Everything for sale in the shop has been donated by many people. We have never had to buy tea. Home baking comes in each morning. God has brought it all together in so many wonderful ways. Gifts of heaters, curtains, floor covering, song books, cards, display stands, fridge dishwasher, cooker and hand crafts. Always just as they were needed.
The doors opened in January 2004 with the help of willing volunteers and still with £50 left out of the original donation. So what next, God alone knows and He says just trust me.
What is the purpose of this shop, well we are learning this as we go along and remain open to the way Jesus takes it. It is proving to be a place of fellowship, prayer and welcome. Folks can talk and relax over a freshly baked scone or cake and a cup of tea or coffee for which there is no charge. There is a quiet room upstairs, if anyone wants to speak to others about personal things or would like prayer. We are here to help in whatever way is required.
After two years of using the shop rent free. The landlord said that he had been offered a substantial amount to sell but if we would like to own it we would need to match this offer. Once again, we knew to do what God was leading us to do. We alerted all our prayer partners asking them “is this the time for the WTC shop to close or remain open”. We did not inform them that someone else wanted to buy the property and we only had two weeks to find the money. A local elderly lady came into the shop because she had heard a rumour that the shop was due to close and gave us a £5 gift. From the oldest and the youngest gave. Even a child gave their pocket money to help us buy the shop. Everything that came from those praying were assurances that the shop had to remain open. So with much trepidation we said to the landlord we would definitely be being the property. Everyday money kept dropping through the door and at no time did we ever mention money to anyone. We needed a mortgage of £70,000 and each time the bank contacted us we needed less and less until the closing date arrived and we were able to buy the property without a mortgage – even the bank manager said “ I will never under estimate the power of prayer”.
We had received forms to complete from the Scottish Charity Regulator, so we completed many of these of these forms and then found out the we had become a Scottish Charity, which made us a cross-border charity. We only found out what God was up to when we s=went to sign the papers to buy the shop and the solicitor said “you are Scottish Charity /” because if you are not, you can’t buy the property. God knew and it was all set-in place.
A few years later a gift came from overseas to completely refurbish the whole property and we were then able to use the upstairs for the charity offices. There have been many examples of God blessing this work.
One evening we had been praying for a cross to be placed in the window. The next day someone appeared asking us if we would like a cross they had made for us to place in the window. God had arranged this before we had even asked.
Many people have been miraculously led to the shop for help. One lady from South Africa was coming to London for an interview although the job was in South Africa. She had purchased the cheapest flight which was to Edinburgh, not realising the distance to London. She had nowhere to stay in London and no way of getting there. She prayed and asked the Lord to help her and went for a walk early in the morning. She saw the cross in the window and felt she would get help there.
We contacted our overseas advisor who spoke to her on the phone, met her in London and gave her a place to stay. She did get the job and flew back to South Africa where we already had folks, she could make contact with. What an amazing, wonderful God we have.
There are so many stories since we opened of how God provides, heals and saves.
