These past couple days have been filled with lots of walking, wearing my scarf up to my nose and touring Paris. Paris is crazy busy! We live in a pretty well-to-do area, from what Rusthoven (my prof) says, but it's crazy busy everywhere! All the tiny streets and metro hallways are filled with people and I typically walk faster so as to blend in. I don't know why. I should be standing out, wearing a big red and white sweater with a cross on it or something to show I'm not from here. Besides, heaven's my true home.
Yesterday we took the funiculaire up Montmartre to Sacré-Coeur - a big cathedral. The outside looked really cool (I've tried putting up photos but the internet is slow most of the time so I can't quite do that yet and I'm sorry...they're on their way). We walked around the streets on Montmartre and there'll all really small and quaint and cobblestony and whatnot. I love it! We found a really old cemetary and went in and looked around. All the tombstones were huge and there were monuments everywhere! Emile Zola used to be buried there (and his tombstone is still there) but his body was moved a couple years back for a reason that I can't remember right now. But basically, it was really interesting to see how people honoured the dead with such humungous stones and little chapel-looking things and all that.
It was freezing (though not in comparison to Canada) so we went in search of food and warmth. We found a creperie and ate butter/sugar crepes. Soooo good!! Much better than the ones we had made ourselves that morning - though those weren't half bad. Nothing like my dad's though..
Last night Sara, Rachel and I braved the cold again and took the metro down to the Eiffel Tower. Oh. my. goodness. As we stood at the base of it I was suddenly hit with the fact that I am truly in Paris. All the lights on the tower and how a bunch more make it sparkle once every hour was just breath-taking. We walked right underneath it and to the other side, taking pictures all the way. Beautiful. I can't wait to go up it! We're waiting for a clear day to do that.
Today we enrolled at the Sorbonne, even though classes don't start for another couple weeks. Our placement test is on Tuesday. After all that was done, we went to an old Roman arena, stood in the middle of it and sang. We sang Amazing Grace and three or so songs in French. It was beautiful. Reminded me that God's right in the middle of everything that we're doing. And as one of the french songs says, "Shout, shout for joy! For the Lord is near!" He was (and is) VERY near...even inside.
Next we went to Notre Dame!!! We watched the Disney version of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" (en français) with everyone tonight and it was pretty awesome to see in the movie a representation of what we had seen in person earlier today. Notre Dame was as amazing as it sounds. The outside of the building, as you can see in any picture of it, is an absolutely incredible work of art and we all took pictures with it. We were actually allowed to take pictures inside of it so I took some of the stained-glass windows and the statues and chandeliers and all the many candles that people had lit. There are organ recitals every Saturday there so we might go to one tomorrow night.
All in all, life is good, the French is getting a little easier (though not nearly what I'd like it to be at yet) and I know your prayers are holding me together....okay, so God's holding me together, but if I know anything it's that the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective, so thank you for yours towards me. If you'd let me I ask that they continue. Each day has it's ups and downs and I know Sunday will for sure make me wish that I was home.
Love you all! God bless
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