An unforgettable visit...

...As I mentioned before, one of my best friends, Stephanie, visited me here in Paris just a while ago. She came all the way from China to spend time with me (and see a little bit of Paris). We had such an amazing time together. She is a wonderful best friend and I know the Lord is blessing our friendship (even while we are thousands and thousands of miles away from eachother). So, this is for you Steph...just some words: the apprentice, dumplings, who are all these people from california?, a springy mattress, some beautiful views of the city, no waffle, breakfast or lunch?, fresh market food, picard & ed, spilled jam, the park with will, a huge salad and little bity brownie, we know how old frieda is!, and what's up with the cold??? I love you girl and it means so much to me that you came so far to see me. The pleasure will be mine next year!!

Soakin' it in...

...Wow...its always toward the end of something that time begins to fly by. The end of my time here in Paris is in sight...a little too close I think. For the past few months, it seemed as though I would be in Paris forever, and then all of the sudden I have less than two weeks left in this city that I have fallen in love with. I beginning to feel the sadness of leaving behind a world that is so different from my old one. I feel as if I have to say goodbye to all of these changes that I have both painfully accepted and warmy welcomed. But I also know that God has blessed me with all of these changes and I am praying that He will help me integrate them into a new life back home...in my old, but new world. Its all a bit fuzzy to me. But I know God will guide me. I am just so incredibly joyful as I look back on this year in Paris and a smile comes over my face and my eyes light up and all of the wonderful experiences, people, and memories come flooding into my head and heart. And I know that I still have two fabulous weeks to soak up even more of the life-changing Paris and take a million more pictures!! Its not goodbye yet!

ice cream...

You Are Rocky Road Ice Cream

Unpredictable and wild, you know how to have fun. You're also a trendsetter who takes risks with new things. You know about the latest and greatest - and may have invented it. You are most compatible with vanilla ice cream.

What Flavor Ice Cream Are You?

A cooler, calmer summer...

...After a couple of weeks of crazy heat here in Paris, we're finally getting some mild (and a bit chilly) weather. Its a welcomed relief after surviving the "heat wave" without AC. And along with the cooler weather has come a calmer schedule for me. What a drastic difference. Many students have gone home for the summer and the goodbyes have continued...my friends, Joelle and Assia, and my teammates, the Kings, and my roommate, Ashley. Whew. And its expecially been a big change from my busy 10 days I spent at home in the states a couple of weeks ago. I had an amazing visit at home...spending lots of time with college friends, my nephews, my sisters, my parents, and my best friends from high school...and I have my best friend, Valerie, to thank for my visit...she just got married! It was a beautiful wedding that brought glory to God...a wonderful example that I pray to follow. I love you Val and I'm so happy for you!

So...its a bit calmer and with that comes a bit or boredom. But I'm tyring really hard to be productive and not just sit around idle the last month of my time here in Paris. I have some fun things planned for students that are still here and I have my teammates, the Campbells, to spend lots of time with before I leave (and a new addition, Wyatt...when he comes very soon!), and I have also just finished my "Paris To Do" list...all of the places I want to go and things I want to do in Paris before I leave...and its really long...probably too long for just one month left. So...that should keep me busy...and I'm really hoping to have some great time alone with God to read, chat, and just have some good quality time with my favorite companion!

And the best news for the moment is that my best friend and roommate from college, Stephanie, is coming all the way from China to visit me here in Paris!! She'll be here this week and is staying for 5 whole days!!! I can't wait to spend time with her and for us to talk about our year away in foreign countries...lots to talk about...So...as you can see, the Lord has plans for me here in Paris for my last month and I hope to be writing about some amazing things in the next days...keep checking (now that I remembered to write in here:o).

Go Andy!!!! Wish I could be watching.

The fam...

....Whoo hoo!! My family is in town visiting me. Its so great to have family here, experiencing my life here (going grocery shopping with me, meeting my teammates, staying in my apartment, and eating at my favorite restaurants). Its a neat experience to be able to be the native showing them around to all the sights that I've seen multiple times....like the Eiffel Tower, Sacre Coeur, Versailles, and more. We've been so lucky to have amazing weather while they've been here...blue skies and temperatures in the 79s and 80s! The hottest its been since I've lived here. Thank you Lord for that. Right now my parents and sister are on a boat ride on the Seine River...seeing all the sights from down on the river...and I'm taking a break from being tourist and getting back to some of the things in my normal schedule, like righting here and my prayer letter. Tonight we have a wonderful dinner at Chez Papa planned...my teammates, Anna and Mentanna, will be joining us for the Southwestern French cuisine. I love this place! Then we'll be doing some more sight seeing and other stuff in the next couple of days before my parents leave. Tomorrow night we are going to Cirque de Soleil...a birthday present to my sister....I'm so excited. Then on Saturday, me and my sister are heading to Belgium and Holland for a few days of European touring. Then I will say goodbye to my sister in a week and a half. Then its only a month until I go home for Valerie's wedding...a little 10-day trip home. So...its going to be a busy next month...but I'm looking forward to the Lord using me this month to do the amazing things He has planned. I'll try to send out some updates on everything!!

