MISSION POSSIBLE

Stone carving at the Hermitage in the Bahamas

When I became a born again Christian, the first thing I wanted to do was to tell everybody about Jesus and how He saved my life. The urge to tell somebody is a natural response after being touched by the divine presence of God. Every person Jesus touched, healed or delivered in the Bible, was gripped by this same urgency to tell others about it.

One of my favorite examples of this is the Samaritan woman, who after a divine encounter with the Messiah at a well, went straight home and told the whole town about her experience: "Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ (John 4)?" This woman got saved and went straight to the mission field---her neighbors. As a result of her testimony, many in her town got saved. 

Jesus told His first disciples that He would make them "fishers of men." This struck a cord with these men because back in those days catching fish was hard work with long days, harsh conditions and often little reward. Jesus, however, convinced them to hang up their fishing nets and go with Him to learn a new skill---winning souls for the Kingdom. 

This was God's purpose for His disciples then; it is His purpose for us as His disciples now---winning souls for the Kingdom. When Jesus saves you, He calls you to partner with Him in saving other lost souls. Jesus' instructions are clear and straightforward: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father (God) and of the Son (Jesus) and of the Holy Spirit (Matt 28:19)." Some "Christians" develop a case of selective disobedience when they read those words. Perhaps, they think it doesn't apply to them, so they don't do evangelistic outreach; they never invite an unsaved person to church; and they wouldn't be caught dead on the mission field.

Yet out of gratitude, out of love for Christ, every born again Christian will naturally want to see others come to Christ and to be used of God for that purpose. If you do not have a heart burden for lost souls then something is wrong. In 2 Corinthians 13:5, we read: "Test yourselves and find out if you really are true to your faith. if you pass the test, you will discover that Christ is living in you. but if Christ isn't living in you, you have failed." We know that we are in Christ when we care about and do the things Christ cared about and did. Saving the lost was number one on His list. Where does it fall on yours? Is it even on your list to begin with? 

There's a church in Pennsylvania that has at the exit from its parking lot a sign, which reads: "You are now entering the mission field." I remember being struck by the profound truth of that statement. When you leave the comforts of your home in the morning or evening, has the thought ever occurred to you that you are entering your mission field? When you leave for church on Sunday mornings, and you encounter people on the streets or glancing out of windows at you, does it ever dawn on you that you are passing through your mission field?  When you walk or jog through your neighborhood or village on any given day, do you imagine your neighbors as your mission field? 

Funny isn't it how vast the mission field has become. No longer is the mission field some foreign or faraway place that people go off to aid the less fortunate around the world. The truth is, while we have always thought of it as being elsewhere, the mission field has, in fact, always been right at our doorstep. When the Bible talks about loving your neighbor as yourself or giving bread to your neighbor if he is hungry, it's telling us to care for those around us, those whose immediate needs are staring us in the face. Your neighbor is any person that you come in contact who needs help. Often, their need for help is a pathway you can use to help them find Christ. Pray about every situation and ask God to guide you.

God may not be calling you to a foreign mission field [although the need is great] but he does expect you to do the work of a missionary right where you are. This week as you exit the doors of your church or place of worship let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, and say to yourself, "I'm now entering my mission field."

  

4 reasons why we should care about missions

Reason 1 – Because Jesus cares.  Jesus was a missionary sent by God.  A missionary is one sent out to teach, preach and aid others.

Jesus went all over Galilee, teaching in the Jewish meeting places and preaching the good news about God’s kingdom. He also healed every kind of disease and sickness. Matt 4:23

Jesus went to every town and village. He taught in their meeting places and preached the good news about God’s kingdom. Jesus also healed every kind of disease and sickness. Matt 9:35

Reason 2 – Because Jesus established his church as a missionary church. Read the book of Acts, it chronicles Christ’s commission for the church and the early missionary journeys of the church.

