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.