The Journey

Sept 2007: Two agnostic, travelling twenty-something’s turned up at Chard Baptist church following an overseas trip which included helping some of the Tsunami affected communities in South East Asia. They gave a presentation which showed the work they had completed including building houses, working in a sea-turtle conservation project, a wildlife rescue centre and teaching English as a foreign language in orphanages and community centres. Being uncommitted to any faith, they asked the Pastor of the church if he knew of any non-Christian organisations who might be interested in having them work for them. The pastor replied ‘I know plenty of Christian organisations who would snap you up in a shot, which would be much easier. I can’t understand why you don’t think you are Christians- you are some of the most Christian people I know- Jesus is already living in you’…..

‘Jesus is already living in you… REALLY? What does that mean?? Are we really Christians and this spiritual feeling for working with the world’s poorest people is in fact the God of the Bible- who we learnt about in Sunday school all those years ago? Is this the voice we are hearing? Is it REALLY true that there is a living God and He is dwelling in us?’

Feb 2009: Having moved to various places around the UK saving money for their next overseas trip, the couple were at this time residing in Swindon. Living in a house-share and working excellently paid jobs they had been truly blessed and were enjoying exploring their new interest in the God of the Christians. They attended a variety of churches and began to watch documentaries and Bible movies, read books about this ‘Jesus’ and opened what would soon be their favourite book- the Bible. They started asking lots and lots of questions and felt an urgency and thirst to want to know the answers. Returning occasionally to the Pastor at Chard church, they attended various services including communion, where the understanding of eating and drinking the body and blood of Christ was a weird thing to try and get their heads around! The wife was praying for her husband to hear Gods voice as she was convinced by Him already. She was praying hard for months that God might speak clearly and then they could share a new life in Christ together. Meanwhile, the man challenged God in prayer, much like Gideon of the Old Testament:

‘OK God- if you are REALLY there you need to give a clear sign to me please as I don’t want to be a hypocrite and need to know you are real’

With a life changing event, God literally shook the man into listening by him having his first ever Epileptic seizure. Albeit difficult for the wife to understand, he was convinced this was the confirmation he needed from God that He was real, and he needed to change his life. And so the transformation began…

Oct 2009: A word came from the mission co-ordinator at church, inviting the couple to go on ‘mission’ to the Philippines. There was an orphanage and a hospital that would really benefit from their skills in Occupational Therapy and Maintenance management. He had already made contact and they were both able to offer free accommodation and food in exchange for their skills- for however long they wanted!

‘Be a Missionary!? Are you joking? We have only been Christians for a little while- how can God use us when we know so little about Him, Jesus and the Bible? You have to be proper good at the Bible and stuff to do something like that- don’t you? There is no way in a zillion yrs we qualify to serve in this way… is there?’

Feb 2010: The couple left their home and jobs again to travel to Philippines and completed their first ‘proper’ mission! They were challenged by how their skills could be best used in such a short amount of time, and tried really hard to be ‘effective’ for the good of the people and for Gods glory. During this time the couple had decided to emigrate to New Zealand and their worldly possessions were on a ship heading for Auckland, when God clearly spoke to the wife, saying that it was finally time for them to have a child- something that the couple had avoided for years and years. Having discussed it and prayed about it together they decided that God needed them to return to the UK after a trip in New Zealand- but they didn’t really know why…

‘What is this about God? We have arranged so much to start a new life overseas, and now we are heading back to the UK.. AGAIN! Our families will think we are crazy.. even WE think we are crazy! Surely we can have a child anywhere? In obedience we will do as you ask but we REALLY don’t get it! PLEASE show us what it is you need us to do for you, as we thought being in New Zealand was the answer?’

Jan 2011- June 2011: A word from God through someone at church ‘You guys want to work with people in foreign lands- you are Christians- why don’t you apply to BMS?’. The couple didn’t know anything about the mission agency and didn’t think that they would be interested in using such young Christians to work overseas. They decided that it would not cause any harm to apply as the worst that can happen is they would be told ‘no’. So in went the application, which was followed by an invitation for an ‘informal interview’. Then began a process of interviews, and the final decision day up in front of a candidate board came, in the International Mission Centre (IMC) Birmingham. The couple were still in disbelief that they had come this far through the process, but were humbled by the nature of all the sessions with staff and past mission workers who were all extremely encouraging. Then, as if in some sort of dream, the decision was made:

‘We would like to offer you a mid-term project, which involves 2-4 years, possibly in a hospital in Bangladesh. This will be dependent on completion of training here at the IMC, which will be a full academic year, taking into account your request for an extended training period. May God’s blessings be with you both as you begin this journey!’

