Faith grows in impossible circumstances...

Faith grows in impossible circumstances…and God is always faithful.

This is what I am holding on to at the moment…I hope that out of these trials I am facing at the moment that my faith will grow!

For the last 3 days…following an encouraging series of events these past few months…the penny has dropped and I guess that the devil realizes again that he is in trouble and will try and stop what is going on here…

To start with I have heard that the ‘new pastors’ chosen by the village pastor, to be in charge of the village (as he is a little old to be going there all the time), well they don’t want me there… and the fact that I left the country for a few months seems to be one of the main reasons that they are using, even though I said before starting the ‘school’ work there, that it would be the case…and that I am not teaching there forever, just so that they knew so as to allow me flexibility.

These are not the only pastors I am having difficulty with either…my main obstacles here have been pastors in the way and not accepting what I want to do because of their religiousness…their ‘normal’ way of doing things…and their lack of dependence on God, and lack of freedom they are giving Him.

I can’t say that I have been relaxed and accepted these obstacles and struggles in a joyful laughing way… I even got annoyed at the photo shop when I went to collect my photos...they were busy watching cricket that they hadn't got them ready even though I specifically said I needed them as I was to be going to Trincomalee...I got annoyed and frustrated verbally infront of the 5 men who worked there...then just walked out without my pictures...which for me is a first and rather bold...as I usually try and avoid conflict in these situations by just sitting and waiting, then I got annoyed at the train station because no one working there would tell me why they were not selling me a ticket, they were just leaving us to wait and ignoring us...they were too busy watching cricket too...!!
It has been a tough couple of days though…to know that the work that I have been doing is under threat by these pastors, not even the people…but I know that God is in control and nothing has stopped me doing what God has wanted me to do so far, or going where He has wanted me to go even though it may have demanded more effort sometimes etc….
The fact that I have now got a team who can share the gospel in the village is a major threat for the devil…and I know that these things that are coming in the way are from him, so I just mustn’t accept defeat… and should just carry on and do what God expects me to do…
The other obstacle is that the bridge that you need to cross in order to just get to one of the towns on the way to the village has split in two this week…so there is no way of taking a van…so…a little opening had occurred in Trincomalee, where I tried to go last night to investigate and get a Fun day outreach ready there, but the train was delayed and they were not issuing tickets…so I was not able to go…but I would like to take the team there to carry on learning to step out there also…but everything that has been happening this week so far has just been frustrating and difficult…but I know that God will make a way…and I have to learn to be patient (again!!) and wait on Him and do what I can do and He will do the rest.

“The Lord gave them rest all around, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers. And not a man of all their enemies stood against them, the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hands. Not a word failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass” Joshua 21v45
These verses encouraged me…and I know that it will be the Lord’s Word that will come to pass in my situation also, none other.