Let it NOT snow, let it NOT snow, ...

... with a not-so-veiled link to the subject of the previous post.

I haven't posted here much in the past week, because I've been madly preparing* for 2 days of evangelism at Mons and 2 at LLN. I haven't had time to think any thoughts interesting enough to post: they've mostly been along the lines of, "I wonder if the GBU leader has phoned the pastor yet for permission to use the kitchen... If I move this logo here on the flyer then the talk title will be clearer... I hope the GBU take to the questionnaire idea... How can we do the logistics of serving tea & coffee outside with nowhere to plug in a kettle or coffee maker?" with fewer-than-should-have-been forays into, "Lord, thank you for your gospel - please help us get it out here!" It's now Sunday night and 2 flyers are designed, 1000 flyers printed, 3000 more on the way, 1 evangelistic questionnaire prepared together with method of taking results which doesn't detract from conversation, 120 questionnaires & 30 'results version' questionnaires printed, 2 GBU groups trained in the gospel and how to use said evangelistic questionnaires (thankfully only Mons was my call), lots of liaising done with Mons GBU leader over a room and stand location, the local Christian bookshop cleaned of cheap gospels and Bibles to give out and 3 thermos tap flasks borrowed from my church... The situation for the 2 days at Mons: it's snowing. And having been refused permission for uni rooms, we'll be outside all day flyering for the Tue evening event & doing evangelistic questionnaires.

[I'd insert a picture of snow here, but they're all just far too nice. Imagine a picture instead: in the snow-dim half-daylight people in ones and twos stand outside in rushing snow all day while the wind cuts their ears and they try with red-numb hands to hand red flyers to students who rush past only aiming to get indoors again asap.]

Please pray for us: that the snow would stop (seriously - people will NOT stop to do a questionnaire if it's snowing!), that we'd be able to use a church to make the tea & coffee and that the person driving relay with flasks between said church and the stand would be safe, that GBU students would joyfully get involved even in fear & adverse conditions, filled with the Spirit for boldness in evangelism. Pray that they (and we) would be encouraged in the gospel. As Paul prayed for Philemon (1:6), please pray for us that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ. Pray that students would stop to do the questionnaires and would be engaged by the Spirit of God by his truth and desire to find out more, take a gospel to read it, have their eyes opened to see Christ and have faith given to trust in him. Please pray for strength and encouragement for us and for the students. Please pray that God would prepare the hearts and minds of some students who receive flyers inviting them to the meal & message evening on Tuesday, so that they come and hear the message with 'open eyes'! Please pray for us (the IFES team) to disciple the GBU members well in evangelism. Please pray that we would see with eyes wide open in every minute of this week just how precious Jesus Christ the Lord and Saviour truly is and be so filled with joy at this that nothing - nothing - causes us to react in a way that loses sight of him. Please pray that God would work through our weakness to get lots of glory at Mons.

* for those possibly concerned (yes PM), have no fear: as well as this mad busyness over the past week and some flyer printing & student leader chasing-up on Saturday, I did also manage on Saturday a brief lie-in, some exercise, some violin playing, a trip to the cinema and a listen to a Piper sermon on Hebrews, and today I was round at someone's house from church after church.