Outreach Oct-Dec 2012

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OUTREACH Issue 26 | Oct - Dec 12

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The Official Elim International Missions Magazine

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YOU? OUTREACH | Oct - Dec 2012

Editorial

by Chris Jones

The theme of each edition of our Outreach magazine is always important to me as we seek to share stories with you, to highlight a theme or to share a concern.

The theme for this edition is one that particularly excites me. The amazing truth that the great creator God (coupled with the reality that we see again and again around us and which is nowhere greater than in own our lives), loves to take ordinary people and use them for His purposes and plans, is one that thrills me and is incredibly dear to my heart.

One of the ways in which I see this on a daily basis is when we open the mail here at Elim Missions. Very often we find we are reading about what someone is doing to help Missions in any and every way they can. Let me share with you one such story. One lady was very moved by what she heard at our seminars at Elim Bible Week 2012 and on returning home wanted to make a difference and decided to do something to raise funds for our Elim Missions Freedom Project. So with the permission of her local school and fellow parents she filmed the next school drama production which her child

was taking part in, produced DVDs, sold them to other parents in the school and then gave the proceeds to Freedom Project. Genius!

Families, cultures and sub cultures all have their unique usage of words that to others can mean something totally different when used in a different culture or setting. As a father of two children who are now out of their teens, in our family we have had many funny moments when Dad has used a word that to a younger generation means something totally different these days and such moments have brought a lot of fun and also embarrassment! But it shows that we all use language in different ways. In our office one of the ways we express ourselves when we have been impressed by someone, either through what they have said or done, is to say that they are really good ordinary people.

Now this may not sound a great accolade to you but to us it means that they are dependable, reliable, hardworking, everyday folk who do what they promise to do with a sweet spirit for no glory of their own but to get a job done for His glory. I believe God loves using ordinary because it’s not about them but all for His glory and purposes.

Thank God for ordinary people!

God bless.

Chris Jones International Missions Director

GETTING ON BOARD RICHARD ELLERINGTON RICHARD ELLERINGTON WRITES | Suddenly we are leaving everything behind &

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setting out on an adventure. We are tearing up the conventional plan of ministry, life & family & heading out on what some would see as a wing and a prayer... Read more page 10

contents

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COVER STORY: GOD USES ORDINARY PEOPLE | 04

GETTING ON BOARD: RICHARD ELLERINGTON | 10 ELIM GS JOHN GLASS VISITS THE MIDDLE EAST | 12

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LEGACY: BY ANDY TAYLOR | 14 SWAZI CHOIR VISITS THE UK | 16 LIFELINK | 18

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COVER STORY

GOD USES ORDINARY PEOPLE... ...to do extra ordinary things! That is easy to say but it is a whole different matter when it comes to believing it for ourselves. But let me tell you, God can and wants to use you!!

OUTREACH | Oct - Dec 2012

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God is in the business of using ordinary people. That is easy to say but it is a whole different matter when it comes to believing it for ourselves. But let me tell you, God can and wants to use you!!

We often read the Bible and forget that we have the understanding of how it all ends... We know that Moses escapes Pharaoh, that Noah survives the flood and that the lions don’t eat Daniel. Do you think they knew the outcome in the midst of all of that?

James 5:17 is such an encouraging verse, “Elijah was a man just like us.” Think of all the amazing things that Elijah saw, being fed by ravens, an endless supply of oil and bread, fire comes from heaven and consumes a water soaked altar.

Megan Jones recently went with Elim Missions to Cambodia. She was hugely impacted by our missionaries David and Esther Allen. Megan writes:

All of this, and he was just a man... like you and me. If you need encouraging today remember that no matter how ordinary you may feel, God can do extra ordinary things through you.

“You, dear children, are from God ... the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”

1 John 4:4

people. In this edition of Outreach we are highlighting some of those ordinary people.

Some of them have heard a whisper, or felt an overwhelming burden, others were reluctant... No matter what the circumstances they all have one thing in common, they were willing to be ordinary people used for extra ordinary things by an even more extra ordinary God.

In Elim Missions we see some of the extra ordinary things that God can do through ordinary

We would like to introduce you to some of these very people right here. >

In July this year I had the privilege of going to Cambodia as part of a team, to spend three weeks working with David and Esther Allen, Elim missionaries in Phnom Penh. We had the opportunity to work in the Elim day-care centre, looking after the children and also teaching English to young people and adults. During the week we led the Church prayer meetings but the highlight of our time was spent with the Khmer people and the wonderful congregation of the Elim Church.

and women from the Prison Fellowship, going into prisons preaching the gospel. We also visited Daughters, a centre which provides training and support for victims of trafficking.

