A team of 21 people from SC and NC volunteered with More Than Gold, a multi-denominational outreach effort at the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Here are a few of their stories:
Our experience in Vancouver has been challenging at times, but very rewarding. We met so many people of different backgrounds and experiences in the streets - some with empty looks, others with boisterous personalities but they all had one thing in common in the stories of their lives: They all needed a touch of encouragement. We prayed with some and for all of them. Most people we met were open to hear the purpose of our presence, from the bus and train drivers to the security people. Many thanked us and were impressed that we were doing this all as volunteers. We don't know how many lives were touched as a result, but we know that the Word of God never returns empty. From the dying homeless who were given a cup of hot chocolate, food and comfort items or time to pray with them and listen to their story to the busy traveler who heard about Jesus Christ, we pray that we'll meet many of them in heaven one day.
There are so many stories to tell and to pick just one is difficult but the one that blessed me so much occurred as my husband and I traveled on the Sky Train as we prayerwalked and saw parts of the city. We were talking to each other about our day and a young blonde woman behinds us kept leaning in to hear us and after she did this several times, I turned around and smiled at her. She smiled back. I said hello and she asked where we were from. I told her South Carolina and she said that she was delighted with our southern way of talking and that she heard it very seldom. From there she asked if we were on vacation and I told her our purpose for being there and that we were there to share God's love. She smiled so I was able to share the More Than Gold pin with her and what the colors meant and showed her the scripture verses on the back. She was pleasant and listened to my explanation with an open manner. She said that it was wonderful that people would be willing to come to do this type of thing. She said she had no idea that the More Than Gold group existed. I know that I was only able to plant the seed and I wanted to say more but as happens a lot on the Sky Train, the time came to get off so I said goodbye to her and am praying that she will look more at the pin and that she will give her heart to the Lord.
In our orientation upon our arrival, we were told of the extremely low percentage of persons in the Vancouver area who profess to having a person relationship with Jesus; however, we were also aware of the prayers for this city prior to the Olympics. One of the highlights of the trip was the number of believers we encountered. It just seems a lot of the "few in number" of local believers in addition to "foreign" believers must have been directed into our paths. An example was the beautiful young woman with whom I chatted on the bus. She immediately showed me the More Than Gold pin on her lapel which she had received earlier. As we talked about why we were here, she seemed encouraged. As my bus stop appeared suddenly and I began to say goodbye, she took my hand and said to me, "Thank you for coming because I love HIM too!" We praise Him because HE has HIS people all over the world! Our prayer is that HIS family will greatly increase as He uses the ministry that was done in HIS name at the Winter Olympics.
The week was unlike any mission trip I have ever experienced. Talking to people I do not really know about the Lord does not come easy for me. However, using the More Than Gold info and sharing "the pin" was a useful tool to start conversations with people. People there were so friendly. One young lady and I talked about her life and the fact that she was in foster homes since she was 4 years old. She is now 19 and on her own, but the scars of abuse were evident from her story. She and I talked about 30 minutes and she followed me back to our work area. I sensed she needed to belong somewhere. We saw many young adults who seemed to ahve that same need to belong. Many dressed in different types of clothing with body piercings, etc. Many had seemingly no place to go. We shared where we could and prayed over them all. God is at work in Vancouver.
I met a young lady on the bus who was holding a book titled "When Life Hurts" and I asked her "are you hurting?" She smiled and said "oh, yes!" She was from Africa and didn't talk specifically about her problems, but when I told her why I was in Vancouver, she said "oh, would you pray for me please?" Three days later, I again met her on the bus and she gave the biggest smile and said "things are getting better! Thank you for praying." I believe that part of our mission was to support the believers who are struggling.
It was an exciting time as God used me and others sharing the love of Jesus with those around us. Friday morning was exciting as I shared Jesus with a young lady. She had heard about Jesus but didn't have a personal relationship with Him. She did indicate that her relationship with her boyfriend was not ideal. I asked her this question: How can you have a relationship with others without Jesus? I was able to share the Gospel with her and she prayed to receive Jesus.