But the Holy Spirit will come upon you and give you power. Then you will tell everyone about me in Jerusalem, in all Judea, in Samaria, and everywhere in the world.” Acts 1:8

Reason 3 – Because every follower of Christ is called to be a missionary. The great commission makes it a commandment.  You would not disobey a direct order from a judge, policeman or military officials, yet many disobey this direct order from Jesus:

Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Matt 28:19

And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. Luke 14:23

Reason 4 – Because Jesus left the work of missions in our hands

I tell you for certain that if you have faith in me, you will do the same things that I am doing. You will do even greater things, now that I am going back to the Father. John 14:12

If it's Saturday, I must be in...

"The people who are now living in darkness will see a great light. They are now living in a very dark land. But a light will shine on them." (Isaiah 9:2)

...PARIS. Bonjour, mon amis.

With time winding down, I thought it would be nice to take a day trip. So off I went this morning at about 5:00 am to catch the Eurostar from London for the approximately two hour high speed train ride to the "City of Lights." I've always wanted to go to Paris. Being this close, I was not going to miss out on the opportunity. Day trips in the US, from Philadelphia for example, often mean taking a train or a car to New York City or to Washington, DC, both roughly two hours away. On the European continent, a day trip can be to France, Belgium, Germany or some other nearby country in two hours or less. That's what's so exciting and strategic about being in Europe. At the train station, I talked with two Canadians who are in London for the Olympics. One of them mentioned that they had just made a side trip to Portugal and Spain, about an hour from London by plane.

Some impressions about Paris

After arriving at Gard du Nord train station in Paris, I took a tour bus in order to maximize my time and make getting around a little easier. Like London, Paris is a city right out of the pages of history. On the bus, I was able to see all of the famous landmarks...the Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, Seine River, Champs-Élysées, Place de la Concorde, Château de Versailles and my most favorite, the majestic Eiffel Tower. These timeless monuments are still holding their own against the backdrop of a modern day Paris, which is showing signs of internal decay. I was surprised at how dirty the streets were in many areas. At different points, I passed by people on the street begging. One lady, caked in filth, was asleep on a bench.

I don't recall seeing any active places of worship during my visit. I purposely wore my tee shirt with the  "Lay Witnesses for Christ" logo to see if anyone would react or ask me about it. No one even noticed. And if they did, no one said anything to me. According to a source, "the majority of French do not actively practice any faith, and an increasing percentage indicates they are atheist or agnostic." And it shows on the faces of the people and in the lifestyle I observed. As Christians, we are so focused on sending missionaries to Africa, Asia, Central and South America and to so-called impoverished countries like Haiti. We need to send missionaries to Paris. And to places like Holland and Sweden. I'm sure that God already has a remnant there, but we need to pray, specifically, that the light of the Gospel will penetrate the darkness in these countries.

Breaking down the barriers

On my way back to the train for my return trip, I passed by two older men sitting on a bench who were having a rather loud conversation in another language. I actually passed by them, but halfway up the street, the Spirit said, "Go back." So I did. When I got to the men, I motioned with my hands for them the move apart on the bench so I could sit down between them. Since I don't really speak French, I just got right to the point. I told them my name ("Je suis Carolyn") and called them my brothers ("Mes freres"). I told them that God loves them. Then I spoke to them in French, "Mon coeur est pour vous" pointing to my heart.

I gave them each a Gospel track translated into French that I just happened to put in my travel bag that morning! I told them that they were going to die one day ("mort") and that if they wanted to go to heaven (pointing to the sky) they needed to believe in Jesus and pray this prayer from the heart:

Cher Dieu, je sais que je suis un pécheur. Je vous remercie pour l'envoi de Jésus mourir pour mes péchés. Je veux me détourner de mes péchés et de croire en Jésus en ce moment. Montrez-moi comment vivre et je vais chercher à vous suivre le reste de ma vie. Au nom de Jésus, Amen!

