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Students Serving Overseas (August 2000 edition of magazine) Two of our students members are on exciting projects with Tear Fund this summer. Sara Griffith: after a year out which has included time helping in the Philippines, is to start studying Nursing at the University of Surrey in September. She has gone to the Dominican Republic, where Hurricane George caused widespread destruction in 1998, to be part of a team helping with building work at a children's home in Monte Plata. This involves being a labourer and carrying out all sorts of non-skilled tasks, as well as participating in social and developmental activities of the Church, worship and evangelism. Sarah Frith is a student at Birmingham University, reading Law with French. She is deputy leader of a team helping at the Near East Boys Home in Beirut, Lebanon. They will allow resident staff to take a well needed break and are hoping to give the children a very special time. Sara and Sarah are most grateful to everyone who has responded to their activities, raising £1000+ each to enable the trips to take place. Mission to Albania (February 2001 edition of the magazine)
When we reached Durres we expected some improvement but we soon left the main route to follow a zigzag course through 3 and 4 storey tenement blocks and half built houses of all types driving along what could hardly be described as roads as there was mud and potholes everywhere eventually arriving at the Centre which proved to be an oasis in the chaos. We were welcomed by Raymond from Northern Ireland and his wife Wilna, from Holland. We were agreeably surprised by the accommodation available, with 3 bedrooms with 2 bunk beds in each with showers and proper toilet facilities adjoining and a large dining kitchen area. However when you looked out of the window you came back to earth, with a view over squalor and unfinished buildings in every direction. The first evening we were invited to attend one of the clubs run by Raymond and his team of Albanian Christians. By this time it was dark and as we were in the midst of one of the regular power failures we were guided by torchlight through a maze of mud filled streets and paths to the back of a small tenement block where seated in the outside stairwell area were some 30 children aged from say 4 to 11 happily singing Christian songs in Albanian to tunes well known to us. The club was being led by a real character, Arian, who had such charisma and captivated his audience as he related the tale of Moses. When the Children sang Silent Night our emotions were at' bursting point. It was just so wonderful to see such happy faces in the midst of such poverty and to witness a successful programme of Christian Outreach, something which throughout our visit was repeated several times. We learnt next morning that the number of boxes to distribute was only 900 as deliveries to Albania had been used elsewhere in the country and it would be a week before another lorry with 10,000 arrived. Thus we would be concentrating on a large school with 800 pupils up to the age of 13 and a state orphanage for special needs children. Then followed the organised chaos of box distribution and we endeavoured to speak through an interpreter to every class explaining the reasons for the gifts and handing out a leaflet in Albanian with a Christian Message and tear-off slip to be sent back to the Fellowship Centre if the children were interested in more information on Christianity. Raymond and his team are using the Shoebox Gifts to really further their outreach efforts and it was explained that their only entry to schools was because of the Shoebox Scheme as no Christian teaching is allowed in schools normally. Giving out the boxes was very emotional and the happiness and excitement of the children was wonderful to see. We had time to help individual children to open their boxes and their eyes glowed with happiness and for a while the poverty of their surrounds was forgotten. It was an unforgettable 4 hours we spent at the school. We then moved on to the orphanage and with 3 others of our team and Arian from the previous evening we gave a presentation and Arian led more singing. Again it was very emotional and one little boy who would not keep still took centre stage. For a few minutes he sat on my knee intrigued by my camera and proceeded to take a photograph of the ceiling on it! When we gave the boxes out most parents had come to collect their child and there was excitement all round. Conditions in this centre were much better than we had anticipated and even the state orphanage was not as daunting as the others had expected. The first day's distribution had left us with no more boxes and initially we wondered what we could do next day. We were invited to join morning and afternoon clubs and this proved to be a very rewarding experience on many counts. It made me admire the wonderful work of Raymond and his team and their enthusiasm and commitment to Christian Outreach to the children of all backgrounds in Durres. Sunday saw us all packed early prior to joining the Albanian Christian Church Service in an old theatre in Durres where we met up with some of the children from the clubs. We were very warmly received by the Albanian congregation of some 200 and then took our leave from the Fellowship Centre full of our individual memories of a brief visit to the heart of Albania. I am delighted to report back that the hard work on Shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child is enabling people like Raymond throughout Eastern Europe to outreach to children and their families with the Christian message. Don Wild Mission to South Africa (August 2001 edition of the magazine) One of the best things about being a student is four whole months with absolutely nothing degree-like to do. This summer I am going to spend half of this time (13th July - 11th Sep) working in Cape Town, South Africa, with the Southampton based charity Hope Now. For the first couple of weeks I will be staying at Pollsmoor Prison, working in the Juvenile section, alongside Jenny and Jonathan Clayton who multitask as ministers, teachers, counsellors and social workers to the prisoners. Then I will be shadowing a social worker, helping children and teenagers of the township of Langa. Finally, I will be helping to organise a Sports Week, for the township (potentially my most challenging task, not being blessed with sporting prowess...), and I may also be doing some work with street kids. Please pray:
