Connecting & Preparing

"How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.” Isaiah 52:7

Woke up early Monday to the sounds of roosters crowing and dogs barking. Thought about my need for God, "But I am poor and needy; hasten to help me, O God! You are my helper and deliverer" (Ps 70:5) and read an encouraging email from Hugh Kerr, the Church of Scotland pastor who shared Christ with me when I traveled in Israel when I was 19.  Hugh wrote, "This morning we sang, 'Be strong in the Lord of hosts, and in his mighty power; who in the strength of Jesus trusts, is more than conquerors.' We do pray for you. Courage!" Good words to start the day.

Met a lot of ordinary-extraordinary people today, including Paul Kline, who served in the gospel with warring cannibals in Indonesia (their children have laptops these days).

At the large tent that serves as central gathering place for Operation Joshua, I met a young man from Afghanistan who came to Christ and was baptized only three weeks ago at a Hellenic Ministries' camp program for refugees. He was eight years old when the Taliban came to his village and killed his family members while forcing him to watch. He wound up a refugee in Iran and was forced as a small child to work 12-14 hours a day.

This new Christian speaks joyfully about his Savior and his new "brothers" and the "kind people" at the mission in Athens. But he also confided, "My heart is broken" because of what happened to his family. I shared how, in time, God brings healing to our hearts and memories (Isaiah 61:3), and we put our arms on one another's shoulders and prayed for God to bring healing.

I had coffee at a stand by the beach a Greek cab driver from Australia named Steve. He has a wonderful gift of evangelism and a stock of apologetic approaches and witnessing stories to share, including having handed a gospel tract to Shimon Perez and a New Testament to Mikhail Gorbachev. I said he reminds me of Forrest Gump--popping up at historic moments.

At the large tent we worked on set-up tasks and prayed and gave thanks as a group. Thanks was given for the increase of volunteers from 217 to 308 in just 10 days and for the arrival, despite a host of hurdles, of the semi trucks loaded with New Testaments.

The volunteers are coming from something like 17-18 and most young people staying in tents. (I'm with an older crowd in a hotel near the camp.)

Our team enjoyed a delightful lunch with Miriam Macris and her mother-in-law Alky, wife of the late Costas Macris, founder of Hellenic Ministries.

Ended a long but interesting day with a late-night swim in the Aegean Sea. The Lord is good!