One of the men looked at me, smiled and kept repeating in French what sounded like "missionary," but I can't be sure. I just smiled and hoped what he was saying was good. We parted company and I walked to the train feeling like my trip hadn't been a total disappointment. At least, I had planted a seed in the hearts of those two men. Maybe that (and they) were the whole purpose for my coming to Paris in the first place?

Becoming a passionate witness

Christians are called to plant seeds. When Christians stop being concerned about what to say or what people will think of us, we will be uninhibited in sharing the Gospel with others. And if we ask, the Holy Spirit will embolden us and fill us with compassion for the lost. We are God's seed planters! Pray that the seeds, which were planted in London and Paris during this mission trip, will grow and multiply to the glory of God. After all, this really is our purpose and our mission.

   

Some more thoughts on the Mission

"And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd....(Mark 6:34)."


One thing that has impressed me about London is the shear numbers of people that are here from all over the world. During my time here, I've met people from six of the seven continents---South America, North America, Africa, Asia, Australia and Europe---all within this tiny city of just a one mile radius. And who knows there's probably someone here from Antarctica, the seventh continent, that I have yet to meet. It really is a small world when you stop and think about it. And when you travel to other cities, towns, countries, continents you understand what I mean.

It's amazing how your perspective of people changes when you get outside of the US. Only then are you really able to see humankind in all its fullness, the way God created us...a rainbow of different colors...each one of us created in His own image. It's a beautiful thing to see. I'm reminded of the lyrics to the children's song, "Jesus loves all the [people] of the world. Red and yellow, black and white, they're all precious in His sight." I remember when my father went to Israel some years ago. He told me that he saw a man over there that looked just like him. I was too young to understand what he meant back then but it doesn't surprise me that God would use the same mold more than once.

The Olympics is a special time when the world puts aside its differences and comes together as a family of nations. That spirit of unity and brotherhood has been evident here, even among the spectators here to watch the games. In England, the people have a slogan, "Long live the Queen." I say, "Long live the spirit of the Olympics" even long after the games are over.

This final week is an opportunity for me  to spend some time getting to know the people I met through the various churches we've visited. This morning I will accompany some of the team to the ministry, "Cast Your Burden Upon Jesus," for their twice weekly prayer meeting. Pastor Bola has asked me to give a talk on evangelism, which I believe he plans to air on the SKY network. I thank God for the open door.  We have one more evangelism event on Friday, which will feature Carl Lewis, the Olympian of the Century, and a special surprise guest.

Later in the week, I will spend some time with my friend, Geri, who I met in Bermuda about five years ago. She now lives in the UK with relatives. Sadly, during our reunion last week, Geri confided to me that she has been diagnosed with cancer. The news was hard for me to hear but we know that God is sovereign and He has a purpose for everything. Naturally, we prayed together and I anointed her with oil. I ask your prayers for God's will concerning her situation. And to those persons in other countries  who follow this blog, I ask for your prayers for Geri as well.  We know that prayer can change things!  Be encouraged. God bless you all. I'll see you back in the States soon.

An Olympic snapshot



The world is here in London. The streets are overflowing with people of every nation, tribe and tongue---all here to watch professional amateurs compete against each other in every sport imaginable for gold, silver and bronze. It's an exciting time to be in this city observing it all. This is my first visit to the UK. I'm thoroughly taken with this place. The architecture is magnificent, and the diversity unprecedented. In this most cosmopolitan of cities nearly everyone you meet speaks English. I couldn't have chosen a better place for a mission trip abroad. Everyone in London  seems to be from somewhere else. I have yet to meet a true

Brit. Although, I am sure there are still quite a few around. Rumor has it that the more enterprising

Brits rented their flats to the tourists and left town on holiday to escape the crowds descending upon their beloved city. 

Traffic getting through the city has been extremely congested in areas closest to the Olympic venues. Public transit is the best option. A sleek, modern rail and bus system gets you from place to place with great efficiency. Police are everywhere keeping watch. As are Olympic volunteers in uniform to help us find our way to wherever we are going. So far, the closest I've come to the Olympics was watching Serena Williams take gold in tennis on a big outdoor screen in the town square in Greenwich. But there's still time.