These were ordinary men and women daily giving of their time and offering their lives in order to help reach the lost and bring hope to those who have none.

We were privileged to meet and spend time with a couple working with families living in eviction villages in the Ou Dong province. We met with men

Spending time in Cambodia amongst all the difficulties that the people have to deal with on a daily basis, I found myself asking God, “How can anyone solve these problems?” They seemed too big for one person or even a whole team to deal with. No amount of training or

the sh things of li o o f e h t n has ose “God has ch ise, and God w e h t e m a h to s world to put e h world to put t f o s g in weak th re mighty” a h chosen the ic h w s g e thin 1 Corinthians 1:27 to shame th OUTREACH | Oct - Dec 2012

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PHOTO: Megan (top left) along with the team in Cambodia

expertise was enough to prepare anyone for the issues they face.

I just assumed this would be one of those unanswerable questions, one that could never be worked out! However God did answer me in a surprising way and it came one day just by talking to David and Esther!

get out and fix it. As he left the car he said, “I’m not qualified for all this!” Although it was a mere passing statement for him, it resonated with me!

Sitting in a small cafe in the heart of Phnom Penh, David and Esther shared with us their incredible testimony, a story of how God healed and restored two people and gave the call to ‘mission’ long before they even considered it. As they spoke I was struck by how humble they are. Esther spoke with such grace and humility, with an understanding that by living in Cambodia, they are simply following the call of God and live only in the faith that they know He will provide and protect them! Yet when you see the work they are doing and visit the day-care centre, it is undeniable that God has called them and is doing a miraculous work through them! They have an anointing on their lives that has been tailored to the gifts and experiences they already have!

They were not qualified to do this job. They had no experience in roles that they had to undertake. In Cambodia Esther is a church leader, teacher and mentor; David is a pastor, speaker, teacher, men’s group leader. These examples do not begin to scratch the surface of what they do on a daily basis! Yet when I talked with David and Esther, they openly admitted their shortcomings and would be the first to admit they are learning as they go.

However for them it is a sense of call - and therefore a sense of obedience to God - that makes them go into the world and do all that God has called them to. Only God can make this seemingly ordinary couple produce something of the love of God, here on earth. As the apostle Paul says, “We have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.”

(2 Corinthians 4:7)

This question came to a head one afternoon when David and I were driving back to the daycare centre in torrential rain.

Suddenly something happened to the truck and David had to

They taught me that it is being used by God that makes us special. It is His Word and power working within us, when we obey Him who moves us from being seemingly insignificant

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to making a difference in someone’s life.

From what I observe, this is usually the way that Jesus works. Jesus seems to delight in taking ordinary, everyday people; people who do not seem to have all of the qualifications and credentials, and yet selecting them to do his work.

He promises us that he will give us what we need to be faithful to him and his mission. Then he sends us out into the world with the mission of bringing a word of salvation to a hurting world and bringing healing for a broken people.

God is not waiting for us to be qualified for him to call us.

We will be qualified after He calls us and after we begin to follow the call already on our lives. A comment Esther made that really impacted me came near the end of the visit. She said, “We can’t worry about provisions for what we need to do. We have given our lives to God’s purpose therefore we know that everything we will ever need is provided for!”

We must realize that God will provide the things that we need for the job that He wants us to do. We are all ordinary people serving an extraordinary God!

activities was very difficult for me as I had not done anything like this before and I am usually scared of doing anything in front of a group of people, even when they are my friends, and these activities were with large groups of people that I had never met before. When I was nervous about this, the other members of the team supported me and through this God dealt with some issues in my life.

Mark went on his first missions trip with his church, Rugby Elim, to the Philippines. Mark writes: I had been considering going on a short-term mission trip for some time, but on many occasions, when the opportunity arose, I had been held back by doubt. Doubts of my ability to contribute to a team, doubts of my usefulness in the activities that other people had mentioned being involved in, and doubt of my ability to cope in a different culture, particularly with different food. However when it was announced that my church was planning a trip to the Philippines, I knew that this was the time to go despite these doubts. Even after making a decision to go I was still very nervous about the trip, partly because I was still unsure of myself, and partly because while I have seen and heard what other people had done, I still didn’t really know what to expect.