On one of the bus rides into the city I noticed a classy lady sitting across the bus from me. There was some conversation among some of our group and some other riders nearby. This lady was just looking toward the group and then away. I thought perhaps she was not pleased with the discussion, but I had the opportunity to smile at her several times. As we exited the bus, she rushed over and hugged me, exclaiming how glad she was that we were there doing what we were doing to serve others. When she hugged me again, she kissed me on the cheek. I had a chance to talk with her for a few minutes as we walked toward the Sky Train. She asked me where we were going, and then said she was going the same way and would help us find the right station. On the train we had further conversation. I learned of some of the personal struggles in her life, of her spiritual journey and of her sense of survival through what she described as strength from the guardian angels that were always with her. She asked for my address and phone number so that she might be in touch with me, as she believed that I was one of those angels sent to encourage her. Standing in the train station, I asked if I might pray with her. She was pleased and I prayed with her. She caressed my cheek as she called me her angel. As we parted, she hugged me again and this time kissed me on the mouth. I trust that the witness give to her, this beautiful lady of Italian descent, will be watered in the days ahead.
A rededication of your life is not always an easy path to take. Early in our week, I talked with a young mother pushing a baby carriage. I gave her a cup of hot chocoate while she was waiting for the bus. We began to talk and I shared the More Than Gold pin with her. Then I asked her if there was anything I could pray about for her. Out began to come this story of how she had left her husband and four other children for the man she is currently living with and who is the father of the baby. They had been fighting and she has left him several times. In the midst of this, she rededicated her life to Christ and now she doesn't know whether to stay with this man or go back home to her husband and children, if he'll have her. She just talked and talked. I shared that she needed to seek reconciliation if that is what God is laying on her heart. I told her I would be praying for her as she prays and seeks God's direction in His Word. Then I pulled her aside and prayed for her. It was so sweet. Later in the week, she came back to our site to talk with me. She hugged me and we talked for a while. Then, just as her bus came she asked me for my name and how to get in touch with me. Then she asked for a Bible. She said she couldn't find her Bible and her boyfriend didn't have one. What a joy to hand her a New Testament and again assure her that there was a sister in Christ in SC praying for her by name. God is so good!
Everywhere we went we met kind, friendly and gracious people who were happy to get one of our pins. We met many believers who were an encouragement to us. One believer was a girl who was a Canadian volunteer who worked at different venues. We had just left an A&W store when she ran up to us. She had seen our More Than Gold jackets and wanted a pin to send to her boyfriend in Afghanistan. She shared with us that she had found Christ when she attended a Bible-believing church with friends. She had seen something different in the people and wanted it for herself. She also shared that she had a serious medical problem and was on an 18-month waiting list for an operation. Doctors have told her that by then, it may be too late. She is confident in the Lord for her future and she and her boyfriend plan to marry when he returns home. We had the opportunity to pray for her. She continues to communicate with us through e-mail and wants us to come to her wedding in Florida. We continue to pray for her and are hoping to attend her wedding.
We were walking through a mall and decided to enter one of the stores. A young clerk came up to talk to us and we gave her a pin. She thanked us profusely and said that she wanted to buy us something. We protested, but she insisted and took us to a rack of key rings. She told us to choose any one we wanted and she would pay for it. We each chose a key ring and she put them on her account. Now everytime we see the ring we will be reminded of this lady who was so grateful to receive our More Than Gold pin.
The last two years, my mission trips have been to work with Muslim peoples. So a trip to the Olympics to volunteer with the More Than Gold initiative would be a real change even though we knew Vancouver was a very international city. The very first day we were out with the people, we stood in line with a man and his daughter for 1 1/2 hours. Where was he from - Iran! God a picture and address and had a good conversation. God's appointment! The next morning riding the Sky Train we began a conversation with a professional man and his gracious wife. Where were they from? You guessed it - Iran! We got to give them a More Than Gold pin when explaining why we were there. She graciously accepted. God's appointment! Then the next day we got on the bus and sat with a young man who had only been in Vancouver for 8 months. He was from Pakistan! We were able to continue our conversation on the Sky Train and to begin to talk about his Muslim faith. We were able to identify ourselves as an Isa (Jesus) follower. He knew about Isa and the references to Him in the Koran. We continued the conversation for a little bit with him telling me all the things about his beliefs during which we were able to insert a few questions. Then it was time for us to get off - so we said we wanted to give him something to read as a gift. We gave him a New Testament and a More Than Gold pin and asked that he read and decide for himself. After we got off, others said he opened the New Testament and then put it with his things to take with him. God's appointment!
