Carol service in Silencio (and the best British fry-up in the world)

Yesterday (Sunday) we took two Land Rovers of Africa Mercy crew and headed down the motorway to join our good friends at Silencio Christian Fellowship for their annual Christmas carol concert. As you can see from the photos, the service was in a shopping centre surrounded by bars, cafes and even a tattoo parlour. Many of the British ex-pat congregation joined us on seats where the bars usually do trade, but others joined-in from the comfort of the cafes and continued to eat their traditional British fried breakfasts whilst heartily singing carols and thinking of home. And what a service! The guys in SCF don't do things in halves: the service was very hard-hitting and thought provoking, and nobody could ever say they came away from it without being challenged! This is what church should be like! We heard testimonies from two people who have recently become Christians - one of whom had been a heroin addict - and we were all challenged in our lifestyles and walks with God by pastor Bill.

Above, the Avenue Cafe (traditional Scottish grub) and Stella's Cafe (traditional English grub); Starlights Nightclub (where our kids usually have Sunday School when we attend SCF) and Tommy Todgers Bar.

Above: Tattooing & Piercing and the Euro Bar.

After the service we all went to Stella's cafe for the best British fry-up in the world. Each chip had been lovingly hand-made. Even our American and Canadian crew-mates were impressed!

I can't even begin to describe the good works that SCF does amongst the British ex-pat population in Tenerife. They work tirelessly with alcoholics, drug addicts, the homeless, sex-trade workers, vulnerable girls, young bar staff, broken families, the bereaved, the friendless, and the unloved. Many of the church have serious histories and shocking stories, and their commitment to the Lord is a great testimony of his love and the love of his people for the vulnerable ex-pats in Tenerife! Olly