Dizzy

So, reading the last update makes me dizzy! It was over a month ago! So much has happened since then...

 

I like the Schools 1-5 thing, so I'll do that again. If you need background look at the last entry (all of the backlog can be found at http://jesusandclaireinberlin.blogspot.com/).

 

SCHOOL NUMBER 1 // MONDAY MORNINGS

The year 7 lesson I help in rotates groups, so I only have the group I got to know best (on their school trip) every 3rd week. This is a bit of a shame, but the school is fairly small so I see them in the corridors and they always say hello and are friendly. (Answered prayer thus far, tick!) For the last couple of weeks I've done a starter activity for these lessons, which has gone down well and I think increases my favour with the teachers, hopefully without decreasing my favour with the pupils!!!

For the year 10 group I help in, I tend to take out pairs or threes and speak in English about a topic which I haven't prepared for. This makes me feel a little uneasy, but the teachers are fairly spontaneous and don't tell me in advance. The same is true for the year 9 group which I will now be working with (as of today).

- Please pray that God gives me wisdom in these conversations, that he guides me and that the opportunity to have more meaningful conversations will be opened up through these times.

- Also pray for the year 7s, that I will get to know the other 2 classes better, and that I can love them as Jesus does, even if it's just by being prepared to see them as loved people rather than merely as pupils to be educated.

- Keep praying for opportunities to share my faith and then for the courage to respond to these opportunities!

 

 SCHOOL NUMBER 2 // TUESDAYS

In this school, one of the two English Clubs is effectively cancelled as nobody turns up anymore. The other one, however, is fairly steadily attended and it feels like trust is slowly but surely beginning to build up. Last week, only 2 girls showed up so we went to the cafe across the road. Afterwards I went to the SBahn station with one of the girls, and I learned that she lives in a care home after having run away from her African country of origin three years ago to escape an arranged marriage. Wow. I was so moved and I PRAY that God would touch her life somehow. I have no idea if she has had anything to do with Christianity before, but please join with me in praying for her.

For two of the lessons I help in, the teachers have asked me to help their class prepare something for a language festival. This has meant I have been able to spend more time with smaller groups talking through ideas for (Christmas related due to the time of year) sketches and songs.

Please join me in PRAYing that through the coming weeks of practise etc I will get to know the young people better, and will be able to undertake activities outside of lessons with them (wisdom in planning parties, trips etc!)

 

SCHOOL NUMBER 3 // WEDNESDAY LATE MORNING-AFTERNOONS

The first thing that comes to mind for this school is the friendship developing with the teacher. She is very very friendly and always repeats that if ever I need any help with anything, just to let her know. She even invited me to come to Yoga with her, which slightly baffled me. PRAISE God, she has found me a sixth form lesson I can come to regularly! It's not the most convenient time-wise, leaving me with almost two hours between it and my English Club, but that's OK, I always find something to do. The only problem is that she doesn't leave me very free during or at the end of this sixth form lesson to get chatting to the young people themselves. So please PRAY that this changes!

- I would LOVE to see those nearly two hours filled with random chats and coffees with those sixth form pupils. Nothing is impossible with God...

- Thank God for the year 8 girls who faithfully turn up each week. Pray for a good atmosphere of trust and fun. For opportunities to witness in deeds and words.

 

 SCHOOL NUMBER 4 // THURSDAYS

I'm only just getting stuck in at this school. Again, I have an awkwardly long break inbetween the lesson I help in and the English Club, so...

OOPS. I have literally just realised in writing this that I was meant to go to a staff meeting this evening to discuss my helping in other lessons. GRR. To put it mildly. Well, PLEASE PRAY particularly as I've just let down one or more of the teachers, that I find favour with the teachers and pupils there and that I get put into the right lessons, if any!!!

We've advertised for 2 slots for English Club, one of which nobody comes to and during which I sit in the sixth form common room. For the last 2 weeks I was proficiently ignored by the pupils hanging out there which was pretty rubbish, but last week I managed to get chatting to some of them through the guise of getting them to correct some German for me!

