Calling – part 2 – and an update

Around the time I knew that Fuel was established (see my previous post) I began to sense God put new things on my heart. What was this like for me?

One thing was I started to feel a pull to go and work with people in different cultures and with both the same and different sorts of needs than those I’ve worked with in the U.K. There are such huge challenges facing much of our world and I felt like I am in a position to do something – so I must take the opportunity. A friend had given me a word they felt God saying for me last summer – “God is going to give you an opportunity and you should seize it”. In the Autumn, when I began to consider doing an overseas trip, I looked to Tearfund, whose work I’d known about for years, and the trip that I was drawn to on their website was one to Bangladesh. The timings of it worked for me, and I resonated with the vision with the charity who Tearfund partner with out there. 

Another friend of mine prayed for me and saw a red dot appear on a white background. “Have you considered going to Japan?” he asked. My reply was pretty blank – this wasn’t a place that I had been thinking about at all. But then I started to wonder, ‘I know some other countries have a red dot on their flag too…’ I typed Bangladesh into my phone and predictive text suggested a flag with a green background and a red dot in the middle! This was amazing because I honestly had no idea what the flag of Bangladesh was.

But above all, I didn’t really mind too much where I went. The one goal that burned on my heart was simply I want to sit down with someone, look them in the eye and for them to feel they’re not alone. That’s really it. That’s really all I hope to achieve or do through a trip with Tearfund. 

Since I wrote most of this blog post, I’ve received the gutting news that the Tearfund trip to Bangladesh I was to be a part of has been cancelled. Tearfund have currently grounded all non-essential travel, prayerfully and considerately, to help protect their staff and volunteers, and prevent the spread of Coronavirus to vulnerable people living in poverty. The cancellation has come as a huge shock and disappointment to myself and the others who were to be on team with me.

Right now I’m left with questions – what happens with the things God put on my heart? What about the things I thought He had said? I don’t know if there’ll be easy answers to that anytime soon, but I’m looking for how Jesus is working in the ‘plan B’ situations out there… including this one. And so I’ll still be sharing my adventures with God on this blog in the weeks and months to come. I’m not sure what these adventures will look like, and there may not be colourful pictures of life in Bangladesh, but I’ll be looking to share with you some parts of my journeys with Him. And I will update you as and when I work out what He might be leading me to do next.

Adventure comes from two words meaning ‘more to come’. When we pray we partner with Father God for His more to come here on earth as in heaven, so please pray…

> for the work of Tearfund, seeking to go where the need is greatest, that God would supernaturally provide for projects and people who are now without the expected support

> for myself and my wonderful team (pictured) who are not sure if we will get to travel together in future, that Jesus would illuminate the next steps in front of each of us so we can journey with Him

Thank you so much for your support!