Ok, so the countdown has begun. This time next week, I will have, finally, arrived in India for two weeks of working with Gateway Ministries with a gang of six of us from City Temple Church in Cardiff. I'm going to try and jot down some thoughts as I go through the two weeks. I can't promise it'll be every day but I'll try to do it as often as I can.
It has been almost exactly twenty years since I went on an international trip with church and so it was with a lot of trepidation that I said yes to this trip. About a year ago, Nigel, one of the pastoral team at City Temple Church spoke of a recent trip to India and of the desire of the church and Gateway Ministries, our partners in India, to run a conference for the almost 200 pastors in the Gateway network. Many of these wonderful men have had little or no training for the work they are doing, entirely by faith. It was as Nigel described this that I knew deep down that I needed to be on this trip whenever it happened. I looked at Ros and she looked at me and said, "you're going, aren't you." Only with her support has this been possible. I immediately spoke to Nigel as I knew that if I didn't I would find 101 reasons to back out.
So, here we are, with less than a week to go. I know so deeply that this is the right thing to do and that it is what God wants me to do but does it scare me? AB-SO-LUTE-LY!! India seems to be an amazing country but it has never been top of my destination list. I'm not a huge fan of hot, spicy food, and as for creepy crawlies and the like, just ask my kids! The culture simply pushes me out of my comfort zone by a long way. I know that this will be immensely good for me, but it does make me anxious. I'm a bit more comfortable with the activities we'll be doing whilst out there but it is still very challenging to ensure that I work in God's strength rather than my own.
I have way too much to do before I leave and way too much to get my head around but I know that the team I'm going with are awesome and that the God I serve has never let me down.
As I think about the coming week, I'm drawn to those famous words in Matthew's gospel where Jesus issues a challenge but gives us the comfort of knowing He will be with us ...
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:19, 20 NET - emphasis mine)
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