Our Last Day in Solihull

August 19, 2018

This Sunday we gathered for worship in the morning (Stephen preached from  I Samuel) and the evening (Rob preached from John).  Both men presented the gospel and compelled anyone who did not know Jesus to seek after Him.

Our team was invited to have lunch at several of the homes of the church families of Solihull Presbyterian.  The generosity, hospitality, and fellowship overflowed while we ate and rested.
After evening worship we gathered outside for photos with everyone.  And then the Dancers invited anyone who could come, over to their house for cheese and crackers and more fellowship.  No one wanted the time together to come to an end.   It was a different day because we were still meeting, talking, getting to know families, and yet we were leaving the next morning.

As we gathered at the Dancers, we spoke of days to come and future plans.  The Dancers were leaving on holidays this week, the Drijfhouts were returning to their home after staying in Solihull for the last 10 days, Witek and Paulina want to visit America next summer, Julia will be leaving for college a few days after returning to Charlotte, Rob is visiting his family in Wales, the Klazingas are staying in London for a few days, and so on.  We ended the evening with farewells and 'see you in the mornings' and an impromptu singing of Psalm 23.

It may be trite or cliche to say that our lives have been changed by our trip to Solihull, but it is true. If you ask any of us if we learned or were changed in some way by our experiences, we will smile and remember the people we met, the new experiences we walked through, and the building up of relationships that we hope to keep for years to come.

Men's Brunch

Saturday, August 18, 2018

The men gathered at 10 this morning for a proper English breakfast and to hear from Joe Parker about how the Lord convinced him to speak to the lost about their need for a Savior.  It was a good breakfast and a great presentation from Joe, quite moving.   Joe is a gifted story-teller.  He spoke about how the Lord led him to witness to prison inmates in the United States and Australia.  He had stories of some of the particular circumstances people were in when he met with them.  

There were seventeen men who met at Olton Tavern.  Comments from Stephen were that the service was good, location was great, and this is definitely something the church hopes to repeat.   He added that it would be a good idea to think about giving a personal testimony in a group setting on a frequent basis because it makes us think about what God is doing in our life, how He is working. 

Joe's presentation was interrupted by a group of men who were lawn bowling who caught his eye out the window.  After breakfast, he went out to ask the men questions about the game. 

Family Fun BBQ

Saturday, August 18, 2018

This afternoon we served burgers and hot dogs, played lawn games, and had a bouncy castle for kids and adults.  We estimate that we had around 60-70 people come round to eat and play and talk, mostly families.  We had some older folk pass through (the church's sidewalk is a shortcut from the back street to the front).  There weren't many from the surrounding neighborhoods that we had canvassed, but it was easy to see that we were having a good time and serving good food.

We may see a few of the attendees of this event in church tomorrow; several said they would come.

We are tired tonight but feel satisfied that we have done some good seed planting this week.

Christianity Explored Evening

Friday evening, August 17, 2018

It was difficult to know all week long if we would see anyone from the community come to the evening of questions and answers that we advertised on our flyers.  But even if no one besides church members and the Sovereign Grace team participated, we could at least see what we are hoping to present as a series that asks questions and provides answers about the gospel based on a study of the book of Mark.

This is the way to Christianity Explored!

The evening began with a meal.  The men had set up the room a few hours earlier and the women heated up dishes and served salads and then coffee, tea, and pudding (dessert).  The room seemed full even though we had only 3 people who were inquiring or seeking to understand faith in Christ or who were hoping to strengthen their new-found faith.  One of the women who came to the event was also at the tea in the afternoon.  She is searching for something.  Many of our ladies were able to speak to her and we gave her a Bible.  She is a neighbor and friend of Sue; we will be praying for her salvation.

The other two women have attended Solihull Presbyterian but still have many questions.  The format of Christianity Explored is to discuss a few questions in a small group, then watch a video, then talk about it and discuss some of our answers to the questions.  This evening was a bit of a 'teaser' session, introducing the series and laying out the format for study of the gospel of Mark.

Except for a delay for a technical glitch, which meant we had time to talk in our small groups about the questions and answers, the whole presentation didn't take longer than an hour.  We talked some more, answered more questions from the inquirers who were scattered about the room, and began the clean up.

Tomorrow is the Men's Brunch and the afternoon of family fun and BBQ.  We are praying that some of our efforts of the week will be realized in new faces throughout the day.  The women on our team have a little bit of a break in the morning so we should be feeling rested and ready to interact with those who come to the church event.

Afternoon Tea

Friday, August 17, 2018

The first event of our Summer Weekend is the Ladies Afternoon Tea.  Many friends and neighbors were invited as well as some of the women we talked to as we door knocked this week.  Although some of the women who had planned to attend weren't able at the last minute,  we did have
women from Solihull enjoy the afternoon with us.  So the long table where we sat in the Laura Ashley Tea Room at a hotel nearby was full with twenty-six

women, nine of whom were invited by church members.

