Spring 2012 News

Dear friends, it has taken a while but I am finally writing to share an update on life since I began my internship with TLG, a Christian charity that supports teenagers in crisis in education. It has been a whirlwind few months and I’m sorry for such a delay in sending out news. The highs and lows of this ministry are very intense so I feel a bit like I’m white water rafting – sometimes through some crazy, scary rapids; days where it’s just a hard slog paddling to keep moving; and then my favourite, the beautiful and exhilarating moments when you see God’s grace and love changing lives. However tough it has been, it is a privilege to be working with these young people whom He treasures so much.

Saying goodbyes as I left London in the summer was very hard. I am adapting to a new home, friendships, church and town, as well as the challenge of a transition from one organisation to another. It’s a different way of doing ministry and team life, and there are also the pressures of running a school that needs to meet government standards (pic - post-Ofsted Inspection celebration).

Our TLG Centre is linked with Reading Community Church, and the team is made up of Quentin the Centre Manager, Sammy the Youth Development Worker, and me in the Learning Mentor role. We also have two volunteers from local churches (Lynn and Steve) helping out a couple of times a week.

At the moment we are working with 14 young people. Each day we have a group of up to 9 students aged between 12 and 16 years, so we deliver lessons that cater for a variety of abilities and needs. All of the young people have had problems in mainstream education for a variety of reasons, whether behavioural, emotional or social.

(Pic - the TLG Reading Team, from L to R: Lynn who volunteers with us, Sammy, Quentin, and me).

Before the school day begins, staff will be at the centre preparing lessons, setting up and meeting for a briefing/devotional/prayer time together. The young people arrive at 9.20am and leave at 3pm, and we are with them throughout those hours. Then we debrief, clean-up and spend the rest of the time doing admin, planning, meetings, and everything else that goes into the running of a school!

As we work to re-engage these teenagers in education, we are also focusing on their personal growth and development to try to address some of the underlying issues that they struggle with. Our heart is to be like a family, consistent in loving them and setting good boundaries so that they experience a safe environment and see healthy relationships modelled.

Learning how to relate and respond to a variety of difficult behaviour from students takes a lot of grace and resilience! You never know what may come up on any given day depending on how they are feeling, what home circumstances they are coming from or other situations they are currently facing. As a team we are trying to reflect Jesus to them by showing love and forgiveness, whilst addressing in an appropriate manner any behaviour that is not ok.

At our end of term Awards Evening in December we handed out certificates to those students who came, highlighting the progress they have made. It was a moving evening and really special to see young people who are often at the bottom of the pile, instead being honoured publicly. It is often their small steps that are highlights: watching someone take care and pride in a piece of work for the first time, seeing a real smile from someone who has been very shutdown, hearing one of our lads share that his dream is to open his own TLG-style centre to help young people like him.

My church in Reading has given me a warm welcome and I am enjoying getting to know folks here. In addition to working with TLG, I am also involved in running two of the church youth groups: Fusion for yrs 7 – 9, and Encounter for yrs 10 – 13. It is lots of fun and a chance to invest into the lives of those young people. We have a weekend away coming up in May!

I am incredibly grateful to be here but have also found it exhausting. This has not been helped by some health issues ongoing since November. I have been struggling with pain and swelling in the joints of my hands and feet, and hospital tests indicate that it is some kind of autoimmune disorder. They are doing further investigations but in the meantime have started me on some medication. I would really appreciate prayer for the inflammation to go down and for more energy as I have been feeling very tired. The combination of physical issues alongside an emotionally draining job has not been easy.

With regard to the future, I am exploring and praying into what is the right step to take at the end of the internship in the summer. I have no idea what God has in store, but I am trusting Him for His provision and good plans!

Thanks for your continued support and encouragement through this time of changes.

Lots of love,

Rebecca

*Please see some current prayer points on the right-hand side!*

I remain confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the LORD.

Psalm 27: 13-14

Summer 2011 News

This letter brings news of some change! Over the last few months I have been seeking the Lord over my future, having felt for a while that He was leading me into a transition in ministry. For many years I have had a heart to support young people in some way, particularly those from more difficult backgrounds, but I have wondered what specific approach to take.

