eVision Winter 2022

CHOOSING IN A CULTURE OF HOPE CATASTROPHE

EDITORIAL

by Stephen McQuoid

Welcome to another edition of e-vision which I hope you will enjoy reading. The past few months have been some of the most interesting and concerning that I have lived through. Indeed, it seems that many conversations I have had with people of late have ended up discussing the challenges we are currently facing as a culture. That is what has prompted me to think about how we as Christians should respond to a culture of catastrophe (p.4,5).

Despite this, we in GLO are encouraged by all that God is doing both in and through us and I hope that a positive message comes through in this edition. You will read about the 2022 shortterm mission teams’ programme. It has been a good summer with people all over Europe being challenged with the claims of the gospel. Judith McKeown gives us an insight into how the summer went as some 100 people joined us to share the good news of Jesus and his love for us.

It is also great to have students back at Tilsley College and we have one of the most diverse group of students ever. They come from as far west as Canada and as far east as Afghanistan and India as well as from Europe and Latin America. Each came to Tilsley College to grow in their faith and learn how they can serve God effectively in our troubled world.

It is a reminder what we need many more Christians equipped to make a difference in our world.

We also have an article entitled ‘Stories of Hope’. This article talks about the various ways in which God is at work through the ministry of GLO missionaries. Whether it is in Romania, Albania or in the Ukraine, God has been doing great things and we not only rejoice in his goodness, but we want to encourage all our readers to keep praying for a great harvest as God does his work.

There is also an article written by one of our most recent GLO missionaries, Mayeul Aurielle. He, along with his wife Eva and their three children, took a sabbatical and came to Motherwell. He returned to Marseille to hand in his notice to his former boss and is now supervising two new projects linked with his home church Le Cep, which was planted by other GLO missionaries some years ago. The situation in Marseille is truly exciting and we hope it will challenge you about what can be done when we have a vision for growth.

There are also some recommendations from the bookshop and an interesting story of the evangelistic zeal of one of our bookshop volunteers, reminding us that at its heart, GLO is all about mission and evangelism. You will also be able to read about some of the exciting schools’ work being done by Pam Harknett and her team. Pam and her

Thank you for taking time to read e-vision, we do not take this for granted. Please pray with us that God will continue to work in and through us for his own glory. Our world desperately needs the gospel to be proclaimed and to be reminded that there in hope in Christ. It is for this purpose that GLO exists.

Finally, I would like to say a big thank you to everyone who contributed to the Ukraine refugee fund. We ran this jointly along with our colleagues at Echoes International, Bible Educational Services, Medical Missionary News and Philadelphia Trust. The overall amount raised was £463,000.

husband Richard were GLO missionaries in Peru before returning to the UK where they continue to serve in church-based training, schools’ work and a range of other ministries.

“Our world desperately needs the gospel to be proclaimed and to be reminded that there in hope in Christ. It is for this purpose that GLO exists.”

by

On any given day, watching the news of TV can be a profoundly discouraging experience. The expression, ‘no news is good news’ has never been more true. The daily headlines are often tragic and depressing in equal measure.

Think, for example about the headlines that relate to the current war between Russia and the Ukraine. This is a brutal conflict which is not only leading to a significant loss of human life, but one that has also caused an enormous refugee crisis. Today millions of Ukrainians are displaced both within their own country and in surrounding countries and have no idea if or when they will be able to return home.

The war has also exacerbated a global economic crisis. Inflation is high and the cost of living is causing many people to evaluate what they are able to spend. Household budgets are being squeezed and this is a cause of great anxiety for many. It is at times like this that we need politicians to be statesmen and women and to lead with confidence and authority. However, that is not always the case and political instability across Europe and beyond is also not unusual.

Behind the immediate and pressing headlines there are other issues that continue to cause concern. Covid 19 and its impact has not disappeared and as we approach winter there are concerns that it along with the flu, may cause

significant challenges to the health service. Then there is also the so-called climate emergency. There are ongoing concerns as to what damage human activity and in particular the burning of fossil fuels is doing to our environment.

All of these issues are a cause for anxiety, and it feels as if our society and indeed the world is facing one catastrophe after another. Suffice to say there is much that would cause us concern and that would drive us to our knees in prayer. Equally, as Christians we need to be asking ourselves the question, in the face of such trouble, what is the Christian response to it all?

