals (Bonjour! Ça va? Ça va très bien, merci! et toi? Très bien merci! Is literally: Good morning! Is it going? It is going very well, thank you! and you? Very well thank you!). I love the little croissants filled with chocolate chips, the cobblestone streets, the echoes of motorcycles floating through my apartment window, & the spontaneous rain showers that remind me so much of home. We have been having adventure after adventure as we learn how to live life here. Upon arriving in our new home in Paris last week, my team & I found that we had no hot water, nor gas for the stove. The saying, C’est la vie, translated usually to such is life, took on a whole new meaning. For the whole week we had to be flexible, & creative in what kind of food we could make with just a small electric hot plate. It usually took us about two hours to prepare any basic meal like rice or pasta. In the end, at least we were able to spend lots of time getting to know each other during our first week simply by preparing meals with one another! This week we were able to move to a different part of the city, & are very thankful for hot showers & warm meals cooked well before midnight in our apartment.
We have been spending much of our time in a refugee camp this week, meeting people from countries like Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sudan, & Somalia. The camp is a few informal blocks made of bare mattresses, tents, & cardboard covering the side walk under a several overpasses. The portable bathrooms overflow into the streets, & the ground is covered with trash. Its heart breaking to see so many in such poor living conditions. It was even more a surprise to me to find out that most of the people living in the camp are men my age, between 18 & 25 years old. We are able to walk around & have conversation, as many of the men speak some English, & sometimes we use google translate to talk with each other. Through all of this, I have seen many smiles, heard laughter, & seen hope. While some are angry, angry at us, angry at the injustice, others are kind. Many are patient, waiting for their time to be transitioned to a different location, willing to talk & share stories. Many of the men traveled months, even years to arrive here, fleeing their countries, leaving their families. It has given me so much perspective, & so much to think about simply by listening to some of their stories if they are willing share.
Yesterday we were able to work with an organization who arranged a brand new refugee camp a few miles away. We helped to set up supplies, food, overall organization, and then slept the night in the new camp to be there to welcome in about 500 refugees in the morning. By now, we recognize a lot of the faces, & it has been fun to build relationship with them.
I’ve been so thankful to be placed in this city, & even more thankful for all for your prayers, they have meant so much! Until next time!
Emily
