R7 Mission : London

Shepherds Bush

Shepherd’s Bush is home to a diverse population of people from many countries around the world, including the Middle East, Africa, the Caribbean, Southeast Asia, and Europe. During this week, our team will learn about different cultures and religions, hear talks on God’s mission of renewal in this world, engage in extended times of prayer for the church-planting work in diverse, urban communities of London, and help with evangelism. This is an exciting opportunity for the gospel, and I hope you are as excited as I am at the opportunity to spread the good news about Jesus Christ to the people in London.

Please pray for our safety, but of much greater importance, pray for the Holy Spirit to be working in the hearts of the people we will meet.

You can also checkout another Blog on our trip by one our team members at:
http://sciongo.blogspot.com

Who We Are

Our team is made up from Faithful Christian members of Atonement Presbyterian Church located in Silver Spring, MD.

Team Leaders: Gordon Bell and Rhonda Tildon
Team: Kanisa Baker, Pam Baster, Chelsea Curtis, Josh King, Jaime King, Stephanie Link, Rand Huntzinger, Tom Scibek, Nancy Scibek and Austin Thompson

Prayer Requests

Please partner with us in prayer:
God's direction and peace, Courage, Safe Travel and Safety, Financial needs met.

DaY 1 jULY 4TH 2017

A very happy 4th of July to our fellow Americans. We are pleased to say that we have hit the ground running here in Shepherd's Bush. Today the team went to visit Heston Church Hall in Hounslow. We were greeted by fellow Christian believers and taken to visit a Gurdwara and Mosque in Southall. Leaders in these to buildings shared with us about their faith, beliefs and answered our many questions.

We continued our day hearing testimonies from our brothers and sisters that have come to believe in Christ in the Southall area. It was a deeply moving time. Our hearts are full and touch to hear about the transforming power of Jesus Christ and the sacrifices these courage men and women have made to follow Jesus.

Please pray for the team to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and for God's love to flow through us as we share his love to the people we meet tomorrow. Please pray for well rested bodies as many of us are still overcoming jet lag. God bless you all for your prayers and encouragement.

Team Member thoughts

On Tuesday we had the opportunity to spend the day at New Life Masih Ghar, a predominately Southeast Asian focused church. We arrived in time for training, had lunch and then traveled to a Gurdwara and a Mosque. Afterwards we heard testimonies from people who had been former Buddhists, Sikh, Hindus and M*****. Their stories were full of uncertainty and challenges yet God was in control and brought them to the local church. The devotionals showed the commitment of the London churches to each and every person, a church family. This is something that is often missing in the individualized American culture. What will it take us to unite together to serve each other as Christ commanded? This is a thought that I will carry out of this day in Southhall London.
7/4/17

Tuesday was so enlightening! Seeing a Guardawara and Mosque for the first time was exciting for me. Hearing from the young men who practice those religions was more than intriguing. I found my heart full with emotion in want for their salvation in the one true God. I prayed that our very presence as Christians would encourage them to think about their beliefs. The time with the other church and mission group was encouraging to me and I'm so glad we were able to be with them. Hearing some testimonies in the evening moved me to tears at many moments. God is moving here in London, in some very mighty ways!
7/4/17

Wednesday is my favorite day so far, for is was today that I was able to speak to a Man from North Africa for nearly two hours! He came to "open church," which is when they simply open the church doors and let anyone come in. We sat and drank tea, talked about life and stuff. I was able to speak clearly to him the gospel and he accepted a bible to take home and he said he would like to come back to our prayer and praise night this Saturday! Praise the Lord! Please keep "Joe" (named changed) in your prayers. We were treated out to dinner at a Middle Eastern restaurant and I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed the food! With the evening off, we took the time to see a few sights in central London. We saw some main ones like Buckingham Palace, the Abbey and the Parliament. We will return to tour more on our day off Friday. Thank you for your prayers. The team is well and we are getting along with the team here. God is so good and I can't wait to see what else He has in store
7/5/17

Yesterday, the fourth of July was the longest day of our trip. First, at 7:45 am, we went to the main church across town for praise and worship, and then we went as a group of thirty to a place of Sikh worship called a Gurdwara. Both men and women wore head scarves as a sign of respect.

When we first went into the building, the men went into one door and the women went into a separate door. We took off our shoes and left them in cupboards on the first floor and then together the men and women rejoined to go upstairs to the sacred place of worship.

Sikhs have a special revered book that they keep on a pedestal, and we were instructed not to sit with soles of our feet pointed toward the book but to sit "criss cross applesauce" on the floor while we were in the sacred room.

