Living in Paris

Today we had a visit from Christa, an American whom we met in Paris 1996-7 when my wife and I met. She sang in a church choir with my wife that year and attended our wedding in Paris in 1997. She's been living in England and Italy during much of the past decade. It was fun to see her again.

It was a good reminder about how much our lives have changed during the past 10 years since my wife and Christa used to hang out. We've been in Paris 8 of those 10 years, with a 2 year educational stint in Wheaton, Illinois. We've gotten married and had 3 children. These major life events have indelibly changed who we are and how we see the world.

On Friday I met with a colleague named Dave. We met him in Lyon, France while on vacation in August 2005. He and his family moved north of Paris during this past year. He hopes to move into Paris in the future to help start a new church.

In talking with him, I realized how strong my convictions are about certain aspects of doing ministry and raising a family in Paris.

Many of my ideals came in my mid-20s when I was a student at Wheaton Grad School (first round). I came across role models of families in urban ministry. One was Ray Bakke, who pastored in Chicago with his wife Corrine, wrote "The Urban Christian," and headed up the urban ministry track for the Lausanne Committee. He helped me see the importance of networking in urban ministries.

The other was Floyd McClung, who with his wife Sally worked with YWAM in Kabul, Afghanistan and Amsterdam, Netherlands. Floyd spoke at the Missions in Focus at Wheaton in 1987 and was remarkable in his passion for Amsterdam. The McClungs and their 2 children lived in the Red Light district of Amsterdam. His book "Living on the Devil's Doorstep" really helped me see the potential of working in European cities.

I'm thankful for models of urban ministry in people like the Bakkes and McClungs, as well as Jackie Pullinger Cho in Hong Kong and Stephen and Joy Johnston, my former teammates for 4 years in Paris.

After nearly 13 years of living and serving in Paris, I still love being here and doing what I'm doing. I've been here as a single adult, as a young married man, and now as a father of 1, 2, and 3 kids. I've worked in English and in French. I've gotten certificates after studying at a French Bible institute and at the Sorbonne University. I've preached, pastored, led small groups, worked with youth, worked with artists, worked with the Alpha Courses at 2 churches, coordinated interns and short-term teams, mixed dozens of batches of crêpe mix for dinner guests, etc. I courted my wife in Paris, got engaged on top of the Eiffel Tower, and had wedding ceremonies in the U.S. and Paris. I've gotten to be in the delivery room in Paris as my wife's helper at the births of our 3 children.

I have lots of dreams and aspirations for the future, particularly for my children. It wasn't their choice to live in Paris. However, this is all that they basically know. They are part of a group now called "third culture kids." For them, it is "normal" to rub shoulders with neighbors and classmates from all around the world. Being bilingual and bicultural will be natural for them.

Pappy Alain gave us more good counsel tonight (Sunday) about life in Paris. Paris God for a coach like him at this point in our lives.