there’s a Body in this universe, and we belong to it!
gospel trip 1/2
Hello from Oslo, Norway! I’m so happy to be here, and I’ve quickly realized that it is a privilege untold. The last week has been nothing short of chaotic, but it’s also been so glorious. Though I’m not sure what His desire is for me during this gospel trip, I know that the Lord has something planned and prepared for me––and each day my prayer has been that I would fully enter in to whatever He has apportioned for me that day.
If you would like to follow along with the up-to-date happenings of all the gospel trips, there will be a report with prayer burdens posted daily at ftta.org/gospeltrips :-)
there is so much to be shared about our time on this trip, so this post is too long to be sent by email––open in your browser or click “view entire message” to see the full post! I miss you all and hope you’re doing well! thinking of you often! the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all!
day one / Warsaw, Poland
After a quick 22 hour travel day, to arrive in Warsaw and be greeted by the saints was just awesome––lots of names to remember, a new yet strangely familiar country (Warsaw suburbs feel oddly similar to Toronto suburbs), and the excellent. We tried Polish McDonald’s, explored Polish Aldi, and learned that the Full-Time Training in Moscow’s Warsaw extension has an incredibly nice coffee machine that the trainees get to use whenever they want (a luxury the FTTA hasn’t yet unlocked). I also fell down the stairs. Immediately after falling down the stairs I almost passed out. I think the Lord had to humble me on day one to remind me that I actually am nothing, so that He could be everything :-)
The situation in Warsaw is pretty unique, because most of the saints there are actually from Ukraine. After the war began many migrated to Poland, and we learned that the church life there quickly grew from about 30 to about 300. There’s a group of Ukrainian trainees that are currently living there, who are part of the training in Moscow but are doing their training in Warsaw because of the political situation. Some of them are joining us on our gospel trip, which is truly a privilege untold. This was the first time I’ve ever got to spend time with trainees from another training center, and was so encouraged that apart from a few outward differences the Lord’s training in Anaheim is the same as the Moscow extension in Warsaw. We’re all being trained to be normal members of the Body, under the one ministry, learning what it means to live ordinary days with the Lord. How awesome!
That night, four of us got to go to a local family’s home for dessert and fellowship. The sister in that home, Magda, welcomed us with a verse––"And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for My name’s sake shall receive a hundred times as much and shall inherit eternal life” (Matthew 19:29). She encouraged us to remember her, to remember this verse, and to take it with us as we went––because while in eternity we will receive a hundred times as much, when we’re with the saints in the Body we can experience the foretaste of that today. Her and her husband Jarek welcomed us into their home of an overly excited dog, screaming kids, mint licorice tea, and two kinds of cheesecake, and as I sat there looking at the people around me I just had such a sense that this is real. This is it––this is God Himself living again in humanity, the reality of the Body of Christ expressed in normal people. This is what it looks like to live for Christ and the church.
The Lord sent me here, and even though I don’t know why, He appeared to me on day one as I was sitting in that living room in the suburbs of Warsaw. All of this became so real. Hallelujah, I have found it!
Who am I, O Lord Jehovah, and what is my house that You have brought me this far? (2 Samuel 7:18)
day two / Warsaw, Poland
There are many nations and many situations, but there is one move of the Lord––and we get to be part of it!
I dwell with the King for His work,
I've part in His glorious plan
To bring in His kingdom to earth
And tell His salvation to man.(Hymn #904)
To sing and pray with people from the U.S., Canada, Poland, Ukraine, Latvia, and Russia, all in this one little room, was awesome. The saints are so living––each one functioning according to their measure, excited to release whatever was on their heart. In the morning we had a time with those in the Warsaw Hub and some of the local Polish saints, and then we joined a zoom with all the trainees and other saints joining the gospel trips in Europe. Seeing my friends and fellow trainees on that screen, whether in Paris or Rome or Frankfurt, was so cool. Here we are, going out as sent ones, joining with the Lord in His work––not to do a work of ourself, but simply to be open vessels who cooperate with the Lord as best as we know how. I was once again impressed that there is one Body in this universe––and even though I just met these people, even though I don’t speak their language, even though we were on a call with people all over Europe, there was the one accord.