Getting around via public transit is easy to figure out once you figure out the system. The locals told me about a transit pass known as an oyster card, which allows you to transfer easily from rail to bus with the swipe of a card that is re-loadable. You simply load the card with a starting amount, say £5 or more, and go! They call the subway here "the Tube." A word of caution about crossing streets if you ever come here---BE ALERT. Everything on wheels moves at breakneck speed and on the wrong side of the road. Knowing your left from your right (a challenge if you're ambidextrous like me) is crucial. 

As for food choices, you have cuisines from around the world represented here. My experience has been that the food sold in little neighborhood takeaways is both good and cheap. I am staying in an area known as Sydenham, just south of the city of London. It's convenient to bus and rail and the food choices are excellent. I try not to eat what I can get at home (like McDonald's and KFC) opting for the local fare like kabobs, spicy wings, bokit, fish and chips. I've eaten a lot of Caribbean dishes like jerk and curry chicken since coming here. Before I leave I must try the Roti with chicken and potatoes.

Everyone complains about the weather in Great Britain. A friend advised me to pack rain gear, flannel PJs, a heavy sweater and a raincoat. When I arrived at Heathrow airport, it was a bright sun shiny day (just like the song). Over the past few days, it has rained, turned colder and showered on and off. I layer clothes on top of clothes to avoid getting a chill. It takes some getting used to the weather here but you end up doing just that.

The Brits I've met so far have been friendly and very helpful. I guess my accent is a dead giveaway that I'm "an American" as they say. One woman heard me speaking and said to her little daughter, "Can you tell where she's from?" Evidently, she is teaching her to recognize different accents. One of the more interesting persons I've  met in the UK is Dame Betty Asafu-Adjaye, founder of the Mission Dine Club. Dame Betty, who is from Ghana, has received numerous accolades and recognition for her early work of providing daycare to frail, isolated elderly persons, and nutritious home cooked meals. She is such a kind, gentle person. Dame Betty was kind enough to surprise me with a hot water bottle and some foot balm after I mentioned that my feet were cold.

I heard some people say that the church in England is on the decline. But churches with largely African, Caribbean and Asian congregations are on the increase. One of the largest churches in London is Kingsway International Christian Church (KICC) with more than 10,000 members. I'll be going there on Sunday for one of the five services it holds. Olympic construction forced Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo and his congregation to vacate the church building they owned to make way for the Olympic venues. But isn't it good to know that by God's saving grace, KICC will continue to reach outside it's doors to this community with the life saving message of Jesus Christ even long after the 2012 Olympics are gone.  

Power lunch

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses..."Acts 1:7-9

A man I met on a London street invited me to lunch the other day. But before I go into detail about that let me tell you how the day started.

After breakfast, the Lay Witness teams were transported by van to Kingsway International Christian Center, a local church where the night's big event, "An Evening with the Stars," was taking place. It would be a televised event featuring past Olympic athletes giving their testimonies, worship and singing followed by an evangelistic message. Except for being televised, this has been the format each night at various churches here in the UK since I've been here. A word of thanks to our host churches. The church members and volunteers at the various churches have been so gracious to us in treating us like we are celebrities. Talk about "having church," nobody can beat our African and Caribbean brothers and sisters at joyful, spirit-filled worship. I have been so taken with them, I have invited them all to the US to show us how it's done.

My assignment this day was to distribute leaflets on the street about this event and invite people to come. This time I was without a partner. I feel pretty good about London right now so I'm not afraid to venture out trusting God to take care of me. So here I am out on the street handing out leaflets when I see an older lady walking in my direction with a worried look on her face. I looked at her thinking: "Should I approach her or not? She probably wouldn't be interested." Finally, I decided to push past those assumptions and give it a try.