It wasn’t just in the formal mission activities that I was doing new things. When we had a couple of days off in the middle of our time there, I did several things I have never done before: I went canoeing and swimming, something I had never done for more than a few metres without assistance before and had rarely tried before out of fear of failure. God was working through this as one of the big issues in my life has been fear preventing me from doing things.

The people I met in the Philippines were wonderful.

They were so welcoming and

friendly and many of them were dedicated to God’s work in a way that is an inspiration to me.

This is despite the fact that so many of them were very poor, and even those with skilled jobs were much poorer than people with similar jobs here in the UK. What effect did this mission have on me? Firstly I made several great friends, both in the team and amongst people I met there. God worked on some problems in my life, primarily a fear of failure which had in the past held me back from trying things that I might not be very good at. If it was not for this mission, I definitely would not be writing this.

Would I recommend that others go on a similar trip? Definitely but to get the most out of it you should be willing to try anything, however difficult or far from your comfort zone it seems. You should also be willing to let God change you, because, given my experience and what I have heard from other people who have been on such trips, it is very likely that he will.

“Would I recommend that others go on a similar trip? Definitely but to get the most out of it you should be willing to try anything, however difficult or far from your comfort zone it seems.”

PHOTO: Mark with some of the children in the Philippines

Anyway, as part of a team of six with hugely varying backgrounds and ages, I travelled to Manila at the end of June. Although I was still unsure of myself, the rest of the team was very supportive.

During the two weeks in the Philippines I got involved in a wide range of activities including both work-oriented activities such as building a fence and redecorating a classroom and people-oriented activities such as helping with church services, running a youth club, and teaching. This second group of OUTREACH | Oct - Dec 2012

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I believe this verse is very appropriate for defining the team that went to Macedonia.

In the terms of the world we are a bunch of ordinary people who come from ordinary backgrounds, but God chose each of us individually to go out to this wonderful country and make a difference. We did this through humbling ourselves and displaying His overwhelming love and compassion to all we came in contact with, as it says in Ephesians 4:2-3: “Be gentle, patient and accepting with each other in love”. He chose us because in His eyes we are all EXTRAordinary as His spirit lives within us therefore we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength!!

An example of God working through Jamarl and I in our time in Macedonia is when we went out on visits. We visited a lovely elderly lady who had very poor living conditions, her husband had left her and she was living all alone. We asked to pray for this lady in order for her to feel God’s comfort and know his unending love for her. After we 08

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Andrew Billy was also on the team and he writes: Whilst on our Macedonian mission we visited a gentleman whose wife had recently died. His leg had swollen up due to him suffering from diabetes. This had left him feeling very low and, as a result, he had started drinking heavily.

Whilst he was speaking we could see the pain was tangible.

We spent some time listening to and supporting him. We then laid hands on him and prayed. I immediately noticed a change in

“We visited a lovely elderly lady who had very poor living conditions, her husband had left her and she was living all alone.” his demeanour and afterwards he said that a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Later that evening I was surprised to see him at a church meeting (which we had arranged with the Macedonians) looking much happier. I truly feel that our visit made a huge difference to his life.

For me, this highlighted the difference that ordinary people can make; sometimes the small things we do such as listening and encouraging others can create a ripple effect that can touch the lives of others.

PHOTOS: (Top) Andrew with at the Park Outreach (Bottom) Beth visiting some of the local Gypsy families

This summer a team from St Albans Elim went to Macedonia. Beth Dennis was a member of that team and she writes: Judges 6 says that Gideon was an obscure man from a family of no prominence, but the Lord used him to defeat an enemy that was so oppressive that they had impoverished the people of God.

did this she asked us to pray for the constant terrible headaches that she was experiencing and even had at that moment we were praying for her. Of course we were happy to do so and prayed in faith that God would heal her. When we asked how it was, tears filled her eyes and she smiled telling us that she no longer had a headache!! PRAISE GOD! The Lord decided to take two people from little St Albans, two ‘Gideons’ and use them to remove discomfort and bring about change in a wonderful lady’s life.

things more slowly.

But can you imagine yourself taking the gospel to people who have never heard it or training pastors and church leaders in many nations? These are proving to be the most exciting and fruitful years of our lives!

Age does not matter as much as reasonably good health, a sense of adventure and fun is essential, a compassionate heart and a strong trust in God.