And day by day, continuing steadfastly with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house, they partook of their food with exultation and simplicity of heart, praising God and having grace with all the people. And the Lord added together day by day those who were being saved. (Acts 2:46-47)
I’m currently writing this in the middle of the most highly anticipated part of this gospel trip––a 17 hour bus ride from Warsaw, Poland to Tallinn, Estonia. I’m happy to report that at this moment I’m somewhere in Lithuania, soon to be crossing into Latvia, and sometime about seven hours from now we’ll get to Tallinn. Recently I’ve been appreciating that we have an all-fitting life––and in 2 Corinthians we see that the apostles “worked together this life is with God by a life (not by any gift) that was all-sufficient and all-mature, able to fit all situations, that is, able to endure any kind of treatment, to accept any kind of environment, to work in any kind of condition, and to take any kind of opportunity for the carrying out or their ministry.” This all-fitting life enables us to do all things. His grace is sufficient in our weakness, and that’s true even as I’m sitting on this bus :-)
day three / Tallinn, Estonia
After the dreadful (and somehow less terrible than I anticipated) 16.5 hour bus ride, we got to the hotel in Tallinn feeling like we weren’t real people and I immediately joined a meeting on “Christ as the Image of God and the Treasure.” I sit down and the sister in front of me turns around, looks at my name tag, and I find out she knows my parents. She’s living in Korea now, but somehow she too ended up at this conference in Estonia.
We’re singing, some in English and some in Russian. The brothers are speaking, one in English and one in Russian. In the front row there’s a brother from Irvine, who moved to Sweden with his wife a few years ago. I’m sitting here, thinking about how this is such a small world, but this is the church life. I went halfway around the world, it feels like, and here are these people telling me that they remember seeing me as a baby. I’m talking to some sisters at dinner, and we’re chatting about how insane it is that you can go from California to Poland and be praying about the same things you were praying for back home. There is one speaking, because what we’re speaking is what is on the Lord’s heart!
Somehow as people are sharing what they enjoyed from the message, there’s no unfamiliarity. It’s God’s New Testament economy, just in another place. It’s the universal church, just expressed locally. God’s economy never changes, wherever I am in the world. This is what it means to think the one thing, to speak the same thing, to have the oneness we see in Ephesians 4––"One Body and one Spirit, even as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all" (Eph. 4:4-6).
day four / Tallinn, Estonia
There’s a Body in this universe, and we belong to it! I feel like I’ve said it again and again, but that’s just been so real to me this entire trip. In the morning we had a Lord’s table meeting, half in Russian and half in English, but none of the culture or ordinances mattered. The Lord has made us one.
Oh, the church of Christ is glorious,
And we are part of it––
We’re so happy that the Lord has made us one!
There’s a Body in the universe,
And we belong to it––
Hallelujah, for the Lord has made us one!(Hymn #1226)
At this small little conference in this small little hotel in this small little city, there were 208 saints from over 16 countries (and 500 online!). Everyone I met was from somewhere different––Korea, Sweden, Lithuania, the U.K… the list goes on. The lampstands are brightly shining! There are many different localities, but the Lord’s recovery is one. My prayer has been, and continues to be, that the Lord would open my eyes to see the reality of the Body of Christ. He’s been doing just that.
