Greetings from London!

Hello from London! All 24 team members arrived safe and sound in spite of a few obstacles. There were some delays; three members arrived late for their Atlanta connection, but made it on the flight (albeit without their luggage).

There were other challenges today as well. Navigating the London rail system (officially the London Underground, but locally called the Tube) required climbing numerous flights of stairs with luggage. We helped each other, of course, but there were also many Good Samaritans who pitched in. Three of our teammates suffered falls on an escalator, and two of them received first aid from the London Transit Team. Fortunately, there were no serious injuries, and all were able to continue their journey.

Our lodging is at the High Leigh Conference Center, located in Hoddesdon, a small town north of London. The center provides several levels of accommodations, including hotel, dorm, and "bronze" level, which evidently involves sleeping bags. We are fortunate to all have beds.



High Leigh Conference Center

The WMU group is only a small component of More Than Gold's efforts to bring Christianity to the Olympics. Approximately 250 missionaries representing several countries are housed here at High Leigh. There are 3 additional locations hosting More Than Gold volunteers in London.

Tomorrow's orientation topics include safety, understanding London's cultural diversity, ministering to other faith groups, and pin trading as an evangelism tool. The day will conclude with prayer time and a commissioning service.

Prayer Requests: Pray that we will overcome the fatigue of a long day of travel. Pray too that we will find unity as we work together.

Kim Wilson is collaborating with me on this blog for the duration of the mission trip. She's a campus minister at California University of Pennsylvania and will provide both blog content and photos.