Update

Hi readers,

so what’s been going on?  Last week’s outreach in a village very close to Mt Kenya was ok.  Busy with door to door, open air crusades and ‘revival’ meetings.  Didn’t enjoy it that much though, it was a strange week and the whole team was glad to move on by the end of it.  I did get to preach at one of the open airs which was good fun but the only other highlight was being shouted at and practically chased out of the house of an angry catholic guy who didn’t take kindly to my challenge to his doctrine. My partner Jesse thought he was going to grab the big machete leaning against the sofa, fortunately I don’t think attacking protestants with weapons is part of catholic doctrine either.  I hope and pray he was left with something to think about, if it hadn’t challenged his own convictions I don’t believe he would’ve got so angry.

This week the ministry we were supposed to have got canceled last minute so an abrupt change of plans has found us at the home of Rose, one of the staff.  The same home I visited in around week 5 I think.  Most people were thankful and none more than me, I don’t enjoy the church ministries so much actually, evangelism like door to door and open airs, despite my apparent God given success so far, doesn’t sit naturally with my western mindset of what works and what doesn’t and I find it very draining.  There’s practically no ministry this week then so its been lots of personal time with God.  What little there has been I have missed as I’ve been quite ill.

I’ve been achey and weak and feeling very sick since wednesday.  Had pretty much all the symptoms of malaria so at Rachel’s insistence I went to a private hospital today to get checked.  At home you’d just sit in bed and ride this sort of thing out but better safe than sorry out here I guess.  Anyway I had some tests and have an infection so have some meds for the next few days.  It’s not a big deal I just feel a bit groggy and weak but should pass in a coupla days now.

So next week is the final week of outreach, its more of the same and will prob be busy.  I hope that I can really get into it as its the last week.  The team has had some issues too (to say the least) but I hope we can pull it together for one final effort.  With the end so close now my mind is increasingly leaving here and I find myself thinking about what to do, who to visit first, what food to eat first etc… more and more.  I’m missing the little things more and more now and I reckon I’m ready to wrap this up.  So only a couple of weeks left, what a crazy 4 months its been, simultaneously a great privilege and great difficulty.

Please pray that I get better quickly and that the final week of outreach is a good one, a great one in fact.  I want to end this well and make the most of the final week.

Thanks so much, I’ll be seeing you,

Ben

Goats make good congregations

Hi all,

Just a quick one. It’s coming to the end of week 3 of 6 of outreach. The first 2 were good, probably the best weeks of the DTS so far. Very remote ministry in an orphanage and to Turkana tribes people. It was redunkulous. Highlights include sitting on a cow skin under a thorn tree in the middle of the bush chatting to some tribal folk about Jesus, leading 3 to christ in the same house during door to door (or hut to hut if you prefer) and preaching at an open air crusade surrounded by mud huts, blokes with spears and animals, hence the title – it really did listen well. Most speaking opportunities here come up last minute and so far God has been so good in giving me messages in little time. We also had a good time with the children at the orphanage and several came to Christ on the last night.

This last week has been ok but a it slow at times, supposed to be a bit of a rest week but I don’t really feel like I need it so have got a bit bored. We’ve been in a few schools doing stuff and tomorrow I’m preaching in church at least. Next week is set to be hectic, we’ll be working with a church and they seem keen to pack in as much as poss. so it’ll be door to door, open airs, crusade meetings etc… From where we are currently staying we can see Mt. kenya very clearly and next week we’ll be moving a bit up its slopes. Compared to the very hot and dry conditions of the first 2 weeks this is cold at night, lush and green. By the rivers it feels more like the south of France. It’s hard to believe its the same country actually, there is so much food, water, firewood etc…here compared to just a couple of hours north when it becomes arid and harsh.

Time is passing by pretty quickly then, just 3 more weeks of outreach left then I’m back on the base for a week and then home.

Please keep on praying for me, I’m everyday relying on God’s strength to get me through the challenges. Please pray for the unity of the team and good relationships, it has at times been am issue and things will only get busier. Pray that in the remaining time I can fully learn what it is that God wants me to and would not go home having missed any opportunity or failed to grow in Him as much as I could.

