2012, Tickets and Raising Awareness

Before Christmas I wrote a blog…which Allie said was too grumpy…so it went in the bin! J

Here’s a better try for 2012.

2012

We’re moving to Africa this year!

I’m quitting my job this year!

The kids are changing schools this year!

Exciting and scary.

Please pray that we may have courage

February

In between drafting and posting this blog, the balance of Allie, Andrew and Harry's airfare has been donated! Praise the Lord!!!  A big thank you to all who have contributed to this J

We still need to raise £1.5k to cover further costs (vaccinations, visas, anti-malarials etc...) but we've covered the biggest expense.

We’re praying hard…but it’s difficult…but I guess that’s living by faith.

I’m doing a week long set of bible passages focussing on ‘thankfulness’. The other day the passage was Philippians 4 :19

‘19 And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.’

…however, as Rory Graham put it the other day when he and I were lost in the wilds of Withyham, ‘God’s timing is perfect…but rarely early.’ We don’t need the money today so we don’t need to have it today.

I do get frustrated though. Our Burundi plans are not about money…but it does seem to dominate.

Please pray for us to see God’s will clearly and for His provision.

Thank God for the generosity of our supporters.

French

My French is getting better! Hooray! I’m feeling much more confident now. J

Praise God for my lunchtimes with Christophe.

Allie…

…is finding it difficult to find time to prepare and work on her French. Four children, two dogs, one husband and a bunch of teenage girls can be very demanding.

She is also hoping to do a distance course with All Nations…but, again, the funding isn’t there yet.

Please ask God to provide her with time and space to prepare.

Raising Awareness

42 of you have signed up to this blog. Thank you!

If you haven’t signed up yet…please do…it’ll only take 2 minutes.

I asked the church for a chance to speak about our plans in a service and we were given the whole children’s slot on 15^th Jan. More than we expected, and a little daunting, but a fantastic opportunity to speak to 200+ people and give them our business cards with the blog details on it.

We’re also speaking at our Friday night café-style service, Thirsty. We have a really strong relationship with Thirsty and really appreciate their support.

All of this will help with prayer support and help the, rather socially awkward, task of raising financial support.

Please pray that God will excite people about our plans.

Please pray for God’s hand on our talks in 13^th and 15^th Jan.

Budget

Dreary, but essential, task for 2012 is to do a detailed budget.

Please pray for my boredom threshold…it’s not very high

Burundi

Our plans are rather focused right now on leaving the UK.

Burundi, and our contacts with it, feels a bit distant. I hope to spend more time speaking with friends and future colleagues in the next couple of months.

Please pray for a deepening of our relationships with Burundi.

Need to go a prepare for the 13th and 15th now (and pay for the plane tickets!). Next time I write, we should have a good idea of Allie, Andrew and Harry's itinerary when they visit in Feb.

God Bless and thank you for your support.

Jez