This is a very important question to ask for two reasons. Firstly, we should have a concern

“When we face struggles and wrestle with problems and suffering God is empathetic to our plight (Ps.56:8). ”

Stephen McQuoid

CHOOSING IN A CULTURE OF HOPE CATASTROPHE

for the world around us and therefore reflect of how we relate to it. Secondly, we share this world with people around us who do not share our faith but may be watching how we behave. We should consequently think through our response and what message our response conveys to people who do not share our faith.

So what is the Christian response to a culture filled with talk of catastrophe? One important response, perhaps the most important, is to talk about hope. Of course, when we do so it is not just that we want desperately to be positive. Our talk of hope is based in our certain knowledge of the sovereignty of God. When we think about the overall storyline of the Bible, we see that humanity has always been confronted with catastrophe. There was the Fall (Genesis 3) where mankind succumbed to the lies of the devil and disobeyed God leading to banishment from the garden. Then we read of the wickedness of culture necessitating God’s severe judgment (Genesis 6). The biblical story then weaves its way through wars, disasters, heartache and exile. It is clear that humanity has always walked a tightrope between survival and disaster. Despite this, however, God has always been sovereign and he has always had a plan for us. As Joseph explained at the end of his life, even though his brothers did what they did to harm and their actions resulted in catastrophe in Joseph’s life, yet God was in control of Joseph’s life and used the circumstances for good (Gen.50:20).

Not only do we have hope that is anchored in the sovereignty of God, we also have hope because God is love (1 Jn.4:8). This is a wonderful truth. If God were all powerful but ambivalent about us that would be of little comfort. However, the God

who controls all things is deeply interested in our welfare and wishes our blessing. When we face struggles and wrestle with problems and suffering God is empathetic to our plight (Ps.56:8). He cares deeply for us and loves us with a father’s love. It is this love coupled with God’s immense power that helps us to hope even though the whole world seems to be in chaos.

Thirdly there is the cross. As evangelicals we love to talk about the cross and its power to deal with the issue of our sin by bringing us forgiveness (Rom.3:25 ; Eph.4:32), reconciliation (2 Cor.5:19) and healing (Isa.53:5). But there is another aspect of the work of the cross that we need to cling to especially when things seem to be going wrong around us. In the great Epistle to the Romans Paul describes vividly something of the damage caused by sin (Rom.8:20-25). He states that creation itself is enslaved and fallen and even our bodies suffer the trauma of fallenness. However, his picture here is not one of despair but of hope because of the work of the cross. Creation is groaning like a mother before childbirth. There is pain, but that pain will give birth to new life. Likewise, we as individuals also groan, because we are waiting for our new life which will take place as our bodies are redeemed, and we are adopted into the family of God.

Paul’s point in this dramatic image is that the universe is in a mess and humanity is suffering, but this is not the end of the story. While we live with catastrophe in this fallen world, we have the hope of another. The cross of Jesus not only deals with our sin, but it transforms our future. In a world of fear and foreboding we have the assurance that the work of Christ guarantees our

eternal destiny in a new home where there will be no sadness, sickness or death (Rev.21:4). Yes, we still need to inhabit this broken planet for now. But while we do so we can experience a daily walk with Christ that gives us the strength to face the greatest stresses with faith and confidence knowing that we can cast all our burdens on him (1 Pet.5:7). This experience of Christ with us is a reminder of his love and faithfulness and it assures us that he will never let us go but will continue to hold us until we get the that new and perfect world.

As we reflect on these realities as Christians, we are obligated to allow them to shape how we view the world around us and also our place in it. We can choose to allow our focus to be preoccupied by the chaos that we see all around us and to believe the narrative of catastrophe that our culture seems addicted to. Or we can choose to believe in hope and to allow it to calm our hearts. This is a choice and one that reveals what kind of a Christian we are. Yes, the world is in a mess. But it has always been like that! However, we have a great and loving God who provided the solution in the person of Jesus as he hung on the cross. Will we focus on catastrophe, or will we cling to hope? The truly Christian response is obvious.

“While we live with catastrophe in this fallen world, we have the hope of another”

FROM ROMANIA

by Doina Vasilca

God is writing thousands of stories of hope in Romania. I have just selected three:

Ana listens faithfully to every live Good News Radio programme. One day, after the Bible story she asked us: “How can I become a child of God?” After that, she didn’t say anything more about this. But in August, she wrote: ”A miracle has happened to me! I have been thinking that I am a sinner and I need to receive the Lord Jesus in my heart! And I have done just that!”