Report from Belgrade (August 2001 edition of the magazine) As some of you may know, Dan Frith and I were in Belgrade, Yugoslavia earlier this summer (June 17-28) where we spent almost two weeks working with students and with EUS, the Christian student movement there. We were able to go because I am very good friends with the full-time staff worker of EUS. We were able to stay with him in his amt and worked closely with him for the duration of our stay. From the first day. we spent time talking with individual students, seeking to encourage them as much a.s possible. I preached in the main student meeting on the Monday and Dan led worship. Throughout the next days I preached. a. few more times and we both shared with people some of our own experiences of Walking with God and how we are able, to live out our faith positively at university. We sang some songs and Dan led the worship in about six different church meetings, which was much appreciated. Both Dan and I were really aware that God had been using us while we were in Belgrade, and at the same time we were both really encouraged ourselves. We were both really conscious of people praying for us too, so if you were, then thanks!! The guys in Belgrade asked us to come back and maybe take a small team next year, so please keep praying for us that God would guide us in the planning of this. Please also keep praying for Yugoslavia, for the Christians there that they would be free to witness in public and not just be classed as a sect, and also for the nation itself as it seeks to move forward after the horrors of the recent past. Andy Goodacre Full time student work in Guildford (December 2001 edition of magazine)
We currently have ten cell groups running on campus. These are essentially small groups but with a particular emphasis on growth, both personal spiritual growth, but also numerical growth as people pray for, and reach out to, their non-Christian friends. While I was a student I was heavily involved both in leading cell groups, and then in co-ordinating cells and in training student cell group leaders. Cell groups are the foundation of Christian student activities on campuses throughout the UK, and we benefit particularly from the support and resources of an organisation called Fusion. (www.fusion.uk.com) Now that I am working on the campus full-time I have more time to devote both to supporting individual cell group leaders and to running regular training sessions for cell leaders, as part of a small cell oversight team. The second key component of my work is supporting the student leaders of the Christian Union. The leadership team changes each year as students beginning their industrial year are replaced by enthusiastic first years. The CU has suffered from this lack of continuity in previous years, so we are keen to support the leaders and help them to build on what has gone before. In addition to these two key areas, I also spend an increasing amount of time meeting individual students on a one to one basis to listen to and help them where appropriate, and to mentor and disciple them. I also take part in many of the general Christian activities on campus including early morning prayer meetings, giving out free tea and coffee, speaking in meetings, as well as organising a new Saturday night worship event, which will take place in the main students union building. I would really value your prayers and support during the next couple of years as I do this work. I really feel called by God to do it, but am so aware that I cannot do it without his help and strength. Yours in him, Andy Goodacre A Latvia Link (June 2003 edition of the magazine)
The team was based at a church in Krimulda, about 50km from Riga. Krimulda is one of the most beautiful places either of us had ever been to and we made some good friends with the people who lived nearby. Although we had prepared drama, testimony, puppets, illusions, music and other such skills that we could use for evangelism we still had a lot unanswered questions about the practicalities, not least because none of us spoke the Latvian language. However we got out in to the community and started work. The evangelism seemed to go well and with help of translators (who were excellent throughout our visit) we got across our message in one way or another. Each day we would set off to an unknown destination to evangelise, often uncertain how many people would turn up to listen to us and not totally sure of what we would be doing. Although this appears to be a recipe for disaster, God was definitely with us. Many people heard the word of God, some for the first time. There were definite examples of God at work. One we particularly remember was an alcoholic who gave his life to Jesus. During the mission we sometimes got some Latvian people our age to help us. This was a great opportunity to share our evangelism skills, (which we are still honing ourselves). It was important this happened not only because it helped us but because they will be able to spread the Word in the future - part of our mission was to encourage this. Of course we did not spend all our time 'working'. A lot of our time was spent just being with the Lats, who showed great hospitality and seemed to be really pleased we were there. We gained some great memories from the trip. There were death defying experiences in our van taking us from place to place, Ian nearly getting shot, midnight bonfires (we do not know if David knows about them), midnight swims with the Bishop of Riga (David does know about them) and making some great Latvian friends. As well as making friends with Lats we also became great friends with our team members who were always up for a laugh and committed in their faith. In conclusion the trip was a great experience and one that we will not forget. Latvia is a very interesting place. Like all countries it has its problems (for example in some places there are a lot of elderly people begging on street corners as they have lost everything from Soviet times) but it also has lots to offer. We hope to return in the future. By Ian Hoare and Chris Witham A Year in the Life of Tribal Training (June 2004 edition of the magazine)
