They settled in as the train pulled out of Nairn, heading West and into the night. They found the lounge area with its large windows and comfortable seating. The rest of the worship and media team soon joined them. Imogen and Rachel came and sat beside them.
Jasper addressed the group. He said that he was praying for wisdom on what to prepare.
“I feel that we should have a range of different music. I keep singing some songs that I used to hear in the days long before the war. I feel that the Lord wants to use some songs to remind the older people of the freedom they used to have in the old days.”
He played some songs on his device and they discussed how they might be able to use them.
There was one that Mark wanted to hear over again. It was about a child dreaming about paradise. Jasper said that it was written by a British band when he was a boy aged twelve. It had been a huge hit around the world. Jasper said he was praying about some of the words he could change. He shared the song to the devices the others held.
Matt came and joined them.
The media guys said that they felt they should go out and shoot footage of the Icelandic people and landscape to use in the evening meetings.
“We want to communicate to them that God knows them and loves them,” explained one of them.
Everyone thought that was a good plan.
“Where will the evening meetings be held?” asked Sanjay.
“We will find out tomorrow,” answered Jasper. “It depends a lot on what gear arrives. We are expecting a bunch of stuff from the other churches. There’s a second train coming up from the South later tonight.”
“How do we get to Iceland?” asked Mark. “It’s an island and we are on a train. It’s a long way isn’t it?”
Matt nodded and smiled.
“That’s right. There’s a tunnel that connects the North of Scotland all the way over. It was built soon after the end of the war. It’s used to connect the power sources on Iceland to the rest of Europe.”
He showed them a map on his device.
The tunnels went from the North West of Scotland, due North to the Faroe Islands then North West to Iceland.
“We’ve been in touch with the other train,” added Matt. “They’re bringing a lot of gear. There’s a team coming with it and all.”
They all held hands and prayed. They asked for more wisdom. They asked for all the gifts they would need. They thanked the Lord for everything he would provide. Then they prayed for the Icelanders.
Imogen touched her device so that some words were projected. Jasper started a beat on his device. They synched the devices to play the same song. They sang together a song about a day that would one day come when the Lord would return.
Some of the team bid them goodnight and headed back to their berths.
Jasper played another song from his childhood. It had a faster beat. The words of chorus were about heaven having a plan for each person.
“This song was a huge dance hit in the clubs when I was at school.”
Jasper showed them the original lyrics and asked for their help to change them.
“Imagine it is Mark telling his story: how things have changed for him since he left the unit, since God came into his life.”
They agreed to keep the words about the Father telling his child not to worry. Mark confirmed that was true for him: God had shown him again and again that he was in His plan; he should not be anxious.
They all worked together until they were satisfied. They had kept as many of the original words as they could, while making it Mark’s story.
Mark, Johnson and Sanjay said goodnight and went back to their carriage. They got ready for bed and chatted about the song and about what the next day might bring.
The train had finished loading at Inverness and was now moving again. Out of the window, the lights of the city faded and they were in darkness. The moon was low and the stars were bright.
Mark lay down and they bid each other goodnight, committing each other into God’s safekeeping. Mark found the movement of the train lulled him to sleep.
The train moved steadily through the night while they slept. They did not notice the stoppage on the Faroe Islands nor the tilt of the train as it headed into the tunnel suspended in the depths, under the waves of the North Atlantic Ocean.
In his dream, Mark was flying like a bird over the sea.
23rd April 2035
DAY 12
Morning sounds reached into the berth and the three awoke: people talking; people moving along the narrow corridor of the carriage; the call of seagulls; machinery passing. Someone knocked on their door to rouse them.
They dressed, then raised the blind and looked out of the window.
The train was standing beside some docks. They could see several large fishing boats lying at anchor. The sea was calm. They could see layers of high clouds in the distance to the West. Along the coast, there was a blanket of low cloud.
Sanjay opened the door to the corridor and someone called to him to come for breakfast. They filed out and followed others across the concrete to a large building. The temperature was lower than they remembered at Nairnside.
All three stared up at the building as they approached. It had lines and lines of shaped glass that glinted in the bright morning sunshine. Someone told them it was called The Harp.
Inside, there was a large space with tables and chairs laid out for all of them. They chose what they wanted from the array of food and tucked into a hearty cooked breakfast. All three avoided the pickled fish and some of the other local delicacies.
When everyone was done eating, they were called into the main theatre space for a meeting. Jonathan and Helena were up on the stage with a number of others and welcomed everyone. They introduced the leaders with him, including three Icelanders. Mark spotted the lady who led the Intercessors at Nairnside. They explained that they had a window of three nights for meetings. The team in Central Comms were going to cover them by streaming recent footage of work carrying on as normal over the whole the island. Jonathan said they were excited that the second train had arrived.
“I am particularly grateful that we have Jan and Tomas from Design City Europe with us. I think you are all going to love what they are going to do for us-Jan.” Jonathan gestured to a striking man dressed in black. The man rose to his feet and greeted everyone.