This has been the most incredible journey! Now, having completed training we have flights booked to leave the country on 23^rd July- not as an inexperienced, unconfident new Christian couple, but as a family! Reflecting on the above story really demonstrates how God has had us in His hands since before we even acknowledged Him! We are humbled every day by the amazing work that BMS do in training and preparing mission personnel for serving the Lord overseas. God’s faithfulness is never ending and we now stand in Faith and confidence that we are truly part of God’s mission for this world. The feeling that He thinks us worthy for this work is indescribable, but we thank Him every day that He loves us all enough to invite us to be part of His Kingdom on Earth- and by reading this, you are too part of this journey!

Since returning to England from New Zealand in July 2010 we have seen Tasha’s Mum start attending church again and Sean’s Mum getting baptised in her own home. We have both been baptised. We have learned about the Bible, other cultures and world religions, and been challenged by Theology. We have laughed and cried, danced and been still. We have developed a more prayerful and devotional lifestyle and found a new love in each other. We have become parents, built amazing relationships with many other mission colleges and people in link-churches. We have transformed from mission trainees into mission personnel…

 ‘OK God- now we get it!

Prayer requests please:

1. For all mission personnel      in our preparations for leaving the country including packing and      vaccinations.
2. For BMS and all our      supporters in finances and prayer
3. For Bangladesh as a      country and its difficult political situation.
4. For our families as they      prepare for us leaving the country… AGAIN!

^‘6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.’ (Philippians 4:6-7, NIV)

With all God’s love and blessings to you all.

Tasha, Sean and Archie

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Dear all

Jesus’ Birth Story Quiz- Answers

1. False – Jesus was born between 6-4 BC. In the      sixth-century,Dionysius Exiguus, a Russian monk, was asked by Pope John 1      to outline the Christian calendar. Hiscalculations of dates are certainly      wrong. The Scriptures record that Herod the Great ruled Judea when Jesus      was born and history says that Herod died in 4 B.C., so Jesus had to be      born before then.
2. False – Mary is described as being ‘pledged to be      married to Joseph’ (Matthew 1:18 and Luke 2:5), so she is engaged rather      than married. A first-century Jewish engagement meant much more than a      modern day engagement. This is why the Bible talks of Joseph being her      ‘husband’ and that he considered ‘divorcing’ her (Matthew 1:19). At this      time, there was the custom for an engaged woman to wear a veil whenever she      went out of the home to show her commitment to her future husband. So, we      should undoubtedly picture Mary wearing a veil as she and Joseph travel to      Bethlehem.
3. False – of course, we don’t know for sure!      Nevertheless, it would have been very unusual for a girl to be unmarried      at such an old age! Girls usually married between 12-18 years of age.      There is nothing in the Scriptures to show that Mary was anything      different to the norm. In fact, some commentators state that the use of      the term ‘virgin’ specifically indicates a girl of 12-18 years of age      (Luke 1:27). However, it’s likely that Joseph was aged between 18-22. Once      again, this would have been normal for Jewish culture at this time in      history.
4. False – we know from rabbinic literature that there was      one inn in Bethlehem at this time, but there is no mention of an innkeeper      in either of the gospel birth accounts. We need to remember that when      Joseph went to Bethlehem, he was going home – that was the whole point of      the census.

See Luke 2:4. The town would have had plenty of relatives ready to welcome a member of their family. Yes, Mary was an unmarried pregnant woman, but Middle Eastern laws of hospitality override everything else, particularly when it comes to family members. The normal thing would have been to stay in a relative’s guest room not in the public inn, but there was no room, maybe because of other relatives also in Bethlehem for the census. Things become clearer when we unpack the Greek language. A commercial inn, where people paid to stay, is ‘pandocheion’. We find this word in Luke 10:34 when the Good Samaritan takes the wounded man to an inn and pays for his stay. This is not the word here in Luke 2. If we go to Luke 22:11 we find the word ‘kataluma’. Jesus instructs the disciples to prepare for the Passover meal and to ask the man carrying a water jar, ‘Where is his guest room?’ This is the same word in Luke 2. Most homes in New Testament times were built on two levels. The people lived upstairs and the animals lived downstairs. Many commentators think that Joseph and Mary were welcomed into a home, but there was no room in the guest room to give birth, so Mary was moved downstairs to the animal and storage area.

