This will be my last journal from Paris. I am glad to be headed home but have certainly enjoyed and profited from my time here.

Today began like the others - breakfast, etc. I will spare you the repetitious details. It was good again.

We hopped on the Metro and returned to the church we visited on Monday. I didn’t know or record the name then but have learned it was at Villiers. Please supply the proper French pronunciation to make any French friends I might have happy. They are precise and proud of their language. I can’t figure out why it makes the sounds it makes from the letters before my eyes.

This day was planned as a day to debrief and do some sharing. We began by hearing from Pastor Renald Kozycki. Pastor Renald is another of the French pastors who are part of the network of evangelicals who are working together. He is not directly related to France VIE (World Team) but works with them in the ministry of the gospel. Networking is a big part of the story of what is going on in France.

He set out to answer the question, how can you help French churches. I cannot reproduce all he said. He launched his response from Colossians 4:12-13.

1. With your missionaries

2. With your support

3. With your prayer

He believes the challenge to French Christians is to be able to be a witness for the gospel. Those who accept the challenge will need to take holiness seriously.

He mentioned the five Bible Schools in France. Those who go to school do so at great sacrifice. Because there are so few evangelicals, it is hard to get financial backing and support. So, few can go and those who do go struggle to make ends meet.

After (or before, I can’t remember) Pastor Renald spoke, we spent more time in prayer for the ministry in France and some of the people we have met.

We were joined by Said and Fatima Oujibo who are sponsored by Campus Crusade. They are ministering to Muslims. Said is a firebrand full of life and vitality. He is funny and fresh. Fatima ministers to women and spoke of forming an organization of other women who are reaching out. She spoke of several significant conferences and of the response of Muslim woman who are discovering the joy of Christ.

During the morning, I met Tom and Ann who are from Atlanta. Tom is a business man who is working with France VIE to bring other business men into this ministry. He brings the perspective of a business man which is a very big help in finding funds and securing properties. It was interesting to hear how he, from his perspective and background, can add to the ministry. It is a reminder of how God can use us for who we are and what we can do.

We had another time of extended prayer in small groups for the ministry of the Oujibos after which we enjoyed a relaxed and light lunch.

We gathered in a circle to talk about our experience. In general, the France VIE people expressed genuine and deep appreciation for our coming. We have heard several times how much encouragement we have brought. I think most of us in the group were not thinking about being an encouragement because we were too busy being encouraged ourselves. I certainly won’t argue with them. Also in general, the guests of France VIE expressed appreciation for what we have seen and heard. We were reminded that it is still a lonely work to be off in a village or neighborhood trying to reach people who don’t want to be reached but who need to be reached. We closed the time with a circle of prayer.

We had some free time in the afternoon. Jerry had to stay in Paris - he was stuck with me. We headed for the Louvre and I got the visit I was hoping for. We saw the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo. We toured a section of French painters and then Dutch painters. We saw the medieval castle beneath the Louvre and ended with a look at the stone work and columns that have been collected from the court of King Darius, the first, the king served by Daniel. We spoke of how Daniel’s eyes may have seen what we saw. We spent four hours looking and left to go directly to our banquet.

Our formal activity ended with a banquet at Le Mollard Restaurant which is right behind our hotel. I probably did not enjoy it as much as I might since I was getting weary from our long tour of the Louvre. We heard of the vision of France VIE to plant 50 churches in 20 years. It is a bold vision but the first part of the journey has seen initial goals met and surpassed.

I will come to an end now. I am tired. Tomorrow I will board a plane for home. I will be a happy camper when my feet touch down in Philadelphia. Thoughts and memories of France and the people I have met will linger on.

While I have recorded my thoughts from day to day, I will need to process what I have seen and heard and figure out what it all means for me and for Grace Church.

I look forward to seeing you all.