Adventure Overseas...

So we've just got back from Romania and I've just got time to reflect.


It was INSANE!

Haha, okay but seriously, one of the most rich and rewarding 

experiences of my life.. It opened up my eyes to the amazing magnitude of God, of the lifestyle, beliefs and cultures of people so unlike us, of the richness of God's love and people's faith for Him.. Insane. I'm just going to outline a few of my favourite experiences, and what they meant to me! One of the most amazing days for me was the day in which team B (the best team;) went to the gypsy village of Harman, and met with Florin and lead some of his church service in the evening. When we got there, we were about to set out evangelism and giving out tracks in the street when it started tipping itself down with rain- so we had to wait! As the rain began to pour we sat inside the church room and just started to play and rehearse for later on ((if you can call it that:s) and through the back door burst a whole load of little children- who had run from the park to hide from the rain! 

What amazed me was that these kids really had no-where else to go. Instead of popping home to hide from the showers, these youngsters ran to the CHURCH-this is how much it is the centre of the community! This was something that really affected me. In this poor place of trouble and hardship, it was the church, and God, that was the focus, the light that shone in the bleakness. Once the storm had cleared up a bit, we set out armed with church tracks and a few  translators to spread the Word into the village. What I think we all noticed was the receptivity of nearly all of the people we approached – whereas in Britain, I think a foreigner with no language skill in English would get ignored or turned away: but in Harman 100% of the people we spoke to were open to what we had to say. 

Whether this reflects the privacy and self-pride of the British or just how often it can happen in the streets for us I’m not sure; however there was a conceivable difference which has to be noted. When we got to the park where we’d run the kids club, we all nervously started to play some games with the children! What I think made the experience so rich for me was the feeling of being thrown into the deep end here. We were given virtually nothing beforehand as to what we were going to be doing: literally just shown the growing number of youngsters and expected to entertain them! We ended up having a ball and all of the team learnt a massive amount from that day. Florin did, thankfully, take charge and he really was the best to us in terms of translating and so on. Adzee and I were both given 30 seconds to think of short testimonies about Jesus to them all; such was the spontaneous nature of the afternoon!

The evening service at Florin’s church was not so much of a rush: Jake had been given a few hours in which to write his speech. Again the moment of worshiping, and hearing the Word of God in 2 different languages to people from 2 completely different cultures in the same room literally baffled me. I can’t even begin to unwind the wonder of the Lord I felt in that church; that God is so personal, yet huge and with so much power all across the world.

The whole week has humbled me entirely, to the magnitude of God. In this country, in our culture and in our wealth we rely so much on objects, things, services. The right we believe we have to medication, care, even to just be listened to! Time spent with people who don't think so much of themselves, don't think so much of the world and who don’t expect so MUCH makes me rethink every single moment of my life now back to normality.

I really could write a book on how much just one week in Romania, one week where the days were spent physically doing God’s work has changed my life. I’ve just outlined one of my most fantastic days; but I don’t think this blog does it justice! The ways in which the Lord moved just within our small group of believers, praying in the backyard of a house on a street in Brasov, will not be leaving me anytime soon.(: 

Englishman in Romania: God's Mission

Matthew 28:19 says “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”.

On the 9^th July, 21 people from Kings Church went to Brasov, Romania in hope of seeing God at work and experiencing more of God’s mission and purpose for their lives. We started the trip feeling nervous and excited unsure of what to expect: what we would eat, or drink, or how we would be sleeping? However Jesus said in Matthew 6:25 says “Do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?” So nerves were overcome by excitement and expectation for God to provide.

On our first day we got stuck in gardening and painting at the house where we were staying in. The garden was very over grown and a lot had to be done to it but the youth eagerly volunteered to clear it up. During this time, the other half of the team started emulsifying and painting the house. We then headed into Brasov for some sight seeing and shopping; the town is beautiful and we enjoyed getting to grips with Romania.

On Wednesday and Thursday the team split in two. Team A went off to a youth camp whilst Team B went to work with Florin in Harman a rural town outside of Brasov. At the youth camp we lead games, swam in the river, befriended the youth and played football in the rain. We also did a performance of “Snow white and the 7 dwarves” and helped them with their group Bible study of Matthew 6. This was fantastic and gave us a good opportunity to talk to them about Jesus. In Harman with Team B they led a church meeting where some of our youth preached, gave testimonies and led worship as well as leading a kids club with some of the children from the apartment blocks. We turned up at the park to play games and suddenly found ourselves surrounded by 70+ enthusiastic children wanting to play Duck, Duck, Goose (or Ratza, ratza geesa) and other games.

