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.