Scottish outreach: 'Hope for the Hebrides'

A village at the end of the road, on an island at the edge of the Atlantic, facing a week of door-to-door visits in driving rain and winds of almost 85-mph. On paper, it was far from the ideal setting for a week of gospel outreach.

However, for a hardy international team from Operation Mobilisation (OM), this was nothing out of the ordinary; they had faced such conditions before and were more than happy to do so again.

For a week, the congregation of North Tolsta Free Church of Scotland had the privilege of hosting and serving the team of ten as part of the OM-run annual “Hope for the Hebrides” outreach programme.

Rev Donald Macleod, of North Tolsta Free Church, said: “The village of North Tolsta has roughly 400 inhabitants, and our goal was for every home to receive a friendly gospel interaction, an invitation to the week's activities, church information, and a short gospel booklet.

“It was a busy week for the team and congregation. Each day began with a time of devotions and worship, followed by a mix of activities and door-to-door work. Activities included 'Coffee with a Christian' drop-in sessions, a 'Grill a Christian' Q&A evening, a public talk, a children's and families craft afternoon and a 'Congregational and Community Buffet.'"

Donald said: “[In order for] the week to be a success, it required more than a willing OM team; it also needed the support of a willing congregation and community.”

During the week, the OM team stayed with people in the village and had all their meals made for them by teams in the congregation.

“It was a beautiful reminder that to serve the kingdom of God, it requires more than soldiers on the front line,” said Donald. “It also requires teams working quietly behind the scenes and often sacrificially.

“We give praise to God for all that took place, and to Him we give all the glory.”