Washington DC

The original group that we had met with (twice) basically were positive but not in the event actually able to do anything to make it happen.  At the last minute (ie four days before the mission), we had agreement from the pastor of a Baptist church in a mainly black area (a contact which came indirectly from the Rome mission!) to do a one-evening mission with us.  So our team of 13 (now including two Germans) pitched up and prepared everything, bought the food etc.  Then about 15 members of Pastor Kip's church turned up to help (or eat!), and perhaps 50 others (out of the few on the streets) turned up to join us for the meal.  We, the visiting team, plus some locals, worshipped (with one acoustic guitar - mine!) and we waited to see what God would do.  Just as the food was ready, Pastor Kip took the microphone to pray and give thanks; during this prayer lasting less than one minute, out of nowhere a hurricane force wind came, blew down all the bunting we had put up, and sent a big (seriously big) branch of dead wood from the tree above us crashing down (it could have killed someone).  So - sound of a 'mighty rushing wind', dead wood being cleared out (!), all while Pastor Kip was praying though the microphone.  Whatever all this meant, the effect was (A) to send us scuttling indoors, where lovely if small-scale fellowship with our guests continued, with several conversions; and (B) as we went in, Kip turned to me with a singular passion and said 'this will continue; I now understand: it is the worship that opens hearts; you have planted a seed here and we will do more of this'.  Kip himself led two people to Christ and had four others tell him that they would now go to his church, and he was utterly thrilled.  He is convenor of the churches in his area and wants them to do a joint mission together.

M.G. July 05