Asante sane, kwa Heri
Ben

‘Tis the season

Hi all,

Firstly a belated merry Christmas and happy new year, from what I gather there’s  been a lot of snow in the UK, I can’t say that the weather here is anything near festive. There are now some photos on my facebook profile, just a few to give you snapshot of this place and what I’ve been up to.

So during the Christmas week Rachel came to visit which was amazing.  We had a great time and it was good to share some this crazy country.  We spent 5 nights in Tanzania with a couple on the DTS called Jane and Jeremiah who come from there and another student called Hanna.  We went on safari and had a remarkable experience visiting a Masai village in the middle of nowhere and hours away from the next white face.  After granting permission for us to visit the chief welcomed us into his mud hut and we shared food with them and I spoke to him about life there.  He has 4 wives and 20 children.  It was a unique and authentic experience of this tribe and a real privilege to see inside their homes.  Jeremiah’s father is working to plant churches and evangelise to the Masai and so it was also really interesting to talk to him.

On sunday 27th things went a bit awry though.  Very briefly, the plan was to leave the remote area we were in very early so we could make the several hour long drive across the immense serengeti plain to visit a national park called Ngorongoro crater.  Up at 3.30am we started well and were making good progress across some serious off-road terrain when my fears were realised as the landcruiser sunk into what it best described as a malarial bog. This day then became one of the most epic days in a long history of epic days.  We tried to free it but it was futile, eventually another vehicle turned up…and got stuck, as did the next, and the next.  We were literally sitting in the middle of nowhere for 8 hours, I have never seen a landscape like it, until eventually we got driven out by another landcruiser.  It’s surprising how quickly the novelty of hundreds of wildeebeest migrating past you can wear off.

Finally moving again and very hungry and tired we then met the next obstacle, a river in full flood and unpassable.  So we sat again for another 2-3 hours waiting for the level to sufficiently drop.  2 car rides and some time later finally saw us at a hotel.  24 hours after getting up I dropped into bed after a day which is memorable for all the wrong reasons. A very short number of hours later saw me and Rachel up and beginning the 5 hour bus ride back to Kenya, which surprisingly actually ended up being very pleasant.

All in all though it was a good little trip and I thank God for the time we had together, it was a real gift, and our safety etc… Rachel went home a few days ago which was tough and this week I’ve been battling on through my emotions to do what needs doing in preparation for the outreach phase of this DTS.  We leave tomorrow morning and the first 2 weeks will see me in a place call Ngaramara.  We’ll be living in an orphanage and also working with local schools and doing door to door in the villages of the Turkana tribe.  A second team will be going further north to a remote and dangerous place called Wamba. After that we’ll be moving around each week to work with different ministries.

My mind is full of a lot of stuff at the moment, my reasons for being here don’t seem as good as they did some weeks ago and whilst I know I’m on the downhill run of this thing it still feels like a long time looking at it from this end.  I pray that the outreach is enjoyable, my previous experience tells me that outreach is actually harder than the lecture phase as there is a whole load of other stuff like stress, tiredness, conflict etc… to deal with as well as my personal issues.  Also there’s nothing quite like this to highlight ones insecurities and fears.  I approach it with some degree of trepidation then but right now just want to get on with it.  We leave tomorrow (sunday 3rd) morning, traveling all day.

I have no idea about the places we are visiting and am clueless about internet access.  Probably I won’t be able to update this very often if at all.  For the first 2 weeks I should at least have mobile signal so please txt me (+254 713 489 613).

Thanks for your prayers, sometimes I can feel them tangibly carrying me through dodgy situations like on the roads. please continue to pray:

-For my safety and continued health

-Emotional well-being and that I’d be able to foster a joyful attitude

-That I would have peace about the challenges ahead, stay close to God and get by on his grace and strenth

-For the team – Unity and good relations

-That we would see people helped and saved

Thanks for reading, thanks for supporting me during this time.  To be honest I have come close to getting on the next plane home a few times and that’s kinda how I feel now but I’m still here, hanging on, giving it all to God.

Until next time, whenever and wherever that will be.

Ben

Slummin’ it

So as I mentioned I lost my phone, this be my new number: +254 713 489 613.  Txt messages welcome, it cost me less to reply than it does to txt within the UK.

