tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11284131330681422542024-03-13T07:17:53.845+03:00Hearing My HeartChurch Planting -
Mission (Biblical mission) -
Family Life -
Experiences from the Nations -
Leadership lessons I've learnt Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06605204341808935762noreply@blogger.comBlogger160125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1128413133068142254.post-41348256288851943152018-03-01T11:47:00.000+03:002018-03-01T11:47:11.800+03:00Six Years in Tallinn––Finding Treasure in the Trash<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjyPGsie9tG0znTQ8R0BQjlXPeFJbsg2TsNiMyigF67WD1Mm_5_pmngYtqNPBRu9wzx8R_M4PYceiUc8XY6INzMWDKMkk5lBfJHIoyXBaKnKtOds6xA0CjvNpdSv41dxHT5DJAL1p2oqk/s1600/IMG_7317.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjyPGsie9tG0znTQ8R0BQjlXPeFJbsg2TsNiMyigF67WD1Mm_5_pmngYtqNPBRu9wzx8R_M4PYceiUc8XY6INzMWDKMkk5lBfJHIoyXBaKnKtOds6xA0CjvNpdSv41dxHT5DJAL1p2oqk/s400/IMG_7317.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's six years to the day since we took the short flight from St Petersburg and landed in Tallinn.<br /><br />It's been a year since I last posted on this blog.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Today my wife, Rachel, is in hospital, having her fourth operation in the last twelve months. Hopefully, this is the last one. She's cancer-free, and it's going to be all good from here on.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Six years. It's been not an insignificant time, and yet, looking at this photo of the four of us about to board the flight, I doubt there was much of what was to take place over the following years that we might have imagined on that day. I've covered all this (the good, the bad and the ugly in my three-part series, by the same title, last year). So I won't repeat myself.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But I felt it was important to share something today, this day of extremes, this day of another annual milestone, even if we are forced (as a family) to be apart due to this final operation.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For Anya, who was not even two years old when the photo was taken (her birthday is in three days), all she knows of life is where we currently are. It's the only home she remembers. She has no recollection of our time in St Petersburg, nor does she even remember the rental flat we were about to arrive in six years ago. Home as we now are is the only home Anya has ever known. That makes me stop and think, pause to ponder. It gives some perspective.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For Mia, she was about to embark on another change. Six years on she's into her fifth language, three of which she has fluently. When we arrived in Tallinn, her Russian was very strong, and she used it often. Now, Mia claims she is more natural in Estonian (no small achievement there!) and though she doesn't have as much practice in Russian, it is there when she needs it. She doesn't want to lose it, either. One thing that's come from our move abroad (and it will be ten years in total this summer!) is that Mia, for sure, will always be a great linguist, Anya also. Anya tends to shy away from speaking Estonian (she doesn't have the Russian like Mia does, as she was too young when we left), but she will surprise us often with using it. Her language teachers (Estonian and French) both report how well she is doing. I guess living in other cultures really is good for a child's language abilities.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As a family, we've set about learning the fifth language together. Nothing offered yet as to why that is, but it's a great thing to do together and might, one day, come in useful.<br /><br /><b><u>The Moment Before Dawn</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'd never really thought about this before leaving the UK. I'd always assumed the middle of the night (say 3 or 4 AM) was the coldest, just as you assume that either the end of December or January to be the coldest months. Yet during the coldest spells (and we are maybe in the coldest spell we've had since moving to Tallinn, with temperatures pressing down to -20c this last week), it's the coldest right up to the point just before the sun rises. <br />It makes perfect sense, of course. Until the sun appears, there is no heat, nothing to change to cold. So it figures that those moments before sunrise (therefore the longest amount of time since the sun was up) that it is then, in fact, the coldest. That means 8, 9 or 10 in the morning can be colder than at night. Just as February (we soon learnt this from our time in this part of the world) is colder than the months before it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The lesson I'm trying to draw here, and something we've been learning ourselves, is that sometimes the toughest moment is the time immediately before a breakthrough, not halfway through something. It can be at the time you think it'll never change when the end arrives (at last). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hopefully, today's operation (the last one that is planned) signifies that shift for us, even if March 1st does little to convince us that winter is over and spring is just around the corner. Here, and with a heavy snowy winter, it'll be many more weeks before we see the grass again. It might be green by the end of May.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Winter changes lots of things, of course. Spring (and the warming sunshine) allows new growth. It's the course of nature.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Coming out of our winter (figuratively speaking) as a family, we know there is much to look forward to. We know much has been lost, also. Things that we had around us, things we maybe took for granted, that are no longer a stable part of our life, even if in the background. How these things begin to blossom and bloom in the season ahead, we will have to wait and see.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>God is ALWAYS speaking</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Something that has been encouraging, in a way we couldn't have imagined six years ago, is the amount of non-churched people who are drawing strength and asking questions, because of the way we've walked this path recently through cancer. We've been vocal that this isn't God's doing (the disease). We've been upbeat (I hope) about our need for God, <i>especially</i> in a time like this. And we've been told by many that what we are sharing is helping them.<br /><br />One of the things I've been pondering recently is the subject of <i>When God Doesn't Answer Our Prayers</i> or <i>When God is Silent</i>. I get what is being asked, and it's good to have that conversation, but I also think it's foolish to position such a statement or question that way. Because God also hears our prayers, and I'm convinced he always has an answer.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was chatting this through with someone recently and likened the above to radio waves. It would be like someone, who because they could no longer pick up a station on their radio (or WiFi on their device also works for this analogy), assuming that the radio station had gone off-air (or that the internet had switched off). A broken radio or device in no way means the signal is gone, it's just our ability to hear or understand the signal that has been momentarily affected.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A loving God and Father will always hear the prayers of his children. As a human, I have to accept that I don't know all things, only God does. So when something happens that I can't explain, it doesn't change who God is. I've touched on this before but will repeat it here. Being a Christian, and trusting in a loving God, it means I give up my right to know <i>why</i> something happens if there is no obvious answer. I just choose to trust.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdrZoHiZsrmQWUzvThyphenhypheneDqbamcDV-ezI2x0y6Mds2C4UMJyZUWLj74vqclt1q-W1HqmS2kRkS1y7cQGb2SXw5XQNlMvaiqD8LvcaEL8zRBqLFNXywH_UNQHvTOx-45vxBUkbkDXzEGlQw/s1600/IMG_2623.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdrZoHiZsrmQWUzvThyphenhypheneDqbamcDV-ezI2x0y6Mds2C4UMJyZUWLj74vqclt1q-W1HqmS2kRkS1y7cQGb2SXw5XQNlMvaiqD8LvcaEL8zRBqLFNXywH_UNQHvTOx-45vxBUkbkDXzEGlQw/s400/IMG_2623.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sometimes it’s good to follow a path <br />someone else has forged...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's 10 AM as I type this line. My wife is most probably on the operating table as I write. Those dreamers pictured in that photo at the top from six years ago couldn't have imagined this would be how we'd mark today, and yet the following is also true. We've understood a deeper aspect of God and his nature (and his goodness!) that we might never have known, had we not gone through these last eighteen months.<br /><br />No, that doesn't mean God made this happen, and yes, I guess being all-knowing he would have been aware of what was going to happen back on that day, even if we didn't. But he exists aside from time, knowing the end as much as the beginning. And one thing I've come to learn over this last year is that he's got a much bigger plan for us and that he's been thinking about it for far longer than we have ever realised.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I recently went on a ski down through the forest to the frozen sea near our home. I took two pictures, knowing, in a way, God was speaking to me through them. The caption under each is what I felt God say for both.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT1g2KyKIKgqIjGBGTXGJvjAUwT0SP0Mfmuuf9JzrhAk8JoGEg118ZXYgPgBmJQx5ekQaE80os1e_7sCWmdnh8eu7UBD6wLLXhmD8fUG7CKOqfc6Cvbji7r5jabF2AoqgCbXNrP90nCLw/s1600/IMG_2624.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT1g2KyKIKgqIjGBGTXGJvjAUwT0SP0Mfmuuf9JzrhAk8JoGEg118ZXYgPgBmJQx5ekQaE80os1e_7sCWmdnh8eu7UBD6wLLXhmD8fUG7CKOqfc6Cvbji7r5jabF2AoqgCbXNrP90nCLw/s400/IMG_2624.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...and sometimes you need to forge a path <br />where no one has gone before.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'd been following tracks in the snow that took me further out over the frozen Baltic. It was fun, and the tracks helped me cut through the snow a lot easier.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But the tracks didn't take me far enough. Suddenly, in front of me, there was a whole mass of untouched snow. I knew I needed to forge a new path. New adventures await, but I had to now make my own tracks––my own marks––in the snow.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And I did.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>So What Does It Mean?</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Not a lot, for now. But we've sensed 2018 is our year (I recently heard that 8 is the number of <i>new beginnings</i>). That figures as it was 2008 (in the eighth month, too) when we moved to Russia. We've come through a dark period, and just like the dawn, even though we are still in the thick of it, change is moments away. Today gives me hope. It's the last operation. Rachel is through it all––she's done brilliantly! We've coped well. The girls have been amazing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yes, there had been some really tough times. It's not ignoring them to say good times are ahead. But it's looking forward with hope, with excitement.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We don't know what this new <i>day</i> will bring, though we have a sense. We don't know when this new <i>day</i> with dawn, though we feel it's closer than ever.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And when we do know, you'll hear about it first right here. I doubt it'll be a year before I next have something to share...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06605204341808935762noreply@blogger.com0Tallinn, Estonia59.436960799999987 24.75357469999994559.178853799999985 24.108127699999944 59.69506779999999 25.399021699999945tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1128413133068142254.post-14627555180380739592017-03-03T09:48:00.002+03:002018-03-01T09:55:06.173+03:00The Good, The Bad, The Ugly––Part Three<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="p1">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTKR2iD6Rd9jxsnCMJqeF2XrAxHZRhXh4wlaB6vAyaaT4NOm_e1JaXXecz54nqKhoXAUO3f2vQLe8c6UvN2HE64eg0lz-RAovRYKOkK6H3kSJkALXYz7M2zkaQtolZnth7kkpCWcetwng/s1600/IMG_3369.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTKR2iD6Rd9jxsnCMJqeF2XrAxHZRhXh4wlaB6vAyaaT4NOm_e1JaXXecz54nqKhoXAUO3f2vQLe8c6UvN2HE64eg0lz-RAovRYKOkK6H3kSJkALXYz7M2zkaQtolZnth7kkpCWcetwng/s640/IMG_3369.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Now we have landed at the final part in this mini-series, a catch up on what is happening with my family in Tallinn–what has happened in the case of the first two posts–and where we are now.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">If you haven’t read Parts <a href="http://hearingmyheart.blogspot.com.ee/2017/03/the-good-bad-uglypart-one.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><b>One</b></span></a> and <a href="http://hearingmyheart.blogspot.com.ee/2017/03/the-good-bad-uglypart-two.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Two</b></span></a>, please do so before you read this one.</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><u><br /></u></span></b></div>
<div class="p1">
<b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><u>Part Three: The Good</u></span></b></div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">We’ve had a bruising time of it lately–I think anyone that has heard from us, visited or Skyped, or even has just read the first two parts, will know that to be the case. I’ve closed down a church plant because the team walked away, and watched my wife battle cancer.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Yet our faith in God is as strong as ever. He has been good.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVWPBwmyV53In8SV9MeZmUYBgP_68UgXwU1viLWvPpp5r83G_D1MXpXLXE5z87uONF5nbeovMwzAsceVk5QzOxurACLlDkH4szXKVXGKF5aU7b0A0ukhFzi0cY8E3xTOJGmOg9NlL7L4s/s1600/IMG_0916.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVWPBwmyV53In8SV9MeZmUYBgP_68UgXwU1viLWvPpp5r83G_D1MXpXLXE5z87uONF5nbeovMwzAsceVk5QzOxurACLlDkH4szXKVXGKF5aU7b0A0ukhFzi0cY8E3xTOJGmOg9NlL7L4s/s320/IMG_0916.jpg" width="259" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just one of the offerings from a family at the school.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">One example of this has been the immense support and care shown by the parents in Rachel’s class. It was the first week back after the summer break. The school has a family picnic at the end of August. She got to see her class again, and any new students. She’d moved up with them from the year before. She then had the open lessons with them all the day after. She worked the morning of 31st August–the first day of proper school–but left early so that we could attend her doctor's appointment and get the final (we thought) result. It wasn’t the news we hoped.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Coming in that first week, the news hit others equally shockingly. Every Wednesday, for example, since then, the parents have put together a care package for Rachel, which is left at the front desk for me to pick up. Months later, they still appear. Sometimes it’s meals. A few of the parents have in fact brought around meals–teachers too.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">It’s not been limited to just the parents or school, either. During the chemo days, folks from four different churches were volunteering to make meals for us so that we had them over the nights each round of chemo started.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">When it came time to buy a wig, money was raised. </span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">We’ve seen such an extreme outworking of care and love–Rachel is clearly a very loved teacher/colleague/friend and person! But I knew that.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Christians all around the world have been praying for us–people we’ll never know about, churches we’ve never been to, standing with us and praying.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">It’s hard knowing exactly what impact this is having on our girls. We talk, obviously, and there have been tears at times for sure. But they’ve also been brilliant at getting on with things. People have helped so much with them–one family from school even decided to take them across on the ferry to Helsinki for the day, eating out and going to a theme park there! Others have picked them up, taken them to the cinema, taken them to exciting places in Tallinn.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Last year, with Rachel working at the school, I’d wave them off in the mornings (early) and welcome them home again in the evenings (sometimes gone five pm). Yet since the news at the beginning of the term, I’ve done most of this. And that’s been a fabulous time for me to connect a lot more with the school, and see some other dads etc. Anya started school this year, and I was, therefore, able to walk her in that first term, see her desk etc. Stuff I’d never have otherwise done.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Of course, I’d have chosen Rachel’s health over getting that opportunity, but it’s another example of God working good for those who love him. It has been special.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">At times, I’ve had to play the role of single parent–attending various birthday functions, or simply doing stuff with the girls when Rachel was not well enough to be involved. It’s not a role I ever wanted (I love being a dad, I mean the single parent bit) but it’s also brought something special because of it. It’s also made me appreciate doing stuff as a four.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Better days are ahead of us, I know that, even while we still work through the aftermath.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">With doing the school runs (back and forth to school twice a day) it has, of course, had an impact on my working day. Yet, amazingly, so much has been possible.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">I remember on the day Rachel was first in the hospital having chemo–it was the worst feeling leaving her there, as I walked away, not really knowing what to do. I always found those times the hardest, those Thursdays every three weeks when Rachel was at the hospital. Well, on that first one, I tried to fit too much in, as always. I’d designed an amendment to my desk–I was converting it from a standard desk to a standing one. During that first chemo session, I raced around the city getting the wood I needed and getting it cut into the sections I required. That night, as Rachel rested and as the food was delivered, I was busy starting the project. I think by the Saturday I’d finished. By her next chemo session, I’d been working at the new desk for about a fortnight. </span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">I remember that second session I started to write my latest novel. I hadn’t done loads on that first day–those Thursdays I always felt lost waiting for her to be finished–but in that three-week block, despite the school runs and shorter work days, I wrote the complete draft of the novel.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Somehow, despite it all, the goals I set myself (which were based on healthier times) I’ve managed to reach.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiiSJsrkjC6wmkT1Hr1fZIvCp1K2OLTb04RinrkysFlAlJpg5maOhhF_UFxLfIu5VWD4yqU2GIX7kSKcz8PZhEgZX0bVV0LR5jOpKmxuAxpvKA1qp2LRVAYQFYEN5IDfy-wqs21otNFxI/s1600/shadow_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiiSJsrkjC6wmkT1Hr1fZIvCp1K2OLTb04RinrkysFlAlJpg5maOhhF_UFxLfIu5VWD4yqU2GIX7kSKcz8PZhEgZX0bVV0LR5jOpKmxuAxpvKA1qp2LRVAYQFYEN5IDfy-wqs21otNFxI/s320/shadow_cover.jpg" width="204" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My 4th novel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">A massive outworking of being in Tallinn (which started just a few months after our move to Russia) is becoming a published author. In December just gone, my fourth novel was released and three more are coming this year. There is a real momentum now, and a growing, supportive and vocal readership.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">It’s made me wonder–and bear with me here–could the following be possible? Is God big enough–we know He is, of course–to have moved me from the UK with the specific goal to help me become the author I am today? It’s a surprising thought, of course.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">But what if the only way for me to become globally successful–dream with me here, would you, for a moment–was taking me from my job in Stockport, and sending me abroad on the adventures we had. Yes, we’d bless and be around church plants, and yes, we’d continue to do what we’ve always done and give our all into those settings. But what if the goal was to make a major breakthrough as a writer? What if the only way God saw that gift He’d placed in me coming to life was to call me to the nations? What then?</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">You see, things have been going exceptionally well. I’ve seen tens of thousands of new readers discovering my books for the first time this last year. I’ve seen a mailing list grow into the thousands, all waiting the announcement of my next novel in April. What if?</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Is it beyond God to do such a thing? Could that really have been his only agenda? </span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">I, of course, don’t know that. I probably won’t this side of heaven. But what’s been clear (and this especially so with my last two novels) is that readers who discover me, are telling me this is something I can do–this is a gift I have. And I’m aware of that, as well. I’ve always felt God with me as I write, that if this is a talent He has given me, it’s something I need to take seriously. And it seems to be something I’m learning the art of–learning the craft of–the more I do it.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Could it really provide the finance we need going forward? Are the floodgates about to burst open, to not only supply our own needs but beyond that, the needs of many other mission settings? What really is possible?</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">One thing I like about writing–the process itself is life-giving to me, so for that alone, is worth it–is that when people, including supporters of us, buy my books, they are not only supporting us, they are getting something in return.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Of course, that’s technically true in the traditional sense as well––treasure in heaven is not to be taken lightly. But I love the idea of producing something, and exchange happening over just charity. </span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">People have supported us financially for some time–in the early days, the regular giving was as much as 60% of our income–and we’ve seen our expenses, and this type of support, drop over time. Now it’s something like 20% if that. If that stopped, in this season, it would be hard. But as I said in the earlier entries, if that is the outworking of this news–and after already having supported us for so long already–then so be it. It might be that others want to start this way.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">But better still is help me to reach new levels as an author. Help me to sell more books. If you are a reader–or know of others–get involved in this aspect of my life. Who knows what God will do?</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">I’d consider any options––speaking at church events, book club link ups, talking with bookstore chains. If you have an idea, let me know!</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>And what about church life? </b>As I said previously, as the summer rolled by, we were committing ourselves to serving the folks at the local Vineyard Church* here in Tallinn. They were going through a change of their senior leader–something they’d been very clear about with me in the spring, though this was only announced to the church in September. Miguel–who is American and married to his Estonian wife Mai–was handing over the church after nearly 14 years to British man Anthony. At the start of this year, Anthony took the reins and it’ll be officially done with a celebration in April.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">(*To clarify, despite being around for 14 years, they are not a large church. Some weeks there are about 15 adults there, other times there are 40. When we first started going it wasn’t uncommon to see Anthony opening up the meeting, then doing worship and then speaking. So it’s a small church that we are serving–though, in recent weeks, numbers have been rising. Is God already doing something?)</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Anthony has said many times that our family and Arnoud & Elisabeth’s family arriving when we did was a real answer to prayer. Who’d have thought it? It’s been about six months now. Anthony has invited me and Arnoud, as well as another two guys, onto his new look wider leadership team. There are no labels yet–none are needed, nor would be helpful at this early stage–but it’s humbling for me to find ourselves in a place where we have a voice to speak into something, despite their long history, and our recent one. I preached for the first time in November and will speak for the third time this coming Sunday.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">As I’ve chatted and processed with people, we’ve talked about how long this ‘season’ is to be. I keep coming back to this, though–it’s not as if we had the choice between church plant or the Vineyard, and opted for the Vineyard. I don’t mean that in a disrespectful way. All I’m saying is that having tried everything, we were left with nothing. And we needed to serve somewhere because God had called us to Tallinn. It’s His will that we are in Estonia–still in Estonia, in fact–and we need a place to build community.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">And that’s happening slowly. </span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">There is, of course, an excellent opportunity for us now. Taking all the relationships we’ve built here (in Tallinn we’ve had the most unchurched friends by far compared to anywhere else we’ve ever lived) we now have an established context to connect them to, as and when the time comes. We have a place where we can bring the gifting God has placed in us, a place to outwork that, to encourage others, and grow together. We have a leader who we can serve, someone who needs our encouragement, and someone open to us as individuals.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Mia, our oldest, for the first time the other week, sang one song at church as part of the worship band. Elisabeth–who used to run the toddler groups in our home with Rachel–has recently launched a similar group at the Vineyards building each Thursday.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Looking forward… </span></b></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s1"><b></b></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">So as I look forward (we aren’t really looking too far ahead, as so much is uncertain at the moment with Rachel’s future treatment) we do have hope. Healing is possible.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Maybe by the end of the year, we’ll be fully engaged in a vibrant church community, playing our part as leaders there. Maybe I’ll be a best-selling author with my three books that are coming taking me to new heights? Maybe it’ll be something else?</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">How Can You Respond?</span></b></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">So what is your take away? What are we asking of you? Well, nothing in fact. This has been written for information–many of you will know of all or some of this–some might not have. It’s hard to keep everyone fully up to date, and especially for those that mainly read via this blog, for which this is the first such update that concretely states where things are at, currently.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Please do pray. That’s the best thing. Pray that God would work all things out for His good in our lives, that the enemy wouldn’t be allowed any more ground in the life of my family. Pray for us as we process and work through the church situations–healing from past hurts and guidance for future works–as well as blessing, opportunity and prosperity for me as a writer.</span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3-UFZADP_Ho-fA0EdJf60ews2YtOLDq8XF6zIB5Ac7HQvFTbObHDNT8TPuPnhgK121pYbupx4bKIGeH3RymIpGPECpaEzrIDwxYeq9axiLpBbfCgznWGNHjZEW-R9LPAy_FgTIdHXiKg/s1600/IMG_0188.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3-UFZADP_Ho-fA0EdJf60ews2YtOLDq8XF6zIB5Ac7HQvFTbObHDNT8TPuPnhgK121pYbupx4bKIGeH3RymIpGPECpaEzrIDwxYeq9axiLpBbfCgznWGNHjZEW-R9LPAy_FgTIdHXiKg/s640/IMG_0188.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of our favourite spots in Estonia––last summer, before all the madness really got started.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="p2">
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">If you do have any questions–maybe something that I’ve not covered, or something I’ve not explained clearly enough–or any other comments, suggestions or thoughts, please do get in touch, we’d love to hear from you!</span></div>
<style type="text/css">
p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Helvetica; color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000}
p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Helvetica; color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000; min-height: 13.0px}
span.s1 {text-decoration: underline ; font-kerning: none}
span.s2 {font-kerning: none}
</style></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06605204341808935762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1128413133068142254.post-28873184976285492182017-03-02T09:03:00.000+03:002018-03-01T10:01:09.911+03:00The Good, The Bad, The Ugly––Part Two<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6a6Ph842lOkLh3FjndOMDdoKxyCuikcnHq_-ZLws4LK-W1bz2qbGHTGU16_Bp5VOrMfalD4xpSKwz_5FkharMI7YoMqIoHmT3aovDJ8RpZrsDzhbwY7jgN8jQ5cvPwphphkQkLoTVnoo/s1600/IMG_3369.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6a6Ph842lOkLh3FjndOMDdoKxyCuikcnHq_-ZLws4LK-W1bz2qbGHTGU16_Bp5VOrMfalD4xpSKwz_5FkharMI7YoMqIoHmT3aovDJ8RpZrsDzhbwY7jgN8jQ5cvPwphphkQkLoTVnoo/s640/IMG_3369.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">This is the second part of this five-year update. If you haven't yet read the first part (they were written to be read in order) please do so <span style="color: blue;"><b><a href="http://hearingmyheart.blogspot.com.ee/2017/03/the-good-bad-uglypart-one.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">here</span></a>.</b></span></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><u>Part Two–The Ugly; Talking Frankly about all the Mess</u></span></b></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Before things ever get good, they've got to get ugly, right?</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">As I try to unwrap all that has happened, to inform you and hopefully encourage you with what we've learnt through these challenges, I will not name names. That is not the reason I’m writing this series. Nor do I want to draw on situations too clinically, though to tell you our story (and to land at <b><i>The Good</i></b>) I need to cover some of the background interference in order to fully explain myself. It's as much an exercise for me as anything, so bear with me if I go on, or sound like I'm speaking to myself. I probably am.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">I realise some might know the people whom I might be indirectly implying. Maybe it's not who you think it is anyway? The point is not the witch hunt but to grow from these experiences, to increase our learning and come through it all stronger.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Like being the husband of a wife going through chemo. I want to become someone that can help others when facing the same situation because I've walked that path. Chemo and everything that follows really is like trying to crack an egg with a sledgehammer. But until there is a better solution... (please God, let there be some advances in cancer treatment in the near future). Watching your wife's body completely broken down by that poison, her immunity stripped out and hair falling out, is not anything I'd want anyone to face.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Of course, statistically, many will.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Even post-treatment, when the cutting starts, it's not over. Rachel has made the decision for me (I'd have agreed, in all honesty) not to show me the wound mid-surgery as we are. And if I'm honest it scares me. So did the thought of her hair falling out, hidden under her hat until the day I shaved it off for her. So I might come around.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Why do I say this? It doesn't make me look good, or brave, for sure. But that's the point. I'm not writing this series to come across as strong, but real. Bad things happen to people and sometimes it's not all good and sweet. Sometimes life is ugly.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">If we don't understand that fact, if we build our theology on the 'now everything is going to smell of roses' lie, you really are just setting yourself up for a fall. When bad things happen, you have nowhere to go in your theology apart from being undone, and then I hope you then come back to God. But people do walk away altogether having experienced what we have, and I can only imagine it's because they blamed God. That they assumed by being a Christian, it meant we were exempt from life somehow. That just isn't how it works. Life gets ugly.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Wind back with me to before the summer–a year before that, in fact. In autumn 2015, after a challenging three years in Tallinn with ups and downs, we were seeing some serious numbers. Crowds were filling our home. I'd prayed for six extra people to join us that October and there they were. We had a core at the heart of that which included two Estonians. Things looked promising after months of struggle, years of pressing in, wearing ourselves out.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Yet as easy as it came, it went. The temporary extra help we had needed to return home, the students were at the end of their course, and suddenly the core that I thought had been with us simply dissolved.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Rejection never feels good. Coming from fellow Christians that you'd invested so much into and your kids had grown to love is especially hard.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">None of them I think set out to deliberately do harm. But just as an absent parent does harm by the void they leave behind, the same was true for us. Some of it was down to personal sin and struggles. Yet those we were counting on to share the load with us just dropped their shoulder. They were done.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">And it hurt. A lot.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">I've reflected recently, that with cancer jumping uninvited into our family as it so ruthlessly did at the end of August, the last autumn passed us by with these issues from the summer kind of pushed to one side. Maybe dealt with, maybe dissolving away?</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Maybe they still need addressing?</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">By last summer, we'd already been talking and praying about where we should get involved as a family. If we were laying down the homegroup and gatherings that we were hosting with the church plant, one of our values as a family and as Christians has always been to be involved in the local church, to be in community. The Christian life was never meant to be lived in isolation.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">And Estonia can be an isolating place.</span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb8vjzKVQU8o00_3J3zwpyDnUWn0O-SLU64xrp4ZHoG2kj9Sn-N8AnIhngJ9KBa7JyhCCHD41mjxQYgTJyW0apGx4NFUQSDixgT8FrDulhuKeLCqsbeSVm-mLwFvynz9xndpt7GfF0dRc/s1600/IMG_1208.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb8vjzKVQU8o00_3J3zwpyDnUWn0O-SLU64xrp4ZHoG2kj9Sn-N8AnIhngJ9KBa7JyhCCHD41mjxQYgTJyW0apGx4NFUQSDixgT8FrDulhuKeLCqsbeSVm-mLwFvynz9xndpt7GfF0dRc/s320/IMG_1208.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Isolating––true. But see, it's not all 'ugly'. This photo<br />
was taken at the end of our road the other week, looking<br />
out over the frozen Baltic sea.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">I'd really felt that we could serve for a season with the guys at the local Vineyard church. We'd visited on and off over the years and I'd met with the leader before. They could also do with some encouragement. We needed a place to heal. We'd stated that we would be coming regularly from the summer onwards, and as a final rejection, aside from Arnoud & Elisabeth who have faithfully walked with us throughout our time here, none of the others in the church plant felt/wanted to come and serve with us there.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Most aren't involved in the local church here in Tallinn anymore. But it's not about them, of course.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">I vocalised the other day to Rachel how I still find that personal rejection hard, and didn't want it to affect the way I view Estonian Christians I might come across in the future. I need to keep working in this area, clearly! We both approach these things totally differently. Rachel is the picture of love, acceptance and inclusion, reaching out to people long after most would have given up. I tend to cut myself off from hurtful people and situations, probably a protection method.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Our hearts had plenty of those situations these last twelve months.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">It's not always locally based either. I attended a conference last summer in another country. They were showcasing (probably the wrong word–it was to prompt prayer and awareness) in one of the rooms the various situations and plants happening around Europe. We would historically fall into that group because we were in Tallinn. Before the conference (we'd just laid down the church plant remember) I had cautiously replied to the emails asking for updates on the church that could be shared at the conference. I reigned that in. I didn't want the crowds to think more was happening than it was, and we were hurting. I needed healing and played down going 'too big' on what got shared.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Conferences have a way of taking what little faith there is and making it grow. I was stirred by being there (being amongst thousands of like-minded souls does have a way of doing that). But the way they expressed these European bases, I was not ready for.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Instead of calling them church plants (which I had shied away from) they had soldiers on a map. Folks were stationed in various places. <b>This was a language I could run with!</b> We were soldiers, for sure, on the ground. We knew battle. Boy did we know what that felt like.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Yet we weren't on the map. There were no little soldier figurines on Estonia, no flag, no picture of our family as pioneering on the wall. Nothing.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">And that hurt more than I knew it would.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">I cried like I have not cried in a long time. Andy Moyle got the front row seat for that performance, spotting me breaking down during worship and asking if I wanted a chat outside. I'm not sure how many words I got out. It was also the day Rachel was taking further tests in Tallinn as they were investigating what the lump was. So that certainly played on my mind.</span></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Again, I'm not finding fault. Our absence from that map, our removal from the website that looks at pioneers around Europe (which still hurts, though I write this with a smile I’m trying to make myself wear) was not malicious. It was based on what I said, even if the outworking looked very different to what I'd been asked about.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">I'm not pointing any fingers, but looking at what this all does on the inside.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">How does it feel going from being a church leader to a pioneer...to nothing? Of course, we are far from nothing. But in that context, what is happening now (within that group of churches) on the ground compared to before, or other situations is <i>comparatively</i> nothing.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">It's so easy to have your identity wrapped up in what you do. Tim the church planter. Tim the pioneer. Until you aren't doing that anymore. Until that's not what you can say about yourself.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">I realised I needed a new answer to the question we often get about why we were living in Tallinn. It often came up, especially when they realised I wasn't here for work or married to an Estonian (the two most common reasons for moving to Estonia). Add to that I'm an author (lots more on this in <b><i>The Good</i></b>, I’m sure) and they always wonder why Estonia. In the past that was always an opening to a conversation (often brief, once they heard my answer): "We moved to Tallinn because we felt God leading us here to start a church."</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">When you've just laid down a church plant, that answer doesn't sound so helpful anymore.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">But you still need to answer. Even if just for yourself. Why are we here? It's actually a question I looked at a lot at the beginning of last year (everything post-summer has been cancer and chemo. As I said in the first entry, it's almost as if these earlier challenges have been pushed to one side in the light of the health issues). Namely, the question: ‘Do we still believe God called us to Tallinn?’ If the church plant hasn't worked out, and if that was the reason, do we remain?</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Believe me, we prayed about every situation imaginable (and probably a few you can't). I did anyway. I can't speak for Rachel in this, nor the girls. But all were clearly affected by what had happened and would be by any change we might face.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">I kept landing back to the following: we don't feel our time in Estonia is over. As much as I'd like to have fitted another option, an easier one, someplace where there was life, where there were a vibrant church community and culture, where there were people we could be friends with, where life would be easier, where we could speak heart to heart easily and not be misunderstood....as much as all that, as much as we'd like to be nearer to some dear friends that God has recently knitted our hearts to...we didn't sense any of that was right.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">God had said Estonia, God had moved us to Tallinn, and despite what we'd just gone through, our time here wasn't done. He wasn't done with us. Far from it.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Let me add this. We love the country of Estonia. We love living in Tallinn. It's by far the nicest house and area we have ever lived, since being married or when growing up. It's amazing to think our girls get to grow here. We love the city, we love being in the EU (Brexit really didn't help the UK's appeal to me during the summer!). It's only in relation to the church situation (granted, lots of heartaches) that life here has been challenging.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">I've joked that if we could have the life here and Hope Church St Petersburg all at the same time, we'd be in our element. It'd be heaven. Well, I guess, one day it really will be. Maybe we just have to wait?</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">But does that mean we spend our days in Tallinn without ever having that type of community? Is that fair? Is that right?</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">I've said before, I think words like fair and right are the wrong ones in these contexts because it comes only from a human perspective. The church in Tallinn might never look like what we are used to, of course, what we yearn for so deeply. Maybe we've had those days this side of heaven. The question remains; are we prepared to be in the place God has said despite it not being all we could dream? If Christian life for us here doesn't have all the trappings so readily available in other contexts, do we stay?</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">For me, the answer has to be yes.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Yet I believe we can work through all this. We can step free from this cancer, this experience. God can use it for good. I can walk free from these rejections, these hurts, one day, even if I know I am not free at the moment. Even while it still hurts, I trust one day it will hurt less.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">The simple truth is life gets ugly at times. But I guess, if that wasn't ever the case, would we actually be doing life? But there is also so much good...and that's coming next!</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">One final thought on what's ugly. Going through cancer having just laid down the church plant has made me aware of how too often we view spiritual warfare. We've all been there, let's be honest. So and so are pioneering some great work somewhere and then illness happens. It's obviously a work of Satan–spiritual attack!–and we rally to pray. That might be true, the attack element I mean, in some cases. What I find interesting in our situation is the fact, in human terms, we hadn't had a backdrop of victory, but defeat. Had the opposite been true, how much more fervent would the cries be, how felt would the outrage be that a church leading couple could be attacked like this? It’s an interesting thought.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">I actually feel I've gained a great perspective on this. </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">I'm still processing the full extent, but it's helped me to view the area of spiritual warfare in a fresh light.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Let's not be so quick to draw lines in the sand, calling one thing warfare and another something different. It's all ugly.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Cancer stinks whether you are preaching to thousands or picking up the pieces of a shattered dream.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Food for thought–like I say, I'm still working this one through, but I find the appearance of that chain of thought quite thought-provoking!</span></div>
