Sans Frontières
Even though I was given a prophetic word by Ben Matheson the day before departure, that the journey itself to Sans Frontieriès would be significant, I was unprepared for just how much of an adventure it would be.
Excitedly, Vicky Whyborn and I boarded the breakfast flight for Charles de Gaulle, Paris, convinced we were fulfilling a dream she had experienced over a year before when she had seen me joining her on a bus headed for Manchester Airport in a particular hat I like to wear when I pray or prophecy. At the time we couldn’t think why we would be flying together but now we are going to join others in making prophetic declarations over France!
Finding ourselves sitting next to an affable French academic living in Wales and married to a Belgian, we became engrossed as he shared the presentation he had prepared to promote research into how a person’s native language can affect their perception of the world.
With conversation straying into creationism, we discovered that he had often visited a spirit-filled church in France as a teenager and we agreed that we would be praying for him.
Later, on the high speed TGV to Nantes I was astonished as I noticed my neighbour reading a book in English by the godly 14th century monk, Thomas à Kempis. We learned how this Chinese American art student, who had never encountered Christians before, was sincerely searching for God after being captivated by church art in Rome. Being artistic myself, I was fascinated by his story and over the next couple of hours Vicky and I became “living books” for him discussing how Jesus brought us into relationship with God and gave us a purpose in life.
Like Philip joining the Ethiopian on a journey, we were soon pouring over meaningful Bible passages together, sharing our love of God and our excitement at how we are invited to partner God in bringing heaven to earth. Amazed at the encounter, we conveyed our firm belief that God, seeing his great hunger, had sent two people to introduce him to Jesus.
The return journey was more of a challenge and I’d kept the elders in the picture asking for prayer by text. Travelling alone this time and despite every effort to make it, a train strike at St Gilles-Croix-de-Vie, a political demonstration in Nantes and heavy traffic through Paris resulted in missing my flight by just a few minutes.
Even a frantic impromptu shared taxi ride through famous Parisian streets, past the Sorbonne, over the Seine, views of the Eiffel tower, mounting pavements, sneaking down bus lanes and dodging trucks couldn’t get me to my plane in time. But it was a result for the Senegalese passenger going home to see family. I’d told him and the French Canadian taxi driver I was praying. Thanking me on arrival at the terminal, it seemed like my job was keeping the peace between them and changing the atmosphere in the taxi by singing to God!
Later that afternoon, lying down in my room at a nearby hotel, feeling utterly exhausted and really fed up that all flights were full until the next morning, I received a text from Dave Emmett reminding me of the word from Ben. I resolved to do more damage in the enemy camp as a protest at delayed journey.
In a busy nearby restaurant I soon got my chance. As I entered, the effusive Senegalese waiter delightedly informed me of his approval of English women and found every excuse to pass my table, grinning and making suggestions throughout my meal. On leaving, I told him that there was something better than the love of a woman – the love of God and passed him one of our Making Jesus Famous cards with details of King’s Church, swiftly correcting his assumption that it was my personal number!
Concluding that I am “a believer”, he introduced me to a smiling waitress from Ivory Coast who was very pleased when I told her that I had been in France to pray for the country and that my church family in Manchester sounded much like hers in Paris. Hearing this, the Muslim waiter asked me to pray for him there and then for his future. Still more to come!
On the return flight, I sat with a lovely Jamaican lady returning from a funeral, who I believe was a Christian, reading our Bibles side by side. I recounted how praying in tongues had strengthened me, healing me emotionally over a recent disappointment.
God is awesome and has been repeatedly showing me how he sends us on adventures, encouraging us to live in this world Sans Frontières.
Lis Herron