Currently killing some time in a cyber cafe.  Doing outreach this week in a slum area of Nairobi. Spent much of the week with my Dad.  He had a good week of preaching and teaching and left this morning which was hard for both of us.  He’s still in the air and will be traveling until around midnight tonight so please pray for him as he changes at Amsterdam, lands at a hopefully snow free Heathrow and endures the 3 hour bus ride home. 

Door to door has been an experience so far.  Led someone to Christ for the first time on wednesday in what’s called ‘the village’ but ‘area of co-existing human beings’ is a better description.  It was a remarkable area of endless corrugated iron sheet homes all one tiny room in which whole families live. This particular situation was tragic, we led one woman to Christ who’s husband left her when she agreed to look after her dying sister’s son and the second woman (her neighbour who just walked in out of curiousity) was rasing her children alone after robbers killed her husband a few months ago.  It was a powerful time and I struggled to keep the tears at bay.  The people there are hungry for Christ and many are being saved.  Went back to visit with the pastor of the church we’re working with and Dad and the first woman had already brought her friend to meet us so she could also accept Jesus. the pastor is serious about following up on the fruit of our door to door work which is a real comfort.

Otherwise I feel incredibly blessed to be staying with the pastor in his very nice home and enjoy his wife’s hospitality when some of the team are sleeping 3 in a dirty bed in the slums with church members. Praise God for Dad’s visit which granted me such a privilege as I stayed with him.

I’ll be back with a longer update soon. My girlfriend arrives for a few days on sunday and we’re going on safari in Tanzania over Christmas, can’t wait.  Its such a privilege to have her visit when some of the guys here can’t travel home for Christmas and they live within the country.  God’s compassion is unparalleled and his provision certain. Please pray that the snow does not delay her flight on sunday 20th.

Better go now, thanks for your prayers and financial support.  I still struggle to be here sometimes, it is hard to be joyful so far from all the things I want to be with but I pray I can learn the lessons God is trying to teach me and deal with the difficulties in a way which helps me grow spiritually.

Ben

Quick Update

Hi all, just a quick one.

The last week has been okay, speaker not great which has been a shame but on the whole the teaching during the last 10 weeks has been very good.  The lecture phase is as good as over now, we have only 3 more days teaching just before Christmas.  For sure its been a tough 10 weeks and God has given me much to think about for the future.  I can say I’ve met some remarkable people though and despite the fact that my phone has been pickpocketed I am still in love with this country.

So my Dad is here now and we go on ministry on monday morning.  We’ll be doing door to door work, evangelistic meetings etc… for a week in a suburb of Nairobi.  My Dad will be preaching/teaching at least twice most days.  Please pray for the two of us and for the outreach in general, that people will be saved and for the unity and safety of the team.

I’ll be back with a full update after the outreach, for now just now that I’m alive and well (apart from a persistent cold the last few days), thanks for your support.

Ben

For the first time in a long time…

So this weekend I’ve done many things that I haven’t done in the 8 weeks that I have been here including:

• Used a western style flushing toilet
• Used a tap
• Used an automatic hand dryer
• Had a haircut – by a born again but slightly crazy Russian lady, an odd scenario but she did a very good job and I got it washed and everything, serious luxury.  Looking in the mirror is now a novelty, I look like me again now I’ve lost the blonde afro.
• Slept in a double bed, with a pillow, and a quilt, in a room on my own.  I actually couldn’t get to sleep the first night but couldn’t figure out why until I realised I wasn’t used to having a pillow and not being in a sleeping bag.
• Watched cartoons on TV
• Used a knife and fork
• Sat on a sofa
• Ate chicken and chips
• Ate a doughnut
• Relaxed in a proper house on a housing estate that is like to Nairobi equivalent of warwick gates with a pavement, street lights, plants and cars that look half decent.  A far cry from the YWAM base and actually a very strange experience to be in such surroundings.
• Went to a church service with full band set up, very professional presentation and only one sermon.  I didn’t leave with a headache but instead left very blessed.

