Generosity and journeying

So the Advent series has drawn to a conclusion - much like the birth of a child: there is much anticipation and climax building and then, when here all must quieten in order for the babe to sleep. It is a time for even more pondering...

Over the last four weeks I have travelled with the excellent people of Stewardship on their #adventwonder series and on the way we have paused to wonder about angels, shepherds, innkeepers, gifts, Mary, Joseph, and so much more that fills the story of anticipation and arrival of the Messiah. I have deliberately set aside time to wonder about all of these aspects (I've been assisted at times by also using a little book called 'C is for Christmas' (Wiersbe and Wiersbe)) and I have become rich for the experience. My preparation for advent and Christmas itself in times past has often been the place for commenting 'I just don't feel Christmassy yet!' - on this journey I felt ready physically, emotionally and spiritually for the joyous celebration of Christ's coming to earth. I am truly grateful for the opportunity and the journeying with my friends across the world who have used the same way by using #adventwonder.

Thanks for travelling with me! (See you in February for #40acts !)

It's a birthday!

Tomorrow is Jesus' birthday (possibly not the real date but we don't really know), yesterday was Jack's birthday (also possibly not the real date as his parents were given the choice of 23rd or 24 th because he was born on the stroke of midnight).

Tomorrow we will celebrate Jesus' birthday with gifts and a big meal.

Yesterday we celebrated Jack's birthday with gifts and a big meal.

Jesus spent a lot of time with his friends.

Jack spends a lot of time with his friends.

It really feels good having Jesus in my family as well as Jack!

When Jesus was born the Bible say that Mary 'pondered' upon that which had gone on: angels, shepherds, stables and the like. We have no record of her thoughts but that she took time to think.

When Jack was born he was the third child (a fourth was to follow). We took care of him as any parent would, we wanted the best for him. That takes a lot of 'pondering' for any parent. The balance of aspiration and reality.

These days we are so proud of who Jack is. His character and personality are warm and friendly, he make friends easily, he is good company, he has great taste in music, he is a phenomenal drummer. Some of those things we thought about a long time ago - some we didn't.

I can't help but wonder what thoughts were in Mary's mind as she held that baby in a borrowed shed...

Maybe I should spend more time myself wondering about her baby as well as mine...

Bread for Today

Today I am wondering about bread.

One thing I really enjoy is baking. I have a pretty small repertoire but I can produce a pretty good cake - in fact yesterday before breakfast knocked up a chocolate Swiss roll and turned it into a Yule log which impressed Catheime no end!

However my attempts at bread making are not so successful at all. If the lock builders yard runs out of house bricks I can supply them straight from the oven! Bread is such a basic commodity that when Jesus taught his disciples how to pray daily bread was the practical prayer he made.

Fortunately I can go to a supermarket and buy the bread I cannot bake - but I'm the blessed one. I have money, ability, and freedom to do so. Not everyone ia blessed in this way. 

Today I will be looking at my funds to consider if there is a charity or individual I can help to receive their duly bread. Christmas is a time when many people over indulge - I want to ensure it'ss a time when all people can eat bread at the very least.

It's a mystery

With Christmas only a matter of days away for most of us the focus is on preparation. Even the simplest Christmas requires some preparing. Whether it is food to be bought, gifts to be wrapped or rooms to be readied for the visitors who will arrive soon activity is the order of the day.

In the midst of the activity there is little opportunity to pause, stop, reflect on the mystery of Christs birth.

Yet mystery it is. 

Why should God wrap himself up as a scrap of humanity?

Why would he do this via a betrothed teenager in what we now call the Middle East?

Why would he choose a stable for his arrival?

Or shepherds as his first visitors?

Why would wise men bring such bizarre gifts as gold, frankincense and myrrh?

There is mystery here - and wonder- wrapped in faith and hope. Don't be so active that you miss the mystery of Bethlehem.

Baggage and Fear

Baggage and fear.

Two things that get carried through Advent and grow at the same time. Today I am caused to wonder about these twins - through the story on the edge of the Christmas tale, that of Herod.

Here is a man that carries both baggage and fear: the baggage of being a roman puppet king, the fear that his power could disappear any moment, the baggage of personal failure in relationships and the fear that those who come to him might undermine his position - and no doubt many other things beside. His holding on and his terror causes him to enact a wicked law which leads to the slaughter of innocents. No wonder we tend to skip over this part of the narrative. I find myself having to pause at this point as our own news media have brought the story in recent days of the slaughter of innocents in a Pakistani school. Our hearts stop at this horror - our anger rises at the perpetrators. An act committed out of fear and the weight of assumed religious responsibility. A mourners simple placard reminds us that "Terror is not a faith".

In being drawn into the first or twenty first century story it would be easy to ignore baggage and fear on a personal level.

I wonder how many people carry the baggage of expectation this season? Someone expects them to behave in a particular way - maybe it's the friends who expect riotous behaviour from the mild, maybe it's a selfish spouse who expects more than can be given, maybe it is baggage from childhood that makes this time of year a burden. 

And what about fear? There are those that fear the actions of those close to them that over indulge, there is fear for some in every purchase and every keying in of their credit card PIN number - knowing they will never afford this Christmas.

The essence of advent, the sense of Christmas is in love - and perfect loves throws fear into the rubbish bin. The astronomers seek the one born King of the Jews in order to lavish Him with worship and their love; Jesus in sent into the world to show how much God lives the world.

His perfect love casts out fear, releases the baggage and leads to the most beautiful freedom of spirit imaginable.

Listen...

I When I woke this morning just before six o'clock - my normal time for getting up - I start a conversation with God. He said to me 'just listen'. I tried to rationalise with Him but he said again 'listen'. And so I went to my normal place to pray, didn't do the things I normally do but just listened.

God reminded me of the importance of hearing Him. He brings a message of peace and of challenge. He brings comfort and, in the right way, disturbance.

I felt a little bit like Zecharaiah who was placed in a position of only being able to listen until he named his son John.

I felt a little like Joseph who listened to the voice of an angel to reassure him that his life was to be changed beyond imagining.

I felt like a shepherd in the darkness of the night having my normality changed and presented with the chance to witness God at work.

I felt like a disciple hearing 'come and follow me'.

My 'Advent wondering' has taken me many places in the last three weeks or so. To 'just' listen is a place I must visit more often...

Who's coming for Christmas ?

Christmas is about 'gathering'. The coming together of generations of families to celebrate the Holy Family.

Advent is about anticipation and waiting with expectation.

There is a romantic notion that Joseph and the heavily pregnant Mary made a lonely way to Bethlehem across windswept plains and through lonely streets. This is depicted in film and on cards - the stranger born in a manger.

