never being apart of an event like the call i didn't really know what to expect. i've been around the gateways beyond crew long enough to know what i was getting into when accepting the invitation to come and help with the worship. lou engle has spoken at my home church before, i've seen him on video clips, and i even saw him on a documentary called jesus camp a few years back. he is very passionate and very real. if you ever get the chance to talk to him or see him you will meet very few like him.my buddy allyster and i left early on friday morning to fly to geneva, switzerland to be a part of the call. one reason we were targeted was because of our ministry to the francophone world. it might come in handy to know the french speaking people when calling them to a solemn assembly.
first let me just confirm geneva's beauty. it truly is a magnificent city and i wish i had been able to visit and tour the entirety of geneva. that leaves room for next time i guess. it was very clean, very clear, but very expensive. it puts brussels in a completely different perspective. switzerland uses the swiss franc as currency and it is .82 euros to the franc. however, they have a hike in price of nearly 30% making a standard cup of coffee at 5 swiss francs nearly 4 euros! the euro to dollar is already bad. the franc to u.s. dollar is about the same but you are still paying 5 dollars for a small cup of coffee. i skyped with my wife one evening and told her i was thankful the lord has not called us to switzerland.the new people we worked with were beyond amazing. matthieu, remi, audrey, and joel just to name a few. i love making new connections with people who are passionate about the lord and yet they don't get the center stage/spotlight nearly enough. they are the one's who do the dirty work that most people don't want to do and they excel at it. they make an impact in people's lives because of their christ-like character. these are the ones that i walk away from the banqueting table feeling like i've met, face to face, the inspiration behind the story of the good samaritan.
over all i was deeply moved by the things i saw. you don't see europeans get excited about god much. this assembly broke that stereotype. i am so excited to see this happen all over europe!please be in prayer for a move of god in the european nations. i know you get that request a lot from me and maybe a few others here but i implore you to please not grow tired of this assignment. as long as i can pay the bills and feel god's direction for my family over here i will stay. it is a struggle getting europeans to move from their status quo and express a deep longing for change without it coming off as emotional hype. the majority just don't express themselves that way. i am longing for a desperation for god's presence to flow from their heart out of their senses.