<style type="text/css">
p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Helvetica; color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000}
p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Helvetica; color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000; min-height: 13.0px}
span.s1 {text-decoration: underline ; font-kerning: none}
span.s2 {font-kerning: none}
</style></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06605204341808935762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1128413133068142254.post-68709981834604477122017-03-01T10:10:00.000+03:002018-03-01T10:08:42.704+03:00The Good, The Bad, The Ugly––Part One<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="p1">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZEMgbNL_ij5QSuXhFHaGh_A94_y8VDnZN02uNxWhKXKFiQmS1nSeNbZ6Pc7AYtkH9coZJsY_zEaxn_I7xy3A__Joh14cNBtrAKn6hHTibDVpNiD3cNsjBeO-wbrUdV3fM_3oGGUDWGGc/s1600/IMG_3369.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZEMgbNL_ij5QSuXhFHaGh_A94_y8VDnZN02uNxWhKXKFiQmS1nSeNbZ6Pc7AYtkH9coZJsY_zEaxn_I7xy3A__Joh14cNBtrAKn6hHTibDVpNiD3cNsjBeO-wbrUdV3fM_3oGGUDWGGc/s640/IMG_3369.jpg" width="640" /></a><span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">In some way, this will be a long overdue update. I've not written in this context (to the blog/email list) for a long time. It will form part of what I planned to write out to you all last autumn. But life then took on a new level of differentness. </span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">This will actually be in three parts. Is it the thriller author in me that plans now in series, or something else? Maybe it is the need to ease you in gently to whatever is about to come out of me here as I put fingers to keyboard. As I walked back from the beach at the end of our road the other day–the sea frozen in its winter state–I had the line <b><i>"The Good, The Bad, The Ugly"</i></b> come to mind. There is nothing original, of course, in that phrase. But I knew then that it would make a great basis to tell the story of these last couple of years, and to bring you all fully up to speed with what life looks like for us here in Tallinn in 2017–and beyond. Because things have changed.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">But before we get to all that, I need to reorder the sequence of words a little. We'll end on <b><i>The Good</i></b>. This first post will be <b><i>The Bad</i></b> and I'll cover <b><i>The Ugly </i></b>next.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Part One–The Bad: Our Story of the Last Two Years</span></b></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">We've learnt a lot during our time overseas (it'll be nine years this summer) but maybe through the challenge, we've learnt more than ever in recent years. I hope we are learning, anyway.</span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRTTOexsR61plIWcf8_mm5UKti8SZgbneHtHyA4Qp6iNw4xKpGHH2rXYpsCFjB4pG6lphL2Ow1UyutxCFb3DQNrP56gDzxRFVn0vO3mrbjSJyYuwz1cXqGXYwyIz3ZzVU512HaWS7-918/s1600/IMG_1048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRTTOexsR61plIWcf8_mm5UKti8SZgbneHtHyA4Qp6iNw4xKpGHH2rXYpsCFjB4pG6lphL2Ow1UyutxCFb3DQNrP56gDzxRFVn0vO3mrbjSJyYuwz1cXqGXYwyIz3ZzVU512HaWS7-918/s320/IMG_1048.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love this photo, as did 100s of people once I put it on<br />
Facebook. Yet it will always be the reminder that<br />
Rachel was going through chemo––her hair not yet grown––<br />
that she'll remember as she looks at this image.<br />
As nice as it is, this season will live with us forever.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Cancer is clearly bad. It deserves first mention, and will certainly come up again in the next post, too. As we were processing everything this last summer–a period of reflection that followed one of the toughest decisions I've ever had to make–we were hit with Rachel's diagnosis. Hit is probably the best word. Treatment started so quickly, that we were into the cycles of chemo before we really knew what was happening to us. Everything else would have to be put on hold. Those feelings and emotions that were still not dealt with suddenly covered over by an even more evasive form of challenge.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">As I write this, we are obviously still not through it all. The chemo phase has passed, thank God, but radiotherapy is just about to start. The medication (5 years in tablet form and 2 years of injections) has already started. There will also be operations to come to repair the damage that the fight against cancer took on my wife's body.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">As a Christian, it's been an eye-opening journey as I've faced the realities of all that has happened. When I spoke at the Tallinn Vineyard church for the first time in November, I had to be frank with the questions. But I shared how facing a challenge like cancer is a workout for your theology, your understanding of who God is, and what you believe his character is like. It's a test of your own beliefs–do they still hold true in the face of real issues?</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Can you still say God is good? Can you still say God heals?</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">These are the questions I've worked through these last six-plus months and what I've realised is that more than ever I know these statements to be still true. I can't imagine going through something like cancer without a strong faith in God. The things I believed of God one, two or ten years ago are still the things I now know to be true, even given all that has happened to us, despite all the bad and the ugly (we'll get to that...)</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">I realise that these things happen. People die, people get cancer, churches don't get planted. Take the man called Lazarus, for example. Jesus raised him from the dead, yet is he still walking the earth today? Is there some 2000-year-old man wandering the Middle East? Of course not. He died again, assuming this time of old age. But if Jesus can raise someone from the dead and yet that could at best only be temporary, then why do we think it's any different for the rest of us?</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">As I began to process these things, I took my focus off our own situation and kept as much focus as I could on Him. God is good––that’s an unchanged reality. </span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">It doesn't mean only good things will happen, because this side of heaven, that was never promised. </span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">We live in a fallen world, where bad things happen. One day there will be no sickness, no death, no sorrow. One day that will be our reality, but in the meantime, people get sick. People get cancer.</span></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">On 1st March 2012, we landed permanently in Tallinn. It’s now five years, therefore. Time flies. We arrived full of hopes and dreams. Much of what has happened since I can assure you were not in those early dreamers minds.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Did God fail us? Did we get it wrong?</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">These last months have shown me these aren't the right questions, because they come at the issue from merely human understanding, a human mindset. But I'll unpackage what I mean over these three entries as a whole. Stay with me. There is a lot to unwrap.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">When we arrived in Tallinn we'd had to say goodbye to some very dear friends in Russia. Our spiritual family in fact in St Petersburg, where we'd seen many spiritual sons and daughters (mainly daughters actually) connected to us in the heart. We knew because of visa restrictions and other restraints we wouldn't see many of these people again, besides our trips back. We've only managed one trip as a whole family since we left due to the cost of four visas and I've maybe been 2 or 3 times on my own.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">We arrived in Tallinn on the back of something amazing happening in St Petersburg–and the more I reflect, something quite unique actually. It was something special, a short-term bubble and window that I don't think would even have been possible today as things now stand. God was good to us. He knew exactly what, when and where something needed to happen and he moved heaven and earth to get us all into that city for that time.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Tallinn we knew was always going to be a long haul battle. There were no quick wins to be had in Estonia. Welcome to the land of hard graft!</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Yet, of course, the church is God's. It's his to build. What I've reflected on though is that when the opposite happens, how quickly we forget the same truth that it is God's church. How quickly we land on man and start looking for what went wrong. Yet if salvation and church growth are His, if He rightly gets the honour for every lost soul rescued, isn’t He also equally at work in situations that don't work out?</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">In the first half of 2016 we laid down the church plant that was Hope:Tallinn, officially saying enough was enough. After nearly four years, by then back to just the two original families, and after every effort had been given, it was time to make that call.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Like a doctor trying desperately to resuscitate a patient on the operating table, at some point you have to stop and call time of death. Dead is dead. And we were dying–thankfully, not physically.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Then cancer reared its head.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">In hindsight, how much harder would it have been had we just launched, had things taken off like they had so effortlessly (it seems, though it took a lot of effort at times of course) in Russia? I don't think we could have done it. It would have been more than we could have managed.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">I think about these things and then say maybe God knew, and then I laugh. Of course, he knew!</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">He knew about the fact that in Estonia when someone is off work due to illness, an employee's salary is only 70% of its usual amount, thereby reducing a huge element of our income since September whilst at the same time our individual supporters are down to the last few. Yet we've seen some amazing things happen through this time, some special generosity. I'll cover that in part three.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Another thing that we've had to work through (sending this update out might well force the issue, for some) is the thought that aren't people financially supporting us to church plant, and if we are only serving in another church, won't they just stop when they find out? There are no easy answers for this, though as friends have often told me, people support the individuals, not the job description. And also, as you'll see in part three, there is a lot more that we are and can be involved in now. Things have moved quite quickly really.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Last year was personally a very tough year. </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">There were, of course, some good moments, I'm sure we'll come to that, and we've landed in a better place this year.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">I'll certainly leave you with that before we are out.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">But not before it gets ugly...</span></div>
<style type="text/css">
p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Helvetica; color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000}
p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Helvetica; color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000; min-height: 13.0px}
span.s1 {font-kerning: none}
span.s2 {text-decoration: underline ; font-kerning: none}
</style></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06605204341808935762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1128413133068142254.post-3803159900645626212016-06-28T22:43:00.000+03:002016-06-28T22:43:20.611+03:00Brexit and Me: An Outsider's Inside View<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s6GtYXZwqRU/V3KgTsQ7rLI/AAAAAAAAHxs/MVDSBHa9mWQqnv06s_d7DQ_3n_TQHOFzwCKgB/s1600/image.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="496" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s6GtYXZwqRU/V3KgTsQ7rLI/AAAAAAAAHxs/MVDSBHa9mWQqnv06s_d7DQ_3n_TQHOFzwCKgB/s640/image.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>"We won't make them leave straight-away. The ones that score the most points might not even have to leave."</b></span></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Answer given on a BBC Radio show today (talking about EU nationals currently living in the UK, post Brexit result). Since when was <i>that</i> ever in the debate, anyway?</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Hello, I'm English but I live in Estonia (a thriving EU nation, if not with its own unique regional challenges). I voted in the recent UK referendum on the issue of whether the UK should remain or leave the European Union.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I traveled back for a family celebration on the day after the result was declared - last Friday. I was still in shock. Still am actually.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">On Saturday morning I went to a local play-ground in Oxford. There were lots of people, families, out enjoying the day, their kids playing. I was with my two daughters.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We've lived in both Russia, and now Estonia, for the last eight years. In the past, whenever we've traveled back to the UK, I've often made use of the other languages we've picked up. Sometimes for the novelty of it, mainly to be able to communicate something to our girls whilst out in public that I don't necessarily need others to hear. It's (usually) our secret language!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This last Saturday the same thought crossed my mind. Even as the Estonian words were forming in my head, this time I caught myself. And this is why I'm writing this article.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">You see, the caution that crossed my mind was this - I don't know anymore from those around me whether I'd be as accepted if I spoke anything other than English. This thought greatly troubled me.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There I was, as English as anyone can be, tall and male (so least likely to be physically threatened by any would-be aggressor) and I no longer felt it was acceptable to speak a European language to my children in a public park in England.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Now let me state the following, before you read into things that I am not saying:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">- I'm not suggesting that everyone who voted LEAVE was basing their decision on racist and/or xenophobic viewpoints.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">- I'm not saying that I was threatened in any way or that people living in Oxford (or anywhere) are all hostile towards outsiders.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I'm merely saying, because of the result, that an element of doubt was now in my mind. <b>And in that moment I felt what all visitors, especially EU citizens (many living and serving this nation for a long time already) must now feel.</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And that is a really sad revelation.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Now whilst I state that the LEAVE vote wasn't solely based along xenophobic lines, there has sadly been a very vocal element of this voice rising up since the result - foreigners being told by 'locals' to leave the country. The news, social media and papers are growing on a daily basis with accounts of this type of anti-social (and criminal) behaviour.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And even just days after the actual result, it is clear that everything promised on a successful LEAVE vote is far from a given - the NHS lie is maybe one of the biggest. There are also large numbers of LEAVE voters (presumably unaware of how voting actually works, or just playing with what they thought was a harmless protest vote) that are now voicing they'd not have voted that way if they'd known, or at least now showing doubts upon their decision.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As well as this free license the result has given to the racists, the last few days have also seen the following:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">- The Pound crashing in value (as well as the UK markets).</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">- Both main political parties in a state of free fall, their leaders doomed.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">- Both Scotland and Northern Ireland very likely to vote for their own independence, therefore breaking up the UK. Either of these breaking away causes a huge issue with what becomes of the borders after that. They'd have to be secured to keep people out.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">- It's clear that the EU isn't going to roll over and make it easy (why should they when we've been the ones to ruin the relationship?) There are therefore no guarantees at all when it comes to any type of business trade deals.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">These are just some of the issues.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Clearly the strongest issue is the fact that the xenophobes now feel they have a legal right to abuse anyone they deem as unworthy of staying here.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Is that what you voted for?</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Again, I'm not saying anywhere near the majority of those 51.9% who voted LEAVE were doing so on racist grounds - but from what can be seen, the number that share some element of that view would be a significant percentage. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And let me be clear - if you were putting everyone on a xenophobic scale, 0 being no issue whatsoever and 10 being outright racist, there is no gradient. Another from 1 up to 10 <b><i>is</i></b> <b><i>already</i></b> xenophobia.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So even if that number was as little as 30% of voters, that's 3 people in every 20 (lets assume its a 50/50 split for IN or OUT, then 30% of those 10 LEAVE voters makes 3 people). Standing in that playground on Saturday, with a lot more than 20 people around, statistically, I wasn't going to take that risk.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Of course the referendum was just something to take the nations pulse, so to speak, on the issue of EU involvement. <b>It has no legal power to take us out of the Union</b>, and as the days go on, you can see the full weight of making that call taking its toll. No one wants to be that person.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The whole debate, vote and now result, of course, was completely wrong to put the nation through in the first place. The UK should never have been put in such a position. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">What now?</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Is all hope lost? I don't believe so. There are growing calls for a new referendum. I'd go along that. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>If you now knew all you do in the days after the result (and seen these xenophobic attacks) would you still have voted LEAVE?</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Think about that one.</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I'm not saying you need to carry on as before. I just believe the vast majority would look at what has happened - as if the curtain has been pulled back and light shed on all those 'promises' that the LEAVE campaign made - and suddenly you aren't now so certain.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Maybe its the racist thugs, jumping on the LEAVE band wagon (with good cause, I might add, as the vote has given them all exactly what they were looking for) that has caused you to take stock and say; <i><b>'hold on, that's not what I voted for.'</b></i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">What next?</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Sadly, once this action gets formalised, there will be no going back. There is time to stop this. Let your voice be heard. Stand up for what you want the UK to really be.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Don't let the thugs win. We aren't a nation of xenophobes, are we?</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>And if the UK does leave the EU?</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The vast majority of younger people wanted to be a part of the EU - so I'd say leave, travel into Europe, get work there, enjoy life in the common market. Visit places. There are many places calling out for people to come to them - Estonia being one of them. It's an amazing country, and an amazing experience.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">You all do have a choice. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">But time is running out.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06605204341808935762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1128413133068142254.post-91840163039423729062016-03-23T19:17:00.000+03:002016-03-23T19:17:08.631+03:00Faith -- feɪθ --<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Y_BdG7Shn5yua0zvyswPKpb0bQOXJp_MC460ZuLUGPvAhgdxFUscywiEO_r6lgsThElmZbdxGU7Fl6WueRN8DA1Th6AH_SfOO89j6iMSPmfCTrRRNKg9_eOGdKPogURa_eUgZ2zn6Vg/s1600/March23.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Y_BdG7Shn5yua0zvyswPKpb0bQOXJp_MC460ZuLUGPvAhgdxFUscywiEO_r6lgsThElmZbdxGU7Fl6WueRN8DA1Th6AH_SfOO89j6iMSPmfCTrRRNKg9_eOGdKPogURa_eUgZ2zn6Vg/s640/March23.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>Faith</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><b>"Faith – it does not make things easy, it makes them possible"</b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><b>"Don't compare your beginnings to someone else's middle"</b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><b>"Worry ends when faith in God begins"</b></i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">These are just some of the many thousands of similar quotes you might find on the subject of faith. In the light of yesterday's attacks in Brussels, we are once more reminded of the darkness so prevalent in front of our eyes. It fills our television screens, our newspapers and our social media news feeds.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So I want to dwell on faith, a little, if I might, and end with a picture I've taken this week which I believe captures the essence of <i>faith in action</i>. You'll see what I mean later.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Faith, like I guess with words such as love, hope, affection, has no actual power in itself. If you were able to bottle up any of these, to capture the actual essence of what it was, if it were even possible to have a jar full of the substance of faith, to look at it, to feel its weight, it would still be powerless, still be totally flat. You see faith, like love and all the others I mentioned, has to exist within relationship. Without that connection, it doesn't hold any power. And whilst as a Christian my key relationship (and one I'd expect you to assume I would include) is with God, even if you don't believe in God, this principle is still at work in the world, in your life, regardless. You can see that in love, for example. Take out the object of that love, that affection, and there is no actual substance. We walk outside, in faith knowing we won't just float around, nor sink to the depths, because of the relationship between gravity and the forces of physics that keep our feet on the ground, and no lower.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We are all people of faith – regardless of what people might think about that statement, what images that conjures up. People have faith in their favourite sports team, spending time and money to attend games, investing energy and emotion into the teams successes (and failings!). You have the belief (another word for faith!) in the fact that at the end of the month your days spent working will be rewarded with your salary.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">All these are examples of faith in action – faith working in relationship with something, someone, else.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But it also matters in whom you hold that faith, and the level of faith you have is proportionate to the object of that faith. Let me give you this example. If a five-year-old in my daughter's nursery class told me they'd give me €10 million, I wouldn't have a lot of expectation that this would come about – my faith would be very low in that regard, based on the individual. If, on the other hand, Bill Gates was visiting the school, and once I got chatting with him he then said the same thing to me, my faith that I might actually receive this amount of money suddenly changes. Here stands a man that can actually make that happen!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">How much more so with God? I mean, not the god the world doesn't believe in, the one that gets laughed at right across Estonia, the notion being that any religion is just fairytales for kids (another reference I saw mentioned today on Facebook within a group here in Estonia) and that adults know better. I mean a God that is so much bigger than we can explain, so much beyond our rejection of him. A God more loving that we could ever give him credit for, and a better Father to us than we could every experience. A God who suffers with us, who suffered before us and who brings an answer to all the suffering, a solution and end to all the death that surrounds us, through the person of Jesus.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What if this were the one you put faith in – what then might be possible?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Estonia stands on the brink of becoming a totally godless nation. What will be difficult is that in other areas, the nation is advancing rapidly, without the need for God. They will soon, unless we change the atmosphere here, be able to stand, and like those early humans in Babel, call out to the world and say 'look at what we've done, aren't we great, and all this without the need for belief in your God.'</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Estonia is the frontline</b> in the spiritual battle for the increasingly secular societies the world is seeing. <b>The battle is here, and the battle is now.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've been reading about Joshua lately – there was the first generation group of leaders around Joshua and then there was the second generation. Both were faced with the same challenge, to take hold of a new land that was filled with very real giants. The first group failed the test, God taking them all out until only Joshua and Caleb remained, the entire rest dropping in the desert. God was raising up new people to put around this adventure ready, faith filled warrior.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I relate to Joshua (in that I'm seeing those around us falling back, leaving me wondering if God is stripping away in order to rebuild). It's not easy, and church planting in the most spiritually hostile land in Europe takes its emotional toil. But I keep in mind what my heart sees, the light God has placed there for better days to come for Estonia, despite the increasing darkness I'm seeing with my eyes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>God, move mightily on this fragile land. God of Joshua, break down the giants that live in Estonia. Breakdown the fortified cities of Secularism and Atheism that have set themselves up like Jericho in this nation, the residents boasting in their apparently superior position. Send an army that would see these walls come falling down. Bring outworking to our faith and obedience for standing here, spying out a land flowing with milk and honey, and believing that you can take this land. Put the right kind of warriors around us, friends that we can go into battle with to see this nation reaching heights that they never even thought were possible. In a time of increasing darkness – let your light break out!</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>We are praying</b> about how to partner more with others to see Kingdom life break out, so please pray with us for a conversation we're having with some people on Monday. We are also praying for this <b>army to join us</b>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In all this, we still love the fact that God has called us to Tallinn. Because of our relationship in the one who called us, because of that faith that he knows what he is doing even if we don't, we know the future here will be exciting. Whilst emotionally it threatens time and again to get too much, we must keep our eyes on him. There's a land to possess here, and we aren't going to give up that easily. <b>Are you?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now, about that photo of <i>faith in action</i> I mentioned at the beginning. On the weekend I planted these little cuttings. They are sitting on our balcony. I don't know if they'll actually take, it was partly an experiment to see how these type of trees take. I hope they do. But that's not the main point. The main point is this; why do we have little trees growing in small pots that can't possibly sustain them, on a balcony without the space for them to grow? It's the same with the apple tree my daughter is also growing for a year already. Why? Well, though the trees will grow well for the moment, and I can transfer them to bigger pots that can keep them growing, I know that this won't be enough. But one day (hopefully in the not to distant future, for the saplings sake at least!) we'd love to own some land, something outside the city with a garden – space to grow some trees, space for an apple tree. So we are growing them now, ahead of the time, knowing that when that time might come, the trees will be ready to be planted into the ground.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Will that happen before the trees get too big? Will we see a church planted that thrives? Will a nation be saved?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>We believe so...</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyc_ZwkDBYhofqEEkRzIAJ79HmBJrrfuUEPhImaWmOj5WjsX0GbvSR_O8Bwz-3uydJy4eqg4nJB-7aAIAkIVI83tWZ5HHQLTHHaKELWsp4AI31DZ4Ww6EcBWctm-gjn3Zjf1GfNk2xSQ/s1600/IMG_3067.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyc_ZwkDBYhofqEEkRzIAJ79HmBJrrfuUEPhImaWmOj5WjsX0GbvSR_O8Bwz-3uydJy4eqg4nJB-7aAIAkIVI83tWZ5HHQLTHHaKELWsp4AI31DZ4Ww6EcBWctm-gjn3Zjf1GfNk2xSQ/s640/IMG_3067.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06605204341808935762noreply@blogger.com0Tallinn, Estonia59.436960799999987 24.75357459999997959.178853299999986 24.108127599999978 59.695068299999988 25.39902159999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1128413133068142254.post-7756939219763241842016-03-16T19:05:00.001+03:002016-03-16T19:05:21.739+03:00Vision -- vɪʒ(ə)n --<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEEaGJlz4zoGceNLQhgcCfRTg8nSFmXM_2toVvPf15v6RufdEZMxIcDuS8BIVbsr19BFgPFVCVdYK0MTtLTkqinDcv-C-H1jrzddfwAd2PoktjgQDIjidi00ON7AB3ClgN-g2bwy_wWcI/s1600/pablo+%25281%2529+copy+3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEEaGJlz4zoGceNLQhgcCfRTg8nSFmXM_2toVvPf15v6RufdEZMxIcDuS8BIVbsr19BFgPFVCVdYK0MTtLTkqinDcv-C-H1jrzddfwAd2PoktjgQDIjidi00ON7AB3ClgN-g2bwy_wWcI/s640/pablo+%25281%2529+copy+3.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Vision</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The world likes to say a lot about vision, and for good reason. Here are a few examples;</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"<i>Vision</i> without action is merely a dream. Action without <i>vision</i> just passes the time. <i>Vision</i> with action can change the world." – <b>Joel A Barker</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Where there is no <i>vision</i>, there is no hope." – <b>George Washington Carver</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Leadership is the capacity to translate <i>vision</i> into reality." – <b>Warren G. Bennis</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i>Let me tell you a story of this past week in Tallinn:</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sunday was a fantastic time of gathering together, seeing Estonians, Russians as well as us Brits, the Dutch and half a dozen other nationalities that it's now common to see amongst us. This is Tallinn, and the nations are increasingly coming here. We had a guest speaking, a Russian background believer from another church in the city. It was great seeing our Estonians get behind this brother's word to us. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sunday saw eight folks there for the first time. These people have come through personal invitations, the church as a whole so outward in their connection to this city we get to live and work in. Relational connections are strong in a culture like Tallinn, where strangers are left to themselves. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Still, our <b>welcome team</b> smashed through that cultural hurdle and <i>embraced</i> these visitors as they arrived. It's wonderful having a welcome team made up of warm hearted folks from different backgrounds, both those raised and living all their lives in Tallinn, and foreigners who've adopted Tallinn as their new home. Seeing <b>black and white serving</b> side by side, it makes me praise God.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Three people responded to the gospel, one during worship, as a Russian anthem of praise rang out. We have three <b>native singers</b> that <b>serve</b> us on any one week, <b>Estonian, Russian and English</b> sung from the front. We've always encouraged everyone to join in, and its great to see the older Estonians and Russians learning the other's language so they can better understand one another.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There is nothing like a love for God to melt away decades of hostility.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It was during a <b>prophetic word </b>that the Russian guy gave his heart to Jesus during the time of worship. I didn't see what happened at the time, but was told about it after. The other two <b>responded to the message</b> that was brought. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That's a dozen responses so far this year. <b>We're praying for more.</b><br />What I love about being part of Hope:Tallinn is stories from the week. <b>It's never been just about Sundays</b> and that excites me, too. In the weekly visit to the <b>sheltered housing</b> on Monday night, one of the ladies (who'd given her heart to Jesus the month before) shared her story of transformation with the other people there. Two more said they wanted to know more, and have signed up for the <b>next Alpha course</b>. We'll probably host one just for the group coming from this one shelter, as there are a number of people we think would be interested.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In <b>work places</b> too stories keep coming in of people <b>gossiping the gospel</b>. Two church members got to share with colleagues yesterday, they emailed me today to say. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On Saturday's <b>street team</b>, they got to <b>pray with several sick people</b>. They even went with one man on his way to the hospital for a check up. A few people got prayed for at the hospital, too.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's crazy!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>I love being part of such a city reaching church.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Signed – <b>my future self </b>– maybe five, eight or ten years from now. But this will happen here one day.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm a story writer so, sorry, I couldn't resist. But wouldn't that be a great, normal weekly account of what real church life should be all about? I thought it would be easier to 'show' instead of 'tell', a regular writing method I try and use in my other life.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>We need</b> people who are brave enough (we know the idea of moving abroad might sound scary to some) to read this and in their heart say, "<b>yes, I agree, Tallinn needs that too. I get to experience this in my normal life here in</b> (insert your own country) <b>at</b> (insert the name of your church), <b>so why should Estonia miss out.</b>"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I know there are people reading this, wondering about contacting me, feeling God prodding you again about this (and I'm not talking about the man, you know who you are, who's already contacted me about this very thing!)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You can help make this vision a reality. Vision without action is a mere dream but I don't want this to remain a dream – help us take action to see this beautiful picture become a reality.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Help change the world.