I just remembered the time before the concert trip and really thought about not wanting to go. I did not feel good about asking that many days off from work, I did not feel good about the people that were chosen to come and I really didn’t like that we didn’t have a keyboard player in our band. So basically, Liisu can confirm, I really didn’t want to go.
BUT.
I went.
When we arrived to England, a familiar face was greeting us – Paul King in person. What a nice start and awesome person to get to see first. On Thursday, 21st of October, we stayed at the hotel near London (Although I was pretty sure we came from Scotland, until about four days later).
The next day we went to the Christian Centre, Middlesbrough. We got there around lunch time and waited for Ian who came straight from work. It was nice to see another familiar funny face (FFF). :D
We all were very surprised when he handed us “The Schedule”. All I expected from this trip was to sing at the concerts and see some people, I didn’t realize that there are people who really want to bless us and make us feel really welcomed and served. Weird. It was the first time I thought this is not going to be “just another concert trip”.
We met our hosts, me and Anu got to see Jo-Jo for the first time and her house and the car and her driving the car and her gift basket and her empty freezer (it got filled up pretty fast) and the long distance it took us to get to their place (although she drives crazy and we were there faster than when Ian drove us home).
The next day we went to the theme park and really had a great time there too. Yet I was sort of worried about the evening service. Which was our first concert. Nobody but Martin had heard us and I was sort of amazed by the trust Ian and others had for Martin, who said we’re awesome. Ian introduced us like this: “When Martin came to me with an idea to bring the Gospel Choir to England and said they were awesome, I thought that he describes a cup of tea as awesome too.”
So the first concert. It was basically the first time we, ourselves, heard how our choir (well this version of the choir) sounds like and how the band supports us etc. And since we were really used to having our own mics, it was a bit scary when we had to sing in a choir mic all of a sudden. It was the moment of truth if the England side can breathe easily knowing that it was the right thing to invite us and organize all this and spend that much money on us or not.
Luckily it was all alright. EVERY TIME. The weird thing about it was, though, that at every sound check I freaked out thinking that this concert is going to be the bad one and that we really don’t sound any good, the sound system is not that great and we are not feeling it with the band. Then we got together and we prayed and our Almighty Loving God came and made everything and everyone sound awesome!!!
I’m not going to be any more detailed about the concerts, cause I wrote a travel diary and if you want to read it, ask.
I feel that God changed me on that trip. I feel that He got through to me, He caught me. He freed me. He made me free from some unnecessary thoughts, fears and my inability to trust certain things.
I got to witness miracles of healing both physically and spiritually, see people getting happy and free in Christ and all other things that really showed me that God was with us on this trip and that He is really with me on this trip too. Amazing.
I believe I got some new life-time friends on that trip:
- Martin and Margaret with their kids - who really blessed me with everything they are
- Ian - who is my personal hero career wise, with all the organizational skills, sense of humour and a heart for the lost.
- Jo-Jo and Chris – my new best-(England)-friends who opened their home to the strangers and then didn’t want us to leave in the end. And I am planning to take over their little perfect world. ;)
- Mel and Wendy – mother and a daughter, the Queen and Princess of the GREAT COOKING KINGDOM.
- Stuart and Marion – The way they pray and serve the others is admirable.
- Paul – His Manchester tough look and sound cover only so little of his warm and loving and serving heart. Beautiful person.
On that trip I got sort of released from the fear of praying for others. I didn’t want to take the responsibility of people not getting their answers from God or not being blessed and healed by God when coming in front for prayer. God showed and told me that it is not me in the first place to do any of that stuff. It’s God who heals, blesses, answers, gives peace etc. I am just a tool, just a voice helping them to pray to God. Lovely.
I was extremely not happy to return home, I wanted to stay there, stay in that bubble of blessings I received daily. I thought that this will all end once I’m back at home and in my everyday life.
It’s been three days since the trip ended and I still feel God is with me and I have that little fire in me that was started on that trip. I want to keep the fire burning and want to make it even bigger and more influential.
Yet it’s my constant prayer of getting a clear answer of where God wants me to be in this world. Is it Estonia, England or somewhere else – I don’t know. But I do know that right now I am where I’m supposed to be.
So thank you God for everything. Thank you my friends for everything. Thank you my choir, my band, my family for everything.
LOVE YOU! BLESS YOU!
...
To be continued...
...my life, I mean.
