Monday, September 19, 2005

Chocolate Sundae

Professeur: "Next exercise."
Etudiant: "Il ne le lui a demandé pas."
Professeur: "No, no, no. Un journal has an indefinite article."
Etudiant: "Il ne lui en a demandé pas un."
Professeur: "No, no, no. Where do you place the pas?"
Etudiant: "Il ne lui en a pas demandé un."
Professeur: "There is no un at the end. The sentence is negative."
Toni, a former dance major, leans over to Eleanor and whispers, "Gosh, this is harder than ballet."


Yesterday. Amazing. John, my friend from Singapore, asked me if I wanted to meet up with him at a certain church he heard of. So, I get out my little map and find myself Sunday morning at a tiny church in a neighborhood fairly far from the center of town. The church, at least from the outside, looks like it belongs in Africa. Stucco walls, one room. I get there before John. Immediately, the worship leader asks if I play an instrument or sing. A woman approaches me and starts talking to me about a woman, Noëlla, who goes to the church and is actively involved with the students in Aix. Noëlla is the woman who Jessica heard of in Virginia. She oversees the group Agape France which is very similar to Campus Crusade. This in itself blows me away, but it's just the beginning.

After the service John, Wey, and I go to lunch. Wey hails from China. On the way to the service that morning John and Wey missed the bus and decided to walk. They were stopped by two Jehovah's Witnesses and Wey picked up some pamphlets. So, over lunch, John, Wey, and I start to discuss the difference between what it means to believe in Christ and what it means to be a Jehovah's Witness. Through this John and I are able to explain in very basic terms just what it means to believe in Christ. That it's not just a religion to us. That God gives us "un cadeau," a gift. That it's not about doing so many good deeds or being a good, moral person.

Wey only speaks Chinese and French. I only speak French and English. John speaks English, French, and Chinese.

So, what seems, at first, like a series of "random" events actually leads to one of the most unforgettable days of my life.

9 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

That is absolutely awesome!

10:48 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

=)

8:53 PM  
Blogger AJ Harbison said...

AWESOME!! You see, God's already using you!

So... I'm curious as to how the church service was! Did you sing or play? And are you going back? And is it a Reformed church? ;)

AJ
<><

10:48 PM  
Blogger Jessica said...

AHHHHHHH!!!!

11:03 PM  
Blogger Jessica said...

oh my gosh, Eleanor! How compleatly Amazing! Praise God! woo hoo! wow! oh man! wow, so did you meet her? whats going on!? :D It is so cool to see God work like that, so weird, so God.
And WOW so cool to hear about how God used you and John to speak to Wey! Can we hear some details? or updates? NEATO!!! so cool girl! I love you! and miss you!
God bless you! and thanks for being so encouraging!
Love, Jessica

11:11 PM  
Blogger Raelynn Ann said...

WHOAAAAAOOOAAA!!! ELEANOR MUY BIEN!!! NO TU PIU! Praise God! how wonderful when we trust in him and ask for his help how he lays everything out for us :D so so beautiful. i love you dear >:D< you wont believe it... i befriended another reclusive introvert.... (my chemistry is SO weird...) sigh... I MISS YOU! My cusine Naudia (mom's brother's kid [on her mom's side]) wants to meet you!! she is kaylie's age and i was showing her pictures of you :)

11:24 PM  
Blogger AJ Harbison said...

That is flippin awesome!

3:52 PM  
Blogger Idhrendur said...

Er...that was me just now. I'm having to use other computers cause Lappy486 died...

3:53 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

What a wonderful experience on Sunday. God is a work in France thru you.

Auntie Jo

8:17 AM  

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