</b></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06605204341808935762noreply@blogger.com0Tallinn, Estonia59.436960799999987 24.75357459999997959.178853299999986 24.108127599999978 59.695068299999988 25.39902159999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1128413133068142254.post-85787031572972768732016-03-11T19:21:00.000+03:002016-03-11T19:21:14.159+03:00Momentum -- məˈmɛntəm --<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbSebEvkxaSED364OVB8ITk_EXRy_9xFGqtbsF117GUqEwq1wA0iu7vluA9_3QbKPZR9Lhaxvm6U4w4GQzPA2bim6zQZ6PF1SwqcyR1_SEgNRZ46j84EDTXUO3Dles5ebUqqrHqeIlyCU/s1600/pablo+%25281%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbSebEvkxaSED364OVB8ITk_EXRy_9xFGqtbsF117GUqEwq1wA0iu7vluA9_3QbKPZR9Lhaxvm6U4w4GQzPA2bim6zQZ6PF1SwqcyR1_SEgNRZ46j84EDTXUO3Dles5ebUqqrHqeIlyCU/s640/pablo+%25281%2529.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">"A river is easier to channel than to stop." </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">― </span><a class="authorOrTitle" href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/38550.Brandon_Sanderson" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 21px; text-decoration: none;">Brandon Sanderson</a><span id="quote_book_link_16065004" style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"One way to keep momentum going is to have constantly greater goals"</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">― <b>Michael Korda</b></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; text-align: -webkit-center;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">The world has a lot to say about momentum, these being just a small handful of the results that come up when you search this word on Google. I've been thinking about this word a little as I've thought about what to write on this week, the days getting away from me so that it is already approaching Friday evening before I've got around to writing down my thoughts.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">I'm not always a good front seat passenger in a car, which my wife would probably agree with. Put me in the back seat and I'll happily sleep, but in the front I can't help but notice things, spot when the gear is too low, the engine working harder than it need do. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Driving in a low gear, whether as a passenger or the driver, is never that much fun. Heavy traffic (which, really, we don't have a lot of in Tallinn, though its all relative </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">―</span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"> here a traffic jam is five cars waiting at a junction!) means you rarely get out of third gear. Our car has six gears, and its only once we clear the city (which doesn't take long to do in beautiful Tallinn) that we get to move through the gears, and pick up some speed.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">As leaders, we have gears. Actually, whatever walk of life you are in there is an element of different times calling for different gears. My writing life, at the moment, is seeing me move up through the gears </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">―</span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"> its been an exciting year so far because of that.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">We've now been four years in Tallinn, as I wrote about last week. And if I use the picture of a six speed </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">gearbox,</span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"> (not counting reverse, because let's face it, who wants to go backwards!), I'm not sure, as a church plant leader, I've ever really gotten out of about third gear. We've had a few false starts </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">― people moving away suddenly, or deciding church planting wasn't for them after all. We've had seasons of growing numbers </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">― first gear, into second then third...before the crunch of tires, momentum halted and we are back to (seemingly) a snails pace. Of course, picturing the car (as my image says above) whether its first gear or sixth, you are still moving forward. Progress is progress </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">― albeit slow.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">It's hard to think that as a church plant leader, I've not been able to move through the gears as maybe was the case in St Petersburg. There, with a great team around us, we could all operate where our gifting felt most natural, flowing into fourth, fifth and then sixth gears as space allowed. There were great 'times' of being a leader back then, blessing people, prophesying, growing together as a group. It caused others to move through the gears too (<b>which is what real leadership is all about</b>, seeing others growing in who they are, released to be all they can be). We had genuine, spirit filled, forward <b>momentum</b>.<br /><br />In contrast, I've not been able to see that happen (yet) in Tallinn </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">― a result being, those that have been with us (sometimes very briefly) haven't caught the very thing we want them to see. Momentum then grinds to a halt.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Maybe that's the thing. In a land such as Tallinn, where the ground is so untouched, the seeds of the Kingdom yet to be planted, we've had to swap the car for a plough, doing away with gears altogether. With a plough, there is no gearbox, no moving from fourth to fifth, just simply forward movement. Forward progress, one row at a time. <b>Progress.</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">And that's an interesting thought.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Do you know someone who can push a plough with us? We'd love to have you come visit and see this amazing city, this interesting people, yourself. It doesn't matter whether progress is fast or slow, we aren't going to quit </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">―</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"> because, as the saying goes, </span><b style="color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">progress is progress.</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Tallinn needs a whole bunch of spirit filled, fun loving, people seeking, God worshipping people, and so do we. Mission is fun and best done in team. And best of all, with the image of a plough instead of a car, there is no chance of back seat driving! </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06605204341808935762noreply@blogger.com0Tallinn, Estonia59.436960799999987 24.75357459999997959.178853299999986 24.108127599999978 59.695068299999988 25.39902159999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1128413133068142254.post-17372641840975658542016-03-02T22:07:00.000+03:002016-03-02T22:07:00.194+03:00Reflections on Four Years...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO49Pg-HrCbexv-QosR40c9BDsl1F9SlF3K_ImtVellO_rhcCiX15wt2PTjlnjM6mzAI7E17-M-h60JP3t1lYVcvonEUiyZo4MOHvzaU3qlH20T-o0ujEl9vbSK3jrcRomETlBgb60WPo/s1600/IMG_0039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO49Pg-HrCbexv-QosR40c9BDsl1F9SlF3K_ImtVellO_rhcCiX15wt2PTjlnjM6mzAI7E17-M-h60JP3t1lYVcvonEUiyZo4MOHvzaU3qlH20T-o0ujEl9vbSK3jrcRomETlBgb60WPo/s640/IMG_0039.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yesterday we marked four years living in Tallinn. This photo was taken as I walked back home in the morning, the sun shining, the snow so vibrant and fresh. So Estonian. It feels good having been here four years, so I felt I'd break from my current blogging style (for one week at least!) and throw out some thoughts and reflections on our time here. Let's see what comes up.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Moving to Estonia (for us) wasn't a difficult move. Quite the opposite. Though we will always miss the dear friends we left behind in our previous home city of St Petersburg, moving the relatively short distance west has always been something special in what it offered in closeness to nature, as well as ease of getting around a much smaller and less populated city.<br />We were therefore used to winters, and in fact, winters have seemed cleaner here (when it has snowed, anyway!) than maybe we ever got to experience in St Petes, living so close to the centre as we did then, there was no nature in easy reach of us so we never got to really see that side of winter life, besides the occasional church weekend away that we had during our time there.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We'd also got used to living in a flat/apartment, compared to a house as we had been living in the UK. Due to cost of living in Russia, we'd spent all our time (aside from the first ten days spent in a hostel) in the same nicely finished, but very cosy, two roomed flat. Being able to get a four room flat for less money in Tallinn was always going to feel much more spacious. For all these things we are very grateful.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We've grown too as a family over this time, plus I hope grown in understanding of the task ahead of us, as we roll into year five and all that this, and the many others ahead of us we trust, might have in store for us.<br /><br />I guess the biggest contrast in our two lives abroad (the nearly four years in Russia and these last four years in Estonia) must be what has happened church wise. I've probably touched on this in previous posts, so don't really want to repeat myself, but as I reflect back, if you'd asked the 'Newly arrived to Tallinn Tim' back then what he thought might have happened after four years regarding seeing a new church gathered, I would have probably envisioned more than might otherwise be on the ground. Of course, there is a lot of invisible stuff that no one really knows about, which I'll come back to in a minute. Back then, my only other experience of cross cultural church planting was from what we'd just gone through in St Petersburg. Moving in the August, the church plant's first public Sunday meeting just over 13 months later in that September, 2013. Two and a half years after that first Sunday, we were being sent out as a family to plant a new church into Tallinn. Bam bam bam!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now, I knew it wasn't going to be the same in Tallinn. I think if you read through the early posts around the time we moved here, you'd pick that up. Recently I've posted how Estonia is in practice the most atheistic nation on the planet. In a recent conversation with a local pastor here in Tallinn, a man with over fifteen years experience living and serving other churches right across the nation, he estimated there to be something like only 10,000 committed church goers in this great city. He also had a really interesting comment to make, which I think I'll save for my final thought in this post.<br /><br />Coming back to something I touched on earlier, and lets think about roots. Outside in Estonia, there is snow everywhere. We have a number of plant pots on the balcony (our only chance of some sort of garden open to us at the moment). Inside these pots, as well as some shrubs that I trust will come to life again once the heat of spring really comes, there are a number of bulbs. I'd forgotten about them really, and looking out the other day at what was clumps of rather sad looking old growth from the plants from last year that now needed removing, it would be easy to think there was no life there. It is freezing, there is snow everywhere, and the sun doesn't appear for very long, even on sunny days. But removing most of this old growth, there they were. A few bulbs are starting to break through the soil, green life visible in an otherwise soil filled existence. Life finds a way. In a month or two, there will no doubt be dozens of flowers pressing through. Right now, the roots are going down, drawing what they need from the soil to push up through the surface.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">These last four years have certainly seen us put roots down here in Estonia. We aren't going anywhere fast, that's for sure. God has called us to this people and therefore we are here until (or if he ever does) God calls us anywhere else. Jesus often talked about seed falling to the ground, or a mustard seed which whilst small, grows to become the biggest of all garden plants. So you see, when roots are getting established, it might not look like a lot else is actually happening. But don't underestimate the power of good roots. Just look at the trees destroyed when even moderately gale force winds press in. Relationships with those in this city also have deep roots, which in their proper time will result in fruit of some kind. We know more people outside of the church here in Tallinn than we ever have at any other stage of our life. That's exciting, and whilst it doesn't mean people are ready to get saved soon (if ever) it does suggest God has been doing something behind the scenes (or below ground) that we might not yet fully realise.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We've said already how that as a church plant we need more people to come and join us. We are prepared to wait for this to happen. How long will we wait - that's a good question, which I've no better answer than really say as long as it takes, or until God says otherwise. You see, as a family (and I'd certainly include our two girls in this conviction because of what they've said to us this year) we believe it was God who called us to Tallinn, and that His purpose for us here was to be involved in a church plant. And whilst things might not have gone as they had for us in Russia, these two things still remain true.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So we need to navigate a new way through, and find out what God has for us in the mean time if, for example, ten people move to join us but only arrive in two years time. What happens before then?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is something that we are now working through - and have a solution for, actually, though can't say that here, just yet, as we need to continue to pray through it and talk it through with some folks here. But it certainly involves waiting and praying for the future workers (you?!) to come and join us. Tallinn is an amazing place to live, we've managed it for four years already, and believe me, when I look at me from this angle, there is <b>nothing at all </b>about me that makes me in anyway more able to do this than the next person. Honestly. So if I can, anyone can and that's the bitter truth.<br /><br />So many incredible things have happened to us over these short four years. I'll list the random events below, as I can remember them:</span></div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mia shaking the hand of the President of Afghanistan</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">All three girls meeting and shaking hands with Prince Harry</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Appearing as a family on an American TV show that's been shown even here in Estonia, which people we know have then seen many times!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Being interviewed by the main national newspaper and having a double page article on me.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Me and Mia visiting the President's home and office.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Getting spotted on TV (at a volleyball game) and having my recent tweet broadcast live during the Estonian song contest selection.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Having my novels stocked by the national book store chain.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Being Top 20 in both the USA and UK on Amazon for my debut novel (this is real time, happening now!)</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And so much more, besides...!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'll finish with a very interesting thought I was told by a fellow pastor here this week. It fits with something I felt once being here, which was the fact that if we are going to live and serve in Tallinn for many years, it didn't necessarily mean we couldn't be leading the whole thing.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My friend said, whilst often the model as a foreigner is to see a 'native' person leading the works as the ultimate goal, in relation to Estonia (maybe applicable wider as well, as situations warrant) this is a total misnomer. He pointed out that Estonians haven't been very good at reaching Estonians, hence the fact that the nation is the least spiritual nation on the planet (numerically). He has a good point. I guess I might at times thought that the <b>ONLY</b> option was to see Estonians reaching Estonians.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But that would be like saying that slaves needed to end slavery, or that obese people were the only ones to deal with obesity issues, or the poor were the ones to end poverty. Of course not! The poor can't end the cycle unless the rich change things and then share what they have with those that don't.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I see what he meant about Estonia. If Estonians were reaching fellow Estonians then we wouldn't need to be here in the first place - would God have even needed to have called us. Did he make a mistake, therefore? </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One situation (true and which happened to me, though I'll keep names out of it for obvious reasons!) was at a prayer meeting. I asked an Estonian to speak with another Estonian visitor (they were of the same gender) who was there for the first time, me obviously seeing the fact that they'd be best to communicate and welcome that person than I would (I'd seen this visitor briefly on the door as they'd arrived, and they didn't speak either of the two languages I was most proficient in.) When I arrived back in to the main room, I pointed out this visitor (clearly another Christian, as it was a churches together joint prayer meeting I'd been hosting for a short time) and this person said to me "Yeah, who are they?" to which I'd replied, with eagerness, "Go and ask them." The instant reply was "I can't do that, it's not Estonian" and they refused to speak with them. A fellow Christian not able to speak with another Christian because they didn't know one another.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>I kid you not!</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Needless to say, I went over and spoke a little to this person in my basic Estonian, but midway through the evening, this visitor just left, clearly assuming there was no one there who spoke her language fluently enough to feel a part of it all.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
But it makes the point from above. If this really is the view point (and believe me, this person who'd said this to me really isn't just your average Estonian believer, they've been around the world and seen lots of church in the West as well) what hope is there of reaching Estonia, if we leave the job <i>only</i> to Estonians? </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
They have a part to play - absolutely! And there <b>ARE</b> great Estonian churches and leaders in this country. But non Estonians have a <b>vital role to play</b>, too. That's my point. Don't count yourself out from moving here because you aren't Estonian.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>You might just be the very thing this nation needs!</b></div>
</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06605204341808935762noreply@blogger.com0Tallinn, Estonia59.436960799999987 24.75357459999997959.178853299999986 24.108127599999978 59.695068299999988 25.39902159999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1128413133068142254.post-35483033232117315962016-02-17T18:14:00.000+03:002016-02-17T18:14:33.875+03:00Success -- səkˈsɛs --<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4XWlmcxv8xHYAzEIKHwVYao-XFieDc6UE4bP7YdsBObj6qfgPtHdQBdVQSw51GLEfbYuQUWu-LnBRqjPCnQfbZylqVmKu_YQg5MBHVEzaVZtA4bT9qkBlD-YlPNHufwIKWnC4T2KCjPM/s1600/pablo+%25281%2529+copy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4XWlmcxv8xHYAzEIKHwVYao-XFieDc6UE4bP7YdsBObj6qfgPtHdQBdVQSw51GLEfbYuQUWu-LnBRqjPCnQfbZylqVmKu_YQg5MBHVEzaVZtA4bT9qkBlD-YlPNHufwIKWnC4T2KCjPM/s640/pablo+%25281%2529+copy.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What is <i><b>success</b></i>?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As I sit down here today to write, I realise I've been working through this idea a little these last few weeks. Or more to the point, God has been working through it in me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Today, I feel more content than I have been in months (years?!). I feel less stress. Deep down I feel happier and calmer. My wife has noticed it, my kids comment on it. All is well with my soul.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, what's been going on?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've no huge answer really, like most times, just life experience that I reflect upon and learn from.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For some, in relation to success, they live their lives craving it, looking for it, hunting down any opportunity. Others, however, are not necessarily looking for it when they might come across it. They are more afraid of being a failure. Success therefore means very little to them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have certainly related to that second group for much of my adult life.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This year, I started working through the BIOY app. Simply reading the Bible each morning, taking in vast chunks of text (which is needed in order to finish it in one year) has had a noticeable effect. My reading habit (for the Bible) had become a little careless - too many <b><i>excuses</i></b>, I think really! I've certainly noticed a change inside. So that's one thing that's had an impact on me, for sure.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was also listening to a talk recently. It shared how a barren couple sensed God telling them to stop asking him for children, and instead thanking him for children! They now have five kids under the age of five - truly over blessed! It made me think about my writing life. I often ask God for breakthrough, for success with my writing. Most would look at me and probably say I am successful already with three books published and another two or three in the process of being finished. But as I said above, it wasn't really success that I was running to, but something else I was trying not to be discovered as (a failure, to be very clear!).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I realise that has always been a weakness, and something God has worked through me these last twenty years. Still, I've not learnt yet to really enjoy or appreciate success for what it is, passed the day or so around the event. Nothing seems to affect me long term, in order to give me some lasting peace, some on going contentment. Or so it seemed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Applying what I heard above, the other week I encouraged the church plant to thank God for success in our lives, on an individual level as well as a group. So in my heart, I thanked God that <i><b>I am</b></i> a successful author. I prayed out thanks for what God <b><i>was doing</i></b> with us all in Tallinn, the lives being changed, the people taking steps towards or with Jesus. In the midst of darkness, there really is some light breaking through!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've also had a greater sense of planning this year, of walking into new stuff this year and taking hold of what God has for me. That's helped to build in a more focussed routine.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At the beginning of the year we shared with the church plant how we felt we needed to spend more time with friends in Tallinn, and less time doing meetings. It's brought real life to us, so that we've been able to spend hours with folks that we've been getting to know, time that we just didn't have to spare when trying to do 'church' as much as we were - of course, the element of building relationships in the community we are called to reach, <i><b>is the essence of church.</b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We hold the vision and value of a larger gathering of Hope:Tallinn highly. One day we'll come together weekly as a group and worship and pray and preach. But not until God has sent us co-labourers. In the meantime, we are reaching out to those that need God. And in doing this, we are being a success for Jesus in Tallinn, bring Kingdom culture in our relationships with others, as we look to love, serve and just hang out with folks that don't yet have a close knowledge of the love God has for them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In holding the future of the church plant loosely (it was always in God's hands anyway, really) it has brought huge comfort to me. I guess it was a weight I never intended to bear alone and so it being lifted has allowed life and freedom to return. In thanking God for the <i>success already happening </i>its also brought about a change in me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As I mentioned last time (I think), the parable of the talents has also really spoken to me. It's where Jesus shared a story about a landowner who gives to one servant 5, to another 2 and to another 1. The one with 5 produces 5 more, the one with 2 produces 2 more, but the one who was given 1 simply buried it because he was afraid of his boss. The guys who'd doubled the investment <b>both were allowed to share</b> in the blessings of the landowner. The guy who had not done anything, his 1 was taken away and he was banished.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the commentary notes about this passage, Nicky Gumble says that what was given to even the guy with 1, represented 20 years salary. In other words, a huge amount. Enough to put to work, to invest and to produce a return.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's therefore a related thought with all of the above. The point of the story isn't to be the most talented, but to use what talent you have to the best of your ability. To make it personal for me, as an example, it doesn't actually matter if I'm a 5, 2 or 1 'talent' author - what matters most is what I do with that talent. Do you see? It's really powerful. Both the first two servants got to share in the masters success. I don't think it was a proportionate reward based on their returns. I think it was equal, because Jesus wasn't trying to highlight a hierarchy in rewards based on ability, but a <i>shared blessed of the <b>much</b></i> based on using what you've been given. Anyone given even 20 years salary has more than enough to get started.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So if I'm faithful with the little when it comes to my writing (I'll let you decide if I'm a 5, 2 or 1) Jesus promises he'll give me <b>much</b>. It's a nice word, isn't it. Much.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, no more excuses. Regardless of what you don't yet have, <i>use</i> what you've got. And thank God that you are already successful.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">----</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As a funny side note, I've recently implement a number of new marketing ideas in relation to my writing life. One includes putting out a book permanently free (which I've just done). As I write this, I'm #3 in the USA Conspiracy Thriller chart - an unbelievable position given how much competition there is in that market. Just using that little talent...and knowing God will make it much.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you want to check out my book (and find out details how to get my second novel FREE as well) click on the relevant link. Whilst these two links are for Amazon in the USA and UK (my main two markets), the FREE book is actually available everywhere, on all types of eReader. Just search your favourite database for 'Cherry Picking by Tim Heath' and you should find it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">USA - http://amzn.to/1XxE6Rg</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">UK - http://amzn.to/1QlHiJS</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06605204341808935762noreply@blogger.com0Tallinn, Estonia59.436960799999987 24.75357459999997959.178853299999986 24.108127599999978 59.695068299999988 25.39902159999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1128413133068142254.post-8758850187285909402016-02-10T19:14:00.000+03:002016-02-10T19:14:56.841+03:00Believe -- bɪˈliːv --<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqHIXCrPHc9wx-HPPfAppBkyiZH2RnLIlxBhxeFwObnF2MMULb3k_xGt7nEkez-WTbzdiXi-w22Cn0eJPNIoYD8T5bF5ClkFz2VscDs0jeO46ewy-mwkRG7j8YEnWLXVXxAq90ux8EctI/s1600/pablo+%25281%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqHIXCrPHc9wx-HPPfAppBkyiZH2RnLIlxBhxeFwObnF2MMULb3k_xGt7nEkez-WTbzdiXi-w22Cn0eJPNIoYD8T5bF5ClkFz2VscDs0jeO46ewy-mwkRG7j8YEnWLXVXxAq90ux8EctI/s640/pablo+%25281%2529.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Belief.</b> It's powerful and it's divisive.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Powerful - because it can change your whole outlook, your whole worldview, even your life.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Divisive - because it can alienate you from others or make you a target. It can separate families, it can put you in prison and it can make you lose your life.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Last month, I saw something on Facebook posted by one of my Estonian connections. It had other Estonians commenting, liking, suggesting the fact they'd like to move there. The post? It was from Iceland, supposedly reporting the 'fact' that 0% of under 25s believe that the world was created by God.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I think the person had posted this with the hash tags along the lines of 'religion', 'fake' and 'eduction.'</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Some of the comments went along the lines of 'see what an education teaches you!' and others just said; 'when can we move there!'</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Estonians, once more, revelling in the idea that God doesn't exist.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But it got me thinking...<i>because </i>of my education, not despite it, I know that just because someone says or thinks something, doesn't mean it is. <b>Education has taught me that we don't know all the answers!</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So when the leading minds of the world taught that the world was flat, the Earth didn't change shape to go along with this 'fact.' When mankind assumed everything orbited the Earth, the solar system carried on as it always had, and always will.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When people say to God "you don't exist" He must just look upon them like some father marvelling at the rubbish coming out of his child's mouth and reply: "I do, and I believe in you, even if right now, you don't believe in me."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Since when has someone denying something ever actually had any effect on the reality of, or existence of, the object of that denial?</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Education, and logic, has taught me to think like this...and when I apply that to faith (everyone operates in faith, as I'll come to in a moment, regardless of what you believe) it only strengthens that conviction, not destroys it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's illogical to throw out the claims of Jesus, the existence of God, wholesale. Totally illogical. Firstly, there is the undeniable historical person of Jesus, undisputed by Christian and non Christian historians. <b>This guy walked the earth - fact. </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the Bible we have evidence of <b>what this man said</b>. The Bible holds up to all textual analysis, far more so than other great works which are also undisputed. The time we have the earliest copies from, the quantity of these copies, the time between events, <b>no other historical document has as much evidence going for it.</b> We therefore know, without any doubt, that what we have as the modern day Bible is as close to the original as we can get - far closer to any other text of its age.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What Jesus said in the book provides another issue - to quote C S Lewis, Jesus could only have been <i>Lord, Liar or Lunatic</i> based on his own words. No other title is justified. He wasn't 'just a good person or just a good moral teacher' though he was <i>also</i> these things.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Central to his life is actually his death and then<i> what followed</i>. If Jesus didn't come back from the dead as he said he would, then everything that went before becomes invalid, we need not accept his words. <b>But if he did...!</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Again, the evidence is there. The lack of body, lack of the Romans then producing a body, the fact each of his followers lived outworking the knowledge of Jesus' resurrection, and most dying horrible deaths defending that fact, no one denying it at the end...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lord, Liar or Lunatic. Education and applied logic leave us with no vague, confusing situation.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Back to belief - we all believe in something, even if its nothing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Picture a room if you will. There is a big wooden door that is standing closed, so that we can't see into the room. Inside that room, I believe God himself dwells. It's the man Jesus Christ. I'm standing next to you, outside the room. Let's pretend there is no other supporting evidence - it's just you and me, outside a door.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You, as an atheist, don't believe there is a God. You don't believe Jesus is in that room - <i style="font-weight: bold;">you believe the room is empty. </i>You see, it's not enough to say that you don't believe in God, because you are also therefore saying that you <i>believe</i> there is no God.<i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">We all believe something. Some in a person, others in a void.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And here is the thing - I'm happy to know you if you have no belief. We can be friends, I can share the things I know and feel, if you like, but I don't need to. But want I can't accept is the statement that belief equals fairy tales and life without God is because of good education and logic. I'm a very logical person and I see this completely simply. There is no confusion at all.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sadly, it's often other people who choose to distance themselves from this kind of open, relational conversation. I'm here for anyone who really wants to talk, to walk through this all, even if it takes us years of talking to get there.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's said that soon schools (in England) might not teach about what happened to the Jews during the war because it offends muslims, who deny the holocaust actually took place. People deny the moon landings too. Does that actually have any affect on the truth of the events? No, of course not. Education has taught me that, and that's not about to change.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So what do <i>you</i> believe?</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06605204341808935762noreply@blogger.com0Tallinn, Estonia59.436960799999987 24.75357459999997959.178853299999986 24.108127599999978 59.695068299999988 25.39902159999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1128413133068142254.post-36424412540359936972016-02-03T20:17:00.000+03:002016-02-03T20:17:42.651+03:00Soldiers -- ˈsəʊldʒə --<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh64PxLi-8USykzJMc9gLItqMJ7m4UpXl-4iGVoxJgW_ChPE7s5YwF3VipGERoUrIvOIRFE45SDtHoAFFxxO7hl7kretPLrd8vzYKKODeaEvGmjYy9WyibgLQm-f9ahbQHoS-yRT-tmq8Y/s1600/pablo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh64PxLi-8USykzJMc9gLItqMJ7m4UpXl-4iGVoxJgW_ChPE7s5YwF3VipGERoUrIvOIRFE45SDtHoAFFxxO7hl7kretPLrd8vzYKKODeaEvGmjYy9WyibgLQm-f9ahbQHoS-yRT-tmq8Y/s640/pablo.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We were all born into a war zone.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm not talking between one nation and another, or people groups, dictators or anything like that. There has been a battle raging in the heavens since before the creation of the world. In fact, when Adam and Eve ate that fruit and ushered in <i>the fall</i>, it really was only the <i>fall of humankind</i>. An original fall had happened, when a created angel wanted the place of God, and the punishment for that stupid idea was to be sent from heaven - with a third of the angels. The devil has been waging war against God, and his plans, ever since.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There are some very 'dangerous' places in the world today if we just switch on the news. Yet something I've always said is this:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>"I'd rather be in the middle of a war-zone <i>inside </i>the will of God, than in a place of (relative) safety <i>outside</i> of his will."</b></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Oh, to be foolish enough to be outside his will! It doesn't bear thinking about really.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There is a spiritual battle raging for Tallinn. That's why we are here.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They say, <b>'Estonians don't do religion.'</b> And looking around (my Facebook feed is often full of examples proving this fact!) you'd have to say this seems the case.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's certainly not an easy place to plant a church!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But, I don't really believe that Estonians, or anyone to that fact, simply 'don't do God.' What I do think is true is that Estonians <i>haven't </i>done God, and <i>haven't </i>had a history of seeing the Bible preached for what it really says. Their rejection, at best, is of a god they think they know about. A god their communist leaders of the past said didn't exist. A belief system laughed at in schools (it still is nowadays too!).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Put any Estonian before a living, breathing, healing and all loving, all forgiving God, and they too, like millions of others, suddenly will <i><b>do</b></i> God. I'm convinced of the fact. That's a large part of why we are here.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">'Tim' doesn't have the answers in himself. Nothing about me is going to change this nation. But I do know someone who can.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This last week I had another Estonian tell me they don't do religion, and therefore turned down my offer to them to share my personal story. I was at least able to agree that the God they don't believe in is probably a god I wouldn't believe in either. We'll see if one day he gives me the chance to really share who Jesus is.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To plant a church here, to even get up to twenty people (the thought seems like a lifetimes effort away!) is going to take something incredible. Because, as I've said, there is a battle raging for Estonia.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Officially, Estonia ranks number 2 in the world of most atheistic nations. Number 1 is North Korea. One of the challenges with Estonia is the population. Doing a little research online, it suggests in North Korea, there are only 1.7% who are Christians (there are other religions showing higher too, but for the sake of comparison, I'll stick to Christianity. Estonia doesn't have many other religions represented anyway.) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1.7% is a low percentage, for sure. Estonia, though the lowest Christian nation in Europe, must have a higher percentage than that - but, here's the thing. North Korea has a population of <b>24.9 million people</b> - 1.7% therefore represents 423,000 people! That's a third of the total population of Estonia, or more to the point, the entire population of Tallinn! And yet, there are something like only 4,000 Christians here in the capital, maybe a few more. But not tens of thousands.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Estonia needs something special!</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I used the quote from Winston Churchill mainly because we have a General who is Great! The greatest in fact!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 Chronicles 20:15 says; "<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">For </span><b style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">the</b><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"> </span><b style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">battle</b><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"> is not yours, but God’s."</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thinking about this nation, thinking about the Christian brothers and sisters we are praying will <b>move here to join us</b>, it's wonderfully reassuring to remind myself that this is God's battle. As I said last time in my post on <a href="http://hearingmyheart.blogspot.com.ee/2016/01/obedience-bidns.html" target="_blank">obedience</a>, we are only here because it was first His idea. And that idea involved seeing a vibrant, spirit filled community loving the city and all whom are put before us. Serving this great place, being a blessing to all.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Does that stir you? Want to come and join us to see this happen?</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Only the battle hardened, God called, service trained soldiers need apply...</span></b></span><br />