I suspect that the truth was quite different - Joseph was heading to Bethlehem because there was a census to be held. Everyone had to be registered in their 'own town' so the whole family made their way to Bethlehem. Parents and children would have gathered en route to travel together to the placebos census. Every step bringing conversation and expectation of meeting up with those in the family who had not been seen for a long time. The Roman imposed census had presented the very family oriented people with an opportunity to get together. 

Christmas still does that - we have an opportunity to gather together once again, generation with generation, brother and sister, cousin, grandparent - even those who are unrelated are welcomed in...

Every year across the world the Advent of Salvation is acted out in our homes. And we miss the significance!

When Jesus came he came into community, he created community.

When we gather together unwittingly we are doing the same - we are recognising family bonds, the love that holds us together and, at the same time, welcoming in those who have no bloodline with us but share a relationship.

Christ's coming was for the family of the Jewish nation - and ultimately embraced the whole community of humankind.

Who are you welcoming into the community of your family this advent? 

A star; Promoted to Glory

I normally come to blogging, especially in Advent, with a definite lightness in my heart and hands. This is tinged today with the knowledge that over the last few days I have received news of numerous people who have ministered within the Salvation Army who have, as we say, been "Promoted to Glory". Today my thoughts king the star of the East will blend with my thoughts on these people.

As a child I used to love looking at the night sky, the 'space race' was very much part of my early years. I remember the Apollo missions (just) and recall the excitement of looking to the heavens with my white telescope and 'Observers Book of Astronomy' with the hope that I would have a vague idea of what was going on up there! I can still identify numerous constellations and even explain why some planets appear to go backwards occasionally. Looking at the night sky on a daily basis reminds me that this is a map of the universe with fixed points - never changing.

Which is why a star that stands still to guide men of wisdom fills me with wonder. A star should be moving with the rest of the universe. A star should twinkle in the back ground not point to a baby in a manger, directing the seekers.

My life has been full of 'stars' giving me direction, unfailing, full of faith, pointing the way to that same child in the manger.

And not only me but countless others - numberless as the stars in the night sky - individuals being so fixed on one point that they were people of integrity and direction. And the point they have been fixed upon is the one who was pointed to by that star - over the years, in his name, they have served as Salvation Army Officers and clothed the naked, fed the hungry, welcomed strangers and pointed the way to Jesus. Some have done this through practical service, leadership writing of music, leading of worship.

It is with a real sense of wonder that I give thanks for these people - and all who still direct towards Jesus. I pray that I will be a 'star' too.

Did you get everything?

When I was about nine years old there was one thing that I wanted for Christmas. I made sure it went on my list: a super safe.

In these days of iPhones and Playstations etc a money box that looked like a safe complete with tumbler lock doesn't seem much - but it was what I really wanted. 

Christmas morning came and, as usual, we made our way down stairs to see in the glow of the fire what had been left for us overnight. The coloured paper, the ribbons, boxes large and small, the twinkling lights on the tree and the wonderful aroma of the fruit that had been placed in the room overnight: this sensory richness was the introduction for the opening of presents. Being the youngest I would start, my sister, Linda next and so on. We had wonderful gifts that year, presents that took your breath away! So many things we had asked for and got - and more besides. My parents always ensured we had a happy Christmas. It was wonderful! The memory as vivid now as the experience was then.

A few hours of happy playing, eating, eating and playing and we got to Christmas dinner. Once again the senses were almost overwhelmed.

After Lunch my mum asked 'did you get everything you wanted?' 'Oh yes!' Chimed Linda and I, no doubt thanking profusely at the same time. 'Are you sure?' '...erm, ...yes?' 'What about this?' 

A final present was produced and handed to me: before I took the wrapping off I knew what it was: the Super Safe! My joy, and my Christmas wish list was complete!

Now there are a number of things that make me wonder here: the brilliant childhood that I had, truly happy, with my parents pulling out every stop to ensure we had a great time not only at Christmas but throughout the year. it can't have been easy - but they showed us such great love. I am filled with wonder and thankfulness.

Then there's the richness of Christmas reflecting the richness of that first morning in Bethlehem - assaulting the senses in a different yet no less powerful way.

What strikes me most when I wonder about this memory is my own selfishness. The gift that I thought so valued was completely forgotten in the generosity I received. Too easily are we swayed from our own thoughts and values and swept along with the excitement / drama of what is going on around us.

Over the 41 years after this event there have been times when I have been overwhelmed by what is going on to the point of distracting me from important issues- because I was focusing on myself.

I pray it is a practice I have left behind.

Ethical Christmas

I expected to be writing about Joseph this morning, however, as I prepared for the day through my devotions I was turned in a completely different direction: ethical Christmas Shopping...

A few weeks ago I was looking for something 'smart but cool' to wear ( for those that know me, you will realise that this is not a style that comes naturally to me) and felt that I had found the very things - but they were in an ethically dubious shop... What to do? The price was in my budget, they were available, they fitted my 'style requirements'...

Our normal practice in my family is to start with the charity shops, we've bagged many bargains over the years, saving literally hundreds of pounds. When we shop for gifts for others we normally focus on small independent local traders, a unique gift that is helping an individual as well as fulfilling our requirements is an extra special present. We even support the Salvation Army through the Secret Santa in the office. Ethical shopping is part of our general make up.

How do we know, however, that everyone in the production and supply chain is being treated fairly? Who defines what is 'fair' anyway? I could go shopping iPad in hand to check the ethical statement of every company but to be truthful I would just be in the way and take a lot of time.

As I wonder about this issue I reassure myself that I take an appropriate stand but also that I could do more - and will do more - not only at Christmas but throughout the year as well. A habit established regularly will surely equip anyone better than a simple seasonal adjustment...

And, if you were wondering, no I didn't buy the clothes. Like a wise man from the East I returned home by a different route.

On a journey...

I suspect that on every reality show on TV the phrase 'I've been on an amazing journey' is heard more than once. I always hear and think "what a stupid thing to say!". This morning I have been wondering about this phrase as part of my reflecting on Advent - which is a journey of hope and discovery. 

In order for their to be a journey you need to move from commencement to destination, passing through "touch-points" or staging posts along the way. Most journeys are not a simple straight line, and this journey through Advent is no different.

As we travel towards Bethlehem and the arrival of the Messiah we travel through uncharted territory such as the existence and belief in angels, the prospect of a virgin birth and the vague possibility that Jesus was born in a cave not a wooden stable. These, and many others, cause us to stop, pause, reflect and move on. If we don't then the journey falters or possibly ends there and then.

Some things we need to take more time over, or return to, so that we can understand them a little better - it's not a straight road without detour, twist or turn. It is a journey of faith.

