London 2012 (Part 1)

This year, we went to London during the 2012 Olympics.  We flew with my parents (Monica's parents) and our seven children, ages 2 1/2 to 18 years old.  

Here is our story: 

For many years, Jim and I have talked about how we would like to grow in our ability to reach out to others.  We have a strong desire to continue to train up our children in the way they should go and at the same time, reach out to people who do not know Jesus Christ.   Up to this point in our lives, we have encouraged Christian families in the following areas:  finances, marriage, health and parenting.  Our desire from the beginning of our marriage was to live out the scriptures and to share with those who want to know more about the joy we have and the hope we have for the future.  We want to live a lifestyle of reaching out to others in hopes that it will become a natural part of our children's lives.   Our greatest hope is that each child will grow in leadership skills and hear the voice of God themselves and following Him closely.  We hope that each one will learn to reach out to others and put their focus on what is important to God.

On the plane!

They were great travelers! 

The Joshua Experience in their Olympic suits 

We went with an organization that reaches out to athletes.  We did not go to London to attend the games, but to invite people to programs in the evenings.  We and over 100 other volunteers went out into the streets of London and used a variety of methods.  We traveled with a Christian Jazz Band. (see www.JoshuaExperience.com)  The band is led by Monica’s dad and mom, Larry and Orlano Randall.  Over 1,000 CD's of their music was given as gifts to people on buses, trains and on the streets of London.  We had other gifts to give away as well and we found that giving gifts was meaningful to people.  For the most part, we found people to be receptive and open. 

Waiting on the train

The band played in churches in London and our youngest children were allowed to share scripture and sing a few times.  We learned a lot about hands on witnessing and came back with ideas on how to creatively meet others and open the way for us to speak about Christ.  We know the scripture says "he who wins souls is wise."  To us, that means that there is a certain amount of wisdom involved in encouraging others to follow Christ.  We have been studying the teachings of Ray Comfort and Mark Cahill.  (both can be found easily on the internet)

Part 2 coming soon!

The 9 Browns