Table Tennis Bats

Another really busy couple of weeks for the Wisdoms. 7 weeks left at EDF, 10 in our house and I leave the UK in 12! It’s not uncommon for me to feel physically sick at the thought.

But progress is good and, despite the timescales, I think we’re pretty much on track.

May Trip

As mentioned in previous blogs, The King’s School is flying me out next Saturday for 2 weeks of meetings and familiarisation. My recent trip to Wick did nothing to improve my views on flying, but I am, nonetheless, looking forward to the visit.

It promises to be a packed two weeks as I have staff, pupils, parents and other interested parties to meet; as well as sorting out some domestic arrangements. I will need to buy some beds and mosi nets, and choose a car.

I’ll also be, formally, meeting the ‘workers’ that we will inherit with the house we will be living in. This feels like the most daunting bit. To date, most of my interaction with Burundians has been in English. Language skills vary between the workers, but French will be the common ground…which will be interesting. (Though I’m writing this having just had an excellent dejeuner francais avec Christophe). I’ll also be the epitome of the clueless employer for these guys. The practicalities of running a house, cleaning, washing, cooking, shopping, paying bills in Burundi are completely lost on us. Much of it bears no relation to how it’s done in the UK and precious little of it is straight forward.

In August we’re going for the excess baggage option for transporting our life. It seems to be the cheapest and most reliable option. I’m taking some extra bags this time which will be a useful dry run…though I am worried that I may raise a few eyebrows in customs arriving with 12 bags in August…but it’ll mainly be Lego and underwear J

It’s also an opportunity for me to bring supplies for our expat friends. This time the list includes Dairy Milk, birthday invitations and table tennis bats.

I’ll be staying with our friends David and Debbie, who will also work with me at The King’s School. I’m really looking forward to getting to know them better.

Weather and power permitting, I hope to write my first ‘in country’ blog when I’m out there.

Please pray for a productive trip and that I’ll learn much about my new role.

Please pray that I will be able to start developing good relationships with the staff and pupils at The King’s School

Please ask God to bless our house and our relationships with our workers

Meetings and Talks…

…seem to be a prominent feature of our lives at the moment. I had the pleasure of doing three talks in Wick, Scotland a couple of weeks ago and am speaking at a Men’s Breakfast in June.

Harry will be joining me for his first speaking engagement as we do an assembly for Years 2 – 8 at his school next week.

Tomorrow Allie will be put through her paces by the pupils at Whitehill School.

I’m also trying to meet up with those in the UK who are connected to The King’s School and am particularly excited about meeting up with Chrissie Chapman for a coffee on Saturday. Chrissie runs the CRIB Orphange whose children attend The King’s School.

Please pray that God will be glorified through our talks and meetings.

Preparing To Go

Allie wearily remarked the other day that our bedroom looked as though we’d just moved in.  Piles of things waiting to be collected by new owners are evidence that ‘Facebook Flogging’ is in full swing.

It’s both liberating and unsettling. I find myself being quite resentful…having decided that I no longer need certain things, it’s frustrating to have to spend time getting rid of them.

The pace seems frantic now and the to do list impossible.

But I heard something wonderful and simple on Tuesday:

‘We Can’t,

God Can,

So Let Him’

Allie and I were able to get away for two days at the weekend which was bliss. We managed 8 films in 2 days J…the best of which was The Proposal.

Please pray for peace over our family

Fundraising and Spending

This still feels so hard! God’s really testing us on this one….but we’ve made progress. At time of writing we’ve raised about 34% of our budget which is great…though, due to timing, we are still about £4k short of our entry costs. (That’s the first time I’ve seen that percentage and it’s encouraging…and typical that I focus on the 66% we don’t have rather than rejoicing about the 34% we do have!)

From Monday we start spending, which is scary.

If you have decided to support us, but not filled in the form yet, please don’t delay. There’s up to 6 weeks delay between forms being posted and us receiving funds. Stewardship is worth it, but intially a bit slow.

If you haven’t looked at the summary of our mission, costs and support forms yet, please do go to the ‘Making a Donation’ page.

If you’re uncertain and would like to chat it through, please drop me a note (jez.wisdom@gmail.com).

If you’ve decided that you can’t support us, please do continue to pray.

Praise God for His provision

Training

Allie’s finished her All Nations course and I’ve just started mine. Well, strictly speaking, I’ve been just starting mine for nearly a month. My course is designed to be done at my own pace….but I think I’m really stretching that principle. I submitted my 1^st of five topics yesterday…I think my peers are about to start their 4^th.

My nature is to talk and do (with an emphasis on the talking). Studying and, in particular, writing is very, very frustrating for me. Allie said to me yesterday ‘Don’t you find that, once you get into it, you enjoy it?’

No.

But that’s my problem and, although I may not enjoy it, I am finding it useful.

Please pray that God will help me to persevere

Church

Allie worked out that I only have 5 Sundays at All Saints left (taking into account trips etc…) which is weird. Our commissioning service is scheduled for 15^th July….certainly my last Sunday at All Saints.

Thank God for the support of our church family

Prayer

We really appreciate all the prayer support we’re getting…and, slowly, we’re beginning to twig that it will help if we pray more.

I’m sure I’m not unique in that following God’s call has often made me too busy to spend time with him. Better bible and prayer discipline over the last couple if days has really helped.

That’s all for now. I really hope to post, with photos, in a couple of weeks from Bujumbura. It’s frustrating that so little of what we write is about what we will be doing and the people we will serve…but until we get out there and know what we’re talking about it’s impossible.

God Bless,

Jez

P.S. For those that missed it on Facebook, here's the picture that Allie found of Gustave the Giant crocodile who lives/lived in Lake Tanganyika in Burundi....there's also a really cool 10min documentary on him here.