Life Under Grace: London {chunks of my heart} part 3

I didn't feel quite as awful at book tables as I did at door to door. In various communities we set up book tables, handed out leaflets, and prayer walked. Along most of the sidewalks were so many others handing out things it didn't seem so out of the norm to be handing out another leaflet to people, even if this one they received brought up questions about their god(s) and Jesus Christ.

We were encouraged before going that we are not peddlers. 2 Corinthians 2:17 "Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God." It was so hard to keep this in mind standing near others who were selling their goods and in some cases their gods. How do I make God look better than what they're pushing? I confess, this was a mindset I went in and out of. Realizing I was trying to "out sell" them I'd repent and return to humbly handing fliers and smiling, as that crosses all language barriers. My God, the God of the universe, is better. He is I AM and there is not one thing I can add or take away from Him that would make Him more appealing. HE IS. Period. Evangelism, it really brings out my sin issues.

It had been a long day. An apprentice had partnered himself with me to make me step COMPLETELY outside of my realm of normalcy to do surveys with people on the street. AHHH. I'm SO grateful he was there with me though, as I felt like a bumbling idiot trying to speak without a fake English accent and listen to/understand a real English accent. What was I doing here? A question that surfaced many moments of his leading the conversation. I resisted the urge to drop the clipboard and run, though that may very well have been what happened to 2 guys who I was surveying later. In the middle of the conversation one literally just walked away while his friend stayed. Then moments later the friend, without looking at his phone said he needed to take a call and ran like the wind. Ok, maybe he didn't run from me, but he sure did disappear quickly.

Anywho, by the end of this day I was more than happy to close down the book table, and head back to LST for a concert of prayer. I had my back to oncoming pedestrian traffic as I organized bags of books from the table. I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned around to see a Pakistani ( she later told me) woman beaming and winded a bit. She asked if we were the evangelizers. I, slightly surprised by the new label as "THE EVANGELIZERS" (said in the most precious British accent), nodded questionably. I saw she had a book in her hand from our table and my brain, racing to write her conversion story, began to think of questions to ask her.
Me: So, did you read that book?
Her: (out of breath from being so excited) Yes, I..
Me: (thinking oh my goodness she's read the book and now wants to be a Christian holla! I interrupt her.) Well, do you have any questions?
Her: Yes
Me: (oh ya, this is making a brilliant story)
Her: Can I do evangelism with you?
Me: what?(......)

So it turns out Her has a name. Kay. Kay was born in a Christian home but didn't become a believer in Jesus Christ until 3 years before that very moment. She had wanted to do evangelism but hadn't found opportunities to. Kay's sister walked by the table, saw the books, picked one up, took it home in the next community over. Kay, just happened to be home. Her sister told her about the evanglizers down the way. So Kay, aching to do evangelism, hopped in her car and came down. Now, I don't know if you know about London traffic, but to get 10 miles might literally take you an hour. AN HOUR! So, just as we are closing down the table, calling it quits for the day, I feel this tap on my shoulder.

Enter Kay.

Hearing her story, we sent her with an apprentice (the same one I had been a bit pissed with because of the surveys but actually ended up being really grateful for because of the surveys. Funny how that happens.) She ended up being invited back to LST to join us for dinner and the concert of prayer.

When I walked into LST she was there waiting for all of us to come. I went and sat with her. Now, I know women in other countries do this, but we Americans, even the touchiest, don't do this. But we held hands and literally just kept looking into each others eyes giggling and telling brief versions of our stories to each other. It was the weirdest, most special moment I've ever had with a stranger. That sounds so phony but I'm so for real! She came along and did evangelism with us for the remaining days. I LOVED getting to know this precious lady and really developing a friendship with her.

When it was time to say our final farewells to each other it was one of the most dramatic things I've ever been apart of, and I was in a theatre troupe! I couldn't find her anywhere when it was time to go. I was already one of the last ones because I'm always one of the last ones and I needed to say MORE goodbyes. So I started running for the bus, parked blocks down. As I'm running I hear some one calling my name. I turn around and she is running towards me waving. I, maybe from seeing her run and having already been in running mode, turn around and run to her. We meet in the middle with a huge hug, lots of panting, laughing, and talking. I couldn't help thinking how I would have much rather have this dramatic moment with a man, but I digress.

So tears started to come AGAIN, as they always do. With the rush of me being the last one on the bus, the people ahead of me yelling the bus is going to leave soon, my legs tingling because I'm not a runner, nor is it easy to run in awkwardly tied Ssekos, I invited her back to LST because I couldn't bare this being our last interaction face to face. So, she came back, and thank God all the drama had worn off because it was actually quite anti-climactic. But she came back, took some pictures, and we were able to say goodbye without the threat of me being in lost in London because of a missed bus.

I've been back almost a month now and we communicate several times a week. She is still doing evangelism with one the teams in London and is loving it! And I love that God chose to collide our lives together; forever impacting both of us and His kingdom for good. *Another one of my favorite stories from London.*