5. True – there is no indication that Jesus was born      immediately after Joseph and Mary arrived.

The thrust of the Greek language in Luke 2:6 suggests that Jesus’ birth took place at a later time.

Remember that Bethlehem was around a 60-70 mile journey away. What do we think of God or of Joseph that Mary had to travel so far when she was so pregnant? Many commentators believe that Joseph and Mary might have been in Bethlehem for a month before the birth, while other commentators think it could have been longer. Certainly it doesn’t make a lot of sense for Mary to travel the difficult journey over rough terrain while nine months pregnant.

6. False – the birth was a normal biological process. What      was miraculous was the virgin conception.

The Holy Spirit came upon Mary and she became divinely pregnant (Matthew 1:20 and Luke 1:35). So, Jesus was miraculously conceived not miraculously born. This is important because Jesus was fully God, so Mary conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, but He was also fully human and so His birth was ‘normal’ and would have involved all the blood and fluids that go with a human birth. Christ entered this world as flesh and blood and would experience everything it means to be human.

7. False – mangers were cut out of limestone because stone      is plentiful and wood is scarce.

Documents record only limestone mangers, many of which have been found, and these are also much more hard-wearing. There is no mention of straw or hay, neither of which were common.

The likelihood is that Jesus was both wrapped in cloths and more cloths were used for padding/bedding. Once again, this would have been the normal thing to do.

8. True – Jesus, or Yeshua, was an extremely common name in this period. It’s estimated that 1 in 25 males were called Jesus. Also, it’s calculated that 1 in 250 boys were called Jesus son of Joseph. With an estimated population at this time of 600,000 in Israel that is roughly 2,400 Jesus’ son of Josephs!

9. True – the fields around Bethlehem all belonged to the      Temple in Jerusalem, which is just 5 miles away. All the lambs bred on the      hillsides, and in the fields, were used for temple sacrifices,      particularly Passover. It was the responsibility of the Bethlehem      shepherds to know of the birth of new lambs, because they were the ones      who cared for them. They were always first on the scene when a Passover      lamb was born … and this was no exception!
10. False – remember in Luke 2:9 – the shepherdswere      terrified and rightly so! These angels were not chubby cherubs. The Greek      words for ‘host’ and ‘company’ are military terms. This vocabulary was      used of armies and soldiers.
11. True – there could have been any number of magi and the      chances are there were a lot more than three. Early church tradition says      there were twelve. There is a lot of evidence that they were either king’s      counsellors or priests. They are unlikely to have been astrologers,      because God so often condemned astrology through the Old Testament      prophets (e.g. Isaiah 47:12-14 and Jeremiah 8:2), so why would He now      ‘change His mind’? They are said to come ‘from the East’ which was a      particular Jewish expression which meant ‘from Babylon’. During the first      century A.D. the largest Jewish population was in Babylon. These were the      descendants of the captivity and exile which took place under      Nebuchadnezzar nearly six hundred years earlier. The Greek word ‘mag-os’      is taken from the Babylonian word ‘mag’ which means advisor or counsellor.
12. True – maybe! If it wasn’t that night, it was probably      the following night. Certainly it wasn’t months later. The Greek of      Matthew 2:1 shows that by the time the Magi arrived the birth had already      occurred. But, it is important to note that up to this time, no one in      Jerusalem had heard that anything extraordinary had happened or that      someone had been born in peculiar circumstances.

We know that Herod had a network of spies both in the towns and in the countryside. It is impossible that he would not have heard of this unusual birth – remember that the shepherds broadcast their news to the entire region and Bethlehem is only five miles from Jerusalem.

While they were ‘only’ shepherds their exuberant sharing to one and all about an angel of the Lord, the heavenly host and a baby in a manger would have been picked up my Herod’s ‘undercover agents’! Some have argued that because Matthew records that the magi came to the house (Matthew 2:11) they must have come at a later time. However, as we have already seen, Joseph and Mary were staying in a house from the beginning, so the magi could go to a house on the night Jesus was born.