A gentleman by the name of Mr. Singh, who was very passionate, gave us an hour long talk with a slideshow explaining what Sikhs believe and was very gracious to answer questions for us. After Mr. Singh explained the Sikhism to us, he patiently answered questions, and then we went upstairs to an area overlooking where we were able to see Sikhs worshipping together. It was amazing to learn that Gurdwaras across the globe have volunteers who feed every person who comes into the building free of charge. It costs something like 2 million dollars per year.

Next, we took the bus to a Mosque, where the men were allowed to remove their scarves but the women were not. Again, we could not wear shoes inside.

A guide named Yusuf graciously answered questions for us. He was so deceptive because he was calm and knew how to sound charming. It was clear that he was putting a spin on things to make I**** similar to Christianity. He made a point to say that he knows all about Jesus because he is in the Q**** and that he is offended when Christians are offended and disrespected.

Yusef said there was no singing when they worship 5 times per day. That was interesting. He likened M***** radicals to KKK members who did what they did in the name of Christianity. Until he went on a rant about how men and women are not equal in any way, he seemed really persuasive, and I could see why people could be drawn into what he was saying.
Please pray for Mr. Singh and Yusef so that they may come to know the truth about Jesus. Like Paul, they would probably give powerful testimonies to their respective communities. God could really use them to do powerful things.

After the M*****, we walked to one of the New City International Presbetyrian Church's thrift shops which serves as a way to provide outreach to the Hindu and M***** communities.

We then walked back to the main church across town for dinner. It was a dinner with rice and chicken and vegetables. Darn! I forgot the name of the dish. Again, there was an amazingly fresh salad with tomatoes that tasted like they were plucked from the vine that very day. There was also a really divine dessert with fruit and bananas in a cream sauce.

We have met so many new friends. There was a panel of like 8 people who were either Hindu or M***** when they were born and were converted at some point in their lives at great cost.

One Somalian man, Ben (not his name) said that although his entire M***** family had disowned him when he was 18 years old, he was coping because he considers the entire body of Christ as his entire family. His testimony was very powerful. He was reached to accept the truth of the gospel by one of his school friends. So we must not forget that our children can be powerful witnesses for Christ.
7/4/17

With this being my first mission trip I had no idea what to expect. The enemy planted so many doubts in my mind. I had the anxiety about traveling to a place I had never been before especially due to the recent acts of terrorism. I also carry so much stress and burdens from my daily life, I wondered if I would even be effective. But once I got there I saw how God had made a way for EVERYTHING. From our beautiful hotel, to the lovely church that provides a way to meet the needs of the surrounding community as well as a place to worship, and to all the arrangements He made for us to have incredible experiences of learning and sharing all orchestrated by the team. Leaning on His arms and the strength of my mission teammates I felt confident to participate in our outreach activities from passing out prayer blessing on the street corner to knocking on doors in the projects of south London. By God's grace, I've come a very long way in increased confidence to share the love of Christ and my testimony.
7/7/17

Reaching out to people on the street is never a totally comfortable feeling. Who are they, how will they respond, what could happen to me? Yet, this is part of what God commands us to do. Talking to M****** on the street, listening to their stories, and talking apologetics with them takes time. London is a great place to meet people from all over the world and we have the opportunity to bring them the hope of Jesus. One man chatted with me for over two hours trying to convince me that I**** is the right way, while I was trying to convince him that Jesus was the way. It was a long time to chat, but maybe a seed was planted.
7/5/17

So I am just waking up right now and am about to start the day. When we arrived, Marcus met us at Heathrow Airport, and we arrived at the church for lunch.

The sandwiches, salad, carrots and hummus, and crisps were really tasty. What I loved was the salad because the tomatoes and red and orange peppers tasted so fresh that they made every bite sing! I did not even need dressing.

Crisps are potato chips, and I must say it will be hard to come home and eat regular chips when we have feasted on really savory flavors like Thai lime and chili and chicken and herbs. They are just amazing. They also served pizza later for dinner with corn and tomatoes. Another flavor was chicken tikki masala pizza which looked really delicious.

The church plant which we are helping, New City International Presbetyrian Church, is located in St. Stephens Church of England's building. They have a homeless food bank and lunch and dinner services for homeless people. It is not too far from the Shepherds Bush Market Tube stop.