Missions work is certainly not limited by age! At Elim Missions we have the privilege of working with some great people and a couple that proves that retirement doesn’t mean it is all over is David and Bobbie Tinnion: We are certainly a very ordinary couple but we trust a God who enables us to accomplish extraordinary things for His glory. We also believe that retirees are A Force for Missions!

The newest wave of missionaries to embark on the task of global missions might not be what you think. If, when you think of the term ‘missionary’, you picture a young family fresh out of Bible College, you may need to revise that mental image – as it turns out that retirees like us are hitting the mission field in increasing numbers.

Mission leaders used to say that if you were over 30 you were also over the hill! That attitude has almost disappeared and we can confirm that Elim Missions feels very positive about retirees.

The Great Commission has no age clause. “As you go into all the world, make disciples in every nation. . . teaching them all that I have taught you...”

(Matthew 28:18). Nothing in Scripture suggests that missionary work should be left to the young. Teenagers Joseph and Daniel were powerfully used

by God in foreign cultures, but neither volunteered. The Daniel that Darius threw into the lion’s den was no strong young man, but a frail octogenarian!

Your best years may be just around the corner! In retirement!

We have discovered that age is often an advantage. In much of Asia and Africa, age is venerated. This carries over to evangelism and Bible teaching.

When you explain the gospel to someone it may have more weight than if a younger person did so.

God says, “Even to your old age I am He, and to grey hairs I will carry you.” (Isaiah 46:3). “The

Your best years may be just around the corner! In retirement! righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar of Lebanon; they are planted in the house of the Lord, and they flourish in the courts of our God! They shall still bring forth fruit in old age” (Psalm 92:12-14).

Over three years ago we made ourselves available to Rev Chris Jones and Elim International Missions Department to go wherever it was felt our ministry gifts could benefit partner ministries throughout the world. God called us to EQUIP, ENCOURAGE & ENABLE church/ministry leaders throughout the nations and during the past three years, as we have been directed, we have been privileged to minister in Honduras, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Uganda, Rwanda and India. We have slept in some weird and wonderful places and eaten food that was ‘questionable’ but this is our testimony: “O God, from my youth You have taught me and I still proclaim Your wondrous deeds. So even to old age and grey hairs, O God, do not forsake me, till I proclaim Your might to all the generations to come.” (Psalm 71: 9, 17, 18) And you too can make a difference!

PHOTOS: Bobbie always attracts a crowd

We marvel how wonderfully God has prepared us for so many years, and then freed us in retirement to participate in cross-cultural ministry!

We have retired in the sense that we have left pastoral responsibilities for a change of pace. We rightly feel the need of more leisure and must take OUTREACH | Oct - Dec 2012

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GETTING ON BOARD RICHARD ELLERINGTON

You could take one look at me and think, “He’s the type of person who lives life in the moment and does not consider the future.” The fact is that for most of my life I have had long flowing ginger hair, a pair of surf shorts on, accompanied by flip flops and a surfboard nestled under my arm.

When people look at me they see What people a surfer dude who is just happy don’t know is to take life as it comes and that nearly every go with the flow. But this surfer in the world is far from the truth, spends hours researching the weather conditions, the tide this impression I times, the possible wave sizes, not give is way off to mention getting the right equipment the mark. together to ride those waves. As surfers, we are working weeks ahead of the current surf condition, trying to predict and plan for every eventuality. Often times we are getting ready for surf trips that will not become a reality for years to come, yet we are dedicated to the cause, highly motivated and very strategic in our approach. In truth a surfer’s outward appearance can be a million miles away from the organized obsessive planner that he really is.

For me, my life as a Christian church leader has been very similar. I look relaxed and chilled but underneath I have always had a strategic plan of action. Whether it be putting on major events, disciplining people or preaching, I have always got a vision of what needs to be done and a plan to make it happen!

Recently I preached on Peter getting out of the boat, getting out of his comfort zone and stepping away from the security of a good plan, moving into faith and risk.

Little did I know that God was going to test me personally on this in every area of my life!

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So the concept of spending another season of life here in Weston super Mare is not hard to conceive and plan for. In fact there have been many plans laid down about the future but suddenly they felt out of step with what God had for me, my wife Regi and our three children Mani, Aj and Indie! It would seem that God has a new direction for us. So on 29th July my wife and I paid tribute to our wonderful church and said our goodbyes.

Suddenly we are leaving everything behind and setting out on an adventure. We are tearing up the conventional plan of ministry, life and family and heading out on what some would see as a wing and a prayer. We are loading up our van and heading to the southwest of France, to a town called Hossegor to reach the lost and church plant amongst fellow surfers.

