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Archives For November 30, 1999

London Encounters: Aussies, Muslims and Bobbies

Lisa Misner —  August 11, 2012
London Bobbies were among the many people Serena and the mission team members met.

These two Bobbies were among the many people Serena and the mission team members met and shared the Gospel with during their trip to London.

COMMENTARY | Serena Butler

Wow, what a trip! With everyone safely home and sleeping in our beds, we now have time to sit back and reflect on our time in London. As I sat last night and watched some of the Games on TV, I couldn’t help but think about all that took place. I found myself trying to pick out the Team Great Britain participants in the various events. As they mentioned places like Horse Guard Parade, I had visions of the Tube stations that service that venue.

But more than the Games themselves, my mind went back to the people we met. My thoughts and prayers were with people like the newspaper stand guy at Kings Cross who gave the team directions to the church on the first day. Or the Muslim man who Ian spoke with and, then another group encountered, who final made his way into Café Eden. A German and an Australian stumbled across Kings Cross Church while looking for a place to fulfill their traditional religious duties, and heard the truth about God wanting a relationship with us, not just traditional practices. One brought her friends to the Café the next day and even returned for church on Sunday.

I thought about Edgar who stopped into Southfields that first night to watch the Opening Ceremonies because he was lonely and wanted to watch with people from around the neighborhood instead of in his flat by himself. Throughout the week, he returned every day and many of us had the chance to have conversations with him about how much God loves him and understands his loneliness; and encouraged him to seek a relationship with God and to continue coming to the church.

Geraldine, the women I talked to on the Tube one morning, was also on my mind.  She had been baptized as a child, but had been away from church for a long time. We talked on the platform before boarding the Tube, where I had the chance to share the Gospel with her. We rode the train together and continued our conversation, and then just before she got off at her stop, she asked me to pray for her. I pray that God will bring others across her path to water the seed and finally bring her to the point of salvation.

There are so many others, like the ball girl from Wimbledon, the Pakistani man who volunteered at tennis venue, the lady in charge of the Southfields Tube Station, the head gamesmen at Wimbledon, the survivor of Sept. 11, the Bobbies who patrolled the area around the Southfields church, the Jehovah’s Witness who talked to Maddie for over an hour, the Muslim man I shared with at the station, the Muslim girl who Mari-Sue shared the Gospel with who missed her stop because she was so interested, and the hundreds of others whom we shared with while we were there. I am sure each team member has a list of their own.

But I am also reminded of the church leaders we met, encouraged, and were challenged by. Pete and Don at Kings Cross work so hard to minister in that hard neighborhood. May God continue to bless their efforts. Melissa and Nick and the other members at Southfields, may they continue to grow in their boldness to share Christ in their community.

Before I left, Melissa took me aside and told me that the church leaders have been discussing the possibility of opening the coffeehouse again during the annual Wimbledon Tennis Tournament. They were encouraged by our willingness to go out and invite others to come and to share the Gospel with them. They are seeking wisdom and asking God to help them reach out more to those who live in Southfields.

So many good things happened with so many hearing the Gospel! It is my prayer that the Holy Spirit will continue to work in the lives of everyone we met.

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Two Americans in Paris

Meredith Flynn —  August 9, 2012

COMMENTARY | Serena Butler

There are certain things in life that bring comfort to us during times of trouble. Hugs, a cup of hot chocolate, a smile from a friend, knowing someone is praying for you – those are just a few of the things that come to mind. Recently I found comfort from something I never expected.

I was finishing up a mission trip to the Olympics in London when something went wrong. Our team had decided to end our trip with a day in Paris. We boarded the train and headed into Paris to see whatever time would allow. Crowded subways to us to Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, and a boat ride on the Seine. Then we headed back to the subway that would take us back to the train back to London. When we got off the subway, one of our team members discovered that her wallet, which contained her passport, credit cards, and money, was missing. (We assume she was the victim of a pick pocket.)

Without a passport, you can’t leave France. So, the rest of the team boarded the train to London, leaving two of us behind. We made phone calls to the States, filed a police report, and found a hotel. This all happened on Friday evening, and the US Embassy wouldn’t open until Monday morning at 8:30 am. So we found ourselves in Paris, with a lot of time to get all our papers in order for our visit to the Embassy.

We arrived at the gate at 7:20 am Monday morning to find 13 people ahead of us in line. We later learned that they were most likely French citizens applying for Visas to the US. At about 7:30 they opened the gate and we stood in line to go through security. As soon as I showed my US Passport we were put into a different line that put us ahead of everyone else. We were the first admitted to the Embassy and were sitting inside by 7:35, being smiled at by portraits of President Obama and Secretary of State Hilary Clinton.

Now comes the surprisingly comforting moment: I’ve heard others say this, but this morning I experienced for myself the peace and comfort that comes from knowing you are on American soil in a foreign country. I don’t think you fully understand it until you have experienced it. I felt a little bit of home and, most importantly, I felt safe. There were at least 13 other Americans there who had lost passports over the weekend and we spoke to them, joined together by the same circumstances.

