Scotland 2009

Information Center

Something that our team leader reminded us before coming to Scotland, and which was reiterated in our workshop training sessions, was that each of us should remain flexible throughout the trip. The focus and direction of our team was changed from being a Bookstore to an Information Center.

The Information Center is located in Oak Mall. It allows people to come in to get information about the Town Hall meetings as well as information about Times Square Church. As it is not a typical ministry type, we have been able to meet and serve the Scottish people in a very special way. The best part was to see the people we met at the Information Center arriving at the Town Hall. The Scots are so nice and polite to us. As we spoke to them, we cannot help but notice the special spark in their eyes. We listened to their story and you can’t help but thank God for the work that He’s doing in their lives.

God has been showing Himself faithful and giving us a bigger picture of what this Information Center is to Him and His plan for Scotland. Our willingness to be obedient to His direction has allowed us to meet some really great locals, and we’re truly grateful for the opportunity to be on the front lines!

This blog post was published on November 14, 2009

While we were doing door-to-door evangelism in Alexandria, one of our team members decided to follow a particular man, whose path led her to a bar. An older man later came out of that bar to smoke and they struck up a conversation. After about 10 minutes of chatting, she said: “you say you know God, but have you accepted Jesus as your Lord and your savior?” He said that he hadn’t but he was so excited that he wanted to kneel. They prayed together and his whole countenance changed, even his “smoker’s hands” appeared different.

Our team member admitted she originally did not want to volunteer to go out to Alexandria that day, but did it only out of obedience. And even though she initially thought she would be ministering to the guy who ended up walking into the bar, God had a different plan. It’s always exciting when we just follow His lead and are willing to go where He desires.

Another group from our team went to The Haven. They immediately felt the presence of God as residents had join them in a worship service. One of our team member later said she was brought to tears by God’s presence in this place. Then each of the team members gave their testimony which opened doors for deeper sharing and bonding. The residents appreciated their openness and saw that people who may not have had serious drug addictions or a “really messed up life” still need the Lord and their life had still been changed powerfully.

This blog post was published on November 14, 2009

Day 2, setting up the Information Center was definitely a busy one, but thank God the Healing Room team was there working with us. There was a lot going on, multiple runs (literally, my teammate and I were jogging the streets of Greenock to find a screwdriver!) to Home Base and Tesco, spackling, painting, scrubbing, building and arranging furniture. We joked that we must be on an episode of Extreme Home Makeover! But we did it with joy and excellence knowing that God has blessed us with this space in the mall for free. Everything that Jesus touched was transformed into a far better condition than it originally was, and that is our desire as a testimony of His goodness. 

Meanwhile, two of our team members went to join Victory Christian Center in Alexandria to go door to door inviting people to the conference. They were pleasantly surprised at the warmth and friendliness of those they met, whether or not they were interested. One woman explained that she couldn’t come due to a council meeting. A moment later, her neighbor (who had also just received an invitation) said, “Forget the council meeting, go to church!” This is yet another picture that is not about us. God’s going to use all kinds of ways to encourage and compel people to come in.

This blog post was published on November 9, 2009

Going out to the Fort Matilda to enjoy the fireworks tonight was a real treat. A teammate and I walked among the crowd, inviting people to the town hall meetings. While everyone we spoke with was very friendly, it wasn’t long before we saw a running theme in their remarks, especially among the teenagers. The mere mention of New York seemed to be the perfect catalyst for bold comments and jokes about pornography and homosexuality.

One boy however in between his off-the-wall questions of our involvement in the porn industry suddenly asked, “How do you know Jesus is real?” So we began sharing until they had to go. We actually ran into them later at the train station, and the same boy came up to me and said, “Wait, finish your story.” It reminded me that as coarse and rough as their exterior may be, inside there is a curiosity about this Jesus who changed our lives. We believe He is going to answer the deep questions in the hearts of this generation…

This blog post was published on November 8, 2009