- Please pray for the crew who hang out there in that period, and that I can get to know them! Please pray that I have courage and am not easily disheartened. In general actually, not just for this school.

 

 SCHOOL NUMBER 5 // MONDAY AFTERNOONS

This is still an odd case. I have been in a couple of lessons, mainly for the purpose of advertising, but in general I turn up there, lurk in the Foyer, and hope that people turn up. After the well-publicised fireworks night club, which saw about 5 people turn up, I've had a maximum of 2 participants, one of whom is the christian girl who was my "way-in". After cycling there in the rain today and nobody turning up (after my going there on my day off to put up new posters), I'm feeling a little discouraged.

BUT the guy who has turned up for the last few weeks has also been coming to Tea and Toast (you'll find out what that is in a sec...) So PRAISE God that I'm through the door, and have met some people. But also PRAY that if he wants the Club to grow he would show me if there's something I need to do differently. For encouragement and energy too, wouldn't go amiss!

 

 

TEA & TOAST // THURSDAY EVENINGS

I had noticed that some pupils were interested in English Conversation type things, but didn't have time during the school day (or at least on the day I was in their school). So I decided to see what would happen if I offered something at my own humble abode on a weekday evening, with catering consisting of humble tea and toast. I made a (pretty great) flyer/invitation and gave it to anyone I met who seemed in the slightest bit interested.

The first week, three girls from school 5 came, and it seemed they had enjoyed it.

The second week, they didn't return. The guy from school 5 came but no other pupils came. Luckily I had invited a couple of other friends round anyway, so it wasn't an awkward thing. In fact, the guy and one of my friends stayed until 3AM!

Last week, it was accidentally a real party because I had invited friends around a couple of hours before hand to cook together, which overran and collided with the Tea and Toast evening (to which some friends from Tuesdays and some friends from the New Frontiers church plant came).

- PRAISE God for what he is doing (whatever it happens to be, I am slightly baffled and don't know where it's going).

- PRAY that more pupils come (that's my dream anyhow...)

- PRAY that despite the non-mothertongue setting, that heart-reaching conversations happen.

- PRAY for energy for me (hosting) and patience (all that washing up... my goodness)

 

BIRTHDAY

Just a brief mention of my birthday party, to which I invited far too many people but it was a really good evening and one girl from school number 2 came with a friend which was cooool. Christians got to know non-christians and it was FUN. And sawdust got all over the floor. More details on request.

PRAISE God for the way he has enabled me to meet so many people in such a short space of time. PRAY that I would be a light. That I would be a massive arrow pointing to my Daddy.

 

TUESDAYS

Generally encouraging. Regularly getting people from a local baptist church coming, slightly baffled by this but glad because they are nice. Have been bringing various scriptures/inputs/themes which seem to have hit the spot at least with some people but am now finding it hard to get ideas of what to do. 

Thank God for his Grace - that he saves us from the dustbin*.

PRAY for wisdom about topics/biblical inputs and for guidance.

PRAY for the mixture of believers and non-believers who come, that they would ALL be drawn closer to their heavenly father.

 

A BIG ENCOURAGEMENT

...is that I seem to have found somebody to pray with regularly for my work - and me for her work. She is the new youth pastor at the aforementioned local baptist church. LITERALLY the day after I raised the prayer request at the New Frontiers meeting for somebody to partner with in prayer for my work (because I am finding it hard to be a prayer warrior for all of this when I am sat alone in my weird little flat and don't have people like FS, JP and RG to spur me on), I met up with said lady for lunch and the conversation happened to lead perfectly to me asking if she fancied meeting regularly to pray for our respective ministries/lives. HOW COOL. THANK GOD that he cares about the seemingly little things.

 

This is ridiculously long, I had better overandout, sharpish! I'm not going to proof read it so sorry for any mistakes or things that just don't make sense.

 

Thanks for reading and thanks even more for praying. I see an army! (Ezekiel 37)

Yours in Christ,

Claire

 

*last time I described this group as having been saved from the dustbin...