Life in London

Before my time in Grenada, I visited London at least once a year from 2007 to 2013, most times on my way to a destination on that side of the world. This trip was no different, as I chose this route to get to Indonesia. I was so happy to be able to spend time with my big sister, and her new family!

Liming with the Mrs. Ogunbonas

Dinner with the Ogunbonas, overlooking the city at night

I was also glad for the opportunity to reconnect with my friends from high school, one of which I had not seen since we graduated! It was lovely being able to talk about what was going on in each of our lives, and to encourage one another.

With my friend's children

Youth undaunted!!!!

One of the highlights of this trip was the opportunity to serve on the prayer team at Hillsong Europe Conference 2016. This was a gathering of members of Hillsong church from all over Europe, and even persons from Africa, South America and the Caribbean, all coming together to worship God and be encouraged from His Word. It was a powerful time of testimony and ministry, and I want to use the rest of this blog to share some of the truths shared there, along with some pictures of London in the summer :)

Loving the sunshine that is actually warm!

God wants us to live transformed lives, not conforming to the world around us. God does not want a mediocre church, but one that is gaining territory, advancing His kingdom.

Our confidence should not be connected to our accomplishments, but to our belonging in Christ. Sometimes our shortcomings and failures is what allows us to release God's gifting in our lives, as His strength is made perfect in our weakness.

View of Central London from the 10th floor of Tate Modern

Our faith needs something to work against: that's why we have challenges in life.

Faith cannot fix what we will not face. We should not live in denial.

If you live in the gap between where you are, and where you want to be, your faith will give way to frustration, and eventually despair. Instead, we should look back at the gap between where we are, and where God brought us from, and be encouraged.

The kingdom of God is likened to a mustard seed, because Jesus wanted to teach the power of potential. Faith is the ability to see potential before there is any evidence of progress.

What you are doing may seem insignificant, but little is much when God is in it.

When a seed is planted in the ground, it seems like it is gone, but that's when it is growing. We must survive the soil.

Don't hesitate to ask God for big things for fear that it will ruin His reputation if you don't get it. When we love God, He places a passion in our hearts that He wants us to fulfil, so don't be afraid to ask for the deep desires of your heart.

Don't pray small prayers that hold God back from being great. Don't underestimate the goodness that God wants to lavish on us. Don't limit His generosity.

God can work with whatever little we have.

Part of the church's job is to train others to influence their spheres (the areas of influence we have - home, school, work, community) in a godly way. There are spheres waiting for us to step into, so that we can define the atmosphere.

God is not looking for people who have never failed - He is looking for people who will never give up.

At the Globe Theatre for the Taming of the Shrew

Human beings have the unique ability to materialize the invisible. We can dream and create.

We are works of art, created in God's image to create the future.

God responds to the voice of faith, which must the louder than the negative voices around us. Faith moves the hand of God to do the miraculous in our life.

Our past mistakes are not greater than God's mercy. But we cannot step into our new life without laying aside the old.

Part of the prayer team

It was lovely serving on the prayer team, taking person's prayer requests before the start of the session. There are so many among us who are burdened and hurting, and I was privileged to be a part of the response to provide a space for them to lay their burdens before the Lord.

One prayer request that I took one the first night of the conference was from a young lady who said she is not feeling loved by God. On the final night of the conference, the speaker used the account of Jesus and blind Bartimaeus to show how we are not just another face in the crowd, but God cares deeply for us as individuals and is ready and willing to answer us when we call out to Him. The amazing thing was that speaker wasn't the one scheduled to share that night - the scheduled speaker was unwell, but it was clear that the Holy Spirit was using him to deliver the message His people needed to hear.

This was a tremendous week in London - can't wait to see what God has in store for us in Indonesia!!!