Hello to all those interested in obtaining a little more knowledge about my life and what is going on in it. It has now been a little over a month since we got here to London, and Im just sitting down to write my 2nd blog. A bit sad if you ask me. I apologize I have not kept you all more informed. I hope I can recall all the happenings accurately, unfortunately my memory seems to often go on holiday. Even though, I will do my best to describe to all of you how our journey has been thus far. 

... Before doing so, I would like to throw in a "Thank You" to all those who have supported Vanessa and I financially or through prayers or made commitments to do so. Your Generosity of funds and/or time is not only a blessing, but an encouragement to me as well. It is amazing what the body of Christ(NO matter age, race, or denomination) can do as we work together for His kingdom. 

Then There Was Five:
On arriving to London, we were fortunate enough to have the Trinkle family(If you don't know them, you should) join us to help us settle in. Understanding London; The tube station, the streets, busses, time, cultures, religions, prices, communication, sunlight... all of it, is a daunting task(As if being a newlywed and living with 3 guys who share little commonalities with me nor my wife, isn't challenging enough). So, we needed some help before we dove in. During this time with the Trinkles, we were able to see a few of the "touristy" parts of London as well as the everyday life of  the locals. This provided us the opportunity to learn a bit of the history behind the culture, giving us insight about the core of London and who the people really are.

Now it has been a few weeks since the Trinkles departed, and as it was sad to say goodbye, the five of us team members were excited to, as my mum would say, "get the ball rolling." Aside from all the planning and making contacts, this meant preparing ourselves as a team for the things to come. Although, individual daily preparation is and will always be necessary. Morning devos, Time at the gym, Internet cafe trips, football(English) at the park, Community exploration, Family dinners - all accounted in our efforts to grow, encourage, and bond as a team. While doing those various activities, we continued to keep in mind our central goal: finding and building relationships no matter age, football club(yes, it's that BiG of a deal), ethnicity, or religion. We want to know the people so we can know London. I mean, one Primary Focus of our trip is to DIScover London in a DeepeR way. What is it missing? Where is the Church? What are the cries of the people, and what do they fear that keeps their cries silent?

To make this long "story" shorter(because this looks to be a bit lengthy, and I'm beginning to bore myself), I am going to finish this blog off with a small list of happenings we have participated in. I know some may be asking: "What... else have you done?"

1st. The Queens Jubilee- We were able to witness a "once in a lifetime experience," the Queen's sixty years on the throne celebration. I feel like I know Londoners quite a bit better. Not only did we see people's Love for the Queen, but also the pride of a nation. Brit's are proud to be Brit's, and I respect them for that. 

2nd. Life Family Center's Tuesday "Free Cuppa and Cake"- We have been so blessed to have a contact with LFC. Every tuesday morning we help this small event have a Large impact. We set up a table on the walk path and give out free coffee, tea, and sweets. The goal is not to lure people in so we can high ourselves with a hell, fire, and brimstones sermon. It is, simply, to show Christ's love and open our ears to listen. People are lonely, and sometimes all they need is someone who genuinely cares. 

3rd...ly We Baked and Passed out cookies to the neighbors- We felt the direction to show Love and support for the community by baking cookies for our neighbors. The response was shockingly favorable and we hope to expand our reach with an event, such as a bar-b-que, in the near future.

As I will always have more to share, especially of what I am learning and the things God is teaching me, I will save it... I think i've taken enough advantage of your interest. I will be sure to write shorter and more often from now on. Please continue to pray for our direction and impact!

THE END
Love you all
 -Jon Scott Collins

Hello!

After many weeks of anxiety, stress, fear, and… more stress we are FINALLY in London! I guess I will begin with answering one specific question, and that is: Why London? Simply put, Why Not? God said: "Go in to ALL the world," and i have felt a specific calling to London at this point in my life. 

For those of you that would like somewhat of a more detailed explanation, I would say this:
 London is a global city. It leads and influences the world in the arts, finance, education, entertainment and media. It is a city of stark contrasts with the multitude of cultures, religions, and interests. That being said, London seems to lack one thing: God's Love. In a recent conversation, The team and I heard "The best way to find Church is in a pub, they've just taken God out of it." This was pretty shocking to hear. It seems quite a bit of the church has forgotten how to share love and welcome those around them much less the general people of London. God has appointed the team and I to this place at this specific time to make Christ known in a NEW way. Being a city that is so "cutting edge" it becomes harder and harder to reach the people of London. We feel that researching the culture of this great city and building relationships with the people in it will give us the opportunity to make Christ and his love known to London. When London is impacted, the world is impacted.

We have been called to start at the core.