conVEntion highlightS

with Allison

I open my eyes and look out my window to see the Eiffel Tower surrounded by warm sunshine. I can smell strong coffee and freshly baked pastries and hear soft accordion music. I step out of bed, throw open my window, and think to myself, “This is the dream” … because it’s just that—only a dream.

The reality is, I live on the opposite side of France from Paris, so no Eiffel Tower views for me. If I smell strong coffee and freshly baked pastries, it’s because I got up, dressed, and took the 10-minute bus ride to buy them. And I often wake to the sound of a leaf blower as the gardeners tend to the courtyard of my apartment complex. Although I am blessed to live in a beautiful country, I still live my life much the same as I did in Kentucky. Now, I just live it on the other side of the world.

Every day I still have chores around the house, errands to run, and students to teach. I still have to remind myself to slow down and spend time with the Lord. I still have to push myself to leave my introverted comfort zone, (where I just want to stay home or avoid talking to people). These things I’ve done my entire adult life, and I’m sure you do much the same.

I’ve come to realize that daily life is similar no matter where you live. The key is to remember that no matter where we are, God still calls us to His service and gives us opportunities to make His name known, whether that’s in a place with an Eiffel Tower view or not.

About the Writers: Allison and Jacob serve in restricted areas with The Hanna Project.

with Jacob

There is no such thing as a 'normal' day with THP in southern France. I wake up before 7 AM, make coffee, listen to worship music, and read my Bible. Most mornings a friend picks me up, or I ride the bus, or walk to Le Projet Hanna Center.

At the center, I either observe an English class, help with a computer class, or tutor an Algerian man in English. Once or twice a week I go to our Tunisian friend’s snack shop and get a kebab sandwich. It is one of the few spicy things I’ve been able to find in France!

In the afternoon I usually buy groceries, get bread from the boulangerie (bakery), or grab a coffee from the church-operated café. Toward the weekend, I work on my French Food Friday video. Wednesday and Thursday evenings I teach an English conversation class on Zoom. Other evenings might find me talking with my language partner Tim, attending a young adult Bible study, or playing spikeball in the park with friends. Dinner is around 8 PM (typical for France) and I go to bed around midnight.

This has been my schedule for the past month, but it’s quite different from my 18-class-hours-a-week university schedule. That changes in June when I start my summer French intensives, then again in the fall when I’m teaching more English classes plus back in university.

It’s hard to describe a 'normal' day because the 'laid-backness' of southern France makes changing plans pretty standard. The “quart d'heure aixoise” is a stereotype which means someone in Aix can be a quarter hour late for something and no one will ask questions. While I still try to be on time and punctual, the southern part of France values the person in front of you more than the schedule in your pocket. That is what it looks like to go behind the scenes with me and THP in southern France.