Nine years ago Meghan Gregory from Hamilton Baptist trained and began working with YWAM Orlando, and at the beginning of 2023 she returned to Glasgow leading a team of young people age 17-30 on a two month missions trip, to serve local Baptist churches and surrounding communities.
Meghan shares with us some incredibly inspiring stories of God at work in Scotland as they partnered with Hamilton Baptist, Dennistoun Baptist and other local ministries.
“God is moving in Scotland.
When I was asked to lead a 2 month-long outreach to Scotland, I was initially apprehensive. What does outreach look like in Scotland, my home? I’d been a missionary 
with Youth With A Mission based in Orlando for 9 years, but missions seemed more daunting in my own country. How would Scottish people react to the Gospel? Would they be closed off? Would they care?
The answer shocked me. I found a very different Scotland than the one I left 9 years ago: people were open spiritually, searching for meaning, hungry for prayer and above all, receptive to the gospel.
Me and my American team spent January and February doing evangelism on the streets of Glasgow, volunteering at food banks in Motherwell, serving my home church Hamilton Baptist, teaching English at Dennistoun Baptist and partnering with other ministries. We spent a lot of time out on the streets, sharing the gospel and offering prayer. So many people wanted to be prayed for!
And every time we did, God’s presence could be felt. We had countless conversations with people struggling in life and God always gave us the words to encourage them.
In Hamilton one day, my teammate felt God leading him to speak to a man on the street. After opening up, the guy admitted that the night before he’d decided to take his own life, if no one stopped to help him. The very next day God led my teammate to sit with him, hear his story, share the goodness of Jesus and pray with him. God wants to use us to intervene in people’s brokenness. Stepping out and talking to someone we didn’t know was always scary, but over and over we found that God used our simple obedience to change people’s story.
In Paisley, we led worship nights at ReHope church. One night, a lady who lived nearby overheard the noise and came inside. She asked what we were doing and we told her “we’re worshiping God.” She looked confused, “What’s that?” We explained that we sang to God and Jesus. She looked even more confused. Our team realised she had no concept of God, and despite living across the road from a church, had never heard the gospel. Sharing about God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, the cross and the freedom it brings us, we asked “Do you want to give your life to a God like that?” she immediately replied “Yes! Yeah, I do!” That night she went home a new creation, full of God’s joy, holding her first Bible. God used our simple obedience to change her story.
We returned to Orlando with too many stories like this to count. Our team wasn’t anything special – a group of 17-30 year olds, each at different places in our walk with God, but all eager to share His love and power with people. So don’t believe the lie that Scotland is too far gone. People in Scotland are looking for God, they are open to the Gospel and they want prayer. It just takes us stepping out of our comfort zone, willing to be uncomfortable – because God is using simple obedience to change people’s story.”
YWAM (Youth With A Mission) Orlando exists to know God and make him known. We run a 5-month missions experience that can help you overcome fear and use your faith and skills to change the world. Visit: ywamorlando.com)
