The information packets for London came together a few weeks ago. There is plenty of paper work to fill out and though we've been talking about a trip to London for while, it seems the time has passed rather quickly. (The initial deadline has come and gone.) Everything will be on an expedited schedule to make sure all the information and deposits are turned in. Several people have asked for information packets and I hope to find out soon who will be throwing their hat in the ring to go.
As the one year mark approaches there will still be plenty of information to be finalized: airfare, work assignments, who's going, where's the closest Starbucks (only kidding-slightly) and that's before we even leave!
This trip will feel like it has a longer "crunch time" even though it is over a year away. With deposits due in mid June and December, visas for travel and airfare to pay for, even without having team meetings scheduled yet, it will feel like every time you turn around you're hearing something about London. I hope that gets you excited because at the end of the day I hope we are reminded of why we're going and Who has called us to go. Get ready for the journey!
Friday, June 17, 2011
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Blog to change
For those interested and following, the blog name will soon change from 2010 Olympic Ministry: Vancouver to Olympic Ministry: London. There is much planning to be done and interest in the opportunity is expected to be high. Keep checking in as things will start rolling before we know it!
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Home
Team 1 made it home safely last night. On our way in from Charlotte, we stopped in Gaffney, SC to grab a quick bite to eat and when we returned to the church bus we were riding, someone had placed a note on the driver's door that read:
"To Whomever,
Please pray for me. I'm in desperate need of prayer. God will know who I am and my prayer needs. The devil has me. I'm at my end.
God Bless U
Crying out"
We looked to see if we could find who may have left the note, but didn't really see anyone. We stopped and prayed for this individual and I ask you to do the same. It serves as a reminder that we are surrounded by hurting people who need to know that God cares for them. We may come home from a mission trip, be we never leave the mission field.
As promised, there are some pictures up. Great first blog Christy! Keep it up.
"To Whomever,
Please pray for me. I'm in desperate need of prayer. God will know who I am and my prayer needs. The devil has me. I'm at my end.
God Bless U
Crying out"
We looked to see if we could find who may have left the note, but didn't really see anyone. We stopped and prayed for this individual and I ask you to do the same. It serves as a reminder that we are surrounded by hurting people who need to know that God cares for them. We may come home from a mission trip, be we never leave the mission field.
As promised, there are some pictures up. Great first blog Christy! Keep it up.
Carrying on the Torch
Well this is my first time ever to "blog" (Bryan, aren't you proud of me?!) so I will try to spell things right and do it correctly.
As you know, the rest of Team 1 left today and when I woke up this morning (for the last time) it felt very strange to be here all alone. I missed my teammates and the CO team that was also staying here at Royal Heights Baptist in Delta, BC. I had a leisurely morning and then headed out on my own to meet up with a good friend and fellow missionary, Debbie Wohler (NAMB missionary for over 30 years in Tahoe, CA). We spent the day today enjoying the beauty that God has created here in the city of Vancouver through Stanley Park. As we walked and walked and walked, God brought several people across our path to share "More Than Gold" pins with. Our day together ended with meeting up with Stasia again -- Bryan has already blogged about her. Danielle was also with her today and it was good to speak with them again. Stasia and I both commented on how crazy it was that we continue to run into one another. As Bryan said earlier, I really do feel that God has brought us together for a reason -- so please continue to pray with me that He will open the door for more conversation with this young lady.
I was able to end my day on a high note -- riding on the train or bus always seems to be the best opportunities to encounter people that we can share with. There was a family of 6 (Mom & Dad, Grandpa, and 3 children) who got off the train with me and we were all waiting on the same bus together. The children were young (2, 5, and maybe 8) and had a long, tiring day and the little guy especially was just a wee bit cranky. I began to converse with them as we waited for the train and asked them if the children had gotten into pin trading yet. Mom replied "No, but their Dad had a bunch of pins at work and left them there. But he's going to bring them to them tomorrow!" I asked where he worked and he replied the Vancouver airport. I asked what he did and he said he was a fireman there. Immediately I thanked him for helping to keep the airport safe for us. He looked at me and said, "No one has ever said that to me before!" A simple act of saying "thank you" to someone who spends their life's work serving and protecting others can go such a long way! We can do this whether we are on a mission trip to the Olympics or just checking out at the grocery store at home. I challenge all of us to spread the love of Jesus just by going that extra mile to be kind.
