Hope To Vienna

So as you know this past week we have done a week of evangelism, twice a day to really start impacting Vienna in run up to our Hope To Vienna event. Evangelism on the streets was a lot of fun, we had 3 YWAM DTS teams with us from Norway so there were 21 of us hitting the streets, a few locals joined us but it was not as many as we hoped. Nonetheless God made some awesome impacts. The event itself was on Saturday and Sunday and from what we can tell at least 10+ gave their lives to Jesus, we expect more but we are waiting to hear the response from the follow up team.


The night was a lot of fun. They say pictures speak a 1000 words so below are some pictures of some creative evangelism and the event.

We did worship on the streets (presence evangelism)

Myself and Lars Kristian (A DTS student from Norway) created prophetic art on the streets

A Creative DTS from Norway made a house on the streets and got young people to paint it we also did ballon modelling on the streets. God is a God of fun.

Main Hope to Vienna Event. It was a very successful two shows over 200 people at both events. The Reboot team is from YWAM Skien, Norway and is made up of DTS students.

So you maybe wandering what is next for us, well we have learned a lot from this event and we have decided that we want to push forward with doing bigger outreaches because they are making bigger impacts in the, streets, we can do more and people then direct contact with churches here which is what we desire. We are also going to start working with students here, we have a lot of contacts in this area and from my University experience it is make or break for many people as they are introduced to many influences which many are not good.

Picture Post

So much has happened and so I want to share with you with what is going on with pictures. Enjoy.

So here we are the team. (from left to right, Vegard, Bjarte, Me, Thijs). Recently we have had the pleasure and honour of doing many presentations at different youth events in churches and we have also had the pleasure of doing 3 sermons, two of them were here in CIG Church done by Thijs we were allowed to do both morning and evening service, and we recieved (x2) door offerings for our work here and recieved 900 Euros. Last Sunday I also had the pleasure of preaching at another Church called Four Corners, which went very well and many said it was powerful and relevant to them so I am glad God used it. They gave us 1000 Euros. It's exciting to see open these people are.

One of the things we love to do most is tell people exactly what Jesus thinks about them. Jesus really loves these people, he thinks each one is individually beautiful and he is delighting in each one. So we go up to people and ask them: 

"Hey this may sound strange but we believe Jesus really likes you and he wants you to know what he thinks of you. Could we listen to God and tell you what he has to say about you".

Scary for some to do but fun for us, and when people accept God has not failed to encourage each individual person. A power encounter with Jesus opens up the eyes to a relational God. This is what people are needing so badly.

Testimony
We have just recieved a Norwegian DTS team for about 2 weeks and one of the first things we did was take them out Treasure Hunting. Me and this one girl had a picture of an old woman with one of those wheelie storage bags outside Macdonalds. So a lady to this description shows up and we follow her to an food store entrance and we talk to her, it was a real shock for her to speak such good English as it is very rare for the older generations to be able to speak it. Anyway we shared about what we were doing and she was a Christian and loved Jesus but she seemed a little discourgaed so we asked if we could tell her what Jesus thought of her. We did this and she started to cry because it was not only just what she needed to hear but it dawned on her again at how personal and friendly Jesus was.

Sanme treasure hunt we also had a picture of a woman with in Macdonalds with the words make her happy and Happy Meal. Sure enough we go in and we felt drawn to this woman with her child  who happen to be eating a Happy Meal. She also turns out to be a believer and so we get to bless her child and God said some amaying things and we got to tell this woman again what Jesus thought of her. Jesus is so good, so loving, so kind and here in Vienna is revealing himself as the personal friend to others. 

You will also know by now that we are having an event on March 12 and now excitingly also March 13. The Churches really took the idea onboard. As a quick summary we are putting on this huge creative event to bring people to Christ, firstly young people but anyone who is open. We are inviting a creative team called Reboot from YWAM Skien who speacialise in media presentations, dancing, singing and other creative things. There purpose to teach the Gospel in a relevant and fun way. God has been good to me and has opned up opprtunities to use my design skills. I have been able to design a logo, a poster and flyer design, and a response card for the event itself. I am happy because of this open opportunity.

Three Testimonies

A lot has happened since I last posted.

This week has been focused more on street evangelism which has been a lot of fun. So I will share with you three very exciting stories.

Story 1
Last Wednesday we were invited to a bible study group at one of the Starbucks in Vienna which I think is very exciting and is a great witness to the Starbucks staff. It was good to meet opther people in the bible study and we all got really encouraged. We hung around with the bible study leader and we felt the urge to doa bit of presence evangelism which is basically asking God to come fill a room/building with his presence to such a point where people start to notice. After we felt God was sufficently present we asked God what he wanted us to do, two of us got injuries one was a hurting back and the other a hurting wrist. Myself God told me to create some origami and give it to the staff to bring joy. I went to the staff and had a really great conversation telling him how Jesus must really love him for a random guy, from a random country,with random paper creations to approach him. He was very open, he turned out to be Muslim and so we shared a little about ourselves and he was very touched. The other guys decided to go from table to table looking for these injured people. Sure enough they found them sitting next to each other. To cut a long story short both got healed and both were really touched when we starte dtelling them what Jesus thought of them. The most exciting part is one will come to the bible study tomorrow.

Story 2
We went out evangelising with some friends from the churhces we have been to. I got into a few good conversations with some Americans, Germans and I got to sow a few seeds there. My favourite story though is I got to talking to this Belgian tourist, young guy who isn'ta Christian. Me and my frined got talking to him, shared about what I was doing in Vienna, shared a few testimonies etc. Then he invited himself around our house the next day, which was quite amusing (usually that's my job). Anyway next day arrives and he turns up and the whole team and him share lunch together talk about difficult issues he has and we got to pray over him, for healing and what Jesus thought of him. He was very touched. We are still in contact. his last words were.