Exploring options and pushing doors has been a long process - with lots of waiting and uncertainty, it hasn’t been easy! God’s timing is just right though, and I think He needed to do a lot of work in my heart in preparation for change. Recently things suddenly accelerated after I came across an organisation called The Lighthouse Group (TLG). It is a Christian charity that works in partnership with local churches throughout the UK, to support teenagers who are at a crisis point in their education. It runs educational programmes, alongside focusing on personal growth and development to try to address some of the underlying issues that the young people struggle with. Their website is: www.tlg.org.uk

TLG run an 11-month internship and last week I had an interview for a placement in Reading. The exciting news is that I have been accepted onto the programme! This means I will be starting on Tuesday 30^th August with a training week up at TLG headquarters in Bradford, followed by their staff conference, preparation with the team in Reading and then term begins on the 12^th September.

Involvement with TLG and Reading Community Church will be an opportunity to invest into the lives of young people, to encourage, bless and support them; giving them a better chance in life and helping them to grow into the people God has created them to be. It is a chance to see teenagers experience transformation out of difficulty and discover some hope for the future.

I know it will also be hugely challenging for me and I will need to learn how to balance love with boundaries in the face of tough behaviour! My official title as an intern will be ‘Learning Mentor.’ The position is not salaried, but I will be partly financed by a weekly bursary. I don't know yet the costs of living in Reading, but anticipate needing to keep raising at least some funds in order to finance myself through the year. At the end of the 11-months, I have no idea what God has in store, but I am trusting Him for good plans!

Obviously, although I am very excited about this opportunity, it means that I am leaving YWAM and the ECCP which is very sad for me. My time here has been an incredible training ground, and the core values behind what we do are ones that I hope to take with me into each ministry setting I am involved with in the future. I have been part of an amazing team of people and have valued their love, care and friendship over the years we have been working together. Saying so many goodbyes will be very hard – to YWAM, those we have supported at the ECCP, my team, friends and church here in London.

Please pray for me in the coming weeks as I lay down all these areas of my life and pick up the new things God has for me. On a practical level, there are still several details that need to come into place, including accommodation - I may be able to rent a room with people or a family from the church, but this still needs organising! I might also need a car, so that is another area of provision I am asking the Lord about.

A major part of my 10 years in missions with YWAM has been YOU! The support received by each one of you in different ways has been incredible - thank-you! Your care and interest, encouragement, prayer backing, and financial giving have been part of God’s provision and have kept me going through joyful times and those times where it has been much more testing. I know that the men and women whose lives have been impacted through the ECCP would want me to say thank-you too.

So I would love to hear from you, will be writing again with news from Reading, and hope that some of you will stay journeying with me into what is ahead.

Lots of love

Rebecca

Prayer Items

• Thanks for everything God has done in me through my time with YWAM these last 10 years.

• Thanks for clear direction from God for the next steps and that He is with me through the changes!

• Thanks for the chance to have a holiday from the 15^th – 24^th August, and pray for it to be a time of proper rest.

• For my health – I am having some problems with my skin that the doctor has not been able to diagnose or treat yet.

• For the process of leaving, with the emotional and practical things that must be worked through.

• For my beginnings with TLG – that I would quickly settle into the new role, home and relationships in Reading

Postcard from Uganda - Spring 2011

Hello! I'm writing with an update on my recent trip to Uganda. For more background on the two ministries we were involved with, do check out my previous post. Our team of twelve had an exciting and eventful time! Using some 'debriefing' style questions, here is a flavour of the outreach...


What did you do?


An incredible variety of things! 1moreChild work with street children in Jinja, most of whom come from a slum village called Masese and belong to the Karamajong tribe which is very looked down upon.

(Picture: Harry Ferdinando - 1moreChild founder - with some of their boys, including Joseph, the first child to enter the programme).

With them we interceded for the ministry, spent time with the kids they support and ran a fun-day style programme with games, facepainting, testimonies and sharing about Jesus. I gave a testimony of a time as a child when I had suggested we pray in the middle of a difficult situation and how God miraculously came through for us - to encourage the children that their prayers are powerful and valuable!


In particular it was moving to see how much the work of 1moreChild is transforming the lives of those street children. Some of the boys they support are coming top of their classes - this is unheard of within their tribe so it's an incredible honour and encouragement, plus an inspiration to their other kids. They are being given the chance to move forward in life and are taking hold of that with both hands!

The Bushfire Project has homes for children at risk as well as a health clinic, school, farm and a church. It is located in the countryside a couple of hours outside of Jinja, so has no running water (it must be taken from a borehole) and only two hours of electricity in the evening from a generator - day-to-day life is more adventurous! With them we ministered at the base and also alongside their outreach team going into the local communities. This included small groups with the teenagers, art & craft lessons, prayer for healing, family devotionals, prison visits, a hospital visit, Church service involvement, a school outreach, Bible studies and open-air evangelism.