13. True – at this time in Jewish history, there was a      common custom that friends and neighbours brought gifts to a new-born      child and prayed for his prosperity, peace and health. This visitation was      calledShalom Zakhar, which means the peace of the male child. It’s      really interesting that the magi presented Jesus with gifts which are very      suggestive of theShalom Zakhar: gold – a symbol of prosperity;      incense – a symbol of peace and myrrh – a symbol of health.

14. True – Jesus was circumcised and consecrated at the Temple. The Scriptures tell us that a pair of doves or two young pigeons was sacrificed to the Lord after his birth. This was the redemption of the firstborn son. This was all normal for religious Jews, but, Luke 2:41 tells us:’Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover’. For poor people this was exceptional. The annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem was not compulsory. It was encouraged, but not demanded. For many the trip was once in a lifetime, so to make an annual journey shows the high religious observance of Jesus’ parents. Finally, we can note Mary’s knowledge of the Scriptures by looking at her song in Luke 1:46-56. The lyrics refer to or allude to at least 13 Old Testament Scriptures.

Jesus’ Birth Quiz- answers are true or false

1. Jesus was born in 0A.D.
2. Mary wore coins in her hair as she journeyed to Bethlehem.
3. Mary was aged between 18-22 yrs.
4. The Bethlehem innkeeper showed Joseph and Mary to a shed.
5. Mary arrived in Bethlehem about a month before she gave birth to Jesus.
6. Mary’s delivery of Jesus is the miraculous Virgin Birth.
7. After Jesus was born, he was placed in a wooden manger filled with straw.
8. Jesus (Yeshua) was a very common name in the first century Israel.
9. The fact that shepherds are included in the story hints at Jesus’ death.
10. The angels who appeared looked like a church choir singing praises to God.
11. The Magi were twelve priests who came from Babylon.
12. The men from the East came the night Jesus was born.
13. The three gifts represented prosperity, peace and health.
14. Jesus’ parents were unusually pious.

Sean & Tasha Missionary Training Update 10/02/12

Back to the books!

We returned to college following the break and went straight into work placements for 3 weeks- the intention for which was to gain some experience in different church/ ministry area’s which we might not have done before. As I previously wrote, we were allocated to Handsworth Baptist Church which is run by Pastor John Prem Mall from India, and his family (below left). This experience provided an opportunity for us to be corresponding with this Asian Pastor, which proved to give us an insight into Asian leadership styles, organisation and ministry style (and sampling some home cooked Indian food- mmm). The most interesting learning for us was that of friendship evangelism with the inter-faith Asian culture. Much of Pastors John’s time is spent with Hindu’s and Sikhs who live in the local area and have a living knowledge and understanding of Jesus. Many of them hold Him in high esteem and even have them on their walls as they include them as one of their God’s they idolise. As you can imagine, this experience has really provoked some interesting questions and encouraged us to seek a deeper understanding of how to share the Gospel with these faith groups, as we are likely to meet them in Bangladesh!

We were all blessed to attend a commissioning service for our Brother Phil who is now residing at his project in Nepal doing graphic designing (above right). As a fundraising event there was a Ball and auction evening arranged by Phil’s family and church friends which raised over £1000 to support his time abroad, which was a wonderful blessing!

Following the placements we have all now returned to the books and are studying some new courses which include; Ethics of Jesus, Jesus Culture and Context, Mission themes in the OT, Spirituality 2, Psalms, Romans and Other Faiths. We are also all attending ‘The Marriage Course’ which is a set course derived from the Alpha course (something I’m sure many of you may have done before). The new modules are exciting and we are especially enjoying Ethics of Jesus, as this brings up some very interesting topics for debate, which are often very emotional and thought provoking including issues of money, power and homosexuality. We are able to discuss these issues in a private and confidential space, in relation to our previous experiences but also to mission and our future ministries. We are reminded of the phrase ‘What Would Jesus Do’ during this course and are encouraged to reflect prayerfully throughout.

As one of our first lectures back into the classroom, we studied the Nativity story in its true context and culture. There were some details of this extremely well known story that we as a class were able to analyse and find the answers for, however we were surprised at how little we actually DID know! Just for fun I have attached the questions we were given to this update, for you to explore for yourselves and I will then post the answers in the next instalment- enjoy!

