West Highland Way

This past week was crazy in a good way. Monday thru Thursday the internship did a trek through the Highland mountains. We saw some of the best of God's beautiful creation, faced challenges and deepened good relationships. I tell the truth when I say my body has never ached as bad as it did last week. But I'm sure it's not the last time as I plan to do many more adventurous journeys as my time here wears on.
Until next time, keep it real.

><>Geoff

An opportunity taken

Have you ever been around someone you know has spent large portions of their life in the presence of God? The concepts and ideas that come from their mouth are somehow very simple while at the same time quite complex. I had one of those experiences today. 3 of us staff at Stanley House got up early, drove 2 and a half hours to Dundee, crammed into a small room with 40 other people to sing worship songs and listen to this man talk for 4 hours via a translator. His name is Dr. Atif and he's an Egyptian man who apparently has spent many months alone with God in the desert, done multiple 40 day fasts ingesting nothing but water and spoken all over the world, among other things. His thoughts were deep and lofty. Thought-provoking and convicting. Revelatory and Bible-based. I took many notes but I know that I caught only a small portion of what was said. Now comes the task of processing and applying. But that's why we have the Holy Spirit...

Paisley Is Great

On Thursday, the 4th of September, YWAM Paisley held the first of many community outreach events under the title PIG. The idea was formed several months ago in the minds of two curiously inventive American men, both named Tim. These men happen to be in charge of the internship program at the YWAM base in Paisley, Scotland.
It begins with a pink shirt, and on the front you find the letters P-I-G. On the back side of the shirt you find the acronym: Paisley Is Great. The reason for this simple bit of inanity comes from an attempt to thwart the ideas of many Scots, ideas that nothing good comes out of Paisley, or that Paisley is nothing more than rubbish. Though many Paisleyites have wrongfully taken these ideas to heart they are certainly not true, even if the town may once have been one of the most crime-ridden towns in Europe.
That morning, as we spent time in prayer, worship, and preparation for our meager attempt to reach out to the people of this town, we had little idea what the response might be. We loaded up the van and headed to the town centre, all in our new pink pig shirts. As we set up in front of the large statue in the square people came and looked on, asking questions. The sun shone all afternoon as we grilled sausages (British style hot dogs), giving them away, playing guitar and striking up conversation with the many passers by. In less than two hours we gave away 300 sausages and talked with numerous people explaining that we only wanted to bless the people of Paisley and show that it was not a terrible place. Everyone we met was kind and friendly, even the goth teens with whom I shared my guitar with; our efforts were well received. The Lord was good to us and answered all of our prayers, those for good weather and open hearts etc.
This kind of love and outreach toward the people is intended to be a regular, even weekly, event for us at Stanley House that will lead to many other ministry opportunities. We know that this is the Lord's will and that He will use it to build a good reputation not only for YWAM but for Christians, in the eyes of the people. This is a good point of prayer for those of you who wish to support me in that way.