Paris Praise Report - 6 days in!

JESUS IS WORTHY TO BE PRAISE IN PARIS

It has been six days since we arrived in France and we have already overcome some real challenges with God's gracious help.

We have some praise reports to share!

We arrived on the the 8th and after a long but good flight we found ourselves stuck at the Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris. The train we needed to take into the city center turned out to be under repair, so we had no clear way to get to our Airbnb studio. Nevertheless, after five long hours, we found ourselves at our initial Airbnb.

It was east of Paris, just outside the city center, in a place called Vincennes. It was a great location for our first five days. Although, it was on the ground floor along a busy street with no windows that opened.So we were left living amid thick, stagnant air and a musty, mildew smell.

Nevertheless, the day after we arrived, we got to visit the church plant and the prayer and worship ministry that I got to be a part of when they first started, nearly three years ago in 2022.

When I joined the church plant in the center of the city, it was about 30 souls strong. Today it numbers over 220, and more than 80 souls regularly attend a dinner party. These are like French community groups.

The dinner parties are the primary means through which discipleship happens. We’ve found that in France, discipling people toward Christ most often involves quality time, usually over food, and almost non-stop discussion.

People have the chance to ask questions, to dive deep into the Scriptures, to share of their personal thoughts, questions, feelings, and life experiences. Those that attend the dinner parties are the ones seeking discipleship and fellowship.

As we have reconnected with our pastor friends who I've known since the beginning, we've heard the deep need for discipleship, especially discipleship of the leaders of these dinner parties.

We're so excited to be a part of what God is doing here. It's an absolute privilege to be here, to have come by faith and now to jump straight in to being a part of what God is doing in this city and contributing to the Lord building His church.

The day after we arrived, we also got to attend the prayer and worship ministry that meets on Sunday afternoons and evenings. Everywhere we went, from the church to the prayer and worship ministry, we were met with joy, hugs, and bisous (those are the French kisses on the cheek), and loving friends who missed us dearly. They were shocked and amazed to find that we plan to stay here in Paris as the Lord has directed us.

It was amazing to see so many familiar faces. While our first full day in Paris was full of joy, worship, prayer, thanksgiving and praise, the following days have been filled with various challenges.

Madison Rose has been enduring extreme tooth and mouth pain. Her entire jaw has been extremely inflamed since we arrived. The pain was so bad it has kept her up, writhing in pain in the middle of the night.

We’ve prayed and prayed and sought prayer from countless many others. As we prayed and depended on the Lord for healing, He has brought both relief in pain and built our faith.

The Lord God Most Intentional even redirected us to a dinner party to attend on Wednesday night. While there, I asked for prayer for Madison Rose. A woman immediately responded and referred us to her dentist who she recommended. That woman of God even showed us the way to schedule an appointment with her dentist!

Meanwhile, we had no idea how much this would cost us as we don't yet have local French insurance, nor have we ever been to a dentist in France.

So there were many unknowns, yet as we prayed, we sensed the Lord guide us to schedule an appointment with this dentist. Even getting the appointment scheduled was a miracle as the dentist had availability the very next day.

So, yesterday, we both planned to move from our Airbnb to our new Airbnb and find a way to this dentist that we were referred to.

And at the start of the day, there were complications with our Airbnb reservation and our host said we could only check in after 5 PM. Meanwhile, we had to leave our initial Airbnb by 11 AM.

So with all of our bags, our carry-ons, backpacks, and smaller bags, we needed to traverse the city and find a place to put our things.

God directed us to our friend who graciously let us come, visit, and put down all of our heavy things. During that time, we got to share lunch, and as he is a leader in the local church, we got to hear many encouraging updates on what God is doing in the local church.

On top of that, our dear friend lives only one metro stop away from our new Airbnb and a 20 minute walk away from the dentist! It was perfect. Madison Rose and I were able to leave our things at his home, at his apartment, and walk to the dentist together, full of God’s peace that exceeded our own understanding, trusting that our God would provide for Madison Rose and make a way for us to pay for it.

After a 30 or so minute visit with the dentist, we left singing God's praises and celebrating God's gracious provision. Our meeting at the dentist could not have gone any better. There doesn't seem to be any serious infection or any issues with Madison's recent filling. It seems that the nerve in her tooth was severely agitated by the change in pressure on the flight from LA to Paris, just a couple days after her dental work.

With some simple ice and ibuprofen to help with the pain and inflammation, the dentist believes strongly that Madison has no need to get any further work done, unlike the prospective root canal that was predicted by our last dentist in the US.

AND, though Madison received multiple x-rays, the final cost for our visit and consultation was €28, roughly $30—without French health insurance.

All glory to our awesome God!

Madison Rose has been sleeping through the night the last two nights, largely without pain.

We are continuing to walk by faith and see God move powerfully in our lives, in our bodies, and around us here in Paris. We're in awe of what the Lord is doing and the opportunity we have to immediately invest in the local body and invest in the discipleship of local leaders, especially young leaders within the church.

We are excited to reestablish connection and build relationship with old and new friends, and we're really happy in our tiny 107 square foot apartment.

Though it is small, it is a blessing. We're learning to navigate this new normal and God is definitely giving us grace to embrace it with an attitude of gratitude. We're filling this tiny place with thanksgiving, prayer, and praise.

As God's word says in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18,

“Rejoice always;

pray without ceasing;

give thanks in all circumstances;

for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

We're embracing that reality and excited for what is to come. We are deeply grateful for all your prayers, petitions, and intercession on our behalf. The Lord has truly blessed us and provided for us through these challenges we've faced since we've been here.