Seven months in I can safely say it was the best, most life changing decision I have ever made. It's been a year of highs and lows, learning more about what it means to live out my Christian faith, sort out and throw off the things of my past which have hindered my walk with God and move on into many new and exciting opportunities. Without much conscious effort I have left kids work and am helping to lead some of our 200+ youth. I have also started up a new and exciting ministry called 'Girls of God' aimed at 14 year old girls upwards, looking at what it means to be a Girl of God! TT runs two days a week, full of teaching and local mission opportunities whilst the other three days we all work to support ourselves. I've landed 'on my feet' as my Mum would say with a great job as an Advertising Sales Manager for a local Publishing house. In February I was sent to Hawaii to an international conference to represent our company and we went to a local beach mission - what a sense of humour the Lord has! Very fortunately, I'm off again this week to Holland to another conference and then the whole of the TT team go to Brazil on mission to work with local churches, supporting their leaders as well as working with Street Children for two weeks. As far as this summer is concerned, I'm back to New Wine for probably my last year in children's work. And as from September onwards I have learned of God's plans in advance as I have been offered an internship with Holy Trinity youth to develop 'Girls of God' which I have gladly, nervously and excitedly accepted! It would be fantastic if you could continue to pray for:- Brazil Youth Work esp. Girls of God Finances Housing for next year By Sophie Jacques Building Church among Students in Guildford (August 2004 edition of the magazine)
Despite having only started Submerge in September, it soon became apparent that we had started planting church among students much earlier than this - back when we planted the first cell group in fact, in 1999. The networks and relationships through the university have grown so much since then, and many more people have connected and feel part of what God is doing in and through the student / graduate community in Guildford. Having been recognised and given space under the umbrella of St Saviours has really just given legitimacy and increased clarity to what had been bubbling up naturally over the last five or six years. Let me just tell you a couple of stories from the last few years, to give you a flavour of the kind of things that are growing here, in particular, the value of relationships in reaching our generation. I remember meeting Lucy for the first time during fresher's week at university. It was so clear that God had his hand on her, and that she had the potential to really make an impact during her time in Guildford. We spoke a bit and I remember encouraging her that God could really use her to make a difference in the lives of her friends. God had already brought a few Christians together on her course, and there was really a natural community growing already, that others were drawn and attracted to. By the time the first year was up, a number of their friends were close to becoming Christians, included Alex, a girl with little Christian background, but who had really been impacted by the way this group of Christians loved each other. As the following year progressed, Alex grew as a Christian, and became involved in running an Alpha course for other students interested in finding some meaning and purpose to their lives. One of those students, Jay, a good friend of Alex's, was really impacted by the alpha course, and by being able to chat things through with Alex and other friends. People had been praying for Jay for the last two years while he had been at uni - these prayers paid off! Jay became a Christian just before Christmas and was baptised in Submerge in March. Relationships are key to reaching a post-modern generation of students. It's great to see God working through more and more people who are just being themselves, being obedient to God, and letting him use them. There are many more stories I could tell, but space and time don't permit me. I keep a blog (an online journal) at www.lifeincolour.com which is a good way of keeping up to date with more of what I'm doing from day to day. Blessings, Andy Goodacre African Quest (October 2004 edition of the magazine)
