Today, we returned to Paris for two special tours. We left Mery-sur-Marne and took the train to Paris. Taking the train took approximately one hour; with the rush hour traffic in Paris, the drive would have taken more than double that. Once we arrived, Pastor Didier Silberstein took us on a tour of the Jewish quarter of Paris.
We saw some of the oldest synagogues in Paris, sampled some local bakeries, and saw the wall of names in the Shoah Memorial Museum. We learned that Jewish people use the term Shoah rather than the Holocaust. We also were sombered to see so many names of the Jewish people from France that were killed.
Pastor Didier shared with us his testimony of being saved. He was living in Paris and encountered a street preacher who shared the Gospel and gave him a Gospel tract. That encounter stayed with him and eventually led to him trusting Christ. He shared with us many stories of his time living in the Jewish quarter of Paris and how the Lord has worked in his life. Below is a picture of the plaza and fountain where he encountered that preacher.
This trip has had a unique focus so far on Jewish evangelism. We have been greatly encouraged as we have partnered with missionaries and pastors from the International Board of Jewish Missions (IBJM). God’s heart for His people is so clear in Scripture and we have been challenged to pray for Israel and for the Jewish people of the world to acknowledge their Messiah and turn to Him.
After the tour, we enjoyed a delicious lunch and a walk around some beautiful historical sites including Notre Dame where reconstruction work is still going on from the fire several years ago.
Later in the afternoon, we met with Pastor Emmanuel Bozzi from Eglise Biblique Baptiste de Paris who gave us a wonderful tour of important sites in the Reformation. He traced the history of the Reformation from the time of the printing press and the translation of the French Bible all the way to more modern times.
Toward the end of the day, we were able to celebrate the birthday of one of our team members, Crislyn Woods. We are so thankful she was willing to travel with our team and celebrate her special day far from home while serving the Lord.
At the end of the day, we returned to our home base and enjoyed a delicious dinner. Pastor Silberstein is leaving us to return to his family tomorrow, so we shared a time of fellowship with him this evening. He has been a huge help in organizing this missions trip and in hosting us as we have been in Paris. Please pray for him and his ministry in Marseille!
Tomorrow, we will hit the road again! We are traveling to Saint-Gaudens, France, to see Missionaries David and Melissa Price. This will be our longest drive of the trip – around 8-9 hours. Please join with us in praying for safe, smooth travels. We are leaving very early in the morning and hope to join the Prices for the Tuesday evening service at their church.