Surprising!

Mr Justice Muhammed Momtaz Uddin Ahmed

On monday evening we had an interesting visit - the visit of Mr Justice Muhammed Mamataz Uddin Ahmed  - a high ranking official from Bangladesh! A friend of ours organised for him to come to Café Forever as part of the London Language Club which celebrates international mother language day every year. This all sounds like a mouthful I know - just try and say it! Your mouth will be full! But when you get under the surface of the big title you find that it is celebrating the day in which Bengali people were allowed to have their own language apart from Urdu - the language of Pakistan, and began the course for the people of Bangladesh to gain independence. The division came because children learn to speak the language that their mother speaks at home and this should be the language that the nation speaks. Mr Justice Muhammed Mamataz Uddin Ahmed was a freedom fighter in the war for independence of Bangladesh in 1971.

For more information see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_Bangladesh

We ate a fantastic curry together and heard about the struggle for independence. I chatted with another gentleman who had come to visit he was a lawyer, in fact the place was full of lawyers! I spoke about the fact that in the Torah we learn a story about how God confused the languages of men when they tried to build a tower up to the heavens to reach him (babel). I said that here in Café Forever we have an example of that situation being reversed - that different cultures and languages are being shared and understood through the grace of Jesus.

Do you like the occasional flutter?

Had a chat with a regular visitor on Friday for about an hour. One of the things that we discussed was gambling. He said he liked the 'occasional flutter', which I gathered was a little more regular than he was actually admitting to. He said that he didn't see why that was going to condemn him. I said that in effect he is worshipping or trusting in the 'God of luck'. He is giving his money in the hope it will grow to 'chance'. I have been a follower of Jesus (often a very hard to recognize one) for 11 years now. Before I began this journey I had no concern other than myself, and that was very apparent. I used my income to buy drinks and drugs for friends - to keep them. I used drink and drugs to make life interesting. I had the occasional flutter too. Though I had a massive income - I worked at Sky News - I never had anything to show for it at the end of the month. 11 Years of this journey I am married, have two beautiful children, a safe, strong community of friends who truly, regularly, lay down their lives for others and a house which I have not paid for. Things are not perfect but I can genuinely see improvements happening in my life and in the life of others. I explained this to the gentleman. I also explained that when you invest in the 'God of luck' you are in effect turning away from the living God. He can bring the increase. Any turning away is walking into death itself - it is walking towards the thing that you most hate, it is walking towards the bits about you that you don't like. God is really loving. He doesn't stop us from walking away, but he implores us to turn back - regularly, through grace. 

Peace be upon you - a nice way to make friends!

Pie & Mash - Andrew is a star!

Last week I met a new chap in the café, he has recently moved onto the Isle of Dogs. We had an extended chat about the reasons for and against the existence of God. He says that he was raised in a Catholic family and went to the church but has doubts about God's existence and finds the arguments of atheists and humanists very convincing. I tried to point out that the experience of God is in getting out of the boat and not sitting on the sidelines, that somebody who really wants to examine the existence of God actually needs to try out his promises, I gave him a copy of 'The Reason For God' by Tim Keller. He came in again today and said that he hasn't read very much of it yet. I hope that he will read it and not just humour me. Another couple of men visited last week for the first time. They both are from Pakistan and are recent arrivals in England. I have quickly developed a nice friendship with them, the opener "Salaam Alekum", which was greeted with a huge smile and the question "are you a Muslim?", to which I answered, "No, Christian, but all the same, may peace be upon you". Today they came in again and we played a game of checkers (which I lost) much to their joy. Later in the afternoon Z came and played a game of chess with me. It is her second game - I have been teaching her (blind leading the blind I fear). I really enjoy this kind of work.

Chips return to the menu!

I have spent a lot of time this week designing vouchers and advertisements for marketing purposes. My shoulder is very sore at the moment - about 2 months ago I tore the muscles in it and lately it is getting worse. I have also spent a lot of time going to and from the doctor and the physio. The pain does make conversation difficult as I battle to concentrate. Today I had a steroid injection in an attempt to remove the inflamation. The doctor said it could take between 3 weeks and a year before I get better! OUCH!

Getting to know the Isle of Dogs

The school holidays are now over and there's a lot that has happened. We had some new visitors come into the Café - many who get diverted from St John's park where Marlene, Carol, Tom and the volunteers were working. The volunteers are a wonderful addition to the ministry - being young and quite a bit more attractive than us they present a face of the church that shows it is not only for boring old fuddy duddies like us, but that young people also find Jesus interesting and desirable. This I think brings hope to the youth - awareness that they will not be all alone in the church. These young people also bring freshness and newness with them and their eagerness to read the bible and maintain their relationship with God inspires those who meet them - myself included.
In the Café we had regular visits from some children who wanted to play pool or fussball. We have a shabby old pool table that we get out of the back room and lay ontop of a big table and it forms a pool table for the children to learn on. If it were a grand table we'd be less comfortable with them learning on it, so it's not a bad thing it's a little dishevelled. We had daily visits by the same children. Some were really open to learn how to hold a cue, how to aim the ball and where to leave the white ball. During one visit a little girl came up to me, she was 8 years old. She had left some money lying on the table. I said to her she must be careful of her money. She said that she took it off her dad last night in the pub who was drunk. Can you believe it! She said she took £40 off him and she lost half of it somewhere and the other ten she had spent. I was absolutely astonished. How does this little girl ever become something more than her parents? God pour out your spirit please!
One other thing that really bothers me is the victim mentality of so many people! One fellow I know who has a very dirty, untidy apartment complained that somebody was targeting him. I asked how he knew that, he said that they had pushed a cockroach through his letter box! Can you believe it! The lie that he has told himself! All of his problems are because somebody else is picking on him! Natalie said that perhaps it was God who put the cockroach through the letter box. This is probably the truest answer - though it is quite amusing. The book of Haggai tells us that God will actually bring about such things as these in order that we are drawn into a relationship with Him. Please pray for the end of victim mentalities - that people will take responsibility for their circumstances - that they will learn to fear God.
Ramadan came to an end right at the end of the school holidays. Muslims will celebrate with Eid al Fitur. It is a celebration where they put on new clothes and eat nice food together. A bit like their version of Christmas. They had spent about 30 days fasting during the day - and this during the school holidays. On the first day of the new moon they celebrate Eid and some of the youngsters came and did a rap at the Café.