These were not three encounters I had expected in my wildest imagination, but God's appointments were ready for me in part because of the epxeriences that we already had. This is the important part of preparation and experience. God's appointments will alwasy be there for us in a way that God knows best.
Addendum - On the last day at the last hour of our service at the transit station, a cup of hot chocoate for one of the friendly transit drivers. You guessed it - he came from Iran 15 years ago. The lady helping to serve hot chocolate could hear our conversation and began praying to herself as well as holding the cups. So the Spirit moved the conversation to whether he was a practicing Muslim. He said that he had given that up after the revolution because of the way "religion" was used. But he still believed in one God and the prophets. We asked about Isa and he know of him as one of the prophets. So we reminded him that the Koran says Isa was the most special and he remembered some of this. So we asked if he would like to read more about Isa in the Injil (New Testament) and that we would like to make a gift of one to him if he would read it. He said he would and accepted a New Testament and a More Than Gold pin. Amazing - God is good all the time and all the time God is good. Another God appointment!
When God directed me to lead a mission team to Vancouver for the Winter Olympic Ministry with More Than Gold I prayed "Lord you will have to do this through me, becasue I am not able." Each day I prayed that prayer and God put people in my path that I could serve and talk to. On our third day of ministry as I was serving hot chocolate and hot coffee to the crowds riding the Sky Train mass transit, I saw a man coming towards me in an orange outfit. He came over and we offered him a cup of hot chocolate. We talked to him as best we could and he thold us he was Buddhist monk from Thailand. He had only been in Vancouver for nine months and he was still learning English so it was hard to communicate. A short while later I saw him again, and walked over to where he was waiting for his bus. He asked why we were giving away the hot chocolate. He wondered if we were promoting a new coffee shop! I explained that we were showing kindness to people and telling them about Jesus. I gave him a More Than Gold pin and explained the plan of salvation that was written on the back of the card that came wit the pin. He followed along, but I was not sure how much he understood. I asked if we could pray together and he agreed. In the middle of the transit station we prayed. He smiled a big smile, handed me his business card and thanked us for sharing with him. Thankfully, out team had many such encounters where we shared the truth of the Gospel and showed kindess to hundreds of people each day.
My memory of this trip will always include the overwhelming number of internationals. They were here as permanent residents and as visitors for the Olympics. My memory of individuals will be those persons I met while riding the metro trains or standing in line. With some of the people, I was not able to converse due to language differences. But by using a smile, sign gestures and the use of the More Than Gold pin, I know that God could reach their hearts. Once on the train there was a Middle Eastern couple. The wife had the saddest eyes I think I have ever seen. They spoke English, but he wanted to do all the talking for them. However, she was listening intently to everything that was said to the person standing next to her. God can reach her heart and give her hope.
My memories will be many, many more than I can put into words. I will forever see the faces of people from all races, religions and walks of life. I will remember the faces of people that seem lost and that will remind me that we all have soul cravings. I will remember the faces of children that showed their impatience because their schedules had gone to pieces, but the smiles that would follow when they were offered a sticker or a pin. I will remember a girl from India who reminded me so much of my daughter when she was two. I gave her a McDonald's puppy (which she salled a "doggie"). I will remember the Chinese people and their smiling faces and heads shaking "yes" because they did not know what I was saying. I will remember my team members who have blessed me with their dedication to the mission of Christ and leading the lost to Him. All in all, I will remember the blessings that I have had the opportunity to experience and God's great love.
