Nothing Visible Happening

One reason I haven't written is there is nothing visible going on.

I have been marriage counseling, visiting terminal patients, and teaching guys to read, pray, study, meditate on Friday and Sunday nights. I'm getting people ready to take the church while I'm gone in January. It's just nothing you can take a picture of and say, "See? This is what's happening."

Just me at the local Tesco supermarket having my quiet time before the café opens. I read, I meditate, I pray. It's an isolated place. There's nothing to distract me. When the café opens I go home and work. I wrote on Facebook the other day, "All I have to do to really do my work is die to myself." This is where it happens.

I wish there were more things happening. They will happen, because I am praying and thanking God and asking for favors. 

Andrea

Joanie and I met Andrea Kölsch in 1989 as we were doing outreach with Robert Case Band to help start Calvary Chapel Siegen. She was a student in a high school. When we moved to Germany in 1990 we found she was part of the Bible study group. When I started teaching the midweek study, she was one of nine young people listening.

She was musical even then, and was already playing the guitar. As we tried to develop the music ministry at Siegen we got her into translating English worship songs into German and writing new songs.

Now she has gone full time into ministry, leading worship on a circuit in German Calvaries that don't have a full time worship leader, playing tours in Germany and the US, working on raising up new leaders, writing songs and making CDs.

She visited London and stayed with us as she played in the Calvaries in our area. We were discussing having her stay with us longer, but we knew our landlord wouldn't go for that. He only wants our family to be in the house, no one else.

But I figured that was no problem. We could always adopt Andrea as our daughter. Not so far fetched. We are already family.

We are fun and nice.

It was sunny, but it was cold in Bushy Park. Joanie adjusts Katie's hat to keep her warm.

Holly zips up. Like I said, it were cold.

When I got home from South Africa Joanie and I went to a coffee shop and began downloading. When we got home we began a hugfest that continues two days later. We are deliriously glad to be together again. So much so that we went to Bushy Park just because it was a sunny day and we needed to be together and walk around together. We walked all the way to Kingston. We drank milkshakes. We walked back to Bushy Park. Then we were tired and had sore feet.

But we were still crazy glad to be together again.

Serving Again In South Africa

Flying over Africa

Each time I have been to South Africa I have been like those who dream. I thought I was lucky just to be there. It has worked out that each time I have been asked to contribute, though I was not part of the official schedule. I show up, I do whatever I'm asked to do, and I think, "That was great but it'll never happen again."

So I was amazed to be asked once more to contribute to the 2010 conference. Some teachers had cancelled, leaving the organizers to ask God who they should invite. Someone suggested me. I'd just been to Mallorca as an emergency replacement. I was not crazy about repeating that. I knew that it would be cold in Cape Town, especially at night, I would have to work to get the messages together. I would have to do the Wednesday Bible study, the Friday funeral for Stefanie Sugden, Sunday at church, and then get on a plane that night and try to sleep on a rumbling jet for 14 hours to get there. I wore no rose colored glasses about being a super-hero.

But I couldn't say no. Having been challenged to pick a country to pray for on a long-term basis, I was praying for South Africa. I knew most of the pastors working there and wanted to get to know the rest. I wanted to do what I could to help the work there.

The conference messages were to be based on 1 Peter, a book I'd never taught before. I got the sections 2:1-10, and 3:1-12, the first having to do with radical transformation, and the second, lowliness of mind, two issues that have interested and gripped me. 

Somehow the Lord got me through all the work I had to do before leaving. Stefanie's funeral was filled with people sitting, standing in the aisles, on the stairs, in the balcony. I was greatly enabled to preach the gospel. Joanie and I met people we hope to stay in contact with and share the gospel. I was able to teach on Sunday, and the Lord was working in people's lives.

The plan had been to teach and come home. Then we changed it to laying over in Johannesburg on the way back and stay with Ryan and Bronwyn Parker. They had been at the church for some years before returning to South Africa. It would be a great time to check in on them and see how they were doing. It was kind of expensive to change the itinerary, but the Lord convicted me of being cheap. You don't go all that way and then sacrifice time because of being cheap. I paid the extra money to give me more time with the Parkers.