Regi and I have been travelling to this spot for the last 15 years and about 10 years ago felt God tell us that we need to get ourselves involved in mission to the local people. We thus joined forces with Andy Frost from Share Jesus international and Chris Jones, Head of Elim International Missions, and planned our first mission. We took around 50 young people with us and hit the beach every day to enjoy the sun, the surf and most of all the journey of mission as we talked with holiday makers and locals about Jesus. At the end of the week we held a movie night at a local bar expecting about 50 or so and over 1000 locals showed up. This was around 950 people

PHOTO: Richard enjoying the waves

For the last 13 years I have been working in a Victorian seaside town know as Weston super Mare. It has been the best 13 years of my life. I have worked as a fulltime pastor with my father and mother in the leadership of the church, with my brother in the youth department, and with my some of my best friends in our local schools and church plants. It had been a dream job and I have loved it with all my heart.

“SUDDENLY WE ARE LEAVING EVERYTHING BEHIND AND SETTING OUT ON AN ADVENTURE. WE ARE TEARING UP THE CONVENTIONAL PLAN OF MINISTRY, LIFE AND FAMILY AND HEADING OUT ON WHAT SOME WOULD SEE AS A WING AND A PRAYER.”

more than the bar could take, so we filled the car park outside and let God do his thing. God loves to show up and this was one of those moments. We showed our Gospel surf movie and preached and partied. In the years to follow we repeated this event many times, The event was getting so big that even French TV came and filmed what was happening. It became known as the best party of the whole summer and was nicknamed ‘Christian Night’ by the locals.

This I love, to think that a bunch of Christians teenagers were putting on the best party and introducing Christ to the French surfers is just so God. All those years ago when our feet hit the sand for the first time and we prayed for God to use us for his Glory, never could I have imagined this! I think the truth is that more people would be interested in who Jesus is if we stopped having so many meetings and had a few more parties.

Two years ago on yet another trip to this wonderful town I was approached by the local Catholic priest who asked me if I would be interested in using his empty church that sits on the beach at the best surf spot in the whole of Europe... well this was one of those moments that you think... OK God, you really do have great plans to bless us!

This is the same building that Regi and I had prayed over on our first trip to Hossegor some 15 years ago, asking God to use us in mission!

In many senses we have it made! Working in Weston super Mare we have a great church, great people, great schools, great house! I mean, God has blessed us so much. But the question that rings in my head every week is, “how much faith have I had to use to live my life this week?” Sometimes I think we can get a little too comfortable in life. Faith is risk and can only be exercised by stepping out into the wild storm and walking to Jesus. The simple bottom line is that tonight there are 40,000 people going to sleep in a little surf town in France who have no idea that Christ is alive, not grasping that without Christ there is no place for them in heaven. They are lost and there is hardly anyone to tell them of His life-changing love.

The frontier of mission is here in Europe and thus if we need to let go of our plan to follow his then let’s do it!

To find out more about Richard and his family check out his Facebook page: www.facebook.com/ richard.ellerington.3 OUTREACH || Oct 2012 OUTREACH Oct -- Dec Dec 2012

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It was over two years ago while at a Conference in South Africa that I was approached by an Iranian man in his early thirties who asked if I would travel to a country in the Middle East to give teaching and encouragement to young leaders who were undergoing persecution.

The concept at the time was that I would go to a relatively moderate Islamic country and that they would travel from the countries where persecution was more intense.

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d e t u c e ers the

The arrangement was delayed for two reasons. The so-called Arab Spring means that the location needed to be changed but the second reason was far more serious. On 26th December 2010 my contact was himself arrested along with 40 other Christians and detained in one of Iran’s worst prisons in Teheran.

“The accounts of intimidation, persecution and sacrifice were heartrending but there were many accounts that revealed the power of God even under the harshest conditions.”

Separated from his wife and young children he is currently serving six years for converting from Islam and encouraging others to follow Christ.

A new location selected, Chris Jones and I travelled to meet a group of around 50 leaders all who had undergone persecution – some under torture. Those who had suffered imprisonment had been forced to leave their

“...the opportunity to meet and minister to them was one of the most humbling and impacting times of my 44 years in ministry.” country with nothing but what they stood up in. As they were not given passports their status was that of a refugee. There is a huge price to pay for following Jesus around the world and the opportunity to meet and minister to them was one of the most humbling and impacting times of my 44 years in ministry.