Anyway, I pulled some of the Visa mascot pins out of my pocket and presented each child with their very 1st olympic pin and you would have thought I'd given them gold. I proceeded to give them each a More Than Gold pin from Athens, I think (thanks Lee!); and then gave Mom a Vanocouver MTG pin. You see, as Christians we really do have something to offer the world that is worth More Than Gold -- a relationship with Jesus Christ. I told her a little bit about it and then she read the back of the card that explains the colors out loud to her family right there at the bus station! She proceeded to tell me that they were also Baptist and she had helped to prepare hot chocolate earlier in the week at another transit station. What a blessing this encounter was to me!
Teams 2/3 arrive tomorrow and I plan to go to the train station and meet them. Continue to pray for us and for all the volunteers serving through MTG throughout this next week. I will talk to you again!
Christy
As you know, the rest of Team 1 left today and when I woke up this morning (for the last time) it felt very strange to be here all alone. I missed my teammates and the CO team that was also staying here at Royal Heights Baptist in Delta, BC. I had a leisurely morning and then headed out on my own to meet up with a good friend and fellow missionary, Debbie Wohler (NAMB missionary for over 30 years in Tahoe, CA). We spent the day today enjoying the beauty that God has created here in the city of Vancouver through Stanley Park. As we walked and walked and walked, God brought several people across our path to share "More Than Gold" pins with. Our day together ended with meeting up with Stasia again -- Bryan has already blogged about her. Danielle was also with her today and it was good to speak with them again. Stasia and I both commented on how crazy it was that we continue to run into one another. As Bryan said earlier, I really do feel that God has brought us together for a reason -- so please continue to pray with me that He will open the door for more conversation with this young lady.
I was able to end my day on a high note -- riding on the train or bus always seems to be the best opportunities to encounter people that we can share with. There was a family of 6 (Mom & Dad, Grandpa, and 3 children) who got off the train with me and we were all waiting on the same bus together. The children were young (2, 5, and maybe 8) and had a long, tiring day and the little guy especially was just a wee bit cranky. I began to converse with them as we waited for the train and asked them if the children had gotten into pin trading yet. Mom replied "No, but their Dad had a bunch of pins at work and left them there. But he's going to bring them to them tomorrow!" I asked where he worked and he replied the Vancouver airport. I asked what he did and he said he was a fireman there. Immediately I thanked him for helping to keep the airport safe for us. He looked at me and said, "No one has ever said that to me before!" A simple act of saying "thank you" to someone who spends their life's work serving and protecting others can go such a long way! We can do this whether we are on a mission trip to the Olympics or just checking out at the grocery store at home. I challenge all of us to spread the love of Jesus just by going that extra mile to be kind.
Anyway, I pulled some of the Visa mascot pins out of my pocket and presented each child with their very 1st olympic pin and you would have thought I'd given them gold. I proceeded to give them each a More Than Gold pin from Athens, I think (thanks Lee!); and then gave Mom a Vanocouver MTG pin. You see, as Christians we really do have something to offer the world that is worth More Than Gold -- a relationship with Jesus Christ. I told her a little bit about it and then she read the back of the card that explains the colors out loud to her family right there at the bus station! She proceeded to tell me that they were also Baptist and she had helped to prepare hot chocolate earlier in the week at another transit station. What a blessing this encounter was to me!
Teams 2/3 arrive tomorrow and I plan to go to the train station and meet them. Continue to pray for us and for all the volunteers serving through MTG throughout this next week. I will talk to you again!
Christy
Friday, February 19, 2010
Back to the U.S. Eh!
Well our time here has quickly come to an end and I write this while we wait for our 3:30 a.m. ride to the airport. We have had many great experiences that have made an impact on us. I want to encourage you to continue to follow the blog as I will continue to post about any follow up reports I receive and members from Teams 2 and 3 should be blogging right here to keep you up to date on Olympic ministry. (I promise pictures will come shortly after I get settled in at home.)
