Reality

Hi Friends :)
It's been too long, I know. It's crazy how fast life is going here.  I feel like it's set on warp speed. I guess this is what real life work feels like, cept mine might have a little less structure- okay a lot less- the only thing that's normal is that French class is in the afternoons of monday, tuesday, and thursday. and meetings in the mornings that happen on monday, thursday, and bi-weekly friday. Gracious.

But, we did get a chance to slow down Wednesday for a staff fun day, which lived up to the hype :)  We went out of the city (breathed FRESH air) and drove (a car...what?!) to an orchard!! I spent the day gallivanting around in the mud...mostly just taking pictures..because naturally, I took Bertha along for the ride (my camera).  It was so beautiful just to see wide open spaces.  So, the funny thing about France is that majority of tourist people don't say "Oh, I'm going to visit France". Nope, people say "Oh I'm going to Paris/Toulouse/the Coast". Cities. Well, the majority of France is actually rural. Speaking my language. I love my cities, but with my country love at heart, I need a break every now and again. So, the fun surprise was that the orchard also turned out to be "pick your own produce" farm. Again. Speaking my language. Then, the best part- pick your own flowers. Stop. Just stop France. You're becoming to perfect.

After a good solid few hours of frolicking and picking Dahlia's to my heart's content, It was time to leave and head back to the city for a late lunch and games with the team. 

As we were headed back down the road, I spot van's every few 200-300 feet backup up on the side of this road... I was curious, naturally, but I was also in the back of the van so I couldn't really shout to ask a question...As we got closer to the train stop, I finally hear our team leader Dave say something about prostitutes and how France is trying to outlaw it.  Then, it all clicks as we pass another van.  These were all prostitutes. All these vans and little run down cars we were passing were full of prostitutes being pimped out along the side of the road. The sadder part, was that the last few we passed all had other cars parked next to them. Please, feel free to put the pieces together.

Back two years ago, I went to the Passion conference when they started their campaign about human trafficking, and I have followed it closely ever since.  Now, I don't know how many of these girls were trafficked and how many were "willing" participants.  But, I have never seen such a blatant and overt scene of active, legal prostitution. My heart is broken. It is not a thing I take lightly, and I never want to forget that feeling of dread I felt when I realized what was happening before my eyes.  Sure, it's not the brothel's of Thailand, or some other place in the world that's thought about more.  No, this was just on the side of a busy two lane road on the outskirts of Paris.  We think and laugh lightly about movies like Taken.  But, for those girls in the van, they never had a Liam Neeson to care about them and come rescue them.  This is their world.  This is their life, being subjected and used for someone else's quest for satisfaction, in the back of a dirty, run down van.

Welcome to the world. It's made me have to stop myself and ask if I live in the right reality of how broken this world is.  I see it on campus when I ask student's about their view of God, but there is more of a subtle objection to God that is just easier to live with and doesn't really haunt you at night after you get used to answer after answer of rejection. But, when you get slapped across the face with the reality of this world, everything becomes more important.  Those answers become important again.  What the Lord has called me too for right now has a refreshment of its meaning. I want to fight harder, I want change to happen. I want France to start a revival in Europe.

Please pray with me.