Today was a full day at Friendship House. We were all up and ready by 7:45 so that we could greet the children as they arrived for breakfast club. Breakfast club is not a quiet affair, rather it consists of loud music, and nintendo Wii dancing for 45 minutes before the kids head to school. One child consumed most of the nutella bottle in only four pieces of toast, to say the sugar made her excited would be a massive understatement.
Eventually we sent the kids off to school and began preparing for our lunch engagement. This of course was a program for the same group of elderly women that visited us last week. Travis shared his testimony and Isaak read a 'Sam' (Psalm). This was followed by a time of singing. The ladies again chose not to listen to Beth's lead at all. Their view point would seem to be that they have been singing longer and therefore know the song far better than Beth. This was fully manifested while we were singing 'I surrender all' Beth attempted to stop the ladies a verse short, this was wholeheartedly refuted as they sang on, even louder than before and the run away freight train of singing continued. Isaak was again the real hit as he received a hug and kiss on the cheek from one of the women due to the fact that he 'looked like her grandson'.
After a hearty feast of chinese food for dinner we welcomed the older children for our last Youth alpha session. The change we have seen in them in only a week is spectacular. Beth even lead a sing along on her guitar with some of the older girls. All in all we will genuinely miss these kids and wish we could bring them back to Niagara with us. I suppose I will end this blog now as we all need to be up again for breakfast club in the morning, ready to pump the kids full of sugar and immediately after send them to school.
Hope all is well at home, Rest assured it is incredible here!
Hey Team,
ReplyDeleteThanks again for the continued updates from N. Ireland! We're so encouraged and blessed to track with you and uplift you in prayer. Let me encourage you with some words from the Apostle Paul: "I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1:3-6) God bless and see you on Sunday! I'm really excited!
"But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all, yet not I but the grace of God which was with me.", 1 Corinthians 15:10. This passage of scripture clearly shows us that it is God's grace that empowers us to do the work of the Lord, just as it was for the apostle Paul, so it is with us. Allow His grace to work in and through you to accomplish His will in all that you do. The key is to daily humble ourselves before Him and admit our absolute need of Him and His grace. James 4:6, But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: " God resist the proud, But gives grace to the humble." see 1 Peter 5:5 also. I trust that each of you will grow stronger and more dependent upon Him as you continue to labour in Northern Ireland.
ReplyDeleteMay His grace be with each of you. Our prayers are with you all.