Arrived! + Day One in London, Camden Town

HELLO beloved friends! I arrived safely and with a running start on people our God wanted to use me to love on. Please pardon my brevity - it's 12:26am as I right this and I am exhausted from a full day.

I'm sorry I can't do justice to how wonderful today was because of the ministry we got to do in and unto the LORD. Today included a time of prayer by name over all the people the team has shared the gospel with so far, evangelising in Camden Market, a sprawling upon sprawling flea market, and the Bible study and worship time at Yumchaa Cafe, where non-believers/customers could hear the entire talk. We started at 10am and didn't wrap up the day until 10:30pm.

SO SO SO SO SO blessed beyond any proper words by Erika, George, Amy and Jason dropping me off to SFO airport and by Kristina and Alycia for helping this hopeless trip planner to finish (well, and start) her packing. Who goes that out of their way to serve someone? These 6 are such encouraging, servant-hearted friends that God has blown me away by. I am so undeserving, but that's just it: God - Jesus Christ - is in the business of giving us everything good we don't deserve and taking away from us everything bad we absolutely deserve. One of the sweetest moments on the drive up was when the gang went through the alphabet: each took turns saying prayers for me that began with each letter of the alphabet.
On the way we stopped by my parents' house who blessed our socks off with delicious Indian food (Shawn and Stacey - I made sure to sent some to you via Amy). My mom was so blown away by my friends willingness to drop me all the way for SFO. Thank you 4 so much for lovin' on me by lovin' on my mom with your act of service.

As you feel led, please pray for these folks we talked with. Praise God for every encounter.

Stateside:
Kay from the airport security check line- her father recently became a Lutheran believer (Praise God!) and is in major health problems, which is why she was visiting him. She was nervous about him seeing her again. I told her that parents are always blessed when they see their children, no matter what. That seemed to comfort some unspoken fears. She comment several times on how amazing it was that Jason and George were waiting for me on the side the whole time we went through security. Lots of people do this, which is why it was so interesting that she took such notice of them. Finally she said, you must be such good friends. I told them that I only got to know them this year, but that we were more than good friends - they were my family, my brothers, because we shared Christ - God - in common. It was a really good convo. I told why I was going to Edinburgh and she didn't really know how to respond, but in a good way, like she couldn't believe someone would take time off to do that. She was really receptive and very grateful for the prayers for her time with her dad.



London:
Sofia - gal on train that dressed like a prostitute, but said she was a waitress (it was also about 1am at nite). Was convoing well with me until I invited her to Shoreline London's bible study. She scrambled to the door at the next stop.

Karen and Maria - sweet sweet Israeli gals who also came from the airport and got lost on the Tube! God, being the incredible loving and rescuing God He is, put them right in Pastor Tonye's, Landon's and my path. They accepted our help to show them they way to their hotel, which if you saw Camden Town, you'd see why accepting help from strangers is a rarity. I told them we were missionaries, and that we believed Jesus is the Savior. The convo didn't go further. But praise God that they trusted us, all the way for 3 train and bus transfers and waiting around at bus stations with us at 2am in the morning. Pastor Tonye pays for their tickets, which totally blessed them. They shared their chocolate with us. I could see this look in Karen's eyes like 'O my goodness, these guys are legit. I can't believe they're so nice.' Then out of nowhere, like 45 minutes later, Maria asked me what sort of a Christian we were, and why we were Christian given all the rules you have to follow. She said she couldn't deal with so many rules. Woo Woo! Thanks God! I replied with the gospel and that Christians have been freed from the law because we live by 1 rule only - to love God and love your neighbor with all your heart. That we're not living for rules, but to bless God. She thought a moment and said with a smile, 'She could live with 1 rule" :) They totally blessed me and I'm hopin' the Spirit will keep prodding them.

Sevita - a Nepalise flea market vendor who ironically said she never wondered about her purpose in life or whether there was something bigger or if she was loved by God, but was wearing a t-shirt with a face of a girl crying.

Mihaela - a Romanian flea market vendor who totally engaged in convo with us. She is a Eastern Orthodox believer (I think) and processed Jesus with the only way for her, but also said that everyone could believe in whatever worked for them. She also believed that when you repented, God forgave you 50%, and then you had to make up the other 50% over time with good works. My heart was so burdened to have her be discipled! She looked at Tobi and me and said she could tell that we really believed in what we were sharing with her because we were so optimistic and joyful. Praise God for doing this in us!

Rakesh - an Indian flea market vendor. David and I had a great talk with him. I asked him why he bothered worshiping gods that had no power, when he could worship God who had all power. He looked at his laxmi goddess statue above the door and said, 'yeah, she has done nothing for me.' He seemed interested in coming to the Bible study. He also said his Indian friend at college is a new Christian and keeps talking to him about Jesus :)

Karla - another immigrant flea market vendor. She was a Catholic (but professed that Jesus was the only way) and was so blessed that we would pray for her openly for her health issues. Doing this is very uncommon here!

We met several people I whose names I just can't remember, but God knows them!

God gave major favor to the team here when a cafe owner (of Yumchaa) let them have their bible study and worship time in their cafe on Wed evenings. Again, if you saw Camden Town, you would think everyone here wouldn't do bible study or host Christian music if their life depended on it. But God made the way with this shop owner's heart.
For Niavase, Andrea, and Sofia from Spain who stayed at Yumchaa for the entire worship time! They were so sweet and really liked the music. I got to pray for Andrea to find a job. I told her she only needs to cast her cares to God, Jesus, and He will provide for her. Shared scripture on how if man is imperfect and gives decent gifts, how much more God who is perfect gives to His children. She really resonated with that. I told her to remember this conversation when God gives her her job.

