Bringin' it, Bananas, and Berlin

Warm greetings from Sheffield.  I know it defies what some think of England, but today I actually walked about town without a jacket.  Temperature is 8 degrees Celsius, 46 degrees Fahrenheit.  We're having a heatwave!  It made me realize that, while I enjoy winter, I was not made for climes where 3 feet of snow grace the ground for more than 3 months :).  Speaking of snow, I'm sure you all saw the news about the snow falling down here in Sheffield.  In fact, I wrote about it last time.  It's all gone now, but I got some awesome photos from my bedroom window.  It's great living on the third floor...except when you have to climb two flights of stairs with heavy things.  Good for my fitness level I suppose.

Thinking about things that are good for me makes me think about the sermon that I preached last Sunday.  I know it was good for me to do something that took me completely out of my comfort zone.  I managed not to faint, trip over every other word, or to be terribly unclear.  It's a very great thing that God is so good!  I simply spoke about what I feel God's heart is for children, and He did the rest.  It was fun, stressful, and is honestly a relief to have completed.  Generally speaking it was a good experience, but I'm glad it's not my job every week.  Usually we put the sermons on the website (antiochsheffield.org), but I'm not sure if mine was recorded.  I'll let you know if it gets put up because I know you'll all want to hear it (wink).  

(BYOB)

I know you're asking yourself, what else is new in Sheffield.  Well, the answer is, BYOB.  Some of you may be concerned, but I can assure you.  BYOB stands for Bring Your Own Banana.  One of the freshers (first year university students) thought it would be a good idea to have a time of getting to know Janette better.  I mentioned my love of peanut butter banana smoothies, and the idea took off from there.  All who wanted to could bring a banana, and I would introduce them to the joy of Janette's smoothie.  It was good fun to see the reactions of people who politely drank something they weren't quite sure about:).  It warms the heart.  

(Victory Column)

Travelling to another country and finding people who love Jesus also warms the heart.  That was the experience of these last four days in Berlin, Germany.  I left on Thursday for World Mandate Berlin with my housemate Fliss, the student pastors Sarah and Stephen, and one of our student lifegroup leaders Lara.  Also in my company were the four or five German words that I knew.  Thursday evening was spent tromping around the city in the snow seeing the sights.  Friday we climbed 282 steps to the top of the Victory Column in Berlin (Siegessӓule) and saw the remnants of the Berlin Wall.  You can't look at it and not think about how something so physical must have had a profound emotional impact of the ethos of the nation.  

        

(Lara, Fliss, Stephen, & Sarah)            (Giant Lego Giraffe)                

(Portions of the Wall)

The wall doesn't seem to have affected the food or music of the city.  World Mandate Berlin worship was spectacular!  I even loved singing in German.  Let's see, other things I loved about Berlin and World Mandate in no particular order:

- Dunkin Donuts

- Litter free streets

- God is Good to All (awesome song!)

- Enormous four level train stations

- Finding friends in God even if you don't exactly speak the same language (Jesus is a heart language after all)

- Spending 4 days straight with great English people

- Walking the streets of Berlin and getting a bigger heart for the nation

- Hearing a 26-year-old German pastor with a huge heart for his nation to know Jesus (with the help of a translator of course)

(East meets West)           

It's good to be back in Sheffield, but I recommend Berlin to anyone who's thinking about visiting, and you should definitely check out Antioch Berlin if you go there.  They have an amazing worship band.  Now it's back to work figuring out the volunteer's rotation for children for the next month, working on the children's workers training day this Sunday after church, and working through the logistics of splitting the children into two classes!  Our new team members, John and Ira Book arrived last Wednesday with their 13 month old Nadia and we have a new family coming to church with a 13-year-old, 11-year-old, and 9-year-old.  Praise the Lord!  Better get to work...ta loves

German vocab lesson

Hallo - Hello

Danke - Thank you

Bitte - Please

Entschuldigen - Excuse me 

Schokolade - Chocolate (the most important word!)

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow

When last I wrote, I was getting ready to jump into the children's pastorship with both feet.  It's been an interesting ride so far.  As a church body we have a focus on prayer, so the first lesson the kids and I did was on the different kinds of prayer.  We had a great chat about 'what' prayer is and I got to hear some great testimonies of answered prayers and what God has been speaking to our children.  The position feels a bit like Spiderman. You know in the film where Uncle Ben tells Peter that with great power comes great responsibility.  Makes me rely on the Lord more.  

        (Swanwick)

God is moving in the hearts of the children of the UK.  And He's moving in the hearts of the 180 children's workers who attended the New Wine Kids Leader's Conference last week.  Imagine 180 adults who just want to see children grow up loving Jesus and living out their destiny.  Then you can get an inkling of what my time in Swanwick (pronounced Swanick) was like.  In a sentence, I was reenergized, revisioned, and ready to return to the kids in Sheffield.  The speakers gave practical and exciting ways to lead 

children into worship, their identity in Christ, praying for healing, and prophecy.  Can't wait to see what God will do with hearts that are hungry for more of Him. 

                                                                  (My housemates)

I came back from the conference with a renewed sense of purpose and to a weekend of fun and intercession.  My grandma was asking me the other day what I do for fun besides drinking tea, so I thought I'd share a bit about that.  My housemate's birthday was Saturday, so we bought a large chocolate cake and I prepared to meet all her lovely friends.  She's quite the social butterfly and I had a blast meeting some new Brits and munching on Italian food.  Sunday we had a prayer and intercession night at the church before heading off to watch Lost with my Lifegroup.  It was great fun listening to the kids pray for their parents and their city.  After Lost, I watched the Super Bowl with some friends.  I know it seems like I'm watching loads of telly, but really it was a cultural learning experience.  Did you know they have Cajun Squirrel flavoured crisps (chips) here?  Seriously, I couldn't make that up if I tried. 

Nor could I eat them if I tried.  Not that I want to...ick.  

(Lifegroup after LOST)

Now there are worse things that I can think of than Cajun Squirrel flavoured crisps, but not many things are better than half a foot of snow!  You should have seen the way that snow brings people together.  I had a snowball fight with my friends and a couple of kids from the neighbourhood.  It's my opinion that the world would be a little more peaceful if there were more snowstorms. At least the kind that make you want to go outside and be a kid again.  Maybe we'll get one on Thursday as forecasted:).  I made a snow dinosaur.  Pity the head wouldn't

 stay on properly.  

This weekend we have Danny Mulkey from AMI coming into speak and for a pastoral visit.  Next week, I'll be preaching at the Gathering (anyone fancy being on their knees from now until then to pray for it;)?).  Isn't God good to take us out of our comfort zones?  

I hope to cast some vision for the children's ministry and stir up a team of people to help reach these kids.  We'll see if World Mandate Berlin will be a similar adventure.  That's February the 20-22.  After that, maybe life will fall into some kind of a rhythm...

Love you ALL, 

J-