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06605204341808935762noreply@blogger.com0Tallinn, Estonia59.436960799999987 24.75357459999997959.178853299999986 24.108127599999978 59.695068299999988 25.39902159999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1128413133068142254.post-91757031877137868752016-01-27T23:00:00.001+03:002016-01-27T23:00:39.571+03:00Obedience -- əˈbiːdɪəns --<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdmk3BjYJz_7ztonxyH1Hz5rMtTF10regLDlAHDYkgROw2tgT9SeVbecHxf7nJf2lZ3JovBauqzNylXxBsSAC-vYWUR-BoiOCc-8ahDHitBKVuKHLfCPcDaB6Xqa5ZiHORswHkoSFHJFw/s1600/pablo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdmk3BjYJz_7ztonxyH1Hz5rMtTF10regLDlAHDYkgROw2tgT9SeVbecHxf7nJf2lZ3JovBauqzNylXxBsSAC-vYWUR-BoiOCc-8ahDHitBKVuKHLfCPcDaB6Xqa5ZiHORswHkoSFHJFw/s640/pablo.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm blogging again.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've been writing a lot, actually. Mainly novels (number four is just about to be finished in draft form, very exiting!) and sometimes for websites, a recent one being for 'Encourage Dads' which was fun.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Last night I was on a call with Maurice Nightingale, who is a leader in a church in Ipswich, UK, and part of the team that serves us all in Relational Mission. He's a good guy. At the end of the call, he encouraged me to blog again, stating that he used to point people to the way I regularly posted.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The last posting here was back in March last year - oh dear.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The thing is, there isn't a lot to say. A change of approach is needed, therefore.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In reality there is loads to say, but that can wait. What I was encouraged to do was just pour out my thoughts, the visions for church in Tallinn that are rattling around, even if just to encourage myself. Yet looking at the stats as I came but to this (rather dusty!) blog, I've had thousands of visits in the time I've been away, so someone is reading.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The aim of this blog was always to have a place where you could <i>hear from my heart</i>, hence the name. But maybe the next phase will be <i>hearing the vision for Tallinn</i>. For Estonia even.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So this is me, back again, with a maybe fresh approach. We'll see what happens.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've been thinking about <b>obedience</b> today. We're in Tallinn because God said so, quite simply. The same went for our time in St Petersburg. He said, we obeyed. It's quite simple really.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What has happened in the two place's '<i>numbers wise</i>' has been (so far) quite different. There are a few reasons for that, which I'm sure will come out in the months ahead (if not, or you want to know before, just email me and ask!).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But shouldn't we measure obedience, primarily. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Let me tell you this story, then I want to touch on something from the Bible.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Meet Joe Bloggs. Like many others, he's called to reach ants. The great God in the sky wants all ants to know that he loves them. God tells Joe to go stand on an ant hill. Joe engages with lots and lots of ants.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Meet Johnny Bloggs. He also wants to serve God. God tells him to go stand next to a tree. He does see some ants making there way up and down the tree. He tries to tell all of them that they are loved.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Meet Julie Bloggs. She also wants to serve God. God tells her to stand in the middle of a field. With the long grass it's hard to see if there are any ants, but there must be some.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Meet Jim Bloggs. God tells him to go stand in the home range of an anteater. There are not many, if any, living ants here for Jim to find. It's the last place ants want to be! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Joe is hailed as very successful! His 'church' is seeing ants arriving all the time, and they now need three venues hosting five meetings to fit them all in. Johnny too is doing well, his constant stream of ants have helped him grow a big 'church'. He gets asked to the speak at the occasional conference too, though nowhere near as much as Joe does.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Julie has found it a challenge, though has managed to spot a few ants, two wanting to join her group.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Jim feels worthless. He's not found any ants that are still alive. He's looking at the success of the others and wonders what he's doing wrong.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You get the picture.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yet, say we measured it on something Biblical like obedience, what then do we see?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">God looks at Joe, Johnny, Julie and Jim and says to them all - "Well done! You are exactly where I asked you to be! Great job! I'm proud of each of you."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've been working through Nicky Gumble's 'BIOY' app where you read through the Bible in one year. I'm sure this will feature strongly through the months as I pull Biblical stories. At the moment, we're in Job. Throughout the whole book (and therefore life) of Job, we see a man obediently serving, loving, and worshipping God. Yet outwardly, we see two different versions of the same man.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the opening verses of chapter 1, we see Job the successful man! In verses 13-18 his world (and roof, literally) comes crashing down. He's lost everything! In chapter 2 its his own health. Same man, two different states.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Which of the two versions would get the invite to speak on Sunday at your church? The first one, obviously. Yet its this mans obedience that should shine through, his unwillingness to 'curse God and die' as his own wife suggests, his determination not to blame God for what had happened to him. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's the same man throughout.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And I identify with Job in that. I do with Jim Bloggs as well. All to often we allow the worlds system of 'value' (ie wealth, success, fame) to infiltrate the church. It can make me look and wonder at times - what's actually happening here, Lord? Can anyone get saved in Tallinn? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The answer is a resounding yes, of course. And despite 'nothing' much happening here, even within our humble realms two people made first time commitments to Jesus last year.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And I'm the same Tim that was part of a super-doper 'successful' church in St Petersburg.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's time I stopped looking at 'success' and start resting in obedience, which is the core of what I'm trying to say. I'm not actually trying to speak at conferences. Let's value obedience. Let's encourage generously. Success in God <i><b>is</b></i> being exactly where He wants you to be. No other qualifiers. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That must also mean you can be worldly 'successful' yet <b>not</b> in the place God wants you - and that, my friends, <i>is</i> scary.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<i><span class="bible-item-title-wrap" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;">1 Samuel 15:22 </span></i><br />
<div class="bible-item-text" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">
<i>But Samuel replied: “Does the <span class="small-caps" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span> delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the <span class="small-caps" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span>? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.</i></div>
<div class="bible-item-text" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="bible-item-text" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">
Enough said.</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06605204341808935762noreply@blogger.com0Tallinn, Estonia59.436960799999987 24.75357459999997959.178853299999986 24.108127599999978 59.695068299999988 25.39902159999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1128413133068142254.post-2035125497181849332015-03-29T20:50:00.000+03:002015-03-29T20:50:02.777+03:00Spring News from Tallinn!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhuDAUByNyYLAT0rbLLS18PX4yqtW7wOD3QIvEUTbXG4kC1txinwzDuqL-xQLNtDuvae16DONvW3iYpjXECE_Ux_u3NWk7L_vi-n1JjqzcCZ3MwwIyq79G4IB2Kum8slBebY7PFKGkR4E/s1600/IMG_2068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhuDAUByNyYLAT0rbLLS18PX4yqtW7wOD3QIvEUTbXG4kC1txinwzDuqL-xQLNtDuvae16DONvW3iYpjXECE_Ux_u3NWk7L_vi-n1JjqzcCZ3MwwIyq79G4IB2Kum8slBebY7PFKGkR4E/s1600/IMG_2068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhuDAUByNyYLAT0rbLLS18PX4yqtW7wOD3QIvEUTbXG4kC1txinwzDuqL-xQLNtDuvae16DONvW3iYpjXECE_Ux_u3NWk7L_vi-n1JjqzcCZ3MwwIyq79G4IB2Kum8slBebY7PFKGkR4E/s1600/IMG_2068.JPG" height="476" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's time we updated you on a rather interesting few months.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well over three months ago (a now growing habit of blogging less and less) we updated you with all that had taken place since the summer. You can remind yourself of that news <a href="http://hearingmyheart.blogspot.com/2014/12/update-from-tallinn-december-2014.html" target="_blank">here</a> if you like.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Many of the things I talked about then have continued on the same path, whilst for some things totally new possibilities have opened, as you'll read about below.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here are the headlines:</span><br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Hope:Tallinn has a venue!</b></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Largely Snow-less Winter in Tallinn (again!)</b></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Family Fun</b></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Key Visitor in March</b></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Baby Shower and Soon Arrival</b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: blue;">Six@Six Prayer Initiative</span></b></span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But I'll try and tell the story a little chronologically otherwise the news (and photo's!) will be jumping around, and we'll end in snow having started with a nice sunny picture above, which was taken in February (usually, the coldest, frozen sea month there is in Estonia!)</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>The Christmas and New Year Break</u></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVovVd7-hOG0moeACVoNG4NQi0DnwwHPkmZmr7Yu-bnFozmjTgUZ2QKNi8jb_uLn2i78XKWPR5ErXeFdhv2AfY79kay0m00lSrHq_djt_dOwvkr3gocHS8i7oFryybcIYVMHFDZhiWhh4/s1600/FullSizeRender+(13).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVovVd7-hOG0moeACVoNG4NQi0DnwwHPkmZmr7Yu-bnFozmjTgUZ2QKNi8jb_uLn2i78XKWPR5ErXeFdhv2AfY79kay0m00lSrHq_djt_dOwvkr3gocHS8i7oFryybcIYVMHFDZhiWhh4/s1600/FullSizeRender+(13).jpg" height="338" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What ever snow there was, it certainly had to be appreciated! We actually only got out skiing in December, this photo taken not far from our home.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3bKdEi4bu5mrUHoy17RXQxGzeJ-1R2d2Mg7AiG6gIOlFlmmXCAGCCNQtElyY_cGbHmRA3KSm8eZtxbA3ZGv_i8BIU6oMzJxJshkOdiMLCV3ImPNs5j1jaNU2DUs0DKFsb5Eel8HJjqzY/s1600/FullSizeRender+(10).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3bKdEi4bu5mrUHoy17RXQxGzeJ-1R2d2Mg7AiG6gIOlFlmmXCAGCCNQtElyY_cGbHmRA3KSm8eZtxbA3ZGv_i8BIU6oMzJxJshkOdiMLCV3ImPNs5j1jaNU2DUs0DKFsb5Eel8HJjqzY/s1600/FullSizeRender+(10).jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We were in Tallinn over the holiday, though did manage a couple of nights away once Rachel had finished at the school and the girls had broken up, literally picking Anya up from kindergarten (as I recall now writing this) and going away to the west of Estonia. It snowed whilst we were away, allowing us to arrive home on the 23rd December to an even whiter Tallinn and thankfully White Christmas. That snow was basically gone by the first week of January, though did return a bit as the next picture shows, which I'll get to in just a moment.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">New Year's Eve is fun in this part of the world, a much 'bigger' deal than we ever saw in the UK. In Russia, it was their main event in the year, and that tradition lives on in Estonia, though gifts are given on 24th December for Christmas, that being the only real difference to New Year in Russia (though Russian background people here also give their gifts only at New Year). Rachel's mum and dad were over with us for this period too.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of the <b>huge divides</b> we notice that show up in Estonia between the two ethnic groups happens on New Year's Eve. We noticed it last year which was a surprise and then this year, maybe more aware of it, it really struck us as unusual.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It goes like this. As eleven o'clock comes around that night (yes, one hour before midnight) the skies around our home light with fireworks. Just north of our home in a large Russian area - and from our window we see multiple displays all going on. Whilst there are 'main' displays that take place, most are people buying their own fireworks and having their own party. That's what happened on our street at midnight proper, the field in front of us becoming a shared public display, something we too joined in this year, even with our own box of fireworks. It was amazing to meet so many neighbours, in a country so often silent with strangers, we were able to celebrate with the locals. But why the two time slots? Well, eleven in Tallinn is midnight in Moscow - the Russian background people let off their fireworks once Putin's speech is finished and New Year has hit the Russian nation. The fireworks are most vocal at midnight, though only a little more so. And it's not people just travelling to Estonia for the holiday (though that was true of Rachel's folks, who weren't going to wait until 2am to celebrate New Year), this is people living in Estonia permanently.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A few days after this, we got to meet some neighbours again, inviting them over for mulled wine and English (homemade!) mince pies. Seven households came in total, including everyone from the small handful last year. It seems to be growing! It was great for us to meet some more people. Two couples came from our floor, including our next door neighbours (there are five flats on our floor). These were both young Estonian couples and it was clear they hadn't ever properly met each other before. They obviously enjoyed the opportunity to speak to each other longer. Fascinating, that it would take us to bring even Estonians living in the same building together!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And then maybe a week after that it snowed heavily for a day. I spotted someone rolling a huge snowball, clearing snow from the parking area. He's the guy in the red jacket in the picture. He was out with his two boys and they'd all been to our house for the mince pies. I offered to help him as the snow ball was as much as he could move on his own by this stage and in the middle of the car park! We managed to get it across onto the field, by which time it was as big as the both of us could manage. He turned to me and asked "What should we do with it?" to which I mused: "Build an ice slide?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Two hours later, with two other families (men, women and kids!) joining in, the community project was taking shape! Another fab way of connecting with people, and lots of fun together! All the kids would take turns on the slide, and while it never got to being sheet ice as I had planned (we'd seen this once in northern Finland and it was really cool!) it was the last piece of snow to melt, staying for weeks on the field as the compressed ice refused to melt, even after the field was totally clear of all other snow.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>Family Life</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMgNxASjd5rKFPpCCJoQ1LoJxUgoboOFWtOdAwr8L9kAWS7JhX70KLDZJn22vDDzix78_ltc6C9ydyaxZlmQQ8KkPGYPLPSvcAqlO_domieqeJIdRc7zC40Zkz8ccxNEpRAfXCff7KnuY/s1600/FullSizeRender+(11).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMgNxASjd5rKFPpCCJoQ1LoJxUgoboOFWtOdAwr8L9kAWS7JhX70KLDZJn22vDDzix78_ltc6C9ydyaxZlmQQ8KkPGYPLPSvcAqlO_domieqeJIdRc7zC40Zkz8ccxNEpRAfXCff7KnuY/s1600/FullSizeRender+(11).jpg" height="400" width="218" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ax7JAa3BAO9k5MB7eoFQZHVCXiKoQerltFRYG4D4n3s3uLLf6RAmTgJkO04hMpK9qZAENDfUZo4R7MZglSrL6mG3UmzihNyFDE01viG8LpjZ4rGrNjibKnATk9IbFLi_h8TIsyke3GM/s1600/FullSizeRender+(12).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ax7JAa3BAO9k5MB7eoFQZHVCXiKoQerltFRYG4D4n3s3uLLf6RAmTgJkO04hMpK9qZAENDfUZo4R7MZglSrL6mG3UmzihNyFDE01viG8LpjZ4rGrNjibKnATk9IbFLi_h8TIsyke3GM/s1600/FullSizeRender+(12).jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While it has been a season of illness and battle (spiritual often), we've continued to make time for family as much as we can. Over the Christmas holiday it was my pleasure to take each child out on their special 'Daddy Date' which we do at this time of year. They buy a new dress before, Rachel helps them dress up and then we go and do something (their choice) and have food together after. It was Anya's first time. It's my honour as their dad to show them how they should be treated, to spend time getting to know them and strengthen that already strong bond, whilst creating fun memories. I love being the father to these two amazing little ladies. Whilst church planting is a focus and something we've given ourselves wholeheartedly to these last seven years, it can never be at the expense of this wonderful family God has placed me into. My role as husband and then father has to come before that of church leader. With Anya, we worked together on making this wonderful (and tasty!) marzipan Christmas tree.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNkrVs_FgXTgDEcuPvIlV1mStYoxRV_ivugzE_P_FFO-8ESiKcDWIpg-MnXzWQAXcHGlejIRkEIViIkUW9SNT9H4EQLAYM8R0wTu-E22Cvo_JRvyIlabr7s1X0mbGA0r4WRlQRwZIFHfY/s1600/FullSizeRender+(6).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNkrVs_FgXTgDEcuPvIlV1mStYoxRV_ivugzE_P_FFO-8ESiKcDWIpg-MnXzWQAXcHGlejIRkEIViIkUW9SNT9H4EQLAYM8R0wTu-E22Cvo_JRvyIlabr7s1X0mbGA0r4WRlQRwZIFHfY/s1600/FullSizeRender+(6).jpg" height="263" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This year, the girls have also let their creativity flow as part of an art class that they joined on Saturday's from February. They did this class weekly for the first month but now they go every fortnight, so that we have some time as a family. On the right is just one example of the kind of art work they are able to produce with the help of the Russian artists who run the group. For those who have not seen the growing collection, you can view them <a href="https://www.facebook.com/tim.heath/media_set?set=a.10153095906603478.1073741841.562258477&type=3" target="_blank">here</a>, which will take you to the Facebook album I add the latest works to. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At the beginning of this month, Anya turned five. It was also three years since we moved to Tallinn, having moved four days before her second birthday. Parties are generally done in play areas in Tallinn, so this is what Anya wanted, and she invited about half a dozen children from her kindergarten class to the event happening at the play area in a nearby shopping centre. The only alarming thing (literally) was mid way through the party, the fire alarm sounded in the shopping centre and everyone had to evacuate. The children were in tears! Thankfully it was nothing serious and we were back in about thirty minutes later no worse for ware.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>Tim The Writer</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoIiWVFZuJzdEOIj_kEYvPWGNPb0ztOk4imVjvVp6b5Jay6RH9OmQFbYO5_vPV9sB-XoGzC4wp6bt_qwalUrCM_4aSDxaPD7F-23mH-RofAtm3OM5zKTzWrf3RSTEoOs3Z-eCSAw9H1g8/s1600/IMG_2018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoIiWVFZuJzdEOIj_kEYvPWGNPb0ztOk4imVjvVp6b5Jay6RH9OmQFbYO5_vPV9sB-XoGzC4wp6bt_qwalUrCM_4aSDxaPD7F-23mH-RofAtm3OM5zKTzWrf3RSTEoOs3Z-eCSAw9H1g8/s1600/IMG_2018.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Last time I also mentioned this aspect of my life and 2015 so far has been a big step along in my writing career, with my second novel being released on 16th January and then in February, for the first time, I hosted a book launch party in Tallinn to celebrate.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0461fZ1OWE5YBFeeQjJ6qtCRTK9SaT3r4DrAJRZztpB14SuFZYw5Zkue-G43veezsOi-n1lkrQs648v_aqRNLt_D0LwIJoyDB0vh3NILqVpAdOY8Z_ZoaDsr_8R3NHFeGzQfnd5nHj1k/s1600/FullSizeRender+(8).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0461fZ1OWE5YBFeeQjJ6qtCRTK9SaT3r4DrAJRZztpB14SuFZYw5Zkue-G43veezsOi-n1lkrQs648v_aqRNLt_D0LwIJoyDB0vh3NILqVpAdOY8Z_ZoaDsr_8R3NHFeGzQfnd5nHj1k/s1600/FullSizeRender+(8).jpg" height="258" width="400" /></a>Following on from that, one of the main newspapers in Estonia asked me to give an interview for their weekend edition, which was a great joy. The photo shows the double page spread, even if the picture of me holding the book as if it was a baby (taken for fun at the book launch event) wasn't necessarily the one I thought they'd use!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The article is in Estonian, though was also translated into English (from what the reporter wrote, not what I actually said in the first place) for their online version, a link to which is <a href="http://news.postimees.ee/3099295/english-born-suspense-novelist-found-time-for-writing-in-estonia" target="_blank">here</a>. </span><br />
<br />
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy41_SuDPh-foZV74y9EvbT-UlFKOZ-LA82ot7OAESML7KgHbgnd7P5HsNl01kbZVCHg9_8WbmQbN1vTf81HeX0wrCJdHYWW5Pg3PAEPDG8AMXlCZmyaLUhyphenhyphenzrUd9kJaefQ6FslHwjYH8/s1600/FullSizeRender+(5).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy41_SuDPh-foZV74y9EvbT-UlFKOZ-LA82ot7OAESML7KgHbgnd7P5HsNl01kbZVCHg9_8WbmQbN1vTf81HeX0wrCJdHYWW5Pg3PAEPDG8AMXlCZmyaLUhyphenhyphenzrUd9kJaefQ6FslHwjYH8/s1600/FullSizeRender+(5).jpg" height="400" width="331" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Following this was another first for me. The main book store chain in Estonia, Apollo, started stocking both books in March. It was surreal seeing them in the 'Uus' section (which means 'New') though the price they've set is so high I wonder if they'll sell any. They've already purchased the books from me, so in that regards it doesn't really matter, but if I'm to grow a local readership in Estonia (beyond the friends I know here who have bought the book from me) then the overly high price is not a good thing.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">All these things being said, even with my <a href="http://www.twitter.com/timheathbooks" target="_blank">Twitter following</a> going through the 11,700 mark (its was just through the 5,000 last update!), I've a long way to go. Launch figures were okay, though not extravagant. The book didn't chart as high as I'd hoped and without advertising, isn't selling copies at the moment. The initial buzz has therefore soon passed. Whilst the reviews that have been coming in are already excellent (<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Last-Prophet-Tim-Heath-ebook/dp/B00R1J7NEY/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1427555600&sr=1-1&keywords=the+last+prophet+by+tim+heath" target="_blank">see here for details of these</a>) it seems any major breakthrough is still a long long way off.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>If you have any ideas, any invitations for book parties, anything really</b> that you'd like to run past me, please drop me a note. It's my dream that writing becomes my paid vocation, supporting all that we do here in Estonia, whilst opening doors of opportunity. I've seen God's hand with me but need more of that, as well as people recommending me to others, and those that have read the books already remembering to review them. Reviews really do help other readers to make a purchase!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>I've also not forgotten about these Christian book ideas</b> I asked you about last time, and am thankful for the few that gave me some feedback. It might be a project for this summer. All of this is part of a need to see more finance coming in, making up for a drop in support that has happened over the last year. I might pick up on this theme a little later.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>More Recent/Upcoming News</u></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Rachel hosted a baby shower for Elisabeth, whose baby is actually being delivered tomorrow (Monday 30th March!). The shower was a great success, people travelling from across Estonia to join Elisabeth. Since finding out they were pregnant, it has been a terrible nine months for Arnoud & Elisabeth in many ways, health for Elisabeth at an all time low, totally taken out by the pregnancy and other related health issues. For Arnoud it's meant running the home as well as his full time job. It also had a knock on effect with church, in a season of pushing for something, that 'next step', this key family were needing to take a step back. <b>Please pray for them as the baby is delivered through C-Section tomorrow nearby. Pray also for the recovery, and the healing of everything that has happened to them these last nine months.</b> Whilst we know it'll take at least the summer to adjust back to things, plus they will have the new baby, we trust the worst is now behind them. </span></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdn4_2k2f3sAmOOlLB-_M7EjEsCfK2zUBzZmAtslQp4b8i9tOQbdmwy12zl-VEzIdVho2sHEvoYzc3rn3_5Uxb2kQK7ckdLF1mGBaiZp1FSCY3_7jejAGZ0jciBXa9Y9SnwThXItnBYbk/s1600/FullSizeRender+(7).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdn4_2k2f3sAmOOlLB-_M7EjEsCfK2zUBzZmAtslQp4b8i9tOQbdmwy12zl-VEzIdVho2sHEvoYzc3rn3_5Uxb2kQK7ckdLF1mGBaiZp1FSCY3_7jejAGZ0jciBXa9Y9SnwThXItnBYbk/s1600/FullSizeRender+(7).jpg" height="253" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Sherron Fensome</b> is still planning on moving to Tallinn, aiming for the first Monday in May.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Please <b>also pray for her</b> over this next month, for her transition (she's finishing work this coming week!) to her arrival. Rachel is looking into possible housing options, already visiting one. Also keep a job in your prayers for her.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sherron does love cats, so a recent visit to a newly opened 'cat cafe' in Tallinn might be the purr-fect (sorry!) thing for Sherron. The cafe has six cats, though the friendliest of them all gravitated to our table right away, the girls doing their best to copy its expression in this photo.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>Autumns Lows and Seven Year Effect</u></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This update has been largely lite and newsy so far, probably because I knew I needed to write this next section.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the last update I shared how things were tough, how the New Year gave chance for fresh vision, because what we had been doing in the Autumn hadn't grown things the way we thought, and energy had dropped. Obviously the (temporary) loss of Arnoud and Elisabeth at such a time, as detailed above, did have an effect on our ability as a group to press on.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrdClZbQGMpoU-01P_59TSeURTlgZvmbogpYK5yp89w5p_3lgJfih1Cf8pIOLIDu-ACYkrnek-zwCEdGv9b_K5ugLBvljJrkrBsAsyXYelmSO-mXDm0P9FWbudsuRzToab25hHHP_5D8c/s1600/FullSizeRender+(4).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrdClZbQGMpoU-01P_59TSeURTlgZvmbogpYK5yp89w5p_3lgJfih1Cf8pIOLIDu-ACYkrnek-zwCEdGv9b_K5ugLBvljJrkrBsAsyXYelmSO-mXDm0P9FWbudsuRzToab25hHHP_5D8c/s1600/FullSizeRender+(4).jpg" height="400" width="290" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I personally felt more alone as the season pressed on. The New Year brought a prayer focus, and obvious need to fall on God to grow this church plant, our efforts (and our energies!) failing. So January started with us meeting to pray every Sunday for an hour followed by a drink in a cafe. Back on that first Sunday on 4th January, we actually had more visitors than core present, five were over from St </span>Petersburg<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> and another locally based German man came along as well. It was Stephen & </span>Ketlin's<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> last weekend with us before they flew to America to spend eight months - they come back in August.</span></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJo9JT1tXjTEihWHAeX9esDhgeyrEp6blGT92tS5Q1e5MhJ6lHb1OMVv6g4GmemKB2rYJgLLsPepyu2hCj2xbB6_-8GaoJM9ZWY7eiRN_dqy1WmX2GFcVKNM5YX-FQ2ImyhkpUDeAWtoM/s1600/FullSizeRender+(9).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJo9JT1tXjTEihWHAeX9esDhgeyrEp6blGT92tS5Q1e5MhJ6lHb1OMVv6g4GmemKB2rYJgLLsPepyu2hCj2xbB6_-8GaoJM9ZWY7eiRN_dqy1WmX2GFcVKNM5YX-FQ2ImyhkpUDeAWtoM/s1600/FullSizeRender+(9).jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The weekend after was the </span><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">#TallinnPrays</b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> event, this time gathering people from five churches, though none from the church we were hosting it in, who usually did come. A seventh church also had planned on but were not able to come that time. We'd then used that venue once more for our own Sunday meeting, but a weekly commitment for this other church was too much so venue became the most pressing issue. Sitting in the cafe after that prayer meeting (which must have been Sunday 22nd), we looked through the options Enrico had found for rent-able premises and nothing really hit the mark, some a little too isolated, or too derelict! Looking at this list with Arnoud, we revised the search area and suddenly another venue looked promising. The following Wednesday I visited it with Enrico and we shared what we saw at group that evening. It seemed doable, and I was back that very Friday to sign the contract and collect the key. We used it for the first time that next Sunday, less that 7 days since first spotting it online. That first meeting (which was prayer and worship) we only had the chairs we could bring easily from home. These two photos show the hall, plus the chairs we were able to buy and now also the banners that have gone in this week giving a little more colour to things. (The door in the photo doesn't open, before you wonder why we are facing that way!) </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On that first Sunday, a family of five (Canadian) were there for the first time. They've come back once too, looking for a local church. Whilst what we are currently doing doesn't meet their immediate needs, they have said if we were to launch this Autumn, they'd look to join us then.<br />
<br />
<b><u>A Stake in the Ground</u></b><br />
<br />
My first conversation with Arnoud once he'd come back from their three week break in The Netherlands over Christmas, was telling. Clearly the time away had given them time to talk to others, getting things off their chest, even if the sickness was still with Elisabeth. And as we spoke that day, something we both needed to answer was this - how long do we keep going as we are until we call it a day? At what point does this stop becoming a church plant heading for launch and just a group of burnt out people? <br />
What formed in my head that day was the need for a stake in the ground, a timing we are working towards that either confirms God's call or makes us ask some tough questions. For me, October felt the right kind of time for a launch. We push hard this year, praying into and building towards a launch Sunday in the Autumn.<br />
Now, the speed of the venue coming around seemed to encourage us in that regard. Clearly, if we were to launch we'd need a venue, and suddenly we had one. A place that we could use throughout the week, the fortnightly toddler group instantly growing in numbers the first week it moved to our new venue - the mums seem to really like it!<br />
<b>The real prayer is for growth.</b> Getting to October the size we are now (even including Sherron into that figure) doesn't give us the core size we need to launch well. It might get us someway, but we'd soon all run out of energy. <b>So the stake in the ground is for God to bring in the extra people, key people, that we need in order to launch. </b>This would grow into an easy <b>prayer initiative</b> that I'll talk about later, but before that a little more darkness...<br />
<br />
<b><u>Can We Do This?</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
I guess, mirroring Elisabeth's own sickness as she approaches the new birth, we've felt this same struggle spiritually as we've pressed through these last months. Energy levels dropping, vision for what is happening taking a hammering. Bouts of sudden sickness falling upon us, often the night before a special church gathering. These stopped once we started asking people to pray for us on Saturday's. It's led me to ask (constantly) of God - can we do this? And if I'm honest, I often followed this with the question; And do I want to do this anymore? By January, finance once again became a problem, a long standing church in the UK announcing they'd stop later this year, a figure that represents about 40% of the total support we now receive, support which makes up (thankfully) about a third of our current income.<br />
<b>Nothing was running as smoothly as before.</b> We were doing all the right things outwardly, but something was suffering inside. I felt my walk with God was also struggling. I was too busy trying to fix our situation to spend the time I wanted (and needed!) in the word! Crazy, I know.<br />
And then the realisation - <b>carry on as we are, and we are heading for burnout.</b> In many ways, it's great that we recognised this, as one spots a potential danger far enough ahead to avoid a collision. You see, whilst this current season has been challenging, by itself it's not outstripped all that's gone before. It's just <b>followed</b> on from it all.<br />
For us, it's the awareness that the last seven years have caught up with us, that it's not just about the last nine months, nor even the three years we've now been in Tallinn for, but actually going back seven years plus, from the transition in Stockport where I stepped down from leadership to focus on the move, to landing in Russia (spiritually exhausted) then the church plant there, before moving on again and all this time in Tallinn since.<br />
<b>The thought that we were praying into an October launch given our situation, made no sense.</b> We didn't have enough energy to get us through to the summer, let alone beyond that.<br />
<b>Something needs to change. We need space.</b><br />
We've now talked this through with everyone here, plus Sherron (so she is fully aware what she is arriving into). We still have faith for an October launch, which has grown this last week, as you'll see in a moment. But for that to happen, <b>we need a time of rest as a family.</b> Spiritually to lay down the cloak of leadership responsibility, for a season, in order to hear from God and come back stronger and more envisioned, especially ahead of an Autumn push. So what this looks like is this summer, once Rachel finishes for the summer at the school (mid June) we'll take three months 'break'. It's not a sabbatical, as I'm not full-time for the church. I'll still have my U.K job and writing, but it's more the leadership responsibility for this season we'll lay down. We're talking this through with the team about what this will look like. We'll certainly be around socially for things, especially meeting any new people that turn up, but won't take the reigns back properly until mid-September, ready for that push. We'll do it in such a way as to recover ourselves whilst not hampering in any way the small core we have and our ability to push hard this Autumn. Summer is always a very social time, plus a time people arrive in Tallinn from overseas, maybe moving for a new job or to study something at University. So we will make sure we don't lose any opportunity whilst also reflecting our need to recharge. <b>Please pray for us as a family during this time and also for the church plant.</b> One amazing thing that came out of this last week and in relation to the summer was one visitor seeing the need for us to get some sunshine and time away offering us use of a holiday property, only for someone else to say they'll cover the flights for us all to get there! We're very grateful to them, God is so good!<br />
<br />
<b><u>Give Us Six People Lord!</u></b><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcYQR4lvW0FKPWSuDEz9wemQKFiY52BapHiWWMNU61LM66kSCv_hKi5AAoDqw3zadqW4EBK5OfTf9BA7x56frGjymRNHJlX5fkuARMW6EJuJY_GCfhqJrZPIRgd8BP0eTA-a2DsOFajw8/s1600/FullSizeRender+(14).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcYQR4lvW0FKPWSuDEz9wemQKFiY52BapHiWWMNU61LM66kSCv_hKi5AAoDqw3zadqW4EBK5OfTf9BA7x56frGjymRNHJlX5fkuARMW6EJuJY_GCfhqJrZPIRgd8BP0eTA-a2DsOFajw8/s1600/FullSizeRender+(14).jpg" height="246" width="400" /></a>Last week was a good week for outside input - first a Skype call with Adam Bradley (Life Church - Peterborough) and then Maurice Nightingale was in Tallinn for a day on Thursday. Both were aware of the financial situation as well as the fragile state of things (I'd sent them an urgent plea for wisdom the week before in relation to another situation they both helped with). But as I prepared for these times, the more I thought about what we needed, the more I was led to my hearts core cry - for people! Finance tends to sort itself out - any short-term help offered only delays the issue anyway - and venues and things like that do help, <b>but without the people</b> we are stranded. Then it came to me. Six people added to our core team (even for a short 'season' to help us) would be the game changer. We should pray for six people - at six o'clock. The #SixatSix hash tag prayer was born! <b>We're asking people around the world to pray for Hope:Tallinn - that six extra people would join us.</b> Whether it's six in the morning and you are just getting up, or six in the evening and you are sitting around the dinner table (with others maybe), please say a short prayer, asking God to send us six extra people. Ideally, the six would include a couple of musicians, some with teaching ability, all with servants hearts and the ability to be relational and connect others in! <b>Six game changers that added to this great team already would give us the wings we need to really fly. </b>So will you pray with us? Maybe you could be part of that answer - giving even six months (October - March) this Autumn could be an amazing time for us all.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Maurice's Visit</u></b><br />
<br />
What was great about this timely visit, was that it's come at what now seems to be the end of this challenging time, and has given us hope and a road map for what this next year could become. It's allowed us to talk through the issues and have someone help with the solution. And he might even have the first of these six <b>game changers</b> in mind....watch this space on that one!<br />
We'll focus especially for this next year - building up this October for a launch (hopefully) and stepping into the next stage of things. Come next Easter (2016) it'll give us a fair understanding on what is happening - it's either on wards and upwards, or something else!<br />
<br />
<b><u>Easter Event</u></b><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1MU5nLAHvH6fH_MzlUAXyX-pKfqBaotlWU0EgERV4lOxnoQQo2vR6UrAondfDjOV7FqRxEdlw_AKiyeyHCGVHdj_PfKNWSnKLRQC5PYXCgDwM-x5OJUSy26_9uT62kxh3o_dMhXtRP5I/s1600/FullSizeRender+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1MU5nLAHvH6fH_MzlUAXyX-pKfqBaotlWU0EgERV4lOxnoQQo2vR6UrAondfDjOV7FqRxEdlw_AKiyeyHCGVHdj_PfKNWSnKLRQC5PYXCgDwM-x5OJUSy26_9uT62kxh3o_dMhXtRP5I/s1600/FullSizeRender+(2).jpg" height="348" width="400" /></a>To finish, I'll ask for prayer for us as the team (probably just four of us!) host an Easter Family Fun event next Sunday on Easter Day. We did something similar last year and it was a real success. Now that we have our own venue to use, we really pray the message of Easter rings true for many who come, as well as being a fun time for all.<br />
We're doing this event between 4-6 Tallinn time, so depending on where you are reading this from, please do remember us in prayer on that day. We really want to be able to serve these families well, whilst sharing with them the real message behind this special day.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Prayer Points</u></b><br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><b>#SixatSix - Team growth!</b></li>
<li><b>Next Sunday's Easter event.</b></li>
<li><b>For rest this summer and recovery ahead of the Autumn push</b></li>
<li><b>For baby Bakhuisen being born tomorrow!</b></li>
<li><b>For Sherron's move to Tallinn in early May.</b></li>
</ul>
</span></div>
<br />
