Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28.

Nick was “working the floor” as he likes to call it, as part of his duties as chaplain at Manchester Airport one day when he came across a young muslim man with his wife and three small children, struggling with no less than four heavily laden luggage trollies and a pushchair!

Nick continues the story... The young father would push one trolly a few yards then stop and run back for a second one, then a third and a fourth. He would then repeat the process all over again. All this time his wife was following behind with the pushchair in which were two of the children and another pile of cases. She was also desperately trying to keep her eye upon the third child, a little girl who kept running on ahead!

They had just arrived from Pakistan (it seems with all their worldly goods) to take up residence on the Isle of Man and were trying to get from Terminal 2 to Terminal 1, a distance of over half a mile via the Sky Link Walkway, in order to catch their connecting flight. The process was extremely chaotic and they were growing increasingly distraught, so I pitched in to help. After battling on for a further forty-five minutes or so, we eventually got there but then I had to locate their particular check-in desk. After making enquiries we went up in the lift to level 5 (another challenge) and finally got to where they could check-in.

The young couple were profoundly grateful saying that they would not have got there without my help. They wanted to buy me a drink of tea or coffee but I said this was not necessary and in any case, time would not allow it. Before we parted company I told them that I am a Christian minister and briefly explained about Manchester City Mission. The young man said he would like to stay in touch and I gave them my contact number. I felt that this was a good way to welcome them to the U.K. and it would give a positive first impression. I didn't get the chance to share the gospel with them in more detail but I believe I was perhaps the first link in the chain of a series of encounters with Christians which will one day lead them to faith in Christ.

Please pray to this end.