GlobeTREK before GlobeTREK officially starts

Tomorrow, life outside of Canada commences!

But before that, let me share some highlights from last week:

     The GlobeTREK team spent last week in Edmonton at a newcomer's center.  I have never visited Edmonton before, and with all the multiculturalism I felt that GlobeTREK had basically started already!  While we were there, we took an introductory course and took part in a three-day international festival (that is where I got that beautiful henna on my hand!).  It was amazing to see the newcomer's center become part of the immigrant's lives and pull the community together.  People from Nepal, Egypt, Somalia, Kenya, and numerous other countries came together and just had fun together.  Wow!  It creates an excitement in me for the diverse community of people in heaven.
     At the center, we were also privileged to hear the story of several Muslim background believers.  Though both came from disparate backgrounds and countries, both came to know Christ through Christians who invested in a friendship with them.  Simple observation, but compelling.
"How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed?  And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?  And how are they to hear without someone preaching?  And how are they to preach unless they are sent?  As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!'" (Romans 10:14-15)
     The one, J, also shared with us the message that he first heard in a church on the covenant.  The minister spoke of how someone can do something nice for us, but if there isn't a prearranged covenant or contract we are not obligated to pay them for it.  However, if they agreed to mow our lawn for a certain amount of money, we must pay them when they do it.  In a similar way, we can do all the good works that we want, but God is under no obligation to save us because of that.  On the other hand, he has made a covenant through Jesus Christ, and if we come to God in Christ then we WILL be saved.  I think this is a great example, not only for Muslims but also applicable to the strong Roman Catholicism that I encountered as an MK in Guatemala.
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord."  (Romans 6:23)

Prayer requests:
- safety
- unity as a team
- a servant heart

Prayer thanksgiving:
- how well we get along together as a GlobeTREK team
- the support and love I felt from believers at church on Sunday as they said goodbye and committed to praying for me