Well today is the second Monday in Saloniki. We Started off with some prayers of thankfulness for all that God has given us in our team and in Sophia, our resident tour guide and culture instructor, translator, and the better version of Lonely Planet.
Thankfulness for safety, protection and provision and all the lessons of seeing that in action. Thankfulness for the openness of the folks we meet on the street. Sophia is a local missionary focusing on open-air evangelism (street-ministry&friend-making like what my team is doing here, how perfect?) and with her perspective I was SOOO encouraged this morning. She sees a very distinct shift in the atmosphere so to say in how people receive what we're doing.
Usually the reaction is along the lines of 'you're weird', 'you're not speaking truth', 'you must be in a cult'…But they are willing to listen to what we do and say, whether it is just giving away free coffees (frappes) or just making friends and preaching the gospel, sharing our personal testimonies. They are eager to befriend us, especially the guys haha--this world needs revolution in what it is to be a man and if we can disciple them in our ways and that be our ministry, then bring on the men!
Christine, Chelsea and I were in a group as was the rest of the team and we were sent out across the center of town to read aloud 1 & 2 Thessalonians to proclaim what the Lord spoke to Paul once again--and no, we are not the only ones to have done that in the last couple centuries (I keep needing to remember we are building on so much work by God in this place. So we hopped on a bus heading in the opposite direction of everyone else and came upon a futbol stadium and then hopped off. Tons of people come through here and what a better opportunity to reach many with Spirit that comes with us and goes before us.
I was praying that there would be a side gate open and we would have Jesus' favor to get inside. I really laugh at myself at the lesson I learn. I try so hard to seek the supernatural workings of the Lord and sometimes, you just gotta walk through the front door. And this is precisely why: the front walk way was open to the public. Perfect!
We did some reading, praying, sung a couple verse of worship and I collected some trash to help the employee cleaning up the stadium. We met George, a younger guy about 18 and got to tell him where we are from and that we were studying Biblical Studies and Photography. He asked if we hung out somewhere specific and drank beers, this is the usual activity on any night of the week to be out by the shore and hang out at a pub or café. Hopefully we will see him this Thursday at White Tower--our reply to the beer offer was unfortunately a no thanks, but we go to White Tower on Thursdays. Muahaha, if he only knew it was for ministry!
We also met Demitrius, which the English equivalent is Jim. Makes sense, right? This was a communications lesson for me. We have our schpeal about how we study the Bible and photography and are here to practice and share. But this is too comfortable, and perhaps we just got too comfortable in saying that. It did not communicate nearly at all that we are Christians, followers of Jesus Christ and boldly here to proclaim salvation, heal, and disciple those who are interested in a personal relationship with God their Father. We tried to sneak in, 'can I pray for you' at the end as he rushed off to a possibly false "meeting" with the president of….the fan club? He did not understand why and even as we said we are Christians we had to clarify across the language difference that we believe in Jesus and want to keep him in our prayers for a job and blessings on his life. At this point he understood we were believers and said, "Me too, so we are the same."
It is not enough to speak, but to speak the powerful words of the Bible like proclamations in faith for salvation to be the fruit of the knowledge of Christ. Direct and clear explanations, no holding back on the full understanding I have of God our Father, creator, perfecter, redeemer, forgiver, protector, joy of my life. These are my prayers for this week if you'd so oblige me :)
Reaching for eternity,
Britt
No comments:
Post a Comment