BEAUTIFUL FEET
Beautiful Feet is a ministry that reaches out to those
living in the streets of Belfast. They borrow a local coffee shop to open up to
the public on Tuesday nights for free coffee/tea/snacks/conversation. So last
week we ventured into the streets to meet and chat with people and see if there
was anything we could do for them. I was in a group with two fellow world
racers and a father and daughter named John and Judith. John is incredible. It
was only his second week of doing this, but every single person we came across
he would approach boldly and genuinely saying, “How are you? Is there anything
you need?� And he would then proceed into a conversation that was so earnest
and loving. I was speechless. Judith (19 years old) was equally as inspiring.
Most of our time that night was spent with three individuals
hanging out in this square area. A woman named Debbie shared her situation with
us. She truly had experienced hardship after hardship that had left her hours
away from home, fleeing from attackers, unable to get into a shelter because
she was on medication for MS, and unable to make her luck change because she
had no money. Judith sat with Debbie as she cried, not trying to offer cliché
answers but simply listening. Judith then prayed for Debbie- both had tears
streaming down their faces as their hearts ached for the same injustices. Yet
again I found myself floored by the people of Northern Ireland.
POLISH CHURCH
Polish Church… the six of us were muttering this phrase with
a groan of annoyance as we rode the train to a nearby town. We knew nothing
about what we were walking into (classic World Race), but we all had this image
of a very traditional, boring church service that we would be forced to sit
through for a good four hours. What we got was possibly my favorite night in
Northern Ireland so far. Three of us spent the evening in the home of Lukas and
Kamila for their small group meeting. First they fed us huge plates of
delicious pasta as we sat and chatted with the coolest married couple I’ve ever
met. They’ve been married three years and are just three weeks away from having
their first baby. They are so in love with each other, it’s ridiculous. And
they are also so in love with the Lord and the people He has asked them to open
their home and hearts to.
We had some fabulous Polish worship (Lukas on the guitar and
Adam on the drum). Lukas spoke about boldness and courage in stepping out in
the church and being who we were created to be. I promise you, this is the
resounding theme of my life right now- any/everyone speaking encouragement or
challenge to me speaks about this. So it was brilliant to hear it in a new way
from a Polish stranger. Kevin, Rachelle, and I shared about what we’re doing
and what the Lord is doing in and through us. Then we spent the next couple of
hours bustin’ out blues lyrics, celebrating Andrew’s birthday, laughing
uncontrollably, and receiving history lessons about the end of the Soviet
Union. Did you know that it began in Polland?
Dear World, the Polish Church is alive and changing lives in
Northern Ireland… check out the video Lukas made of our night with them:
