Total Dependency

Term has settled down, my diary's under control and we're in a routine...so, hopefully, more opportunities for blogs.

I've been told that sometimes our prayer requests are a little hard to find in our blogs; so I'll put them at the top!

Prayer Requests:

- Please pray for the school's leadership as they make and deliver plans for developing the school.

- Pray for the work of our new Pastoral Team...the full time evangelists in the school who are doing amazing work for God.

- Praise God for His faithfulness and the ways in which he provides for us.

- Pray that our journey with God will give hope and encouragement to others.

- Pray for Andrew Cornes, our vicar from the UK, who will be visiting us in a couple of weeks.

PEACE...although it doesn't always feel like it, there has been so much more peace this year than this time last year. Life continues to be challenging, but the blessings are abundant if you take time to look for them.

With the exception of a few minor bumps, the school year has started so well. Enrolments have increased so that we now operate waiting lists. Parents are paying on time or early, enabling us to better manage the final debt from last year. Changes made throughout the school, particularly in the Secondary School, have really helped to focus our students and made it clear that we are a serious place of academic study.

And there is so much support. I am now supported by two, four member, leadership teams (one at each school; made up of the Heads and teachers we have promoted and given additional responsibility). Allie has installed, and is leading, a full time Pastoral Team and Student Support Team. We have a Director of Studies helping us to review our GCSE and A-level standards. And government departments are being very cooperative and helpful.

DEPENDENCY...in God has been a key feature that we've seen on our journey over the last year. And this period of Godly refinement has really helped us.

The difficulties of last year have created a strong team spirit and faith has been rewarded. God provided and brought us through with no real, lasting damage. Seeing his provision and protection at the school gives us hope and testimonies that carry us through challenges. The Admin Office, particularly, is a calm, trusting environment. We work in faith and that gives such peace.

God often takes us to a place of complete dependency so that we learn to trust him.

As a family we experienced this financially. At points, over the summer, all we has was £20...often with no idea about when we'd next get what we needed. I struggled with this at New Wine. I had been prepared to follow God's call to face Burundi's challenges; but did I ever commit to being someone who would have to trust The Lord to provide in everything, every day?

We were completely dependent on Him...yet there was always just enough for each day. You hear stories of people living by faith alone, but you never expect to test the theory.

I knew that this was part of God's plan...even if I didn't like it. So we agreed to pray...not to seek support from potential and existing supporters. And there was always enough...until I needed to get on the plane back to Burundi.

We had been advised that missionaries should have firm pledges for 70% of their income before entering the mission field. We had 7%. And so we (well me) angsted about returning. But it came down to this...

...did we believe? Did we really believe? Did we really believe when things got serious?

If we believed that our mission to Burundi was a calling, then certainly God would ensure that we had what we needed, when we needed. So I got on the plane; knowing that the money could run out by the end of September. And we prayed.

And once we'd taken this leap of faith, far greater than the one we took to move out here last year, three things happened:

1) We saw significant increases in our support.

2) God consistently demonstrated his sovereignty by miraculously providing specific amounts of money, at specific times, in the most unusual ways for needs known only to us and God.

3) For the first time in my adult life I was released from worry about money. God's faithfulness and power was just too obvious.

And so we face challenges and worry threatens to creep in...but in the midst of the storm we are learning to say 'So Be It'...God will always have His way...and ultimately that will be good.

God Bless,

Jez