“Good morning, brothers and sisters,” said the man. “We are delighted to bring you something we can meet in tonight. It is a new design - a prototype tent. We are here to test it, of course. Ordinarily, it would be for a Level 6 gathering. Most of us here are Level 2, but we can keep hush hush about that!”
He winked and smiled. People laughed and some clapped.
“It will be a nice surprise - one of many over these next few days, no doubt. I can tell you it’s pretty big so it should fit a good many of us. We are going to raise it at a place called Thingvellir.”
Jonathan explained that each team had tasks to do during the day. Each team would be briefed by its leaders. Each team would have some Icelanders attached to it. He outlined what each team would be doing. The plan was to all meet at Thingvellir at five o’clock. He pointed to a huge map of the island.
Helena and the Intercessor lady spoke,
“The Lord has shown us that this is the place where we should hold the meetings. It is very important to the Icelanders. It is where their ancestors used to meet for annual council meetings and festivities a thousand years ago. For the main meeting, we should start at six o’clock. We will start with music and presentations aimed at the children. We should be finished by nine o’clock. Some Icelanders will have a long journey to reach it. Most people live in the city but some live out on farms, spread out all over the country. The people living far away will probably stay with family and friends around the city over the three nights.”
“How many are coming?” called out a voice. Mark could not see who spoke.
“We hope a great many,” answered J
onathan. “I believe the Lord wants as many as can make it there, to hear our message. Before we go, let us pray together. Susan, please will you lead us.”
Mark watched the Intercessor lady from Nairnside step forward. She held out her hands and closed her eyes.
“Lord, we are gathered in your name. We thank you for this opportunity, this door you have opened wide for us. We ask you to guide us all by your Spirit. Help each of us to do our part so that your will is done tonight. We pray for all those coming. Lord, have your hand on them. Prepare their hearts. Speak to them deep in their hearts. Bring them into your kingdom. Let them know who they are in you. We bless you for your care and love. Truly, you are the good shepherd. We trust you, we love you, and we are yours. We pray in Jesus’ name.
The room resounded, “Amen.”
Mark felt a rush of feelings as she prayed: fresh strength and eagerness to serve; desire to see the Icelanders blessed; thankfulness that he was one of this group; peace that the Lord would lead and guide them.
The meeting was over so they filed out and went to join their teams.
Word came to the Worship team that the trucks were loaded. Mark went out with the team to a coach that was waiting for them, and took his place. The convoy set off through the streets of the city. Mark noticed several buildings that were burnt out ruins. Many walls were scored with bullet holes. They were stark reminders of the fighting during the war. They sat in silence as they passed.
They continued out to the main highway then North West on a main road. Mark stared out at the barren landscape. The morning mist was lifting and he could see black rocks covered in bright green mosses. In the distance there were high ridges and lonely crags and bare summits. There was precious little woodland. They passed fields with ponies but few crops. The villages were small with whitewashed houses. There were a few churches but they were empty and neglected. Some were partly destroyed, demonstrating the rule that the church could not meet in such places.
The convoy slowed as it reached its destination. There were a few old buildings. An old flagpole stood alone further up a slope.
They got off the coach and gathered around Jasper and Imogen. They introduced their local helpers, Petur and Sessilia.
Their guides led them along a path that headed towards a line of cliffs rising up in the middle distance. The group paused by a narrow pool. The water was crystal clear. They had a taste of the water and agreed it was pure and delicious. Petur explained how much of their water was glacial meltwater.
The group continued on a bridge over a river, and up onto a ridge. Looking South, they could see a wide lake stretching a few kilometres. Their guides explained the history of this place. It was sacred to the Icelanders because this was where their government had begun so many summers ago. Laws were agreed. Disputes were settled. There were feasts. There was music and dancing at these annual gatherings.
They walked over to a wide path and went up to the higher ground. From this vantage point they could see more of the lake. The valley stretched to the right and left. Petur and Sessilia explained that they were standing on the rift between two continental plates. In front of them was the European plate, pulling to the East. Behind and underneath them was the American plate, pulling to the West. They could see that the earth was split with numerous fissures along the boundary.
They looked back at the vehicles of the convoy. A crane was lifting off curious objects and laying them carefully on the ground. There were huddles of figures working around the pieces on the ground. They were all curious to see what they were doing so they headed back. More vehicles were arriving and Mark spotted Johnson with the Logistics team.
As they got closer they saw that the operation was being led by the two men that Jonathan had introduced that morning, Jan and Tomas. To Mark, the pieces on the ground looked like enormous rolls of plastic - he had no idea what they were for. Under the direction of Jan and Tomas, they were unrolling the lengths of plastic with machinery so that the whole area was being covered. Someone showed them ingenious joining panels that stitched the separate pieces together. There were anchors that were being pinned into the ground. They realised that the anchors prevented the structure from flying away in the wind.