So a good weekend in many ways, saw some more of the city and was very welcomed by everyone I ended up visiting.  It seems it is an honour to receive a guest here, you are considered a real blessing to the household and are very looked after.  The church I was at this morning is International Christian Centre, in Nairobi.  About 4-500 per service and 3 services.  Very missional, very contemporary, very risk taking and consequently its actually making a difference.  It was so nice to listen to a good sermon (from an american guy), have amazing worship all very professionally done, and be done in 1.5 hours.

It actually took me some time to get used to being in these surroundings yesterday, I didn’t know what to do with myself in such familiar settings with nearly all the luxuries of home. Walking around a housing estate that could just have easily been in the UK was very strange, I couldn’t get over the tarmac, the white lines on the road and the lack of cows walking around the streets.  It surprised me that so quickly one can experience a sort of reverse culture shock after only 8 weeks in the bush.

That’s it for now, 2 updates in 3 days – don’t get used to it.  Back to the base today, normal service resumed tomorrow for the week.  I’ll let you know how it goes. Please keep praying, I still really need it.

Ben

 

Outreach report and week 8

Hi folks,

So last weekend’s outreach was a success in every important way.  Briefly, we traveled thurs night to the town of Banana and had a great evening of fellowship with our hosts and each other.  Slept well that night on the floor of the shed which we were to call home.  Up at 5.30am for freezing cold shower (Banana is in the central highlands where it gets very cold at night) and then breakfast and prayer before hitting the streets for door to door.  For readers who aren’t in on the God stuff door to door outreach is pretty much what it sounds like. Going around houses, businesses etc… telling people the good news about Jesus Christ.  I was in a group with Dan, another DTS student, a staff member from the base and a lady from the church we were working with.  All in all it was a good experience.

The first encounter was probably the highlight for me, I had the privilege of preaching a spontaneous sermon to 7 guys working in a timber yard.  They were a very good audience and sat down on various logs to listen to what we had to say and I enjoyed some good interaction with them.  Otherwise we met a number of interesting individuals and were generally welcomed, door to door is clearly still a really viable method of evangelism in Kenya unlike the UK where it seems to have a bit of stigma and a bad reputation. It is easy to get talking to any passer by on the street as everyone will pretty much say they believe in God and are up for talking about him.  The challenge then comes in bringing them to a place of realisation that believing in God is a waste of your time and brain power if you don’t have Jesus.  After all, even the demons believe in God, and shudder because of it (James 2:19).  Why do they shudder? Because they are unusually well placed to know that it won’t save them.  We prayed with many people, some saved, some not and at the end led one girl to Christ.

Door to door on saturday was also good.  I was with the DTS leader and a person from the church and I think 2 people got saved.  It was a good experience for me and I am glad I got the opportunity to do something I probably wouldn’t have been up for in the UK.  It is also good exercise in thinking on your feet, especially when the staff with me would introduce us and then turn to me and say, “and now Ben is going to tell you about Jesus”.  Official figures were 13 new believers as a result of the door to door efforts of the whole team.  It’s still a strange one though, very fleeting and I wish there were the opportunity to personally follow up various people and spend time discipling them, sometimes it didn’t feel very real as we hopped from house to house.  Hopefully the church hosting us will make good on its intentions to do follow up.

Saturday afternoon we were playing football with recovering drug addicts, I didn’t play though as I had just been asked to preach sunday morning at the host church and so I spent a coupla hours hastily preparing something to say. In the evening we held an evangelistic service in the church, it went well on the whole (tho it was so loud and I left with a headache).  Back to the shed that night before another early morning.  Saturday was actually a tough day for me, I wasn’t very happy much of the time, many people seriously annoyed me and so I actually went to bed in slightly bad spirits.  As such when I woke up I was not in the mood to preach, I took a walk before anyone else was up, down the mud roads as the sun came up and prayed.  I felt totally unprepared for this sermon, the expectations were so high.  The churches we minister with/to don’t see us as students they see us as missionaries, especially me as they assume that if I have traveled all this way to preach to them I must be amazing.  What’s more my preparation had been hurried and I would have no time to revise anything, I just had to go with what I had.  I realised then that if this was going to be a success then I needed some serious empowerment from the Holy Spirit, I had no strength to deliver this sermon, emotionally, physically and spiritually I was drained.

