Our Action team tour officially kicked off in my hometown of Totnes. It was great to come home again but I'm kinda gutted that it was my church first as it means I have another 7 solid weeks before I get to come back again! Its been an interesting week. A few things went wrong with our timetable not long before we were meant to be arriving in Totnes so it wasn't as fully packed as expected. This sounds like a good thing but it actually made me feel quite tired. Most of the stuff we did was in the evenings so we didn't have much to do during the day. But here's what we did do.
Monday- Arrived in Totnes. Held 'The Place' - 11-15 year old youth group at church. This went quite well but it was kinda put on us at the last minute so we did what we could!
Tuesday - Planning most of the day and went to "The Greys" homegroup in the evening.
Wednesday - Went out into the town doing some "prophetic evangelism" - telling local businesses that we are praying for them etc. Very much out of our comfort zones but you never know where you will be planting seeds! This evening was spent at the wonderful Karen Pickering's house. We had yummy food and great conversations with her and another of my friends from church- Rhi.
Thursday - Prayer session with the pastors wife Polly and Seren (church member). This was actually really great. Polly and Seren both had pictures for us all and stuff so it was really inspiring. I wasn't the happiest of people this day either so it was the right day to be told that 'GOD KNOWS'!
We went to another homegroup this evening (The Grapevine) which was a really great evening.
Friday - In the morning we went to a lady called Jayne's house. Shes a member of my church and due to illnesses earlier in her life, this is the first flat she has been able to live in by herself. She was so excited and looked after us amazingly! It was good fun and so nice knowing that we were really needed there to make her house a home.
After this I took the team to Slapton sands which was good fun. Nice to get some fresh air, especially at one of my favourite places.
That evening we went back to church at around 9.20, and took part in Street Pastors. We were out in Totnes until 2am, just being there to help out/have conversations with people. It was an interesting evening, handing out lollypops and watching drunk people make fools of themselves!
Saturday - Day off! Made Chris a late birthday cake. Went to the cinema to watch the Avengers.
Sunday - We took 3 of the Sunday clubs in the morning. Josh did Kids zone2- yr3-5's, Naomi and Ellen did Rock Solid- yr6-8, and I took on Omega- yr9-11. Taught them about Jesus calming the storm and how he's in as much control of storms/situations when he's asleep as when he's awake. Went down pretty well. We all went to dads for lunch and then back to church for the evening service. We had a half an hour slot where we talked about the projects we worked with in Kolkata, our thoughts and feelings (where I babbled on for ages at high speed) and a story of someone we met whilst out there. It went down pretty well, as far as I know people enjoyed it. I've decided to stop taking up notes when I talk. Sometimes they're needed, but when you're talking about yourself and what you saw etc, it should come fairly naturally. I trust that God will give me the right words and to speak through me to touch the people I'm talking to in the ways that he wants me to. Whether thats what happened or not I have no idea! But it was a good evening.
And today, Monday, we travel to Tiverton for week two. Reaaaally don't want to leave home, hating saying goodbye once again. Especially to my amazing Chris and wonderful family. Not really feeling this whole tour thing at all but trying to stay positive. Trusting that God will use me to speak to his people throughout the UK. I have to remember that I'm doing this for him!
'Praise the Lord, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
2 Praise the Lord, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
6 The Lord works righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed.
7 He made known his ways to Moses,
his deeds to the people of Israel:
8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
9 He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
13 As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
14 for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.
15 The life of mortals is like grass,
they flourish like a flower of the field;
16 the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.
17 But from everlasting to everlasting
the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children’s children —
18 with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts.'
-Psalm 103.
x
Monday- Arrived in Totnes. Held 'The Place' - 11-15 year old youth group at church. This went quite well but it was kinda put on us at the last minute so we did what we could!
Tuesday - Planning most of the day and went to "The Greys" homegroup in the evening.
Planning at church.
Wednesday - Went out into the town doing some "prophetic evangelism" - telling local businesses that we are praying for them etc. Very much out of our comfort zones but you never know where you will be planting seeds! This evening was spent at the wonderful Karen Pickering's house. We had yummy food and great conversations with her and another of my friends from church- Rhi.
Thursday - Prayer session with the pastors wife Polly and Seren (church member). This was actually really great. Polly and Seren both had pictures for us all and stuff so it was really inspiring. I wasn't the happiest of people this day either so it was the right day to be told that 'GOD KNOWS'!
We went to another homegroup this evening (The Grapevine) which was a really great evening.
Friday - In the morning we went to a lady called Jayne's house. Shes a member of my church and due to illnesses earlier in her life, this is the first flat she has been able to live in by herself. She was so excited and looked after us amazingly! It was good fun and so nice knowing that we were really needed there to make her house a home.
After this I took the team to Slapton sands which was good fun. Nice to get some fresh air, especially at one of my favourite places.
Loads of starfish along the beach!
Ellen paddling.
Our art attack!
Starfish!
Naomi with her dinner....
Team
We buried Ellen....
That evening we went back to church at around 9.20, and took part in Street Pastors. We were out in Totnes until 2am, just being there to help out/have conversations with people. It was an interesting evening, handing out lollypops and watching drunk people make fools of themselves!
Saturday - Day off! Made Chris a late birthday cake. Went to the cinema to watch the Avengers.
It went ever so slightly wrong, but I think I made up for it with the mars bar icing and insane decorating skills.
Sunday - We took 3 of the Sunday clubs in the morning. Josh did Kids zone2- yr3-5's, Naomi and Ellen did Rock Solid- yr6-8, and I took on Omega- yr9-11. Taught them about Jesus calming the storm and how he's in as much control of storms/situations when he's asleep as when he's awake. Went down pretty well. We all went to dads for lunch and then back to church for the evening service. We had a half an hour slot where we talked about the projects we worked with in Kolkata, our thoughts and feelings (where I babbled on for ages at high speed) and a story of someone we met whilst out there. It went down pretty well, as far as I know people enjoyed it. I've decided to stop taking up notes when I talk. Sometimes they're needed, but when you're talking about yourself and what you saw etc, it should come fairly naturally. I trust that God will give me the right words and to speak through me to touch the people I'm talking to in the ways that he wants me to. Whether thats what happened or not I have no idea! But it was a good evening.
Rambling on about one thing or another!
And today, Monday, we travel to Tiverton for week two. Reaaaally don't want to leave home, hating saying goodbye once again. Especially to my amazing Chris and wonderful family. Not really feeling this whole tour thing at all but trying to stay positive. Trusting that God will use me to speak to his people throughout the UK. I have to remember that I'm doing this for him!
'Praise the Lord, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
2 Praise the Lord, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
6 The Lord works righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed.
7 He made known his ways to Moses,
his deeds to the people of Israel:
8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
9 He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
13 As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
14 for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.
15 The life of mortals is like grass,
they flourish like a flower of the field;
16 the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.
17 But from everlasting to everlasting
the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children’s children —
18 with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts.'
-Psalm 103.
x
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