July 1st, 2009 by Joe

Right now I am 6 hours into the almost 9 hour flight to New York. A few more hour flight after that and I will be back in my home state. I have had some to to unload by watching movies, but the songs from the last 10 days permeate my mind and soul. I see the faces of people I’ve talked with and ministered beside. I take time to now reflect on the beautifully choreographed dances the dance team created to go with our songs, and the wonderful spirit they brought. I pray for the evangelism team; who love humankind so much they are willing to constantly seek out people to share the Gospel with – and in such a kind-hearted way.

This trip was a big question mark at first; we’d never gone with such a large group, and never worked with more than one dancer at a time. We also always did our own evangelism with the crowd after each concert, so we had absolutely no idea what God was teaching us. It was absolutely wonderful; we could focus on serving with excellence, while being completely comfortable in the efforts of the evangelism team and relishing the freedom of the dancers! What a unique experience for all in attendance at our events.

I wrote a song about a man Jon met with in Slovakia. He was a highly educated man, who had researched every religion and spiritual way, except Christianity. He felt hollow inside, and had almost committed suicide. What attracted him the most was the constant joy he saw in our faces; something he longed to experience. In Europe, and the Middle East, people do not just shut down your conversation when they disagree. They probe you for insight to your viewpoint, and expect you to do the same to uderstand them. Do not misunderstand me – I love “chit chat” as well – and I do NOT want us to become more European. I am merely sharing with you how nice it is to share your Faith with someone who may not agree with you, but is willing to ask more questions; hungry for answers. This man – Alex – did not come to Christ that night, but rather left us as a more educated man, and seemed to be very interested in seeking out what Christianity would offer. I feel the seed landed on fertile soil; pray for him.

I just a few hours, I will be able to connect with my children on the phone – a real treat, even though Skype and Facebook have provided a means to keep in touch. As this tour concludes, I invite you to stay with me as we go through summer together, and maybe some thoughts will strike a chord with you. As always, I welcome your emails through the contact link, and I will continue to pray this blog touches lives and grows your faith. Thank you for reading and writing to me on the tour – it has been a source of strength! Blessings!

Joe