Over the four days I preached nine times and Chris and I were engaged in personal ministry with individual couples from morning to night.

The accounts of intimidation, persecution and sacrifice were heart-rending but there were many accounts that revealed the power of God even under the harshest conditions.

One young woman said that she had never felt the presence and power of God more than during the days of interrogation by the Islamic secret police.

Several people recounted how the Lord would appear to them during the night and inform them

of the questions their persecutors would be putting before them the next day and also telling them how they should respond.

One man said how before he had become a Christian he had been flogged 120 times for a sexual indiscretion. His family were humiliated by the occurrence but even more so when he became a Christian given that they were Muslims. After his time in the interrogation centre, and then the public prison, he returned home.

Within days of his return his father, having seen the change in his life said, “Son, I want your Lord to be my Lord” and today more than 20 of his family members are following Jesus.

Praying for the persecuted church around the world is not the responsibility of a select group of people who ‘have a burden to do so’. Hebrews 13:3 says, “Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.” It is a challenge to us all.

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LEGACY How do our dreams become reality?

by Andy Taylor As I sat in the Olympic stadium in London watching Mo Farah run the 5000 metres, I began to wonder how I might get to stand on the podium with a gold medal around my neck at the next Olympics.

The fact that I will be nearly 60 by then didn’t seem to really enter the equation, nor did the fact that I haven’t been gifted with a physique that could endure long distance running. I just wanted to be part of the action. I was inspired!

I felt sure I could do something. After all, they made it look so easy.

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It’s this attitude that the organisers of the Olympics and Paralympics are actively looking for in those who have watched the games. Indeed, from the time that the Olympic bid was first made in 2003 ‘legacy’ has been their watchword with a desire that London 2012 would be ‘a catalyst for positive change and inspiration’. This included not only a desire to see more people take up sport but also the transformation of the local area and later the provision of sporting venues and low cost homes.

But there are other legacies of the Olympics that I think we can take heart from. The charity ‘More than Gold’ reported that 2000 volunteers from over 40 countries came to support local churches in their efforts to share the gospel through Olympic related events. Christian families also provided accommodation to the relatives of athletes and on the streets of London nearly 300 Street Pastors provided practical, emotional and spiritual support to the public.

In addition to that there were the inspirational stories from athletes, like Brigetta Barrett, the American high jumper who won a silver medal and Gabby Douglas the gymnast who won two gold medals, who openly spoke of their Christian faith.

Of course in missions we have had a legacy from sportsmen and women for many years.

Probably the person with the highest profile in recent times has been Eric Liddell, who returned to his birthplace in China as a missionary following his winning of a gold medal in the 1924 Olympics.

However, the ones who inspired me most as I was growing up were ‘The Cambridge Seven’ who were also missionaries in China. Although not Olympians as such they were among the elite sportsmen of their day in cricket, football and rowing.

Perhaps the best known was Charles T. Studd who was also a missionary in India and Africa. It was in Africa that

he began the Heart of Africa mission which later became the Worldwide Evangelical Crusade (WEC) which now has workers all over the world.

Cecil Polhill-Turner, another of the Cambridge seven, who had to return to England due to ill health, became the leader of the Pentecostal Missionary Union and financially sponsored several Christian initiatives and individuals including a young George Jeffreys. Cecil Polhill’s prayer was, ‘Lord make us inextinguishable firebrands... that the fire may burn on and on’.

In legacy, we look both backwards and forwards. We look backward to the initiatives and inspiration of others who have given us the platform from which we work today, but we look forward to a greater capacity for growth and development in our own lives and the lives of others in the future. Indeed the challenge to us is immense in that how we fare today may have a direct bearing on how others are able to fulfil the purpose and calling upon their lives tomorrow. If we drop the ‘baton’ as we pass on the legacy, it’s a loss both to those who have run before us as well as for the dreams of those who follow.

The big question is, as mine was in the Olympic stadium, how do we work towards achieving the goals of those legacies? How do our dreams become reality?

Having returned home with a modicum of rational thought regarding my Olympic prowess, I was challenged again by the verse in Jeremiah 12:5 which says, “If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses?” An appropriate paraphrase here might be ‘if you get tired climbing the stairs to

your seat in the stadium with the other spectators, how will you ever be able to run on the track with the best athletes?’

