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What a time I've had at the
Games. I've been based at the Olympic Village right where
that athletes live. The Chaplain's suites are in the
Village Plaza where the athletes are welcomed officially,
where they shop, eat, play video games, and use the Internet.
Thank you so much for your
prayers. As chaplains we are not allowed to pressurize
the athletes but rather engage in conversation on all
sorts of topics, especially their events. That gets their
attention. It's great having been involved in sport to
be able to relate to swimmers, water polo players, boxers,
athletes, and soccer players.
The Holy Spirit has been leading
me each day into amazing situations. I believe that happens
because of your prayers. In the first week the athletes
were very nervous and apprehensive, willing to talk and
ask for prayer. I would roam the Village, or ride the
shuttle busses around the village, or encounter these
men and women as they came into the chaplains suite.
Some of the Korean team came in for prayer a few times.
They would leave the Chaplain's rooms shining.
Let me tell you something
funny. The Lord impressed on me to wear my minister's
clerical shirt and collar, (which I only normally wear
for traditional church weddings and funerals, and in
the Lutheran Churches in Eastern Europe) under my Olympic
uniform. The response was immediate. You see that chaplain's
uniform is not very different from many of the other
workers so nothing distinguishes us as chaplains to draw
the athletes to come to us. The moment people saw the
clerical collar they came directly to ask for prayer
and help.
I was standing at a bus stop
on day and the Zimbabwe Team arrived for their official
welcome. I approached some of the black athletes and
asked where they were from. The replied, Gweru and Bulawayo.
So I greeted them in their language. (I grew up in Southern
Africa, playing soccer with the little Zulu fellows and
so learnt much of their language. The language spoken
in southern Zimbabwe is the same.) Their eyes nearly
popped out of their heads. They were amazed that an Australian
spoke their language. I blessed them In the name of the
Lord for the games. I greeted their manager and blessed
him in Shona, the major language. (I was in business
in Harare for over 5 years and preached in a number of
the black churches there, and so learned a bit of that
language. His eyes filled with tears as he expressed
his appreciation for a blessing in his own language.
At that moment the cameramen arrived and I ended up in
one of their official photos. Amazing !
Later that day as I was eating
my lunch meal a young Greek cook, named John, came and
sat next to me. He saw my collar and began to pour out
all his troubles. After a while I stopped him and said, "Do
you realise that you need Jesus." He said," I
know, but I don't know how to find him." I replied, "You
eat and I'll tell you how to find Him." When he
finished his food he bowed his head and received Jesus
into his life like a little child. After a time of counselling
he left saying "I feel so different, so light. Our
meeting wasn't coincidence, was it?" He came to
the chaplain's office to pick up a special Olympic edition
New Testament.
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