But at last I was packed, I had settled my itinerary, I was on the plane to Johannesburg, the first leg of the trip. On the plane I met a lady returning from a trip to Corfu. She introduced herself to me as Strawbs, short for her nickname Strawberry, referring to the color of her hair. As we chatted, I explained what I was doing. Amazingly, she had heard of Calvary Chapel. A friend of hers had often invited her to check out a Calvary Chapel in Durban, one of the churches we pray for weekly. I encouraged her to visit there.

The first thing that greets you in Cape Town is the Table Mountain.

Pastor Joey Buran teaches in his pajamas. His suitcase was misdirected, but eventually arrived. No one noticed his attire.

The conference was described by one of the pastors as sobering. 1 Peter is about suffering leading to glory. The men can relate to the suffering. Many were experiencing what speaker Joey Buran identified as "the beatdown", the discouragement the Lord uses to build character in a believer's life. I had amazing informal times of fellowship during the conference. The Lord had really answered prayer for several men, resulting in deep preparation for future work, and being supplied with tools to better serve the Lord.

I shared some music with Evan Williams.

After the conference I stayed at Demitri Nikiforos' place in Cape Town. I got to spend more time with musicians Michael and Golden Preciado, and Golden's parents Evan and Sherry Williams. I'm looking forward to staying in touch with these great people.

Pastor Julian baptized quite a few people. I couldn't stick around for the barbecue afterwards. Oh well...

I left early Sunday morning to teach at Calvary Chapel Kommetjie. The message was something new from Psalm 16. By God's grace it turned out to be prophetic, speaking to situations and people in the church. It's great to not know what is going on, and to know that the Lord is the one leading me what to say, so that people hear from God and not a man. After the service we went to a house with a pool in the backyard to have a baptism. Then it was off to the airport and Johannesburg.

An early morning conversation with Bronwyn.

Ryan dares it all to pet a lion cub.

Some of the trees seen on the Jacaranda joy ride. 

There I was picked up by Ryan Parker's father, André, to spend 2-1/2 days with Ryan and Bronwyn, their 1-1/2 year-old Noah. I had great conversations with the family, and even a joy ride in Pretoria, to see the jacaranda and bougainvillea blossom purple and red. All over the city, whole streets are lined on both sides with jacaranda, and it's amazing.

We drove to the airport in a storm, lightning and raining with a marvelous light. I got to say goodbye, then get in the plane for another 10 hours of rumbling no sleep. I got to give my comic book tract to a French couple who had been to Zimbabwe to see Victoria Falls.

I am deliriously happy to be home with Joanie, Holly, and Katie. They also share in the ministry as they give me up to do what the Lord wants me to do. There is also some talk about next year's conference. Maybe I shouldn't be surprised if I make another trip to South Africa.

Stefanie and the Mercy of God

Stefanie Sugdon at her baptism in February of this year.

Our friend with advanced Parkinson's Disease hadn't been to church in five weeks. When I got back from Mallorca I determined I would visit her and see how she was doing. She told me through her vocalizing device that she had been in Dorchester Hospital for a week with pneumonia. Harry, her friend who had been helping her come to church, was in the hospital having had emergency surgery three weeks ago. I asked her if she wanted to come to church, and she nodded with wide eyes. I arranged for our friend Alexandra to pick her up. When I left we hugged, and she cried. She did this the last time Joanie and I saw her. We didn't know why. I let her cry until she was done, and asked her, "Are you going to be okay?" She nodded. I left.

I saw her at church on Sunday, and had a chance to pray for her as Joanie was sitting with her after the service. She looked like she wasn't doing very well. Alexandra and Michael Graham helped Stefanie get back to the nursing home.

I was riding into town to drop off the girls at friends' for a sleepover when I got a phone call: the nursing home was telling me Stefanie was at Emergency at Kingston Hospital, and she wasn't expected to live long. Joanie turned around and dropped me off at Twickenham Station. I caught two trains that got me to Kingston Hospital.

I introduced myself at the desk. They brought me back to where Stefanie was. Before I saw her I was brought out front again; Stefanie had died, about forty minutes before, and they were about to inform her sister Lesley. Then they would let me back where she was.

