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