For the Yumchaa staff who were such servant-hearted, amazingly sweet pre-Christians! Pray for their salvation, that the gospel and teachings about God would sing in! Talk about a captive audience :)

For the London Team - Pastor Tonye, Suzanne, Chante, Ruthie, David, Trista, Landon and Tobi. For the LORD to continue to bless them, give favor to them as they proclaim the gospel, and steer them both in their calling as missionaries on this team and in their personal walks with Him.

Glory and honor and praise be to our King, Jesus Christ, the Son of God the Father Most High! I love you God!

Love and blessings,

Shruti

Friends

Erika Bennett nonchalantly said, "By the way, at least four of us going to drive you up to San Francisco Airport on Monday night. Jason Byard, George, me, and Xiane." (I later find out that Amy Ransom is also jumping in).

I didn't really know how to react. I still don't really.
My flight is at 11:45pm on Monday. SFO airport is about 5 hours away from Los Osos. I can't leave before 4pm on Monday because I work in the daytime. That means each of these friends will likely be home and in bed around 3am. All of them work the next day.

I feel so incredibly amazed and with lack of words that the LORD would bless me in such an amazing way. I just feel so loved and nurtured, that friends would go out of their comfort to such an extent to send me off as with a team, and not by myself.

The LORD really has provided me a team; until the flight they are going with me in person, and after wards, they are going with me in spirit, which is even better!

I've been thinking more and more how good, loving friends are an absolute miracle. They are completely a gift from God we do not deserve and are incapable of keeping long without God's mercy. I just think: we're sinners. Our hearts are deceitful. We often do the things we don't want to do, and don't do the things we want to do to one another and to God. The list of our "unlovablenes and unlikeableness" goes on.

And yet we love, and we forgive, we suffer for, and we desire to bless. I can't explain our ability to feel this way towards others or invoke these feelings in others towards us, without God. It's not wonder He says to give thanks in all circumstances: even in seasons where I feel stripped down, the bare necessities I have are undeserved gifts from Him.

Blessings!

Shruti

Passport found!

My dad saved the day, who found it for me back at the home in San Jose. I think that if I hadn't lost it, I wouldn't have been able to have that sweet moment on the phone with my dad, whom I hadn't really talked to yet about the trip. My parents are not believers, and we've all been through a lot in our family in dealing with me becoming Christian instead of following my parents' religion of Hinduism. Knowing that both my mother and father are somewhat excited for my upcoming trip (instead of the reactions they would give in the past to my living out my Christian faith) is something that I'm blown away and absolutely blessed by.

It's funny how God gave me the personality He did, and brings everything back to His good purpose. I am forgetful. I'm not the best trip planner. I was rather afraid of telling my dad that I was going on a trip to Scotland (and paying a decent amount of money for it) to tell people about Jesus, instead of saving up for a new car.
In my forgetfulness, I misplace my passport. My dad, of all people, finds it. We start talking about the Scotland trip. I face my fear and find out his reaction wasn't adverse as I thought it would be. I'm quite humbled as I realize God has taken him a long way and that I hadn't truly been faithful in expecting God to change his heart. This was the opportunity God orchestrated for me to gently realize it.

Our God is good. So good.

God bless you friends, Shruti

Passport

I realized my passport isn't where I left it after my trip to Boston in January. I've moved twice since then. Please pray I find it!

Edinburgh Core Map

I wish you could see the City Guide Map I am looking at here on the table. It's in full color. This will have to do.

I am hoping to roam these streets in the core of the city.

Scotland Tourism Map

Google Map of the city

The church, Carrubbers Christian Centre, that I'm hoping to help at during the evenings when their evangelistic cafe is open, is located about 3 blocks to the right of Edinburgh Castle, on High Street, and John Knox's House. Yeah... that's pretty central. Interestingly enough, the Edinburgh Dungeon is a few streets away as well.

Bless ya guys! Shruti

Room 65 - Evangelistic Cafe in Edinburgh

Hi Guys,

Here is some info about a serving opportunities I am super excited about. It combines my love for coffee house ministry and evangelism, one and one dialogue, and a bold presentation of the Gospel. This is a cafe that opens for a few months a year during Edinburgh's Fringe Festival in the summer. Last year, more than 3000 visitors came through their doors - that's 3000 people getting the Gospel and the opportunity to sit with someone one on one and talk about living in and for Jesus.

Here is an excerpt from this site. Please pray I can serve there! I am pretty much light headed just thinking about the Spirit presence shrouding that cafe, of laboring towards the common goal of blessing Christ beside believers I've never met before and yet they'll feel like family.

http://www.carrubbers.org/room65/

"If you have no idea what Room 65 is, then there are other "outward facing" pages that explain all about it; this page is all about how to get involved. The event requires a lot of people doing a lot of different roles to make it happen. The majority of these helpers come from the church membership, but others are very welcome to join us too. In 2009 we had 3000 through the doors which clearly requires a lot of man power to make sure they are comfortable, but most importantly engaged with the gospel either directly by conversation, or indirectly through the very act of being in a church amongst God's people for an evening. You don't have to have any specific skills to be involved, nor do you need to commit to being there every night or for a whole night. You just need to be willing and able."

God bless ya'll! Love and Christ's peace, Shruti