I saw Lesley just after she was informed. Then we went back to see the body. There I was able to pray with her and offer to do anything possible to help. As she was leaving she asked me to do the funeral. That will be on Friday, October 8.

As we were there beside the body I was aware that though she was alone when she died, Jesus had been there to receive her. I also became aware of His mercy and His timing. Stefanie had seen her mother, sister, son and daughter just the night before. After not being at church for five weeks, I had come just in time to arrange that. When Alexandra had picked up Stefanie, she wondered if everything was all right, and asked her if she really wanted to go to church. Stefanie nodded her head, wide-eyed, wordless. Yes, she really wanted to go. She was able to see her family and go to church, and then she was gone.

I always had the impression that she was mentally all there, active, but imprisoned in the body that responded less and less to her active thought. It is wonderful to think that now she is with Jesus, able to freely express herself, to move, to see Jesus. All the questions are answered, all the tears are wiped away.

All I can think of is the mercy of God.

Emergency Teacher

The Mallorca Bible School students and faculty, on our day off.


Rafael Manzanares called me up Monday: "Man, I could use you on a plane here tonight."

Rafael was asking me to teach a concentrated class on Philippians at the Bible School at Santa Ponsa, Mallorca. He had lost a couple of teachers at the last minute. He also had fourteen paying students signed up for Philippians. His plan was for me to come over, teach in four hour blocks, and be done with the class in eight days. I had taught Hebrews like that before. It was not my favorite way to teach, nor the students' to learn. Not only that, at least I had taught Hebrews before.  With Hebrews I could grab four binders of notes and begin to simplify the basic themes and make it digestible. I had never taught Philippians. I had no time to even prepare anything. The only thing going for me was that I had memorized Philippians once. I had a strong sense of the red thread of logic going through the letter. 

Getting there was part of the teaching. Joanie dropped me off at Gatwick Airport early so she wouldn't get caught in rush hour traffic. The check-in desk wasn't even open. I sat down and tried to prep. When it was time to check-in, I found the desks empty, and a long line of people at the fix-it desk. All the flights to Mallorca had been cancelled by EasyJet. No flights tomorrow. I called Rafael to let him know. He worked on another flight. I trained home. All these things actually worked out for the furtherance of the gospel. I was able to share the gospel with all kinds of people around me. I was having fun.

Next morning I trained to Stansted Airport to take a Ryannair flight. When I got to Mallorca, Raf picked me up and floored his car to get to the classroom. We were half an hour late. I borrowed a Bible, opened it to Philippians, and began teaching, just like that.

The remainder of the time was pretty much organizing my thoughts, eating, sleeping, and teaching. Once I went along with the students as they had an informal "let's get to know one another" day.

I learned to turn off the student broadband before I taught, to stop facebook and video sharing during the lectures. Once I had all the students close their laptops for the duration of the lecture. That was the most successful as far as getting things across. I only had to privately talk with two students to ask why they were tuning out on me. Both told me they had ADD, but they weren't saying that's why they were tuning out. We worked on keeping the teaching to the point and ending when capacity was reached. I prepared a sheet of "fill in the blank" sentences for the students to fill in. We discussed the answers afterwards. Then we were officially done.

I was so glad to teach such a profound epistle to these students. The Lord helped me do it without killing anyone. Mallorca was sunny and warm. If I have to be an emergency teacher, it's a nice way to go.

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things

I've been on the Spanish island of Mallorca for the last two weeks, teaching Philippians. While I am gone I've been in touch with the girls via Skype. When I have time in the morning I get to see my loves. I finished the class today. I think the Lord blessed greatly. Tomorrow I fly home to pick up the pieces of my life, what I should have been doing while I've been filling in for another teacher. I get to see my sweethearts for real. That will be even more fun.

Outdoor Wedding Can Be Tricky

Right in the center, Vicki has entered, and Ben steps forward to receive her. They were married under a Jewish canopy, which turned out to be a good thing for them. See those clouds? They are minutes away from letting loose.

