3 weeks and counting

Can I just ask for some prayer as we prepare?

1. For Andrew to finish his first draft of his Dissertation. It's about people who affiliate to a Church denomination but who never attend. This need to be printed and handed in during August, but there will no doubt be many corrections to do.

2. For the church in Wallyford. We will be making rotas and giving responsibility over to our amazing church family while we are away. It is our responsibility to care for the church.

3. For our plans as we discuss with our friends and co-workers in Mexico about our schedule while we are there. Without exhausting ourselves, we want to squeeze as much in as we can.

4. For preparations to share while we are there, with churches that we loved, and the MEFI team that we were part of.

5. For our children. They are excited, but they have little idea how hard this will be with their limited Spanish.

6. Most importantly, that our missions trip and our preparations will be useful to God in His amazing Kingdom as we depend on Him and seek to do those 'good works which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.' (Ephesians 2:10)

Thank-you so much for following us. God bless you!

Recovery

Yesterday was a day we all dreaded. The first round of injections. We had one child telling us, through sobs, that it would be OK to leave her behind, while the rest went to Mexico, cause she did NOT want the injections. She was the same one who burst out laughing when she finally got her first one, cause she didn't even feel it going in.


Then we had another that I needed to hold tightly, both arms and the head away, while he had his done. When it wasn't as bad as he thought it would be, he told the nurse to quickly do the other one.


Then there was the littlest one. With no time to think through what was going to happen, it was a huge shock to her when she got her first, and then a battle to receive the second.


We had a nice treat to finish with (thanks to Tesco vouchers) and we all sat rather emotionally drained, but a little proud of ourselves that we had made it through.

Then came the evening. Our arms felt as though they had been thumped numerous times in the same spot, on both arms. Pain killers before bed, we woke up to the NEXT DAY. Typhoid must be terrible to catch, and we needed to have our inoculations for that, but it has floored us all today. Mild headaches, aching all over, and just wanting to lie and do as little as possible.

We still have a few more to get, and it is the reminder for us that missionaries all over the world, and their children are trying to keep bugs, beasties and diseases at bay. We are so thankful that we can get most of these free on our own NHS. Are we best to call it pain-before-the-gain, or just wise preventative medicine? All so that we can see people we love, and minister alongside them.

Fresh news from Mexico

Fresh news from Mexico arrives as an email, and there are new faces that we might meet while we are there. It is so encouraging for us that the work that we were a part of continues. More and more street kids are becoming ex-street kids as they come into contact with the Good News that Jesus died for them and that they are loved by someone who will never let them down. Someone who understands temptation and someone who understands weakness.

It will be the greatest privilege to share with some of these young rejected people about the offer of a relationship with someone who has their best interests in mind ALWAYS.

There are times when in Scotland it seems that people don't feel they need God. It seems good to share with a homeless drug addict street kid the love of God, but does the UK need Jesus? I believe it does. A relationship with the maker, the forgiveness of a King, the love of a Father, the self sacrificial love of a Saviour.

Maybe it's the wealth of the UK, the stability of a government and the standard of living that we expect which stops us seeing our own need for God. Maybe we are in a much more dangerous position than the poor street kid in Mexico City.

2 clocks ticking

It's 50 days until we board our planes and touch down in Mexico City, and as a preparation, it was wonderful to meet up with Steve Cosslett who served in Mexico with OMS, as field director and developing the ministry with the Street Kids called MEFI (link to the side of this page). It is always so amazing to connect again with people who have smelled the same foods and driven the same terrible roads, never mind working in a foreign country. What an encouragement to get together for a catch up.

It was a reminder that the Agnews have less time to get ready. At the same time there is another counter ticking. Almost 5 years ago I started a Masters in Moorlands College, Christchurch. I had 2 years of lectures, and essays, and then I was set loose to do a dissertation. The procrastinator that I am has pottered away at this for the last 3 years, but now the deadline is approaching. 31st August this year. In 50 days, I am attempting to complete this ready for printing, but it will require me to write around 1000 words each week, never mind do any corrections that my supervisor wants me to make.

I need prayers for this. It is a piece of research into why people would claim an affiliation to a denomination on their census form, yet never attend a church. I have been doing a survey of my village in order to obtain some data for this project. It's been interesting, but it needs to be written up correctly and see if I can draw any conclusions to inform the practice of the Livingroom Church.

2 countdowns. HELP!!!