As ready as we are to be home, it is always a little sad to leave a place you have grown to know and love in such a small amount of time. We won't know the results a cup of hot chocolate or a pin will have, but we can pray for the seeds that have been planted. Other teams have had the privilege of being involved with people making decisions to become Christ followers. That is what it is all about. So whether we get to be present when it happens or find out down the road, it is great to hear and see God working in the hearts of people. Not only can you see Him at work in Vancouver, you can feel that He is doing something big and we are grateful to be a small part of it.
As the Olympics continue for another week, my goal is to take advantage of the opportunities that will be present at home when people see an Olympic pin or shirt and ask questions. Keep praying for Olympic ministry in general as soon we’ll turn our attention to the possibilities that London 2012 and Sochi 2014 present.
One of our team members, Christy, will be working with the next teams that arrive on Saturday. We have run into a young lady name Stasia (Anastasia) three times now. We think there is a reason for it and Christy will be the one to find out, so please continue to pray for her.
As I wrote earlier, keep following the blog. There are some stories that have yet to be written, thus they have yet to be read. Here is a brief one now.
I commented on the amazing worship service we had Sunday. The church we have called home for 10 days now is really doing some big things here in Delta, BC. They have already had 21 baptisms this year! In fact they baptized two that morning and will baptize three more this Sunday. The pastor challenged the congregation to have 500 people here for the Easter service. They are not afraid to think big.
They have a wonderful praise and worship band and at times the leader sounded like the lead singer from Pearl Jam. I know that comparison can be interpreted different ways, but as I said, the band is wonderful.
Another church story has to do with where we prepared our hot chocolate and coffee that we served. We worked in the Holy Rosary Rectory at the Holy Rosary Cathedral. Before we left for the last time tonight I asked if we could see the cathedral. One of the priests was kind enough to take us in. Built in the 1930s, it is a beautiful facility. The priest told us how the site was chosen, when the first building was built and later renovated and how the organ had to be removed and refurbished. I knew from hearing similar stories when my high school choir would sing in various churches that this process was not cheap. I looked at the priest and said, “That had to cost several hundreds of thousands of dollars.” “Oh, much more,” he said, “it was at least six figures.” We waited until we left the cathedral to laugh at the exchange and make sure that hundreds of thousands of dollars were still in the six figure range!
As ready as we are to be home, it is always a little sad to leave a place you have grown to know and love in such a small amount of time. We won't know the results a cup of hot chocolate or a pin will have, but we can pray for the seeds that have been planted. Other teams have had the privilege of being involved with people making decisions to become Christ followers. That is what it is all about. So whether we get to be present when it happens or find out down the road, it is great to hear and see God working in the hearts of people. Not only can you see Him at work in Vancouver, you can feel that He is doing something big and we are grateful to be a small part of it.
As the Olympics continue for another week, my goal is to take advantage of the opportunities that will be present at home when people see an Olympic pin or shirt and ask questions. Keep praying for Olympic ministry in general as soon we’ll turn our attention to the possibilities that London 2012 and Sochi 2014 present.
One of our team members, Christy, will be working with the next teams that arrive on Saturday. We have run into a young lady name Stasia (Anastasia) three times now. We think there is a reason for it and Christy will be the one to find out, so please continue to pray for her.
As I wrote earlier, keep following the blog. There are some stories that have yet to be written, thus they have yet to be read. Here is a brief one now.
I commented on the amazing worship service we had Sunday. The church we have called home for 10 days now is really doing some big things here in Delta, BC. They have already had 21 baptisms this year! In fact they baptized two that morning and will baptize three more this Sunday. The pastor challenged the congregation to have 500 people here for the Easter service. They are not afraid to think big.
They have a wonderful praise and worship band and at times the leader sounded like the lead singer from Pearl Jam. I know that comparison can be interpreted different ways, but as I said, the band is wonderful.