In fact our own journey of faith in Jesus is equally meandering and turning as we are challenged by His teaching, the giving of and use of Spiritual gifts, whether we display Spiritual fruits, how we live in community, whether my worship is about my preference or my motivation. Our hope rises and falls, our adoration likewise. We walk the road less travelled so there are few to help us on our way.

Perhaps a little Advent gift we could treat ourselves to is to find a travelling partner - or acknowledge the ones we already have - because travelling with a companion is always more pleasurable than travelling without.

If the reality contestants have experienced many or any of these feelings then maybe they are right - they have been on a journey.

Have you?

Lost things

Listening this morning to a devotional on sheep I was driven to thinking about the fact that the first people that are recorded as visiting Jesus, when he was born, were shepherds.

My recollection is that shepherds were not in the high class of society, not well to do, not even regarded as working class even - they were the roughest of the rough and the toughest of the tough. Frequently smelly, often without other friends, they were almost social lepers because of how they made their living.

I remember when we lived in London, leading a large Salvation Army Church, we had a drop in morning on a Thursday when anyone could come and have a drink and a chat, watch some television, or simply stay warm. Our youngest son was not yet old enough to go to school and so he came along with us almost wherever we went. These men - and one or two wome - became his friends. Often they were estranged from their own families and so the presence of a child was something they rarely encountered. As he played with his toys and talked to them he had his own ministry of innocence to them.

After a couple of years, when he had started school, he was taken on a school visit when he had to walk with his class to the destination. Following the trip the school contacted us concerned because he talked to everyone and went out of line to speak to the 'tramps'. We told the school that we trusted them to keep him safe, as we had done, but that these people were his friends and we could no more discourage him from talking to them than we could stop him playing football in the playground with his playmates (ironically the school managed to prevent the latter in due course!).

In a child's innocence is repeated the action of the Messiah. The lost, the last, the least and the lonely are welcome - in fact they are sought after by angels to come and worship.

As I #adventwonder this morning I can't help but think that I may have not been as intentional in seeking the lost as I could have been.

The Gift of Giving

My friends at Stewardship who run the #adventwonder programme threw me a bit of a curve ball this morning.

Their message today is about angels and how they were used to give the message of the birth of John the Baptist and then Jesus, how they spoke to the shepherds, how they could not help but reflect the glory of God such was the wonder of this message. Then they sucker punch me by turning this on it's head and challenging me about giving. Nice move - didn't see that coming! And it did challenge me significantly.

You see in my ministry knew of the things I have to do is challenge people about their giving - never comfortable but very necessary. The challenge is one that I take to myself, but when you hear it coming from elsewhere it has added power.

I'm not thinking here of my gift giving at this time of year - I try to be generous and thoughtful (especially to my wife who has a birthday four days after Christmas: always difficult to make it special). No, this giving is about my regular contribution to my church and other important worthy causes, generally charities.

I try to work towards giving a tithe (10%) but often miss the mark.

I try to support charities that are underfunded but often misjudge.

I try to support young people who go on mission trips but often they've been and gone before I know it.

I try to give cheerfully but, honestly, sometimes I do so begrudgingly.

And that last one is the key - the attitude of giving is as important as the amount. In real terms there are some occasions that to give more financially would put my family at risk (The Lord may love a cheerful giver but He also expects we will pay our heating and lighting bills and feed our children). But a generous attitude in giving what I can is about the motivation, and this is the spirit of the angels: sent to give a message to smelly shepherds in a draughty field, they could not help but praise God in the highest!

I am focusing on my attitude of giving as well as the amount of my giving - and that includes time and talents as well as financially. 

Thanks for the reminder!

Can I borrow your cave?

Can I borrow your...cave?

Really? Borrow my cave? What's this got to do with #adventwonder?

Everything!

Jesus was born in a cave on the edge of Bethlehem. No great surprise there - the farming folk and the livestock owners used the caves to store all sorts of things, including the life stock etc yes it was a stable - but it was a stable created from nature. And it was borrowed, or probably freely given out of desperation, by an innkeeper (possibly also a family member - don't forget that Joseph had to go to his ancestral town of origin) who didn't want the highly expectant and about to deliver Mary making his own dwelling ritually unclean by giving birth there - he had no rooms anyway! Add to that the fact that the cave would have been one of the cleanest places to take the fragile Mary to give birth because it was regularly cleaned and swept (not sure whether they used disinfectant) because the animals that normally inhabited the space were a precious commodity. You look at any farm today when the animals are out of the barn or the stables they get really cleaned!

The cave, borrowed, was the obvious place - the best place - for Jesus to be born. 

Humble, utilitarian, unadorned.

And how does the world celebrate this ?

I'll leave you to draw your own conclusions (but I #adventwonder if we will ever really understand Christ's coming without equally remembering that he left earthly life in the same way: wrapped in cloths in a borrowed cave...)

Waiting, anticipating...

Today I found myself wondering about Anna, the lady who spent time day after day at the temple in order to see the Messiah when he came.

There's a lady with a life full of hope - elderly and yet still looking forward with anticipation! Can you imagine her joy when it was confirmed to get that the baby she saw in his mothers arms was the prophesied Messiah?

Advent is all about waiting, patiently anticipating.

Waiting...

Anticipating...

Waiting...

Anticipating...

For Anna this took more than eighty years.

Catherine, my wife, doesn't like to queue, she is not blessed with patience, neither is she a great anticipator - yet she is full of faith and hope. I have learned from her to wait and anticipate things that are worth waiting for, the things not of this earth but the things of faith. She knows through discernment when it is time to see God at work and this she does actively.

This is where Anna comes in - she 'waited actively'. Watching all the time.

My #adventwonder today, inspired by two women of faith one ancient and one modern, one old and one young, is to wait actively on The Lord and to dwell in his house forever.

Angels with bagpipes

Nine years ago, while shopping for an advent wreath in North London, we received a telephone call asking if there was any reason why we could not take a ministry appointment in North Scotland (for perspective remember that, at the time, we had three sins in education, one had recently started a job, they were part of a large, young church in the suburbs of the most exciting city in the world). Almost without hesitation our reply was 'yes, of course'. It was a response that changed all of our lives - I am sure for the better. Within a few minutes I sat with coffee in my hand in the restaurant (it was a Garden Centre after all - not much about plants but lots of books, furniture, and Yankee candles) and let the news sink in to my heart and mind as I discussed it with Catherine. We resolved the next day to do what we always did  on a Wednesday morning - we would walk across Hampstead Heath from Kenwood to Parliament Hill Fields and pray and talk the issue through.

The next day duly comes and we did exactly that. This was a walk we took almost every week for a five year period of our lives, we frequently saw the same people and the same sounds. But this week was different. This week someone else turned up: an angel playing bagpipes! Yes, in the middle of our walk we started to hear the sound of the pipes and as we reached the brow as you approach the bandstand on the heath there, ahead of us, was an individual in highland dress playing the pipes. 

