This is my last day in England and what a great trip I have had. I have been able to sleep at night and face the day with energy. I praise God for that; He is worthy of my praise. Time changes can be hard on me but this trip it has not even been an issue. I have enjoyed being with the team and talking and having fun with them. The time together has been so sweet. Here is a picture of me with some of the girls on the team.
I have really enjoyed being with Josh and Shannon Edwards, our FYM England Base Leaders. In so many ways they remind me of Dave and me, 20 years ago. They are just starting out their lives together, being married for only two short years and are committed to living and serving God in any way He asks. What a talented couple God has brought together, He has gifted them for “such a time as this” here in England. I have enjoyed our time together and just sitting and talking about so many things.
The time with them has made me look back over my life, the years that Dave and I have spent together in ministry. It has been such a rewarding life, I would not change a thing of how we as a couple had the privilege of serving God, the way we did, in the places we did. My prayer for Josh and Shannon: be devoted to the call of God, allow God to lead you, be willing to be led by Him, keep your hearts soft to Him, and remember that God has given you this moment to serve Him, you never get it back. Seize the moment and live it for Him. God is going to use the two of you in great ways. Josh, you are a natural born leader and lead with a great maturity. Shannon, you love people and have such a warm way about you. God has gifted you for this role, believe in yourself. Thank-you God, for Josh and Shannon.
A few nights ago, I went to THE BUS. This is a ministry that a local church here sends a big double decker bus to a neighborhood. On the bus it has individual booths to play video games, large screen TV and tables and chairs to play games on. The BUS drives into the neighborhood, parks for two hours and the kids in the neighborhood get on and hang out with the FYM Team and the churches youth leaders. The neighborhood is rough and the kids are rough, but still the kids are loved by the team and the team understands the value of hanging out with them and building a relationship with them. They have made great progress in building trust with these kids. What a great way to keep the kids off the streets and out of trouble, which so many of them are here in England.
This was assembly week in the schools, so I got to see the Joseph skit 5 times. Various people were Joseph. Here is Krista playing the role of Joseph.
What a great time I had in England. A country that is so dark and cold to God, many have never even heard of God. Please keep praying for our team here and the work they are doing. God is using them in such great ways. Many times it gets discouraging, results are slow, and you feel all alone. Pray for a revival in a dark, dark area.