We met the pastor, and he shared what we are here to do. He used the same evangelism tool that Nairy taught several years ago: Creation-Fall-Redemption-Restoration. Besides reuniting with Marcus and his wife, Bethany, we met the rest of the team. We are excited about the week ahead. It was rather hard to stay awake during orientation because the scavenger hunt was a three mile exploration of the neighborhood around us.

It helps because we now know where many things are. The church is three and a half blocks from a soccer stadium where the Queens Park Rangers play. In the other direction, we are three blocks from the Westfield Shopping Center and the BBC Television Center. Even though it is an urban area with a commercial district right next to the church, there are a lot of schools, parks, apartments, and houses around with people of varying socioeconomic classes and regions around. What melting pot! There are so many cultures to reach in this neighborhood.

Last year, our hotel was in the center of the city, walking distance from Hyde Park and all of the downtown attractions which were a short bus ride away. There were a lot of fancy hotels and big banks, and we could walk to a very exclusive neighborhood, Notting Hill. This hotel is a 35 minute Tube ride outside of the heart of the city. It is still London, but it is very different. I love it all.

Our hotel was just renovated, and our rooms have never been rented before. It is wonderful to be here, but I must say I am not a fan of the beds, which are not very bouncy but have memory foam. Of course, that did not stop me from sleeping very deeply last night.

Today, we go to a Mosque, so we will be wearing long sleeves and scarves. I am glad we have comfortable shoes.

Pray for peace, health, and safety for all of us.
7/3/17

Today, Thursday, July 6th, each group went to a different place in London. For the first time during the week, Tom and I were assigned to the same group. We visited a family who live in the estates of Roehampton, south of the city. The estates are similar to the projects. This fits in well for the family because the family has a heart for youth. He writes music and pastors a small church. His story at http://urbanministries.org.uk/ has allowed people around the world to learn about his church. His church site is http://newlifelondon.com
7/6/17

I wasn't sure what to expect on this trip. Even though I was looking forward to what we might see God do, I was also preparing myself not to feel useful or even to be in the way. I've been blessed to see all the ways New City Church is working in Shepherds Bush and how the church is partnering with others reaching out to the community to make all the ministries more effective. I've been able to help in areas I never would have chosen to do myself (Street ministry) as well as practical ways where it can be easier to see actual results from labor in the short term (helping to weed and plant in a community garden which will provide free food for those who need it). I am encouraged by all that has been accomplished in the last few years since New City Church has been planted and hearing its vision for the future.

Thursday in London was different. The outreach we did was for other groups to build collaborative relationships with others to advance the kingdom.

So, I learned my lesson first thing in the morning and did not miss breakfast. This means that I had 4 cups of instant coffee and wrapped what I would have eaten for breakfast if I were ever hungry in the morning: a hard boiled egg, 2 pieces of coarse bread, 2 small croissants, tiny packages of preserves, and 6 pieces of assorted cheese.

We met over at New City International Presbetyrian Church at 9 and mingled over coffee and tea and biscuits, which I have learned is the name that folks call those little cookies they serve.

Next, while one of the interns strummed on the guitar, we sang praise and worship songs, such as "In Christ Alone" and "Nothing But the Blood of Jesus." It was great because just about all the songs I have heard this week are sings we play at the Church of the Atonement.

We learned more doctrine which was great because I feel like the trip is a great learning experience. We also debriefed, meaning that we shared with each other about the fears, issues, challenges, and takeaways we had from Wednesday's outreach activities.

While some were wondering when the outreach would be over, others were not anxious and enjoyed the work.

Group 1 were part of a group that assisted Ali and Constance, who were missionaries with World Harvest UK who grow food for struggling artists and goth people who are trying to make ends meet. The target group they are spreading the gospel to in Northeast London is M******, Hindus, and Sikhs from South Asia (India, Pakistan, and Bangledesh). That day they pulled weeds and stinging nettles in gardens.

Pray that their efforts will bring forth a harvest plentiful enough to feed all who need it in the community.

Group 2 met a pastor named Tom in the Isle of Dogs. Our test was to advertise a Family Fun Day, an outreach event in a park. The event was sponsored by a church which ran an Internet cafe attached to an elementary school. This community was a mix of three growing groups: Bangladesh M******, older working class English who worked on the docks, and professionals in the banking industry.

We knocked on doors and handed out flyers. Pray that these dear people build relationships with Pastor Tom's church which will slowly enable the church to grow.

The third group went to Roehampton. This church's target audience is the working class of London, which is primarily an unreached people.

Pray that Pastor Duncan's church stops shrinking and that people can see that they need Christ Jesus in their lives.

Friday was our day off.
7/6/17