La Goutte D'or

"The drop of Gold" otherwise known as the sketchiest sketch neighborhood of Paris. Also where the Nararene church is located that I attended yesterday.

It was quite an experience. I had found the nazarene church website the night before and found the address and was ready to go on sunday morning. I grabbed a bus to get to the neighborhood and as soon as I got off, I was in another world. There was no french to be heard. People were selling live chickens on the street. SOOOO many people in the most colorful african garments I've ever seen. I was literally the only white person I saw all morning - which isn't a bad thing, but it gives you an idea that La goutte d'or is a very ethnic area with nearly all immigrants of low income (immigrants with low income, huh? I guess I do belong there!).

The actual church was a little building with a high ceiling, pews and about 50 people. I've never been in a situation where I felt more like a foreigner than when I first entered. It was obvious that its a small enough church that everyone knows everyone - mostly families with young kids. And here comes the young white american in her fur coat. I'm pretty sure they thought I was a tourist who made a wrong turn somewhere in Montmartre and wandered in by mistake ;). They had me stand up an introduce myself as a newcomer. Everyone was really nice and welcoming and the service was about Nazarene Missions International and Alabaster. Interesting and very familiar. It was totally twilight zone-esque. I was totally out of my element, sticking out like a sore thumb and yet here were these Nazarenes giving the same sort of messages that I've heard all my life, but in a different language. Kind of crazy.

There's still several other churches I want to check out before I make one my "home", but it was a really cool thing to experience.