As I sat waiting, I thought this might be something like the feeling we will have when we found ourselves ushered into heaven. Instead of the President, Jesus will be smiling at us. Instead of a portrait, He will be standing right in front of us. Instead of showing a passport, they will see our names in the Lamb’s Book of Life and they will point us to the open door. We will not have metal detectors or scanners to walk through, but will be greeted with open arms.

After a lifetime on earth, a place that is not our eternal home, we will finally feel at rest and at home, safely in the land of our heavenly citizenship.

Serena Butler blogged here about her adventures in London, and also will be featured in the August 13 issue of the Illinois Baptist. Sign up for your free subscription at IBSA.org/IllinoisBaptist.

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Farewell London

Meredith Flynn —  August 3, 2012

OLYMPICS | Serena Butler

We’ve wrapped up our week of ministry at these Olympics, and will head to Paris on Friday for some sightseeing. (We’re also taking Olympic pins and some More Than Gold booklets that explain the Gospel, because you never know who we’ll run into).

Our last few days in London have been really full. We continued to work in the Kings Cross coffee house and Southfields TV Lounge, and we also saw a little of the city (Picadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Tower of London, and Big Ben). We even caught some Olympic action – half our group watched the U.S. women’s volleyball team (indoor) beat China in straight sets. The rest of us cheered on the U.S. women’s basketball team as they took on Turkey, and won 89-58.

We looked across the court and could see the men’s team there to support the women. So, yes, I was in the same building as Lebron James.  On our way out of the Olympic Park we saw a retired NBA player, and Ian and Mari-Sue had their picture taken with him. (But you’ll have to ask them who it was – I’m not as up on that as I should be).

On Thursday, our last ministry day, I saw something really interesting at the Southfields TV Lounge: One of the gamemakers (people who are working at the Olympic venues) had picked up an Evangicube (a witnessing resource) and was showing it to a young boy who was there with his mother. He went through the Gospel with the little guy. One of our team members had brought the Evangicube from home and now the story was being passed on through the locals who are working the Games.

There are many more stories to tell about our time here. We have made new friends and also now have a home church in London. If I am ever back, I know where to worship. Thanks to you all for praying for us – we’ll see you soon!

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Pray with us for new friends in London

Meredith Flynn —  August 2, 2012

OLYMPICS | Serena Butler

Our long train commute has been a blessing; we’ve had so many opportunities to meet Olympics volunteers and visitors, and people who actually live in London.

On the Tube ride home after a long day Tuesday, I sat down in my seat as the train started to move. When I looked up, three of our team members were already talking to the people sitting next to them. All of them had the opportunity to share the Gospel. Mari-Sue spoke with a lady who missed her stop because they were deep in conversation. Here are a few of the new friends we’ve met during our commutes and days at the ministry centers:

  • Geraldine, a Londoner I talked to on the Tube. We talked about the Olympics and she asked who we were working with. I was able to give her one of our pins and explain the colors and go through the Gospel with her. She was very receptive to hearing about it and loved the pin. She told me that she was raised Catholic but is not in church anymore; then, she changed the subject. She got even quieter and we rode a few stops in silence. As she was getting off at her stop, she leaned over and grabbed my arm and said, “Will you please pray for me?” Then she stepped off the train. I wanted to get off with her, but had no way to communicate with my team what I was doing, so I stayed on, but told Geraldine I would pray for her. She smiled and waved to me as the doors closed. We prayed for her later during our prayer time.
  • Igor graciously took a group photo of us at the airport in Chicago. He’s from Russia but has lived in the U.S. for a long time. He asked if we were some sort of sports team. I told him that we were a mission team going to work at the Olympics. I also told him that I had been to Russia in May. When I told him we had worked with Baptist churches there, he was surprised to learn that there were Baptist churches in Russia. He grew up in a village in the north where there was no church at all. I was able to share a little bit with him about God and the hope He offers. I hope that brief conversation will plant a seed so that he wants to learn more about the Gospel.
  • Anya is working at the Sand Volleyball venue and her boyfriend was one of the drummers in the Opening Ceremonies. She was baptized as a baby, but isn’t in church at all now. We gave her a pin and a booklet, which she quickly started asking questions about. As the conversation got deeper, she wanted to change the subject, so we talked about her schooling at the university and what she wants to do with her life. I pray that she will read the booklet and that the Spirit will work on her heart.

Please pray with us for these and others we’ll meet during our time in London, that God will give us boldness to start conversations about Him.

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What day is it?

Meredith Flynn —  August 1, 2012

OLYMPICS | Serena Butler

Have you ever felt like you’ve been somewhere forever, but it’s only been a week? That’s how I would describe our first week in London. In just eight days, we traveled here, trained for our Olympic assignments, worshiped in local churches, set up two coffee houses, and met more people from more countries than I can begin to count. Our two-hour ride into town each morning is starting to feel like second nature, and we’re still getting lots of opportunities to talk to people about why we’re here.

Meeting a new friend on the Tube, who was excited to show off his USA shirt.