(Pic: Sharing my testimony at 1moreChild, with the help of a translator).

When we met with the prisoners I gave a testimony about freedom from shame and how we are included and welcomed into God's family. We again performed some dramas and one of the team shared the Gospel. Half the men committed their lives to Jesus and were asking for Bibles so that they could do studies together! Overall through the different visits and open-airs around 120 people gave their lives to Jesus and have been linked into local church plants. Please pray for them all to receive the discipleship and support they need to grow in their relationship with God.

What were your highlights?

I loved praying for the children we encountered in different settings, and the mentoring times with the teenagers. Having the chance to speak God's truth to them and pray blessing over their lives was a great privilege.

It was an intensive trip with lots of last-minute things, often discovering the need to lead an activity or share a testimony at very short notice! I value space to reflect and plan, so a highlight here was just experiencing God's grace each day to enable us to do everything needed despite nerves or feeling unprepared!

(Pic: Meeting some of the children in a village near Bushfire).

The hospitality from everyone was amazing and I really enjoyed the Ugandan food! It was great meeting some inspiring people who have been faithful to God's call and vision for their lives, many of them laying down so much in order to serve and be family for children in need.


What was challenging?

It was a good challenge seeing faith and relationship with God lived out in a totally different context. To remember that He is outside of culture, nationality and world-view and is not constrained by the boundaries of our own sometimes limited perspectives.

Personally I found it tough encountering suffering and not always seeing how that could be relieved. I don't have all the answers but believe that when there is suffering it doesn't mean that God is absent. Perhaps in the midst of it there is a deeper place of engaging with God and we are drawn closer to Him.

I also realised how much I take for granted - the NHS, our clean and constantly available water, the amount of Christian resources we have. In some parts of Uganda the level of dependence on God for just basic survival is so much greater - whether it rains or not dramatically affects the crops and water supply for the whole community.

(Pic: On an early morning walk these generous kids ran out to say hello, excited to offer us some mangoes from their tree).

On a practical level (or maybe it was psychological!) I didn't enjoy our bedroom companions of giant cockroaches, and certainly my night-time prayers included much interceding that I wouldn't get trapped under the mosquito net with one!


What did you learn?

There is much importance in helping people practically to empower them towards a better quality of living. However, I realised that the lasting thing and a matter of life or death is to share Jesus. Life is fragile and what is really precious is walking through it with Him. Knowing that in the end we are entering into something amazing beyond this earthly experience.

God is the same here in London and out in a farming community in rural Africa. Sometimes I get caught up in things that don't really matter, over-complicating and missing out on the simple basics of faith. The greatest commandment is to love God and then to love my neighbour as myself. What does this look like on a day-to-day basis? I recently heard a poignant question in reflecting back on our lives: 'Did you learn to love?'


A story of God's protection

Driving to Entebbe to catch our flight home early the next morning, we encountered some escalating protests in the major towns. As we approached Kampala, cars driving out of the city were warning us not to go in as rioting was taking place and vehicles were being stoned!


Our Ugandan friends feared that as foreigners we would be more of a target for the protestors, creating publicity for their cause. As we waited in the van on the roadside watching armoured vehicles speeding in, the tear-gas and smoke rising, we prayed for wisdom and safety in nervous anticipation of what might be faced if we attempted to drive through.

Eventually we risked it, following a van which had 'God is good' graffitied on the back! The situation ended up fine as by that point the military had gained control and cleared the road blocks. But it was an adrenalin-pumped end to the trip and we thank God for His care and protection!


(Pic: The 'God is Good' van).


Thank-you...

...to all those who enabled me to go on this outreach! There are so many people who invested prayerfully, financially and in their encouragement, and I am incredibly grateful. You made it possible for me to join a team that could impact lives in the nation of Uganda. Through this I was blessed and received so much, and I pray that you too will reap just as you have sown into the Kingdom of God in that place. Praise God for everything He did in our time out there!


(Pic: Fun taking photos with some of the kids at 1moreChild).


I will be writing again soon with an update on life and ministry here in London at the Earls Court Community Project.


Much love,

Rebecca

x

Here are the links to two online albums with photos of each phase:

www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150558747510858.665009.643865857&l=c2198e6024

www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150559475255858.666061.643865857&l=643e7ce9a1

extra Uganda pictures

Here are some photos taken by other members of the team (sorry I don't know how to create a slideshow for easier viewing - if anyone has some advice on that, please let me know!)...