Another church story has to do with where we prepared our hot chocolate and coffee that we served. We worked in the Holy Rosary Rectory at the Holy Rosary Cathedral. Before we left for the last time tonight I asked if we could see the cathedral. One of the priests was kind enough to take us in. Built in the 1930s, it is a beautiful facility. The priest told us how the site was chosen, when the first building was built and later renovated and how the organ had to be removed and refurbished. I knew from hearing similar stories when my high school choir would sing in various churches that this process was not cheap. I looked at the priest and said, “That had to cost several hundreds of thousands of dollars.” “Oh, much more,” he said, “it was at least six figures.” We waited until we left the cathedral to laugh at the exchange and make sure that hundreds of thousands of dollars were still in the six figure range!
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
The Team
I cannot describe in detail the experiences the others are having, but there are some great stories to tell. I'll give a quick summary by way of introducing our team members, which I should have done earlier.
Lee is our walking GPS. He has us well trained in how to get around the city. His ability to quickly learn the transit system has allowed him opportunities to speak and share with people as we travel.
Vickie has become a pin trading machine and she uses it to springboard right into where people are spiritually. She has yet to meet a stranger.
Christy has a great casual way of talking to people that opens more doors than she realizes. The great thing is that she steps right through without hesitation.
Marie is a senior in college who is bound for foreign missions and has used her personality to draw attention from the locals and start some great conversations.
George also uses pins to connect with people and he has a way of making you feel you’re being invited to talk a while.
We have all used our southern accents to get into conversations with people. Well, almost all of us. It works "ya'll." While we're in a group people will guess we're from Texas or Georgia or Alabama. I have had people guess I am from all over the map! From a local Vancouverite to a Brit to a New Englander and on a few occasions a correct southeastern US guess.
I still need to blog about the amazing service we experienced at church on Sunday. It was neat to wake up and already be at church for worship! I'll see if I can get some of the team to share a story from the trip. It has been amazing. Keep praying for all the volunteers, More than Gold as they ready to welcome a new wave of teams and for what God is doing in Vancouver. He is doing things we have yet to fully recognize.
Lee is our walking GPS. He has us well trained in how to get around the city. His ability to quickly learn the transit system has allowed him opportunities to speak and share with people as we travel.
Vickie has become a pin trading machine and she uses it to springboard right into where people are spiritually. She has yet to meet a stranger.
Christy has a great casual way of talking to people that opens more doors than she realizes. The great thing is that she steps right through without hesitation.
Marie is a senior in college who is bound for foreign missions and has used her personality to draw attention from the locals and start some great conversations.
George also uses pins to connect with people and he has a way of making you feel you’re being invited to talk a while.
We have all used our southern accents to get into conversations with people. Well, almost all of us. It works "ya'll." While we're in a group people will guess we're from Texas or Georgia or Alabama. I have had people guess I am from all over the map! From a local Vancouverite to a Brit to a New Englander and on a few occasions a correct southeastern US guess.
I still need to blog about the amazing service we experienced at church on Sunday. It was neat to wake up and already be at church for worship! I'll see if I can get some of the team to share a story from the trip. It has been amazing. Keep praying for all the volunteers, More than Gold as they ready to welcome a new wave of teams and for what God is doing in Vancouver. He is doing things we have yet to fully recognize.
Walkabout
Since I have not completely explained what we are doing other than telling you about hot chocolate, I'll do that. We basically mass produce hot chocolate. We then transfer it into insulated canisters that go inside insulated backpacks with a dispensing arm attached-it is very cool. I'll try to have some pictures up soon. (I said try.) We head out like pack mules and offer free hot chocolate, (and sometimes water or coffee). We then give out around 800 cups in a four hour period. The work isn't hard, but the weight of the backpack wears on your knees and back. It is, however, worth its weight in gold as a conversation piece.
One such conversation was with Jamie. I met him on Sunday when he stopped for some hot chocolate. He is from Adelaide, Australia and is in his sixth month of a walkabout. A walkabout is an Australian term for a journey of discovery, self or otherwise. That may not be the most accurate definition, but that is what it basically is to me. We had a good conversation about various things for about 45 minutes and he got a refill and went to find his hostel.