We had never witnessed this before, and we never saw or heard him again, but this day looking for surety about a move to Scotland an angel reassured us that we would be fine - simply by his presence.

My Advent Wonder today is about angels - we get to meet them when we are unaware, they herald the goodnews (of the Gospel not just of appointment changes), they reassure.

I wonder if I have missed an angel at some point when God has sent one? I wonder if Zechariah, Joseph, Mary and the shepherds could possibly have missed this wonderful visitation?

I wonder if you may have missed God's reassurance as well....

(It's also #givingtuesday - be an angel and be generous to those around you today- an early gift, a compliment, the giving of time, go on!)

His mother's son

The Magnificat is Mary's song. 'My soul magnifies The Lord...' She sings when she visits her older and, oh so different, cousin Elizabeth. This performance of joy, this exclamation of blessedness comes from a young woman, barely more than a child because something has happened to her that, by all rights, should end in her public disgrace and stoning.

A few years ago a read a first hand account of this practice from one of the modern day eastern countries. It is a barbaric practice visited on those women who live a life away from the holy writings of the country. It is both public spectacle and religious warning - 'act in this way and this is the outcome'. The man, I believe generally gets a slap on the wrist. 

With this in my mind I read the account of Mary and Elizabeth again... Mary's life is in danger before she has really lived but, and this is the thing that has really made me be filled with wonder, she is not only able to be composed about the whole thing she performs a song to praise God in the presence of her cousin who is the epitome of religious and social conformity.

My moment of #adventwonder has stirred in me the desire to look for and rejoice in the most extreme circumstances and decisions of this season. To observe, and even experience, adversity and see it as a blessing, to focus specific prayers for those who could not publicly declare their faith, and for those young girls who find themselves 'with child' and are full of fear of the reactions of others.

For myself, in this moment, My soul magnifies The Lord.

Advent Wonder

As promised a couple of weeks ago there will be a daily Advent blog throughout this lovely season of expectation and anticipation!

The last couple of years Advent has been very different for me. Whereas I have been used to a time of great busyness, singing and playing Christmas Carols at various Salvation Army and associated functions, preparing food parcels, toy parcels and the like, ensuring our own folk have a good season of expectation as well as the needs of the community are met much of that stopped when I changed my ministry to one as a Divisional Leader. Don't get me wrong - I still get involved in many of the above things but not for a congregation or district that is 'mine' - or 'ours' as Catherine and I have a joint and equal responsibility.

Two things happened: firstly I discovered that most of the people, fellowships and centres that I have responsibility for don't want me around at this time - unless I can be useful to them (and rightly so - I have never wanted to be seen as a guest but as a co-worker); secondly the beginning of Advent includes a five day conference considering the future appointment of officers. This alone is a sacred and hallowed task and demands all of my attention in mind, body and especially spirit.

This lack of sense of 'my' people at this time seems strangely appropriate because Jesus came for HIS people, he will come again for HIS people.

On this first day of Advent my prayers are multiple: for those for whom Christmas is a celebration of excess preceded by the season of consumerism; for those who are headlong involved in serving with and for 'their' people that they will have time for some 'Advent Wonder'; for those who are now 'my' people that are focused on their ministry that they will know they are prayed for; for myself that I might have wisdom.

Come, Lord Jesus.

http://youtu.be/mRDuZ1JH87I

South America Journey - a reflection.

While in South America I kept effectively four records: a blog which was very public and of which this is part; a photographic record which, again, was a public record of where we had been and could do much more than my words to describe the sights we were exposed to; a notebook in which I jotted down notes of the meetings and conversations, action points to be followed up on return - really a working document - which although not a public record is open to anyone for scrutiny; the final record was my devotional journal which contains my thoughts and prayers of a personal nature. Although some of this document is reflected in the blog my prayers are not.

This morning I have reviewed all of these records as a way of processing and re-entering my ministry here in the UK. This is, therefore, the last blog of this series although there will, undoubtedly be other, unconnected posts in future.

Almost without exception all the people we met were warm and welcoming. They saw us not as imposters or spectators but as people who genuinely were interested in them and, in at least one instance, saw us as a gift from God as our prayers could be added to those of others.

The faith of the believers was extraordinary! Their sense of contentment with what god had provided with them was an example to all - it has made me question how content I am with what I have. Materially I am rich in comparison but yet a pauper when it comes to my faith - in comparison. When I share conversations with those in this territory about what they have, have not and want to have I will need to remind myself of context as well as recognising God's provision for need not desire.

Commitment of individuals is worthy of note. In a country where there is a large youth population it is no surprise to see congregations full of young people - but there level of commitment is something impressive. Many of them are not content to be in a music group but also become extremely active in the League of Mercy and provision of community ministry - almost unknown in the UK. Equally the number of Salvationists hat work for the Salvation Army is extraordinary - and through conversation it is easy to note that they see their jobs as ministry - sometimes in the UK it is too easy to see our ministry as a job.

Deprivation on a grand scale is obvious - but is the experience of many and so the sense of community is significant.

The support that is given from the UK Territory of the Salvation Army seems to have dwindled - I understand why that should be - there are finite resources after all. Yet there are some efforts that could be made to raise awareness of the practical needs of officers, soldiers and their Ministries that we could support: the young music student who wants to teach music in the shanty towns as a way if building deeper community and offering ways out of a life of destitution; the restoration of sports areas that can provide social areas and a source of local income; the simple provision of art materials for the children's homes where money for such things is scarce. It seems that the needs of the big projects and ministries could be supported in different ways - and possibly that is where some of our expertise may be brought to bear, but with small local projects the resolution and improvement could come via local corps, Helping hand projects and even on behalf of individuals.

Above all else it struck me that we are truly partners in mission - there is evidence that our friends have not got what we have and vice versa: they have a faithful exuberance and a passion to share - we have material resource that we could give.

I am truly richer for being with these people - and those I travelled with as well.

Thank you Jesus!

South America Journey - Advisory Board, THQ, Buenos Aires Divisional Holiness meeting

Travel back from Rosario was long, flat and straight - and included a souvenir stop so all is well!

Two meetings followed. Firstly we met with representatives of the Territorial Advisory Board who spoke about their view on the national socio political situation - which is challenging - as well as their view of the challenges facing the Salvation Army here. Although there is need for significant financial support the need for a media presence seems to be significant in their thinking. The latter would surely lead to some hell in the former? Not necessarily so. We have learned that legally volunteering is not always legally possible due to labour laws - it seems odd to us but it is, nevertheless, the case. Equally odd to our thinking is that Argentina is not a 'giving' culture. Charity is not something that many people respond to - it seems odd that a country with people so generous of time and heart are not so financially. It is the situation though.