I'll fast forward a bit here. The woman's name is Gloria. Gloria was on her way to see about her granddaughter, Janet, who is currently in hospital on life support due to a serious medical condition. Instinctively, I asked Gloria if I could pray with her for her granddaughter and she agreed.  In GO!Team fashion, right on the busy London street, I lifted up a prayer to almighty God for Janet's life. When I finished, Gloria thanked me. As we continued talking, the conversation got around to her own relationship with the Lord. She gave me the usual "I believe in God" responses. I don't know if what happened with the old man the previous day had anything to do with it but I was determined not to let this one get away.

Gloria gave all the usual and customary excuses for not wanting to accept the offer of salvation through Jesus Christ that day. And I exposed them one by one for what they were...excuses. Finally, I said to her: "We just prayed to God to save your granddaughter's life today. Why not trust Him to do the same for you today?" Finally, Gloria had no more excuses left. She recited the sinner's prayer asking Jesus into her heart and life. Hallelujah. God sent me 3,548 miles from Pennsylvania to London for this divine appointment with Gloria just because He loves her that much! 

Now about my lunch companion. Further up the road, I decided to cross the roadway to the other side. My intention was to work the other side of the street, then head back to the church. When I got to the other side, I saw a man watching me hand out the leaflets. He came up to me and asked what I was doing. I told him I was inviting people in the community to come to an evangelistic event at the church just down the block. Well, this opened up a plethora of questions from him about religion, Jesus, God, Christianity...you name it. I was being challenged by this handsome, intellectual, 60 year old Barbadian gentleman. He had as many questions as opinions on the subject of religion, many of which I could not respond to. However, we were respectful of each other's point of view much like Jesus was with the woman at the well in John 4 of the Bible.

Finally, I said, "Look you obviously know a lot more about systems of religion than I do. I can only tell you from personal experience what I believe and why. I shared my testimony with him about how I had achieved a measure of success early in my life only to have it all come crashing down around me. I felt an emptiness inside like something had died in me. Nothing I tried would get rid of it. One day, as I thought about ending my life, the Lord spoke to me audibly and spared my life to the saving of my soul. Then I told him about another time when a man tried to abduct me at gunpoint and how the Lord protected me when the gun jammed causing the man to run away, which saved my life. He was clearly intrigued by what I had shared. That's when he asked me to lunch.

We walked just down the street to a small cafe where we talked some more over a meal of jerk chicken, peas and rice and ginger beer. At some point, Grantley asked me if I thought there was something after this life. And I told him that according to my belief as a Christian, we believe there is eternal life through Jesus Christ. That's why we have hope. To which he responded that he tries to be a good person, hoping this will count for something in the end.

Grantley, if you're reading this, I may not have been able to persuade you to become a follower of Jesus Christ today; but keep seeking after God who says to everyone: "When you come looking for me, you'll find me. Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I'll make sure you won't be disappointed." (Jeremiah 29:13, MSG). "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved (Romans 10:13)."
Blessings and peace, my brother.

Today, if you hear his voice...

Today was my first real Evangelism Outreach Day. We fanned out across London in teams going into neighborhoods to meet and talk with people on behalf of God, of course, and a local ministry, "Cast Your Cares Upon Him Because He Cares for You." Yes, that is the name. It's a prayer ministry that holds prayer services twice a week for the community. I was paired with a 26 year old woman from Ghana, who shared with me as we walked to our assignment that this was her first time evangelizing in the streets. I smiled and said, "God knew just what He was doing when He paired us up."

God was using me to show her the ropes, so to speak. As we walked to a town square and, later to an outdoor marketplace, I was able to share some insights about discerning who to approach, praying after each encounter and how to engage in conversation with a stranger. She was a fast learner and did an excellent job once she got started. I let her handle all of the encounters since my accent was a dead giveaway that I wasn't from around there. She told me afterwards that she had learned a lot. And whatever fears she may have had were gone. I was so proud of her. I thank God for bringing us together.

