The overarching theme coming in to this trip has been to be flexible and depend on God. Read Luke 10 for a good overview of what we are doing in the field. While it can be overwhelming to start walking with a brother with only a street map and scripture, it's also amazing at the bridges that can be built in such a short period of time.
For those who know me well, it should come as absolutely no surprise that I found the Krispy Kreme on the first full day of walking. Now understand that this isn't your Hoover Krispy Kreme where you can watch the pieces of dough float through the river of oil and icing only to melt in your mouth seconds later. This was a true hole in the wall by one of the underground subways with two chairs to sit on. Dave and I decided to walk in with the idea of getting a cup of coffee and seeing who might be there.
As we walked in, Monique greeted us with a smile and a pleasant good morning. We began making small talk, noting that the London Krispy Kreme had numerous versions (strawberries and creme / chocolate caramel creme) that we don't have at home. As we began to sample, we asked Monique to tell us about the area and the people. She gladly obliged and shared some very helpful information about the business districts and some of the changing demographics. We then asked Monique about how she arrived in London.
Monique grew up in Malta with her parents and brother. She did go to church as a child and by all accounts had a relatively normal childhood. Church is no longer a priority for Monique as she said she doesn't have time and also has a challenge with a language barrier. Believe it or not, Monique's response was one of the best we had heard as so many of the people here are atheists or have such a distrust of the Church of England that they no longer deem it relevant. The majority of the people, when asked about a church, will tell you something about the architecture...but not the message and certainly not Jesus!
As Dave and I ended our conversation, Monique told us that she would be there all week and to come back. We were excited about the spark and prayed upon leaving that it might turn into a flame.
On day two, Brock and Mike visited Krispy Kreme and shocked Monique by asking how she was doing by name when entering the store. No sooner had Brock and mike said they were with the group, Monique finished the sentence by saying, "the group from Alabama!". Clearly our first visit wasn't like the other customer interactions she had the previous day.
Monique shared more about her upbringing, telling Brock and Mike that she was planning to go home for Christmas. She also said that Christmas was nothing but another shopping day here in London. As the visit concluded, Brock and Mike asked Monique if there was anything that they could pray about her. She smiled and quickly asked for prayers for her boyfriend Leo, who had just been deported due to an expired student visa. Clearly, God was working here and the spark had potential!
Today, Geoff and I returned to Krispy Kreme with the purpose of engaging Monique in a deeper conversation about her relationship with God. We sat on a bench several blocks away and wrote a note of encouragement on the inside cover of a Bible that we planned to give her. We prayed for God to give us wisdom and also an opportunity to share this message in an environment free from distractions. As we entered the store, we were thrilled to see that Monique was again the only one there. We ordered a doughnut and a Diet Coke (to offset the calories) and asked her how her visit from Brock and Mike went. No sooner had we begun talking did the line of people begin. You would have though that they had turned a Hot Now sign on. Geoff and I quickly sat down and began to pray for our opportunity. We became discouraged as Monique was joined by two other helpers behind the counter. They soon worked through the line... but we still had two co-workers that we had to deal with.
One of the co-workers asked Monique to step out for a smoke break. Geoff and I decided to o ahead and engage Monique as she was about to walk out and thankfully she did not follow her co-worker. We told Monique that our team was praying for her and for Leo. To our surprise, Monique told us that she had also been praying that day to God for her close friend who had just had a baby. The baby, Sara Joy, was struggling to gain weight and the doctors were concerned. Geoff and I told her we would pray for Jesus to heal Sara Joy and I've the family comfort and peace. We then told Monique that we had been praying for her and had brought a Bible for her.
Needless to say, Monique was surprised. She read the note on the inside cover and thanked us for giving it to her. In the note, we had highlight several scripture verses and we explained what they meant. At this time, her co-worker came back in and tapped her to come join him. Monique didn't move. Geoff and I shared that our specific prayer for her was for her to put her trust and faith in Jesus.
Please pray for Monique and her salvation as well as intruding her too another friend that could take her investing into another's life.
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Location:London
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