We move, after a rest, to tea with the Territorial Cabinet at THQ. One of our last experiences of hospitality is a precursor to a question and answer session: support from UKI territory, lack of officers, pressure of programme, community engagement all get a hearing. The Territory has impressed all of the divisional Leaders visiting with the hard work and relevant programme presented by Corps in local communities. If we could foster some of the vision and enthusiasm what an impact would be made in our communities!

From this session we move straight into the divisional Holiness meeting - all the component parts you would expect: band, singing group, worship band, testimony, scripture. Elwyn preaches on 'the foolishness of God' and at the conclusion the mercy seat is lined, over and over. The blessing is rich and the worship authentic and heartfelt.

The congregation stays, hotdogs are available in the entrance hall along with soft drinks. Conversations continue and flow. Farewells are shared with the group. There is much hugging, photographs, cheek to cheek kissing ( as we have got used to it). There is a joy in the knowledge that we will gather again in heaven if not on earth.

I feel rich and very grateful to have met and lived alongside these uncomplicated, faithful people who know. Gods blessing in some of the most trying circumstances imaginable. One expression we have come to recognise as it is offered as a prayer, an exclamation, a declaration, is the phrase I want to be the last words here: Gracias Señor - Thank You Lord.

South America Journey - Rosario/Arroyito

If you are looking for a Corps that has a different type of ministry, Arroyito is that Corps. Yes, it has Sunday worship and bible Study and even a brass band. It also has a health ministry to expectant and new mums as well as an educational ministry with the local indigenous community, the Quom. Not a large numerical corps but one with a real heart for the community in the nearby shanty town.

The Martin maternity Centre is supported by corps members and especially the Corps officer, providing nutrition, wellbeing and sexual health advice to mums and dads who have no recourse on public funds. They get no benefit and potentially are unemployed on our lowest possible cash in hand wage. The ministry that the corps has is literally a lifeline for some of these families as they present through community and neighbourhood workshops, as well as in the hospital, friendship and guidance as well as advice on related matters. A tour of the hospital is followed by a gathering at the Corps hall where a number of the families gather to testify to the life changing and affirming ministry they have received.

The children are highly entertained by the balloon animals made by Elwyn!

The Corps also has a ministry in the local school, a bilingual establishment which strives to bring education to the Quom community who have migrated south because their natural hunting and fishing area is suffering from deforestation further north.

There are three elements to the Corps ministry: a craft class that teaches basic handicrafts to the children, a Spanish as second language class for the children and a further teacher training class for Quom parents to teach children in the future. The second language gives the children of this generation an opportunity that their parents have not had.

It's worth noting that the school is open from 8am - 9pm. Catering for every school year from primary - to year five high school. The children give us an enthusiastic welcome and again appreciate Elwyn's magic - always a hit!

The final fixture of the day is a question and answer session with the divisional team and a couple of representative officers. Again the issue of number of appointments is raised - multiple roles added to general tiredness and lack of confidence in finance are major issues.

South America Journey - Rosario

The day begins at THQ/DHQ meeting with representative officers of the BA Division. 

One of the purposes of the journey is to share concerns and hopes with colleagues in each area we visit. Even though we have not had the close contact with these folks the conversation flows easily ( through a translator) and various observations are made. There are both tender and delicate moments from these people and great honesty as well as we share together. There is gret expectation on these officers, most of whom have two or even three appointments, probably fulfilling a social services role as well as a Corps or DHQ appointment. To an individual they live on top of or directly next to their hall or centre. They feel the strain of this, along with a lack of guaranteed allowances, and this as well as the pressures of every day ministry and family life. 

I know that context is important and many people in this massive city live on top of each other, or worse, on top of a rubbish tip, but I am full of admiration for these people - they understand what covenanted living is and apply themselves.

Tears flow as they explain their challenges but their is no sense of self pity.

As the conversation comes to and end we pray together - the only translation needed is that provided by the Holy Spirit and the we pray the Lord's Prayer together. 

Blessed.

The land is flat and the roads are straight - this is a beautiful country but the journey is boring to be honest.

As we approach the city of Rosario the expected shanty towns start appearing, at one point stretching as far as the eye can see. This is obviously a poor area - having stopped at a small town for lunch the need is emphasised.

We are welcomed by a group of officers when we get to the area that the corps is based in. We share tea together and then walk to the Corps building. The Midweek holiness meeting commences with much enthusiastic singing and and hallelujahs shouted. This is common in Argentina but particularly enthusiastic here. 

The Captain leads the meeting and includes a number of testimonies and some music from the band.

During the singing of one song the lights flicker and go out. The singing continues as if nothing has happened! 

The presence of the Holy Spirit is obvious - and nothing can extinguish it!

Tomorrow we visit the maternity unit and other programmes in the community operated in the area.

South America journey - Buenos Aires Division, Thrift Store, El Amparo and Betina women's shelters and El Refugio Men's shelter

There are some things that are the same the world over: officers concern for current and future appointments, the desire for a bargain and human need. We have witnessed all of these today.

Sharing with the officers of the BA division it is obvious that all of them are passionate about what their ministry is and that through their officership it will include much variety. Most officers have more than one appointment: Corps and institution or divisional role is common, some have three roles and they seem to relish the challenge that comes with the complex approach to ministry. They are very committed with many of them living next to or above either their Corps or centre. They are understandably nervous as farewell orders are due next week. Our prayers are with them. 

Their testimonies are authentic and full of faith. It is a pleasure to share with them even though divided by language we understand the love of God.

From the DHQ/THQ/Central Corps building we head to a bohemian area, Boca, street art and performance is rich and entertaining. One of the group gets unwittingly caught up in a tango!

Heading to the thrift store near Boca we witness a slick operation of collection, sorting and redistribution of goods - serving local people with bargains and the Salvation Army with financial support. 30% of the social service budget is provided by this one unit. But think big - it is a store of football pitch proportions with a staff of fifty. Of note is the standard of goods which are donated and sold - they are indicative of a poor city.

Further evidence is provided, if it were needed, by a visit to two women's shelters and on mans shelter. These are dormitory style night shelters that accommodate many people who are workers but who cannot afford their own accommodation. We speak to individuals - one lady is a former ballet dancer, another man introduces me to his brother who finds himself in equally trying circumstances as his sibling.

The women spend time talking, reading and occasionally playing games. One lady says that she likes it here as she has friends to spend time with. The walls are peeling, the mattresses frequently worn or ripped. There is an absence of natural light in this former electricity company building. The tables are unstable and the chairs worn out plastic garden furniture. Yet the presence of the officer in charge brings physical hope and through her ministry there is a spiritual presence.