"Jon that was amazing".
I find it such a blessing how he got so touched by God and I am very excited to the stories he will share back home.

Story 3
God seems is really showing me of how much of a provider he is for me. One the monday last week I met a frined and we shared some stories of God and she ended up buying me coffee and dinner. This same frined last sunday at church remembered our conversation of how we as a team needed a second Austrian mobile and how I needed a laptop to do work (it would be easier in many ways). So that evening they come in and sure enough without even asking for them she brings in a laptop for me to use during this outreach and a second Austrian mobile for the team. I find God doing things I wouldn't quite expect but I love it everytime. He see's me and looks after me, giving me everything I need just when I need it.


That was a mouthful, but God is good, kind and loving. How I have much to learn.

Until next week.

Vienna so far

I have finally arrived in Vienna or in Austria wrote Wien.

We as a team have been here one week and so much has happened it is quite incredible.
We arrived on Saturday and that same evening we went to a Church service and we were amazed at the enthusiasm of our arrival and it is such ablessings to know people have beenpraying for us before even arriving and even looking for a house for us. While at this service we met many useful contacts and were also given a free mobile phone, so contacting people now in Vienna has become a lot cheaper and a lot easier.

More so though is we have been given a free house to live in, 20 mins outsdie of the main centre of Vienna by the underground. All we have to pay for is electricity and once a week the landlady will wash our clothes and cook for us. INCREDIBLE.

Today we had a random stranger come to our house and give us a whole shopping bag of bread which is amazing so now we don't have to spend so much. It is so amazing to see God provide for us as a team iin ways I personally have never experienced before, such a testimony to Gods true character.

Apart from that we felt God say settle down and get used to the culture so that is exactly what we have been doing so this first week has been very relaxed but neccessary as it will be impossible to reach the culture if we don't take time to understand it or if we allow ourselves to burn out. Now we are moving into a phase of planning a huge evangelism event a lot of things to sort but as it beginnings to form I look forward to telling you more about what will be doing.

Prayer Needs
. Finances I have no money so please pray in the 200-300 Euros I need a month.
. That planning and building relationships for this evangelism event will take form as the event is next month
. Unity in the Vienna team 

Faith Week

Well This is what I have been up to this past week. Every SOE does something called a Faith Week where each Outreach Team asks God where to go, what to do and then allow God to provide as we obey. Follow the below link and it will show you a map of our journey and what God did at each place. Enjoy.

FAITH WEEK MAPPED JOURNEY

The Upcoming

Ok It has been a long time but here you go.

This is the team that is going to Vienna, Austria. Vegard is our team leader.
Our outreach is going to focus on 'The Arts'. As a team we are either artitsts/designers or musicans/singers and we are going into a culture which is both built upon and openly accepts these things. Our focus is on the youth of the City, they need Christ badly. We also have this amazing opportunity to a huge evangelism event with a weeks worth of specific evangelism with a huge event at the end. I am asking for your faithful prayers in this transition because there are still a lot of things that have to be sorted out.

Prayer Needs
. We need money, we need money, we are looking at up to £5000 for all four of us to live. Please pray this money in. Also practically if you believe in what we are doing please consider giving financially. You Can send an email to this address. (jonathan.franks@hotmail.co.uk)
. We need a place to stay. Pray for a home near or within the student community so they not only hear about Christ often but see how we live him out.
. We need a venue to put on a huge Arts event with dancing, music a talk etc.

Next week though is faith week. Faith week is when we ask God where he wants us to go and what he wants us to do and then we do it. We have prayed and saught God and we believe he has called us to Milian, Italy for 5/6 days. To do we believe God will show us more at the time. Again though we need you faithful prayers as we do not yet have the money to get there.

Prayer Needs
. The finances to get to Milan, Italy
. To see God move in powerful ways
. Continual stretching of our faith as we trust God wholeheartedly
. Open doors
. People to be saved

Jonathan. England

Bjarte. Norway

Thijs. Netherlands

Vegard. Norway

Humility in Gods great plan

I was back home in England and I was sharing with people what God has been doing and I almost had a crisis as I could not think of one single thing. Of course this was not so God has done many wonderful and amazing things and has met so many people and by Gods wonderful love I trust that he has poured into them all his goodness and acceptance and love and mercy and grace.

I think I almost had a crisis because I was comparing what has happened to what I hoped would happen in Norway, expectations that have been built on my amazing experiences from my DTS. The kind of lets go in guns blazing, I pray and the Holy Spirit comes in thick presence, lives are transformed on the spot, people are healed, saved etc... and the truth is this has happened but not in the way I was hoping or expected. In fact it has been quite normal in that respect and as a result I have been humbled by God because he spoke something very specific to me and has recently reminded me of that he said this I want you to invest. This is profound, such a touching from heaven on peoples lives through this. Due to all my experiences in life nothing is more beautiful to me when the God of the Universe comes down and reveals the value of that person to him, when acceptance and significance is given to them. This is the place I have seen the Holy Spirit work wonders that overwhelm even me who witnesses and he does it quite normally, quite simply and even quietly as God comes closer to the hearts of those we talk to.

The key is so simple it's relationship and it brings me great excitement and encouragement but it also requires one of the biggest sacrifices of all time. It cannot be rushed. Statistics say that a non christian needs 7 positive encounters with another Christian before they make a decision. So my challenge is this why don't you be one of them.