A recent update for our project at LAMB hospital in Bangladesh was brought by our regional team leader (RTL) Margaret this week. We will be leaving the UK in time to start language training on July 29^th. In Dhaka which is up to 3 months. We will then be moving to the project and living in an allocated house which will be fully furnished on our arrival with the previous mission couples items, which will save us going to find it all when we get there. We have had it confirmed that Sean’s medication can be sourced from Dhaka when we arrive which is at a lower price than in England which is a great blessing- afterwards we will discuss the possibility of the hospital getting them for us during out time at LAMB. Visas for our trip should be OK due to a recent update on the visas situation in Bangladesh- these are being arranged by the RTL. The hospital Physiotherapist will be leaving in September so we pray that we can meet her before she leaves and will perhaps visit the project during our language training to discuss each of our job roles further with the existing staff.

Huge thanks for all your on-going prayers and support. We are waiting in anticipation for the arrival of little Shemwell now! As baby is due on March 4^th we pray the next update will include a photo for you all to see! Following regular check-ups, all is looking good and baby is on target for arrival as planned, therefore it is nappies and wet wipes at the ready. Thanks to everyone who have responded recently to the support letters sent out, and to all those who have donated clothes and other items for the baby- we have been so blessed by your giving and know that you will be blessed in return:

“Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” 2 Corinthians 9:7

Prayer requests for February please:

1. Handsworth Baptist Church and the ministry of friendship evangelism with inter-faith outreach.
2. Ongoing strength and health in body and mind, for our preparations and birth of baby.
3. Financial support for all Mission Trainees here at IMC.
4. Arrangements to be made regarding visiting link-up churches before leaving.
5. Pray for the IMC and BMS as they face challenges in re-structuring.
6. BMS workers in Bangladesh including Margaret Gibbs (RTL) who are serving- that they will enjoy fellowship and spiritual refreshment together, during an up-coming meeting in Dhaka.

Blessings to you all in the name of our beautiful Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Tasha, Sean and 6lb Bump!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Happy 2012!!

We pray everyone had a blessed Christmas time and celebrated the coming of what is going to be a very exciting new year for all I’m sure!

We had a really lovely time during the Christmas break, starting with a visit to Stoke to Sean’s family, where God showered us with the wonder of His creation of snow, and then it was on down to Devon and Somerset to catch up with friends and families. Thank you so much to all of you who hosted us and looked after us during our visit- you have all been a great blessing to us!

During the last few weeks of term leading up to finishing for Christmas we were all quite distracted and focused on the hand in dates for our assignments, which were all completed and marked on time. Thank you for your prayers of endurance and wisdom in writing as this has been challenging for us both, but particularly for Sean who has never really done academic assignments before! The feedback was useful and helped us to think more deeply and apply our knowledge for this coming term.

We had a commissioning service at the end of term, for our mid-term mission colleges who are off to different corners of the globe during this month of January. This service was an opportunity to really reflect on why we are all here and really put God at the centre of what we are doing and studying. It was such a blessing to send folk off on their journey, and reminded us that it will be the rest of us soon, before we know it!

During our first week back we discussed our independent development plans with our pastoral care leaders and had an opportunity to reflect on our thoughts and feeling at the beginning of the course, and to assess how far we have come. Upon arriving at IMC it was very evident that we both felt we had an inadequate amount of knowledge of the Bible, and the Christian faith in general, being such new Christians. We knew that being here was God’s plan, but why would he choose people like us who knew so little? As we settled in we were reminded that no matter where on the journey towards Christ we are, all Christians share this sense of longing to know more and to have more from Him- which is EXACTLY how God wants us to be. We are reminded of Moses and his feelings of inadequacy (Exodus 4:1-17), Gideon (Judges 6) and Elijah (2 Kings) who were all humble people, yet in their weakness God used them for amazing things! We are all chosen and will be used!

During this next month we are all completing placements in different areas of Birmingham. Sean and I have been placed at Handsworth Baptist Church which is headed by an Indian Pastor and is comprised of a mixed Asian/ British congregation including Indians, Bangladeshis and Nepalese. The plan is that we will have an experience under Asian leadership, be involved with Bible study groups, community house visits and Sunday services- the rest is yet to evolve! We are keen to get as involved as possible and are sure to be over fed everywhere we go, which pleases Sean immensely, though my meal sizes are dwindling due to ever increasing lack of space in my tummy! We will update you how things go!