Ben Romaner is Jewish, newly come to faith in Jesus the Messiah. His fiancee Vicki Warren is Gentile. It caused some tension and concern in Ben's family.

Wanting to promote peace, Vicki decided to not have the wedding at a Christian church, but at her parents' home in Maidenhead, about 40 minutes from London. The backyard was large enough. We had a small PA system set up for the minister to speak through and for us to play special music. The harpist decided she didn't like the look of the clouds and stayed just inside the house to play the wedding march. We miked her and put it through the PA.

As it turned out, she was smart. Halfway through the ceremony it started spitting. The minister sped up the vows, the rings, the message. He had us play one song. It really started coming down. He pronounced them man and wife, Ben broke the glass under his foot (Jewish custom), and then the guests fled indoors and us musicians all grabbed equipment and ran for the closest shelter. No real damage, and it was a wedding to remember. 

Moral of the story: If you ever do an outdoors wedding in England, you had better have a Plan B.

Creation Fest 2010

The bandwithnoname rocks in the Main Shed. Lots more people attending than 2009.

Creation Fest 2010 involved a lot more volunteers than last year. A team from Calvary Twickenham came to staff the Welcome team at the gate and also the Information Desk in the Main Shed. Everyone had a great time, and they worked very hard to make things happen. Colin, Adam and Alan, the Welcome team, worked some 12 hours the first official day to greet, inform and direct the inflow of visitors and campers. There were over 1300 campers the first day.

The seminars were much better visited this year than any other. I think people are becoming aware that there the Bible teaching at the Fest is excellent no matter who they are listening to. They are receptive to teachers they have never heard of before.

Rather than camp, we stayed at a nearby bed & breakfast, all four of us in the same room. The bathroom door is open on the left. I took this photo with my back against the wall. It was practically all beds and very little walk space, but that was all we needed. The typical day was breakfast at eight, and then up to the Fest to work until ten at night. Go home, sleep, and do it all over again. 

Everybody was enthusiastic about the peoples' response each day. They are already talking about next year. 

Our part ended sooner than the Fest. We came home as tired as if we had stayed the full week. But we are signing up again, too.

Backyard Harvest

It's evening time. The girls play as Joanie harvests more vegetables from our garden in the back. We have a pumpkin, and some beans, tomatoes, raspberries, and apples, both cooking and eating. The big tree in the back is the cooking apple tree.

Now it's the next day. Here's the other end of the garden, with the eating apple tree on the left, almost ready for harvesting. Give it two more weeks. We don't get to use the sheds; they belong to the landlord. You can just see the monster rhubarb plants on the right.

First Time In Wales

Out in the front of the house is a hill on which a fort was built in the Iron Age.

Our friends in Seattle, Kurt and Deb Oglesby, were following their youngest daughter on her trip to Wales with the Seattle Children's Chorus. The Chorus was competing in the Eisteddfod, an international music festival in existence since 1947. 

They asked us if we would want to come along and travel with them. Yow! Fun! 14 years after moving to UK we became tourists. 

While in Wales we stayed at a house named Wern Oleu, in the village of Rhosesmor. The above photo is from our first night there. We felt close to nature as we got acquainted with the house and learned where everything was. We had more fun than a Christian should have in a single day, day after day. Thank God for good friends who know how to have a good time.

You can see more photos from the trip on my Facebook photo album page.

A Container Arrives

Antonye, left, surveys the wondrous load with Landon, center, and David, right.

July 5 the container packed in the US by Antonye Holyde was delivered to my house. What does a family take with them to a new country? Many musical instruments, including a grand piano and a double bass. It was a time for rediscovery, having forgotten most of what he had put into the container months ago.

How do you throw around a grand piano? Very carefully.

Antonye's helpers David and Landon packed two van loads of things to Hampstead with our Hungarian friend Jozsef driving. Piano movers and their truck arrived on time to handle the grand piano.

That big green thing on the right is indeed a double bass. But what are all the other green things?

Some things couldn't be stored at their house: PA gear for the church when it starts, more guitars, electrical gear. So I will hang onto that for Antonye until he needs it. Joanie was very impressed with the way he organized the equipment in the garage.