At the mens refuge things appear a little better - this is a purpose built refuge - and has been for 102 years! Very little appears to have changed in that time. The condensation so bad that the walls need painting every years - they do not,however, get it. The men sit around in small groups. We go into the working mens dorm where there are three men: one asleep, one dressed in a suit and tie and one preparing for the evening meal. As is now our practices we move around, shake hands and greet with 'hola!'. The man with the suit hold up his hand to shake and it is clearly swollen to the point of pain. He still shakes hands with us albeit delicately. One by one other men enter the room, curious about the visitors and yet not willing to make the first move. Some light hearted football banter is had, many hands are shaken and even a couple of photographs. The men are significantly more private than the women. This is a very masculine culture and this is evidenced in this place - clearly in a beautiful but dangerous area, some of these men are here from need and, I guess, some for protection from the alternative.

There is a principle of relativity that is in evidence today: what you have is relative to that which others have around you. For, in truth, very little of what we have seen today in terms of refuge provision or the goods sold in the thrift store, would be permitted in the UK. The buildings would be declared unfit and the goods only fit for rags. Relative to those around, however, there is a richness that only comes when you realise how little you have.

South America journey - Patricios Corps and Nueva Chicago Corps and Men's Shelter

A day at the Army - buoyant worship in traditional and contemporary style and rich hospitality from our hosts.

Patricios Corps in Buenos Aires is very much like many Corps - Band, Songsters, worship Band. Worship format very similar to that we would expect in the UK. Testimonies flow freely from the congregation of around 60 - almost all of them testifying to God's provision for them as individuals. The age range is varied and includes the 'Argentinian Shirley Temple' who, after worship, treats us to a castanet demonstration and explains how she became a Salvationist following her bereavement of her husband - fascinating!

The windows at the back of the platform swing open to reveal a community hall easy and waiting for us to join with the Corps for lunch - we enjoy the best Milanese yet! The conversation is easy and moves around the differences and similarities between the Army in the UK and elsewhere. We share particularly with the Corps Sergeant Major and his wife.

A restful afternoon back at the training college precedes a visit to Nueva Chicago Corps and Men's shelter.

The shelter accommodates 32 in two dormitories, the conditions are basic but better than the alternative. Cost per man is approximately £2.50 per night. One of the residents is very open about his life and the fact that the shelter is a gift from God for him and the other residents. When he joins us for a meal at the Corps he converses easily in English, switches to French to speak to Norman and Spanish to those around him - it's easy to fall to the trap of thinking that physical poverty means educational poverty and experience poverty: Gustav clearly has plenty of both as well as a spiritual richness which falls in and out of conversation as necessary.

I chat with the young woman opposite me. Asking her what she does she tells me that she is at University at studying biochemistry - once more appearances could be deceptive. Next to her is a delightful elderly lady called Gladys. I tell that me Grandmother was called Gladys. A beaming smile communicates far more than words.

The worship meeting is full on! The very young worship band gives it everything they've got and the capacity congregation sings with abandon. Lieutenant Javier Paz leads the worship encouraging involvement from everyone there. Men and women of all ages, lots of young people fill the hall. Testimony is given by me and Catherine preaches. The congregation laugh in the right places and listen with great attention. The heat in the hall, like the Spirit,  is intense. So much so that large fans are placed at the front of the hall - these only serve to blow any notes that might be used from the rostrum onto the floor!

LC Richard Fernandez interprets Catherine's sermon at the end of which there is a large response to the mercy seat - it feels very natural and is beautiful to be part of. God is good!

South America Journey - Espacio Verde, Hogar Eliasen, Querles

Either ends of the age scale was the order of today. A visit to a children's project and then the Elderly care home next door.

Espacio Verde (Green Space) is sited on the edge of a shanty town. Although the dwellings a re brick built, generally they are single roomed huts accommodating generations of the same family plus others where necessary.

The conditions are gross: dirt track, open sewers, the rubbish dump which is part of the settlement is the children's playground, a horses skeleton lies a little way onto where the local children play football - it makes no difference it is simply another obstruction to play around.

There is a menace in the air. There is not the cheerfulness in adversity that we have seen elsewhere - this is a place of suspicion and violence. The Centre Officer let's us know that it is not good to take anything of value with us - we should lock it in the centre before we head out.

On the first corner we meet a man in his mid forties, big built and dark skinned, muscular - he greets the captain and they talk for a few moments. He is a local former addict, now a Christian, who is praying for us and our visit. He regularly leads sessions at the centre regarding drug misuse. We move on.

Within a few moments the captain speaks to another lady through the railings that surround her hut - a member of the local Corps. Again encouragement. We make our way through the shanty town and receive glance from locals - the occasional "hola" is exchanged. We are invited to move into the yard of one of the huts. There is conversation amongst the group as the captain speaks to the lady who lives in the house, another, younger, red eyed, woman, carrying a small child joins them. The conversation carries on in hushed tones. There is a sense that we are part of an important conversation.

It is explained to us that the younger woman's family is being threatened by drug traffickers - these are not about beating but about killing. The explanation continues that the younger woman she's our arrival as a gift from God - would we pray for her? In the grimiest, dirtiest environment imaginable a holy moment takes place as we pray for Anna Leia and her family for protection and for a change in the lives of the drug traffickers.

Heading back to the centre we are told that the issues facing the children who attend each day are as expected: drug misuse and sexual abuse.

Every child is affected in one way or another - there is no escape, there is only coping but this centre gives the children strategies to help them do this. The afternoon is spent playing with the children - this is especially important for the men as this is unusual in this society. Parachute games go well - the parachute will stay with them, the drama hold their attention, the song could go better - but later in the afternoon some of the younger children are heard singing it, Elwyn's balloons are a hit, the colouring and Jenga is also well used and again will stay at the centre, along with some balloons and a couple of pumps, the whistles, stickers and frisbee all are well used and for some will be much loved toys.

Right next to Espacio Verde is Hogar Eliasen - an elderly persons care home. Broken into three wings it gives care at cost to those who need it. It is well appointed, beautifully decorated and clearly a place of much love. 

Catherine, with just a few words of Dutch, is invited into the room of one of the residents and shares a few moments. Just a few words in your first language is obviously very special for this lady.

We share in the aspirations of the Centre Officer as he explains they have no music in the centre and would like to be able to provide it and also that they would like to develop a rehab unit for elderly who suffer bone breakage so that they can return from hospital as soon as possible. During this time we are told that, in spite of appearance the challenge is that the centre runs on a month's funding. There is no contingency and no safety net.

We sing to the residents who are appreciative. 

One of them, a retired officer, expresses his appreciation and says 'we will talk of this all week!'

A day of challenge and reassurance.