Antonio lives with his non-Christian grandparents. He loved everything in his first Christian camp this summer, especially one song that says: “Lord, I give you my heart, I believe in Your name”. After the camp, he told his grandparents’ friend who gave him a lift home: “I learned to pray to God! I learned that He can forgive my sins! Can I pray right now in the car?” After the prayer, he exclaimed, “I think I am a child of God now!”

Lois has come to Sunday School since she was little. Just after she was diagnosed with aggressive malignant breast cancer in July, she received the Lord Jesus in her heart! She turned 13 after her second chemotherapy and sent us an audio message. “I need your prayers so much!” Her parents are grateful for every prayer, as prayer is the only thing that gives them peace and hope in suffering.

STORIES OF HOPE

FROM ALBANIA

by Ermal Bimaj

Have you ever considered giving up? How often do you second-guess your life’s purpose? How often do you question whether or not your life, ministry, and family are where they should be? During the course of the summer, my wife Denisa and I discussed these issues at length.

Four summer camps and many visiting teams made ministry busy. Many things needed planning. Our summers are usually this way, but this year was worse. Denisa’s mum discovered that she had a tumour. As we left the doctor’s office, we knew what to expect. There would be opposing priorities and tough choices to make.

We came up with an arrangement whereby Denisa would go and take care of her mother, and I would watch our two little boys and handle all of the camps’ work that our team would be doing. Seems simple and obvious when put in writing, but in practice, we struggled with uncertainty, dread, and a lack of knowledge about the situation we were in. As we walked in the dark, we were questioning what God had told us in the light.

And yet, during this shadow, God met us on a different level. In other news, Denisa’s mum had a successful operation and is undergoing treatment, and more than thirty teenagers made professions of faith in Christ at each camp. Oh, how He dispelled our doubt and fear. Some blessings and joys are possible only on the other side of suffering. That’s why this summer God made it clear to us that the safest place to be for a believer is within God’s calling.

“Don’t question in the dark, what God has told you in the light!”

FROM ROMANIA

by Cornel Haures

The war in Ukraine shocked us! On the 24th of February the north-eastern part of Romania, was full of people with both Ukrainians coming in and Romanians who came from different places to help. During this period, the Romanian Brethren Church worked to help the refugees in all six customs points of the country. This was done with the help of the local churches situated near the border. With God’s help we managed to support many refugees, both at the border points and airports. Each family and individual had their own story.

During this period, we encountered many complicated and delicate situations and sometimes felt overwhelmed, but along the way, through good organisation, collaboration and coordination, things settled down.

We managed to organise ourselves into several working teams: reception at the accommodation, transport and supply, preparing the food and distributing it on the border to Ukrainian ladies with children and helping with information how to get in a safe and warm place and purchase of travel tickets.

Accommodation was set up in Christian centres, churches, and in the homes of believers. This meant we could accommodate a lot of people. There have been cases where young families have moved

in with their parents and made their apartment available for refugees. Some families hosted many groups of refugees. This is a great joy and a great encouragement to us.

In addition to the people who transit the country, there are also refugees who want to stay in Romania and for whom we are looking for a job. We are currently working on two fronts: 1. transport, food aid and basic necessities 2. the allocation of persons who remain for a longer period of time

For these situations, support is provided by the churches located further away from the border points.

We are very happy that the organised convoys manage to reach their desired destination. From there, aid is picked up by brothers from Ukraine, who manage to get as close as possible to the war zone. One of our bases is in Suceava, where we are supplying food and winter items for the refugees from the eastern part of Ukraine who are now located now in the west part of the country. The needs are enormous because many refugees left behind even basic items, like passports, glasses etc.

So, with the churches supporting from countries like Italy, Greece, Australia, UK and Australia we were able to transport a lot of goods to the refugees.

In the first three months we travelled every day with 4 or 5 trucks / vans.

We must be prepared to provide long-term assistance and aid to people in Ukraine, especially in wintertime. In one school we are using the basement to supply, on a daily basis, food and clothes for 200 ladies with children. However they don’t have any heating for the winter.

We want to thank all those who were involved and supported this work. We are grateful for all who have donated, and we pray that God will reward every effort.