Our afternoon consisted of going to explore the old city center of Tallinn. The most unforgettable part of this journey is when we were confronted by fare inspectors on our bus ride (after I assured everyone that we for SURE wouldn’t run into fare inspectors) and hadn’t paid for tickets because we couldn’t figure out how the machines worked. Let me just say that I have never felt more fear in my life than when these guys in fluorescent vests walked onto the bus and made a beeline for me and started speaking to me in Estonian––but thank the Lord that one of the trainees was able to speak Russian to them and have them help us figure everything out. After the adrenaline rush of the century, we spent a few hours wandering around the streets of Tallinn. Many red roofs, colorful buildings, and a great time all around. We ran into a few saints on the way, and one sister even joined us for dinner. I didn’t expect to get built up with these trainees in the way we did, but I’m so thankful that the Lord placed us together. Such a sweet day :’)
day five / Oslo, Norway
The time has finally come. Hallo fra Oslo, Norge! We’ve been having a grand old time putting our limited knowledge of Norwegian to use––one thing for sure is that if we need to ask someone where an ATM is, we’ve got that covered (Hvor er minibanken?) :-)
After landing in Oslo, the brothers take us up to the top of the hill to a log cabin where we can see views of the fjord in the distance. There’s snow everywhere, and it’s everything I’ve ever needed and more. Inside we’re drinking coffee and eating lunch and being educated on Norwegian lore––trolls and vikings and nisse (which are not bad guys, but are actually just small people who live in people’s houses and like to eat porridge), but at one point the conversation turns to the Lord. The brothers tell us that Norway is a predominantly Christian country, but that it wasn’t involved much in the Pentecostal movement, and that Catholicism was basically wiped out by the Black Death in the 1300s. It’s a kind of preservation, they think, for the Lord to gain some ground in the local people. “There’s something for the Lord in Norway,” he says, and it’s all the confirmation I needed that the Lord is still the one on the throne operating behind every scene.
Our afternoon consisted of a trip to a famous ski jump, Holmenkollbakken, and a subsequent stroll through the surrounding snowy forest. From how excited we were you would think that we don’t have snow in America, but when you bring people from California, Hawaii, and Texas to Norway you can’t really expect much less.
The couple we’re staying with in Oslo welcomed us with dinner and cherished us with dessert, and we then spent some time packing Bibles and ministry books for our time on the campus later in the week. I never knew that any of the ministry had been translated into Norwegian, but I was so encouraged to see that there’s a way for the local people to enter in. We prayed over the Bibles we packed, we shared our enjoyment from the conference in Tallinn, and we learned that the brother hosting us is “pretty clever at making potatoes.” A few weeks ago I asked one of the trainees in the Boston extension to describe FTTA-XB in three words, and she said “sweet church life.” At the time I thought it was a cute response, but now I think I’m starting to get it. This is really a sweet church life.
day six / Oslo, Norway
We’re in the car driving to pick up one of the sisters before coordination and the serving brother on our team starts singing out of nowhere––No mortal tongue can e’er describe the freedom of the soul, when passed beyond all earthly bribe to God’s complete control. In the moment it’s amusing for a second, but then it’s sweet. All things are yours when you are His, and He and you are one; a boundless life in Him there is, and kingdom yet to come. He finishes the song in English, then immediately says “I’m going to sing it in Russian now, if you don’t mind.” This is the same brother who brought nine extra chargers in case we needed it, full-size bottles of medicine and vitamins in case we needed it, wool socks in case we needed it, and chocolate in the airport just because.
Later we get to Oslo Metropolitan University, the campus where we’re going to be handing out Bibles and talking to students, and it’s absolutely pouring. We set up a table in front of the metro station, and I’m worried about the books getting wet, but the brother doesn’t care. “It will get wet,” he says. “No problem.”
Every twenty seconds, one of the serving brothers proclaims menneskelivets mysterium––the mystery of human life (in Norwegian). At one point he starts singing Amazing Grace, and I’m standing there thinking about how insane we must look. But still, people were open.
What a joy it was to hand out Bibles that day in the rain. Some people were interested, some not, one tried to assert that I’m not capable of critical thinking, another walked straight up to me and asked me for a Bible. It was great. Sometimes when people tell me that they enjoy preaching the gospel I don’t get it, because it’s never been something that I particularly enjoy, but for some reason that day in the rain it was a joy even to be rejected. Maybe they’re not interested, and that’s okay. Maybe that one guy who tried to argue with me thinks I’m incapable of critical thinking, and that’s okay. I know that I’m there to sow seeds, not to expect the entire garden to grow in one afternoon. I can but pray that those we spoke to, those that ignored us, and even those that argued with us wouldn’t forget us––that the peace of Christ would arbitrate in their hearts, that they would be so bothered by seeing us that they can’t stop thinking about it, and that the Lord would have a way in them.
