It all began when I went to the Heaven touches Earth conference at the King's Arms Church in Bedford. I was excited to have the chance to listen to Angela Kemm and Julian Adams. Angela was involved in establishing the first brick built houses in Gugulethu and was involved in planting Khanyisa Church where my eldest daughter, Esther, was a member when she was in South Africa. Angela shared her story of how as an Afrikaans woman in 1980's South Africa, was led by God to go into the Townships and befriend Black South Africans. Her journey was remarkable, but more so was her insistance that she was just an ordinary person, in the hands of an extraordinary God. Not only was she able to persuade the apartheid authorities to allow the brick houses to be built, but she has seen remarkable healings as well. If you get the chance to hear her story, take it. If the talks are put online, I will provide a link.
At the conference God did something in my life. I have always felt the need for a precedent before God would use me. I felt that If I read enough and accumulated enough knowledge, God would use me in the way I hoped. God spoke to me in Bedford, that the only precedent I need, is to be His child, the precedent is dependent on the type of Father He is, rather than the type of child I am.
Because I am slow, I was reminded of this at a prayer meeting, where someone had a picture from God of me wearing thick spectacles (entirely appropriate as I am optometrist) God said, if you take off the spectacles you will see much more clearly, don't rely on aids like spctacles.
So, the first thing I am taking with me to Zambia is a renewed confidence in the wonder of being a child of God.
A little while ago I preached about Noah sending out the dove. Because it's a well known story, we can miss the picture. The type of bird that is made for flying over the ocean is an albatross; doves are not designed for flying over large expanses of water. So why did Noah send a dove? He sent the dove, because the dove was designed for the promise of dry land, not the prospect of the ocean. As we go to Zambia, I am reminding myself that we are created for the promise of what God will do, not the prospect of the need in Zambia, or the size of the task, or our limited abilities. I am not sure we look like missionaries or even Chuch planters, but I know we are made for what God is going to do. I have begun to understand Eph 2:15 in this way, the gospel makes us ready.
A friend of mine shared a Chris Tomlin song which sums up a lot of what God is saying.
I will be taking books however, these books have shaped my thinking the most.
The Temple and the Church's Mission
The mission of God
The Spirit-Filled Church
Next Sunday, Gary Welsh is speaking at our Church, we are hoping he will bring something of what God is doing in Africa, especially Zambia. I will put the link to his talk in the next post.
We have been so encouraged by the way people are doing amazing things to support us. 5 guys have cycled the Whitehaven to Sunderland cycle route, raising money for Ukuthasa see BCCC2C if you want to add to the sum they raised or find about about the impact their brilliant eforts will make.
In just over a week, we are off to Turkey and then Together on a Mission in Brighton, when we get back I will post about some values I am praying we will see established in the Church in Lusaka.
So for now, I am taking the pith helmet out of the packing case, this probably won't be the last time.
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