We were based at Kaniki Bible College, Ndola, Zambia. I had the very real blessing for 6 months of a working environment of a lush green oasis in the midst of the African bush for work and study. Every morning waking to the chorus of the Bible students' voices of praise filtering through the college. The daily programme at Kaniki consisted of the dreaded 6am run that most of the team came to dislike. For the last few weeks myself and others decided on a much less physically demanding exercise, - stretching! For some this involved one sit up in bed before disappearing back under the duvet. The 4 hrs of morning practical work included refurbishing a bungalow and laying the floor at a local church. Much fun was had, the team grew closest through these mornings as we painted, plastered, dug, drilled, built, demolished, hammered, fitted and welded our way in and out of fixes. The weekday afternoons offered two hour bible studies. We delved into everything from Deliverance, the working of the Holy Spirit, to Christology. We were very privileged to have the college and various church pastors as our teachers. Every lesson was a search for the truth! Therefore everything we were taught was then related back to the bible. The sessions helped clear up many questions that had puzzled me and also delve into areas that I wasn't aware that I was confused over. However due to the demanding morning work I was usually shattered after lunch and thus adopted a 1/2 hour power nap which the other lads soon copied. The various expeditions to different parts of Southern Africa were a fascinating experience. We were heavily involved in evangelism and ministry throughout, leading school assemblies, church services, street kid's projects, youth meetings etc. It was very rewarding to be able to share God's word with others. The most memorable of the vast experiences I encountered was a 4 hour trek into the mountains in Nsanji, Malawi. Here was my first experience of an African bush Church. After my most exhausting endurance test ever (I, being the only one who had unwisely decided to haul my whole one month's rucksack load along) we arrived to be greeted by the whole village rejoicing, singing and dancing. That night we held a service in the thatched church with only 1 oil lamp to share. With only the front row of the congregation illuminated it was hard to tell who was asleep or who wasn't! What was the most important change in myself? I recognised that previously I had only known about God, not Him personally. I lacked the most important aspect of being a Christian, a personal relationship with Him. I didn't know of the peace, joy, fulfilment, happiness and love that I could enjoy through Him. God taught me a lot of things. I grew a lot in my spiritual growth, most noticeably experienced in the Drakensburg Mountains, S.Africa. It was a wonderful period of reflection with God whilst surrounded by His creation. I'll best remember Africa for the numerous and beautiful black children smiling, waving and shouting to the chorus of "muzungus, muzungus" ("whites, whites") wherever we passed. It brings a smile to my face as I remember them all. By Seb Johnson Summer Mission to France (October 2004 edition of the magazine)
I was a member of a small team, who spent time in the towns of Concarneau and Chateau Gontier, in Brittany and Mayenne. The team was made up of mainly French speakers, meaning that from the very beginning I had to learn loads of new vocabulary. It was a real eye opener to me, as having been brought up in a Christian family, I never realised quite how much religious jargon we use. It was also very interesting to see how the French church works. It is often assumed that France, like Britain, has a fairly sizeable church, even if congregations are dwindling, and that most people have come into contact with the basic ideas of Christianity at some point. This, however, is not the case. As France is a secular country, there is no religious education in schools and churches cannot have any input in the education system. This has led to a very small Protestant church there, as Catholicism has always been dominant. I realised just how lucky we are to have a large church family, a large and recognisable building, and the opportunity to run activities for a range of age groups. The churches I visited in France tend to meet in small buildings, and the congregations were a fraction of what we are used to here. This made their motivation to reach out to their community all the more impressive! The church in Concarneau runs a radio station, Studio 5 FM, which has the potential to reach many thousands of residents, plus many tourists who visit this region. The station broadcasts both Christian and secular programmes, and part of the GLO team's work was to distribute fliers in many surrounding villages reached by the radio. In addition, each of the team members went to speak on the radio, which was an encouragement to those running it, as it can be difficult to run programmes with only 1 full time member of staff! The whole church also got behind other events we ran in Concarneau, including a video and discussion evening, and an international evening to finish the week. Probably 80 - 90% of the church members came along - quite impressive! It was encouraging to see a few new people at these events too. In Chateau Gontier the situation was slightly different, as the church consists of only 2 families, who attend a church in Laval, about half an hour away. They are making contacts in the town and surrounding villages, but still lack a building. There the team participated in a discussion evening, more distribution and a testimony evening at the church in Laval. This in particular was encouraging, as some "fringe" members of the church came along, and had good conversations with some of the team. Throughout the trip, it was great to see God at work, and answering our prayers. From starting to plan with a team of leaders plus me, we ended up with a full team, helped by the rest of the church, and the whole team got along really well. In addition we did receive some responses to the information we were distributing, and spoke to people when we were out and about, who seemed interested in what we were doing. All in all, it was an amazing experience, and there are definitely memories to treasure and learn from. By Jenny Ward Summer Mission to Uruguay (October 2004 edition of the magazine) My name is Sophie Stevens and I am 18 years old. I have completed my A levels and am going to read French and Hispanic studies at King's College London.