Conference

Now that Colin McLean is in England, the organization of the Creation Fest is in high gear. From Launceston, Cornwall Phil Pechonis called a conference to inform us Londoners of the latest developments, and what things needed prayer. We were going to have a Skype conference, then decided on iChat. At first I was going to be at home. Then I got the chance to be over at Elliot Wilsher's. For the first time in my life I took part in a video conference. I know this is nothing new, but even so I was amazed that we could be in two different London locations and talk face to face with a third party five hours away.

Well, almost. The broadband in Cornwall is a little slow. We could see them, but they couldn't see us until Bruce and Ali (on the left side of the screen) got off the conversation. Creation Fest is going to be great this year. See more at creationfest.org.uk.

Pastor Prayer

Every month the Calvary pastors in London meet to pray with and for one another. We meet at the Starbucks at London Waterloo station at 8:30 on a Saturday morning. We wait till 9 till everybody shows up. Then we go across the street and down a ways to a Church of England called St John the Evangelist. They have been letting us pray there for more than a couple of years now. It's a quiet place, it has toilets, and it has chairs. You don't need much more than that.

It was a premium time last week. Rob, Efrem, and Pat, the South London pastors, were there. Antonye and his guys from Camden Town, newly landed a month before, also came. Matt was there from Leatherhead, and Marshall and Dan from Docklands. It was practically a full house. 

Together we pray for London, for our respective ministries, for our people, for missionary outreach, worshipping as well as interceding.

Katie Plays

Katie was playing with scarves while we reading bedtime story a few nights ago. She was giggling over this foofy hair style she came up with. I put the book down to document one evening's silliness and one pretty girl.

Ashford Cloud Sweep

I was out on the Common reading my Bible in the morning, and I saw the clouds sweeping across the sky to my right. The blue sky replaced the clouds, the sun came out behind me, and I marveled as a sunny day took over from the overcast.

Summer just showed up.

Christmas Is Over

Most people celebrate Christmas in December. When Joanie's parents visit, it's like Christmas as long as they are here. However, all good things come to an end. They leave for Seattle tomorrow, and all the fun will be over.

For our last trip together we visited Eastbourne, south and east of London. The drive was an hour and a half. We first came to The Long Man of Wilmington, a hugh hill figure cut into the chalk, located in Wilmington, East Sussex. The Long Man is 69.2 meters (227 ft) tall and designed to look in proportion when viewed from below.

Next was Beachy Head, atop the cliffs of chalk on the English Coast. We ate a picnic lunch there and then looked in the Eastbourne city center for an ice cream shop that came well recommended. 

Dick and Helen took a stroll out on the pier. Out on the beach, we threw rocks.

Later we lay on the pebbly beach and looked for unusual rocks. After making jokes about having a rock collection, I finally have one.

We came home in time to eat dinner and teach the Wednesday night Bible study.

Today it is last minute packing and looking for gifts before tomorrow's 6:45 check-in at Heathrow. Dick and Helen have always been gracious, fun, totally supportive, and we love when they visit.

Now we can only look forward to our next reunion. We don't know when that will be. At least when Christmas is over you know when it comes around again. 

Class Results

Left to right: Peng, Audrie, Simone, Rob, Philomena, Gwen, Alistair, Marshall, Dan, Deb, Debbie, Rehe, Justin.

Last Friday I taught the final Study and Teach class in Canary Wharf. The inconsistent attendance made me question what I was accomplishing with this series. 

I know several of the students were truly touched and encouraged by the Lord. One student has made real improvement in her teaching. I have also become more certain that London needs more Bible teachers and that I want to continue to raise them up. Lord willing, my next class will be in my own church.

We posed for a group photo and watched the timer count down. It didn't flash. They all asked why. I told them I never use a flash; don't worry, it took the picture. They all went, "Ooooooh."

Piano Lessons

Mr. Buckmaster demonstrates the new song for Holly to learn.

