on the road again...: Blinkin' Birmingham!

Nope, it's not in Alabama. Birmingham is a historically industrial city in the Midlands of England. For most of you who still think I'm Megan Mitchell on a mission trip to England, this is where she actually helped out. It's affectionately called "The Black Country" - coined by Queen Victoria for the soot-laden buildings in this smokey, hard-working area. And people here are down to earth, hearty, happy souls.

So, it was a pleasure to work with Oakham Evangelical Church and Krunch, a multi-facted ministry in the area. So far, around 200+ Books of Hope were given out in our trips there. We also worked with a ministry called Loaves and Fishes, handing out second-hand furniture, etc. to needy people. And there are many in England...many are immigrants from Middle Eastern, Asian, and African nations. And Birmingham being the 2nd largest city in England, they come...for work...for hope...but many dreams are dashed in their pursuit.

One such visit enabled me to hug, listen and pray with a lady named Sephia. She was an immigrant from Iraq whose husband of 9 years had just left her. She was distraught, alone and hopeless. But to save the day, Steve an his wife Anna had a couch and church for Sephia. We spent time showing her God's word and in her words, when we came, we made the sadness go away. Pray for Sephia as she gets involved in Steve & Anna's church and comes to know Christ like in Isaiah 54:6 "For the LORD has called you, Like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit, Even like a wife of one's youth when she is rejected," Says your God.

Steve who started this work, is a one-of-a-kind chap and to capture his happy, loving heart, and we were blessed to meet him. This was also the visit where I almost burnt the clutch out on our car, but that's another story.

Cool Drum set at Oakham

My "Coca-Cola slug" sleeping bag...sleepin' in the church!

Playing American football in Sherwood Forest. Well, not really...but this forest was some famous site where soldiers hid out in. Right before this a group dressed as medieval lords passed us by; I think they were playing Dungeons and Dragons. Geeks.