Half way!

We have now completed half of our 10 week course and it seems very strange that we will be flying to Guyana 5 weeks on Sunday!   We are not looking forward to all the goodbyes but are now looking forward to putting into practice all we are learning and getting on with it!  It seems to have been so long in coming! 

 Community life continues to cause some irritations but we are learning to cope and deal with situations as they arise.  I feel more peaceful about things in general and am thankful for all your prayerful support.  I believe God is using this time to teach me humility, patience and grace though sometimes those qualities are well hidden and you may not notice!!  J

Last week we did a whole day on the Myers Briggs personality types – they gave us a prayer for each personality type.  Mark’s (ENFJ though we dispute the ‘F’!!) is ‘Lord help me to do only what I can and trust you for the rest.  Do you mind putting that in writing?’ and mine (ESFJ) is ‘Lord give me patience – and I mean RIGHT NOW!’  Profound eh?!!   Now everyone on our course understands why we both appear so anal and keen to start every lecture on time!!

The whole college had a quiet day on Wednesday and we were encouraged to spend time in prayer and reflecting on all we have learned so far as well as relaxing.  After we had spent time with God we went out to Maldon to have a walk by the estuary and lunch in a pub and really enjoyed our day off lectures. 

Maldon, Essex

Looking the other way up the estuary!

We had some lectures at the end of last week on staying healthy in body, mind and soul and were encouraged to make sure we take regular time off for rest and relaxation so that we don’t burn out.  We also had some very practical advice about food preparation, medical matters, emergency situations and potential psychological problems.  We are aiming to be sensible but entrust ourselves into God’s care and are not fearful despite all the warnings!

Last Saturday we had to spend a day with our Methodist colleagues learning about the history of Methodism and the life of a Methodist Mission Partner.  It was a long and tiring day on top of the lectures and chores all week so we were very glad of a very quiet day on Sunday just slobbing around to recover! 

Our group of Methodist Mission Partners

Tomorrow we have a whole morning on personal security and risk and have been told no details of what will happen apart from the fact we have to come prepared to be outside all morning whatever the weather to work with a simulation team so we have no idea what to expect – we may be fake kidnapped or attacked!   I’ll let you know next week what happened!!  

We continue to look forward to Jo and Ayo’s wedding on 17^th November – it will be really lovely to have all the family together for such a happy occasion.  Please pray for them as they make final preparations.  And also please continue to pray for Emily and her jobless situation from the end of November.

I close with a mediation given to us to reflect upon on our quiet day that I found very powerful and pray that it will bless you and draw you closer into a relationship with Jesus:

Finding the heart’s true home

‘Today my heart is an open wound of love.  My heart aches over your distance and preoccupation.  I mourn that you don’t draw near to me.  I weep over your obsession with much ness and many ness.

I long for your presence.  I am inviting you to come home, to come home where you belong, to come home to that for which I have created you.  My arms are stretched out wide to receive you.

For too long you have been in a far country:  a country of noise and hurry and crowds, a country of climb and push and shove, a country of frustration and fear and intimidation.

I welcome you home, home to serenity and peace and joy, a home of friendship and fellowship and openness, a home of intimacy and acceptance and affirmation.  I invite you to come to be a co-labourer with me, to work together to determine the outcomes of events.

I am inviting you to my rest where you will find new peace, where you can be naked and vulnerable and free, the place where you can enjoy deepest intimacy with me, a place where you can hear the beating of my heart, the place in which you belong, where you are known…just come…I give you the key of this home, the key of this home is prayer…

 Richard Foster (adapted)

 

Culture shock!



Last week we were learning about cross cultural communication and had some fascinating discussions about different views on time keeping!  We have some lovely African and Middle Eastern people in our group who have very different views on time to us anal Europeans!!  We are beginning to understand that we have to become a lot more chilled when we move to Guyana and have started practising now.  We were invited to dinner by a lady from Ghana and when I asked what time we should arrive she just said 'Oh...after sunset'!!   I had to tell her it stressed me out not knowing a time so she relented and gave me 7pm but warned me she would be offended if we arrived on time!!  We managed to hold off until 7.30!!  For those of you who know how anal we both are that was no mean feat!! 

We have also looked at indigenous and folk religions compared to major world religions and realised we engaged in our own folk religion with the Tooth Fairy and Santa!! 

The best session of the week was a morning spent looking at 'culture shock'.  We learned about the stages and symptoms of culture shock and ways to minimize its impact.  I realised that I have been through a mini culture shock moving here and the stress of that is probably what caused my headaches. Thankfully they have eased now so that is a real answer to prayer.  It was so helpful to explore this issue in some detail and we both feel better prepared for the next big change.

I am finding the course extremely helpful but still finding it hard living in close community.  I'm trying not to wish the time away though as it is lovely living near enough to visit with friends and family for this period of time.  We are seeking every opportunity to get away and be normal! 

We went to visit Emily and Chris in Cambridge last Wednesday and went punting on the river on a beautiful afternoon.


Chris and Emily

On Friday night we went to visit Mark's sister and husband for the night and it was lovely to be in a normal home.  Well, sort of normal for those of you who know our family!!  We also got to go to friends for lunch on Sunday which was a real treat. 

Please pray that I won't allow the irritations of community life to get to me and stress me out! 

Start of week 3

We have completed the first two weeks of our course and have just begun week 3.  Time is marching on!  Looking ahead, our flights to Guyana are now booked for Sun 9th December so it is all becoming a reality and our days in the UK are numbered!  It's been quite liberating seeing all the Christmas stuff in the shops and realising I don't have to buy any of it this year! 

My headaches were bad all last week culminating in a dreadful migraine on Thursday which meant I had to go to bed and miss all the lectures that day.  I haven't had such a bad one for many years so was fed up about that.  The actual shooting pains seem to have eased over the weekend which is a real answer to prayer.  I'm still getting an occasional pain but mostly it's fine now.  

The stress of living in close community continues to be a challenge for me and I am trying very hard not to let things get to me and remember this is only for a short time.  I think after being used to making my own choices about every day things it is hard to be directed in all aspects of life and this is causing some stress for me.  Chatting to other students it seems I am not alone in the struggle!

On Saturday we went to Methodist church house in London along with the other Methodist Mission Partners to share in a World Mission Forum.  This was attended by representatives from around the UK and we felt very encouraged and affirmed by them all.  We chatted to many ex-mission partners who shared their stories of life overseas!

We were invited out for Sunday lunch with some old friends who live nearby and it was so lovely to go off campus and eat in a normal home around a table without all the noise and hustle and bustle of the canteen here!   It's amazing the things we miss from living in an actual house!!

Our module for this week and next is called Culture and Religion.  Today we have been thinking about definitions of culture and different world views and how these affect the way we relate to people of other cultures and world views.  It was heavy mind blowing stuff!  Later in the module we will be learning about cross cultural communication, dealing with culture shock and the basics of other major world religions. 

We appreciate all your messages of support and encouragement and your prayers at this time of transition.