“Helping those in need, is a duty of those who believe”

“It was a joy to see the team God brought together for the week in Eger work in unity and love. I was blessed to be a part of it and learn from the teaching we received and each other as well as the church. Sharing our testimonies in the open airs and building friendships in the English class with the young people was a privilege and I pray seeds were planted in the hearts of people in Eger that week.” Eger, August 2022

“It was great to be able to again reach out to children and young people in [the] community with the good news of Jesus.” Domos

THE JOY OF SHORT-TERM MISSION TEAMS

by Judith McKeown

I’m sure many of you are familiar with the song, “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy down in my heart!” and as a child you may have taken great delight in screaming “WHERE?” at the unsuspecting kids’ club leader?! As I began to see applications for the GLO short-term mission teams’ programme come in for 2022, I felt a real sense of joy in my heart when processing team requests, recommending teams to those who had never been on a mission before and sending out acceptance emails; after two years of disruption because of Covid it was good to be back! Then to receive pictures and videos of team members working together and enjoying partnering with others in Kingdom work was also a joy!

The teams covered a range of outreach activities including busking and Gospel leaflet distribution on the streets of Birmingham during the Commonwealth Games, community outreach in Ireland, coffee-shop outreach to students in the south of France, children’s outreach in Norway, youth work in Albania and teaching English in Eastern Europe. We also had a team in Northern Ireland aimed at training members for future teams.

As I read through the summer team feedback, what struck me from the comments were the many facets to joy on a short-term mission team. There is undoubtedly the joy of teamwork and friendship. One team member said, “I made really good friends… God worked a lot with us. The team

consisted of wonderful people.” Often with a shared experience like a short-term team, you meet like-minded friends who you will keep for life and who will be instrumental in shaping your Christian walk. There is also the joy of discovering our gifts; one person said, “I did things I never thought I would do!” It’s a joy to see team members grow in confidence and hopefully turn out to be future team leaders! Then there is the joy of being inspired to be trained for mission; one team member said, “I felt inspired to take on this type of work as a part of my career and I am joining Tilsley College this year!”

However it was one comment in particular that struck me. This person said, “Working in a location where there were many different religious groups and world views vying for attention, I was reminded again that our faith really is all about Jesus. And seeking ways to bring honour to his name.” The joy of sharing the good news of Jesus is central to the story of being involved in short-term mission. We can echo the words of Solomon and say that we want, “all the peoples of the earth [to] know that the LORD is God and there is no other” 1 Kings 8:60; for true joy in life is found in a relationship with Jesus. We want you to continue to be part of this joyfilled story with us and we are already looking ahead to Summer 2023. Please do keep an eye out for more information coming soon about future teams, either on our website or on our social media channels.

“A personal highlight was the partnership working with Exodus; both teams worked very effectively together…” Castlereagh, N. Ireland

“This particular team reinvigorated my passion for street work and the blessings of working with others whom I don’t know.” Commonwealth Games, Birmingham

ONCE UPON A TIME IN MARSEILLES

by Mayeul & Eva Aureille

Our names are Mayeul and Eva and we have three children (Iloée, 10, Enoam, 8, Maïra, 6). We have been involved in the CEP Marseille church for more than 15 years. We live in the suburbs of Marseille, near Aubagne, in the south of France.

Eva is a primary school teacher. Mayeul was involved in education as a trainer, and he is now works full-time with GLO. Our hearts burn to make disciples and also to develop a vision for missional families.

We want to update you on our situation, but just before we do so we want to make an important point: when you read “we” in the text, understand it as “us and the team members”! We are grateful to be part of such a wonderful and godly team!

MARSEILLE, A BIG AND CONTRASTING CITY

In many ways, Marseille looks like Corinth. It is a big city, the largest in France after Paris. It is the oldest and probably the most cosmopolitan city in the country. It has beautiful landscapes and some rich neighbourhoods, but also neglected areas with drug trafficking and great poverty. It is a beautiful but contrasting city.

One in three people in Marseille is Muslim, and as is often the case in the West, many people in postmodern culture do not believe in God but have their own distinctive beliefs. Moreover, our country is also secular, so talking about Jesus is not easy in France. There is a great need to share the Gospel in Marseille and the region!

THE HISTORY OF GLO IN MARSEILLE

In the 1980’s and 90’s some resident GLO teams were evangelising and church planting in Marseille. As a result, the CEP Marseille church was born. It was attached to the CAEF movement and moved to the eastern districts of the city. The church grew; its foundations and structure were strengthened. In the early 2000’s, the missionaries left and

gradually gave way to a board of elders who were mainly members of the local church.

