French Project Update # 5 - Paris

Original letter written on June 14, 2008:

I am writing from an internet cafe in Paris around the area Montparnasse, just about to spend a day of free time recouping from a very full and challenging week in the City of Lights. It is ironic that we have yet to be out past dark because it doesn't become night here until near 11 and we are in need of a lot of sleep, so in fact we have yet to see the "Lights". Frogive me for any spelling errors on these difficult french keyboards!

We arrived in Paris last Thursday and started ministry on Friday. My team has been assigned the campuses of La Sorbonne and La Dauphine. The former is one of the most famous Universities in France and La Dauphine is a very upscale school for students from bourgeoisie parents. The way ministry is working here is that because of French policy within all public institutions, we are unable to do any formal ministry or events in the buildings. So, we have been eating lunch outside with the students at Sorbonne and inside thankfully at Dauphine. Our primary target here is to touch the lives of French students on the campuses and mainly it has been happening through friendship, spiritual interest surveys, and an artistic photo tool called Solarium. We eat our lunch with the students and cannot hand out any literature in the buildings, but outside in the university square "Place de la Sorbonne"
we have had much success with meeting students and sharing the gospel with them.
French students are very open to talk about spiritual things and their opinions, as well to hear ours, but the nature of their decisions to follow Jesus comes slower after a developed friendship and talking through issues of faith. With two weeks here we are doing our best to accommodate this fact, but we also have many contacts here that live here year round and can meet with the students we have spoken to.


The beauty of ministry here is that once a French student accepts the Lord, it is a decision for life and they do not take it lightly.

Our team has been joined with 4 Russian girls and one Lithuanian staff girl all from Agape (Campus for Christ) International. My team is doing extremely well in unity, but our biggest challenge here in health as the pollution a spiritual heaviness here has taken a bit of q toll. I have had allergies since we arrived matched with a cold/sore throat, but my spirit is well. There have been a couple evident spiritual attacks on our team but we have the victory in Jesus and we know that He goes before us in battle; so we are not fearful but truly realize that what we are doing here is making a difference.

Our team has also encouraged the Paris Agape staff working with us and one staff worker told us yesterday that as President Bush is here in Paris for two days, the world thinks its a big deal, but in reality, our presence here is much more important in God's eyes.

Please pray for: health, energy,
effective witness with students,
effective and successful follow-up's,
Monday night art discussion outreach at Cafe Genesis where we have invited those we've met,
perseverance,
clarity for me in long term calling.

You are all such a blessing and encouragement to me, may the Lord bless you as you rest in Him and see His greatness and faithfulness in your lives!!

In Him,

Jonathan Brower