Follow ETBU in Paris, France
Ashley Schenck provided the following recap from day three of the ETBU Tennis teams TAME trip to Paris, France.
"Our third day in Paris began with a trip to a local church. Arriving to church we were greeted by the local members. Even though we were set back by a language barrier we were able to make conversation with the member's through common words, and several people who could help translate. The preacher of the church did not know English other that the words "welcome and God Bless," which he greeted each of us with along with a giant smile. Their eagerness to find a way to communicate with us was inspiring.
A missionary working in Paris, originally from Dallas, translated the sermon for us so we were able to understand the sermon along with the testimony of the man being baptized. Saying congratulation to him after church was a wonderful experience as he was so joyful about his baptism. While I really enjoyed the baptism and sermon, praising the Lord through song was one of my favorite parts. Though the church members were singing in French, our team was able to recognize several of the songs that we sing in chapel at ETBU. Listening to the French and English versions of the songs being sung together was one of the most unique experiences I think I've ever encountered in a church. The love of Christ brought us together from different parts of the world, where we could worship together and were not held back by a language barrier.
After a morning of worship our team ventured out into downtown Paris. Led by two amazing Frenchman, Clemet and Nicolas, we were shown the historical sites of Paris. We started with Notre Dame. After the events of the fire on Notre Dame we could see the damage and how the French people are already working on restorations. Also learning history behind several of the other buildings, we learned that a Chapel in France holds a piece of the Cross that Jesus was crucified on.
We walked the streets of downtown Paris and absorbed every bit of its beauty. We made our way down the canal, past the castles that belonged to many kings and queens we have learned about since middle school, which included Napoleon and Marie Antoinette. The city holds history at every corner which I personally loved. After walking though the Louvre we stopped at the Catholic Church across the street. The beauty of both the Louvre and church was incredible. The architecture was unlike anything any of us had ever seen. Out night drew to a close as we ate dinner and made the trek to the Eiffel Tower. Watching the twinkling lights dance across the tower was a wonderful way to end the evening."