Southern America Journey - Buenos Aires Training School

A flight from the provincial airport at Iguazu to Buenos Aires filled much of this morning. Apart from some unusual shops in the airport the main event of note was the sighting of a black moth - almost 7 inches across and potentially the type that sprays acid on you before laying it's eggs in the wound (seriously) - this coupled with one member of the party's moth phobia made for an eventful few moments in the queue to depart... That and a hornet nearly two inches long!

Arriving in Buenos Aires we were met by officers from the Training College, which will be our base for the week, and from THQ.

We were very warmly welcomed by the six cadets of the Heralds of Grace and Messengers of light sessions, who had prepared lunch for us of chicken stuffed with cheese and tongue.

The afternoon was spent in the Cadets meeting room considering evangelism, discipleship, training, and officer development. The concepts of Messy Church, Godly Play, sports ministry and whole life discipleship - among many others - featured as we shared with the Cadets and staff.

Our evening enabled the group to experience the local culture of Buenos Aires.

Tomorrow we will be involved in community visits to a children's programme and elderly care programme.

Our minds and hearts are still in Paraguay but I am sure when we see the ministry of  the Salvation Army in Argentina we will again be moved by the matching of need and compassion by local Salvationists.

South America Journey - Iguazu Falls

A day of rest has turned into a day of spiritual reflection for me personally - along with good fellowship and companionship thrown in.

A few verses of scripture occur to me as we spend time in the Iguazu National Park and Waterfalls.

 "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day." (Genesis 1:31 NIV)

"...but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint". (Isaiah 40:31 NIV)

"Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God." (Luke 12:6 NIV)

"Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” (John 7:38 NIV)

Among many others...

There was one section of the park where it was possible to get extremely close to the falls: the crashing water falling 80metres, the spray and the smell of freshness, the rich of air as the water forced it our of the way - every sense engaged in what is a beautiful sight. In that moment I realised what 'awesome wonder' really means, as I dripped with spray I offered a prayer of thanksgiving - for the God who created this awesome experience for all the senses also created the tiny flower that grows alongside...

"Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens. Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet: all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild, the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!" (Psalm 8:1-9 NIV)

A day of rest became a holy sabbath in the midst of creation.

Tomorrow we head to Buenos Aires to the training school and community visits over the next few days - this day has made us ready.

 To see the falls follow the link...

http://youtu.be/MtCBSx7TX_M

South America Journey - travelling day

An early start for some of the group as travel is the order of the day.

We are collected at Rayita del Luz by Wouter and his children who we drop off at the American school on the way to Tekotau clinic to meet the rest of the group.

We commence the journey of 6-7 hours, not one inch of which is on a motorway or any other classified road in the UK. The best conditions included pitted road surfaces and worse than irratic driving. The banter in the vehicle moves swiftly from comedic to serious, analytical to visionary. To travel with a group of leaders is inspirational. The company is good, the driving is appropriate for the conditions and we arrive initially at a diner for breakfast, a stop four hours later to change money, the obligatory wait at border control into Brazil - which looks completely different to Paraguay: different architecture (more European ), Different coloured earth, more rational driving, similar advertising hoarding lining the roads.

The time trVelling gives good opportunity to reflect on the last few days.

We have seen extraordinary one to one ministry, work that is changing communities because it starts by listening, we have observed the strength of both the human spirit and depth of faith in God in those who have been served and heard vision for the future from the Salvation Army Officers who have very little resource to draw upon and frequently simply act in faith that God will provide.

Some of these officers live in conditions that would be completely unacceptable in other parts of the world, including occasions when no allowance is received. There is the constant need to prioritise resources - on the journey  Esther (the Captain at El Redil) receives a call from the centre: the oil for cooking has run out. The little money that is available can be used for oil or food - but there is not enough for both. This sort of challenge is not unique - it is the reality of daily living.

Have I been shocked by the conditions or the challenges? Honestly, no I haven't because I was prepared for the worst. The conditions of living by an open sewer with no real protection from the weather or security from imposters are the reality for these folks and their approach to it is encouraging rather than anything else.

The pragmatic response of the Salvation Army is warming, and encouraging but is also challenging: this small Salvation Army is managing to serve suffering humanity in life changing ways when so often in the West we seem unable to do so - and they ensure that 'Jesus turns up' whenever they do. They are winning young people when we are losing ours. The strategy is one of engagement in ministry and encouragement to responsibility, relevant worship and relevant service. And it works.

The expected and frequent abuse of children in the refuge areas is probably the one area that is most concerning, and with education programmes for men being slow to move forward this will be an uphill climb - but jot one that will be abandoned for lack of support or funding. These people will keep trying to find new ways to win hearts and minds.

I am thrilled to have the privilege of being here for these days. We move on to Argentina with a sense that the journey could end here and it would be worth it - but the journey will continue apace and will have consequences for my ministry beyond this time, it may also have consequences for those I minister with and also, I pray, consequences for the Salvationists we have met in Paraguay.

Tomorrow is a rest day and the opportunity to visit the Iguazu Falls.

South America Journey - Capiata, San Ronal Refuge

There was much conversation today between the UK officers and those of Paraguay - how we work similarly and differently, how we can learn from each other, possible funding and service opportunities.

The activities today commenced with time at Capiata Corps education programme: classes attend in morning or afternoon before, or after, their formal attendance at school. It is helping with their development. They sit attentively while being taught.

We got them to play Jenga then Catherine and I did some mask work with them around the story of the two builders. Lots of laughter, lots of fun.

Our afternoon community visits were to two areas in the San Raymon Refuge. One focused on nutrition - a seven week programme with a strong food element and spiritual challenge - the second focusing on health issues. We were there for the fourth element of the workshop: parasitic infestation. The previous three classes had focused on Family Planning, sexual health and vaccinations.

A group of about twenty women and children gathered in the shade of a tree with a 61 year old grandmother of 28 grandchildren occupying the central seat. As the nurse from the clinic explained the causes of and prevention of parasites and intestinal worms the group looked on attentively. A small dog wandered around the group sniffing at ankles as he went. A woman left the group, seemingly disinterested, only to return moments later with a pen and paper to take notes.

The nurse walks through the community every day, as often as she can. This physical presence on a daily basis has build trust in the community. The Salvation Army programme is not seen as a threat in any way. The outcomes are clear: when the offer is given a five day course of oral medicine is given for everyone requiring it from 2-13. Adults are given capsules. This will rid them of parasites for approximately 6 months during which time better hygiene and food preparation can be strived for. The hospitality shown by this group to us as visitors is extraordinary - incongruity being the order of the day - officers who speak a different language in pristine white shirts are brought seats by those whose life is full of chaos and tragedy: but the Paraguayan way is the way of hospitality. 