About half-way through our tea time, Michelle gave a testimony about the Lord's provision for her family during a long period of unemployment for her husband.  She spoke of the many ways that God provided for them financially which included being able to continue lessons for the children in various activities and gifting them with provisions of food or a dinner out or even a gift for others so they could practice hospitality.  She saw God answering prayers and she spoke of growing in her study of the Word during the time of trial.  God was faithful beyond what she could even comprehend and she shared with us thankfulness for His care for her family.

The teas were flavorful, the sandwiches and scones unique, the cakes were saved for last.  We were able to have refills of tea, sandwiches, and scones.  We were also instructed in the English use of clotted cream and jam on scones.  There were lively conversations and comfortable chairs to relax in while enjoying tea.

Nancy read a devotion from Psalm 122 and spoke about the new Jerusalem and what that meant to the Israelites and what it means to us today.  She explained what peace would mean to the children of Israel as verses 6 and 7 tell us to "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!... Peace be within your walls. "
She told us to ask ourselves as believers what this Psalm means to us as we think about the new Jerusalem.  Then she asked those who did not identify themselves as believers to ask themselves: how do I approach God?  Do I trust in myself to find peace?  She closed our study with a prayer of praise for God's peace and His Word to His people.

Our tea time ended and we lingered over meaningful conversations.  We don't know what some of the ladies thought about it all, but we are praying that seeds were sown in hearts that are softened.

Conversations

Thursday, August 16, 2018

Bryan K led our devotions this morning from Mark 8 speaking of the healing of a blind man; he had blurred vision just as the disciples did and as we do.  Even though our vision may be blurred, we still share what we do know and understand with those who are spiritually blind.

We prayed for many of the people that we met yesterday.

So many of the people we meet in the neighborhoods of Hobs Moat are suffering physically as well as spiritually.  There are elderly people who come to the door in their bathrobes or with the help of a cane or walker.  When they share with us what is ailing them, we tell them we will pray for them.  But so many of them have closed their hearts to the truths of Christianity.  They declare themselves to be atheists or they believe that all beliefs are One, or they tell us that they are not interested in our weekend.

One lady told Henry when we were passing out flyers that she was just going to throw it away. His response was: "You know, ma'am, I came all the way from America to give you this flyer."  She told him, "Well, then I guess I will need to read it at least."  Corey and Witek were told by a fellow that he was an atheist and not interested in anything they had to say as he ripped the flyer they had just handed to him.

Another woman told Bryan and Witek that she was sorry, but she is an atheist and not interested in what we have to say.  As they were walking to the next house, Witek told Bryan, "I would be sorry too if I were an atheist."

Sue and I were told by an older gentleman that he was an atheist and that he probably knew more about Christianity than we did.  Sue asked him, "But you were not convicted by all that you heard?"
His reply: "I just grew up and put aside the foolish notions."  He told us about his eye problems and even shared with us that his neighbor across the street just lost her husband the day before.  We asked him for his name and asked him if he minded if we prayed for him.  He said, "I don't know what good it will do, but go ahead. "

But for as many conversations that we have had that revealed the darkness of man's heart, there were others that were encouraging to us because of questions that were asked that indicated a searching for answers.

Diane and Stephen spoke to a man whose daughter committed suicide.  Diane told him the story of her own son and let him know that if she hadn't been able to be comforted by God's Word and His presence and care for her, she wouldn't have been able to cope with the grief.  They told him and his wife that they would pray for them.

We truly feel like we are planting seeds where God is leading and we are praying that over time those seeds will be watered and tended to and prepared for a harvest.  We are certainly making the name of Solihull Presbyterian known in the area, but especially we are being ambassadors for Christ to individuals who are lost and without hope. 

Team Spirit

The team dynamics on this trip have been an interesting mirror of what the body of Christ looks like condensed to twelve people from varied backgrounds and ages.   We are One in Christ, we have the same goal to encourage and serve the church universal as represented by Solihull Presbyterian.  But we are also uniquely gifted with different personalities and temperaments that express themselves in our words and actions.

God brought us together for a purpose and we recognize that He knew we would each fulfill a role as a part of this team.  

It is fascinating to see how the gifts of each of us are being used as we live out our time here.

Each of us sees that God is putting us into situations and conversations that He has prepared us for in one way or another.  He is teaching us to be patient with one another, to serve one another, to encourage one another, and to pray for each other.

The group of believers in Solihull have been a gift to us from our Loving God.  Seeing how everyone is learning and listening, laughing and loving our new friends has given us a new perspective on the true oneness we have in Christ.