I’m sitting in the living room of one of the older couples in Oslo, and we’re praying that the Lord would raise up a church in Iceland. I’m thinking about a couple months ago, when I was sitting in the living room of one of the couples in Walnut, and we were praying for the Lord’s move in Iceland. This time I’m on the other side of the world, but the burden remains the same. The God of the universe has a move on this earth, but He needs man to cooperate with Him. There are saints praying for these things all over the earth, and it was a privilege to see that firsthand. The meeting ends with cinnamon buns, and we find out that every prayer meeting ends like this. How cute!
day seven / Oslo, Norway
And every day He’s dearer (in Norway) than He ever was before!
Another day, another Bible distribution, another afternoon spent wandering the streets of Oslo. During our time on the campus today, we passed out 60 Bibles––insane! I came back from lunch to the table, expecting to still see the pile of Bibles stacked high, but there wasn’t a single one left. I realized that I’m of such little faith, but I’m so encouraged. With two days left in Oslo, we have only two more boxes of Bibles to pass out. The Lord has done above all we can ask or think! As we ran out of Bibles and started handing out tracts explaining the mystery of human life, people running to catch their train at the station behind us were happy to receive them––”By the time you get to your destination, you can know the meaning of your life!”
It’s been such a privilege to labor with those on my team. They’re all so eager to be out there in the cold, speaking to anyone who passes by, and even when people reject us it hardly matters. We’re not looking to argue or debate, but to receive those who the Lord has already prepared. He’s done all the work––we’re just there to carry it out.
Afterwards, our free time was spent in Oslo’s Aker Brygge neighborhood. Highlights include the nicest bathroom in all of Norway (according to the random woman who was sitting outside), a jellyfish we saw in the Oslo fjord (cool), and a super convenient public transit system (so convenient I cannot get over it), but the best was to come home to dinner and dessert with the saints.
Time is not real on this gospel trip, but we have one week to go––a couple more days in Oslo followed by a trip to a couple cities that are more south, Kristiansand and Grimstad (we’re taking a bus again, so please pray for our sanity and physical wellbeing). This trip has been so good to me, and it’s been so cool to see how open people are to the Bible. I never thought that I could look forward to gospel time, but the Lord has been doing something in this country! Thank you Lord!
If you think of us over the next few days, here are some prayer burdens:
That we would get in contact with some seeking students on the Oslo Metropolitan University campus to be able to set up one-on-one appointments
For the Lord to operate in Norway, especially to raise up a lampstand in the city of Bergen (a university city on the west coast of Norway)
That the Lord would continue to supply the saints in Oslo and Grimstad <3
The jubilee is here, and it’s a privilege to be able to bring the jubilee to everyone we come into contact with! God wants to bring us back to the good land to enjoy Him as our full portion, so that we would have full satisfaction. We don’t need to be slaves to the world anymore, because this is our inheritance––to enjoy the Triune God. I’m excited to see what He continues to do with all the trainees throughout Europe and the U.S., and I’m excited to see what He continues to do in Norway. There is something for the Lord here!
Miss you all,
Chloe
Hi Chloe, thank you for taking the time to write on your gospel trip. I was so encouraged to read your report. It reminded me of my gospel trip to Russia and our 22 hour train ride from Moscow to Simferopol, Crimea where we were sent. It was also an overnight train and I remember I read the gospel of Mark on the trip. You did well to do some knitting. I was also online to listen to two of the messages in Tullio, Estonia. One of them was the image of God and the treasure. It was only when reading the scriptures again that I realized that the image of God and the treasure are both mentioned in that same chapter in 2 Corinthians. So encouraging that you are enjoying the gospel whether you are rejected or received. Praise the Lord! You are really getting a taste for it as well as the blending with the saints to see there is one Body in the universe with the same one burden. May the Lord remind me to pray for the rest of your trip. Meeting with the saints is the greatest joy in earth. I wanted to join the gospel trip to Europe this year but I couldn’t find the application on time. I will be joining a blending trip to Winnipeg the end of April with college students from across Canada.