Nice one. Got an internet connection that works.
Ayia Napa - brilliant, sunny, hot. I wake sticky with sweat at midday, to look out on the blazing white of the surrounding buildings. Walk through the mostly empty streets lined with themed bars and clubs - Jurassic, Hollywood. Lots of what looks like papier mache. Head down to the centre of the 'square', to the old monestary. The 16th Century stone walls shield a garden, a fountain, an orthodox chapel, an anglican chapel. Tucked in the corner we have a prayer room in a vaulted room, next to the store cupboard.
We pray, we go to the beach and make free jewellery with people and paint their nails. We go out at night to the streets and to the pubs, chatting with people, chilling out, and dancing.
At night the square transforms, takes on lights and life as people from loads of countries (lots of Swedes) drink themselves past being able to stand, the PRs raise their eyebrows as we tell them no, thanks, we're not drinking. The clubs are just like most others, we dance and have a good time, and ask God to come and be with us in our praise.
I suppose here we're just trying to listen people, chat to them about the places in their lives where things might hurt or are bit scabby, and pray with them for God to come. Kind of like washing feet? Kind of like being like Jesus. We hope. And pray. Trying to share the hope that at times explodes from our hearts, at other times the only thing that is keeping us going.
It's a bit strange coming to another country to do what is on my heart for Edinburgh. To pray that we would somehow get enough of God to take the bleeding parts of it in our hands and watch them get healed. To pray for the city night and day, this place that has become part of us, and we part of it. We feel its pain, maybe it feels ours.
People here want to hear it. They want to know about why we care, they are touched to tears when we pray for them, they keep repeating how they feel accepted. I suppose I just want to write that its working, God is moving, and that's brilliant. Because it's a miracle that that's their response. Its a miracle that they somehow feel a bit of what we're about and what God's about. Its a miracle that when we've walked up to someone and asked a bit about them and if they want us to pray for anything, they've said they've been trying to find out about Jesus for 3 months now. Or one guy's eyes filling with tears because a bunch of Christians want to just be here.
Its kind of unbelievable but its true. God is real, this stuff works.
