An Encouraging Weekend :)

 Well, this Saturday we had another Funday, not too too far away in a little community.  It was extremely hot but it didn't rain!! It was a great time and we even had a few new extras to the team which was wonderful.  The kids enjoyed the morning as did the adults that came.  This time the importance of persevering in giving the people the opportunity to receive Jesus was highlighted to me.  When they were asked if they wanted to accept Jesus they remained silent ... but I really felt that we had to still give the opportunity for them to accept Him in their hearts as they may just have been shy or not really know what to do...so after we prayed a prayer with them and encouraged them to pray it in their hearts if they wanted to, we asked them if anyone actually did and again we had most of the people accept Jesus :)  So that was a lesson learnt.


As there have now been enough Fundays to show the team how to do it

A drama to explain the gospel!

and what it's all about and the need there is to go out and share the Good news and they have seen  the desperate need for people to have hope in Jesus, hopefully, this is now the time to give this to the team to carry it more.  We will be having a meeting in which they will all share their individual visions as there are new people joining and what they feel God is saying to them and the direction He is giving them and we will try and build on the template that we have in order to produce something that everyone will feel is theirs and can do what they feel God is telling them to do at this time and just to discover more of who they are and what God wants to do through them.  We have been working as a team each with our own responsibilites but I want them to run it now rather than me organizing and putting it together...  So that is quite exciting.

The amazing news from this week is that there has finally been breakthrough in the church!
 Since I have been in Sri Lanka I been trying to get the church that I am going to involved in going out and preaching the gospel and just making it like a lifestyle to share God's love, opening their eyes to the needs that there are and stepping out and doing something about it. Realizing that we were all created for a purpose and that God loves us and has anointed us all to go out and love and change this world bringing freedom and hope.

 For example, with the street people, just acknowledging that they are there and that they are also created by God and they need love...and we have a love that we must share with everyone despite our judgements and habit to ignore them... not just to give money from a meter away without looking at them ... not to love them just so that they become Christians... but to love them because God loves them. Also the church is not the only place that you serve but in fact it's where you learn to serve and to equip yourself in order to go out and share with the world that needs help and does not yet know Jesus...  So for a while I just felt God telling me to just carry on  with what I am doing and that people will just see and finally understand why it is that I do what I do. So I did and a few from the church joined me but the church's culture stayed the same.

So, I didn't know about this until last night but the preach of the morning in the Singhala and Tamil service was about going out and preaching the gospel... and I was the example and all the different things that I have been doing and trying to get people involved in as well as the things I have been doing on my own were all shared and explained and the reason why I was doing it and why Jesus commanded us to go and what He did to help the people and how He loved them.... and for people to join in and get involved!!  I was really surprised, I had been waiting for a long time for there to be a breakthrough  and it finally came and I didn't even have to open my mouth!! I wasn't even there!!

So now the church is starting to open up to the 'outside world' and are transforming their views to be more like Jesus' heart and starting to open their eyes and to step out and make a change and they have been given a choice of ways to get involved also if they are not sure where to start. So I am expecting a lot more people to join soon and I know that there is still a way to go, but its a wonderful start!! :)  God really is amazing.  We only need to take that small small step in obedience and He does all the rest!!  It's really amazing!!

I was also able to have a very mini break in Kandy to visit Linda, a friend from The Journey and her little team visiting an organization there, we had a lovely time :) So all in all... it's been a really good weekend )

How Will The Value of Our Days Be Measured?

I found this inspiring when I was reading Joyce Meyers' book The Secret To Happiness a little while back and was just reading it again today :

" How will the value of our days be measured?

~   What will matter is not what you bought, but what you built, not what you got, but what you gave
~   What will matter is not your success but your significance
~   What will matter is not what you learned but what you taught
~   What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage or sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example
~   What matters is not your competence but your character
~   What will matter is not how many people you knew, but how many will feel a lasting loss when you are gone
~   What will matter is not your memories but the memories that live in those who loved you
~   What will matter is how long you will be remembered by whom and for what
~   Living a life that matters doesn't happen by accident.  It's not a matter of circumstances but of choice.

Choose a life that matters "


"..but if I have not love, I am nothing."  1 Corinthians 13.2