Well, where did February go? I can't believe that I haven't blogged since January - not sure what that says about life recently except I guess it hints at how busy, tired and boggy-brained I felt for much of it!
But, no sympathy required - if I'd kept God at the centre rather than letting everything take centre-stage it would probably have been a different story - a lesson learned!
Enough of that however, I'm writing to share about a lovely testimony I heard at a meeting earlier this week that reminded me so clearly of how God is at work at so many levels in the background.
In the summer I am leading a CRED team to Kenya, to work in Spurgeons Academy - a charitable school for orphans and vulnerable children in the slum area of Kibera. One of the people on the team is a 16-year old student E, who lives locally and heard about the trip from a friend of hers who is also going on it. E's mum contacted me and asked if E could go, and I said provisionally yes, but mentioning that if there was a responsible adult who could also come, then that would be even better.
A week or so after I heard that the responsible adult had been found, and it was the person I'd quietly been hoping and praying it would be - R, the uncle of E, who is also husband of a good friend at church, but who himself would say he is 'searching' rather in a secure place faith-wise.
So, E and her uncle were signed up to the trip, and on Wednesday he came and shared at the church mission strategy group meeting about the forthcoming trip.
It was so lovely to hear him speak - of the inner-journey he's been on as he prepares for the trip, of the impact it has had on others as they have engaged in fundraising activities for him, of the conversations it has brought about. I won't go into all of them, but just a few examples:
But, no sympathy required - if I'd kept God at the centre rather than letting everything take centre-stage it would probably have been a different story - a lesson learned!
Enough of that however, I'm writing to share about a lovely testimony I heard at a meeting earlier this week that reminded me so clearly of how God is at work at so many levels in the background.
In the summer I am leading a CRED team to Kenya, to work in Spurgeons Academy - a charitable school for orphans and vulnerable children in the slum area of Kibera. One of the people on the team is a 16-year old student E, who lives locally and heard about the trip from a friend of hers who is also going on it. E's mum contacted me and asked if E could go, and I said provisionally yes, but mentioning that if there was a responsible adult who could also come, then that would be even better.
A week or so after I heard that the responsible adult had been found, and it was the person I'd quietly been hoping and praying it would be - R, the uncle of E, who is also husband of a good friend at church, but who himself would say he is 'searching' rather in a secure place faith-wise.
So, E and her uncle were signed up to the trip, and on Wednesday he came and shared at the church mission strategy group meeting about the forthcoming trip.
It was so lovely to hear him speak - of the inner-journey he's been on as he prepares for the trip, of the impact it has had on others as they have engaged in fundraising activities for him, of the conversations it has brought about. I won't go into all of them, but just a few examples:
- R is a musician in his spare time, with several friends who are in bands etc. When they heard about the Kenya trip, they got together and formed a band or two to do a gig. One of the guys had been suffering from throat cancer and has been unable to do music properly for a long time which has been really hard. But he is slowly getting better, and the Kenya trip fundraiser was a chance for him to re-engage with the music world, including produce a single that has been sold to make money for the trip. It was something for him to focus on with great intent, and has been a real therapy for him
- R is a trained counsellor and will be using his professional skills to help train some of the Spurgeons staff. One of R's extended family has recently retired, and hearing about the trip R is on, and how he is using his training to bless others, has made him wonder if he can do something in retirement to support a project in a similar way. That train of thought has also been voiced to R by some neighbours - clearly something I need to follow up!
- R recently switched jobs to a new employer - and to his delight discovered that they are very keen on their employers supporting charitable work, and are fully behind him taking the week off and getting involved.
There were many more stories of how R's involvement in the trip is touching others in a deeper way than sometimes happens when it is a teenager going on the trip. I guess participation when you are a dad, and husband, and have lots of responsibilities at home can be seen as something more significant than a teenager taking part. Personally I find it really special to have the mix of both on the team.
But for me the key thing here is the ripple effects of that single decision by E to take part in the trip. Of course you could take it one step further back to E's friend deciding to take part, or even further to the school signing up etc, but however far back you go, the reality is that God uses each situation to reach out to so many people.
Even before the trip has taken place, this Kenya trip has touched many people in R's circles, and impacted their thinking and perspective. And there will be similar stories for the other participants as well. And that's just one of the trips that is going out.
It all becomes a bit mind-blowing after a while, but that's OK - the important thing is to give God the glory for how He uses every opportunity, and how He is quietly preparing the way and doing the background work, days, weeks, months and years before we might see it being worked out - if we see it at all.
Praise God for ripple effects, and for all the behind-the-scenes work He is doing in us and despite us
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