blessed friendships
We are blessed, to be able to spend time reconnecting with some amazing friends; blessed last night by a couple who drove 40 minutes to deliver the contents of their kitchen larder to us. Today others have blessed us with their friendship and fellowship. Tonight those we have travelled closest with on the journey into this 'new place' are feeding us and teaching us to dance!! What more can we ask?

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Thursday travels
On the road once more today to visit friends near Bristol.

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go and make disciples
(Pic by Ben Zen.)
Due to lack of transport we decided to find somewhere within walking distance to begin prayer walking. This is Snow Hill, a small enclave of lower income housing.

We are praying blessing over the community, house by house, asking God to raise up labourers from within and outside the area who will share Jesus and make disciples.

We are looking for ways in which we can be the answer to someone's prayers here. We are searching for a person of peace - a spiritually hungry, open person who will receive us into their network of relationships.

posted by alexander @ 12:01 PM    5 comments

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I hope this doesn't sound like a weird question. But, do you knock doors? If you do, what do you say to people when they asnwer?

By  Captain Andrew Clark, at 9:47 PM  

The answer is no! Not unless We feel God clearly direct us to do that. We pray specifically that God will lead us to a person of peace and we look for opportunities to be the answer to someone's prayers, and/or ways to engage in the community - while we do that.

By  alexander, at 10:47 PM  

Can you give an example of what you mean by 'engage in the community'? I could guess, but I suppose that phrase might look different to you than the way we might do it.

A

By  Captain Andrew Clark, at 11:31 AM  

Simply, I mean meeting felt needs by getting involved with a community association, youth club etc. or simply clearing rubbish, offering to help elderly etc. or could be something business oriented - providing a service which benefits the community, without ripping it off! In many developing world situations small 'business' projects are far more effective at accessing communities than not-for-profit projects. people understand businesses, especially if they provide goods or service which they would otherwise have to travel for.

By  alexander, at 8:32 AM  

Yes, thats what I would understand as 'engaging in the community.' Planting simple churches as Salvationists, with a Salvation Army heritage of community engagement is a gift to us. However, the risk is always in overload, especially for us.

Blessings on all you are doing

Andrew C

By  Captain Andrew Clark, at 10:35 AM  

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long week
A long week of seeing people; getting the house on the market finally, and picking up Tim from the airport.

He has had a great time back in Cape Town and is glad to be back here to see his old friends for a while.

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honest to God
The truth of course is that we always want to put our best 'face' on in front of the world around us. That's why most blog posts, in my experience, shout the good but seldom reveal the bad.

Well, we are in a 'bad' at the moment; struggling, not doing so great. We are in the crucible of testing, so I suppose by James's injunction we should be whooping it up and rejoicing! Whoopee!

God will see us through; people will pray and stand with us, we will come out the other end; grace will prevail, we will testify to God's goodness.

It just doesn't feel or look that way right now.

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happy monday
Care of the Washington Post (& thanks Steve!):

Readers were asked to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition -

Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period of time.

Intaxicaton : Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.

Bozone ( n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.

Giraffiti : Vandalism spray-painted very, very high

Inoculatte : To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.

Karmageddon : It's like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like, a serious bummer.

Arachnoleptic Fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web.

Beelzebug (n.) : Satan in the form of a mosquito, that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.

Also readers were asked to supply alternate meanings for common words.

Coffee , n. The person upon whom one coughs.

esplanade , v. To attempt an explanation while drunk.

Lymph , v. To walk with a lisp.

Flatulence , n. Emergency vehicle that picks up someone who has been run over by a steamroller.

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Reports back from our outreach teams in Africa
In Red Hill the new Bible study groups are finding their feet.

In Ocean View the team have been given access to the library to set up and run a computer training centre.

In Livingstone, Zambia: Some of us have some potential people of peace and others have already identified some people of peace. Yos and Nimisha have already started doing a Bible Study with a man called David and it’s getting so interesting for them. Joanna has been connecting so well with Agrippa and Enoch and she can’t wait for another time with them next week. I am also doing great sharing the word of God with an old woman called Magnolia.

In Buffelsrivier in Sprinbok the team is making in roads amongst a group of young people who for a little network together. They are starting a bible study with them this week.

The Lesotho team have arrived and already made an impact on the small rural community where they are working - their biggest fan is the chiefs wife whose swollen leg was healed by their prayers.

The Zimbabwe team have been dodging rogue elephants, repairing severed fuel pipes on their van due to thieves and trying to find ways to break through the overwhelming ‘religious’ spirit and false teaching which rules there. Their approach has been to use God’s word, particularly focusing on telling the whole ‘God Story’.

And the team in Luanshya - who encountered major opposition, having been accused of being satanists:
Going back into the community has been good but challenging. Some families continue to stand by us, welcome us into their homes and encourage us, while others reject us, insult us, etc.  Some of us battle discouragement daily while some of us are more fired up because of the opposition. This morning we discovered our fuel line was cut and the tank drained, but thankfully, the tank was not damaged. Sydney and Eric are working on getting it fixed today. Still, we remain unified and use these difficulties to strengthen each other. We trust that God is up to big things beyond what our eyes see in the physical. Thanks for all the prayers and encouragement we’ve received from all the teams the past few weeks. We really appreciate it!

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zimbabwe team
Here is one of the team members who are in Zimbabwe - praying with a bunch of children in the village where God has taken them. All these children wanted to follow Jesus.

The situation is still dire in much of Zim. The team encounter many people each day who have had no food for some while. It is very distressing and at time overwhelming; but they do what they can under the circumstances and they bring the hop of Jesus to every person they encounter.

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evil turned to good
Latest news from the team in Zambia who narrowly escaped a riot situation:

What the enemy meant for evil, God is turning for good…the news of the Satanist group in the village spread so fast, that now the entire village knows about the team and since being back in the community people know who they are and want to ask questions. So the families of those they have met are being asked what the guys are speaking about and has a great potential for the Gospel to spread quickly as the team coaches them to share and repeat what they themselves have been sharing and teaching. So we are trusting that the reverse would now take place – the good news would spread and churches start as fast as the bad news spread, and that love would continue to overcome fear.

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growing simple church network in coventry

We spent part of yesterday hanging out with one of the growing networks of simple churches in the UK, called Neighbours & Nations. One way they engage with the community is through football (soccer for some of you!). This is the team they manage - the Coventry Saints! Most of the guys are local lads who grew up together in this area of Coventry. Most don't yet know Jesus but they encounter him weekly on the football pitch and afterwards in the pub through sharing their lives with members of the community.

Living in the community the believers began asking neighbours what the needs of the area were. The response was that the youth had nothing to engage in; so after a launch w/e of fun activities they started a youth club. A core of 30+ now regularly take part in that and a new house church of about a dozen youngsters has been birthed as a result.

These guys are just living their lives with Jesus in the midst of their community, being the answer to peoples prayers (spoken or unspoken); unhampered by endless church meetings they are free to be Jesus in their neighbourhood.

They currently have 4 simple/household churches and expect to see one possibly two more birthed in the near future.

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