Day maybe 10...

Hello again worried parents and co, we hope you are continuing to enjoy your peaceful homes. Today has been a hot and sunny one, with only two torrential downpours...as monsoon goes that's fairly mild. All of us on the SMGoa team wish you a great start to the week, and we would like to update you on how our own has panned out.



Considering the sabbath day to be the beginning, we should start there. So Yesterday our own, very talented re:route worship band had the privilege of serving the church alongside some members of their own team. From the point of view of the re:route worship team members, it was a significantly liberating session as the spirit of The Lord completely washed over that room on the 5th floor of a mighty fancy Goan hotel! From the point of view of the congregation, it was such a joy to see our friends indulging in the gifts God has given them and using those to help others engage on such a deep level. So if I haven't emphasised this point quite enough, that service stood out to all of us on the team to the extent that it made it to the highlight short list of every one of us. We all stated afterwards how amazing it was for two completely different cultures to come together so intimately in the presence of The Lord who is constant.



On a slightly more shallow level, we have enjoyed some silly and joy-filled moments among us these past two days. Some of these are as follows:
- the BLC bus taking us from church back to our accommodation broke down on its way up the dreaded hill...

For a split second after the event, we all questioned whether or not it could be recovered. It couldn't. So persuaded by the sight of smoke and the smell of burning oil, we all got off the bus and proceeded on the journey up, alongside the giggling girls with the sun shining. It was a good moment.
- yesterday evening we went to a hotspot tourist beach with Martin and Beena including their children. As fun as it was ordering mock-tails and chicken nuggets, it was also very eye-opening to see the contrast between real joy and seeking contentment with God next to others who try and fill this gap with alcohol and attention from others. So as we pondered on this point, we were 'serenaded' by drunk men partaking in the karaoke. We've never heard a cat being strangled but for some reason we're all sure it was a similar noise.
- today we started painting the girls home. Let us describe the colour for you. Imagine the pink marshmallows you have surely tasted at some point in your life and enjoyed hugely, well let's melt them and put them in a pot. The paint resembled this in colour and consistency. It was almost cruel. We had a slow start,waiting for the paint to be delivered, which in the meantime allowed us to sort through clothes and their library whilst they were out at school. However, we're well on our way now and excited to get fully stuck in tomorrow!

As for the rest, it has continued much the same. Ukele being played, curry being eaten, water being drunk, paint being splattered, naps being taken, horns being honked, mosquitoes biting, fans spinning and dogs barking. But most of all, people being loved!

A Mid-Fundraising Update

So the intimidating £1,000 fundraising goal for this mission trip is a figure large enough to make my head spin and tummy churn each time my mind wanders upon the thought. However, 3 months in and with just over 3 months remaining, God has worked in so many wonderful ways in a situation where, honestly, I would have fallen flat on my face if I was left to endure it alone.
The aim of this post really is for it to consist of encouraging words for the other SM2014 members that may find the Fundraising concept challenging, but also for those who think that an area of weakness is something negative. So let's view it as a Barnabus spot, shall we?

The thought of Fundraising for me was initially such a burden that I almost allowed it to prevent me from signing up to go; the single factor that drove me away from this thought was the challenge of living dangerously for God this year. I mentioned this briefly in my last post. Since there are a few new aspects of my life quite recently that require ongoing funds, the fact that I don't have a job and therefore assured, regular money flowing into my account seemed a whole lot more daunting! However, it has taught me several valuable lessons in a very short space of time.
1) being that money management is so important. Perhaps saying no to things that sound appealing to you but won't be all that beneficial and prioritising the things in life that you're willing to invest in even if you're not sure where that money is going to come from.
2) relying fully on God will bring about success. Praying and letting Jesus be my first resort when my worries have gotten the better of me has shown me very explicitly that even the most absurd concepts can become reality.
3) being active in a space of vulnerability or weakness. Not knowing when/how much money will be coming my way at first made me become quite reserved. I started doubting the things I was investing both time and money in and allowed in to make me become quite passive. I soon realised this was the wrong way to go about it. The decision alone to become more active in seeking money opportunities has resulted in me being blessed with them, that much is evident to me. I've found myself surrounded with open doors and very generous people these past couple of weeks that have increased the change in my savings account considerably.

It's clear that God has been walking alongside me throughout this whole process, beginning to teach me the things that I am ready to learn and assuring me that living dangerously for Him brings about opportunities that a) I would never have been exposed to and b) I would never have even considered taking had I been exposed to them. So my encouragement to anyone reading is this; if you ever find yourself placed with a task that seems unachievable and just plain terrifying, take it firmly by both hands! When you seek God first and foremost, he's going to equip you with everything you need, and at the precise moment that you will need them. Its highly likely you will learn some pretty valuable stuff along the way too...

Sarah 

Going back to visit the Family and learn some key lessons along the way...

After travelling to India in the summer of 2011 with a previous CC Youth Mission team, the thought of going back in the upcoming Summer closely resembles the feeling of returning to see family after being away for too long! Spending close to three weeks with the joyful kids and working alongside staff members at BLC, you start to develop pretty wonderful friendships; the type that distance can't hinder. So the thing I'm most looking forward to about going back is further developing these friendships and spending quality time with the children that very quickly stole my heart; just being in the type of community that God intended for his family members.

I'm also extremely excited to spend the best-part of the next year developing relationships with the rest of the team. We are all of similar ages which will be a lot of fun, but I know that this could change the dynamics of mission as I have previously experienced. In 2011 I was one of the youngest of the team and amongst the whirlwind of adrenalin, I was also slightly anxious. I say slightly because I always felt safe...I just pondered on the thought that I may not have been able to merge fully with the team in the way the older members did. We obviously all came out at the end friends on a much deeper level, and I actually enjoyed being one of the youngest because I received a lot of encouragement, plus it gave me an excuse to be over-excited pretty much 24/7. However this year, I ask God most importantly to equip me in a way that will build-up and support the rest of the team, especially the ones that have never been before. All of our friendships at the moment are pretty good and full to the brim with #banter but I am excited to develop deeply rooted friendships again with different team members.

This year I have felt that God has called me to live dangerously for him. I don't think this entails taking up free-running or jumping out of planes, but I believe it involves fully depending on his character. Taking the leap across the river when I can't find a rock to place my feet on. Applying for mission this year feels like taking this kind of leap. I am confident God will provide, especially financially. There have been a lot of changes in my life recently. For example moving up from secondary school to College and diving head first into A-Levels, beginning the process of learning how to drive, applying for jobs, sustaining old friendships as well as developing new ones; the thought of it all would be enough to give anybody a headache and if looked at shallowly, applying for Mission and fundraising amongst everything else could seem like I have bitten off more than I can chew. But that's the whole point. In my own strength, I wouldn't be able to juggle all of these different aspects of my life at the moment. Mission for me is asking God to direct my footsteps and place my hands where they need to be, whilst he shares my load and covers my eyes. It's being fully dependant on the promise that wherever I am, he will use me to my full potential whilst providing me with the equipment I need. It's understanding that when you go to Him for rest, you won't be left exhausted. I'm excited for what he has in store. So let's get this thing started shall we!?

Sarah