Passport to London
When following God’s call means entering into the unknown
When I joined BIC World Missions’ London team in February 2009, I came excited to live in one of the largest the metropolitan cities of the world. I looked forward to meeting people from all around the globe, enjoying the foods they brought with them, and learning about the variety of cultures represented. I envisioned the debates I would attend, the friendships that would develop, and the memories that would be made as our team ministered to Muslims living here.
I did not, however, anticipate the disorientation that would result from moving to a new country. Within my first six months, I had to change housing four times, adjust to living with complete strangers, and learn to navigate public transportation through a city of 10 million.
Just when this period of transition seemed to be coming to an end, I encountered another obstacle: the expiration of my short-term visa. I had come to London expecting that a second visa for my extended stay would be processed during my initial six months in the country. However, this was not the case. And so, in August, I was required to return to the U.S.
As I packed my suitcase once again, I struggled with feelings of frustration, not understanding why God would allow this disruption to my first year. After all, He had called me to London! Why hadn’t the paperwork been approved yet? It didn’t make sense for me to leave England and return to the U.S., only to come back again.
God’s word to me as I wrestled with my thoughts (and my suitcase!) was a reminder of His sovereignty. We see throughout the Scriptures that God is responsible for kingdoms rising and falling. Who is more powerful—God or the U.K. Border Agency? The Lord was clearly reminding me that I would be in the U.S. only as long as He wanted me to be there.
The waiting wasn’t easy. Initially, the plan was for me to return to London at the beginning of September. However, the month of August passed with almost no word about the status of my paperwork. I started to feel the tension of having an indefinite date of return. I couldn’t make plans for more than two weeks at time, not knowing whether I would be in the U.S. or England. As September shifted into October, I was finally able to submit the last of my papers and my passport to the British Embassy. Again, I could only wait for God to work. Now, even my passport was literally out of my hands.
Two weeks later, I had my passport back, along with another short-term visa to return to the U.K. I booked a flight and then began saying goodbyes to my U.S. friends again.
When my plane landed at London’s Heathrow Airport, I thought I knew what to expect upon my return to the team. Instead, I was shocked by how much had changed while I’d been away. I had left in the long days of summer, but was returning to the darkness of winter, with daylight ending at 4 p.m. People had moved away; new faces had joined the familiar group. I felt as though I were moving to London for the first time.
My return to the UK brought another uncertainty to light. While I rejoice over receiving my new visa, I still struggle with the frustration of knowing that it will not be valid for the rest of my term, and I will face this process all over again in six months’ time.
Yet in the absence of the familiar and the uncertainty of the unknown, God’s words have become my source of comfort. Passages like Lamentations 3:21–23 remind me of God’s faithfulness in the past and renew my hope for the future: “But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
Jenn Locke, of Five Forks BIC (Waynesboro, Pa.), currently lives in Northwest London. She has been part of the BIC London team for one year and loves Cornish Pasties, the British Museum, and Sherlock Holmes. But no, she doesn't speak with an English accent!
