Prayer over This City

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

Thessaloniki, Greece: An Introduction

Above: This is the moment I realized I was in another country. A castle-like tower, White Tower, with a Greek flag. Hello, world!

Day 1: Feeling around the city! We got swarmed by street

 vendors. They were very friendly and one asked us to pray 

for him and then they all jumped in! It was wonderful 

to know their hearts and make friends with them.  Hopefully 

we  see them around again soon

This is "The Arch" but I haven't quite learned 

the importance of it. Obviously it was the entrance to something which is now in ruin, but thats all I know so far. I will keep y'all posted as I learn.

So this is a Minarete Tower (spell check?) which is from the Turk's influence post Roman Empire: Muslim effects after Christian reign. 

The ceiling is guilded but the rest of the interior was plain, with two or three rooms to walk into, perhaps for statues or shrines, offerings or priestly things. (do I have a history-buff to fact-check me?) 

This is White Tower again, but at night during our more people-populated ministry. We give out free coffee which always begs the question, "Why would you give away something for free?" Especially in the economic crisis, it is very counter-cultural I'm supposing to give things freely; even more so to really live out God's free love to us. It's wonderful and they feel wonderful in return!

Candles burning in the old Hagia Sofia church building. It was laden with hand-crafted pews, alters, golden chandeliers...before churches were burden with blandness and a duty to humility and taxes they devoted their precious possessions to building with honor to the Lord. Oh, and these candles were likely lit in remembrance for someone slash a specific prayer.

Across the street from Hagia Sofia, just a good shot of architecture in the center of town. Beautiful brick and balconies line most of this city. Ironically, it is what replaced the ruins which were also made of this same color brick...presumably, it of course is now a very faded version of this coloring. 

Jesus Crucified...For Sweatpants

Well, I woke up this morning to come to our prayer room for an hour of Bible reading. It started out solely dedicated for Bible reading this hour of time every morning. I am SOOOO THANKFUL for my friend Madalyn. She and I came together to not just keep each other accountable, but essentially to lovingly obligate each other to coming. Ok, obligate is a strong word, but its how I feel. It's a great thing though. I wake up in the morning and panic because I hit the snooze one too many times and Madalyn, patient and full of grace for me, is just standing outside my door, waiting for me to be ready.

SUB-REVELATION: Should I not be thinking all these same things about God every morning when I get up to spend time talking and praying and such? God is so worth my time and well, He's also the reason I'm showing up--so why not look forward to our rendezvous??

That was from a couple days ago, maybe last week, who knows at this point-I'M LEAVING FOR GREECE IN TWO DAYS (62 HOURS AND 26 MINUTES). Anyway, the epiphany from this morning is this:
Every time we ask for something from Jesus and get disappointed because it doesn't happen the way we think it should, there's a small something inside me that goes something along the lines like this (this could be painful, but its good):

Jesus isn't who He says He is: wondrous miraculous all-powerful God and Man, victorious over death, omni-present, omni-form, omni-everything....you get the idea. 

Jesus might not hear me, He might not love me, He might not want to bless me and surprise me, amaze me with His transcending (from Heaven) works....

So, Brittany. Let me get this straight, you're crucifying Jesus, again, and again and again and again, over a pair of sweatpants? I couldn't find my sweatpants and asked Jesus to help me locate them (you should try this next time you can't find something, He will help you find them, it can work for you too--because Jesus loves you too, loves to amaze and surprise you, wants you to know just how wondrous He is). Well, Jesus reminded me I also have a flashlight so I should use it. So practical this God of ours. I still couldn't find them and then that little thought snuck in my head, "blah, i thought Jesus worked like that..."

So, I say I'm sorry Jesus for metaphorically crucifying you over a pair of sweatpants. Siding with ideas that do not claim confidently who I know you are to me, and to this world.

Thank you for grace, Father.