Well, after a rushed breakfast I headed down to the church with another woman to do an hours sunday school, for some reason it seemed like a good idea to volunteer the night before.  Now I’m not good with kids, I mean what do you do with them?  But it went ok considering we hadn’t prepared anything much.  African kids basically love to sing and dance so you can’t go wrong with if you stick to that.  Then the church began to fill with real people and I went behind the building to change, very much hoping I didn’t get spotted by a member of the congregation, it would have been considered very inappropriate by African church standards.  All was well though and I sat down breathed in, breathed out and stepped onto the stage ESV in hand.

All in all I felt it went well, I preached for 45 mins, felt confident and enjoyed the experience.  In fact I really felt the power of the spirit, I spoke words and used illustrations I had never thought of before and felt a real sense that what I was saying was vitally important to this church.  Afterwards I crashed out in my chair, preaching is so draining, and prepared myself for the 2.5hr service that was to come.

The feedback I received was unbelievable, from church and YWAM team, so praise God.  He really came through for me when I needed him most, in my weakness I was forced to rely on his strength and the message was so much better for it.  As a result of that I now have the reputation as the teacher amongst the students and the DTS leader wants to put me on other churches.  It seems many were blessed by the message.  I should say here, credit to my Dad, I used an outline of one of his sermons and have been telling people such.

This post is getting long now so I’ll wrap up. We got back to the base safely praise God and that night slept very well.  It was an exhausting weekend but a good one when it mattered.  This week we’ve been taught by a Ugandan guy named Job.  He’s a nice guy and its been an interesting week and while him and I may differ on a few minor theological issues I have generally enjoyed it.  It has been up to now a ‘better’ week for me and I’ve found some joy in knowing that I am walking the will of God.  God has given me a new sense of perspective, I am beginning to look beyond the end of this DTS to what he has for me in the future, I will endure this time because I want the reward which he has promised me, that is, the next level of service to him, the next step to ministry.  I even count it a privilege to be tested as such, to have my faith and character refined, I see it as God’s way of saying I have potential and am worth investing in.  After all it is the foal with the potential to be a champion race horse that has the privilege of being put through the training, even though it may despise the training at times.  It is an indicator of its potential, the ones with no potential don’t even get the chance to prove themselves.

So here I am, hanging on, deciding to take this challenge head on and to well and truly beat it for the glory of God.

I write this from Nairobi city centre, I am staying at a friend’s house in Nairobi this weekend.  Am looking forward to his mum’s cooking and a chance to have a proper tour of the city tomorrow.  For those who don’t know my Dad is joining me out here 2 weeks today!  He will be ministering with us as we go for a week’s outreach in Nairobi.  It will be unreal to see him again and to work with him in this crazy country.  Thanks and thanks again to those who have given the money for him to come here, he will greatly minister to me as well as the churches in Nairobi.

So please keep praying, I know you are making a difference. I continue to be well and safe and my spirit/mood is generally much more positive.  Pray that the teaching this week (on the Character of God and taught by an english woman called Karen!) is powerful and that I remain humble and teachable.  I think God is teaching me all about patience, humility and grace while I am here, amongst other things, so pray that I learn the lessons he wants me to first time around.

Thanks for reading thus far, I hope these posts are a blessing to my followers/supporters. Should you feel inclined to send me  an encouraging txt message then my number is +254 72151 1161.

Ben

Week 6, Nyeri and Upcoming Outreach

Hi readers,

I spent about 30 mins writing a lovely detailed and informative post earlier but then the power went and I lost it all. Very irritating but TIA (look it up).

So last week the teaching was ok, some very good in fact. The topic was ‘Destiny by design’, finding our purpose, gifts etc… As I’ve given this subject much thought in the past I didn’t receive any new revelations about my part in God’s plan but it was interesting at least and engaging on the whole.

I struggled outside the classroom though. I’ve found myself becoming a bit bored and discontented with life here on the base. Everything is very familiar now and there is little new to experience, as such I have become a bit frustrated. The weekdays follow the same schedule and I don’t do routine very well at the best of times. I feel like I’ve done this now, I’ve been to lectures and done the work duty and now I want to get out into the world and do some real ministry, that is after all why I came here. At times then things have felt pretty bleak but I shared with Rose, my one-on-one/mentor here how I was feeling and she understood well having seen other mzungos (white people) go through the same things. As such she generously invited me to her home in the central highlands of Kenya in a place called Nyeri for the weekend with some others from the base, a swiss member of staff, her 2 visiting friends and a staff member called Moses who is my age. It was just what I needed.

