Down by the RiverRabka, Poland
Down by the river, where we were told most people don't like to go, was a shanty bar with men and women scattered around drinking beer in the hot sun. There we set up for our concert with blurry-eyed onlookers watching the unfolding curiosity.
After 3 hours of set-up and another 1 hour and half of the concert, the climax came where all the team had a chance to visit with the people and share their life story and why Outlanders had come to their city. I looked around for someone to talk with and then I saw Margaret's group. They didn't really look like the others at the river. Margaret and her 6 friends seemed to go down to the river because it was comfortably away from the average pace of life. Perhaps a little more raw than the other bars they frequented. I walked toward their group, sat down at the edge and began asking questions. Does anyone here speak english? Just a little. Do you live here? Some said yes, Margaret said no. After a few awkward smiles, and some curious looks at each other than at me, someone asked… where do you live? I'm from Canada but I live in Paris. Two of the group smiled then left to get another drink from the little run down bar.
Suddenly, a fellow from across the way, who had obviously been drinking all night, came over to me and tried to strike up a romantic conversation. Perfect timing as it gave me the opportunity to scoot over in the seat vacated by Margaret's friends. I was now right in the middle of the group, who were all laughing sympathetically at me as the drunk guy gave up and left muttering to himself. Margaret began talking and as she was asking different questions, I immediately noticed a warmth and openness in her. I moved again and sat right beside her. And there began a conversation that quickly turned toward the reality of living in Poland, then to where purpose could be found and then ultimately toward Jesus Christ and hope for eternity. She was ready and open as I shared my testimony and other stories. I asked her if she wanted this same hope that had led me to a new life. She said yes and she accepted Christ as her personal Saviour. We talked more, making it clear what it meant to be a child of God. After awhile it was time that I left the group to help finish packing up as it was after midnight. She indicated that she would see me again at the next concert in a different part of the city. I said good bye to the group, who I found out then had been listening to our conversation, and walked away with the joy of knowing that they all had heard the way to accepting Jesus Christ personally for themselves.
Down by the river, where most people don't like to go, Margaret met Jesus and I gained a new friend. I may not see her again in this life time but I will pray for her and hold her in my heart each time I remember Poland and a little town called Rabka where a new river of life and hope runs through the heart of the city.
After the first Poland concert, God drew me to 16-year-old Christophe. He really opened up to me because of his interest in a specific kind of computer programming that I'm specialized in. Eventually, as I moved the conversation to faith topics, I wondered why I was speaking in such philosophical terms. Am I just confusing him?, I wondered. Christophe said my questions were hard and he needed time to think about them. I told him that was ok -- but I wanted him to come back to our Sunday concert with answers. He did! We spoke at length about faith and works, what God wants from us... and about his main struggle: how to be a Christian and a philosopher. 
After our last concert with The Outlanders in
