Sunday Services and New Year's Eve

Happy New Year, all,

Sorry for not blogging the past few days, but we've been keeping pretty busy.

We got to attend church services this Sunday. It's a great church and very nice people to talk to. There are people from about 11 different nations that attend this one church. The UK is a very diversified country and this church definitely shows it. As I was walking through the congregation, I felt as if it was a little taste of what Heaven would be like with all tongues and all nations praising God.

On Sunday, they have a Pakistani service that they do almost completely in the Punjabi language. Our friend Sam was pleasantly surprised with the opportunity to preach about 20 minutes before it was time for him to go on. Here is a candid shot of him nervously getting ready:


The next day at noon was the church's Hogmanay celebration (or New Year's Eve). They put us to work when we got there making sandwiches.



Then, the youth group performed a drama that they saw a video of a while back. Here is a picture while they were rehearsing:



It's a powerful drama and you should check out the original video they saw: Everything

Next, I got the honor of speaking to the group. I just shared my testimony, then got to talk about God's soverignty, justice, mercy, grace, and love. It went great, and I was given much grace by God to be able to deliver His message effectively.



That night, we were invited back to the Pakistani service for more preaching, food, and fellowship. There was some great Pakistani food, although no as hot as some Tex-Mex.

It was a great few days. They are going by really fast now, though. I thought I would be stressed out with all the ministry we've been doing, but it's been a huge blessing. It will be tough to leave all the new friends we've met and the places we've experienced. God is good for allowing us the opportunity to come here and see Him at work in Scotland.

I hope everyone had a wonderful New Year's Eve and you'll make 2008 an even greater year.

~Mark