England Missionary Update

Encouraging Conversations

Josh,
Over the past few weeks God has been doing something in the hearts of students. Below are two examples. Your partnership helps make conversations like this possible.  Thank you!

"I'm terrified to think about following Jesus because of what it will mean for my life and my family in Iran."  A student from Iran recently said this to me while we were eating lunch together.  He grew up practicing Islam but would now say that he likes Christianity better.  God is moving in his life! He is now considering what it would cost him to follow Jesus. He told me it is illegal for him to convert to Christianity and he wouldn't be able to return home.  At the end of our lunch I offered to give him a copy of John's gospel which he gladly received.  Please pray that he would read the Bible while back in Iran for the summer.  

Ross, a student from Switzerland, bought a Bible the same day he met one of our staff guys. Coincidence? I don't think so! When asked what compelled him to buy a Bible he said that he grew up celebrating Christmas and Easter but he didn't know why.  He seems to have a hunger for spiritual truth.  It is so encouraging to see God at work in the lives of students before we even meet them.  Pray that Ross would read the Bible this summer.  He will be studying abroad at University of Texas for the next academic year.  

Team Retreat

A healthy team is crucial to ministry longevity.  We were able to pull away for three nights to invest in our relationships with each other.  We traveled north to Scarborough and had time to evaluate the past school year.  We used Patrick Lencioni's "Five Dysfunctions of a Team" to spark some good conversations about healthy team dynamics.  It was great to be together for the weekend! Please continue to pray for team unity.
Evangelistic Dinner

Loneliness - Is it just me? This was the topic for our guest dinner.  Two times a year our church hosts a three course evangelistic dinner. London is a city of almost 9 million people yet 1 in 4 report feeling "frequently lonely."  During the evening there were three short talks that built upon one another and clearly shared the gospel. Praise God for the 100 that attended!  We had great conversations with the students that came. Our staff team helped with the dinner prep and Chad gave one of the talks.
Investing in Friendships

Footy Fridays! This is a fun group of guys.  Each Friday we continue to play football (soccer) as a way to further relationships with students.  Pray for God to create a spiritual hunger in these men and that we would faithfully share the good news of Jesus with them.  
Building Laborers

Pictured above are a group of Campus Outreach students from the US that joined us in London for two weeks.  These short-term teams are called Cross Cultural Projects (CCPs).  Praise God that during their time here they all commented on how their view of God and the world was expanded. They were a blessing to us as they eagerly shared their lives with the students we are ministering to.  These two weeks are just a small investment in their discipleship but we are excited to see where God leads them after college!
 

Josh, thank you for continuing to pray for us.  If you have any prayer requests we would love to hear them and pray for you. Just reply to this email!

Much love,

Chad & Mandy