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06605204341808935762noreply@blogger.com0Tallinn, Estonia59.436960799999987 24.75357459999997959.178853299999986 24.108127599999978 59.695068299999988 25.39902159999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1128413133068142254.post-81500109533153473142014-12-10T23:04:00.000+03:002014-12-10T23:04:14.685+03:00Update from Tallinn - December 2014<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghjKT_MY8oQoooMkvnpZwLh6qmmjqZOa3gKdhjeNIPhvdoEBEzObIGDJm86fWXnFKGd-TLwP1ijTJuqxY73xjtVqXQl0Us_50xzGI2vP_N4cRCxiWLjYqobmE_3vsdUnMrvGdTcQxAL4k/s1600/photo+(34).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghjKT_MY8oQoooMkvnpZwLh6qmmjqZOa3gKdhjeNIPhvdoEBEzObIGDJm86fWXnFKGd-TLwP1ijTJuqxY73xjtVqXQl0Us_50xzGI2vP_N4cRCxiWLjYqobmE_3vsdUnMrvGdTcQxAL4k/s1600/photo+(34).JPG" height="476" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Remember us? I've had it in mind to update everyone for sometime. I didn't realise the <a href="http://hearingmyheart.blogspot.com/2014/07/tallinn-mid-summer-update-church-plant.html" target="_blank">last time we'd put an update out here was back in July</a>! That is a long time ago! In fact, looking at my frequency of blogging, this post will be number seven of the year, that's all. That's the lowest annual total in the seven years I've been blogging!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's not for lack of things to write about.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I guess it's not totally true to say I haven't been blogging entirely. In November I was given a weekly spot on the Families First blog, my short posts on 'Mission as a family' go out every Friday and you can find the last one <a href="http://muenterprises.org/familiesfirst/mission-as-a-family-part-four/" target="_blank">here</a>. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And if I'm brutally honest with you, as I've always intended on being on a blog titled 'hearing my heart' these last few months have been quite a struggle. We'll come to that later.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here are the headlines for this update:</span><br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>POG Camp in Latvia in August</b></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>NEW Weekend in Helsinki in September</b></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>New School Term, New Job for Rachel.</b></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Regular Prayer Events Started</b></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Team Growth - Present and Future</b></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Parenting Course</b></span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7IRUd7IdB87SvAUEFEw2K-yjshZyXIJE2ig1FC0MhjowuXWqwNmkaP9LEx3lw8IPUVdRKzaWmrxUY9TXWclZ8PRpgRcQGdQ6W3u0LxA0aUF3BaUMWlzSw-9D9qnsl3gzWhDqR2YK6A0g/s1600/photo+1+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7IRUd7IdB87SvAUEFEw2K-yjshZyXIJE2ig1FC0MhjowuXWqwNmkaP9LEx3lw8IPUVdRKzaWmrxUY9TXWclZ8PRpgRcQGdQ6W3u0LxA0aUF3BaUMWlzSw-9D9qnsl3gzWhDqR2YK6A0g/s1600/photo+1+(2).JPG" height="280" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In August (which does feel like a lifetime ago and it actually was, especially when I look outside!) we traveled down to the small town of Ergli in Latvia to join many others from around the Baltic region, as well as the UK, for the 'Presence of God' conference, hosted by Mike Betts and his team from Relational Mission.</span></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt3gPbH-YX5ORu2wcXz4rZuUFmhmwVC5aOJzDhWUs4LTVvOdHZxj_3SHlW7T1xSb0MluR7CHnp6ByHi4ToumcYX6ZNqNW2_NBS_8q76zBfDTFUDJfo8SB0Ge8TUCQPhKhFCx5xUZb2wj4/s1600/photo+1+(4).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt3gPbH-YX5ORu2wcXz4rZuUFmhmwVC5aOJzDhWUs4LTVvOdHZxj_3SHlW7T1xSb0MluR7CHnp6ByHi4ToumcYX6ZNqNW2_NBS_8q76zBfDTFUDJfo8SB0Ge8TUCQPhKhFCx5xUZb2wj4/s1600/photo+1+(4).JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Matt Medd, together with the other guys in the Riga church plant, had done an amazing job of organising the event for us all.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There were meetings for the adults and a whole program for the children who loved their time together. Many new friends were made and existing friendships strengthened. As well as the UK, there were people from Poland, Latvia, Estonia, Finland and Sweden.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As you can see from these pictures, the weather was great and the campsite perfect for hanging around and spending time with friends. For the more adventurous, there was the zip line, which both Rachel and Mia tried out!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The lake was great for swimming in, though Mia did develop some form of skin infection that resulted in a trip to a local doctors there.</span></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoOvYGZGPOIviSSwGPs-bTTVPethEj9k1WN4ZKsRoqBScVozEFDyWaTxIREPD8EPW-ZPjAOBDt4oGmGpSau31kP1lcKT-seMcFsQnk_IFbKFKGujPq5-FGqjCJ96A8QnH0BWxqlIdyGac/s1600/photo+2+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoOvYGZGPOIviSSwGPs-bTTVPethEj9k1WN4ZKsRoqBScVozEFDyWaTxIREPD8EPW-ZPjAOBDt4oGmGpSau31kP1lcKT-seMcFsQnk_IFbKFKGujPq5-FGqjCJ96A8QnH0BWxqlIdyGac/s1600/photo+2+(2).JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The teaching was fantastic. Mike Betts and Angela Kemm, as well as Phil Whittall (Grace Church, Stockholm) really encouraged us.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The sense of being together, coming from similar situations and yet caught up in something bigger, was really fantastic.</span></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz9c1223IoF0uMM9g3D2zp76BomZbcpSt5CoTEmJllW8ItvEFYNU1ZPLfSatpQfmt_Gd1cJvYhyphenhypheniUAgZH9xK3gA94cur7mH5cQRWkaX40CBuIwEkrrzyJpxiRl2UQtHFv_tta-x3fOPQU/s1600/photo+2+(4).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz9c1223IoF0uMM9g3D2zp76BomZbcpSt5CoTEmJllW8ItvEFYNU1ZPLfSatpQfmt_Gd1cJvYhyphenhypheniUAgZH9xK3gA94cur7mH5cQRWkaX40CBuIwEkrrzyJpxiRl2UQtHFv_tta-x3fOPQU/s1600/photo+2+(4).JPG" height="298" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Many people had been able to meet up at an event in Stockholm earlier in the year in May, when Terry Virgo had traveled to Sweden to speak on Grace. This POG event in August, longer and with more people present based around a camp site, allowed greater relationships to be built and formed a second meeting point in the region for the year.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A third one was about to happen too, this time in Finland, the following month.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>NEW Event - Helsinki</u></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0yYDh9R_kRhF8bHJbtXeOnrrI6sjY3strAixekv6XoWXlkb_y3uIOTdjv_rUvirPL63raBfQef2NpQ-spfOF0z9tLa-5fAKHMkG6XRd4fiLsoISn1WYnDEV3_iIppLo3LTjNRCjFH0MM/s1600/photo+3+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0yYDh9R_kRhF8bHJbtXeOnrrI6sjY3strAixekv6XoWXlkb_y3uIOTdjv_rUvirPL63raBfQef2NpQ-spfOF0z9tLa-5fAKHMkG6XRd4fiLsoISn1WYnDEV3_iIppLo3LTjNRCjFH0MM/s1600/photo+3+(2).JPG" height="298" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kevin and Lydia Jones, together with their team in Helsinki, did a wonderful job of hosting a Friday-Sunday conference. The NEW event has been around for some years in the RM family and I'd been to the last two, speaking at the last one, both hosted in Riga. This was the first time it had come to Finland, the church plant there barely one year old.</span></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVEPeqkxhVZMK_R1uagZPGPNeL57PIrPKCQG9OLmzX1Ne6CakvTh8-E9KwhxIstTFI9dRqRc7vUkJ20OO6dkPa67ywXrbm8PvO8D6srFeMO__FD44hI39UqI9-iPEhfZBShCfB33M62OQ/s1600/photo+3+(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVEPeqkxhVZMK_R1uagZPGPNeL57PIrPKCQG9OLmzX1Ne6CakvTh8-E9KwhxIstTFI9dRqRc7vUkJ20OO6dkPa67ywXrbm8PvO8D6srFeMO__FD44hI39UqI9-iPEhfZBShCfB33M62OQ/s1600/photo+3+(3).JPG" height="338" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Again this time I had the great honour of being asked to share at one of the sessions, speaking about the realities of church planting, but with faith. I think I managed to stick to my mandate and in truth received the best feedback and encouragement I think I've ever had. The other speakers, all from the UK, did a wonderful job in serving us over the weekend, as did the team that were looking after the children.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Rebekah had been able to join us from Tallinn, though sadly Arnoud and Elisabeth had had to pull out at the last minute, though their oldest daughter did also travel with us for the trip.</span></div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY2AHkFqWtc3AklrhNWThUE7qvOHrI0qWpIFNvAGEkIWr0-7GWlEuo3lp78B9TKN10dxLS3zMYEXmnaXnAt1eIFbGq6tbOI9qRpkNPaA0ONFERvo2PMmyzdgNEGgpDSqAb2Ga_OemcIi8/s1600/photo+1+(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY2AHkFqWtc3AklrhNWThUE7qvOHrI0qWpIFNvAGEkIWr0-7GWlEuo3lp78B9TKN10dxLS3zMYEXmnaXnAt1eIFbGq6tbOI9qRpkNPaA0ONFERvo2PMmyzdgNEGgpDSqAb2Ga_OemcIi8/s1600/photo+1+(3).JPG" height="257" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Again there was a great sense of togetherness. Latvia, Sweden, Finland, The Netherlands, The UK and of course Estonia was represented.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Looking back, I realise how much I cherish these times together. The travel and time, and of course expense, is all worth it because of the chance to meet together, with people going through the same things you are, in contexts and nations very similar to our own.</span></div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>And so we hit the Autumn...</u></b></span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The summer had been a busy time as I mentioned in the last update, with these camps and conferences following on as mentioned above. Midway through August, the transition into a different time was already happening. Rachel started a new job as a class teacher in the Tallinn European School. The school itself is only in its second year, and Rachel is a class teacher to grade one children. The job was only meant to be part time (Mon-Thurs) and while it has settled down a little, in time but not energy levels, in the early months it was fair to say it was all consuming, and in many regards still very much is. There have been a few Friday's already when she's needed to be in, and one whole weekend when she had to be at school for some special training taking place! Several months in, it's said she's got the most difficult class in the school. Much grace is needed and your prayers for her would certainly be good. It has opened up new doors and many avenues of relationship. It's another step at integration for us as a family. And it's certainly one of the things that has added to a very real, very intense few months.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>Prayer Events</u></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On the back of the summer, with the sense of momentum and fresh vision seemingly building towards a key phase approaching, we entered September with a week of prayer, finishing on the Saturday night with a prayer and worship night, which we did in partnership with another local church. It was thought this was just a one off event. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For that night itself, events transpired that three churches were actually together. By the end of the night, which was enjoyed by all, we were left with the feeling that God was in this, and maybe something more regular should happen, where churches come together, laying down agendas, gathering to worship and pray for Tallinn, Estonia and the nations. I spoke with the other churches and settled on the feeling that a regular bimonthly prayer event should take place. We held the next one therefore in November and saw four churches represented. We're hoping there will be at least five present when we meet next in the New Year, on January 10th. The photo shows the worship band for the last event, made up from people from three different churches.</span></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-7NMUj_lWILBouoYKRayZVdeUj2e3EoS4gmxOj11sKPgKAMAIG-OJORIuI2DX1hLWSkgnnY4fJ3GEw-vAEIhz98H2cw73W463T3OS7CCp4THio-qUl7kzl8_G1F_FsmFtH2qhKfITNgs/s1600/photo+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-7NMUj_lWILBouoYKRayZVdeUj2e3EoS4gmxOj11sKPgKAMAIG-OJORIuI2DX1hLWSkgnnY4fJ3GEw-vAEIhz98H2cw73W463T3OS7CCp4THio-qUl7kzl8_G1F_FsmFtH2qhKfITNgs/s1600/photo+(2).JPG" height="298" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Going forward, I do feel for next year these prayer events, happening across churches in Tallinn, are really important times for us and appropriate focus and time should be given to them. The last move of God that happened in Estonia, whilst it was still part of the Soviet Union in fact, happened in the late 1970s. In a Union that denied God, common practice was to force all denominations to use a single facility. It was a clever ploy - rather than going as far as to outlaw the church entirely, they knew throwing them all together, each with their different traditions and beliefs, and the church would end up destroying itself. Well, it didn't work, of course. And what happened in Tallinn, in St Olav's Church in the Old Town, was they started to pray. Churches forced together and now praying together. And dramatic things started to happen. Miracles and healings. News spread right across the Soviet Union and people came to Tallinn, until the KGB forced the revival to shut down, giving the leaders at the time an ultimatum that sadly they agreed to.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Whilst we live in relatively free times, the spiritual climate in Estonia couldn't be darker. It's sometimes tangible. We've had several people comment on passing through Tallinn how they had this spiritual sense of something, an oppression, not felt in other local capital cities, a region that is all very secular with very few churches. What is it about Tallinn and Estonia that makes people say this? I don't know, but we feel it too. Prayer is the key because prayer is talking to God and He is the only one on which this matter ultimately depends.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>Lights in the Darkness</u></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We are of course called to be lights in the dark world. The excitement and activity of the summer, with the events in Tallinn and relational events elsewhere, gave us sight of something beyond us. It's as if the realities of being once more 'on the ground', with natural daylight drawing shorter each day, has taken its toll. The momentum and energy there was in September has come and gone. Whilst the midweek home group has always been weekly and still is, the autumn saw us launching a fortnightly Sunday gathering more like a church meeting than anything else. Gathering events would still happen around them. But we haven't seen the crowds coming and these meetings have slowed us down, if I'm honest. With a new year approaching, I need to look again with eyes of vision and understand what God has for us next.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>It's God Who Has Gathered the Team</u></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One thing I keep coming back to, when I often ask the question "how are we possibly going to see a church planted here" is to remind myself that it's His church, and His job! Also, I take great encouragement from the fact that the team that has already gathered, and which is still growing, is God's doing! Right from Arnoud & Elisabeth, the first family to move to join us, through to Enrico, Stephen, Ketlin and Rebekah, all have come because God did something in their hearts, which caused them to get in contact. In August, Maki joined us too. Japanese by birth, she'd just moved from Panama in central America to take a job at the International School. She brings a lot of passion and is very much on board with us, which I'm so thankful for, even if I don't yet know what it is we are needing to do as a church plant!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">God has also spoken to another English lady, Sherron Fensome, who is looking to move to Tallinn in April next year. Please pray for her as she makes final preparations, especially in relation to a job.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>What's become clear to me, and something so different to our experience in St Petersburg, is that to plant a church in Estonia will take a long time.</b> It's like a warfare situation. Some wars are won quickly, airstrikes, shock and awe. Others are long and drawn out, person to person, decade to decade. In relation to church planting, Estonia is certainly the latter.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>And we are prepared for the long haul. We have settled here, we largely love life here and never felt this was going to be a quick effort.</b> But it also drains vision. To see people not attending something, to hear other churches longing for the same thing we are - to see just one person saved!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>So it's a time of assessment. Of reflecting on where we've been and where we need to be going. Most of all, it's a time where we need to hear God on what to do next.</b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>Parenting Course</u></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiChBIWT4AwobSTUQugtoABA6OTIS0fbBbzaEi0W2mydhyphenhyphenV2OlhzVytJ6WhRxAZ954GXubhFeajS5He2te3gUftwtRYwWmqXC_1veANleim6KCPTW5_IxJT0B9mUiOHWqMX6ThngPIeSyI/s1600/photo+(35).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiChBIWT4AwobSTUQugtoABA6OTIS0fbBbzaEi0W2mydhyphenhyphenV2OlhzVytJ6WhRxAZ954GXubhFeajS5He2te3gUftwtRYwWmqXC_1veANleim6KCPTW5_IxJT0B9mUiOHWqMX6ThngPIeSyI/s1600/photo+(35).JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One thing that we have wanted to do for a long time and were able to put on recently was a course to help parents. Gary and Fiona Blackwell, from Stockport Family Church, UK, helped us greatly by coming over to Tallinn for a long weekend and as part of that putting on this one off seminar, that saw a largely new crowd of people gathered, if not a huge crowd. It was perfect for what followed. We were able to put on a Kids Club at the same time so that the parents, in theory anyway, could have time to talk during the seminar without the distraction of their children. Future courses for parents, as well as courses looking at marriage, are still in my thinking, as we look at practical ways of really helping people in Tallinn.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>Visits</u></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigupQ2Rvh9QvlopNNC5Cg9nK14Yi3wTkFB6S9LNnC8hpy_27B20PIz34qodpJXwEVRRDgSImF-0gJrpFelqD3XZrULLSJUboveaobS3IauK6eYo9GgHelkE2bkyAQA1Vl0PUBgN1GJk2E/s1600/photo+(33).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigupQ2Rvh9QvlopNNC5Cg9nK14Yi3wTkFB6S9LNnC8hpy_27B20PIz34qodpJXwEVRRDgSImF-0gJrpFelqD3XZrULLSJUboveaobS3IauK6eYo9GgHelkE2bkyAQA1Vl0PUBgN1GJk2E/s1600/photo+(33).JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tallinn remains a popular destination and the last few months have seen people passing through. Some just as tourists, others exploring opportunities here. I mentioned Sherron above, who was here when John and Liz Barrett, from Alton, Hampshire, happened to be arriving for the day on a Baltic Sea cruise. We all met up for some time. Rachel was taking this photo, and Mia was at ballet at the time.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Josie Rogers, a student currently in St Petersburg, is also a more regular visitor to Tallinn, having been over in the summer to help us with the team. She is planning on coming to do a voluntary year (or more!) in Tallinn from September 2016.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">John Putman, a church leader from the UK, was also passing through again. He'd traveled up from Riga and had two nights in Tallinn, sharing during our midweek meeting.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>Tim the Writer</u></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5RvDSJ4m2fI065ld0HQVCnKaSdaA7G6gw3NgtcVVc1ZSkXclPU_bA804NYM8PKieikvaZbcuv3AL-yqw4NpJcvzeoNm5OmnvoCnEsDcUBufRY6H5_UMXratWaypfA4VZ1k32o_u6JIyI/s1600/photo+(36).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5RvDSJ4m2fI065ld0HQVCnKaSdaA7G6gw3NgtcVVc1ZSkXclPU_bA804NYM8PKieikvaZbcuv3AL-yqw4NpJcvzeoNm5OmnvoCnEsDcUBufRY6H5_UMXratWaypfA4VZ1k32o_u6JIyI/s1600/photo+(36).JPG" height="298" width="400" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A growing part of my professional life over the last few years has been in relation to writing, as I hope many of you already know by now (or I've been doing something rather wrong in my communication of this exciting fact!) How I balance the increasing demands of a writers life with that of church life (not to mention, of course, my higher priorities as husband and father!) remains a challenge I need to still understand. Clearly, with church at the stage we are still at, there is less of a clash - I dare not ask myself the question that am I part of the reason we are still at this stage?</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">With my second novel due out next month (January 2015 - and yes, you will hear a lot more about that in the coming weeks!), I'm working hard to develop this important next step in my writing career. Over the last month or so I've seen an explosion of followers on social media, my author account on Twitter has gone through the 5000 followers mark and grows daily. It remains to be seen, following on from the relative success of my debut novel, what this translates into take up for the new novel, titled The Last Prophet. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A third novel is already written in first draft form and I will start a fourth novel in January. <b>One thing that is coming to light over recent weeks in Estonia is that in certain circles, I am becoming known because I am an author.</b> And this is leading to questions of why I chose to live in Estonia if I can write anywhere - which leads onto church. Just last night, having introduced myself as Tim, two internationals were talking with me, and when I said I was an author, they both said "Oh, you are Tim Heath. Yes, we've heard of you. We should have guessed!" That doesn't happen too often, I should say. Not yet, anyway. <b>But it does show me that maybe God would open a door into Estonia, through my writing life, that raises the profile of Christianity?</b> Last week I was also in a conversation with an Egyptian businessman, a fan of my book, asking me about making the film version of it here in Estonia.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>And I like to write. </b>I'm sure if you are still reading this, you know that by now.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But let me <b>ask you a few questions.</b> If I was to publish a Christian book called "Adventures of Faith" which detailed our journey and what God has done, what else would you like such a book to cover? What elements would you like to know about? The Adventures of Faith series has been a long running part of this blog - there are six parts already written and my thinking is that part seven, the seven years on reflection, could be exclusive for the eBook? </span></div>
<div>
<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What else would be good to be included? Let me know.</b></div>
<div>
<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Also, seeing as this is the first update since July, would you like to hear news more frequently, or is it okay as and when? Let me know too!</b></div>
<div>
<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Finally</b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, even as I've been writing today's update, I'm more aware that 2015 needs to have a strong prayer focus, central to everything we are and everything we do. <b>Would a Tallinn prayer weekend in 2015 be something you'd get excited about? </b>A time to come visit, walk and talk lots, see the sights and have a night of praying together. A <b>come see, come live weekend</b> that is lite on structure and meetings, strong on relationship, fun and prayer! <b>Would this be something you and/or your church might be excited about?</b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As you can see, I'm looking for feedback this time. Feel free to comment wherever you saw this post - either here on the blog, on Facebook, Twitter or as a reply email. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In case we don't get a chance to say so otherwise, have a wonderful Christmas and New Year - and maybe we'll see you in Tallinn too in 2015?</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06605204341808935762noreply@blogger.com0Tallinn, Estonia59.436960799999987 24.75357459999997959.178853299999986 24.108127599999978 59.695068299999988 25.39902159999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1128413133068142254.post-5534838197888351602014-08-20T14:27:00.000+04:002014-08-20T14:27:49.511+04:00God Speaks - Words - Part 6<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIhODORkvL8ATDB60AB4rPj1np4z6D-vur3nWh9mnYFmS0dROubss8nQ-0eLSQ6BqC1AZkI26kkhISZ5IxqsnKInW_h3-bkyFsbdvU4RjrvIAspQC93xtj4hk2Fl_jRTr9J2zTRt41gfU/s1600/Fullscreen+capture+09092013+205837.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIhODORkvL8ATDB60AB4rPj1np4z6D-vur3nWh9mnYFmS0dROubss8nQ-0eLSQ6BqC1AZkI26kkhISZ5IxqsnKInW_h3-bkyFsbdvU4RjrvIAspQC93xtj4hk2Fl_jRTr9J2zTRt41gfU/s1600/Fullscreen+capture+09092013+205837.jpg" height="466" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">There has been quite a gap between this and the last entry, but I'd like to welcome you back to the latest part of a series that I'm calling "God Speaks..."</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Over these nine entries, I want to look at some of the ways that God speaks to us </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">(it's not an exhaustive list of course - I'm sure others can add to it!)</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">. Because He does speak. All the time.</span><br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Because God is real, because He loves us and because He is good - <b>He speaks</b>.<br />Usually, it's us (mere people!) that fail to listen or maybe fail to understand that it was God speaking to us.<br />I want to share from my own life, as practical examples, some of the ways God has spoken to me. In all, I want to briefly look at these nine ways that we hear from God:</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dreams <a href="http://hearingmyheart.blogspot.com/2013/09/god-speaks-dreams-part-1.html" style="color: #100077; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">(click here to read this section)</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Visions & Pictures </span><a href="http://hearingmyheart.blogspot.com/2013/09/god-speaks-visions-pictures-part-2.html" style="color: #100077; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">(click here to read this section)</a><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Through Others <a href="http://hearingmyheart.blogspot.com/2013/10/god-speaks-through-others-part-3.html" style="color: #100077; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">(click here to read this section)</a> </span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Angels <a href="http://hearingmyheart.blogspot.com/2013/11/god-speaks-angels-part-4.html" style="color: #100077; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">(click here to read this section)</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Bible </span><a href="http://hearingmyheart.blogspot.com/2013/12/god-speaks-bible-part-5.html" style="color: #100077; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">(click here to read this section)</a><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Words</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Small Still Voice</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Burning Bush</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Audible Voice</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Personally, I've experienced six out of these nine ways listed - and as we go through the series, I'll make these clear how that happened. So, here we go with the next part!</span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><b>Part 6 - Words</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">What do I mean by words - of course, we all speak with 'words' - the language might change from country to country, but around the world, people use words to communicate. We've touched on the written word in the last section - the Bible - the inspired, written word of God (inspired through the Holy Spirit, written by people at the time of the events, often eyewitnesses, or soon after the events). We'll cover words through audible means later.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">In this section I want to look at what the Bible calls words - of knowledge, of wisdom....the list goes on.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">You see, even in this 21st Century world we live in, God still speaks to us - more so than ever! More people on the planet, means more people who God desires to have relationship with and therefore speak to.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">This particular way of hearing from God, like all the others, can have a very instant impact. Take a word of knowledge for healing, for example. And this is something I've experienced first hand!</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">The Bible tells us we can do the things Jesus did. It tells us to pray for sick people that they might recover. It also talks about words of knowledge. I've prayed for many people who are sick - I don't know the stats, but I know not all have got better straight away (far from it!). But, I've also prayed for people following a word of knowledge, and in these cases, things work a whole lot differently. People get healed. Why this happens I do not really know. Faith is certainly raised (though really, I guess, it shouldn't be - the Bible tells us sick people got better when Jesus laid hands on them, so really that should be enough). Often, it isn't.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">But, if I'm in a gathering of people, and God has highlighted something very specific to me (for example, arthritis in the left hip and moving down the left leg), and then someone happens to be there with that exact condition, why wouldn't God heal that person? Does God need to brag that He can revel someones need and leave it at that? Is the faith raised in the sick person because they'd heard their condition mentioned? Does the one praying, who has seen someone respond, feel more confident in their praying? Well to answer these - God <b>doesn't need to brag</b> and <b>yes, faith is raised for sure!</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">The above example actually happened when I visited a church in the Peak District many years ago.....even as I was sharing what God said to me, a lady behind me (she was singing in the worship band) shouted 'yes' with real joy - three people in fact responded to the call for healing from arthritis, though I prayed with just the one person - the 'yes' lady who had been standing behind me. She told me she'd been waiting 17 years for God to give someone a word for healing about this condition - that's a long time of suffering, and why she needed a specific word, I'm not sure. I'm sure she got prayed for regularly, but today, of all days, God had picked her out. And God healed her. The report back that week (I was passed on the news) was that she was totally healed. Praise God!</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Words aren't always about healing - there are words of prophecy too. These are speaking words over people that release destiny, bring encouragement, emotional healing, love etc. In other words, they build someone up. If you are left discouraged, downtrodden, or beaten up after being told a 'prophetic' word, reject it. Walk away. True, not all words we want to hear, but even challenging words can be brought in the right way - too often, it's just someones own opinion (or frustration!) packaged in 'thus saith the Lord" - <b>oh, and while we are at this, it's YOU that speaks - use normal language, and your normal voice. </b>God, believe it or not, doesn't speak with King James English in the 21st century.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Be careful about bringing words regarding the following area, unless you are 'seasoned' in the gift </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">(even then, I'd still say be cautious)</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> and with someone else too: </span><b style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Who someone will, or won't marry. </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">I guess you could add to that </span><b style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">births and deaths.</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> There are some who I'm sure can, it's just a difficult thing to bring. God can show the person who they'll marry just as easily as tell a stranger - if we think it relies on our words only, we have a too small of an understanding of our great big God!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">I've been on the receiving end as well, many times. A key phase for me was between the ages of 17-19. As a 17 year old, I was picked out of a crowd of 2000 people by a gifted and recognised prophet in the UK - Gerald Coutes. He pin pointed some stuff in the present (stuff he couldn't have know but God) and then was very specific about stuff in the future - 17 years from then, in fact. That was for when I was aged 34...(17 plus 17....but you can do the math...) I turned 35 last Monday, so this is all very timely!</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><b>It was a lot for a 17 year old to take in</b> whilst being very exciting - it was the first time such a direct and specific word had been spoken over me. It opened me to the understanding that God actually speaks to individuals - it got me moving into this gifting too, but only after a second encounter. You see, I walked away thinking "Wow, in 17 years time, things are really going to be happening for me....I can't wait to see what that will look like". So I waited......</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Flash forward nearly two years - I was now 19 and at my first Stoneleigh Bible Week, in the summer of 1999 (there were to be two further years before the two week event, which drew 25,000 each week, was finished in 2001). I was in a 'seminar' with the theme being the supernatural. A man named Andrew Davies (he would have been much younger than I am now, thinking about it!) was leading the meeting - and in a time of praying for people to step out in the gifting, shortly before I brought my first ever word over someone else, he came over to me. He referred to the word from two years before (again, only God could have told him this - he'd never met me before, knew nothing of my history) and whilst affirming it, said God wanted me released in the here and now. Wow.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">I guess the last 13 years have been one adventure after another!</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><b>God speaks. He wants to speak to you, to speak destiny, to show you his love and compassion. He's desperate to speak to you, and for you to know him more.</b> Yes, people can misuse this gift, or make things up completely. Let's not make the mistake of neglecting it altogether because of the potential danger, when the potential blessing goes way beyond anything this world has to offer.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Why not ask God to speak to you for someone else today - listen to what he would have you encourage them with and then go tell them!</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Next up - The Small Still Voice</span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06605204341808935762noreply@blogger.com0Tallinn, Estonia59.436960799999987 24.75357459999997959.178853299999986 24.108127599999978 59.695068299999988 25.39902159999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1128413133068142254.post-39545019098190116642014-07-28T23:36:00.001+04:002014-07-28T23:36:32.039+04:00Tallinn Mid Summer Update - A Church Plant on the Move!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2GNFQhFkOxdoPPkZklfCv_l0B5qxlU4QRoA1eIbPvgI6JqmXclMAMdTG1GKxCK9l8lQhtdo2ly1hR4Hyc-j5HHhI7vN0ibkrvE5kZ1_Gtux2GEpNJsoYNQ59_bStitFQhnXiWSks2t6Y/s1600/photo+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2GNFQhFkOxdoPPkZklfCv_l0B5qxlU4QRoA1eIbPvgI6JqmXclMAMdTG1GKxCK9l8lQhtdo2ly1hR4Hyc-j5HHhI7vN0ibkrvE5kZ1_Gtux2GEpNJsoYNQ59_bStitFQhnXiWSks2t6Y/s1600/photo+(2).JPG" height="478" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So much has happened since we <a href="http://hearingmyheart.blogspot.com/2014/05/late-spring-update-healing-progress-and.html" target="_blank">last updated</a> you here back in May. That does seem a long time ago now.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here are the headlines for this update:</span><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Estonian Song Festival</b></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>July Outreach Week</b></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Long School Holidays Start</b></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Kids Club</b></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Red Arrows Come to Tallinn</b></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>The 'Street Cafe'</b></span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thanks for all those who have been praying for us - a lot of effort has gone into events that have happened here in the last month or so, and its great to have been covered in prayer as we've done what has been needed to be done.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>Schools Out</u></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxYAY5b8rFQWO3vk7bcshyphenhyphenUWe37mVgzPbd7ZLs90CpikVcG2FNAQP4sGqhtMwMAzx5ZtgEJwtT_SbkB_dS9ts_KDaYJ3ZkHA0nftt-p31kEgzpnuSkppdBoyWTo9R0z611rzn8WkfAgjQ/s1600/photo+%25285%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxYAY5b8rFQWO3vk7bcshyphenhyphenUWe37mVgzPbd7ZLs90CpikVcG2FNAQP4sGqhtMwMAzx5ZtgEJwtT_SbkB_dS9ts_KDaYJ3ZkHA0nftt-p31kEgzpnuSkppdBoyWTo9R0z611rzn8WkfAgjQ/s1600/photo+%25285%2529.JPG" height="320" width="269" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As was the case in Russia, schools in Estonia break up very early compared to schools in the UK. Mia's school actually was a little later than most, finishing for the summer in the second week of June. The highlight of this period for Mia was her school ball.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For two years now, one on Mia's regularly weekly lessons has been ballroom dancing. She put her skills to good use, as did all her classmates, in the May Ball, which happens every year for the first 4 grades. Having missed it last year, due to us being in the UK for a church weekend away, she was glad to be a part of it this year. For those that are on Facebook, you might have seen a few of the videos posted from the dance.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Long school holidays do pose a bit of a challenge for working families. Most locally based people send their children off to the grandparents.....sometimes going a month or two with only the occasional visit. For foreigners, like us, this isn't an option. Summer camps are also common, and Mia went to one last year, though not this year. We did however put on a summer camp ourselves, albeit for just three days, as part of the July outreach week, which we'll get to later.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV4OuqUX0OFME5fXF1otsZ3XlwjbzPx1niU2T-6cOeohFAKVs-N8jV3oZraohyphenhyphenbclEpDi-WO9ZMuF0l63ZaWBJPnO06ZycUXFsuwgFtQIrj2FhXiimWngaZYVbyaJjn7onlxyGYDlNWWc/s1600/photo+%25284%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV4OuqUX0OFME5fXF1otsZ3XlwjbzPx1niU2T-6cOeohFAKVs-N8jV3oZraohyphenhyphenbclEpDi-WO9ZMuF0l63ZaWBJPnO06ZycUXFsuwgFtQIrj2FhXiimWngaZYVbyaJjn7onlxyGYDlNWWc/s1600/photo+%25284%2529.JPG" height="205" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>Red Arrows In Tallinn</u></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">June also saw the famous British aerial display team flying the skies of Tallinn! Arranged by the British Embassy here, the Red Arrows were here as part of the connection between the Estonian and British forces.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It was a great show, and thousands of people packed along the roads next to the bay to watch. For a few more pictures, and some video, check out my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/tim.heath" target="_blank">Facebook profile </a>on the 23rd June.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>St Petersburg and Helsinki Trip</u></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The end of June/beginning of July also saw our family return to St Petersburg for the first time since we moved away on 1st March 2012. I've been back several times myself since, but just on my own, or with others from Tallinn. We had heard that if you take the Peter Line Ferry from Tallinn, you can be in the city for one day and do not need a visa (a three day option is also possible from Helsinki). So we'd planned the dates a while ago, picking the one where it landed in St Petersburg on a Sunday, so as to be able to see our friends at Hope Church. And so it was, on the evening of Saturday 28th June, we were on board the ship, which left Tallinn at 7pm, ready for the overnight to St Petes. It docked at 9:30am on Sunday morning, and we were at the place where Hope Church meets by 11am - in good time for the 11:30 start. We shared a bit from the front about Tallinn, before catching lunch with folks after church in a nearby shopping centre. We were driven back to the harbour by about 4:30pm (so had just five and a half hours with the church!) ready for our departure. The ship left at 7pm, and then docked in Helsinki again at 8am Monday morning. We had the same cabin for the overnight crossing, having been able to leave our belongings safely there whilst in Russia for the day. It was more comfortable than we thought, which was a bonus. We left the ship once in Finland (this one does a round trip- SPB-Helsinki-Stockholm-Tallinn-SPB) and was met by Kevin Jones, who's family moved to Finland last year in order to church plant in the Helsinki area. It was the first time our two families had spent time together. Again, I'd met them all before but not the girls. We stayed with them for a night, our children getting on well, and because they were all sharing a room together, not getting to sleep before midnight!</span></div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQnpbQvJIcCvIlOWVeQUHaYROeuVcskG5CEbgi99QdH37ZqRjqXh_rogW-lzmstaaGiVTkQgRja4tYtzi6X1ef-ahrny7UGVmrI8CRv8aNV5xrRv9A1zaNKVDGXb37AgPC-xTEVRkseg0/s1600/photo+2+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQnpbQvJIcCvIlOWVeQUHaYROeuVcskG5CEbgi99QdH37ZqRjqXh_rogW-lzmstaaGiVTkQgRja4tYtzi6X1ef-ahrny7UGVmrI8CRv8aNV5xrRv9A1zaNKVDGXb37AgPC-xTEVRkseg0/s1600/photo+2+%25282%2529.JPG" height="251" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We were then on the Tuesday morning ferry back across to Tallinn. We even met someone we knew well on this ferry - it seems even a sea crossing is a small enough world to meet someone we know!</span></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5V_vpUslYobMTpEqZvV1nq9k0xmx-vjLftg0HwZtFNZPBLSWUPxaBBeo5JfrZ9KZIsM0QFYKbFeIoQvChkagKkTMYFeChrNgZkwFrs1Np4pIueX-LpX7dy-fWVrwWTtlpSTWKHNyr6sU/s1600/photo+1+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5V_vpUslYobMTpEqZvV1nq9k0xmx-vjLftg0HwZtFNZPBLSWUPxaBBeo5JfrZ9KZIsM0QFYKbFeIoQvChkagKkTMYFeChrNgZkwFrs1Np4pIueX-LpX7dy-fWVrwWTtlpSTWKHNyr6sU/s1600/photo+1+%25282%2529.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Newfrontiers church plant in Finland, as well as being at a similar stage to us in Tallinn, is the closest relational link and for this reason especially, it was great to spend time together with them. We should see them again next week - more on that later.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>The Crowds in Tallinn - on the Worlds Biggest Stage</u></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The 5th and 6th July saw Estonians (and just a few internationals!) gathering for the 26th Estonian Song Festival, which now only takes place every five years. Literally hundreds of thousands of people converge in Tallinn, bringing costumes and traditional dress from all over Estonia. There were over 100,000 people at the song festival grounds - we have never been anywhere so crowded before!<br />