Holly had been plunking out some songs on the electric keyboard we have, teaching herself to play. Finally we asked if she would want real lessons. She did, and after prayer and inquiries we found Philip Buckmaster, a Baroque musician who lives in the area. She has been going weekly and has been learning steadily. She practices at home and also at the school we meet at on Sundays. The grand piano at Whitton School gives her a taste of playing with weighted keys. Some day we hope to get a keyboard with a piano action so her practicing will be more strengthening. For right now, what we have works.

Basketball

Katie aims high while Holly is temporarily sidelined with a jammed finger.

The girls have wanted to shoot hoops for a long time. As we were looking for summery things for the girls at a Sports Direct store in Kingston we saw a drum full of basketballs. We got one.

When Joanie was away at the pastors' wives retreat the girls asked if we could go and shoot baskets. We took off on our bikes to go to the park with the basketball hoop. A group of local kids were using the stand for the hoop for a football goal (soccer, for you North Americans). We waited until the attention of the crowd went to some other amusement, then we started shooting. 

The girls have shot baskets using a Wii, even doing slam dunks. I was happy to have them experience the real world and get to use their muscles to make the ball go. We also practiced passing the ball (and sharing the ball).

Holly got a little too much "real world" - her first basketball injury. She jammed her finger on a rebound. It got stiff and painful. It was also bad timing - the day before her piano lesson. We prayed the Lord would help her and heal her.

It wasn't the best timing for me, either, to go out and play. But when they want to play I want to be there for them. I don't have too many more years for this. It was a great day for shooting.

Setting Up Shop in Hampstead

Antonye calls his bank in the U.S. after they freeze his account for unusual and suspicious activity. Somebody was using his card in London, England, of all places. It didn't help that he told them what he was doing before he did it. You can't beat a modern bank for service.

For two weeks I have been helping Antonye Holyde, his family, and his team get established in Hampstead, a northern part of London. They are wanting to start a church in Camden Town, a little south of Hampstead. Antonye is married to Suzanne, with daughters Chanté and Ruthie. Team members are David and Trista, Luke and Frieda, Landon, and Toby. 

The plan was to use a van as much as we could for the day, to get household furniture and appliances. Since no one had a car or could drive, for that matter, somebody needed to be the chauffeur. That was me.

I rented a Ford Transit and packed all the luggage that Antonye had parked in my garage. It was about 12 pieces, along with the four instruments and other luggage brought on his previous trip to London, plus a couple of mattresses we were giving them, some bedding, pillows and an air mattress. I was thankful I was given a GPS (they call them satnavs here) as I drove it into Camden Town.

When I met Antonye, I also picked up his team's luggage. It packed out the Transit from front to back, top to bottom. We drove to Hampstead.

Hampstead is one of those classic London neighborhoods that is row housing and no off-street parking, so the streets are always parked with cars, and it is resident-only parking. There is no place for visitors to park. Parking police walk slowly but surely. I parked in a 20-minute loading zone. We ran the stuff across a busy street, where others took the bags down the street to the house. Then I found a spot to park about half a mile away, and came back for lunch at a pub on the corner of the street.

After lunch we went to see a used furniture place to find a desk for Antonye. After that it was Ikea, to buy mattresses, bed frames, shelves, chairs, and whatever else could be obtained. Team members also trained there and shopped. We loaded it all in the van, filling it about two-thirds.

We were the last ones out of Ikea. It must have been about 10 p.m. We got back to Hampstead and unloaded the furniture. I got home about midnight. I had missed my prayer meeting that night.

I rented the van again this Wednesday and did it all again. Ikea first, because it's fun the first visit, okay the second, a migraine the third, and deadly the fourth. Then over to an electronics store to get a refrigerator, a microwave, and a toaster. Then we went to Highbury to check out a desk for Antonye. It was not quite what he was looking for, so we went back to Hampstead and unloaded the van. I drove home in time to get a little dinner and teach my Bible study.

What I can't describe is how slow all this is, because we have to get around through London traffic. A lot of driving here is actually crawling slowly. The only ones who go fast are police and ambulances, and even then they get bogged down regularly. We did have the time for great fellowship.

Even after two trips the house is barely furnished. We could probably do it again next week. It's challenging getting set up from scratch in London. But it means getting a new church started, and that's what I enjoy.