I must share one encounter, in particular, that we had with a well-dressed old man. He attracted my attention because he was just standing on the sidewalk with no particular purpose on a busy street. I could see as we approached that he was frail and his hand was trembling (maybe Parkinsons). He appeared to be in his 80's, maybe even 90's. I asked if he needed help (a good way to begin in situations like this). Cynthia asked if he lived in the neighborhood, which he did, so she took over from there. At some point, I heard him say to her, "I don't pray," which surprised her so I took over to explore that question with him a little more.

It turns out that he does pray. However, he is a Muslim, so he believes in God, just not in Jesus as God's son. He believes that Jesus was a messenger of God. I attempted to explain the gospel to him but he kept repeating that Jesus was a messenger. I realized that I was looking at a  man whose time is quickly running out to make the decision to accept Christ into his heart as his Lord and Savior. And unless he does so, he is doomed to spend eternity in Hell. Instinctively, I was moved to pray for him right on the spot. I placed my hand on his shoulder and prayed as Cynthia watched. The opportunity for salvation was right there for him within his reach and he would not take advantage of it. Hebrews 4:7 warns: "Today, if you hear his [God's] voice, do not harden your hearts." This man was blinded (Isa 42:6-7), not so much hardened because he did listen to me. However, he had lived so long in this state, it was difficult to get through to him. Nevertheless, I prayed that God would have mercy and open his eyes before they close for a final time (Luke 12:20). When I finished, the old man smiled at me and kissed Cynthia on the cheek as we parted company with him.

I believe God arranged this encounter to give the old man another chance at salvation. Like everything else He does, I believe God gives us multiple chances until our chances run out. I will never know what will happen to the old man after I return to the States. I can only hope that when next we meet it will be in Heaven.

This is missions: first lesson

"He learned obedience by the things He suffered...Hebrews 5:7-9"

Forget about the Queen, the Son is shining on Great Britain. My six hour overnight British Airways flight from Philadelphia  went better than I expected— it was comfortably short. The time goes fast. When the plane crossed the International Dateline, it was really awesome to go from darkness into the light in a blink of an eye. Witnessing this spectacle, I immediately thought about the biblical account of creation where in Genesis 1 God separated the evening from the day.

My flight arrived at Heathrow airport at 6:30 am. While I was waiting to be picked-up, I saw Olympians from the various countries arriving, as a nearby Salvation Army brass band played "Crown Him Lord of All" in the airport no less. Finally, transport arrives and I pile into the van with others on the Team who had been waiting with me.

On the drive through the city, London looks very much like any American city except for the traffic pattern, which is opposite of the traffic patterns in the U.S.. What should be on the right is left and vice versa. My first impression of London is a positive one. It's a clean city, architecturally pleasing, with a colorful mix of different cultures and distinct accents.

The first day is all about settling in and getting acclimated to new our new surroundings. The Team is staying at a Girl's High School just outside of London. Some of you probably thought I'd be staying in a nice hotel. When they told me to bring my own sheets, blankets, pillows and towels, I knew it wasn't likely. The school's two large gym floors were converted into a sleeping area complete with a sea of mostly air mattresses. My bed is a foam mattress from IKEA (I was blessed). There is  a cafeteria for meals and so far, the food has been good. Still there's a lot to get used to, and there's been the usual creature comfort complaints from some Team members.

But THIS IS MISSIONS. And the lesson I've learned from this first day is that humility, obedience and sacrifice is what missions is all about. Don't do missions if you just need a vacation. You'll be disappointed. It's not a walk in the park; it's not a picnic either. Missions requires a sacrificial commitment and a willingness to serve often under difficult circumstances. Like Paul, I've had to make an attitude adjustment to be content and to focus solely on why I came to London. As long as I keep this thought in the forefront of my mind, I will be in the place where God can use me. As Christians, we must remember that "Our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all (2 Cor 4:17)."