One of the boys from 1moreChild

Sharing my testimony with the 1moreChild kids

1moreChild

I love this shot! Playing games at 1moreChild

Balloon-modelling at 1moreChild

Riding on a boda-boda (motorbike taxi) in Jinja

Sam Kitalaya (founder of Bushfire) teaching us about Ugandan gardening

In a field of pineapple plants, listening to 'Uncle Sam'!

Teaching songs to children from a village near Bushfire

Our team

Teaching arts and crafts at Bushfire Primary School

A great talk by Peter about building our house upon the rock!

Dancing under the mango tree, which is also where this village meets for church

More dancing!

Face (and arm) painting at Bushfire

Out walking early in the morning near Bushfire, we met this lady from a local village and ended up praying with her

After our prison visit, a much-needed stop at a cafe

The power of a cold drink!

Banana selling

Spring 2011 Newsletter

First a quick update on news since the last time I wrote. We had a wonderful time over Christmas Outreach, and I've posted a couple of articles on that below. The Food Safety Management System for the ECCP has been coming together well - thank-you for your prayers! We are just working through some last details, but have put together an in-house training course for staff and volunteers, record-keeping and safe method folders, good practice guidelines etc. Last month a surprise inspection of the Women's Drop-In by Environmental Health gave me a bit of an adrenalin rush (!), but they were very happy with us and awarded four out of five stars. We are also going through a leadership change within the Women's Drop-In and again I have posted an article about this further down.

At the start of 2011, God gave me a sense that this is a year of more space and choices. In keeping with that an opportunity has already come up to join a two-week mission trip to Uganda in April. It has been 8 years since I did an overseas outreach so I'm really excited! This newsletter will be a special focus about the trip...

We will be involved with two different ministries. Firstly four days with a couple who are mission partners of ChristChurch Fulham (my church here in London). They have set up a charity called '1moreChild' working with street boys in the Jinja District of Bugembe in the Eastern Region of Uganda. 1moreChild has the vision to see vulnerable children empowered and encouraged to reach their full potential. Check out http://www.1morechild.org/ for more details. It provides kids with school fees, 3 meals a day, school uniforms, supplies, shoes, clothes, medical care, tutoring, mentoring and a football club. They currently rent a house in Jinja which serves as a home for 13 of their boys that don't have families, and as a 'youth centre' for all the boys. Our work with them will involve discipleship and mentoring, staff training, sports and games, prayer and intercession.

For the second part of our outreach we will be travelling to the village of Bulange in the Inganga District of Uganda, staying for 10 days to serve the staff and children of the Bushfire Children's Home (see pic). The ministry was founded by Sam and Eva Kitalya (Ugandan nationals), with a vision to bring skills training to the youth, and family and shelter to the orphans. There are many orphans of war and AIDS in this area, most of whom have little or no education and live a meagre hand to mouth existence. Initially a vocational training school (VTS) was established to give the teenagers and young adults marketable skills such as sewing, building, agriculture and animal raising ( basic skills necessary for survival in remote rural areas). The VTS training also included a clear Gospel presentation and healthy living education (sexual health etc).

In 2003, fifty acres of land was purchased and the first buildings included a community centre which has grown into the 900 member Bulange Community Church. Likewise the initial three family units for orphans have expanded to six family units with over 90 orphans and children at risk. The children range in age from 3 to 18 years and are placed in stable family groups with 'parents' in a home unit. In addition to attending school they help work the land and participate in normal Ugandan family life: water carrying, cow milking, planting and harvesting their own food, etc. Over the past 7 years Bushfire has built a medical clinic, vocational training centre, primary and secondary school, and numerous farm buildings. You can see more of their ministry at www.bushfireproject.org

As a team we will be involved in all aspects of Bushfire life, helping out in day to day activities, including planting, harvesting, building, water gathering, school work, family devotions etc. We will also provide some healthcare and family-appropriate skills training for the staff, and social education for the children. There will be opportunities to visit local villages, to share in the Bulange Community Church, and take school assemblies. Praying for patients in a local hospital and a prison visit have been part of past team activities.

Our group is currently eleven people ranging in age from 12 to 50-something! Please pray for us in the coming weeks... As we get to know our team-mates, spend time together praying and preparing, fundraise etc. We want to go with hearts open to what the Lord has to teach us, being led by Him in serving alongside the local people.

I'm looking forward to the next update and being able to share some testimonies from the trip. Your prayers, support and encouragement bless me so much - thank you!

