Dear Friends,
Change is never easy, I (Ed) really don’t like change. I like to have a routine and know what I am up to. I can, however, get distracted very easily, so at times it is a challenge to keep focused particularly if I know that nobody is checking up on me and what I am doing. My ability to remain focused becomes more of a challenge when I know that what I need to do will result in change and the unknown for me.
Last week I felt challenged as I read a daily devotional on 2 Timothy which talked about how God planned works for us to do before the creation of the world! As I take the small, slow steps towards the trial of the farming project, this comment got me thinking, God planned for me to do this, therefore I need to stop worrying about it and step out and get on with it, and then see what God will do through it. If it never actually goes any further than the proposal I know that God has been and will be teaching me more through just the process.
So with that in mind, the budget has been submitted along with a suggestion of location. We now have to wait for approval before moving onto preparing the training materials. At this phase it is entirely in Gods hands as we have just discovered that there are major financial issues from a global level which will impact all existing and proposed projects.
Aside from the farming project my role within work has changed (again). l am now be the assistant to the programs director instead of the country director as it was felt that his work load was heavier and thus in need of more help and support. On the positive side this will hopefully help me to understand more of the operations side of FH, however it also means adjusting to a new boss. It has had a bit of a bumpy start but is now improving and challenging me again on my work attitudes and motivating myself to get on with what needs to be done.
Our church families groups met together for a BBQ last month, during which many expressed a desire to join back together as 1 group. Upon reflection we decided that this would be a positive move as the smaller groups lacked core families meeting consistently together. So this month we were all back together with a few changes, the biggest change being that the pastors took care of the children in one location whilst the parents met in another, enabling the adults to enter in the discussion without the distraction of the children.
These last two months have been very waring for us as a family with the boys suffering from repeated bouts of sickness and diarrhoea, and thus a trip to the Drs, whilst trying to support the boss and his wife who both had emergency operations within a week of each other. All are doing better now, though Ali the Bosses wife is still in a lot of pain. It has left us feeling pretty wiped out and in need of somehow recharging our own batteries, ready to face whatever challenges come up next.
We have really appreciated all of your prayers and words of encouragement during this time, they have helped to keep us going.
Thank God for:
- Financial provision as we are now only £60 short of our monthly target
- Sustaining and protecting us during these last 2 months which have been very challenging on many levels
- God’s grace as we serve him in the way He wants.
Ask God for:
- Gods continuing encouragement and our obedience to follow him
- Health and full recovery for the boys
- Wisdom as we serve God through the relationships we have
Blessings
Ed, Sarah, Alana, Isaiah & Lucas