Every choir in Estonia took part, including Mia's school. The festival opened with a parade. This started in Freedom Square and went for about 6km all the way to the song ground - and took hours! They marched in order of cities, starting with Tallinn of course and worked out. The Tallinn choirs must have numbered hundreds - it took over an hour just to get through our city!<br />
Here are a few video's that were taken from that day:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Tallinn Starts the Procession</b><br />
<br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/DdvvaC0onyQ" width="853"></iframe></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Four Hours Later - Showing the Starting Point of the Parade</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/25gaMnRNlrw" width="853"></iframe></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>From the Song Ground Festival Itself</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/WtiGvJDoxCE" width="853"></iframe></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It was a very hot day - the start of a very hot month in fact! A great memory indeed! It's funny to think that in five years, when Anya will be 9 and Mia 13, they both might be singing in the next one!</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>July Outreach Week</u></b></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUV35YPOxN2HXtWa5DMlp06cdoVCq8kOMqIR20jpzOl78tMSw95hif3FuN5R_Jx2E8WGmNSLL7lxXYdyqgODfhBT66-RxEG8KYSB_4qdCfa2SCNyPoqRO2Jx_U07izEc9zTkp40QRBvKU/s1600/photo+%252831%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUV35YPOxN2HXtWa5DMlp06cdoVCq8kOMqIR20jpzOl78tMSw95hif3FuN5R_Jx2E8WGmNSLL7lxXYdyqgODfhBT66-RxEG8KYSB_4qdCfa2SCNyPoqRO2Jx_U07izEc9zTkp40QRBvKU/s1600/photo+%252831%2529.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A huge focus of church activities this summer was the arrival of a team, from various churches, coming to Tallinn on 18th July. Actually, that was when the first group arrived. Between Friday 18th and up to yesterday, Sunday 27th, we had people with us. The main group, and reason for the week taking place in the first place, came with Colin Baron from CCM (Manchester, UK)</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIrKUwafJNcQGbzX7TzPznheBQ1fG5QYLfa-IplUxFWX-PIeoEG9aDGvT7ip9W5SmnS_0sVoTy5gqoorWJAAiIXCfVtA1C4iLEStFmgKUap-BOUK-12h-nI3piaxL0cV3XwirDPb3BKm4/s1600/photo+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIrKUwafJNcQGbzX7TzPznheBQ1fG5QYLfa-IplUxFWX-PIeoEG9aDGvT7ip9W5SmnS_0sVoTy5gqoorWJAAiIXCfVtA1C4iLEStFmgKUap-BOUK-12h-nI3piaxL0cV3XwirDPb3BKm4/s1600/photo+%25283%2529.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Two people also joined us from Hope Church St Petersburg</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, there were three from Open Door Church, Kettering, UK, and two others as well from different Newfrontiers churches in England</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEDJHwaHBU5fsYIdP9Y5cSJlDwxLeJgD4tXVufMToRjyoLw83_huEX8OqwiHTeAvhNtMk3vYDDZtUIWPKEy_ZhxiRBaOgjyl6GNXthgPxxwqjcnQMoWIpl7XVAU7v6iddhftdLyDRgEEk/s1600/photo+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEDJHwaHBU5fsYIdP9Y5cSJlDwxLeJgD4tXVufMToRjyoLw83_huEX8OqwiHTeAvhNtMk3vYDDZtUIWPKEy_ZhxiRBaOgjyl6GNXthgPxxwqjcnQMoWIpl7XVAU7v6iddhftdLyDRgEEk/s1600/photo+4.JPG" height="230" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The week had been planned some months ago but there was still a lot to do in the final week - in fact, just days before coming, we were only just picking up t-shirts from the printers, as well as church contact cards and Kids club fliers. The website was also just getting finished (check out </span><a href="http://www.hopetallinn.e/" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">www.hopetallinn.e</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">e and let us know what you think!)</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbwCcNLhh73pd2mBBtorM5WG6v9hkfBURbcYmT-CBwQ_tBHBxwh9gfNgNSzcP7_GSF0ePW6hB_fd8beuFIRpUpV1JCBE42TEmxM7Wb7Eu0N_53Fe9haerBSW_GNF7hbv-A0rR-vk9Du-Q/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbwCcNLhh73pd2mBBtorM5WG6v9hkfBURbcYmT-CBwQ_tBHBxwh9gfNgNSzcP7_GSF0ePW6hB_fd8beuFIRpUpV1JCBE42TEmxM7Wb7Eu0N_53Fe9haerBSW_GNF7hbv-A0rR-vk9Du-Q/s1600/photo+3.JPG" height="248" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">With the core down to just six for the summer, there was a lot resting on the small team in Tallinn. The main events in the week were as follows - church (both Sunday's), two </span>BBQs<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, a 3 day kids club, some teaching sessions, and a joint meeting with another church. We also fed everyone pizza on their first night in Tallinn. On both Sundays, we looked to invite others to the church meeting happening in our home. The first Sunday, 20th July, was hot - the temperatures rising higher as the week progressed. We had 25 adults and 5 kids in our home, to worship together and then hear Dave Wade (Blackburn, UK) bring an encouragement. Yesterday, with the team mainly gone already, we still had 11 adults and 10 kids, including a first time visitor from Tallinn, and a Dutch family of six on holiday from </span>Maastricht<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> (southern Netherlands) where they are part of a church. Adrian </span>Horner<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> (Kettering, UK) was our guest speaker this time.</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ibPkYrMW-j3MAYAxlAcuLNN6ObYlC8H7xYTPUai7lCOpQN91Mq0rXp4ns6FLBC6RYUB0esrt3LC_ObPgbhCiEjJunuf77tRv80NZEk3IVHptMjTpER75fmiorzoyQxpriDgZuhSgI30/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ibPkYrMW-j3MAYAxlAcuLNN6ObYlC8H7xYTPUai7lCOpQN91Mq0rXp4ns6FLBC6RYUB0esrt3LC_ObPgbhCiEjJunuf77tRv80NZEk3IVHptMjTpER75fmiorzoyQxpriDgZuhSgI30/s1600/photo+2.JPG" height="333" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>What has been exciting, is that in two of the last three times we've met for church, there has been a locally based visitor coming for the first time. </b></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Rebekah headed up the Kids Club, which happened from 10-1 over three days. We rented a school hall, that she had found, nearby to where we all live. Its in a very needy area, and some children from a nearby social home were able to be a part of things too.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirFCnfoww6xQWoLxECEjzObqIPE1JnhuFDHS1AqsrppOMVJftItiwoCrZyVDU87d8jd_qIXA6efH5jJ99ysPoN5lUI_E7WkTGjVJtOvOxR5EZx2UPrkdlfyIdDLyhtHNmRlSK-_08HniY/s1600/photo+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirFCnfoww6xQWoLxECEjzObqIPE1JnhuFDHS1AqsrppOMVJftItiwoCrZyVDU87d8jd_qIXA6efH5jJ99ysPoN5lUI_E7WkTGjVJtOvOxR5EZx2UPrkdlfyIdDLyhtHNmRlSK-_08HniY/s1600/photo+5.JPG" height="260" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>The team were brilliant.</b><br />We had the issue of language - there were Estonian only, Russian only AND English only speaking people present - so it was trilingual! </span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhurgsPVT9o-BXP_hB3jqopo0uZo6UcWmy1cov0DWVFV75QzQREDlgHvNdpuRBTGE4b_9Mr2Nf20DMxjyo5JDoqijvL_uT4vyRY6oI0N3XSMgivqP0RZ3fdX5DJAI__-yKLqhyfE_zmWVo/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhurgsPVT9o-BXP_hB3jqopo0uZo6UcWmy1cov0DWVFV75QzQREDlgHvNdpuRBTGE4b_9Mr2Nf20DMxjyo5JDoqijvL_uT4vyRY6oI0N3XSMgivqP0RZ3fdX5DJAI__-yKLqhyfE_zmWVo/s1600/photo+1.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Our vision at Hope:Tallinn has always been to plant a church that reflects the local city we live in - so this was a good taster for things to come.</b> We believe in unity, not separation, so while the language issues make it harder to do things, we'll take the time needed in order to do them properly, and more truly reflect this great city we get to live in.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>We were praying that there would at least be some children!</b> We were so encouraged to see so many come - there were in fact between 26-28 each day, with quite a few only there for a day or two, so an amazing group of new families that we've now made connections with.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Something that happened that had been unplanned (at least from our end!) was what became the 'Street Cafe' that was happening outside the school gates during the time of the club. It was there to offer the parents a drink and a time to chat, but soon was catching the attention of anyone passing by!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Even passing vehicles were not left out - there is a great photo on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/hopetallinn/photos/a.458885324220983.1073741829.450388915070624/584109658365215/?type=1&notif_t=like" target="_blank">Hope:Tallinn</a> page of a passing lorry, the construction workers being passed a drink through the window! Language was sometimes an issue for the cafe team, but I was able to be there for some of it, as well as Enrico from the team here. We were able to pray with a few people, and invites were given out with our contact details on. We will see what comes from all that.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At the end of the club, every child was given a medal and certificate, and offered the chance to pray.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>Hope:Tallinn - What Next?</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We've been praying for team growth - going into a summer that saw the team reducing to six adults, whilst Stephen and Ketlin where back in the USA for a few months, you'd think things might have felt quieter. In fact, two people have already joined. There are others looking in too - some already moved to Tallinn, and looking for a church to call home. Two others are currently still in the UK, but exploring what it might look like to move and join us at Hope. One of these visited us last week - the other is coming over in September. It seems God doesn't go on holiday in the summer! This has built a sense of momentum. Some bigger things are around the corner - September is already looking like an exciting building time. More on this in due course - all in all, it does feel as if we are taking another step forward when we enter the Autumn.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>Finally - Latvia next week</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Starting next Tuesday (5th August), there is a conference - Presence of God - in Latvia, hosted by the Riga church plant, but its happening about an hour east of Riga, in the countryside. Mike Betts and a team from Relational Mission (Newfrontiers) are coming across for these 4 days. As well as our family, Arnoud and Elisabeth are also going with their children, as is Enrico from Tallinn. Rebekah is off to Russia that week with a Love Russia camp in the St Petersburg area. In Latvia, we'll also see the families from Helsinki, Stockholm and some other places. A truly Baltic gathering! As a family, we are taking two days to travel down (stopping off at two places on the way down, and back again) as well as camping for four nights at the venue. <b>Please pray that we'd get really refreshed and encouraged from this time away.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>Praise and Prayer Points:</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thank God for a great week last week - the team served us well, they seemed to love the city, and many new relationships were formed.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Praise God for visitors to our church events.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pray for continued growth within the team - God is passionate about bringing the right people to us at Hope:Tallinn. The team are not people I've recruited, but people God has called! That means so much to us!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pray for a great week next week in Latvia, especially with all the nearby church plants being represented too.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pray for the months ahead - for the seeds scattered this last week, and for much fruit to come</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thanks for bearing with me! There's been so much going on, I hope you feel encouraged reading this, as much as we are seeing it here. God bless!</span></div>
</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06605204341808935762noreply@blogger.com0Tallinn, Estonia59.436960799999987 24.75357459999997959.178853299999986 24.108127599999978 59.695068299999988 25.39902159999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1128413133068142254.post-79811304741419015172014-05-24T19:30:00.002+04:002014-05-24T19:30:37.306+04:00Late Spring Update: Healing, Progress and a Royal Encounter<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYSk28gMtDNVXHrm3M6L0dQYQaERFiWIswiyMIuJXdi4K1XoYUOIv5s5F4PR4EB93H6mTkxWpRUj347124h2PVbu2nA-SAsJoipad-AfCEhg_c2bGRzcXbEHfzye4En9Cacd21ScC9XE/s1600/photo+3+(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYSk28gMtDNVXHrm3M6L0dQYQaERFiWIswiyMIuJXdi4K1XoYUOIv5s5F4PR4EB93H6mTkxWpRUj347124h2PVbu2nA-SAsJoipad-AfCEhg_c2bGRzcXbEHfzye4En9Cacd21ScC9XE/s1600/photo+3+(1).JPG" height="478" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's been quite a few weeks since we last sent something out. A weekend in Stockholm, a visit from Prince Harry, a successful Easter event and a team weekend away are just some of the things that have taken place.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Summer arrived early too. Shade temperatures in the low 30's has Tallinn feeling rather warm and beautiful, if not a little close at times. Town Hall Square, in the picture here, has the outside seating areas packed out already. The first of the cruise ships have already docked - tourist season is also upon us!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Headlines for this update:</span><br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>News from the Easter Event</b></span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Getting more than we thought from Stockholm Weekend</b></span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>July 'Missions' Week Update</b></span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Prince Harry Visits Tallinn</b></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Team Weekend Away</b></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Visitors and Team Growth?</b></span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>Toddler Group Families Easter Event</u></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSszukbZUxkjKilGlmP3wkuUyDHLSb57D_rZdCvwL1IxwgFbVIcj4P73TMxZUx9NKOqb5YgqKpymxZ-OHkK-_8fOeJQPmijorm5WS2LCs9WvBZ2cwrSHVhqtrFZhLx92KuttDZxqTT4H8/s1600/TGEE3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSszukbZUxkjKilGlmP3wkuUyDHLSb57D_rZdCvwL1IxwgFbVIcj4P73TMxZUx9NKOqb5YgqKpymxZ-OHkK-_8fOeJQPmijorm5WS2LCs9WvBZ2cwrSHVhqtrFZhLx92KuttDZxqTT4H8/s1600/TGEE3.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv1-Imi2JOqiVI0vkQYZ4y9qxB3n7qox8glepNYhKPFG-HDQ_jzwCDUmx4FP1rIWF1PgxaOmIILSUWP-m5SUFzejpvNUYhRdhdOytQT1NEO5RQ2YjCerxIzqzcPVb83JLrBuPIC5zgBDM/s1600/TGEE1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv1-Imi2JOqiVI0vkQYZ4y9qxB3n7qox8glepNYhKPFG-HDQ_jzwCDUmx4FP1rIWF1PgxaOmIILSUWP-m5SUFzejpvNUYhRdhdOytQT1NEO5RQ2YjCerxIzqzcPVb83JLrBuPIC5zgBDM/s1600/TGEE1.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://hearingmyheart.blogspot.com/2014/04/easter-update-salvation-favour-and-team.html" target="_blank">Last time</a> we mentioned that as a church plant we were putting on an event for the families from the toddler group. It happened on the Easter Saturday and gave the team a chance to meet with more parents from the weekly group. In total there were 15 adult visitors and 16 children. The venue served us really well, all the children heard the Easter story as well as doing other traditional things.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidsN50IJekf_PaemSH-e1Oe83IUDNEk6oTWkBJYBspnD9z2e31zkHiucfot4nKwBfx_5tI2Ndd1lRFV7LO7AzmS0lyRBXMSFNIGBoiu0XAxPdF3RKIGNENMSQ9z8NWg2YlH9zkjCPJLiM/s1600/TGEE.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidsN50IJekf_PaemSH-e1Oe83IUDNEk6oTWkBJYBspnD9z2e31zkHiucfot4nKwBfx_5tI2Ndd1lRFV7LO7AzmS0lyRBXMSFNIGBoiu0XAxPdF3RKIGNENMSQ9z8NWg2YlH9zkjCPJLiM/s1600/TGEE.JPG" height="149" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZH2sQy3x4omZGE8Do52xpFP0ClFEhgs9-aRNMuIGADBk18tJGX9IVtUdhXoo9Mx1eQJYcskf8OFCf9jJj-wrhQqSpQSpcJUjreLbjoz4TmW4FRW_UQ1F6GUk4q3Kc55znDdOfbtARdMM/s1600/TGEE2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZH2sQy3x4omZGE8Do52xpFP0ClFEhgs9-aRNMuIGADBk18tJGX9IVtUdhXoo9Mx1eQJYcskf8OFCf9jJj-wrhQqSpQSpcJUjreLbjoz4TmW4FRW_UQ1F6GUk4q3Kc55znDdOfbtARdMM/s1600/TGEE2.JPG" height="200" width="163" /></a>For many of the dads that came along, it was the first time any of us had met them. Among them included a politician as well as a professional basketball player!<br />
<br />
The day before this, Good Friday, we'd driven 90 minutes south to the small town of Võhma, where we'd been invited to a BBQ. We'd done this last year - it's funny how traditions form so easily. We were blessed with the warmest day of the year (so far, at that point!) and it was wonderful to spend time with the family there (a British family who've lived in Estonia for about 11 years) as well as met friends coming up from Latvia to join us all.<br />
<br />
Last time we also mentioned how we are continuing with the Christianity Explored course on a personal basis each week. Elisabeth, part of the team here, is meeting with an Estonian lady once a week to go through the material. Please pray for her as she continues with this.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Reign in Life - Stockholm Weekend</u></b><br />
<br />
At the beginning of May, I got to go away with Rachel to a two night conference in Stockholm, hosted by Grace Church. Terry Virgo was coming across for it, and spent two evenings talking about a subject he knows so well - Grace. It was a brilliant time. We were able to connect with folks up from Riga, as well as across from Helsinki, the UK and of course our friends in Stockholm. Flic even came across from St Petersburg.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh22Blm8hAwsZdQ62ZeDlhVoceywKDusqa_dIbUgPJTci72W21F9ZhPFpWJwoyhjJ8rrN_pL3aUnmnFCzaiF478gDAMQGYbBB6IncKnfRBSRsRxiwDGw-mltq9MkreXu152UtrAzhqHfMM/s1600/photo+1+%25284%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh22Blm8hAwsZdQ62ZeDlhVoceywKDusqa_dIbUgPJTci72W21F9ZhPFpWJwoyhjJ8rrN_pL3aUnmnFCzaiF478gDAMQGYbBB6IncKnfRBSRsRxiwDGw-mltq9MkreXu152UtrAzhqHfMM/s1600/photo+1+%25284%2529.JPG" height="262" width="320" /></a>During the day on the Saturday, there was an additional time for leaders, and Terry spoke about the filling of the Holy Spirit. We'd got a chance to speak with him a little, which was lovely. He is such a humble man, with time for everyone - on the Saturday night, having spoken 5 times over the two days, he was praying for people for well over an hour. He's not a young man anymore, but his passion remains the same!<br />
And having gone forward, with about 11 others, for prayer for back issues, something quite extraordinary was about to happen. Sitting down at our feet, he gently lifted our legs. One leg was shorter than the other - a common reason for back pain, and 80% of the time the main reason. Mine too were different lengths. He prayed a simple prayer - and without feeling anything, without him pulling either leg, or me moving, the legs became equal. Just like that. And it was the same for all of us. This was no hype, no show. This was not for the cameras. It was simply Jesus healing people through the power of the Holy Spirit - just like the Bible tells us.<br />
I stood up, walking to one side as he continued to pray for others. I hadn't felt anything change, but was able to touch my toes without pain within minutes. I even did it in front of everybody.<br />
Since then, as my body has adjusted, there were some days when it felt bad. But I know I was healed. Yes, I continue to do my strengthening exercises - it's for my own good for the long term. But today, writing this, there is a huge difference. Massive. It's been 18 months of pain and difficulty. One prayer and the power was broken. Healing has come.<br />
So I'm going from strength to strength. I'll keep you all informed.<br />
<br />
Let me just say something at this point. Healing is central to who God is. Healing makes what is done in faith, ie belief in a living God, come into reality. After all, if God is real, wouldn't he still be able to do the things the Bible tells us he did all those years ago while on earth. And He did. I'm a man of faith, but my life has been scattered with times when these things happen. Praying for sick people and they recover. I've been on the receiving end enough times to know that God is alive. And here is something more - if you are sick, and want to come to Jesus for healing, He is more than able to make you well also. If you want to find out more, let me know.<br />
<br />
<b><u>A Week in Tallinn this July</u></b><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggRtJ92efmNiJFv-Oal4WeKpNWuoQPaCadzYbIOgtn-75vMQxw8xhAZx_WkRjoFTXBn9rW5MWFn_61p90siO0X15VxnVFIuh_iOFQ8OUDRTcX05datwNNv5b9tnGD7q-c4v-e87gqx7wU/s1600/photo+2+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggRtJ92efmNiJFv-Oal4WeKpNWuoQPaCadzYbIOgtn-75vMQxw8xhAZx_WkRjoFTXBn9rW5MWFn_61p90siO0X15VxnVFIuh_iOFQ8OUDRTcX05datwNNv5b9tnGD7q-c4v-e87gqx7wU/s1600/photo+2+%25283%2529.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a>Colin Baron was recently in Tallinn - he shared at our Vision Sunday and we had a day together before he flew back to Manchester. In July, he is bringing a group of students over from his home church, about 12 in total. There are a few others coming along too - Adrian Horner and two or more from Open Door Church in Kettering and one or two others as well. From Friday 18th July to Friday 25th, most of these will be in Tallinn. The plans are coming together. We are still praying for the right venue to use as a base for the team in the week, so please stand with us in that area.<br />
As part of the week, we'll be running a three day kids camp in a local school. We'll also be looking to do quite a bit outside - and have at least two BBQ's in the forest/beach near us!<br />
Please be praying for the team coming over. For most of them, this will be their first time in Estonia. Pray for our planning of this event as well, that we find what we need to find and have enough translators etc for the week. We'll be having two Vision Sunday's in a row - one with the team here, and one when Adrian Horner and his wife are still in town after the week.<br />
<br />
Last Sunday, as mentioned above, was a <b>Vision Sunday</b>. These are once a month (at the moment) meetings where we run more of a church meeting, talking vision out as we do things, we trust. And though not all came that we invited, for the first time to this event, we did have a visitor with us, who came with her two children. <b>So praise God for that!</b><br />
Please pray this meeting starts to grow over the next few months (well in Autumn really, besides the two in July).<br />
<br />
<b><u>Team Weekend Away</u></b><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7V7i09dDPoOy05Wr1GHhpsKl6HksMiPSBZULgTqNmWlVHowxRKG6knSbTc5RvfAdM8V2wzt6HfDziPB8ZSY7s7K8K4z4UqNUMWcqtssJ0n-Y0FTxARmoRfo_tGoxq4PUuwX2KyUF2_Yo/s1600/photo+5+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7V7i09dDPoOy05Wr1GHhpsKl6HksMiPSBZULgTqNmWlVHowxRKG6knSbTc5RvfAdM8V2wzt6HfDziPB8ZSY7s7K8K4z4UqNUMWcqtssJ0n-Y0FTxARmoRfo_tGoxq4PUuwX2KyUF2_Yo/s1600/photo+5+%25281%2529.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a>The two nights before Colin arrived, we managed to get away as a team to a lovely venue around 90 minutes east of Tallinn. The aim was to build relationships by spending more time together, as well as worship God, soaking in his presence without the time restraints we normally face. I also talked for one session on Vision & Values, which went down really well.<br />
Each of the 8 adults and 5 children that now make up the growing core team are an answer to prayer. It's great to see the outworking of God's plan for us all in Tallinn. Because of the stunning weather, which started just before that weekend and has continued since, we were able to do worship outside in the covered BBQ area. I even did my talk on a hillside, looking up to the rest of the team. Can't say I've ever done that before!<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr54UbNGbV-G1h4jZtG-tLfB_hfiaB1frArdjYIklhHjWHo1TCSoKOVj8aV2XybqOPXvYLKVDQvCWc7II7JBjQjlzXerPmWqMvELy2FBvsJ2drRzQfE2pt4qb1UEYwl-KRWXeodJg7v7w/s1600/photo+1+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr54UbNGbV-G1h4jZtG-tLfB_hfiaB1frArdjYIklhHjWHo1TCSoKOVj8aV2XybqOPXvYLKVDQvCWc7II7JBjQjlzXerPmWqMvELy2FBvsJ2drRzQfE2pt4qb1UEYwl-KRWXeodJg7v7w/s1600/photo+1+%25283%2529.JPG" height="296" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From Right to Left - Arnoud & Elisabeth with Anna-Ruth, Ketlin<br />& Stephen, Enrico, Rachel with Mia & Anya, Rebekah, me,<br />Mattias & Vera</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCS2KNrCAqAbhdh5qa1C7DBl8qQgq9rONlVyTXaPabDfTLUsjMzMIp1s8Zwn3-0NZlNdx3dOPHpF57ngFFlqIfoZqdBbERi_mTWx7_kpVFi8cJiM4qZABZAONWUYWnju22D6w5bRwozmE/s1600/photo+4+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCS2KNrCAqAbhdh5qa1C7DBl8qQgq9rONlVyTXaPabDfTLUsjMzMIp1s8Zwn3-0NZlNdx3dOPHpF57ngFFlqIfoZqdBbERi_mTWx7_kpVFi8cJiM4qZABZAONWUYWnju22D6w5bRwozmE/s1600/photo+4+%25281%2529.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<b><u>But Before The Weekend....</u></b><br />
<br />
I left Tallinn on the Friday at about 5, with Enrico, Stephen & Ketlin in the car with me, heading east. It was to be a 90 minute drive through stunning Estonian countryside. Rachel, Rebekah and Mia & Anya were coming on by train - actually a quicker journey at just 60 minutes, but they were leaving later. Before that, they had a small matter of visiting Freedom Square (with hundreds of others) trying to get a glimpse of Prince Harry, who was due there at about 17:15. Their train was due at 17:45 I think, so it was cutting it fine to say the least!<br />
Many of you will know already what happened next, but for those that haven't seen, or who just want to relive it, here is the video Rachel was recording when Harry turned around....<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/kniaaNMvzfA" width="853"></iframe><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEuw2NgvAZazCc0ruySuwuyWnavsKOK1KmuEwXeHWIYJ6vo3YbDZxLEvaPFQVo7x8MCm22gvcKNJAK5uvxRqjHJ1Da7dkMNeBx92H8xi89Gb8SrPB2Z-Fus-x9LV2FoiJ6Pdw5yt1Gn9o/s1600/photo+2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEuw2NgvAZazCc0ruySuwuyWnavsKOK1KmuEwXeHWIYJ6vo3YbDZxLEvaPFQVo7x8MCm22gvcKNJAK5uvxRqjHJ1Da7dkMNeBx92H8xi89Gb8SrPB2Z-Fus-x9LV2FoiJ6Pdw5yt1Gn9o/s1600/photo+2.PNG" height="367" width="400" /></a>Needless to say, when I picked them up from the station at the other end, flags still waving, they were all rather excited. I'd not had any contact, so had no idea exactly what had happened.<br />
With limited internet option at this retreat centre (at least for me), we were not really able to process all that took place until after we got home. <br />
A reporter from The Sun newspaper in the UK had interviewed Rachel and Mia straight after Harry spoke with them, though it failed to make it into the Saturday edition. There were many videos on YouTube from the day, Rachel and the girls appearing in some. Maybe the best picture that got shared was the one on the right - we only saw it because friends shared it with us stating they knew the little girl in the photo!<br />
It's a photo shared on Facebook that shows the moment Prince Harry took Mia's hand. And the guy who shared it - Toomas Hendrik Ilves - who is only the President of Estonia!<br />
<br />
<b><u>Visitors & Praying for Team Growth</u></b><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOHBTE7W9vXD5Fz8RrBLizxoxMpyqFQqNhgxBCcvx7RQowVCnreyoHFREE_ER1rYmzd4XtXRFEv7aFOvYb0OM_mb4nRXwemLFkmoZM9FQRWMTHVMRK0wfGx9cbbX0t_quI7VgicTJdK5g/s1600/photo+3+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOHBTE7W9vXD5Fz8RrBLizxoxMpyqFQqNhgxBCcvx7RQowVCnreyoHFREE_ER1rYmzd4XtXRFEv7aFOvYb0OM_mb4nRXwemLFkmoZM9FQRWMTHVMRK0wfGx9cbbX0t_quI7VgicTJdK5g/s1600/photo+3+%25283%2529.JPG" height="320" width="264" /></a>Rachel's mum and dad were with us at the end of April for a week. My mum comes over in about two weeks as well for a week. We had Colin with us for a night, and Sveta, from St Petersburg, has been in town for about a week. She is praying about Tallinn and what that might mean for her, so please pray that she knows the way forward.<br />
As a family we've been very close to Sveta during our time in Russia, and since. Our girls are both very fond of her. If God was to make it clear to her to join us, she'd be a great blessing to us all.<br />
<br />
And since writing this, another friend has confirmed they will be joining us in July for the mission week.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Prayer Points</u></b><br />
<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Thank God for an amazing team, for time away, and what that means for our future together in Tallinn</li>
<li>Pray for more growth - we are asking God for a core team of twelve, to give us the strength to launch well.</li>
<li>Pray for July - for all those coming across, and for the planning on our side, as well as finding a venue to use for the base.</li>
<li>Pray for our summer events. The changing season means doing things a little different. We have a Summer BBQ at the Beach on 1st June. Pray for a huge crowd (and the BBQ's to feed them all!)</li>
</ul>
<div>
Thanks everyone! It's been quite a few weeks. Princes, Presidents, Healing... The next weeks couldn't possibly top that, could they..?!</div>
</span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06605204341808935762noreply@blogger.com0Tallinn, Estonia59.436960799999987 24.75357459999997959.178853299999986 24.108127599999978 59.695068299999988 25.39902159999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1128413133068142254.post-69550763844626076452014-04-07T22:35:00.000+04:002014-04-07T22:35:12.377+04:00Easter Update: Salvation, Favour and Team GB<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLC0HLfbqx6pJP4WNid8GVjL7jvRTpYDAuJdGUCnWogp08aZpqDrrEX6mS6OWLMLfOq9Tc-8aUyIwordVwuuqW_JYq0Nq6pRK7wc-mgt3dJ1BhCV10sWP3DrkWCRQqe-wT43r0-ybjKvc/s1600/photo+(30).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLC0HLfbqx6pJP4WNid8GVjL7jvRTpYDAuJdGUCnWogp08aZpqDrrEX6mS6OWLMLfOq9Tc-8aUyIwordVwuuqW_JYq0Nq6pRK7wc-mgt3dJ1BhCV10sWP3DrkWCRQqe-wT43r0-ybjKvc/s1600/photo+(30).JPG" height="476" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's not been all that long since the last update, but quite a bit of fun stuff has been happening, so I wanted to update you all on this.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We shared news <a href="http://hearingmyheart.blogspot.com/2014/03/spring-update-from-tallinn-one-giant.html" target="_blank">last time</a> about the start of Christianity Explored. I also talked about <b>favour</b> and in the past we've asked for prayers for the first person saved.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well, in different ways, we've seen these happen this last month, and I'll share today what that means.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here are the headlines of today's update:</span><br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>A Young Girl makes a Big Decision</b></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Christianity Explored Update - What We've Learnt and Where We Go From Here</b></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Helsinki/Espoo Visit</b></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Writing Favour with Amazon</b></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>My Team GB Footballing Debut!</b></span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>Changeable Seasons</u></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The photo above is from nearby Tabasalu, and is part of my growing collection of beautiful nature photos that have been taken around Estonia. Here is a link to the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152346860773478.1073741838.562258477&type=1&l=32c9f2b7c4" target="_blank">album</a>. </span></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlxSNyqZhBWNe8GEOh1d6cRIveCN90dOoA8sCt3GwiDQQC7Jeveg2aqxw768T-W_eUboABr3_81N-TT36dPrFH4TIzHwpDQFu1uoMSnLmIVgxOzWgmOVQyqCOBAVdiHRYikNZ6m7BrjdE/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlxSNyqZhBWNe8GEOh1d6cRIveCN90dOoA8sCt3GwiDQQC7Jeveg2aqxw768T-W_eUboABr3_81N-TT36dPrFH4TIzHwpDQFu1uoMSnLmIVgxOzWgmOVQyqCOBAVdiHRYikNZ6m7BrjdE/s1600/photo+1.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Last time, I mentioned that Spring had come early (for Estonia, anyway!) and it has really stayed - we did have some funny weather, as this next photo shows. Knowing snow was forecast, I managed to take the same photo, at the same time, exactly a day apart, to show you the contrast we sometimes have to.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It shows (in the sunshine!) an outdoor temperature of 25.1c on the first day and then it dropped to just 1.9c on the following, slightly snowy day.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And in many ways, the changing seasons of weather are models of the changing seasons in a church plant. One day its like one thing, the next it's something totally different. We've certainly seen that with the CE course, and we've learnt a bit from it too.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>Christianity Explored</u></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Zi4CMUymmEOl42ELMhjLB5BzPDMoDko6CoUXw3mNu3dqqdhY7i-i7VdtiiMCJmvPEsLHAzc2uHzXkrCguVHhurGYXUzDpge8xCROEyy3lvAf1_mImLpQUe-nN0zlT1Tl9qB0942SZ-k/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Zi4CMUymmEOl42ELMhjLB5BzPDMoDko6CoUXw3mNu3dqqdhY7i-i7VdtiiMCJmvPEsLHAzc2uHzXkrCguVHhurGYXUzDpge8xCROEyy3lvAf1_mImLpQUe-nN0zlT1Tl9qB0942SZ-k/s1600/photo+3.JPG" height="298" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The great news for our launch was that people came!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwDYyrBYWu3TOF3gIzJFpYKOF1UnKRdenyXsJPKg8VmgYIkURiE7gjUhhppZNwpf27hv_-52GFhk8Tnsxe4QDGVkzfGD-IxdF5FwX3AAt41YHE0bMyoR30iAifCCCcZPJE5SCuwREvYzs/s1600/photo+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwDYyrBYWu3TOF3gIzJFpYKOF1UnKRdenyXsJPKg8VmgYIkURiE7gjUhhppZNwpf27hv_-52GFhk8Tnsxe4QDGVkzfGD-IxdF5FwX3AAt41YHE0bMyoR30iAifCCCcZPJE5SCuwREvYzs/s1600/photo+4.JPG" height="298" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We had the venue - a restaurant not far from home, that did great food, at a good price, and had space for us to run what we wanted. They'd even advertised the course for us on their Facebook page, as I'd mentioned last time. We'd printed off 500 leaflets, most of which got given out, and had some large posters put up, including at the University.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And then people who said they were coming, started pulling out.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Maybe no one would come?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thankfully, our first guest turned up - an Estonian mum, with her little boy, from the weekly toddler group.</span></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL-WCZ8h68XmUYCLNT3UyWN0ncL52bcz3rboamQBfTIA0t7Tskh8CYfPYPUBbmwV-OkOTUINJNxJPLtGvjDTIZqKT0KuMuKGjI6R0QBWcrm1NQrpGbt4HM2-7M1YDVJV1KsfYZFftg2WI/s1600/photo+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL-WCZ8h68XmUYCLNT3UyWN0ncL52bcz3rboamQBfTIA0t7Tskh8CYfPYPUBbmwV-OkOTUINJNxJPLtGvjDTIZqKT0KuMuKGjI6R0QBWcrm1NQrpGbt4HM2-7M1YDVJV1KsfYZFftg2WI/s1600/photo+5.JPG" height="298" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And then, once we'd started the food, a Russian dad also turned up, with his two children. The oldest daughter goes to school with Mia. The kids were brilliantly entertained in the Kids Club, and the adults got to eat, and discuss together.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Whether it was the content, or the perception that this was going to be too 'religious', we don't know, but for various reasons (some very genuine as well!) nobody came to week two. Though many had expressed interest, actually committing to coming turned out to be too much. One family even asked us to stop inviting them to these 'religious' events (though only these - they remain friends and want to come to other events still). So it's been a real eye opener as we've begun to scratch the surface and see what actually lies beneath this culture.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We will be taking the ones who are interested through the rest of the course - this will be starting in a home soon, a smaller setting. There seemed no reason for us to run the rest of the dates at the restaurant.</span></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We're at the planning phase of running an </span><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Easter event for our Toddler group families</b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, plus a few others. That will be in less than two weeks, so please pray for favour and attendance to this new event, whilst continuing to pray for the two or three that will continue, in time, with the CE course.</span></div>
<br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>Sow in One Place, Reap in Another</u></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's been a Biblical principle that's been around for a long time - and how true it proved with us recently in Tallinn. With all the efforts going into the promotion of the CE course, the leaflets and posters and Facebook events, something else was happening. Something unrelated to all this. An eight year old was sharing the gospel with her class mate.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To retell the story fully, we need to go back a few weeks. 'N', as we will call her, is a student that Rachel teaches English to. In a lesson maybe one month ago, a date (eg 50BC) came up, and there was a question about what BC meant (in Estonia, they have a different dating system for the years before Jesus, which does not include reference to him). When Rachel explained it related to Jesus, the girl had never heard of Jesus (not uncommon in Estonia!) So following that lesson, we were praying for N.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now, about a week later, Mia came home from school to say that there had been an interesting conversation among her friends. N had said something like "One day the world will end and everyone will die, including God" to which Mia replied "No, I don't believe that to be true - this is what I believe" and she went on to tell N all about heaven, Jesus and forgiveness of sins. A few days after this N came back to Mia and told her she'd prayed the prayer Mia mentioned, asking Jesus into her heart and saying sorry for all the wrong things she'd done. Mia then lent her a copy of a children's book she had which explains more of the story. A few days later, the book was returned - she didn't need to borrow Mia's copy any more, her mum had ordered her her own copy! N came to church yesterday to be part of the Kids club that Rebekah runs.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was younger than N when I first prayed the prayer - and it's all it took for me. So while she might not understand everything (what adult ever does anyway!), we are celebrating a young life saved, in a girl choosing from an early age to allow Jesus to shape her future. Yes she's got some way to go, but praise God for that first step!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And we are also so proud of Mia who feels able to stand up for what she believes, in a context of absolute unbelief, and communicate this in a clear, childlike way, to her peers.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>Finland Trip</u></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3AhT1zsWBevYd-eJ0uKgJlOSBO8rb4E7ccLfy0Hi_eC9AsqV2FUy0EKwRGFq1x3FQ5c0Y7e8B9dT84Khl8k4FTgaTUCSbzLAac_dSQ1a5RVvWdS-fpmNLnRWqQtPFgkmp8rMDaOsQVCg/s1600/photo+%252831%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3AhT1zsWBevYd-eJ0uKgJlOSBO8rb4E7ccLfy0Hi_eC9AsqV2FUy0EKwRGFq1x3FQ5c0Y7e8B9dT84Khl8k4FTgaTUCSbzLAac_dSQ1a5RVvWdS-fpmNLnRWqQtPFgkmp8rMDaOsQVCg/s1600/photo+%252831%2529.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In March, I also did an overnight trip to Finland (it's easily done in a day from Tallinn) where I got the ferry across to Helsinki, and made my way to Espoo, which sits to the West of Helsinki, about 15 minutes by train. Dave Henson met me there, with Kevin Jones, who moved with Lydia and their three children within the last year to start a church plant. Whether the church will be in Espoo or Helsinki, is yet to be clear. Espoo has a population of, roughly, 300,000 and needs churches too. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It was great to spend time with the family, and with Dave. On the following morning, we went to a nearby lake and chatted while the youngest son, who is not in kindergarten, played in the park. Finland has many lakes and forests. It's the trees I remember most, and why moving to Estonia so reminded us of everything we love about Finland.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I then traveled with Dave on the two hour crossing back home to Tallinn, where Dave spent a couple of nights in town, sharing brilliantly at the Wednesday home group, before flying out early on Thursday morning.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>Amazon Promotion</u></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ5WgYzVjg8EEU3JKEqZIRUIC-1FlzsKyjeTCPhkWOc9RoIwCZBeOwaQJVu7IzjcIE0dEgpAUmH4F3dYKxcCWFxWQnSHwMfhYWnS86aSNJWr0g58X6ZZ6Wl-z_jb1FzkoPU05DVyaCUl4/s1600/photo+%252832%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ5WgYzVjg8EEU3JKEqZIRUIC-1FlzsKyjeTCPhkWOc9RoIwCZBeOwaQJVu7IzjcIE0dEgpAUmH4F3dYKxcCWFxWQnSHwMfhYWnS86aSNJWr0g58X6ZZ6Wl-z_jb1FzkoPU05DVyaCUl4/s1600/photo+%252832%2529.JPG" height="168" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Last time up, I mentioned having been contacted by Amazon about possible inclusion in their Daily Deal. Well, the story develops. They wrote back last week, to not only say that I had been selected for inclusion (my novel Cherry Picking, to be more precise) but that it wasn't just for one day, but for <b>three weeks as part of their Spring Deal!</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So please, spread the word. Cherry Picking has been included with other great books, by Authors like John Grisham. I've included some Social Media links below to make it easy for you to share with others. Every sale does matter, and it also helps push me up the charts, which results in more awareness (especially if it can make the Top 100 again!)