We were really welcomed by the members of the church community and felt instantly accepted. They have a genuine interest and concern for the wider church and so I was able to share my testimony in Spanish and talk about how the church worked at home. I really appreciated the opportunity to travel and to meet and stay with people who could show and tell me what life is really like in Uruguay. It was a definite eye-opener and I found that I became aware of things that never previously entered my mind and this continued on my return to England. When we returned to the capital, Montevideo we got involved more practically and for us, this was an excellent way to put something back into the community. Painting the children's night shelter, La Posada was a huge challenge as we had to tackle poor quality wallpaper and 6 metre high walls but it was extremely rewarding. We were privileged enough to visit La Posada one evening when it was full of children who would otherwise be on the streets, subject to many dangers. They thanked us for what we had done with all that they could offer - kindness and friendliness. In the final week we helped out in projects run by the church. I split my time between San Esteban, a centre for people with AIDS and the youth centre at Colón on the outskirts of Montevideo. In a lot cases AIDS is still a taboo issue and so many of the people at San Esteban found that they were not only battling against the illness but also against society. Their testimonies were moving and expressed true determinism and faith by overcoming obstacles placed before them. The workers at San Esteban are committed to raising awareness, reducing discrimination and helping to look towards the future. Without a doubt the most fulfilling part for me was working with young people particularly on a youth weekend which we helped to organise and run. They were so pleased to meet us, grateful of our input and willing to learn - a real inspiration. There wasn't a single mini-disc player, games console or mobile phone amongst the young people but despite their lack of material possessions they were able to draw upon strengths that they had in order to have a fantastic time. I met so many talented and gifted young people who truly radiated Christ. They were restricted by their means but not by their faith and dedicated their time to serving God. My experience in Uruguay was life changing. I was privileged in the opportunities I was given and blessed by the people I met. Sophie Stevens Sophie went back out to Uruguay for another nine months. Read about it here. Friends of Chernobyl's Children Visit to Belarus (October 2004 edition of the magazine)
Children born subsequent to the disaster have very poor immune systems, and cancer related illnesses such as thyroid problems and leukaemia have become much more prevalent. Hence the work of charities such as F.O.C.C., which bring children from under privileged backgrounds to the UK for a month for clean air, good food and exercise to help build up their immune systems. Only time will reveal the true extent of the problem as the authorities hold back information and assure their people that matters are under control! My visits were often very emotional but always a very warm and affectionate welcome was given and we were treated like royalty. Most families live in rambling six floor tenement blocks, with 19 horrible stair wells and dimly lit corridors, but once inside their small apartments are "little palaces" spotlessly clean, simply furnished often with an Afghan style carpet hung on the wall and treasured photographs and ornaments spread around. In the homes we visited there was a distinct absence of men folk and most of the children were being brought up by single mums and/or grandmothers. Whilst work is available it is pitifully paid for long hours and hardly covers the essentials of food and rent. There is an absence of material possessions and toys for the children yet they appear happy with their lot and are certainly receiving good schooling in the basics. Lorna and I hosted Sasha at the very outset of the Chesterfield Group for several years and he is now 13, speaking English fluently. He and his mother Zhanna still live in hostel type accommodation consisting of one room 14ft. by 12ft, with the communal kitchen consisting of 3 gas cookers, a small table and sink for 16 similar rooms some 20 yards down the dingy corridor. Toilets and showers are again at the end of the corridor for all rooms. Their life continues to be hard but it would seem that F.O.C.C. first provided support at a time when their situation was absolutely desperate and they are now able to look forward with some optimism. There are many poor countries in the world but none have the implications of a Chernobyl type disaster to cope with as well. A small percentage of the population (government officials, Mafia bosses etc.) are affluent, but they generally ignore the plight of their compatriots who fight to survive despite all the difficulties around. They remain wonderful, affectionate hard working people who really are an example to us in our materialistic world. Please remember them in your prayers. By Don Wild |