If we find it difficult to cope with the conditions of the environment that we serve in now, how are we ever going to excel in the cauldron of fierce contest at the next level? God may have plans ahead for a greater anointing, a challenging but rewarding experience or a step up in leadership, but until we have learned to face and deal with the ‘hurdles’ in front of us now we will struggle to make the transition to the next stage.

It’s not, however, that what is ahead is impossible to achieve.

In Mark 6:48 we read that the disciples were ‘straining at the oars’ in their rowing event, but when they included Jesus in their team they were able to successfully navigate their way forward.

When King Saul and his son Jonathan were the only two left with swords in Israel (1 Samuel

In legacy, we look both backwards and forwards.

We look backward to the initiatives and inspiration of others ... we look forward to a greater capacity for growth and development.

13:22), Jonathan stood out in contrast to his father. He was the one who was prepared to compete with his opponents leaving a legacy for the young armour bearer and ultimately the whole Israelite army who followed on afterwards (1 Samuel 14:6-7, 20).

Jonathan moved forward in the confidence that God would empower and enable him and is a wonderful example of the extra ordinary levels of achievement and legacy that can be accomplished by ordinary people.

Now, where did I put those running shoes…………?

Article by Andy Taylor. Andy is part of the Missions Leadership Team and is the Pastor of Elim Crewe.

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D N A L I Z A W S KHULULA ’S CHOIR CHILDREN

S rate in est HIV/AID of 35. h ig h e th e to b e age is believed ted to live beyond th t a h w h it w c n s are expe y suffering nd’s childre is a countr in 10 fifteen year old d n a il z a e to Swazila w p r o S 1 H ve f ly o o n s, e o e ic liv g a vo here these youn ks to bring the world w aziland see to transform

on. seeking inistries Sw t and rejecti and projects hallenge M s C e , m is m th s of neglec f ra d o g n u ro st p ro id r m kg e c e th a o th In from b f ongst Made up o people. Am hans, others week tour. and young o r; many orp tw is fo a th d r y re n fo a a c n are the UK d, for m 350 childre oir came to in Swazilan h C le a b ic ’s ra n fr e A re ln in ild nd vu ister nd Ch avel to min orphaned a lula Swazila ose uals who tr senting the id er, the Khu re b iv UK left on th p d m e re in te th d d p n e n a ve a S a n s h In ve m s a n se eir te io s th a ss m d share ften fro at impre s young . Hearing o nd Saneliso embers wh members a K a m U ile ir e b o th o h c c to N e cobi, st trip e of th was their fir Chazile, Mn asked som ami, Bongi, e world, we c th N , ss le e ro n c a a and to us? B to minister who come s. experience

ges so n a h c e r e h er “The weatt’sh different every dawy,o muc h. I town and even t try town to ay! But the coun d hours awiful, it’s so green an d is beaut ntains and trees an the mou unning.” Banele fields…st “We’ve really but it’s been inenjoyed performing the response is teresting because We have to in different here. make noise, w vite people to everyone is on hen in Swaziland lots of noise their feet making when they likstraight away e something.”

Chazile

“The buildings a mazing. You and cars are Swaziland w build up, in All the house e build along.

“It’s been really nice well, cool whs are built so to see old people and spend time with them. and warm wheen it’s hot noticed that n it’s cold. I There are lots of older people here, especially in all seem to hatvhee windows Some of the two layers. the churches.” Bongi years old, the houses are 700 a mazing.” Nc history is a mi

of the ve lo e h t n ee b as h g “My favourite thinso friendly, so polite and with people. They are earts. They smile and are happy compassionate h culture. The hospitality is to promote oure food has been fantastic… and I excellent and th pliments we’ve received.”

Mncobi liked all the com

For some though, the trip leaves rather more frightening memories. Ask seven year old Gcinile what experience will live with her and she sucks in her lips noisily. For her, flushing the airplane toilet has made a lasting impression!

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When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus (Acts 4:13). This was the conclusion of the Sanhedrin following the healing of the lame man. In this instance it was of little consequence that Peter and John had no training or were ignorant, as some translations concur. Of greater significance was the ability to do the extra ordinary because they had been with Jesus.

A while ago I had the opportunity to visit Kathmandu to participate in a discipleship

USED BY GOD

LIFELINK:

LISA LENTON WRITES >

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conference. Nothing extraordinary about that you may think, though this was the first of its kind bringing together a number of men and women coming from a range of villages in Nepal just starting out on their Christian journey. Some of them had not ventured further than the parameters of their village.

