Prayer for Partners in Mission “Connected”

Partnering with God in building life flourishing communities

By Sindiso Jele, CWM Africa Mission Secretary

The CWM statement 2020-2029 argues ‘…. Beneath the surface of Babylon, (there are) alternative hopes, dreams and visions of life … Thus, life anew breaks out from beneath Babylon….’ Therefore, we locate Rise to life in communities (Revelations 21:1ff).

Rise to life is the affirmation of human effort in partnering with God in saving the groaning world. It is an affirmation that God is located in the lives, the told and untold stories of the communities. As such in the sending and receiving the PIM communities join GOD nurturing the young mind (lecturers and teachers), they join God healing the wounded (in nurses and doctors), we join God in confronting the Empire through prophetic ministry (in Ministers/Pastors and preachers).

Rise to life is equally about learning new things in the pilgrimage of our faith. Is about accepting that we do not own the monopoly of wisdom. It accepts that other civilisation has something to offer in making this earth a better place. As such, Rise to Life is about ideological tolerance, it negates racial supremacy.

Prayer

I pray, God, the mother of love and peace, that you take care of the PIM and enrich their minds as the join your mission in the communities (Missio Dei). I pray for ideological, cultural and theological tolerance. In you your hands, I commit them

Image by Rev Dileep Kandula

Introducing our Newest Partner in Mission Rev Nigel Lindsay

Greetings to you all from sunny, hot and hilly Grenada

I am Nigel Lindsay, a social worker and Primary Mental Health Worker who has sometimes worked in schools since my ordination as a Congregational Minister in the UK in Oct 2009. The time had come for me to move on from my two Churches in East Ham London and as I have done some work in other countries, I felt God encouraging me to apply to CWM’s Partner-in-Mission Programme. The Presbyterian Church of Grenada was in need of someone to support their one Presbyterian minister and the role was to be Pastor to Samaritans Church and be Chaplain to the primary and secondary school, all in the north of the Island.

What a match, God had it all planned. I have been in Grenada for several weeks now, at a time when COVID19 cases are on the rise in Grenada. We have had Zoom services during weekends when we are not permitted to leave our homes, which is fine for those who can connect, except that there are people who don’t have a device or access to the internet.

Despite this, I am excited about working with the schools and the Churches here. I am keen to learn and hope that some of the experience I bring will be useful. Whilst working in Nigeria and Kenya I have tried to work alongside local people so they felt more empowered. Finding the right people to take on different roles can be a challenge as I have discovered in UK Churches, but it does lead to development and sustainability.

I come with lots of ideas, but I need to listen and spend some time trying to understand the culture, relationships and desire of the people I am here to serve. At this time, it is difficult to meet with people, but I have started to meet with the young and the old. The house is slightly isolated in the Secondary school grounds and when the schools were closed for at least an extra 2 weeks, I have been using the time to get out and walk.

The Church is a 55 minute walk for me up and down many hills and winding roads. I have met and had conversations with people on the way and then explored local streets in the Samaritan area. People in the town are getting to know me and as they see me more, understand I am not a tourist passing though. I have been provided with a car and I am getting used to the hills and the bends. Grenada is a very beautiful country and the people are friendly and welcoming. It is a great privilege to be here.

Travelling in COVID-19 times is confusing and anxiety-provoking. The rules are changing all the time and some changes do not keep up with the systems. Getting the PCR test before travel, checking that it is the right one when different terms are used, and being aware it has to be within 72 hours before my flight, even though the test results may take 48 hours to come through.

I transited through Barbados and so had to fill in forms online, but could not do them until a few days before. Then after trying many times, I did not succeed and had to do it at the airport.

I think I made five attempts to fill in the Grenadian Government safe travel form, which could not be filled in too far in advance. The form did not allow you to see all the questions until you had completed a page and I had to keep finding different information at each stage. As I slowly got near the end, it said I had to quarantine for up to 14 days. As I had a house to go to, my host and I expected that I could be quarantined at the house. Then I found out that as someone new to the country, that was not allowed, and I had to have a hotel booked for 7 days. I ended up at the quarantine hotel for just 3 nights and then was free to be out and about.