Page 9 - News Spring-Summer 2025

and it was like we’d known each other for years. At the Upon reflection, has the trip changed you in anyway?
end of our trip, it was genuinely sad to say goodbye to I feel a bit more confident in my own skin and more
everyone! God gave us a spirit of unity which lasted the confident in my ability to share the Gospel with
entire trip. During the day we relied upon each other, we
all had to chip in and do our bit in terms of evangelism someone, albeit in a very simplistic way. It’s shown me
areas where I can improve so that Gospel conversations
but we helped each other out where needed. flow more freely rather than being rehearsed. But then
What is a typical Chilean meal, did you enjoy the food? again, I am very much someone who works best off a
We often ventured to the local shopping mall for our script. I feel that I could do a GO Trip again and that I’d
mealtimes. We ate at popular US restaurants such as be better prepared – even though I suspect no two trips
are identical.
Chillis and Johnny Rockets, where you could order
burgers, fries etc and we stopped at a Chinese restaurant Has it made any difference to how you approach
one lunch time. personal evangelism?
Empanadas are very traditional Chilean food, and we We live in a very secular country, and I don’t think I
also tried Chilean soup, this was a clear broth which had realised quite the extent of our secularism until going
rice at bottom and in it was a whole chicken leg, corn on to Chile and seeing how receptive and open people
the cob, a chunk of butternut squash and a whole boiled were to hear about the Gospel, even if they didn’t make
potato. The traditional way to eat it is to take all the big a commitment to Christ afterwards. If we deployed
chunks out and eat the broth, then put the big chunks some of the GO Trip tactics here, we would no doubt
back in, add some salad and then carry on! These were so get people who were offended that we’d stopped them
filling that we didn’t fancy an evening meal some nights. to ask them about Christ, or people may be tempted to
think that we were trying to force a religious agenda on
them. It can, of course, still be done this way and I take
my hat off to our members all over the country who do
this regularly such as at Christmas markets, or at schools,
or during the annual London Scripture Focus.
Evangelism is very much a discipline and a lifestyle,
and I would like this trip to be the beginning, if not of
a lifestyle choice, then of an awareness. To know that
whatever situation I’m in, God could use me to have a
conversation with someone about Christ, to be ready to
have a something to share and be a sign-post for Jesus.
In other words, to emulate what it says in 1 Peter 3:15,
"Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who
asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.
But do this with gentleness and respect."
Many of us will share the feelings that Jack has shared
about personal witnessing in this country and overseas.
We hope that his article will encourage others who feel
like him to really think and pray about taking part in a
GO Trip and have the courage to put their name forward.

18/03/2025 16:34
News Spring_Summer 2025.indd 9
News Spring_Summer 2025.indd 9 18/03/2025 16:34