Mark helped with the work so he was absorbed for the next hour.
There was a call for a refreshment break, up by the flagpole. They went up and sat in rows on some stepped seating. Some people had asked Jan and Tomas to explain what was happening, so all heads were turned in their direction.
“Brothers and sisters, we are about to create a structure of geodesic domes, just with the help of some pressured air and water. The structure is based on the hexagon. Each hexagonal cell has tubes that will be filled shortly. The team over there have connected the pumps so, if you watch from here, the process should take about twenty minutes, then we will have space to build the staging and prepare the seating.”
As they watched, sections on the ground were lifting and taking shape. To Mark, it reminded him of blowing up balloons as a child.
After about twenty minutes, there was spontaneous applause as the structure completed the process of filling in front of them. It was enormous.
They went over to go inside.
They felt very small. Some of the worship team clapped and shouted to test what the acoustics sounded like. They were standing under a series of domes, the largest being the central one.
A convoy of small forklift vehicles brought in the staging. They set to work fitting it together. Jan and Tomas strolled up and down, giving instructions. Mark looked up later and saw that they were forming a large ring in the centre of the space. Within the centre of ring, there was a circular platform raised higher.
The forklift vehicles brought in seating and flooring.
Later on, they stopped for a picnic lunch when the Catering team arrived. Sanjay joined Johnson and Mark. They told him of the marvel that had been taking form over the morning.
A woman on the stage called out to everyone there,
“Anyone want to hear what this space sounds like?”
There was a cheerful response.
“Hit play,” called the woman.
The space filled with an upbeat sound. Some people put down their lunch to do a little dance.
“This place is unbelievable!” said Sanjay. They had not been in such a cavernous space before. Sanjay told them that the catering team was setting up camp to provide food and refreshments. They had lots of fresh food brought over from Scotland plus more provisions from the second train that came up from England.
“We do not know how many might come, but we have got a lot of food!”
The afternoon was taken up with setting up the lights, speakers, electrical equipment and raising the large screens. As the hours passed, more people came to assist, so the work accelerated.
At four o’ clock, they were doing the finishing touches. On the central platform, the drum kit and computer controls were set up for Jasper. His kit had clear screens around it. He went up to try it out. He waved at Mark and Johnson.
Stevie came up to them and asked them to follow him. He led them out of the tent and away from the sound of Jasper warming up on the drums.
“One of the teams has set up a camp for the mission team. There are hot showers. It’s time to wash and get changed.”
They went over to a fenced area with two groups of cabins that had been parked there. Next to the shower cabins there were three large hot tubs.
They showered and then climbed gratefully into the steaming water in one of the tubs. There were surrounded by the rising vapour and a strong smell of sulphur.
“You can’t come to Iceland and not have a hot bath!” said Petur, when he joined them. “Sorry, but the rule in Iceland is that you have to shower naked, even at the public baths!”
After a good soak, they went and showered, following Petur’s lead, and got dressed into clean clothes and headed back to the meeting tent.
People were gatheri
ng from all the teams. The children were there with their teachers. The boy with the curls came over and asked them what they had been doing. They explained how they had watched the tent rise.
“What have you been doing?” asked Johnson.
“We went to two schools and met lots of the kids,” the boy replied.
Jonathan and Helena called the meeting to order.
“Well done to all the teams,” he began, “this place is amazing! Thank you Jan and Tomas and everyone involved.”
There was an enthusiastic round of applause.
They gave them updates on what the teams had been doing during the day. They told them that transport had been arranged to bring people from every part of Iceland. Everyone they had met had spoken about their appreciation for the mission. Word was spreading that people were safe to come to the meetings, and that the cameras had been taken care of. The meetings were going to be recorded and feeds to many churches had been arranged.
Mark thought of the group back in Birmingham, meeting later that night behind those heavy, soundproof doors.
“Now about the meeting tonight,” said Helena, “please can we pray together now for how the Lord wants it.”
All heads were bowed as she led them in a short prayer. She asked the Lord to put his hand on anyone he wanted to share tonight in the main meeting.
Mark was aware of a burning in his chest.
Jonathan said that he felt that all those who the Lord had chosen would feel heat in their hearts.
“If you feel a burning sensation in your chest, around your heart, please can you put your hand up.”
Mark opened his eyes and raised his hand. He was delighted to see that Sanjay and Johnson had their hand up, along with three others.
“Now can we gather round the worship team, the Comms team, the guys doing sound and visuals, and the six who put their hands up and pray for them?” asked Helena.
Mark found himself with about ten people around him, placing their hands on his back and shoulders and chest. There was a mixture of voices as they prayed for wisdom for him, for anointing on his words, for courage and boldness. He felt more heat in his chest, a tingling on his tongue. It felt like God was downloading what he wanted him to share.
2035 Revelation Page 14