The weekend was really good. It was great to get away and see, taste and interact with some real Kenya. The landscape is so different to where the base is. It is almost tropical, you could fool yourself that you were in a rainforest and not dry and dusty Kenya. They grow mangos, bananas, pineapple, avocado, papaya etc… as well as a dazzling array of veg there and we ate very well. In fact I think those couple of days made up for a general fruit deficiete in the last 6 weeks (and probably covered me till Christmas!).

The locals were so friendly and my steadily improving Kiswahili stood me in good stead for many friendly conversations.  We visited the homes of many of Rose’s relatives and were made very welcome. It seems it is standard procedure to offer chai and bananas to guests and I quickly lost count of how many cups I had  (Seriously Luke and Rach, these people know how to drink tea).  As an aside the bananas there were amazing, called ’sweet bananas’ and way better than any I’ve ever had at home, especially when cooked on hot coals.  The kids we met were great fun too and although initially they are wary of the white guy the digital camera is an instant friend maker.

All in all a good couple of days then, traveling was safe despite the crazy roads and it felt authentic to be sitting in a wooden house round a kerosene lamp eating local staple foods with my hands.  Carrying a live chicken by the wings for a couple of kilometers was also a novelty.

(2 guys in camo gear carrying automatic weapons have just walked into the cyber cafe where I am now sitting, you don’t get that Warwick)

So I gained much refreshment from being in this lush landscape for a couple of days and away from the regularity of the base. I had a lot of time to think and write as well and gain some perspective on my being here.  I was not keen to return to the base on sunday evening but upon arrival I was pleasantly surprised by how nice it was to see the other students again and I got an unexpectedly warm welcome.  My prayer was that my better emotional state would carry over to the coming week.

Well, so far this has been a better week. Teaching good, busy etc… so I thank God for that.  Also a bonus is the fact that we are going away on outreach this weekend.  Leaving tomorrow (thurs 19th) returning sunday.  We’ll be a couple of hours away and the programme will be something like this:

Fri and Sat – morning: Door to door outreach. Afternoon: Sports ministry. Evening: Evangelistic crusade style meetings.

Sunday – Ministry in local churches then back to base.

I am really looking forward to the door to door stuff, we’ll be in pairs with a translator and apprantly it is still a really viable and effective method of evangelism out here. I can’t wait to sit down and tell people about Jesus.  The meetings in the evening are an unknown thing to me as yet. We’re working with a church in the area and I don’t know what involvement I/the students will have but I will not be surprised if we end up being asked to do stuff last minute.  I am expectant of what God might do this weekend, we have soaked the whole thing in prayer and fasting and I am very psyched.

Please Pray

That God goes with me as I do door to door, that he speaks through me and I know the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.

That people are saved, I really want to lead someone to Christ.

For God’s strength throughout what is shaping up to be a busy few days

That the team works well with complete unity

Safety as we travel and go out into the community

Many thanks for taking the time to read this and follow what I’m doing.  You’re prayers have power to change things!

Ben

 

Quick update

Hey,

I just tried to upload some photos but the internet here is so slow it’s proving difficult so you’ll have to wait.

The last week has been good on the whole.  Interesting teaching on sin, repentance, restitution, forgiveness and spiritual warfare.  Otherwise pretty standard week, spent most of my work duty time chopping wood, seen some even bigger insects and a hench tarantula style spider in the toilet.

This morning we went to a nearbye orphanage and the guys did some work on the compound while the girls cooked, cleaned and played with babies.  It’s good to keep it biblical.

Tomorrow morning I am preaching so please pray for me with regards to that. I then intend to spend the afternoon relaxing as its been a very tiring week with little free time.  Next week we are being taught on ‘destiny and soul print’ by a guy from Holland.  I have no idea what this is but I trust it will be a good week.

5 weeks down now and its going fast. Both the challenges and the blessings are many (no doubt many challenges are blessings in disguise) so please continue to pray for me.  I am so appreciative of the faithfulness of those who I know remember me in prayer each day.