Having said this, I must tell one last story: Three Team members and myself were standing around talking together. It was clear from our body language and our faces that we were exhausted and worn out from our travels and from what was turning into the longest day. So we're standing there waiting to be assigned a sleeping space when suddenly, my mouth opens and I blurt out, "I'll be glad when this day is over." Realizing that I had voiced the exact sentiments of everybody else, the group erupted into an uncontrollable fit laughter that lasted for several minutes. It was exactly what we needed to lift our weary spirits. and prepare us for the real work ahead.

And so the evening and the morning were just the first day...

God's miracle gift: Just when I thought it couldn't get any better

^"Give and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you (Luke 6:38).” Jesus said, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing (Luke 4:21)."

This blog was unplanned but something so miraculous happened today that I couldn't keep it to myself.

At the beginning of my campaign, before I had even collected one dime, God spoke to my spirit and told me to give away ten percent of what I hoped to raise for the trip to London. I was asking God for $4,000, which meant I was to give away $400. My first impression was, "How crazy is that? I'm trying to raise money, not give it away!" As I spoke that thought, I caught myself: "Only God would tell me to do something like this. And even though it made little sense at the time, somehow I knew there would be a great blessing in store if I did as He said."

I immediately opened my checkbook and wrote checks out to four different Christian ministries that God put on my heart to give to. Later, one of the ministries actually called to thank me for my donation (something the woman said they never do). Even more amazing, I shared that I was going to London, and she gave me the name of her contact there, who I've already spoken to and plan to meet. This was just the seed being planted.

Now fast forward to today.

As of Sunday, the total raised from the campaign was $4,336. And I was quite happy that I had reached (even surpassed) MY goal, and thankful to God for this miracle of giving. But little did I know that God wasn't through yet. He had a promise to keep---His word. On Monday, a new friend drops by my house with an unexpected donation. Then two more donations came in the mail. And another donation on Tuesday. On Wednesday, I dropped by the bank before my flight and a spirit-filled teller, named  Grace, handled me still another surprise donation. At first, I didn't get the connection between these five last minute donations. It wasn't until I added them to the previous total that I realized what God had done. The new total now stands at $4,456.  Remember that $400 seed gift?

God gave back to me all that I had given away and more! Luke 6:38 is this day fulfilled in my life just as He promised. How faithful is our God? When I think about all that has happened up until now, this whole campaign has been a miracle of God. And not for me only. I hope this testimony inspires somebody to believe God for what He's promised. And whatever He tells you to do...do it. There's a great blessing in it.

Now it's on to London...to meet Him there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

London bound: I wouldn't take nothin' for my journey

In 47 days from now, Lord willing, I will climb aboard British Airways Flight 66 leaving from Philadelphia International Airport for a nine hour flight to London, England. The journey up to now has been nothing short of amazing. I have so many wonderful people to thank for believing in me, encouraging me, supporting me and partnering with me in this endeavor to carry the gospel of Jesus Christ "across the Pond" to the millions who will converge on that city for the 2012 Summer Olympic games. The excitement is building among the more than 100 volunteers who have signed on for this mission trip with Lay Witnesses for Christ International (LWFCI). This is my very first mission trip overseas. It has taken me 64 years to realize my dream, which serves as a testimony that you are never too old for God to use you.

Each day, while in London, I will be blogging about what God is doing in that city through our teams. I hope each blog will make you feel like YOU ARE THERE WITH US in spirit. Please pray for the mission's success and for the safety of all concerned. Our LWFCI teams will be ministering daily in over 25 local churches and on the streets of London from July 27 through August 14. See the video on this page for more details. Please sign up to follow this blog so that you don't miss any of the action. There will be pictures and possibly, video if I can figure out how to upload it. Look for my next post around July 25 when I leave for London. I'll close for now by acknowledging the monetary gifts of family, friends, Siloam BC family, area churches, businesses and everyone who saw me out there on the street with my bucket and donated. I pray God's richest blessing upon all of you (Luke 6:38).

To GOD who makes all things possible, and to those persons who sacrificed to make a donation to send me on this mission. Names have been removed to protect their privacy.