Monday, August 8, 2011 Tbilisi Worship and Heading West
As my 2nd Sunday morning dawned in Tbilisi, we were all aware that our in-apartment worship service would begin somewhere around 11:00 AM. Gia characteristically was scurrying around managing many of the details – set of the apartment room, food and drink, making sure those needing transportation could get there.
The guest speaker for the day, I took an early walk with my notes from last April’s Easter message, “The Power of the Resurrection.” Along what has become a familiar route through the complex of apartments to the north, I practiced what I would say, attempting to pare it down and simplify, given that it would be translated into Georgian. By 8:30 I was back home.
Some 14-15 would gather, including 2 brand new believers in their early 20’s, who had trusted Christ at the English Camp the previous week. Masha is a pretty young Georgian girl, who hopes to get a waitressing job (her interview was Sunday). On the day when the Houston team was about to head home, she surrendered her heart to Jesus. The young man (I’ve misplaced his name) also bowed to receive Christ. He is REALLY hungry for the word, and after the worship service, stayed to pepper some of the other young Georgian believers with questions about the Bible. This new babe in Christ has all the early earmarks of a future leader, should his hunger and growth continue. We were also joined by Wade and Meagan Housh, Pentecostal Missionaries from Kansas. Delightful couple.
Following the 2 hour service, tables were arranged in the middle of the room to make one long eating area, and there was food! Georgian bread, cokes, meats and cheese, and much talk. Given that about ½ the church was away on August vacation, this nucleus has great potential for a growing church in Tbilisi.
Sunday afternoon was spent doing what we often do in the USA on Sunday afternoons – no, not watch football, but some napping, and for Jim and me, packing and preparing to head to the Tbilisi airport later that night for journeys away from Georgia. Jim to Baku, Azerbaijan, and me to Munich, Newark (NJ) and finally Des Moines, IA.
In the early evening, Jim, Gia, and I returned to the restaurant where we had eaten with the Houston team about a week before. The service was slow but the Georgian food, and fantastic (!) Georgian music was quite good. We spent some of the time talking about our assessments re: the viability of the Bakke program in Georgia.
Returning to the apartment, a group of men were working hard in the graveled parking area next to the apartment. Oiled gravel was being poured out in portions in the parking lot running parallel to the building. Picture about 10 menm several in un-buttoned shirts or t-shirts, and sandals, most with extended stomachs over the belt (they eat well here!), working shovels, rakes, shouting instructions at each other, attempting in the cloudy early evening to put a new layer of a kind of asphalt on the parking lot. They would complete the job, and then run the heavy dump truck over the raked out gravel, compressing it into a mostly-hardened surface. I went down to watch, and a couple of the younger men looked and me and asked me in Georgian what I thought (at least I think that’s what they asked). My international signal was a “thumbs up” and a wide smile. In that moment, I really wished I could have spoken with the men, or that one of them would have thrust one of the rakes in my hand. Here are the men of Georgia who need to know how much Jesus Christ personally loves them.
Before leaving about 11:30 PM, Jim and I tried to nap before what would be a virtual “all nighter” at the Tbilisi airport. Gia came and in the rain we loaded up, heading further south to the beautiful airport complex. Jim and I talked some before he checked in and went to the gate for the flight to Baku. Jim is a great soldier in missions – hopeful, relational, fun, and very intentional about the gospel in this part of the world. He will deserve his “well done” when he meets the Savior, and he’s been a gracious host and leader for me on this trip.
TAKING OFF
Struggling to stay awake in the airport till my boarding at 3:30 AM, I remembered I’d packed a copy of the movie AMAZING GRACE – the story of William Wilberforce’s fight for the abolition of slave trade and slavery in the British Empire. What a movie! I watched it twice, and had tears at the end of each showing. Everyone should watch this, and step into the shadow of Wilberforce in his/her generation. Make a difference with the gospel on fire in your heart.
By the way, Lufthansa is one great airline. We actually pulled away from the gate 10 minutes early and took off 2 minutes early, heading to Munich. We landed at 5:45 AM in Germany. Four hours later, I boarded a Continental Flight 107Y for Newark NJ. I was grateful to be able to sleep about six of the 9 hours of that flight.
Within a few short hours, by the grace of God, I’ll depart from the Liberty International Airport, and soon touch down in Des Moines, IA to greet my bride again.
Thank you for your prayers and interest in this trip. May Georgia discover the grace of God, and the joy of walking with the Lord Jesus Christ. Pray for the future of a training program in Georgia for young evangelical pastors and leaders, that God will raise up those who have a passion and calling to be a part of a Caucasus revival toward Jesus.
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