Saying goodbye already...

...In the past week, I've had to say three really hard goodbyes/see you laters.

The first was to my teammates, Rob and Nichole, as they left for the states for four months to raise support to come back here in the fall. I am so thankful to have been able to work with them and am challenged by their motivation and hard work with students here in Paris. Please pray for them while they are in the states!

The second was a sudden one. My friend, Khadija, had to leave Paris and go home to Morocco due to some personal problems. Although this was a very sad goodbye...we had coffee two days before she left and had some amazingly blessed conversation!! Please be praying for her as well.

The third was sudden as well. My roommate, Ali, needed to move apartments. Although I am so sad for losing an amazing roommate, I know this is better for her and I know the Lord has plans in this and is using it. Please pray for her as she goes through these changes.

So...its been a bit of a rollercoaster...but the Lord is sustaining me and I know that He is always with me and He is my true HOME!

A four letter word...

...KIND. So simple. I read this word everywhere in the Bible, but something hit me the other night in house church: I've never really thought about its meaning. What does the word "kind" mean? Am I "kind"? Do I exhibit kindness?

My first response is no. I don't think of myself as first and foremost a "kind" person. So, what is a kind person? I think I've always thought of someone who just seems to be sweet all the time to everyone. But I think it goes beyond that.

As a group of us discussed it, some good points were shared. Kindness is not just a feeling, but must be manifested into action. You can't just feel kind...you must BE kind. And someone must receive your kindness...you can't be kind into the air, but you can be kind to someONE. Also...kindness entails valuing people. When I think about Jesus and how He displayed kindness, its easy to see that what pushed Him to kind actions was His love for people...He valued them because He saw the potential in everyone.

So...there are some thoughts that have been swimming around in my head the past few days. Hopefully these thoughts will turn into actions as I open myself up to God showing me how to be kind, when, and to whom. Maybe I'll be able to share some cool experiences soon!

I'll leave you with some quotes about kindness:


Eric Hoffer:
Kindness can become its own motive. We are made kind by being kind.

Abraham Joshua Heschel:
When I was young, I used to admire intelligent people; as I grow older, I admire kind people.

Albert Schweitzer:
Constant kindness can accomplish much. As the sun makes ice melt, kindness causes misunderstanding, mistrust, and hostility to evaporate.


http://www.wisdomquotes.com/cat_kindness.html (for more quotes)

A tech miracle...could it be?...

...I can't believe I'm going to blog yet again about technology. But I have to express the joy I am feeling right now. I truly am in shock about the fact that I am sitting here in my room in my apartment using my own laptop to write this...wireless internet!! Its really a man-made (God-blessed for us) miracle! Some of you have heard me complain for months and months about all our internet troubles...I mean, who hasn't had internet troubles at one point or another. I know I've had my fair share. But for the moment, I am smiling. After many months of saying mean things to our former computer and sighing over and over again around my teammates, Scott from my team blessed our apartment, specifically Ali, with a new computer. Its a Mac that he used to have before he got a new one. So, out with the old and in with the new. This started the process of getting a new modem...one that actually works with computers that aren't as old as who knows what. So...after much patience from Ali, 4 visits to the France telecom store (3 different ones), and a salesman that actually revealed to us a secret plan...we ended up with not only a new modem, but a wireless router...for even cheaper than expected! Amazing. Truly a miracle. And thanks to Scott again, after hooking everthing up for us in our apartment, I am sitting in my room, on my laptop, typing this. Amazing. You can't know what a relief and joy it is to have internet with a computer that will actually work and not have to be restarted an average of 10 times per day! So, thanks again to everyone who was a part of this amazing process that has revolutionized mine and my roommates' lives: Scott, Ali, Paulette, and the salesman at France telecom. I look forward to many more months of emailing more, blogging more, and sending out updates more frequently!

Lots of laughs...

