Leaving home in France at 15, David first heard about Jesus in 1993, when he was homeless in Amsterdam. Soon after, he visited a Jesus Fellowship house in London. He'd experienced "street" community: sharing squats, drugs, the day's small change donations. Now he found Jesus and "people living all-out for Jesus, 24 hours a day". He moved in, loving it from day one. "I didn't want to do my own thing anymore. Life at home was such an adventure; you didn't need to go out looking for it!"

Belinda had a comfortable, churchgoing upbringing in Malaysia. In 1991, doing her law finals in London, she felt God leading her to community.

"I've always valued friendships," says Belinda, "and enjoyed student shared digs. Visiting the community house, it was the love that hit me. They welcomed me for who I was. People from Zimbabwe, Australia, Romania and Spain already lived in the house. They'd clearly learned how to love each other, and lived a simple and totally committed lifestyle. It was life. I wanted that, so I moved in."

From the outset, both found inevitable clashes of culture - but were determined to work things through.

"Jesus has torn down all the barriers, like the New Testament says. We can love everyone because His love fills our hearts," says David. "An African friend told me he feared losing his black roots, but he hasn't. When he's out in London, he notices how people look at him, but inside the community, he doesn't even think colour. We form a new "Jesus" culture: everyone belongs but still has the distinctive characteristics which make them unique. People here don't treat me as French, but as a brother and a friend."

Shared lifestyles mean sacrifices. "I mean, after years of good French dressing what was this revolting salad cream?" sighs David. Belinda had her own struggles with boiled vegetables!

Then there's language. Misunderstandings happen constantly. Two people can be arguing and suddenly realise they're defending the same corner! The caricature of the English approach to foreigners ("If they don't understand, say it louder") really happens.

David had to drop the French custom of greeting women with a kiss on both cheeks. It didn't go down too well in a Christian community that avoids over-familiarity between the sexes!

"I liked female company," laments David, "now I was expected to spend my time with the other men. I found segregation hard, but gradually learned it was healthier. The pressure to flirt was taken away. I could grow as a man through constant interaction with men. I became more responsible. It must have worked: five years later, in 1998, I got married!"

Belinda couldn't understand the British love of privacy. Others couldn't grasp her sense of humour: "In Malaysia we laugh at anything and everything! One of the men in the house tripped and hurt himself, and I burst out laughing. People were scandalised! But I wasn't laughing because someone got hurt - I was just, well... laughing. I concluded the Anglo-Saxons needed to learn to relax!"

This household has discovered cultural matters run deeper than colour or race. They tackle them in a matter-of-fact way. It comes down to each individual's response to Jesus, and readiness to let Him transform them into a new family of love, drawn from all races. It's the crucial principle defined in Jean Vanier's book, Community and Growth : the transition from "the community for me" to "myself for the community". Cultural considerations must line up behind that. What principles did Jesus teach on food, for example? Simplicity and gratitude. So that's how we operate. Whoever's responsible for the meal cooks what they choose, so long as it's simple. Jobs are shared out - from cleaning loos to washing socks. All receive God's provision with thankful hearts!"

Raising a family in community brings different issues. When David and Belinda's first son was born, everyone changed rooms to create the most suitable family area.

"You can't have everything exactly as you would in your own home," says Belinda. "There must be give and take - like training people not to leave cups of hot tea where children can grab them."

"It's good to learn from other community families. We don't always see things the same, but work it out together. The important thing is to embrace the community vision and make quality time for your family within that. We make good use of times before and after David's work, and go out as a family some Saturdays. That way we preserve our identity within the larger context." "Your children are still yours, not community property!" adds David. "We're the parents and do the up-bringing. Our children benefit from community. They develop fast. They're stimulated by all the company. But we don't want them fussed over or confused by lots of 'uncles' and 'aunties'. People in the house understand and support us in this."

In each Jesus Fellowship's house, Thursday is "friendship evening" for members of the local congregation who don't live in community and new friends met through outreach. It offers a good snapshot of life in community and, long into the evening, the sitting rooms heave with a buzz of multi-coloured humanity, with some 40 people, from up to 20 nations.

"Christians talk about 'multicultural churches'," says Belinda. "In London there are plenty. But after the service they return to their particular cultural home. I don't believe that's the fullness of what Jesus wanted. It's much harder - but much more attractive - to actually live together. It becomes an amazing testimony. People can't believe their eyes when they see blacks, browns and whites truly loving each other and committed to staying together."

"It worked at Pentecost," adds David. "Why not today? "God's brought the whole world to our doorstep to see something they never dreamed existed on earth: a place where Jesus melts hearts and cultures into a new society of justice and brotherhood. We love it!"

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