Prayer requests for January please:

1. 1.       Ongoing strength and health for Tasha and the baby as she becomes increasingly uncomfortable- particularly for Tasha’s back.
2. 2.       Prayers for Phil, Laura-lee, Jyoti and Annette who are all heading off on their projects this month- for safe travels and a friend to be made on their arrival.
3. 3.       For all mission trainees here at IMC as we complete our placements and begin to think about our new list of up-coming assignments!
4. 4.       Please pray for yourself- that the spirit of God will be ever present in your life and re-light your relationship with Christ for this year to come. Pray that you are blessed and know that you are worthy and chosen for a love filled and joyful life.

Until the next time- may the spirit of God be ever present and shower you with grace and peace.

Tasha, Sean and 4lb Bump!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sean & Tasha Missionary Training Update 16/11/11

Hello all!!
I can’t believe it has been a month since we last wrote- though have had a week for half term in that time. We hope you all had a good half term for those of you who it affects- those of you who it didn’t, thanks for keeping going whilst the rest of us had a little break!! We used the half term to visit family and catch up on writing essays etc.. which was a real blessing.
Firstly we would like to thank you for all your prayers and e-mails- it is lovely to hear from people and how life is ticking along in the world outside IMC… it prevents us from becoming too institutionalised! God has answered prayers the past few weeks- Grandad’s surgery went well and he is on the road to recovery; the action teams all left fine and are enjoying their first month overseas; we had our 20wk scan and all is perfect with baby Shemwell, so we have plenty to thank God for!

We are not finding out what sex baby is- waiting for the surprise on the day!! Thanks to all those who have donated maternity clothes and baby stuff- everything we get is so helpful and you are truly blessed by your giving: Matt 6:4.
A highlight for last week was a visit to a Sikh ‘Gurdwara’, which is their temple for worship. This visit was part of our intercultural studies module and was an opportunity to learn about the different culture and ask lots of questions about their faith. It was a really interesting experience and the hospitality they showed us was amazing. The Gurdwara is open 365 days a year, 24hrs per day and they believe that no one should go away hungry, so offer free food around the clock. As you can imagine this means they have a great connection with those in the local area who are in poverty and they often support the homeless. The main belief about God is that there is only one God, but they accept all other world religions on the basis that we are all worshipping the same God, just from a different perspective- interesting and thought provoking stuff! As you can imagine the visit raised many questions and we had a great de-brief session to chat things through- all in all it was a great experience and a good practice on learning from other cultures.
Following the street evangelism experience, the Holy Spirit really laid it on the hearts of Sean and two other guys training here to go out and do a similar thing on a Saturday night, so off they went onto the streets of Selly Oak last weekend. Tasha stayed behind with a prayer team whilst the guys had an amazingly blessed time speaking with many men after enticing them with some free sweets! We were all unexpectedly surprised at how open people were to chat about their faith, and how many people actually said that this type of thing should happen more often! God even engineered a conversation with a Sikh man which he had equipped the guys well following our trip to the Gurdwara! All round it was a blessed experience and the guys are keen to get out and do it again soon!
Finally people, just a thought regarding an exercise we had for personal spirituality this week- how compassionate towards others are we REALLY? We know that Jesus teaches us through the parable of the good Samaritan how we should care for others; He even commands it as being as equally important as loving God,
“Jesus replied, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” (Matt v 22:37-140, NLT)
We were challenged to do something every day to show our compassion and love for others this week, and I chose to do a ‘secret act of service’. I really encourage you to try this- it is easy; simply pray for the Holy Spirit to guide you to a person who needs a little uplift and when that person is given to you, find a way to show them how valuable they are. As this is a ‘secret’ you must not claim that you have done this thing for them, but you are to remain anonymous. It is a real blessing to see the results of God’s love on a person, and you will be blessed in return by Him who loves us all! Give it a go!
Lastly a few prayer points please- we really value your input with these so thank you for your on-going support and commitment:
1. That all the short-term volunteers who have been here at IMC for training this week have met with God and they will be filled with His Spirit to go overseas in service
2. A special thought for persecuted Christians around the world as we focus on the area we will we be going to, in this week’s world prayer session on Asia
3. For continued health and strength for all three of us in this time of planning and preparation before our new arrival in March
4. Please pray for the ministry of street evangelism and that when the team set again to the streets they will be anointed by the Spirit
May the God of Peace be with you, and we pray that you are blessed throughout the coming weeks.
Speak soon
Tasha, Sean and (ever-increasing in size and energy) Bump
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sean & Tasha

Greetings!