One of the questions raised privately is about personal resources. The clothing is well worn and full of holes. Much of it is just the right side of decency. The consensus is that it is gained as a result of scavenging predominantly but some people in the refuge do have jobs and therefore an income - government support for those in need is not even a subject for conversation so alien is it for the people here. Recycling is the main industry for those living in the refuge and so they spend their days rooting through piles of rubbish in order to find anything worth recycling. Plastic bottles are a favour it not only for selling (a bale which measure four foot square by six foot long will take about a fortnight to collect and will sell for about £10 - that's an hourly rate of about 7p) but also for decorating the home. We have seen bottles used as lampshades, hanging baskets, windows, plant pots, brush holders - and as they were intended as bottles.

The people of the refuge are resourceful in the extreme - in the face of the widespread disease and endemic abuse this is nothing short of miraculous.

God turns up to these people in the person of a local Salvationist nurse, quiet, unassuming, reserved but with the authority of medical knowledge and the Holy Spirit.

South America Journey - Tekatou Clinic, Rayita de Luz and El Redil children's home

So many things made up today I don't know where to start!

Across Paraguay are 'refuges' or shanty towns, they are dwellings made from scrap material although many have water and electricity.

Our first two visits today were focused on the needs of these areas in San Lorenzo at the Tekatou Clinic and then where we are staying in Asuncion at Rayita del Luz.

The programmes here work on an integrated mission approach with service and Corps listening to the people and then working with them to provide faith base solutions.

The clinic serves an area of dire need: terrible malnutrition, low hygiene levels, domestic violence, teenage pregnancy, and prostitution. Childhood health is extremely low with worms and parasitic commonplace. The milk and oats programme provides for childhood nutrition to bring to an acceptable

weight and healthcheck; home visits and group work provide for those facing domestic violence and prostitution, education programme deal with sexual health in the young... The programme goes on and on. It is not funded externally with the exception of medication provided. There is the officer and just four employees and other volunteers from the corps in order to serve thousands of individuals effectively - their 'success' rate is at 70%!

The doctor in charge, Dr FloriaSanchez de Velasquez, has been at the clinic for very many years and sees the integrated mission approach as supporting the medical work of the clinic.

It is a life changing place.

We headed from there to the outskirts of Asuncion and Rayito de Luz. This Corps is in the middle of a flood plain area which recently devastated the housing driving those who were not already living in the refuge to seek shelter there. The conditions are indescribable, with open sewers flowing alongside the rough paths, children playing amongst the rubbish which covers the ground. But there is hope and laughter and many smiling faces. 

Our community visit takes us into the home of one of the soldiers, Ethita, we spend time with her: the room is probably twelve feet square, with walls of plywood and a roof of corrugated plastic, a washing line hangs across the room. There are wardrobes to support the walls and provide some stability but, by necessity they take up much floorspace which is hard packed dirt. There are four beds in the space which accommodates Ethita, her husband and three children. Privacy is gained by dressing under the sheets of the bed, the same room is kitchen as well - foodstuffs occupy many available surfaces with the families possessions covering the rest. There is nowhere to put anything.

'How do you cope?' I ask.

The answer is powerful: 'this is what I have in life - God has been good to me! Although things are difficult here I know that I am not alone and because we are in this together we can support each mother and be good friends.' Ethita's smile is infectious as is the grace that she exhibits in these dire circumstances. She is, in every respect, a model Salvationist: her faith shines through, she helps her community in it's time of need, she witnesses to Christ's work in her life. I am deeply and thoroughly moved by this lady - then we discover she is the president of the national World Day of Prayer committee: she is a woman of prayer.

We walk away knowing we have had holy moments as we shared prayer in her home.

The corps hall is impossible to use - the Central sewer from the city runs next to the building and when the floods came the sewer filled flood waters filled it to a level of approximately five feet. It is still drying out and further floods may come in the next few weeks. But the corps' main ministry is providing educational support to the children of the refuge. The corps officers now carry out this programme from their own home having 65 children attending for various homework and educational support  throughout the week - gathering in their yard and learning from the Salvationist teacher who provides the education.

Our last visit of the day was to return to El Redil children's home - as we arrive early I play football with some of the boys on the grass at the front of the home. They are not dazzled by my soccer skills! We are treated to a magic show by Elwyn Harries which the children enjoy and then a beautiful thing happens. The Captain at the home starts to sing and the children join in, a couple of worship choruses and then three of the children offer prayer. All is still, all is peace. These children who have known the worst forms of abuse and unkindness have a serenity which is hard to describe - but it is beautiful. As the captain says it is time for bed they move amongst the adults giving each one a hug and often a kiss on the cheek, thanking them for being there, receiving words of encouragement from the adults who in one way or another are surrogate parents to them and even to those of us visiting receive a warm farewell. One or two of the children hold tightly to the hug given - knowing they are loved, cared for and in a safe place.

God speaks in the words and touch of a child.

South America - Villa Morra, Capiata and Vinas Cue

Sunday was a day of worship and fellowship.

The group broke in two smaller groups to visit and participate in worship at Capiata Corps and Villa Morra Corps in the morning and Vinas cue and San Lorenzo in the evening. 

Catherine and I were with Sue and Derek. Jones and David and Sylvia Hinton this morning for a fairly traditional holiness meeting with Catherine and David assisting the small group of musicians making up the band. The worship was simple but powerful - many prayers and testimonies of God healing and restoring individuals in the Corps and requests for prayer specifically for serious situations people are facing. There was a real openness in worship and, even though it was being translated, it was easy to sense God's Holy Spirit at work in the congregation of about thirty. David testified, Catherine sang and. Sue preached on 'bearing the marks of Christ'. There was a response to the mercy seat as the corps officer led prayers at the close of the Bible message.

For me the highlight was the children for El Redil Children's home dancing - in these girls whom have had horrible lives there is a hope because they were able to be accommodated at The Salvation Army. They sing freely about Jesus as they dance and encourage everyone looking to think about His hope as well.

The afternoon saw us in an officers meeting with the officers of the region - this was held in an officers quarters which is attached to their hall at Capiata. Willingly they rearranged their furniture and possessions to accommodate the group that gathered, there was a lovely time of sharing together hope for this journey and for our appointments. I am already getting the impression we have much to learn from these faithful people who are very content with the calling that is theirs and where it has placed them. They are warm with each other, there is no ego apparent - they have not a great amount but share what they have.

The evening meeting that we attended was at one of the Corps that is led by our hosts, Shirley and Cesar. A full on rock style worship band accompanied the singing of the congregation. The average age of this corps is in it's twenties - it is a vibrant, exciting place to be. Again simple approach to mission and ministry but testimonies and involvement by numerous people all talking of their live for Jesus. Testimony by Derek, preach by myself and a singing feature by Catherine were our contribution. Again the mercy seat was used.

Thinking through what we have seen so far I feel these are 'beatitude' people in the main - they know the applause of heaven because they know the hardness of life.