Yes I know Monday was not the 29th even if it felt like it.
The Flemish have a phrase that says they are busy from early in the morning until late at night. It is phrased in such a way as to indicate that it is a habit or continuous action. We could certainly use that to describe this week. But to date it has been an amazing week.
Here is a typical daily schedule. We leave the apartment just after 6:00AM to go to a church to prepare for the morning outreach to the crowd that has partied all night. We usually leave that church around 7:00 to go to the ministry area and are there until after 9:00 before returning and cleaning up for the next day. Everyone is having amazing conversations there. Even our English speaking team members are having meaningful spiritual conversations since many of the younger crowd speak English. I could go on about the conversations I had but here is a synopsis of one yesterday. I engaged a young man in conversation by offering him a cup of coffee or hot chocolate. He accepted the coffee and asked where it was from. I told him it was from God and I was just delivering it in His name. He told me he was an atheist and asked if I would still give him coffee. I told him it was no problem. That seemed to amaze him and get his attention and he asked repeatedly why I would give God's coffee to an atheist. After more chatting I asked him how he was absolutely there was no God. He told me he was not 100% sure so I explained to him he was an agnostic. He agreed. Just moved him one step closer to God. In a little while one of his friends joined us. The new agnostic told me his friend was an atheist. But he (the agnostic) began a very good presentation for the existence of God to his atheist friend. The basis of the argument was there had to be a God because I had given him coffee, said it was from God and he believed me. Plus it was really good coffee. It was amazing to watch.
After the morning outreach we prepare for a intentional acts of kindness cookie outreach to the sanitation workers. We usually distribute 40-50 gift sacks of cookies, tell them about their origin and just thank them for their hard work. So far no spiritual conversations but we are becoming well known as the people with the cookies and they are looking for us at lunch time. Everyone is glad to talk with us. One man told me he really wanted to move to America. I told him I had left a place free for him. His colleague told him he would not last two days there during hunting season since my friend was wearing a pair of bunny ears. The colleague said several people had thanked them for their hard work. I asked if the others had thanked them with cookies and he admitted our thanks was sweeter.
Following that we prepare to distribute cookies to the tram and bus drivers. On Monday and Wednesday we we distributed 350 bags for a total of 700. They too are pleased and surprised. On Monday I told a lady at the ticket counter she needed to be the first to get a sack. I told her they were all good but some more than others and I was an expert, just look at my waist. When we went back on Wednesday she said she wanted to ask a "dumb" question. She said she was baptized into the Catholic church but it had no meaning for her. She wanted to know the difference between evangelicals and Catholics. The deacon I took with me gave a brief explanation and promised to bring her some material that explained the differences.
We close the day with another outreach of four hours joining a church in serving crepes and coffee to passers by. Yesterday I had the opportunity to present the plan of salvation to a young man and he wants to continue to meet until he can fully understand it and find a personal relationship with God. Needless to say the highlight of the day.
Then we do team debriefings and get something to eat. Just a typical day but they are great days. Why, glad you asked. We are on the crest of God's answers to your prayers. The movement here is because of what you are doing there. Keep it up and so will we.
Gotta go. It is 6:00AM. More later.
The Flemish have a phrase that says they are busy from early in the morning until late at night. It is phrased in such a way as to indicate that it is a habit or continuous action. We could certainly use that to describe this week. But to date it has been an amazing week.
Here is a typical daily schedule. We leave the apartment just after 6:00AM to go to a church to prepare for the morning outreach to the crowd that has partied all night. We usually leave that church around 7:00 to go to the ministry area and are there until after 9:00 before returning and cleaning up for the next day. Everyone is having amazing conversations there. Even our English speaking team members are having meaningful spiritual conversations since many of the younger crowd speak English. I could go on about the conversations I had but here is a synopsis of one yesterday. I engaged a young man in conversation by offering him a cup of coffee or hot chocolate. He accepted the coffee and asked where it was from. I told him it was from God and I was just delivering it in His name. He told me he was an atheist and asked if I would still give him coffee. I told him it was no problem. That seemed to amaze him and get his attention and he asked repeatedly why I would give God's coffee to an atheist. After more chatting I asked him how he was absolutely there was no God. He told me he was not 100% sure so I explained to him he was an agnostic. He agreed. Just moved him one step closer to God. In a little while one of his friends joined us. The new agnostic told me his friend was an atheist. But he (the agnostic) began a very good presentation for the existence of God to his atheist friend. The basis of the argument was there had to be a God because I had given him coffee, said it was from God and he believed me. Plus it was really good coffee. It was amazing to watch.
After the morning outreach we prepare for a intentional acts of kindness cookie outreach to the sanitation workers. We usually distribute 40-50 gift sacks of cookies, tell them about their origin and just thank them for their hard work. So far no spiritual conversations but we are becoming well known as the people with the cookies and they are looking for us at lunch time. Everyone is glad to talk with us. One man told me he really wanted to move to America. I told him I had left a place free for him. His colleague told him he would not last two days there during hunting season since my friend was wearing a pair of bunny ears. The colleague said several people had thanked them for their hard work. I asked if the others had thanked them with cookies and he admitted our thanks was sweeter.
Following that we prepare to distribute cookies to the tram and bus drivers. On Monday and Wednesday we we distributed 350 bags for a total of 700. They too are pleased and surprised. On Monday I told a lady at the ticket counter she needed to be the first to get a sack. I told her they were all good but some more than others and I was an expert, just look at my waist. When we went back on Wednesday she said she wanted to ask a "dumb" question. She said she was baptized into the Catholic church but it had no meaning for her. She wanted to know the difference between evangelicals and Catholics. The deacon I took with me gave a brief explanation and promised to bring her some material that explained the differences.
We close the day with another outreach of four hours joining a church in serving crepes and coffee to passers by. Yesterday I had the opportunity to present the plan of salvation to a young man and he wants to continue to meet until he can fully understand it and find a personal relationship with God. Needless to say the highlight of the day.
Then we do team debriefings and get something to eat. Just a typical day but they are great days. Why, glad you asked. We are on the crest of God's answers to your prayers. The movement here is because of what you are doing there. Keep it up and so will we.
Gotta go. It is 6:00AM. More later.
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1 comment:
That is simply wonderful news. We are so happy to see God's hand move as you serve the people of Gent. What a awesome God we serve! I'm about to go read Lucy's blog to see how she is doing, but I hope and pray that our Father has given her the energy she has needed this week. We continue to pray for new and deeper relationships to develop out of your encounters. Talk to you soon.
Brent
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