Wow, I feel like I've not written an update in ages. This is because I've been kept very busy! I will not bore you with the ins and outs of my exact day to day schedule but I will let you in on some stuff God is doing! As well as of course pointing to some places where I'd love you to join me in pleading.
SCHOOLS
I've been in 5 schools in the last week and a bit, and had positive responses from various teachers. I've done a day at what used to be a Hauptschule (at the less academic end of the spectrum), as well as in a Gemeinschaftschule/Gesamtschule (everyone in one school inc. primary) and did one year 13 lesson in a Gymnasium (creme de la creme).
God had given me the courage, wisdom and energy necessary to keep turning up at strange unknown schools and talking to strange unknown English teachers.
In the y13 lesson yesterday they asked me loads of questions about myself, and when I told them I'd done a gap year doing church youth work they asked me if I was religious and then if I was an active or a passive Christian. In that first lesson I was able to witness in such an obvious way!! Praise God!! And PRAY for MORE opportunities like this, and BETTER ones :D
And today, sitting outside chatting through possibilities with a head of English, a boy who I had met at a church youth group meeting last Friday walks past and says "Hi, oh so you are here after all!" And then explains to his teacher that we met at church. So cool that I have had opportunities to expose my faith at such an early stage! PRAISE God that he has kids on the ground in these schools - and PRAY that we can be an encouragement to each other!
PLANT
The little crewlet that is the New Frontiers Berlin Church Plant met for the first time properly on Sunday, which was exciting and encouraging. I am already loving the community, and praying and worshipping together Auf Deutsch was pretty great. Praise God for his hand at work in this already, and PRAY that it develops to glorify His name!
LIVING ROOM LIFE
This week my "boss" and his wife have gone on holdiay for 2 weeks so I am living in the flat with 2 other short term lodgers, both young christian women. This has been really cool so far, and I'm enjoying being able to come back from school meetings and mull over things and pray over them before reporting straight back to my "boss".
At the weekend I went to a massive party at an abandoned theme park which was cool, especially in the day when you could see all the toppled dinosaurs and the ferris wheel gently toing and froing in the wind. I also went to an oriental themed birthday party which was really fun and gemuetlich. I've met up with some friends from Leeds and tried to invite them to some of my mildly Christian things, to no avail as yet due to their busy-ness (I think!)
TWO TUESDAYS
The 2 Tuesday evening meetings I've had so far (the ones with the socially awkward late twenteeners) have been really good - surprisingly so! People are a little put out that my boss and his wife aren't there, but that's tough and they seem to like me enough to stay for a good few hours. This last week I reintroduced the tradition of doing 'Thema' i.e having a discussion about something Christianity related. This went down really well.
PRAISE Him for the way the evenings have gone so far. Also for the fact that I've been able to meet up with one of the girls and get to know her. I feel like God has thrust me into this random gathering for a reason, so PLEASE PRAY that I suss it out at least enough to be useful. For open ears, eyes, heart - for courage to step out and make changes where required. MOST OF ALL pray for the Spirit to come and convict those who are sitting comfy and ignoring Jesus' knocking.
VISION
I've been working on my own little vision statement/mind map which has been a helpful focus I think. My "boss" has given me a book about the organisation he was inspired by, which has got some good points but I'm struggling a little to figure out what he's expecting me to do with it, and indeed how exactly it has inspired him.
PLEASE PRAY for masses of wisdom and for truth to prevail. For perseverence and clarity of communication between me and him. For my vision to essentially be Jesus, no matter what.
I would love to hear you guys too, what's going down in your worlds and WHAT I CAN PRAY FOR FOR YOU!!! I don't want this to be a one way channel of communication...!
Muchos Love to my brothers and sisters from other mothers and misters but in the same Heavenly Father!
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