We trust all is well with everyone and the Lord is close. Soo
much has happened since we last communicated it is difficult to know where to
start really- so I have selected a few highlights for your information.

To follow on from the last e-mail we did indeed go onto the
streets of Birmingham to take part in street evangelism! Having been always
known as quite a confident person, and ‘she who never shuts up’ I surprisingly
found this day REALLY challenging. Whilst I understand and support the ministry
of street evangelism, I never thought of myself as being able to do this, and
as many of you know, would feel much happier standing on a street corner
playing my guitar and singing! But, actually TELLING a stranger that Jesus
loves them and giving them a hug…. no thanks… not for me. The Lord stripped
me of all confidence that morning and I was fearful of the reactions I might
get. So I kept thinking that a few comments and funny looks was nothing compared
to what Jesus went through for me. Then God sent some angels in the form of my
mission trainee colleagues, who prayed for me and reminded me of Psalm 126:5-6

‘Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. They will
weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the
harvest’

On the streets of Birmingham I think I hugged about 30
strangers and told them all about the free gift of love from Jesus Christ. I
got told to ’ f*** off.. I don’t need a hug’ and ‘there must be a catch’.
Praise God, by His grace I am still here to tell the tale singing as I return
with the harvest

Another great moment recently was a half night of prayer to
concentrate on the countries to which we are all heading in service. The
evening was from 7.30-11.30pm and we were all given timeslots for our country
continent, so we joined with the action team who are heading off to India and
the other mission trainees going to China and Thailand. Everyone arranged a
station in the corner of the room as a focus point and on our station we had
photos highlighting the main prayer points for Bangladesh (lack of clean
drinking water, political unrest and violence, human rights issues and flooding
and human displacement), and some bowls of Bombay mix. At the end of the
evening we all took part in a communion service with a twist, which included
horseradish and honey! Please read the link write-up done by Matt (our team
leader) for more information

http://www.baptist-heartofengland.org/index.php/monthly-message/298-bitter-sweet-symphony-a-creative-communion

Finally friends- we look forward to updating you soon and
will have the second photo of baby Shemwell as we are off for our 20 wk scan on
Monday… VERY excited!

Prayer points for the coming weeks pls:

1. Linda
   (IMC cook) and her family whilst they mourn the passing of their Father this
   week
2. For
   my (Tasha’s) family (especially Grandad) as we prepare for him going for
   surgery this month
3. We
   pray for a continued renewal of the spirit to deepen our personal relationships
   with God
4. Please
   pray for all the action teams who have now left IMC and are on their way to
   their worldly destinations to serve for 6 months. Lord, be with them and their
   families (see links

Peru-  http://www.bmsworldmission.org/people-and-places/people-with-bms/directory-of-people/peru-action-team,
Uganda- http://www.bmsworldmission.org/people?keywords=uganda+action+team&type=Team&where=All,
Lebanon- http://www.bmsworldmission.org/people?keywords=lebanon+action+team&type=Team&where=All,
India- http://www.bmsworldmission.org/people?keywords=india+action+team&type=Team&where=All,
and Kosovo )

May the Lord Bless you and keep you all

Tasha,
Sean and Baby Sprat (now kicking a lot! )

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

We have had a wonderfull meal tonight and shared fellowship with all the new students and staff.  We had an amazing warm welcome this evening and the worship service was interactive, very relaxing and it feels like home already.  We feel truly blessed that God has called us here and we pray that we can continue to grow in his light.

We have registered with the nurse today and will be attending a doctors oppointment tomorrow, this is to arrange a mid-wife appointment and, to get medication for myself.

We are reading bloggs from former or current mission workers, as a first resaerch assignment in our amazing, warm and humble flat.  Looking forward to our first full day tomorrow.

Many Blessings to you all