On a journey...

Life goes on. I think that was the name of some TV-show from many years ago. But it is true. Life does go on. What is life for me at moment you might ask? A good question as it is never obvious where I will be and what I will be doing. At the moment a good way to put it is that I am having a taste of “normality” (if sucha thing exists). With that I mean that I am getting to experience a day-to-day of a full-time job. In my last post I wrote that I’d taken on the task of writing a CV. I am actually working in a job which I got without using it (ironic, eh). My job is in the local primary school in the section with disabled children (I don’t know if that’s the correct term, but you know what I mean). It’s full-time, although temporary. At the moment I have work for another 2 weeks, but I have no doubt there’ll be plenty as there is always a need for people. It’s a totally ok job, and am slowly getting to know the children and them me. I am finding it quite challenging, at least at the mo...

I suddenly realised I hadn’t actually posted this litte bit, so I will include it as an introduction to today’s post. Written on 22 April: “Well, I’ve been home for 5 days now and you would think that I would have gotten into the time zone I’m in. But no, I still feel like I’m on USA time. Last night I went to bed around 3 am, and got up around 11:30 am today. Come to think about it, it’d be useful if I were doing the “Night Watch”, but I’m not. It doesn’t really matter at the moment as I don’t have anything pressing that I need to do in the morning, but it would be handy to get back to a rhythm that “normal” people have. Tomorrow should take care of it though as I have to get on a train at 6:16 am to head up to YWAM Grimerud for a prayer conference.” As I got up to get the train at the “decent” hour of 5 am it felt a bit like being back at IHOP-KC. There I used to leave at 5:50 am, so leaving at 5:55 am wasn’t too far off. After a 10 hour trainjourney (including a few hours on the “b...

Well, after managing to sort of live in a state of denial for a while, reality hit yesterday (which I guess was handy as I left early this morning). Yesterday was my last day at IHOP-KC (for now) and it was a really lovely, yet sad day. It was really special because I felt so loved all day. Getting numerous hugs from people I have only known a short while, and just feeling loved by the amazing people I’ve had the privelege to know during the past months was really precious. Sad because it was time to say good-bye, and many I don’t know when, or even if, I’ll see again. Still, it was also a time of discovering God’s faithfulness and really seeing how my prayer for Him to give me friends while I was in Kansas City had been answered in abundance. Spent the day in class, the prayer room and also just chatting to people and having final cups of coffee at “Higher Grounds”. I finished my evening off by going to the 10-12pm set in the prayer room (i.e. the prayer meeting), which was really lov...

Two days to go…I’ve had a great weekend. We had something called the “Israel Summitt”, which was bascially like a conference about Israel and God’s heart for Israel. Very good! I learnt so much about God and Israel and God’s heart! And I’ve had some really good bonding times with friends I’ve made here, trying to not think that soon I’m yet again going to have to say good bye to people I have come to love. But that is the nature of life, I am starting to understand that. As always I am sat in the prayer room writing. Even if I know that God is going with me as I leave and I know that I will continue to grow deeper in Him even as I depart from this place, I am determined to make the absolute most of having access to this place and spend as much time as I can here. Feeling so mixed about going…sad I because I am so aware of what I am leaving and what I’ll be missing, but I am also looking forward to especially see my wee niece again and of course family and friends I haven’t seen for a w...

Suddenly I only have one week left. How did that happen? It feels so surreal, having gotten into a daily routine and really in a sense found the place I fit into, I am yet again uprooting. Next week seems so far off, but I know that suddenly I’ll blink and be on the plane! I am really seeking to make the most of this time. And I am really making a conscious effort to not start to “leave” now, especially with regards to the friendships I’ve made. It’s so easy, knowing that I’ll have to say goodbye in just a short while, to withdraw to “ease” it. But it’ll be hard anyway, so I might as well make the most of the time I have with them. I am sat in the prayer room (as usual) writing this- it’s so great to be here!. Today I was just thinking about how God is touching my heart, and trying to look at what He is speaking to me about the next step, which is rapidly approaching. I have no clarity, but I am trusting in God, and I have peace! So here I am! Filled to overflowing with gratitude to Go...

I was walking along the pavement on my way to the prayer room. The weather was humid, yet warm; the sky grey, bordering on black, as if it was just waiting for an opportune moment to relase rain (which I was really hoping would be after I’ve reached my destination and not before). I was walking with a heavy heart. The whole day I’d been feeling a bit strange, but I hadn’t managed to identify why. Then it hit me. It was because of the really bad news I received in an email yesterday. Two of the boys, now young men, I’d worked with on the streets from my first week in Fortaleza, Brazil back in January 2001, had been killed. I still feel kind of shell-shocked. It’s strange to think that Cesar, who was such a wild boy, yet with such sweetness to him at times, is gone. And Eduardo Vitor, who always meant that he knew best, is no longer with us. A few weeks ago I was told about how one of the girls I’d worked with on the streets had been stabbed to death after severely beating her 3-month ol...

As I walked past him I heard him ask those passing by (myself included) for money towards a downpayment on a cheeseburger. It brought a smile to my face and touched my heart, so my friend and I decided to get him a coffee and sandwich (there were no fast food places in sight). Stood there buying the coffee I was struck by cynical thoughts; thoughts that maybe he wouldn’t accept it and say that he wasn’t in the mood for coffee. Interesting to think that I was concerned about being rejected by someone who is rejected numerous times a day…I realised how selfish I am and how it was so not about me not feeling rejected, but about him feeling, if not much, maybe a little bit of dignity. We got the coffee and sandwich and gave it to him, and he was very grateful for it and positive. It was one of those wide open doors I could have stepped through, and maybe taken him closer to Jesus. But being pressed for time and with a commitment to the prophecy rooms we simply blessed him and told him Jesu...