</span>
<br />
<div>
<div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/timheathauthor/photos/a.261149954036398.1073741828.260777767406950/305687186249341/?type=1" data-width="466">
<div class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Facebook - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/timheathauthor/photos/a.261149954036398.1073741828.260777767406950/305687186249341/?type=1" target="_blank">Post</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Google+ - <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/102905339752779240522/albums/5998320752741784385/5998320750627097810?pid=5998320750627097810&oid=102905339752779240522" target="_blank">Post</a><!-- Place this tag in your head or just before your close body tag. --><!-- Place this tag in your head or just before your close body tag. --></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Twitter - <a href="https://twitter.com/TimHeathBooks/statuses/451968798615425024" target="_blank">Tweet</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>Tim Represents His Country - Finally!</u></b></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI1nrcUECT0lDMsNyjXvrmvx3oYlXLXi5jlrxSr80MagoLbI3xlK2ZfHbBwh8Y2ZvL9LWBY7QQSAut_DO-a5k_QhlcUnhy-SEUPyW5l4jkM0z7f2u6VnABVo5_U5lqFOGFPaylgl_LvFk/s1600/photo+3+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI1nrcUECT0lDMsNyjXvrmvx3oYlXLXi5jlrxSr80MagoLbI3xlK2ZfHbBwh8Y2ZvL9LWBY7QQSAut_DO-a5k_QhlcUnhy-SEUPyW5l4jkM0z7f2u6VnABVo5_U5lqFOGFPaylgl_LvFk/s1600/photo+3+%25282%2529.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitwrAX8hyphenhyphen1zi6u7Q1nWBOe9yQW0OCzyh0q5USwVaz3cYFVD8rggoUdgo6UDXa3ajk_uvfSAOFhLfEXJlrPuRp2Le1ypBloTn4i5mSFaWH8JJtizg6fqHJe6aLB_5pdOF8W-LefJHQZ1KM/s1600/photo+1+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitwrAX8hyphenhyphen1zi6u7Q1nWBOe9yQW0OCzyh0q5USwVaz3cYFVD8rggoUdgo6UDXa3ajk_uvfSAOFhLfEXJlrPuRp2Le1ypBloTn4i5mSFaWH8JJtizg6fqHJe6aLB_5pdOF8W-LefJHQZ1KM/s1600/photo+1+%25282%2529.JPG" height="272" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It was always a boyhood dream to play for England. I didn't really care in what sport, or field really. Aged maybe 15, I remember clearly feeling disappointed when my Head of Year suggested I change something in my Record of Achievement, which was being written at that moment. I'd put that I wanted to 'Represent my country' at some level and she'd changed it to "Play to my highest ability" so as to not 'disappoint' me in later life. I felt dejected. It's certainly one of those cutting to the heart moments I remember (for the wrong reasons!) from those, now less significant, school years. I was writing short stories at the time - who would have thought that this would form such a part of my future!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRsf3hpCHqTK1ZOhKS9YymCnK0BDlzQsPq48ApAWNhfrraXMhLXpCObAmb3l-I_8tywyvTDN92SijkN0K-u_7cIKmurVskHUYHouRpzDEn-05m75eOUm9lb9UWuRYgh0E9eW8KKZsPMsA/s1600/photo+2+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRsf3hpCHqTK1ZOhKS9YymCnK0BDlzQsPq48ApAWNhfrraXMhLXpCObAmb3l-I_8tywyvTDN92SijkN0K-u_7cIKmurVskHUYHouRpzDEn-05m75eOUm9lb9UWuRYgh0E9eW8KKZsPMsA/s1600/photo+2+%25282%2529.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Last week, I played for Great Britain (representing the British Embassy in Tallinn, anyway!) in the Diplomatic Cup that is held annually in Estonia (and probably many capital cities) among the various Embassies. The UK team were a little short of numbers, so I got involved.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We were never going to win the cup - most of us had never played together before, and the one lady on our team had played 'maybe once' when she was 15. But it was fun to wear the shirt, and play in the four group matches.</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhw-neYeYlSFryFyq7qEncAO6cdX-hSWoShORg3OgvUrr2-MqicvCmFoFXdF9TFRhowhWvdNuLSZRMiZG1nk1Im7V51DA7KcMPR8sFBurpM30yRV1dWdAEcLwafHjnDX6CC0HQBrH1JCw/s1600/photo+4+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhw-neYeYlSFryFyq7qEncAO6cdX-hSWoShORg3OgvUrr2-MqicvCmFoFXdF9TFRhowhWvdNuLSZRMiZG1nk1Im7V51DA7KcMPR8sFBurpM30yRV1dWdAEcLwafHjnDX6CC0HQBrH1JCw/s1600/photo+4+%25282%2529.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Rachel, Mia and Anya cheered us on well from the stands, watching the first two matches before leaving for a birthday party. We played France and Moldova (both narrow defeats, one literally with the last kick of the game) as well as Georgia and Armenia, who both won by bigger scores than just 1-0.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But it was the taking part that counts, and as the first sport in 15 months since I hurt my back, great that I made it through the day at all! I was rather sore on Sunday and unfortunately I'm having a few back issues with it going into spasm but maybe this isn't related. If I'll play again next year, we will have to wait and see. There was talk of the 'team' doing some actual practice together before hand, and if that happens, and my back improves, maybe I will play - next year, maybe we will have a little more chance.</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So it just goes to show - don't take the words that were spoken over you in your youth. It doesn't limit who you are, or what you can be. Only God gets to set your destiny. And maybe, one day, you will get to represent your country. Regardless what your Head of Year might have otherwise said.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>'Missions' Week</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For want of a better word (mission is a mindset remember, not a thing we turn on or off), we have the formation of a special week of mission happening in Tallinn from 18th July until 25th July 2014. There will be more on this in the future, but anyone who might be free and would like to get involved, at least you have the dates. So far, it seems we have a group of students coming over from Manchester, with Colin Baron and another one or two church leaders, and it's proving a bit of a focus to pull others to come and join us that week as well.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So if you are interested in joining us, in what will obviously be the highlight of your summer, please book those dates off and we can let you know details of what will happen in the future - most likely inclusion will be a three day Kids Camp (and probably time on a beautiful sandy beach too!)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>Family</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The gaps between school holidays (and the recovery time they allow) is starting to show a little as health has been a challenge, and not just for our family. The team seem to be showing some strain at the moment, with various illnesses going around. Please pray for healing for all.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Home life is very busy for another two weeks, before the weeks holidays that comes for Easter. Please pray for health and rest, especially for Rachel who has a lot of teaching on at the moment. She also might (or not?!) hear back from the European School this week about a possible job share option from September onwards. It has to be the right option if they do call, otherwise it's not worth pursuing. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>Prayer Points</u></b></span></div>
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Easter weekend event</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">July 'mission' week - that we plan it well!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For 'N' and those that will continue with the CE course</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For the nearby church plants we are connected with - Helsinki, Riga and Stockholm (incidently, me and Rachel are visiting Stockholm next month, as the church plant there have managed to get Terry Virgo over for the weekend. Rebekah will kindly look after our girls for the two days).</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For continued favour on my writing life</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thanks everyone!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Next time, it already sounds like we'll have a lot more to update you all on.</span></div>
<br />
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06605204341808935762noreply@blogger.com0Tallinn, Estonia59.436960799999987 24.75357459999997959.178853299999986 24.108127599999978 59.695068299999988 25.39902159999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1128413133068142254.post-75453465966362117782014-03-10T23:51:00.000+04:002014-03-10T23:51:47.843+04:00Spring Update From Tallinn: One Giant Leap for the Church Plant<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTh45RFXEBVdq_I70WFRRo-UZTV5NmDkwFNzYnqxUrLufO1QB6KFi1932ymzH1GvSxGSCg4gb9VaEI3G-UZ-9tuRo3ehNCS8xgV0U0tJJ7HVqPSXmCmVx4YfDmlVWhz2ZqssfDggZrqnw/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTh45RFXEBVdq_I70WFRRo-UZTV5NmDkwFNzYnqxUrLufO1QB6KFi1932ymzH1GvSxGSCg4gb9VaEI3G-UZ-9tuRo3ehNCS8xgV0U0tJJ7HVqPSXmCmVx4YfDmlVWhz2ZqssfDggZrqnw/s1600/photo+1.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1VfH4yP73nkeeRvBs4m26o0TFQ-tpNbstIfonC0UabvNcEwWIQOs8_wP_IWVrcI9bC2-g0h6HNSfY5soD7t9dKMw9YtbD8regUKeY3hyU-aWXZdMc51lpt6_J4KKGZcY5whV8zmXJllo/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1VfH4yP73nkeeRvBs4m26o0TFQ-tpNbstIfonC0UabvNcEwWIQOs8_wP_IWVrcI9bC2-g0h6HNSfY5soD7t9dKMw9YtbD8regUKeY3hyU-aWXZdMc51lpt6_J4KKGZcY5whV8zmXJllo/s1600/photo+2.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's March 10th. To be able to call it spring already means something has happened with winter!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the last update <a href="http://hearingmyheart.blogspot.com/2013/12/tallinn-update-winter-at-last.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">(you can recap here if you need as I'll be referring to it a little)</span></a> in early December, I talked about how winter had arrived at last. Well, it would appear it didn't fancy staying around for long!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Not only did we not actually have a white Christmas this year, but when the snow did properly come in January, and temperatures dropped to their normal -20c, by February we hit zero again, and now in March, all the snow has long gone, and temperatures are picking up. These two photos were taken over the weekend just gone.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's beautiful. Dare we believe spring really is upon us - maybe. It's two years since we arrived in Tallinn, which was on 1st March 2012. Then, in April, it snowed. But it was already snowy in the March. So we'll see soon enough.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What is funny, was that in the last update we talked about Rebekah who was joining us in February "the coldest month" and please pray for her to settle. As you'll find out in this update, both prayers were very much answered!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here are the headlines from this update:</span><br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Team Growth</b></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>'Christianity Explored' course starting this week!</b></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Packed Events</b></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Breakthrough?</b></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Chart Topping Author?</b></span></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWQ6DXm_E_ac34XJpW0OFR_tV4rTmc5dyePZvrG9Xoqqoe5LlC9_KJXoWAAUZ-KnUvcSWc7gXtABo7Ccrkl3oT7tZCElarWDGfajuWKuaDeX0hBtniKe8pUYLnuMcEPR1q9Isdlm9SBoA/s1600/photo+1+(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWQ6DXm_E_ac34XJpW0OFR_tV4rTmc5dyePZvrG9Xoqqoe5LlC9_KJXoWAAUZ-KnUvcSWc7gXtABo7Ccrkl3oT7tZCElarWDGfajuWKuaDeX0hBtniKe8pUYLnuMcEPR1q9Isdlm9SBoA/s1600/photo+1+(1).JPG" height="190" width="400" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>St Petersburg</u></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijOa1d7ebO9NmDN4sUgLVbr549Njy8M7BH01e20CBNtMuE26bgrC0K8zKQadrdbUV9MGJr57rgMRiyyqf2gPVX2XoBxmehOQflDJ_nstcmrgLKOJOSsKrSMS8g4jZDLI524wDkhYxhhi0/s1600/photo+2+(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijOa1d7ebO9NmDN4sUgLVbr549Njy8M7BH01e20CBNtMuE26bgrC0K8zKQadrdbUV9MGJr57rgMRiyyqf2gPVX2XoBxmehOQflDJ_nstcmrgLKOJOSsKrSMS8g4jZDLI524wDkhYxhhi0/s1600/photo+2+(1).JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In December I took the guys from our core team to Russia to serve two churches in St Petersburg. It was great for the team to spend time together, as well as to work together in the settings we found ourselves in. On the Friday night, we spent time with some friends at a coffee shop, one of the best in the city. I'd love them to think about opening a similar venue in Tallinn. We'll see!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On Saturday, we served at a Russian church called Open Heaven church. I spoke for about 25 minutes (plus translation) and then the team got to share words etc. Two hours later we were only just leaving, having prayed with lots of folks, which seemed to go well.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On the Sunday I took them to Hope Church, where I spoke again and the team shared words and we prayed for people after. We were the last to leave again, walking with a group of the leaders from the church to the offices, where we were going to eat together and pray for them. We did that over about two hours, hanging out there long after the crowd had left, as another friend dropped in and we spent time all talking together. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That left time to eat together as a four before all getting the lunchtime bus home on the Monday, back in Tallinn at around 7 that night. A busy but worthwhile trip. It was good for Hope church in St Petersburg to be able to make a wider connection (beyond me and Rachel) with the team in Tallinn, and also for the team here to see something of the history and connection with Hope Church.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>Team Growth</u></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMmOQnrJXJj738BFuF9cp_ozVxpogd6t-mcABR12fCs17__hepmgexUD1O7nAOn30brjfR6eTLGUpMmr9bTp3k1m7zftjUs8s6-fMl79IOnNUoz_g7ZQEJvI2OxtdKG894Rn3qbOVKb3Q/s1600/photo+(26).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMmOQnrJXJj738BFuF9cp_ozVxpogd6t-mcABR12fCs17__hepmgexUD1O7nAOn30brjfR6eTLGUpMmr9bTp3k1m7zftjUs8s6-fMl79IOnNUoz_g7ZQEJvI2OxtdKG894Rn3qbOVKb3Q/s1600/photo+(26).JPG" height="302" width="400" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On the 26th February, Rebekah Wisbey landed in Tallinn, the latest addition to team Tallinn. As well as the favourable weather she has found since arriving, another remarkable answer to prayer is how quickly she has settled in. She stayed with us for her first two nights, but did get her keys to her own flat on the second day, a place that up to that point, only Rachel had actually seen. She is now settled there, still not used to waking up and seeing the sea (which is right in front of her building!).</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Since the beginning of January, we've also had three YWAM workers, in Tallinn for 3 months, joining us. Milena (a German lady), Stephanie (an English lady) and Daniel (an English guy) who have all been a great help, the two girls also able to get involved with the Thursday morning toddler group, which we'll come to in a moment.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's had the effect to boost the numbers - a core currently at 11, if not all permanent people. It has made a big difference though. We're enjoying the extra bodies! If it's right that any of them stay on after (which is a possibility, but they'd need God to make it very clear!) we'd be delighted!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The connection with YWAM has been positive, and as well as these three, there have also been two teams through Tallinn in the last month or so, bringing more people to the different events. And sometimes crowds draw a crowd. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>The Big 'Next' Step</u></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizGJi5-9YhohvwXPM-y1CbO9sKOSEMoW5goMHny8JnXdo0vS5KkPgsude6fedA_pwJOfYWOmo8q8xpQca00wwSrmPydImOJAK8q0YgPurbFtn6JhZrU1gfetCq3jZutobZiwFb5dKC8NQ/s1600/Fullscreen+capture+05032014+144628.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizGJi5-9YhohvwXPM-y1CbO9sKOSEMoW5goMHny8JnXdo0vS5KkPgsude6fedA_pwJOfYWOmo8q8xpQca00wwSrmPydImOJAK8q0YgPurbFtn6JhZrU1gfetCq3jZutobZiwFb5dKC8NQ/s1600/Fullscreen+capture+05032014+144628.jpg" height="451" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For a long time, we've had the aim to run an Alpha style course as a stepping stone for many people in the crowd we've gathered to have a place to explore a little deeper together.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A full 12 week Alpha course was a little too much at the moment we felt - both for the small core team, as well as for our guests. Many are business people who would miss many weeks through travel. We'd been recommended the Christianity Explored course, which goes a little slower than all that Alpha covers, and in seven weeks, worked with our timing.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So we are launching this course this coming Sunday, 16th March, in Tallinn.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We wanted a venue to host this one - aiming to find somewhere catered, that allowed space for a separate area for children. With Rebekah arriving, we at least had the right person to head up the care for the children. But where to find the venue. Would we find <b>favour</b> working in our situation?</span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well, a church leader was passing through Tallinn, and I was meeting him one lunchtime with Arnoud. We were due to go to a restaurant on the other side of town near to where Arnoud works, so as to be able to maximise his lunch break. It so happened that the day before Arnoud had been a little unwell, so was instead working from home the day this meeting was to happen. We therefore had the option of going somewhere much more local, and Arnoud had been recommended a place near by, in the part of the city we both live in. It was whilst having lunch, that we spotted on the menu the facilities that were available to rent. Soon we were speaking to the owner, having a good look around, and feeling very excited. Just a couple of weeks later, all our seven dates are booked and we start this weekend! </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The venue offers excellent food, and space for adults to eat together, with another area where Rebekah and her team can run a kids club. It was a real breakthrough and real <b>favour. </b>You can even check out the restaurants <a href="https://www.facebook.com/kamahouse.kitchen?fref=ts" target="_blank">Facebook Page</a> as they too are advertising our event to their 3200+ followers!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Needless to say - please pray for us with this event. It represents a huge leap for us, but done in an appropriate way. The catering is taken care of, and the talks will be done from the DVD, so the teams focus can be on the discussion and relationships element.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So far we have about twenty signed up, which includes around eight guests.</span></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>The Favour Word</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've picked up on the word <b>favour </b>above because when I was in Holland in October, there was a prophecy over us in relation to breakthrough, and while it started with finances, the main emphasis was in relation to favour. Is this yet another example of the outworking to that word?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>Hope:Tallinn Events</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi73wIxVSxhC1wbMrizRS_9HUu91aRcv0fA7od-DBAUf-pqeEkiF8MKr5CTH1fuEliVPMuCF8eATgzXtj_MNIGC0U2zBi7ebEdgqSVNKZeviUr5Y9QcPx6Mx66m-fQiaSm8lz_N40zK4F4/s1600/photo+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi73wIxVSxhC1wbMrizRS_9HUu91aRcv0fA7od-DBAUf-pqeEkiF8MKr5CTH1fuEliVPMuCF8eATgzXtj_MNIGC0U2zBi7ebEdgqSVNKZeviUr5Y9QcPx6Mx66m-fQiaSm8lz_N40zK4F4/s1600/photo+4.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Last Thursday, at the regular weekly toddler group, there were 33 people in total! This is the most we've ever had! The breakdown was 16 adults and 17 children. It must have been approaching a dozen nationalities.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It was so busy, that Rachel had not realised I was not there at the end - having gone off midway through to meet someone in town. Running late for the bus, finding my coat proved a little hard, as it was TEN deep on the coat rack....I think I need to plan for this in the future, keeping my coat with me if I need to leave before anyone else!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Rachel took a photo of some of the coats, though this doesn't even tell the whole story.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And on Sunday, at the monthly meal, we had even more people - 34 this time! Only about 10 of these where children, and of the two events, only about ten people where at both. Needless to say, it was a little busy, and having arrived before 5, the last people were not leaving until 8:30, when the cleaning could begin!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We are so thankful that God has given us a flat with enough space (just about) to fit in all these people at the same time.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Invites for next Sunday were given to folks at both events, and I even made a public announcement at the meal yesterday, but it remains to be seen exactly how many people will come to the event next weekend.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>Family</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaS9dR1ZzKqcAi6SVPhJVLYN15nqhjkfF69-BsUIzQzEWy8toDL7YIrDnugFzw048uNDeqP4esTssJp1vrZ1ddnCPFrPTkAB4Um06ud2j5KxB9wxRtsfNykOb6h7xgUnDKZ0g9_uG3_rk/s1600/photo+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaS9dR1ZzKqcAi6SVPhJVLYN15nqhjkfF69-BsUIzQzEWy8toDL7YIrDnugFzw048uNDeqP4esTssJp1vrZ1ddnCPFrPTkAB4Um06ud2j5KxB9wxRtsfNykOb6h7xgUnDKZ0g9_uG3_rk/s1600/photo+5.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finding your coat isn't always easy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirW6d7qujEJ3_2HKY5xpWL3yTX-P6CkI7tXB6ozf1afEkXfvzMuVx1KDU47AgCgoqClvXb18XDnUY_YUsc76FEpIus8YnjI-mP7JBKTvYfivDDHhd4sffE8EsXfxLDo8iF7rfHXQZeXyI/s1600/photo+%252825%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirW6d7qujEJ3_2HKY5xpWL3yTX-P6CkI7tXB6ozf1afEkXfvzMuVx1KDU47AgCgoqClvXb18XDnUY_YUsc76FEpIus8YnjI-mP7JBKTvYfivDDHhd4sffE8EsXfxLDo8iF7rfHXQZeXyI/s1600/photo+%252825%2529.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Though life is often busy, and visitors to our home are plenty, we are all doing well, and trying our best to get a sensible balance between these two worlds, as overlapping as they are.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Anya turned 4 at the beginning of the month, and had a little party to celebrate the fact.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As her birthday fell on a special day in Estonia, she got to ride on a horse and cart at her kindergarten, which was hired as part of their celebrations. An extra special treat!</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjszymmplfw8sY5swbss0pB-X-pYZsoan-qKbRzUZmP_IBS09CNuocagtPXdczGZr-H6tiVp__7slhAK4tOshN2r0JiKeMS_m5X64Wjd0Rc3VFaoJG-TXF1RSqrk6G9ZGJGtwUb8j1qeZU/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjszymmplfw8sY5swbss0pB-X-pYZsoan-qKbRzUZmP_IBS09CNuocagtPXdczGZr-H6tiVp__7slhAK4tOshN2r0JiKeMS_m5X64Wjd0Rc3VFaoJG-TXF1RSqrk6G9ZGJGtwUb8j1qeZU/s1600/photo+3.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mia is continuing to do well at school, and has a little less commitments as we've made her have a break from ballet this term, much to her own disappointment at the time, but she understands it - and enjoys it all now. We'll look to get her started at a new ballet later this year.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I also managed to surprise my mum for her 70th birthday, flying back to the UK for the weekend at the beginning of March, turning up on her doorstep to her surprise. All the family knew, my mum aside, so the details worked out well. It was nice to have been able to be a part of it all, even if it meant I missed Anya's own birthday party - I was back in time for her actual birthday, which was a lovely day as well.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>Breakthrough as an Author</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Since the last update, things have gone really crazy with my writing side. Approaching the end of January, I was slowly approaching 200 likes on my <span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/timheathauthor" target="_blank">official Facebook page</a>. </span>The readership of my one published novel was in the 100-200 bracket. Reaching the 200th 'Like' triggered a special promotion, which ran for three days on Amazon over the last days of January. In those 72 hours, there were 2,566 downloads of my novel, and in the month of February, more sales than all the previous months, combined. At the height of the downloads, Cherry Picking stood at #2 on the UK Mystery Chart with Amazon, and #6 on the All Books chart!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">By the end of February, my Page stood at over 1,100 likes, an increase of 900 in one month!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My new novel is also approaching its final stages. Over 100,000 people saw my page as I asked fan's advice about cover designs for the two books. <b>Is this another sign of favour coming my way - not to mention breakthrough!</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And a final off shoot of this was being contacted by Amazon themselves, who are discussing enrolling Cherry Picking into their Daily Deals program (a huge honour!) because, according to their message, my book "had come into view and they thought it could do really well if selected for the promotion." It remains to be seen what will come of this.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've also had another publishing company contact me, also stating they were impressed and wanting to know if I'd be interested in working with them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Is this <b>favour</b> or distraction - or something else? I guess only time will tell for sure. But with my new novel set to come out later this year (I hope!), and a readership approaching 3000 people now, its a great platform for launching the new book onto, so I'm excited by what might come of it all.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Because last time around</b>, we talked about needing breakthrough. And while none of this mentioned above physically represents that (yet - as exciting as it sounds), we are still in that place of not fully knowing what the future needs to look like. No job options have yet come up for me. Not even one interview. The record book sales of February, are not continuing in that pattern for March. God did do some extraordinary things in December, so that things are a lot calmer financially at the moment, for a few months. We are so thankful for that. But still the medium term solution is unsure. Does this look like more work locally? Will this be even greater breakthrough in book sales and the like? Is it something else entirely? We do not know - but we ask you to pray.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>And pray all the more</b>. It came to light yesterday at the meal, that while in the UK my part time job is under the tax limit, so not subject to payment, in Estonia this is chargeable - as is all charitable giving we receive! And while I was ignorant of that before, now aware of it, it's a situation that is a little concerning, but also one we need to resolve. It seems gutting that while our UK support was not 'acceptable' by the Estonian banks (meaning we were penalised and put onto a much higher interest rate mortgage), this same income source is acceptable to the tax office! Potentially losing a big percentage of this 'income' to tax is another little issue for us.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But praise God he is the God of breakthrough - and favour!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>Prayer Pointers:</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For the start of Christianity Explored this Sunday at 17:00</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For continued growth for team Tallinn, and the protection of all here</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For wisdom regarding the growing events - space and numbers are becoming an issue!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For more breakthrough, especially in my writing life</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thanks for reading. Sorry it's been such a long time since we've updated you all.</span><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06605204341808935762noreply@blogger.com0Tallinn, Estonia59.436960799999987 24.75357459999997959.178853299999986 24.108127599999978 59.695068299999988 25.39902159999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1128413133068142254.post-56456344260872762722014-01-20T14:40:00.000+04:002014-01-20T14:40:30.671+04:00Church OR Mission? - How We Need To Get A Better Understanding Between These Two<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8d1dnxz2gzTBMIbLT1_4gtgEFTet4jZRA5FLzwLaH9g0Mjw7QwD3702sg7yuG5DHDhtsj06qYRk1M9cWdp-h_ayt8TTHEaXQ5X6mRr4qOwkZjeSgBfkDb1wt8gAjlkdXJsX9olGdV-eQ/s1600/Fullscreen+capture+20012014+111646.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8d1dnxz2gzTBMIbLT1_4gtgEFTet4jZRA5FLzwLaH9g0Mjw7QwD3702sg7yuG5DHDhtsj06qYRk1M9cWdp-h_ayt8TTHEaXQ5X6mRr4qOwkZjeSgBfkDb1wt8gAjlkdXJsX9olGdV-eQ/s1600/Fullscreen+capture+20012014+111646.jpg" height="458" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Church in the West has got itself a little confused. It's nothing intentional, but it all centers on our view, our understanding of, mission. And here, now, I want to open up the issues and settle the confusion, and misunderstanding, once and for all. I hope, anyway.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Last summer, I was in Riga speaking at a church planting event. I had been asked to speak about Missional Church. As a church planter, leading a church plant in Tallinn, having moved from St Petersburg, I guess this was a logical subject to be asked to speak about. Not that I am an expert!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But as I sat down to write up my notes for the talk, I couldn't get away from a question that needed to be answered before anything else - <b>what is mission?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If we are to talk about missional churches, then we'd better understand what we define as mission.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now, the week I sat down to prepare, a few quotes appeared on Facebook talking about mission! And we'll get to those in a moment.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Firstly, though, we can all agree on this quote about mission:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>"Mission exists because worship doesn't" (John Piper)</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Regardless of what we define mission as, we can certainly all agree on this. The only issue is, it still <b>doesn't tell us what mission is!</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now, as it happens, the same week I was reviewing my notes for the talk in Riga, another quote was shared on Facebook, from the same man, also talking about mission. It said, that in relation to mission, you can be:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>"A goer, a sender, or disobedient"</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTeM9zOg4VSTiQyzFrft2I6HfrMuO7Z7xBQYqGXgD8EmLnSlWhW__JvqAhFNm1QLxacsNlZczfpobAplvXKs475s07tLx-DuL-0rjSzdGBZN0yke0FRzEpalkXhAhE37rSNR5BiUlLxr4/s1600/Fullscreen+capture+20012014+114536.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTeM9zOg4VSTiQyzFrft2I6HfrMuO7Z7xBQYqGXgD8EmLnSlWhW__JvqAhFNm1QLxacsNlZczfpobAplvXKs475s07tLx-DuL-0rjSzdGBZN0yke0FRzEpalkXhAhE37rSNR5BiUlLxr4/s1600/Fullscreen+capture+20012014+114536.jpg" height="315" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now, I do not want to take the overall quote out of context (so am stating nothing against the speaker) but do want to argue that this thinking, which is very prevalent in the Western church, is not very helpful. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Let's take the chair example - the black chair represents the <b>church</b>, and the white one represents <b>mission</b>. So, if two people are in church, and one sends the other 'out' on mission, we have the definition to the above quote - a goer, and a sender. The church even has a name for the person that gets sent out - <b>Missionary</b>. My challenge is though, that this is not a helpful understanding of what mission actually is, or where it takes place. You see, still looking at the picture, we are left with Church <b>OR</b> Mission. There is a separation, a divide between the two. It's as if you have to choose between the two - to be a church goer, or a missionary.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Because of the issues it creates, I will state again - I do not agree with this definition of mission.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So here is mine:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>"Mission is not geographical, its a mindset."</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For us to start to understand what mission is, we need to understand that it starts in our head, not 'over there.' You don't need to GO to be on mission, you just need to THINK. You are already on mission! Sometimes, that also requires you to go somewhere different.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Another good quote I heard, actually last week (I don't know who originally said it!), was:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>"You are either a missionary or the mission field."</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">PJ Smyth, a guy I respect hugely, who leads a large church in Jo-burg, South Africa, said:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>"The Church was formed BY mission FOR mission, therefore mission should significantly shape the way we do church."</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So what am I drawing from all this? Mission is the great joy of the local church. I didn't 'become' a missionary when I moved away from the UK in 2008 and arrived in Russia as part of a church planting team. I didn't 'become' a missionary throughout our nearly four years in St Petersburg, working with a wide range of people including orphans. I didn't 'become' a missionary when I moved my family to Estonia to lead a church plant team in Tallinn. I actually have never called myself a missionary! Yes, a church planter. But I'm a normal, average Christian, following the call God has on my life. I was on mission in Stockport, where we moved from to plant in Russia, and we've been on mission ever since.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Church is mission. That's what it means, and why we are on the earth. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now, don't get me wrong - I think it's great that churches send out missionaries all around the world. What I don't like, and have seen, is the local church defining it's 'mission' focus by saying "look, we've sent two families out to Africa" but fail to see the mission on their doorstep. I also find it to be destructive to those 'left' behind, the ones that can't 'go' because of other commitments - be it family, sickness, debts...anything really. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's <b>calling</b> that takes someone to another city or nation, not mission. Mission needs to, and must happen, everywhere! The Bible says that, if you love God and are in a local church, then you are a missionary (to use that same word we've already used). You are already amazing placed in your own mission field. Friends, family, neighbours, work colleagues, fellow students. No one has a better relationship to these people than you do.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The only real use for the title 'missionary' that I see is actually outside the church, and even then, maybe to a set few generations. My mum, for example, who is a pensioner, explains what we do to her friends by calling us missionaries in Estonia. For them, it's clearer than church planters. They understand it from their generational background.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But within the church, because of the danger of separation that I've explained above, I think it's not as helpful (unless it's being used to describe everybody).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We can't feed this divide between the two any more. If the gospel is truly to reach the whole world, we need every church member, every attender, to know their role in mission. It's not for the 'elite' - far from it!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Honour those that have moved overseas, pray for them - absolutely! I'm not saying for one minute that your church shouldn't share news from missionaries who live in other parts of the world. I just challenge churches to make sure mission is always happening at home base as well. It will actually fuel those that get sent from the local church to reach nations.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Large churches, I know, have 'Mission Departments'. I'd recommend changing the name - you don't want to suggest this is the one part of the church where mission happens, and the worship, children's and preaching department isn't! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And once we understand what mission is, planting missional churches becomes a lot easier.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>How has this thinking shaped your life and the life of your church?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Who do you see as your mission field - who has God put around you? </b></span><br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06605204341808935762noreply@blogger.com1Tallinn, Estonia59.436960799999987 24.75357459999997959.178853299999986 24.108127599999978 59.695068299999988 25.39902159999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1128413133068142254.post-56683636141596809732013-12-23T19:41:00.000+04:002013-12-23T19:41:13.434+04:00Happy Christmas 2013!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Once again, our Christmas music/photo/video greeting for you all.</span><br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="243" id="vp1sBMXP" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/embed.animoto.com/play.html?w=swf/production/vp1&e=1387813120&f=sBMXPXTf6DFKGGEnggZgDQ&d=0&m=a&r=360p&volume=100&start_res=360p&i=m&asset_domain=s3-p.animoto.com&animoto_domain=animoto.com&options=" title="Video Player" width="432"></iframe><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Happy Christmas, and may you have a blessed, richly fruitful 2014.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tim, Rachel, Mia & Anya xxxx</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06605204341808935762noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1128413133068142254.post-15804262800442321822013-12-11T10:48:00.001+04:002014-08-20T13:28:44.799+04:00God Speaks - Bible - Part 5<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxArqoFk6otkan-GEqH5AI_S1_f7QEK4N6Qkot0epZ9qJ4HC_fLVQa7bVkUfEy5X4j9wMkxnnGpa9n7QSUXZOnO_2wNSV2-VVykjYAVEzweG0m6Jb4DrOuPW-MS0LIOhBv-HMLAs_Ct6g/s1600/Fullscreen+capture+09092013+205826.