I was kind of surprised when he was back again today ready for more hot chocolate. I took the opportunity to after a short while to ask him what he was looking for on his walkabout. He said he just wants to see all of the different places and cultures before he narrows down to the main thing he thinks he is supposed to find. I used that as an invitation to ask him what his spiritual thoughts were and he said he grew up in the Anglican Church.
We had a light discussion of the various approaches the Anglican, Catholic and Protestant church take on spiritual concepts and I the shifted the conversation towards Jesus. I used the More than Gold pin and the symbolic colors to describe what Jesus had done.
I told him about the temple veil being torn from top to bottom after Jesus died on the cross and we now had direct access to God. This point was important because he had stated he didn't think the approach of needing to see a priest to communicate was God was right. And Jamie is right.
Now at some point in our conversation, Jamie had sat down a bag. I had really paid no attention to it or its contents, but then an odd thing happened. When I was talking about the temple veil being torn, with no rhyme or reason, the bag fell over and the heavy bottle of alcohol rang like a bell against the sidewalk. I think it was one of those simple, overlooked moments that God used to say to Jamie, that He is what he needs to be seeking. The look on Jamie's face at the sound of the bottle falling was not embarrassment over the revelation of what was in the bag, but one of shock as if the ringing bell was a wakeup call.
I shared my own spiritual walkabout with Jamie and he appreciated the use of the Aussie concept and said he would stop by on Wednesday to get a copy of the book of John. Please pray that God will do an amazing work in Jamie's life and let him know without a doubt that God loves him and wants a relationship with him.
Again without being present, it is hard to describe how conversations go in certain directions and you find yourself wondering why we talked about certain things-feel free to ask about anything that doesn't make sense. I wish we could share all the encounters we are having as they are many.
We have a day off tomorrow (thank you More than Gold) and we are going to Whistler for the Women’s luge finals. We're looking forward to the opportunites we'll have while on the transportation to the mountain.
I'll let you know about it!
One such conversation was with Jamie. I met him on Sunday when he stopped for some hot chocolate. He is from Adelaide, Australia and is in his sixth month of a walkabout. A walkabout is an Australian term for a journey of discovery, self or otherwise. That may not be the most accurate definition, but that is what it basically is to me. We had a good conversation about various things for about 45 minutes and he got a refill and went to find his hostel.
I was kind of surprised when he was back again today ready for more hot chocolate. I took the opportunity to after a short while to ask him what he was looking for on his walkabout. He said he just wants to see all of the different places and cultures before he narrows down to the main thing he thinks he is supposed to find. I used that as an invitation to ask him what his spiritual thoughts were and he said he grew up in the Anglican Church.
We had a light discussion of the various approaches the Anglican, Catholic and Protestant church take on spiritual concepts and I the shifted the conversation towards Jesus. I used the More than Gold pin and the symbolic colors to describe what Jesus had done.
I told him about the temple veil being torn from top to bottom after Jesus died on the cross and we now had direct access to God. This point was important because he had stated he didn't think the approach of needing to see a priest to communicate was God was right. And Jamie is right.
Now at some point in our conversation, Jamie had sat down a bag. I had really paid no attention to it or its contents, but then an odd thing happened. When I was talking about the temple veil being torn, with no rhyme or reason, the bag fell over and the heavy bottle of alcohol rang like a bell against the sidewalk. I think it was one of those simple, overlooked moments that God used to say to Jamie, that He is what he needs to be seeking. The look on Jamie's face at the sound of the bottle falling was not embarrassment over the revelation of what was in the bag, but one of shock as if the ringing bell was a wakeup call.
I shared my own spiritual walkabout with Jamie and he appreciated the use of the Aussie concept and said he would stop by on Wednesday to get a copy of the book of John. Please pray that God will do an amazing work in Jamie's life and let him know without a doubt that God loves him and wants a relationship with him.
Again without being present, it is hard to describe how conversations go in certain directions and you find yourself wondering why we talked about certain things-feel free to ask about anything that doesn't make sense. I wish we could share all the encounters we are having as they are many.
We have a day off tomorrow (thank you More than Gold) and we are going to Whistler for the Women’s luge finals. We're looking forward to the opportunites we'll have while on the transportation to the mountain.
I'll let you know about it!
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