The weather was mixed, but I managed a lovely walk around Hawkshead. I visited a local hostelry for a sandwich and a Guiness (purely for medicinal purposes of course!). I was intrigued by the foreign accent of the barman and discovered he was from Romania. It really is a small world isn’t it? Maybe we should just send STM teams up to Cumbria!! Actually, this highlights one of the things we’ve been discussing on the Kairos course. Christians used to have to travel overseas to take the Gospel to other nations, but in this age of globalisation, God has brought ‘all nations’ to our doorstep. There really is no excuse now is there?

On my way home I detoured via Wakefield to visit New Life Christian Centre. They are sending an STM team out to Romania in May. I spent some time training the team for the trip, looking at subjects like cultural sensitivity, mission expectations, and working with interpreters. A family of Romanians also attend the church, and they popped in whilst I was chatting with the team. It will certainly give the team a head start when it comes to practising working with interpreters. This is yet another example of the opportunities that Christians have for mission on their own doorsteps. I am sure that the team’s experiences in Romania will help them reach out to the Romanian’s in their own community.

The next few months are going to be very busy, with a steady stream of mission teams heading out to Romania, Slovakia, Czech, Poland and Ukraine between May and October. Please continue to pray for the mission teams and host churches – that lives are changed through the proclamation of God’s name across Europe. Pray also for the STM staff, as they work hard to make sure all the planning and preparation is done before the teams arrive.