In 2014 Philippe and Marie-Christine Perrilliat who were part of the GLO team that planted Le CEP left Marseille to begin a new church plant in Aixen-Provence. The CEP Marseille church continued to grow and its vision in 2015 was to be a church that grows in maturity and in number. The church prayed and worked to multiply and train disciples and leaders (we wanted to reach 200 people in 5 to 10 years).

FIVE YEARS LATER

The church has grown in numbers and baptisms are taking place regularly: it gathers around 130 adults and 40 children. The church has grown in maturity through discipleship, growth groups, leadership training, and the development of leadership boards. What a privilege it is to see the Lord grow his church!

A new vision was added to the previous one: multiplying disciples, leaders… and churches! We pray to be multiplied as a church: in the city centre and in the suburbs.

AND NOW: MULTIPLYING SITES

We have had a new building for our main church site since September 2022. This is the answer to 14 years of prayer! At the same time, the church is starting a project in the city centre: to open a café for students and workers in the Timone district (near the largest university hospital in the city), a place where you can have a good coffee and discover the Gospel! A team of leaders to which we belong is involved in finding a place and getting organized.

In addition, we are praying to multiply the church using the existing family groups, especially in the Aubagne area. We are launching a new vision for family groups this year: how to be connected to God, connected to each other and connected to the world around us. As missional communities, family groups are planning to reach new people and start a new church site in the Aubagne area within 2/3 years.

Please pray for the multiplication of Christ’s disciples, leaders and churches in the greater Marseille area!

“The church has grown in numbers and baptisms are taking place regularly: it gather around 130 adults and 40 children”

by Pam Harknett

Want to see children become excited about God and the Bible? Want to go into schools and represent Christianity in an interesting and engaging way? Want to be part of a team that has people from different churches working together? I’m so grateful that my current ministry answers ‘yes’ to all of these! Each week I have the privilege of seeing the excitement on children’s faces when they realise that the team has come in to run a special assembly for them.

I volunteer with two groups who enter around 25 primary schools in East Hertfordshire and Essex. With the Great Open Door team in the Harlow area we perform a 45-minute programme which includes puppets, songs, a memory verse, sketches, games and a Bible story. For the Christmas term in 2022 we are also developing new interactive workshops to run with school years 5 and 6. The other team is Puppets Galore which run 20-minute assemblies every Christmas and Easter using

puppets to teach what Christians believe is the real message of these two festivals. The aim in all of these is to capture the attention of the children using a funny, exciting and fast-paced programme. In addition to this, behind the team that realises the events, there is another team committed to praying for each of the schools and assemblies.

We have found that many schools are not only happy to receive us, but actively welcome the teams.

BRINGING THE GOOD NEWS TO SCHOOL

The presentations can be a help to teachers who do not have to plan assemblies but can simply host us. We work hard to design programmes which present the good news about Jesus and also support primary schools in teaching Christian faith and values, which often connect with the school ethos. We always look for feedback from both students and staff, so were encouraged when one teacher commented that:

‘It was fantastic, funny and linked well with school values.’ That kind of comment will help keep the door open for us to return next year.

Our assemblies can also be an encouragement to Christian teachers, who can sometimes find it a hard setting in which to live out their faith. One wrote to us that the assembly was a: ‘fantastic presentation that beautifully interwove the living word of God. The children really enjoyed it, which was refreshing to see as it was based on religion.’

There are many countries around the world where you can’t even mention Jesus in schools. That’s not just places where the church is openly persecuted, but even some western nations like Canada have become so secular that the kind of presentations permitted in the UK would be impossible. Having the opportunity to teach kids about how much God cares for each individual person is one that we should be taking.

One of the team was at church recently and spoke to a young man who was sitting in front of him. Although Paul didn’t know him, the man looked at Paul and exclaimed ‘Was you Shrek?’ It turned out that he used to go to a local primary school and had seen Paul playing that role in one of the GOD assemblies. He was now about to start College, but remembered the GOD visits to his school, said that they were the highlight of the day and that afterwards it was always much easier for him to share his faith as a Christian. Week after week we try to bring the good news into local schools. We always pray that God would use our efforts and are so encouraged by the glimpses he gives us into how he has. Please pray with us for this work.