Love

Rebecca

Prayer Items

• Thanks for what happened through the Christmas Outreach, and for everyone who was involved or gave in some way towards it.


• Thanks for the new opportunities to pray for people and the way God is breaking down barriers to Him in their lives.


• Thanks for God's hand over the Food Hygiene administration and inspection!


• Please pray for the Uganda trip - for safety, team unity and openness to everything God has planned for the time.


• For provision of the funds we need (approx. £1000 each) to cover the costs of the trip including flights, team fees, visa, vaccinations, insurance, anti-malaria meds etc. (I have already received a couple of gifts, which has been amazing!)

changes for the women's ministry

For the last two and a half years I have been co-leading the Women's Drop-In with Nancy. We have run the ministry as part of a great team: Kristie and HeeChung also from the ECCP staff, and Gilly who volunteers with us and is a member of St. Barnabas. This term we felt it was the right time for Nancy to take over the leadership of the group fully. So I will be stepping back from this role whilst remaining on the team and supporting through the transition. Nancy has a huge heart for ministering to women in need, and I believe through her vision and leadership this outreach will flourish and continue to be a blessing to every lady that comes.

the team with our trusty trolley!

Pieternel (9-month placement student), myself, Nancy, Kristie, HeeChung

We have also changed the name of the group! The ladies gave their input and eventually decided on 'The Friendship Club.' It's great since it reflects some of the vision we have for them. We have definitely been seeing friendships develop between the women coming; rather than them only wanting to receive from us, they are mutually investing into relationships with each other too.

a summer-time picnic to Holland Park

Prayer Requests

• For Nancy as she heads up the group and the team. That she would grow in confidence as a Spirit-led, wise and compassionate leader.
• Wisdom for us as we regularly deal with tough questions on God, suffering, relationships... We always share our faith and beliefs whatever the topic we reflect on, but often touch upon painful areas in the women's lives. Please pray for healing and especially for revelation of truth where their understanding of God is mixed up and confused.

a picture of Christmas

(Photos courtesy of Jim from the Kings Lodge DTS Team)

team-time with all the staff and volunteers before the event starts

worship and prayer

briefing & handing out tasks for the day

some preparation - wrapping cutlery sets

table settings complete with menu card

the hall filling up

intercession taking place during the event

our Food Safety Management System in action

hard work in the kitchen

a good old roast with all the trimmings - we don't do things by halves!

desserts and plenty of them - yum!

some beautiful harp music as part of the entertainment programme

washing up (wonderful to have a dishwasher this year!)

enjoying the party

a cracking moment ;)

wrapping presents to give out on Christmas Day

Christmas Update 2010

Well, it's February already but I thought it would be great to share about the Christmas Outreach... to give a rough idea of each day, the programme runs something like this:

1:00 - Team of staff & volunteers gather for briefing, worship & prayer

2:00 - Final preparations

3:00 - Doors open - drinks & snacks served

(a street team goes out looking for any local rough sleepers to invite)

3.30 - Main meal served

(catering each day provided by either the ECCP or a local church)

4:15 - Entertainment programme - music, drama, testimonies, a message

4:45 - Dessert served

5:00 - Prayer ministry

5:45 - Clothing Store & Food Distribution

6:30 - Doors close - clean-up & debriefing time

7:30 - Team leaves


This year was slightly different in that Samy and Susan (ECCP Directors) took the time to have Christmas as a family together rather than involving in ministry. Although a hard decision to make they felt led by the Lord and as a team we knew it was the right thing. So we had a few less ECCP staff than normal, with some other team members also away. However we were joined by two DTS Teams plus local church groups and several volunteers including two families. Here's an 'end of outreach' shot of those who were left standing at the close of Boxing Day!...


A highlight this Christmas was when part of the entertainment programme planned for one of the days fell through. Bertin had prepared a message about how we get stuck in life in different ways, and how Jesus can bring freedom and help us to move forward. Since we had extra time to fill we weighed up the idea of offering a more public time of ministry, inviting people forward to receive prayer at the front. Normally they would come to a side area afterwards for prayer, so doing it this way felt a little risky! As Bertin came to the end he asked people to come forward if they wanted Jesus to help them in whatever 'being-stuck' situation they were facing. Five or six bravely stood up and a few of us we able to gather round and pray with them. Amongst them we prayed for freedom from alcohol addiction for a young guy from Lithuania, comfort for sorrow over the death of a husband, and one man gave his life to Jesus. God loves to show up! Please keep praying for His love and power to change lives in this community.