Diving Boards

So my bags are backed, my goodbyes have been said and I'm ready to go! (sort of :P )
I'm pretty scared about leaving tomorrow if I'm honest. Going to be leaving my family and friends (everything I know) to go somewhere where I know next to nothing! But I think in life God gives us challenges just to keep us alive. To scare us into loving him more and to teach us who we are. Look at Abraham, God told him to up root his family and leave his home and go where he told him to. So he did and look what happened!

Whether it's going to Uni for the first time, going into a new job or even just talking to people about Jesus for the first time we all have our challenges. 

Just imagine you're on the top diving Board at the swimming pool for the first time! It is terrifying and harder than  any challenge that has come before. The closer you come to the edge the more you realise that this is a big deal and you are very very high up! The only way to do it, is to jump! Don't think about it, don't worry about it otherwise you'll be frozen on the spot! 

JUST JUMP

So the night before I leave I am telling you that I am just going to jump, but not blindly! In faith. Faith that everything is going to be okay. and faith that when I hit the water and my head pops up from under it's surface I'll be saying "lets do that again".

 I pray that you will be able to take that confidence your own diving boards. 



Prayer points:

• pray for my travel as I go through airports on my own may God guide me through safely to the other side 
• for my family that God would be with them while I am away (that they won't miss me too much ;) ) may they have peace that I am safe, well and doing the Lord's work. 
• For the rest of my team who are already out there (that we may get on as a team and grow together in faith and fellowship)
• For the two weeks of training coming up that i may learn the skills ill need in the coming year
• For the church out there and the host family i will eventually be living with. 

Thanks 

• to all my sponsors financially (especially those in the mission stall in church)
• to all those who have been praying for me through visa and leaving preparations
• To all those who came to the leaving party to wish me all the best
• To my family who have been so supportive from the word go!

   

VISA...the next step

The next step..

I'm am one bit closer to Brazil and it is starting to get really exciting and before I start this blog properly I would like to send out a HUGE thank you to everyone who has supported me financially up to this point. My goals for how much I want to raise have been smashed because of your generous provision . 

I cannot thank you enough. 

At this stage in my journey I would like to ask for an extra bit of prayer. I am currently moving through the visa process, which has proven to be more difficult than I first anticipated.

On Monday of this week I traveled to London to the Brazilian consulate with what I thought was all the required documents . Unfortunately I had not brought enough information and had not prepared enough and was told to attain the correct documentation and come back and apply again.

As you can assume this was a rather big let down (especially as i had to wake up at 3am that day to get to the consulate and spent the guts of £200 getting there) but due to the help of my contacts in Brazil and a handful of other people I am slowly getting there.

This looks like it will take a little bit longer than I had expected as I had been hoping to go out on the 17th of August (as the training starts on the 20th) but I know I will arrive in God's timing. 

Please just pray that God would have his hand on the whole process and that I would rely on him to help me with it. 

There are a lot of different little things that need sorted so pray that he will control all the little things

Pray for patience as I wait the different things involved (there is not an available appointment for visa application until 20th of August)

Thank you so much for your continued support through this time of preparation. I really cannot express how much I appreciate you prayers. 

Muito Obrigado!

Mark       

So it Begins....

In Septmeber I'm taking a big new step in my faith. I've decided to head to Brazil with an organisation called "the Pais project". I'm so excited about how God's going to use me and what he's going to teach me and I hope that you join me on this journey by coming to this Blog and seeing what I'm at!

So basically I'll be going out as part of a team, and we'll be going into school's teaching kids about Jesus and about church and trying to encourage them to come to church. In one of the school's particularly there are a lot of kids struggling with drugs and underaged sex (there is even a 12 year old girl there who is pregnant within the school). If we can convince them to come (through God's help and guidance) we'll be working in the church that they'll start attending and we'll show them there what Jesus love is really all about! As well as this we will ministering to the community in the local slums which is something that I am really excited about!

 

As I'm sure you know a project like this needs a lot of support, both in prayer and finanically (Finanically i need to raise in and around £5000) but I thanks God that in this early stage he is beginning to provide both! Through the marathon team, the bun sale within school and through generous donations from individuals I am nearly reaching the £1000 mark!! Which is just amazing and would really like to extend my gratitude to those who have helped me reach this point! 

But the story is far from over! coming up I will be running the lisburn half marathon and will be holding a fundraising BBQ within church on the 20th of June and the 22nd of June respectively to help get a little further towards the target. Your support for both of these ventures would be greatly appreciated! 

In terms of Prayer points at this stage,please pray that God will start preparing me

• physically in terms of finance, vacinations, visa, flights and in terms of Language training!

• Emotionally as being away from home for this long will be a big chanllenge for both me and my family

• and most importantly spiritually as I trust in him for all of these things

  Thank you so much for your prayers and support. 

  Muito Obrigado!!

  Mark