On Friday our teams were reunited and headed out to the mountains in Busteni for a cable car ride up to the peak (amusingly some of our leaders were quite terrified on the cable car ride!). Everyone went for a hike to the Cross monument at the peak of the mountain. Although this was a 3 hour round trip we thoroughly enjoyed catching up with each team’s activities and hearing about how God had been working in their groups. We then spent the evening with CCB youth group, Adzee gave a very practical preach about living supernaturally, whilst others shared prophetic words from God. It was encouraging to see the Holy Spirit working in the youth as we prayed for the Romanian youth. God was working in amazing ways.

On Saturday it was back to work. The teams separated again - Team B were off to the Youth Camp to lead a day of Olympics and games whilst Team A headed out to Harman to work with Florin and spend the afternoon with the Gypsy Villagers. We cleaned the church carpet and then headed off to the park wearing T-shirts that said “Isus te Ubeste” (Jesus loves you) and sharing the gospel with people. This was an incredible experience for all of the youth which opened their eyes to how much people rely on God. In the evening Team A joined the CCB youth group and 20’s for an evening of prayer which ended our day brilliantly, spending time with God.

For our last day we joined the CCB Church for their Sunday morning meeting where our very own Steve Blaber preached exceptionally on mission, encouraging and inspiring all who were listening to step out in faith and listen more to what God says to us. In the afternoon Dani (church leader) hosted us and cooked us a very filling and yummy BBQ before we went into town to play CCB at Volleyball. The match was close with Romania Vs England. Romania won the first match but England brought back the second match to draw 1-1. So a final game was played with the Romanians winning 25-12.... a very close game so we will be back to challenge you.

Every morning out team was up and ready for our devotionals where we prayed for each other, shared words of knowledge and encouragement and spent time worshipping our Father. This week in Romania was by far the most any of our youth had been stretched before. God called each of them to step out in faith, put reliance in Him and have faith for him to protect them. Once again God proved to be faithful and revealed things to all of us which we will remember forever and know that God will continue to grow each of us in him. We are so thankful to CCB Church for looking after us so lovingly who have been real witnesses to Jesus Christ and have encouraged us to start living more missional lives.  

      

the times they are a changin'

So I know for many of us we are a coming to an end of the season in our lives and starting to prepare for the next season. It may be that you are getting ready for GCSE’s, AS levels, A-Levels, Uni or even work!! 

Or maybe you haven’t even thought about it and just want to enjoy your summer. Well either way a new season is upon all of us and its how we prepare for our new seasons that matters! Instead of asking God 'why?!' all the time. Let's be those who ask “How can I honour you during this time”?

In Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 Solomon writes:

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under Heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die;

A time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;

A time to kill, and a time to heal;

A time to break down and a time to build up;

A time to weep, and a time to laugh;

A time to mourn, and a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;

A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

A time to tear, and a time to sew;

A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

A time to love, and a time to hate;

A time for war, and a time for peace.”

For everything there is a season, in everything we do is during a time of a new season. Seasons can be hard and they can be easy! When we read in 1 Samuel about David, we see how he is running away from a King who is trying to kill him. He is going through a period of wilderness but God was preparing him to be King. In Genesis Joseph brothers sold him and he became a slave. The Joseph became a Governor over the land Of Egypt and his brothers came to him for grain. Joseph had to go through a season of hardship to build him up for what God had planned for him. In Exodus we read about how Moses ran away from the Pharaoh and his land and then returned to deliver the people of Israel out of Egypt. All these men that we read about in the Old Testament all faced hard times, whether it was prison, persecution, slavery or being hunted. God had bigger plans for all of these men but during those times of struggle they didn’t know what was to come. They had real faith in God and trust that he would help them through that time and trusted that it was only for a season and would get better.

In the New Testament it is very much the same story. Jesus was ridiculed, persecuted, slandered, beaten and nailed to a cross for the sake of our lives to have freedom from Sin. He endured and had strength and trusted in God’s plan. This then reflected of Peter and Paul, they were men who preached the gospel but were persecuted and eventually killed for trying to share the Gospel. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians that he “has a thorn in his side” but yet he still perseveres and makes it his ambition (Romans 15) to share the Gospel. 

 

I’m not writing to say that we will face prison, persecution, or be ridiculed or to say that every day is going to be a battle. But to say that during those hard seasons, or times when things seem to be a struggle; we should trust that God has a plan for us and that it is a good plan.  God is working within us continually, even during the hard season where we don’t understand. In Philippians Paul writes “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ”. God will not start a work in you and then not complete his work, we aren’t sculptures that he decides not to finish and give up on but we are his children whom he wants to give strength to.

When new seasons come we need to persevere and stay focused and centred on God for he is the only one who can give us strength and endurance to face these days. If there is one thing I have learnt this year it’s that our Father is a faithful Father who meets every need, calms every storm and gives strength when strength is needed the most. During these seasons take delight in God for he is good and is worthy of being delighted in. PRAY!