The crowd at the Kings Cross coffee house is growing. The church decided to pull a ping pong table out onto the Square in front of the church to see if it would draw a crowd…and did it ever. Local shop owners came over on their breaks to play a game. Kids came in from around the neighborhood, and some Olympic tourists stopped by, too.

Over at Southfields Church, we’re seeing more visitors in the TV Lounge. One older gentleman comes every day. He doesn’t really care about spiritual things, but something keeps bringing him back every day. It might be the pull of being with others. He has talked to several of us on the team about his loneliness. We are glad that he feels comfortable coming and hope the TV Lounge is helping to break through some of the ice.

Just like Starbucks.

The weather is helping us out, too. One day, it rained off and on all day, and people came in to warm up with a coffee or tea. Several of the workers from the tennis venue are coming in, and we learned that man in charge of crowd control is telling his volunteer staff to come to the Lounge during their break time. He said that he “wasn’t much of a religious person, but this is a great place for them to come.” Word is also spreading among the Tube workers and they’re beginning to stop in. It is our prayer that Southfields Church will continue to build relationships with those who live and work in their area.

God is working in the city. Pray for the team as the long days are beginning to wear on us. Our host churches have been so gracious, and there is still so much work to be done.

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Pin trading, fish & chips, and one red phone booth

Meredith Flynn —  July 26, 2012

OLYMPICS | Serena Butler

Even before the Olympics bring thousands of people from around the world to London, it seems as though the world has already arrived here. During our second day of orientation, we learned about the city’s diverse population:

  • 12-14 million people in the greater London area
  • More than 300 languages spoken in the public schools here
  • Less than 10% of Londoners are in church on any given Sunday

You can’t see them, but there are 21 other Americans waiting to take a picture in this phone booth.

We also got a lesson in pin trading, a major Olympic past-time. It’s also an outreach tool used to share the Gospel. We each received some pins to give away, and had an opportunity to purchase pins from past Olympics to help us start conversations with people we’ll meet.

To end the day, we had a traditional English dinner – fish and chips- in St. Margarets, the town where we’re staying. Then we “took a wander” down the main street, enjoying the quaint homes. We found a phone booth and each team member took a turn posing in it. We drew several onlookers. I’m sure it was quite a site to see 22 Americans all excited about one phone booth. As we strolled along, several people asked us why we’re here. We had the chance to tell them we’re here for the Olympics and are working with some churches in the area.

Up next: Heading into the city to meet our host churches and being the ministry part of our trip. We’re excited and ready to get started!

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London Calling!

Meredith Flynn —  July 25, 2012

OLYMPICS | Serena Butler

Editor’s note: IBSA’s Serena Butler is leading a mission team in London this week to help local churches there minister during the Summer Olympic Games, which start Friday. They’ll work in coffee houses hosted by the churches for Londoners and visitors to watch the Games, grab a bite to eat, and engage in conversation with people from around the world. Serena will post regular updates here, so be sure to check back frequently and also visit IBSA.org/Olympics for more from London.

We had a miraculously smooth entry into London –
even with all our luggage.

When I called my mom before we left for London, I said, “Maybe all our flights will be on time and all our luggage will arrive on time.” She said, “That would be a miracle.”

Well, Mom, miracles still happen! We all arrived safely – actually early – into Heathrow International Airport Tuesday morning. We breezed through passport control, found our luggage, and made our way through customs without a hitch. When we came into the main terminal of the airport, there were Olympic volunteers everywhere waiting to greet teams and media people. As we waited for our mini-bus to arrive to take us to our lodging, several folks asked us who we were and what we were doing. Some asked us what sports team we were. I’m not sure what kind of team we look like, but it started some conversations as we waited.

Nelda Smothers, our senior team member, quickly started a conversation with one of the volunteers. As I approached her, I could hear her saying things like, “It’s about a relationship, not a religion.” She learned that the gentleman’s wife attends a church in the Kings Cross area, where half of our team will be serving. As we spoke to a few others they and we explained what we would be doing, one said, “I might just pop in for some coffee at your coffee house one afternoon.” (You need to say that last sentence with your best Mary Poppins impression).

Meeting the Norwegian handball team.
Go Norway! But what is handball?

As we waited outside for our ride, the Norwegian handball team arrived, and our team took advantage of the opportunity to take some photos with some real Olympians. Then, it was time to board our coach and head to All Nations, the Christian college where we’re staying this week. It’s housed in an old manor once owned by friends of William Wilberforce. If you saw that movie “Amazing Grace” that name should ring a bell. The college is a training school for missions. It has lovely gardens and is very nice – and very English.

Our lodging for the week.

Tuesday evening, we had our first orientation session, joining about 200 other volunteers from around the globe. I met Dirk, a young man from Germany, who’s here in London because, in his words, “I attended the Barcelona Games as an atheist and I was introduced to the Gospel by a street preacher there. That is where I began my search for God.” Now he is here, as a believer, to share the Gospel with others. He was raised in East Germany, under communism, so Barcelona was the first time he had heard the Gospel. Those are the kinds of opportunities we’re praying for this week.

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