This week pray that:

The teaching is good quality

I stay safe and healthy

I hear from God on the many things I am seeking him for, like what to after the DTS etc…

That I stay focussed and on task, not being distracted by continued missing of loved ones and not letting the enemy use these emotions as a foothold in my life.  Pray that I make every thought captive to Christ.

That I rejoice in every situation, knowing that I walk in obedience to God’s will (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

Thanks again,

Ben

1 month

Hi all,  Just a quick one (the credit on the base pay as you go internet is running low).

It’s been a tough week, the teaching has been somewhat disappointing to be honest.  A great and important topic (studying the Bible) was ruined by a poor teacher. With big words and a plethora of references to the original Hebrew and Greek it should have been my sort of thing but it was not to be.   As such I am glad it is over and looking forward to a fresh start tomorrow with a week on spiritual warfare and a new teacher who I am assured is very good.

Otherwise highlights of the week include: learning to cook chapatis and eating fish that actually fell of the back of a lorry (i’m not kidding, there was an accident involving a truck carrying fish which we capitalised on). It’s been a quiet week but I guess it can’t be crazy all the time.

I was looking forward to telling you that I have the opportunity to preach for the first time ever next sunday (7th) at a church here.  As it is I cannot say this because I actually preached this morning for the first time ever.  Leaving the base to go to a church I had not attended yet someone made a joke about one of us preaching and God said to me in that instant that I was going to preach today.  I was not surprised then when we got the the church (a mud hut in the middle of a maize field with a congregation of about 20 adults and 10 kids) and the pastor asked us which one of us was going to preach. God said something to me along the lines of “volunteer now boy!” so I did.  Fortunately I had spent some time yesterday preparing a sermon for next week so I actually had something to say although I had not finished preparing and I had no notes with me.  I set about jotting down a skeleton plan of the message during the worship, which fortunately for me goes on a while in Africa, went outside and had a serious pray and then cracked open the ESV and did the business.

My friend Vincent translated for me and I think we make a pretty good team.  I spoke on John 12:1-8 on the topic of ‘what is true worship’ (credit to Tom Finnemore for the sermon outline when he preached it sometime ago at Crookes in Sheffield).  I felt it went well and afterwards received some really encouraging feedback.  People didn’t believe that it was my first time preaching and the topic seemed so right for that congregation at that time.  The pastor was very pleased, maybe just because it meant he got the morning off.

A good morning then considering I nearly didn’t bother going to church and couldn’t quite figure out what it was that made me get out of bed and put shirt on in the first place.  I think what I am actually most excited about is the way God is speaking to me so clearly here and honouring my attempts to spend time hearing from him and building my relationship with him with the aim of being able to be more spirit led and sensitive to hearing his voice.  It was also a real answer to prayer as I have been seeking God for opportunities to get preaching and teaching asap and He delievered on that this morning with an emphasis on the asap – be careful what you pray for!

I am tired now though, I feel emotionally and spiritually drained, it is actually really hard work preaching, the strain on the mind is substantial and I just want to sleep.

Thanks to those who received my SOS style text message this morning shortly before I spoke and prayed for me, I’m sure it wouldn’t have gone so well without your intercession.  Thanks to those who pray daily for me also, I know you number many more than I could actually name.

So, quite a month all in all. It’s gone fast, its been hard (very hard), but the hard times are pushing me closer to the Lord and I’m learning first hand about the compassion and faithfulness of God in a way that my easy life has never made me before.

Please Pray this week:

That the teaching is engaging and challenging and something that gets me passionate about the course again.

That God prepares me for preaching next sunday

That an ounce of perceived success doesn’t go to me head but that I remain humble

That God continues to speak to me and I get better at hearing his voice and the quiet promptings of the Holy Spirit.

And the usual health and safety, so far I have remained well while others have fallen a bit ill here and there so praise God for that.

Thanks and Belssings,

Ben.

P.S. A note to some brothers in Christ in sheffield (you know who you are), I am praying for you guys everyday too, keep pressing on with what God has called you to this year.

P.P.S. A note to my brothers from other mothers who don’t share my faith, I pray for you guys each morning as well.