The dissimilarities of their world and mine seemed as abundant as the stars, from language, customs and traditions through to culture, tastes and a whole way of life. Yet our mutual love of Jesus, and in turn each other, alleviated any apprehension I may have beheld.

There was an occasion for me to wash the feet of one of the ladies present, symbolic of servant hood. Feet in her culture are considered unclean and one only touches the feet of elders or those with status such as holy men in recognition of their great humility and inner attainment, a way of acknowledging the greatness of another. This was a humbling experience for us both and a privilege for me. I am increasingly mindful that having a positive effect as a Christian is not always about our skills, knowledge and talents, valuable as these are, but just being available and willing is often all that is required.

My friend John often likes to remind me that ‘you can take the girl out of Sheffield, but you can’t take Sheffield out of the girl’. So if an ordinary lass, whose roots are embedded in the steel city of Yorkshire, can share the wonders of the Christian faith with fellow brothers and sisters living in remote areas of Nepal, there is much hope for us all.

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PHOTO: (Left) :Lisa with a local Nepalese woman.

(Right) Lynn (far left) with children of the local children.

> LYNN TUGWELL WRITES > Everything started to change for me in 2010. I had been at a Lifelink meeting at Infuse camp the year before and every woman there was given an invitation to go on a missions trip to Macedonia.

At first, because of prior flying experiences and also the cost, I didn’t think I would be able to go. But I kept feeling a pull towards this missions trip and eventually, along with a friend, decided to go. Although feeling unsure at the time, that decision started a change in my life that I was not expecting.

together again. This was a point in my life where I could see something starting to happen.

Twice a word had been given over my life about working with women of all ages and this was certainly the start.

Before we went on the Lifelink trip we encouraged the church to raise money for the families out in Macedonia. One of the ways we did this was through holding a craft sale which was attended by both young and old.

I think that was when the reality sunk in that I was going away for a week with eight ladies and I only knew two of them.

I remember visiting a gypsy community, where one of the family homes comprised just two rooms. We sat in what was their lounge, bedroom and dining room all in one and the only other room was a small kitchen.

One of their prized processions was a Barbie doll. Only one doll kept safe in a glass cabinet and shared between seven children.

Each child welcomed us, smiling all the time and so happy for us to be there. We watched the children outside the house brushing their teeth at a communal tap using the toothbrushes we had just given them. As I watched I began to see that these children were very special. They made me consider my comfortable life. They had nothing yet they were so happy.

It gave me an insight into

But WOW what a trip! From the moment I arrived at the airport I felt a part of the team.

All the worries and concerns disappeared. The trip was so amazing. We laughed together, cried together and laughed

In Macedonia I spoke at one of the meetings and because it was to non Christians I used my faithful ‘Allsorts’ talk. This time though we had about 30 women and a child who happen to choke on an Allsort sweet!

If I hadn’t felt nervous before I certainly was then.

what many people have to go through. And it made me realize that by doing something little, by raising money, this could start changing children’s lives.

It is said that almost half the world, over three billion people, live on less than £1.50 a day.

There are 2.2 billion children in the world. One billion of these children live in poverty. These statistics may seem impossible to deal with but little by little, one child at a time, we can all make a difference.

So let me go back to 2010. After the amazing visit to Macedonia, Mandy Campbell, Chair of Elim Lifelink, asked me to join the Lifelink leadership team. Since then it has been an amazing time, working with Shop with Integrity at different events to raise awareness of what Lifelink is about and the different projects that we support. These events are all different; meetings where we are asked to share or to run the Shop; fashion shows; coffee mornings; conferences.

I never realized how much going on a mission trip would change my life and perspective on the important things in life.

It certainly was a life-changing experience.

FOR MORE INFO VISIT: www.elimmissioms.co.uk/lifelink

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Name: Phally Age: 18 Country: Cambodia When I was five years old my father took me to a place called Svay Pak in Phnom Penh. I didn’t know what the place was. He put me into a small room with just a bed and with iron bars on the window. There was no way out. I couldn’t understand why he had taken me there. It was just like a prison cell.

During my life I have shed many tears but I know that every teardrop matters to Jesus and that He understands.

When I was baptised last year I cried tears of joy. Now I love to worship Jesus through singing and playing the drums. My heavenly Father has turned my mourning into dancing and I am singing a new song, a song of praise, a song of thanksgiving to the One who is healing my brokenness. The joy of the Lord is indeed my strength.

Give the gift of freedom.

For Phally’s full story and to donate visit:

www.elimmissions.co.uk/christmas2012