...Although the visit ended with a few tears, it could hardly be classified as a sad or disappointing one. My best friends, Leah and Tatum, came to see me last week and we had sooooooo much fun. Of course, what should else should I expect from the two of them. Anyone who knows them both and has been around them together can testify that life gets pretty silly when both of them are around...you know what I mean! And that's exactly what I needed! I didn't even realize how warn out and tired and serious I had gotten from living in the city for 7 months. As they put it..."you're just more reserved here." That's definitely true and partly because of the culture here...but also partly because I'm just more tired here. I can't explain it, but if you've lived in a big city then you understand. Anyways...they were such a blessing of refreshment for me. I need times of complete silliness to relax and have fun and let go of everything I had been holding onto. This couldn't have been represented more perfectly than by our last night. They invited me to join them in a hotel suite where we ordered pizza in, watched the French version of American Idol (Nouvelle Star), and ate 3/4 of a cake (chocolate with cream cheese icing)!!! Not to mention, Tatum became photo artiste and took about 40 pics with different objects that we aptly names the "box pictures". So...as you can see, silly it was! Thanks for an amazing time girls!! Tatum...you're next...it will be mine and Leah's treat!

Technology again...

...So, once again I'm amazed at technology and feel as if I've jumped 100 years into the future into come time that I used to watch on television...like on the Back to the Future movie. On Saturday, I talked to my friend, Stephanie, who's in China, through the internet. I sat with a laptop in front of me and a headset on and talked to her as if it were a phone. It was so weird at first. I really felt like I was in a movie. But it was really amazing. To think that I can talk to her when she's so far away so easily (and it was free!). So...thanks technology and all those who are constantly discovering new things!!! And thanks for a fun talk Steph!

Happy Birthday Caden!

I would like to say Joyeaux Anniversaire to my little nephew, Caden, who is turning 1 !!!! Its his first birthday and I am very sad to miss celebrating it with him...but I heard the party was a blast. My big sis always knows how to throw a good party:o) I love you Caden and I'm giving you a big hug and kiss from Paris!!

Technology continues to amaze me...

...Last night, I watched a video over the internet of Louie Giglio speaking at 7:22. Amazing. I knew that you could do this now...but it still floored me when I clicked on one button and within 30 seconds I was watching a talk that took place a few weeks ago in the states...had I known before, I could probably watch it live. It was so cool to hear some of the new praise songs that were played and to hear Louie again...man is he good or what? He is totally annointed for speaking to our generation. I will say that I believe he might have read Piper's book that I'm reading right now...the talk was very familiar. But I hear Louie is a big Piper fan. Its good though...Piper's ideas are a bit over my head a lot of the time and Louie kind of brings them down closer to my level...and then I can chew on the ideas from there. So...I recommend this to all of you who don't get a chance to go to 7:22 in Alpharetta, Georgia...go to www.webvideocastings.com/722 and listen to some broadcasts...they are truly inspiring.

Pretty in Pink...

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Originally uploaded by pamelamsimpson.

...Marisa and I finally made it to the Eiffel Tower...just to take look and some pictures. Thanks for loaning me the sweater Ris! And don't you all love Marisa's hat??

Let's eat some more...

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Originally uploaded by pamelamsimpson.

...Elie, Assia, Marisa, and Me eating at this awesome Peruvian restaurant. Although we waited forever for the food (I think they forgot about us for a while), the food was great and we had a great time enjoying eachother's company.

Her first American meal...

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Originally uploaded by pamelamsimpson.

...Me, Assia, Jessica and Sarah (both from the Mercer group). Assia joined us for dinner at the American restaurant and enjoyed her very first American meal (aside from McDonald's). She actually like the American mustard too!

Some new friends...

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Originally uploaded by pamelamsimpson.

...At the end of the volunteer week, we had a dinner at the American restaurant and invited students to join us. Three girls that Veronica had met joined us and, along with Ali and Sandra, they had a great time getting to know eachother. Ali is hoping to begin meeting with these girls and carry on the new friendship.

A little chit chat...

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Originally uploaded by pamelamsimpson.

...On campuses, we use volunteer groups to give surveys. These surveys are great ways to learn about the french student culture and mindset. Here Sandra (from the Mercer group) and Anna King (from our team) are talking with a couple of girls at the university building at Censier. They ended up talking with them for at least an hour!

Cooking lessons with Lulu...

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Originally uploaded by pamelamsimpson.

...This was my first lesson in Chinese cooking...given by my teacher, Lulu. Its an exchange of sorts...I give Enlgish lessons and now she's teaching me how to cook real genuine Chinese food. The only problem is that she doesn't know the french or english word for a lot of the ingredients....I think you can only find them in China (or Chinatown, near where I live here in Paris).

The familiar accent group...

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Originally uploaded by pamelamsimpson.

...This is the group from Mercer University in the states that came to work with us for a week. From the left its, Sarah, Chris (the leader), Veronica, Jessica, and Sandra.

Discovering new restaurants...

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Originally uploaded by pamelamsimpson.

...I love going to ethnic restaurants and discovering foods I've never tasted before. Here, me and Assia are at a Lebonese place with our friend, Elie. He is Lebonese and took us to one of his favorite restaurants. The food was great! We're hoping to make this a weekly event...trying new restaurants with Assia, Elie, and their friends (giving them the chance to practice their English!).