last night

was quite hectic and messy out on the streets. something about wednesdays it seems... it's changeover day for tourist companies therefore the first or last night for many people. the last team of the summer are here, but just for a week, but they've got stuck straight in, having lots of conversations with people, praying, giving out bibles and last night - waking up lots of sleeping drunk people on the beach! people don't realise how dangerous it is to sleep out here. although one guy we'd bumped into earlier this week fell asleep on the beach round the bay and ended up being taking to the medical centre in an ambulance. so although he was a little confused as to how that had happened and claimed he was absolutely fine, it was a better outcome than it could have been for him! we walked him back to his hotel at 4am, still in just his swimming shorts!

the highlight for me last night was meeting a group of young people from northampton who weren't having the best time on their last night. we ended up chatting to them for quite a while, giving them bibles and offering to pray. its crazy when u offer to pray from people suddenly the tone of the conversation can change from chatty and 'banter' to being quite open and serious. nearly everyone has something or someone they are worrying about or something they want to change in their life. maybe here is no different to anywhere else, but it does seem like so many people come here to escape from something. so many people we talk to are really hurting and have really sad stories of their past/family/etc situations. it reminds me of the verse in Luke about God wanting to gather His children up in his arms like a hen gathers her chicks. i felt that so strong when i was talking to the northampton guys. one of the guys had been crying when we found him and i read to him part of psalm 116 that's really encouraged me in the past before: "For you, O Lord, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, and feet from stumbling, that i may walk before the Lord in the land of the living." He said talking to us had stopped him crying. :-) and suddenly it all just seems real and close and reminds me how much God knows and cares on a very personal level.