Home away from home

Hello world,

Wow.. It's been a while. Or at least it feels like it. It is safe to say that it has been a jam packed fortnight since I arrived in Swansea.

It is also safe to say that I am absolutely LOVING it.

It is amazing to think that although I've only been here 2 weeks, this feels as much like home as my actual home does. I really thank God for the incredible (and at times overwhelming) kindness and generosity shown not only by my hosts, but by all the members of both churches and all the community I'm working with.

Let me explain my situation for those of you who don't know what's going on.

I am currently 2 weeks into my 6 week (ish) placement in Swansea. I am being shared between Dunvant Christian Fellowship in Swansea and Castleton Chapel is Mumbles.

Dunvant - www.dunvant.com/
Castleton - http://castletonchapel.co.uk/

My program here is really varied and gives me a great opportunity to work in and experience different ministries and groups of people. So far I've helped in toddlers groups, kids clubs, youth groups, holiday clubs, student groups, school assemblies and Sunday services and meetings. I've also been given the opportunity to see the behind the scenes of what goes into these different activities and allowed to contribute in planning and preparing some of these sessions. It feels really cool to be allowed to do things like tell stories in assemblies and clubs, and take on more of a leadership role in that sense. But boy does a lot of work go into these things. In once sense I'm so glad to be here, just to provide another set of hands to help to all the work.

However, I really don' t want to seem self righteous or arrogant in saying this. Although i'm supposed to be here serving, I feel I am being blessed so much more than I blessing or helping the community here. I cannot praise this program highly enough, purely just for the exposure of being surrounded with such incredible, Christ centred people at every stage, and being bolstered to have that passion and excitement for God. It is such an amazing honour and privilege just to watch what these people are doing, and how they are living for the Lord, let alone be apart of it.

I am also doing a discipleship course alongside my placement, which I am finding incredibly encouraging and refreshing. It is a really good way of forcing me to stop being busy for a while and just to spend that time focusing on God. This last week I did a study on the God that saves, which really delved deep into to idea of salvation. I found this study really uplifting as I got to study and read about both the simplicity and complexity of salvation theologically, but also rest in beautiful bible passages about OUR God who saves, such as Romans 8. (Which I would highly recommend to absolutely everyone... just FYI)

And so this whirlwind I now call life goes on. It is amazing, and tiring, and wonderful. And it feels like home.

"Everyday I will thank you. I will praise you forever and ever!" Psalm 145:2 GNB