“There are many countries around the world where you can’t even mention Jesus in schools. That’s not just places where the church is openly persecuted”

THE TILSLEY STORY CONTINUES…

By Allan McKinnon

Everyone loves a story. The greatest story ever told is the one that is focused upon the Lord Jesus Christ who came to be the Saviour of the world. Every life touched by the Saviour is a life that incorporates his story into their own story. In the words of a contemporary Christian song, ‘to tell you my story is to tell of him.’ The Psalmist knew the value of the story of redemption in the lives of God’s people:

1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.

2 Let the redeemed of the LORD tell their storythose he redeemed from the hand of the foe, 3 those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south.

(Psalm 107 NIV)

At Tilsley College this year’s intake of students draws people together from ‘east and west, north and south’, and every one of them has a story to tell. The international character of the student body reminds us of the far-reaching effects of the gospel story of Jesus – a story that crosses national and international boundaries.

We are delighted to have 13 students studying residentially with us this year on our Certificate of Higher Education in Biblical Studies and Christian Ministry programme. We also have 14 students enrolled in our JOSHUA evening class, some of whom come from other nations across Europe. Incredibly, these students represent at least twelve different nationalities. Perhaps we should introduce some of them to you:

From Afghanistan, we have Rasol, who came to faith in Jesus in the most remarkable of circumstances requiring him to leave his home, his family and his nation for his own safety.

Dorjola is from Albania. She has been studying online in the JOSHUA evening class and is now in her second year. She is a fully qualified lawyer but gives all her time to helping manage a children’s home in southern Albania called The Hiding Place.

Sophia is from Canada and has joined us at Tilsley College for the FirstServe training gap-year programme. She is planning to embark on an overseas placement in Tanzania, East Africa from the middle of January 2023.

Ricardo and Susan from Colombia had hoped to study with us back in 2020 but when COVID-19 hit they had to rearrange their plans. By God’s grace they have joined us this year for six months of study on the Certificate programme and hope to return to Colombia for further Christian service.

We have two sets of two brothers studying with us in the JOSHUA programme – two from Romania and two from Hungary (although based in Romania at present).

Praveen comes from India but has recently completed a Master’s degree here in Scotland and is now studying with us fulltime at Tilsley College. He hopes to return to his homeland to help his uncle with a new church plant in northern India.

From Northern Ireland, we had Rachel join us for the duration of the FirstServe Bible college experience before she moved on to her volunteering post with a local church in Carlisle.

Daniel, Amy and Katrina have been our Scottish recruits this year. Daniel and Amy are very local to Tilsley coming from

Wishaw and Motherwell, whereas Katrina hails from Aberdeen. All three are keen to grow in their faith this year.

David, from England, came to faith later in life. Martha spent some of her early life in France before returning to the south of England, then north to Newcastle and finally moved even further north… to join us at Tilsley! Matthew is also from England although he was raised in India. He enrolled in Tilsley’s Certificate programme after having a taste of college life back in February 2022 with the FirstServe programme.

Wales is also represented by a student in the JOSHUA programme. Jon has joined us at the start of a two-year cycle of study which begins with looking at the origins of the Bible through an overview of the Old Testament’.

Sulaimon and Yemi, with their two boys, Isaac and Joseph, have come to Tilsley from Luton, although they originally hail from Nigeria. Sulaimon, who has a Master’s degree in business management, hopes to be able to study for two years to complete the Diploma programme and then serve in Christian ministry.

There is too little space to mention every student by name, but there is a coming day when not one of them will be left out. There is a day coming when people from ‘every tribe and language and people and nation’ will gather before the throne of God and of the Lamb, to declare that ‘he is worthy’ because ‘by his blood, he has purchased people for God and made them to be a kingdom of priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.’ (Revelation 5.9-10) It is certainly good for us to

have the chance to meet some of those people in the here and now, to walk with them on the road of discipleship now, to help prepare them to serve God now, so that, ‘then’, we can be re-united again and forever in God’s presence.

If you would like to know more about Tilsley College you can visit our website at www. tilsleycollege.com or visit our Facebook page at ‘Tilsley College, GLO Europe’. Alternatively, get in touch to arrange a visit to the College – you are welcome to come and meet some of the staff and students, and even to sit in class to discover for yourself what Bible College looks like. You never know, perhaps your own story will bring you to Tilsley as one of those gathered from ‘east and west, north and south’, who is prepared to tell their story of the Redeemer and of his work in their lives.