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxArqoFk6otkan-GEqH5AI_S1_f7QEK4N6Qkot0epZ9qJ4HC_fLVQa7bVkUfEy5X4j9wMkxnnGpa9n7QSUXZOnO_2wNSV2-VVykjYAVEzweG0m6Jb4DrOuPW-MS0LIOhBv-HMLAs_Ct6g/s1600/Fullscreen+capture+09092013+205826.jpg" height="468" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Welcome to the latest part of a series that I'm calling "God Speaks..."</span><br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Over these nine entries, I want to look at some of the ways that God speaks to us </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(it's not an exhaustive list of course - I'm sure others can add to it!)</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">. Because He does speak. All the time.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Because God is real, because He loves us and because He is good - <b>He speaks</b>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Usually, it's us (mere people!) that fail to listen or maybe fail to understand that it was God speaking to us.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I want to share from my own life, as practical examples, some of the ways God has spoken to me. In all, I want to briefly look at these nine ways that we hear from God:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dreams <a href="http://hearingmyheart.blogspot.com/2013/09/god-speaks-dreams-part-1.html" style="color: #100077; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">(click here to read this section)</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Visions & Pictures </span><a href="http://hearingmyheart.blogspot.com/2013/09/god-speaks-visions-pictures-part-2.html" style="color: #100077; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">(click here to read this section)</a><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Through Others <a href="http://hearingmyheart.blogspot.com/2013/10/god-speaks-through-others-part-3.html" style="color: #100077; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">(click here to read this section)</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Angels <a href="http://hearingmyheart.blogspot.com/2013/11/god-speaks-angels-part-4.html" target="_blank">(click here to read this section)</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Bible</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Words</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Small Still Voice</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Burning Bush</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Audible Voice</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Personally, I've experienced six out of these nine ways listed - and as we go through the series, I'll make these clear how that happened. So, here we go with the next part!</span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><b>Part 5 - Bible</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">It's not just enough to say that the Bible is the word of God and therefore speaks to us. Of course it does. For me, that goes without saying. But I'm saying more than that, which I'll get to in a moment. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">As a book, the Bible is fascinating, if you really give it the time to fully look into it. True, for the beginner, it does seem like a challenge to even start to read - where to start? Many think, like with any novel, and start at the front - that's logical, and I certainly have done that. Genesis and even Exodus are actually great story accounts covering huge periods of time - but by the time you get to the book of 1 Chronicles, you will almost certainly stop, if reading it like a book. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">One book. And of course, in some ways, it is that - but it's also a collection of many books.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">If you were reading it for the first time, I'd say to actually start much later on, in the New Testament, which is the smaller, second half of the book. Read John's gospel (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) are the four gospels, and make up the first four books of the NT. The book of John looks at the life and death of Jesus, the central character to the whole Bible. And once you understand that, the Old Testament (OT) makes a lot more sense. Yes, it's a whole collection of a lot of different books - but they all tell the same story - that soon, someone is coming! Of course, we understand who that was from this side of history, but in the time these OT books were written (the last one was still 400 years before Jesus was born), they didn't know when it was about to happen.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Let me lay another thing to bed, which often gets said about the Bible, usually from people that haven't read it, or certainly understood it. Having read the book cover to cover several times, and certain parts much more, the book holds together as a whole - it does not contradict itself, it is perfectly understandable, which is how it's meant to read. As a whole, it does communicate the same overall story - that a loving God, who loves us more than we can imagine, had to give his son to die for us, because nothing we could ever do could deal with the separation that existed between us and God - which the Bibles calls <b>sin</b> (which is an archery term for '<b>missing the mark</b>'). If you fired an arrow, and it didn't hit the target, you'd shout 'sin' to notify people that you'd missed the mark.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">When we do things that hurt others (not to mention hurting God) we sin - even when it doesn't hurt others, only ourselves, it is still sin. God's plan for us is so amazing, that when we do what (only) our own hearts want, we miss the mark.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Anyway, back on to the subject. What I meant by the above was that as a book the Bible is so much more than just ink on paper (or letters on a screen if you are reading your Bible on a tablet!) Because it's inspired by God, it has the power to speak to us.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><b>So how has it spoken to me?</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">I said I wanted to go beyond the basic fact that the Bible speaks to us in general. One thing I don't go in for (though of course there are always stories where this worked!) is what I'd call 'Bible lottery' - this is where you say to God "OK, I need you to speak to me now, so I'm going to open up my Bible and see what you have for me" and then you just open it up, and point your finger randomly on a verse and take that as His answer. I will literally now do this with my Bible, and then copy in the verse that it gives me (it will be funny if this turns out to be a really encouraging and timely word!) Here goes;</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Solomon went up to the bronze altar before the </span><span class="small-caps" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> in the tent of meeting and offered a thousand burnt offerings on it.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">The above verse was from 2 Chronicles 1:6 and was literally where I pointed to once I'd opened, without looking, onto that page. Unless I was really praying about how many offerings I should make (in which case, I think this would have been quite a challenging word!!) it really isn't much help.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">What has helped, and has happened so much more frequently, is to regularly read the word of God, working through whole books, and therefore reading one or two chapters a day. Within the normal, daily reading, it's been amazing how often the verses I've just happened to get up to for that day are exactly what I needed to hear.....more than just coincidence when it happens time and time again. Is it that God knew, on that particular day in my life, that I'd get up to that particular chapter, and therefore inspired it to be written in such a way....</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">The other way (and combined with hearing God speak in another way - words - which is the subject of the next entry) where I've heard from God, is through getting a certain verse suddenly 'appear' in my mind. This could be in a number of ways (everyone of us is different!). Maybe some numbers appear, or the whole reference. In my most bizarre example, it was a general sense - I had the book Luke and the numbers 1 and 3. Now, this happened when I was in my late teens - still living at home, in the suburbs of London. While not the city centre, it certainly is not the countryside. Wildlife, while not completely invisible, is lets say, quite rare. I had been praying about how and when God wanted to work with me. About where I was headed. I'd had words and desires about healing, and stepping forward in things. God had spoken to me through others about the nations. So I was seeking God on this particular evening (it wasn't late), worshiping with some music playing, when I felt the Luke reference and the numbers. I turned to Luke 13 (which seemed to make sense) and started reading. I kept reading - and later on, this is exactly as it happened....</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">When I got to verse 31 (those two numbers again!), whilst reading in my head, outside there was a noise. And as the words of that verse were going through my head, my brain was obviously processing what it was hearing. As I finished verse 31, about to start verse 32, my mind caught up and told me that the noise outside was a <b>fox. </b>Instantly, I read this in the following verse:</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">He replied, </span><span class="woj" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">“Go tell that <b>fox</b>, ‘I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’</span><br />
<span class="woj" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">It was the encouragement I needed for that moment. What was funny, and totally without my choosing, was whilst playing hockey in England, for my Cheshire based team, my two shirt numbers were first 13, then 31....It's as if God was reminding me of what He'd spoken to me that day, as I made the move to Manchester, and ahead of future moves overseas.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">A few years before that, I also found great encouragement as I was just starting to process the call to the Russian speaking world, with that map of Asia that appeared before my eyes, when reading the book written for me....As a Tim (which is short for Timothy) the book 2 Timothy I always take to be To Timothy. Paul starts the letter:</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">To Timothy, my dear son.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">I like that truth! It was particular gripping when later in chapter 1 it said:</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">You know that everyone in the province of Asia</span><span class="crossreference" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 0.65em; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-29825AM" title="See cross-reference AM">AM</a>)"></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> has deserted me</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here I was, processing that same calling, reading that the people God had called me to for salvation, again were listed here as having deserted God! I identify a lot with 'young' Timothy, and though not as young now as I once was, always took encouragement from Paul's letters to that young leader.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, how has the Bible spoken to you? Maybe you are new to it - I encourage you, to talk with someone about it, maybe read it with someone from time to time that can explain what is coming up. If you are stuck with where to start, read John, or read Luke and then Acts. Both those two books were written by a doctor named Luke, and give an account firstly of the life of Jesus, and then following his resurrection, the life of the early church. It's a fascinating adventure story - but better than that, it's true! And years later, it's as true and helpful today as it's ever been!</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thanks for reading - this series will continue next with how God speaks through Words.</span></span><br />
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06605204341808935762noreply@blogger.com0Tallinn, Estonia59.436960799999987 24.75357459999997959.178853299999986 24.108127599999978 59.695068299999988 25.39902159999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1128413133068142254.post-54736583659114283172013-12-03T00:44:00.000+04:002013-12-03T00:44:16.364+04:00Tallinn Update - Winter at Last!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As we hit the first of December, so we had the first real snowfall. Winter has come at last! Over night, the temperature has dropped down to nearly minus five. The rain and overcast (slightly warmer) days have given way to sunny, clearer skies and noticeably colder days. But these are what make Tallinn winters so beautiful! And I much prefer sunny days in winter.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, as we hit December, a busy time of year for all, we wanted to send out an update in good time, before things get too festive, with all the news from us in Tallinn. As usual, our now annual (it will be our 5th one!) Christmas musical photo/video card will come out later this month, so keep an eye on this blog for when it does.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Before we get stuck in, and so that you can see what's coming, here are the headlines for this update:</span><br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Continued favour on the Toddler group</b></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Core formation and hopefully soon growth</b></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>More Visitors - though finished now for the year</b></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Job Challenge</b></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>St Petersburg trip coming up</b></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Health challenges as we mark one year since my back injury</b></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ5drX0TOw3m_0AqXJniPHdhIKSnGyksLkZt0buWi2cZ1UL-c1sMf3fHQFfdWhAs501lAMYNE0LvheSB-k2mfsvj6yKTarwDJQcnymK1e0VFJztpWqLD8XYmNVjQj7xQ3jBMbFeD6Gt8c/s1600/Fullscreen+capture+02122013+161826.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ5drX0TOw3m_0AqXJniPHdhIKSnGyksLkZt0buWi2cZ1UL-c1sMf3fHQFfdWhAs501lAMYNE0LvheSB-k2mfsvj6yKTarwDJQcnymK1e0VFJztpWqLD8XYmNVjQj7xQ3jBMbFeD6Gt8c/s1600/Fullscreen+capture+02122013+161826.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Winter Market in Tallinn has opened - this photo, I guess taken a few years ago, shows the setting for the market. The huts are set up a little differently now, but with the snow and lights, the effects are still as magical. It makes the Old Town, just that little bit more special.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>Toddler Group</u></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8zQMW9kRLm9I4pIhzxmcy4fajXJpJ6kh662vw0kDVDiKrXBm9EK4EXntbAqkLJKd09tVdQ_bSS836F9RiOEOY2uF_JxEtzKC3nCM2VR0j2L9ZG738mYhQ-dnY2X4E5pgHZYAvwKCB6CI/s1600/034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8zQMW9kRLm9I4pIhzxmcy4fajXJpJ6kh662vw0kDVDiKrXBm9EK4EXntbAqkLJKd09tVdQ_bSS836F9RiOEOY2uF_JxEtzKC3nCM2VR0j2L9ZG738mYhQ-dnY2X4E5pgHZYAvwKCB6CI/s1600/034.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One thing we've often mentioned but not said too much about, is the weekly Sing & Play children and babies group we host at ours every Thursday. This is certainly Rachel's 'baby' - if I'm home, apart from being around to help set up a little (though not as much as Rachel needs often), I tend to get to listen through the walls as the flat fills up, talking to the parents as I make the odd drink, while working in the office. This group has continued to do really well. Please pray that Rachel and Elisabeth</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> (who runs it with Rachel but has her hands full with 3 children of her own!) are </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">able to get more help with it. Rebekah (who we'll mention again later) was able to help while here for ten nights recently - staying with us, and therefore here for set up and clear away, it really showed the great value this adds, and something Rachel is now missing with Rebekah being back in the UK! The other mums are getting involved too though and are now making a cake for the group each week.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Once a month Rachel has now started including a Baby Massage class within the group. This is a skill she picked up when she had Mia back in the UK. She was given training and taught some classes in the UK at the time. It's funny the things that come back years later - like her Body Shop training with make-overs and facials that opened the door to working with the Butterfly project in Tallinn.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The group of mums (there was one dad for a while, though his working pattern changed and he's not currently able to come) is a mix of several nationalities, but there are several Estonian mums coming, including one neighbour from the fifth floor of our building. She has helped with doing some of the songs in Estonian. These babies are all going to be singing in many languages!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/0lWHynIlYOU" width="420"></iframe></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>Core Development....and Growth?</u></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieQWwf3AjUfYglx8WO0YFWu7C6D2z1bKSQlZoCMK8lD-ikkaAGCfcA3OUM4gd0dRSHKbrGpPUAmfXjfxwYSsGL5usIOXtNSKtRhLu8u4WyKria27_2GDx84WJ_z9Gqrzig8Zh1WL-aXYY/s1600/021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieQWwf3AjUfYglx8WO0YFWu7C6D2z1bKSQlZoCMK8lD-ikkaAGCfcA3OUM4gd0dRSHKbrGpPUAmfXjfxwYSsGL5usIOXtNSKtRhLu8u4WyKria27_2GDx84WJ_z9Gqrzig8Zh1WL-aXYY/s1600/021.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The last two weeks have seen some challenges - but I write this saying that as a team, we are in a much stronger place because of it all. I think the adjustments that we have made to our program, which came out of long conversations over about three days last week, have put us in a better position to move forward. It was as if God was in the midst of the conflict, bringing us safely through to a much better place. It gives us all more room to grow, and helps launch a weekly home group meeting which should really serve the core, as well as being a building point for those that have shown an interest in what we are about.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And on the back of this, Rebekah, who we've mentioned already, and talked about praying for in the last October update, has stated that she is planning on moving here in February next year, to help out with the church plant!</span></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0nG-xa8fsSjLhy5q3mU3GhtglBN1qDnoGDdv504TKd5OLWCLKiGYu7F74nvLIYh6eACfqwem-5Zl3ZVmOFX3KOMqImsBOteWwbJVK5uJSVlWCo5k9MArKcydg0NGCW9ygqECNcOOMLG8/s1600/024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0nG-xa8fsSjLhy5q3mU3GhtglBN1qDnoGDdv504TKd5OLWCLKiGYu7F74nvLIYh6eACfqwem-5Zl3ZVmOFX3KOMqImsBOteWwbJVK5uJSVlWCo5k9MArKcydg0NGCW9ygqECNcOOMLG8/s1600/024.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is fantastic news, and though the details are not sorted out (like job, where she will live etc!), it is a great statement of faith. Please pray that she gets some great options offered to her, that allow her both to build relationships and flourish, whilst giving her time to get stuck in with Hope:Tallinn events. She is wanting to come and help establish a Children's ministry, serving both those within the church, and as options develop, those outside. She would be a great blessing, so please be lifting her in your prayers as she outworks the practical elements of this over the next two months. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Arriving at the coldest point of winter, pray for a great adjustment - I guess, it can only get warmer for her!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">She would be the 8th adult member of the team - and we are praying that the current core doubles to 14 (very quickly!!??) in order for us to think about </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">launching the church plant into the next phase. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>Visitors</u></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Last month saw some more visitors, and actually the last for the year. As well as having Rebekah with us for ten days, we also had a visit from Colin Baron (Manchester, UK) with Dave Henson (Cardiff). They spent a few nights in Tallinn, having come from St Petersburg. Dave, because of his back, stayed in a local hotel, to give him space to move around in the night, without disturbing anyone. They spoke at our midweek meeting, and I had as much time as I could with them. For Colin it was his first time in Estonia. I don't think it will be his last. And then just a few days after they both went, Rachel's mum and dad came to stay for five nights. They were a real blessing and Mia and Anya especially enjoyed having Grandma and Grandad around for the weekend.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">December and January are clear, and will be kept that way. As a family there has been a lot of pressures, which is natural in our situation, but it seems a good time to pause a little, and enjoy the holiday when we get to Christmas. The girls are also getting busy with school plays and ballet concerts, as is normal for this time of year, so it gives us the space to enjoy these events with them.</span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz6IvZmtYtU0CCdZC9p0a7k78KCgS49SwWZNtS9gHlSlkhymOUQRYKeFpmYiEfBW-oWy5D70WMtr5jT4ed1lk7gTwPyHnYmycamDUCmwgXGAbJzj3awG2xVRbaOTV9fnVYlMMsIJ4Wowo/s1600/020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz6IvZmtYtU0CCdZC9p0a7k78KCgS49SwWZNtS9gHlSlkhymOUQRYKeFpmYiEfBW-oWy5D70WMtr5jT4ed1lk7gTwPyHnYmycamDUCmwgXGAbJzj3awG2xVRbaOTV9fnVYlMMsIJ4Wowo/s1600/020.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taken the other month looking towards Tallinn in the distance</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As a numbers man, I totaled up the visitors this year. March and December will have been the only months that no one was staying with us, but if you take each nights sleep someone has had, and put them in a row, it comes to 136 nights out of those 10 months. Of course, most of these have been multiple people staying at the same time. On the other side, there were also 54 days when one (usually this, and usually me) or all of us where away from home, often in another country.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This fact alone is so different to what life had been in Russia, and especially in England.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>Events - Gathering of a Community</u></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The main events that are now happening each month are a big meal together once a month, as well as the focused men's and women's events. For the men, this has been Poker nights at our home which I have hosted. It's great for building friendships together, creating a bridge in our relationship where we can meet at other times to talk, and is also just about having some fun! I'll say it again, as I've said before - we do not play for money! </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For the ladies, Rachel has recently hosted a SPA event, which is the second time they've done that.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And all of them together are building community. It's ironic that while most people in the world now live in cities, statistically mankind is now the loneliness we've ever been. Simply having people living around you doesn't cut it - unless you are part of a community. And we've seen, through the meals and these other events, a community emerging. Having come here not knowing anyone, we've seen friendships developing. And as life gets busier, our prayer and battle will be to keep space for relationships, and building others into communities.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And it's also just a good principle to bless the city - to be a blessing to those around us, regardless of their beliefs. </span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdgKtLDYYVnDNRD25O9WkaU8NSfWS-Bzyu3-KlSAAsN3WzYkgacOTQd1KhwCEMiv6OnRVev9ouA_upZnJwGl1WqgCUlvilB0wbx5JMYAWrQ9BY3qWQt5wvQk8xK3imm424xATt7VF-Apw/s1600/photo+(4).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdgKtLDYYVnDNRD25O9WkaU8NSfWS-Bzyu3-KlSAAsN3WzYkgacOTQd1KhwCEMiv6OnRVev9ouA_upZnJwGl1WqgCUlvilB0wbx5JMYAWrQ9BY3qWQt5wvQk8xK3imm424xATt7VF-Apw/s1600/photo+(4).JPG" height="298" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from our window the other day</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Another way this was recently outworked, was Rachel hosting a baby shower at ours for a lady from another church. We are really friendly with them, have served them on a Sunday a couple of times, and it was great to help make the event possible, by hosting and organising the event. It's Rachel working to one of her main strengths - hospitality.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>The Challenges</u></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Health has been a bit of an issue with the girls (Rachel included!) over this last month or so. Both Mia, and Anya more so, have missed days at school/kindergarten. Rachel has been fighting something for some time - and if I'm honest, as I'm writing this, I'm starting to not feel so good myself. It seems we really do need a cold snap to kill off these nasty viruses. Your prayers for health would be appreciated!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It is also now a year ago since I was taken to hospital in an ambulance, not being able to walk. And twelve months later, the time they said it would take to fully recover, I can say I'm getting better all the time. I will of course be careful - it was when the snow first arrived last year, and something I did moving the snow, that caused it all in the first place! So while it has been a challenge on many fronts, I am looking forward to really enjoying this Christmas and winter, which were a struggle last year.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>The Job Challenge</u></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Something that came to head with the visit of Dave last month, was this issue of family income. While we are only in the early phases of church planting in Estonia, we have also already been away from the UK for over five years now. So it's been natural that churches and individuals have felt they were unable to continue with their monthly giving.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While we continue to live by faith, with about half our income coming through faithful giving (not only from the UK), we are thinking about ways to press through with finance. For the last few years, we've been living on a very fine line, and this last year in Tallinn actually spending more than came in.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In relation to paid work, I am now working two days a week for my old full-time UK job, which I've been doing some hours for ever since we first left the UK.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This year, I launched a business as a language agency. While that is getting some teaching work in (all Rachel's lessons are now going through the company) it's yet to really stand up on it's own two feet as a business - please pray for continued favour on this - as well as with my writing. My book is continuing to sell, and I am well on my way to finishing the second novel as well. I really hope that this can be released in 2014. My <b>official Author Page</b> recently went live on Facebook - please be sure to connect to it <a href="https://www.facebook.com/timheathauthor" target="_blank">here</a>. By liking the page on FB, it allows your friends to see the page, and increases my reach. I am so thankful to everyone that has already done this. If you haven't yet, please do. It means so much to me. And long term, I really hope to be able to focus solely on writing as my trade. I believe this is the career God will open up. For this, I really do need your prayers.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This all being said and done, there is a real need <b>now</b> for income, so I am exploring the options of increasing my working week to full time - by either finding a part time job in Tallinn for three days a week, and still doing my two days in the UK, or needing a full time job here. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>This option does scare me</b> if I'm honest. It would be a huge change to life here, and a real challenge to fit everything else in with church. The wider travel side I would need to lay down, and as the church grows and approaches its launch, again, that would be a challenge for time. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But I do tend to focus on the specifics and not look too far ahead. While I would love the business to take off and my books to sell rapidly, it might well be that in the mean time I need to take on some more work.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Please pray for the right job - the perfect job that pays well and matches my skills.</b> Having started looking, I am already really limited with options. Due to language and experience, my skills are more easily fitted to the UK market. But I only need one job that's right for me. Please pray, in what ever God wants, that this whole situation changes rapidly. We know God has the perfect way through.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>St Petersburg - next week!</u></b><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As I check the calendar to see when it is that I am going, I had a mild panic to realise it's only the end of next week when I am going back to St Petersburg. I am travelling on the Thursday with Stephen from the team here, and Arnoud and Enrico will be joining us on the Friday. We'll have the whole weekend in the city, encouraging the church there, and exposing both groups to each other. Please pray for a blessed trip, and like in Holland, as the four of us spend more time together, for great fun and memories to be formed. We travel back to Tallinn on Monday 16th December.</span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>Family and Prayer Points</u></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mia had a small part in a ballet show yesterday and has a bigger role, where we will all be there to watch, in the middle of next week. Both girls are continuing to enjoy life. Both are so much fun, though we are aware with Mia's school, there is a lot of pressure put on the students. She gets hours of homework each week. It's often hard for us to keep on top of it. They are both speaking Estonian well, in their own little way. Anya certainly understands a lot, and is the one most surrounded with it, when she is in kindergarten. Mia's Estonian class teacher has mentioned to Rachel how well Mia is picking up the language and that she has surprised her with the things she has understood.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We will be staying in Tallinn this Christmas - the tree should be going up next weekend, which I guess will also feature in the annual Animoto video greeting that I will try and get around to doing soon! We'll leave you with some prayer pointers. Thanks for reading this year - the blog went through the 20,000 visitor mark last week - an incredible thought!</span></div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pray for God's abundant breakthrough with the job/finance situation</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pray for a quick recovery of this nasty virus</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pray for Rebekah as she makes final plans regards moving here</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Keep praying for salvation </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thank God for every visitor we've had this year!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thank God for the great communities that are developing!</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06605204341808935762noreply@blogger.com0Tallinn, Estonia59.436960799999987 24.75357459999997959.178853299999986 24.108127599999978 59.695068299999988 25.39902159999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1128413133068142254.post-79381068757265215552013-11-14T22:58:00.000+04:002013-11-14T22:58:06.369+04:00God Speaks - Angels - Part 4<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUhSo3jnbje0kDMt0x6UmvkU2FzVgPXFZTy0LijiDbuxRRozWCXknwXWdU3-YBQ2521Zvw0r1sEblaCya0ftaVagGueIogWbXK21X2hykbErgGpKuWnq_VzGsWKoeQFb5Bwvj7phSrExw/s1600/Fullscreen+capture+09092013+205823.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUhSo3jnbje0kDMt0x6UmvkU2FzVgPXFZTy0LijiDbuxRRozWCXknwXWdU3-YBQ2521Zvw0r1sEblaCya0ftaVagGueIogWbXK21X2hykbErgGpKuWnq_VzGsWKoeQFb5Bwvj7phSrExw/s640/Fullscreen+capture+09092013+205823.jpg" height="464" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Welcome to the latest part of a series that I'm calling "God Speaks..."</span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Over these nine entries, I want to look at some of the ways that God speaks to us </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">(it's not an exhaustive list of course - I'm sure others can add to it!)</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">. Because He does speak. All the time.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Because God is real, because He loves us and because He is good - <b>He speaks</b>.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Usually, it's us (mere people!) that fail to listen or maybe fail to understand that it was God speaking to us.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">I want to share from my own life, as practical examples, some of the ways God has spoken to me. In all, I want to briefly look at these nine ways that we hear from God:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Dreams <a href="http://hearingmyheart.blogspot.com/2013/09/god-speaks-dreams-part-1.html" style="color: #100077; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">(click here to read this section)</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Visions & Pictures </span><a href="http://hearingmyheart.blogspot.com/2013/09/god-speaks-visions-pictures-part-2.html" style="background-color: white; color: #100077; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">(click here to read this section)</a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Through Others <a href="http://hearingmyheart.blogspot.com/2013/10/god-speaks-through-others-part-3.html" target="_blank">(click here to read this section)</a> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Angels</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Bible</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Words</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Small Still Voice</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Burning Bush</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Audible Voice</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Personally, I've experienced six out of these nine ways listed - and as we go through the series, I'll make these clear how that happened. So, here we go with the next part!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"><b>Part 4 - Angels</b></span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">This is the first of the nine that I can't say I've personally (yet!) experienced. I do believe that I have seen an angel, on at least one, maybe two, occasions. But they didn't say anything to me very profoundly, so this time I'm not going to draw examples from my own life, but reflect through the stories of others the very real way in which sometimes God chooses to send a messenger to us to share some news.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">It's November. Soon it will be Christmas. All around the world, in many countries, little children will be rehearsing for the Christmas nativity. Many of these will dress up in white and play the part of angels. The Angels that brought<b> '</b></span></span><b><span style="background-color: white;">good news that will cause great joy for all the people.'</span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"> </span></span></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In this one story alone, the angels appear on many separate occasions. There is the first appearance to Zechariah (Luke 1:11-20), then to Mary (Luke 128-38). This is followed by the Shepherds (Luke 2:9-15).</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I like the verse in Luke 2:21 that says: "<span style="background-color: white;">On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child,</span><span class="crossreference" style="background-color: white; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-24995P" title="See cross-reference P">P</a>)"></span><span style="background-color: white;"> he was named Jesus,<b> the name the angel had given him </b>before he was conceived."</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Angel in Greek means messenger. As we see here, the message was clear and understood!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And it tells the overall theme - the theme of this series - God speaks!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Angels appear throughout the whole Bible - from the Old Testament, when we are told they appeared from anything such as a donkey to a night wrestling with Jacob, all the way through to the New Testament - as like with Jesus' birth, so it was with his death that angel's were there to share the news - first that he was no longer in the tomb and once again when he'd ascended to heaven.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Each time passing on the message - the Saviour of the world has come. He's not dead - he's risen and now is reigning.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">King's of the world have come and gone - they have ruled with power and reigned for maybe fifty years (if they were lucky!). Jesus came and ruled with love, and reigns for eternity. The contrast is clear - and angel's were central in bringing this important message home. The world needed to be clear - The King had come!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now let me say one more thing about angels. The world famous singer Robbie Wiliams once sang a smash hit song "I'm loving angels instead." This is not their role, nor are we to focus on them. They are messengers, and by spending too long in conversation about them, we forget the message - that Jesus is the Christ. He is God. That anyone who believes in Him, can have eternal life.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">People love the spot light. We (often) love to be centre stage - and yet, on our own, we cannot solve the issue of sin and death that we are born into. The message of Christmas, and then 33 years on at the first Easter, is that the spotlight is not on us - it's on Jesus. And what Jesus did was done once and for all. Our part is nothing - it's all about what he HAS done - past tense. No need to continually pay anymore - He paid once and for all. It cost him his life but He died for you. It really is finished!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And it's a rather amazing message to have been given to us - where-ever you first heard it from!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Next up - how God speaks to us through the Bible....</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06605204341808935762noreply@blogger.com0Tallinn, Estonia59.436960799999987 24.75357459999997959.178853299999986 24.108127599999978 59.695068299999988 25.39902159999998