“The international character of the student body reminds us of the far-reaching effects of the gospel story of Jesus”

by Andrew Lacey

In the years after Barbara and I were married, we lived on the Clyde coast. The Cold War was still underway in the early 1980s and the later fall of the Berlin Wall was unthinkable. Our home wasn’t far from the American nuclear base on the Holy Loch and I would take our young children to watch the Polaris missile submarines leaving on their missions. One night, I was woken by the deafening noise of a jet aircraft travelling very low and very fast - I remember twisting over in our bed, fear gripping my stomach, throwing my arm over my wife as I waited for the blinding white light of a nuclear blast to sweep our young family into eternity. As the long minutes ticked past, the night silence resumed, I gradually relaxed and breathed again!

I have never forgotten that tide of overcoming fear in the night and can understand why people are anxious and concerned as they look around this unsettled and warring world. As I write, fears of nuclear war add to the multitude of anxieties about pandemic, climate crisis, cost of living, societal change, movement of people, deep issues in health and social care, to name but a few. My faith in the almighty and sovereign God gives assent to the proposition that God is in control and that nothing

happens without His will and foreknowledge. But I admit to being fearful, especially as I think on the future of our two young grandchildren as they grow up in a world with all these challenges and more.

Did you know that reading is a very helpful way of calming your mind and helping to reduce fear? There is a recognised intervention known as ‘bibliotherapy’! Of course, as Christian believers, we have known for many centuries the good and positive results of engagement with God’s Word - the recognition that the characters of the Bible lived in a time when catastrophe lurked in the shadows - drought, famine, war and enslavement. The scripture writers could lay bare their fears and anxieties. And yet also bear witness to the power of God to quiet their soul and move in miraculous ways. If you are concerned and worried about the world, turn to the Word first – He is a refuge and fortress, in whom you can trust.

There are also a number of books that we can recommend. Don Carson’s classic book, ‘How Long, O Lord?’ helps Christians “prepare for the day when they have to experience a ‘frowning providence’ and face it with faith and hope because of an unshakable trust in the providence of God”. Mark Vroegop’s ‘Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy’ is a timely reminder of the importance of the scriptural language of ‘lament’ – “we need to recover the practice of honest spiritual struggle that gives us permission to vocalize our pain and wrestle with our sorrow.” Amy Orr-Ewing’s ‘Where is God in all the Suffering’ is a helpful introduction to these concerns.

ne of our bookshop volunteers, Stewart Anderson, writes about his personal passion for evangelism –this is the heart and soul of what GLO does…

I started calling on The GLO Bookshop, Motherwell, as a rep for Lion Publishing in January 1979, and continued calling there once every 3 months for 34 years until I retired in 2013. Now I’m working at the GLO Bookshop, Motherwell as a volunteer one day a week. I’ve been made very welcome, and I’m pleased to be able to serve in this capacity.

About five years ago I was introduced to an organisation called ‘Every Home for Christ’, and as they have a heart to share the gospel about Jesus in every home on our planet, I increasingly became burdened about Scotland. A desire arose in me to do ‘something’ for God. As a retiree I had time on my hands, and I increasingly felt that I could use this time to visit every home in East Renfrewshire. I wanted to place a piece of literature in each home which explained how Father God loves us and his plan to reconcile us to Himself through sending his Son Jesus to die on a cross so many years ago. I’m using the tract ‘Father’s Love Letter’, which uses scripture to simply explain this to the reader.

I began this personal initiative on Monday 16 May 2022 and weather permitting I’ve set aside each Monday Tuesday and Wednesday from 10.00am till 12.00noon. So far I’ve knocked on 1950 doors and spoken to around 750 people. Where there is no answer, I have prepared an envelope which contains the ‘Father’s Love Letter’, and a little note from me which I drop through the letter box. My first name and my mobile number appears on the back of each tract, and I invite the reader(s) to call me if they would like more information, or to ask further questions. As a result of this I’ve received a few phone calls and I’m hoping to see a contact for the third time.’

GLO CONFERENCE

This year we were able to hold the GLO European Conference. It was the first time in three years we were able to hold the event. We enjoyed a good time of fellowship as well and practical teaching from former GLO missionary Robert Hamilton. We also had an open evening where people from local churches came to hear stories of hope. The culmination of the conference was when we commissioned five new people to join us in ministry. It was a great event and a good reminder to all of us that GLO is a family of missionaries who work together to reach Europe for Christ.