Last night at the meeting it was encouraging to see an ex-prisoner who had been on our Path of Life programme whilst inside. He's only been out a few months but has been offered help and support by our team here. After the meeting he joined us for some food and it gave us time to chat with him about how things had been since he was released. He was living with his immediate family and doing bits of casual work, but only when he needed some money. Our Path of Life volunteers had found him a regular job and checked that he was okay for getting to work. He said that he had a bike, which would have been fine, except that on the day he was meant to start, he didn't show up! This was because he didn't have a bike! The frustration was inceased by the fact that one of our team had offered to get him a bike. We asked why he hadn't phoned one of our workers to ask for help - only to be told that he had lost their numbers. Sadly all this meant he missed the opportunity for regular work.
We've given him another opportunity to show us that he would like our help and asked him to call us this week so that we can meet up and sort out a way forward. Please pray that he makes that call.
This is an example of the many challenges we face as we look to help these people. Please pray for wisdom and a right balance between love and discipline. If people want to change, then we can help them, but if they don't want to change, then there's little we can do. In the end it is only a change of heart that will bring about a lasting difference and that is the work of the Holy Spirit.
So today we meet with the local council to discuss what, if any, buildings are available for us to use for our work. Please pray for a surprise from the Lord! Also we will be meeting with the staff at Oradea Prison to discuss the next mentoring programme. There have been a few changes amongst the staff and our main contact has now retired, so please pray that this will not hinder the development of our work. This evening the ACV Core Team will meet to pray together for the coming week and discuss what we can hope to achieve. Please pray with us for the Lord's guidance.
Thanks for reading.
Father God,
ReplyDeleteYou are the God’s of surprises. You are never caught off guard or unprepared. You call us to follow You beyond the limits of our wisdom, strength and character. Father may the waiting we have to do and the surprises that we face be to us as “instruments of grace”. May they release us from our self-reliance and from the hold our selfish dreams for our lives have on us.
Lord in those moments of surprise; help us to remember that whilst we may be confused, You are always in control. In that moment when we are not sure what is going on, we know in our hearts that you have not abandoned us, You are rescuing us, teaching us, Providing for us, guiding us.
Lord, whilst living this way is hard for us, let us not ever doubt Your goodness, faithfulness, and love. Let us lift our hands to the heavens and celebrate that we are being rescued. We are being loved. We are being delivered. We are being healed. We are being transformed. Lord we are so thankful and grateful that since nothing can separate us from Your love, there will be more gracious surprises to come. So we pray come Holy Spirit, Your will be done, for Jesus sake & His glory. Amen
God Bless.
Terry
St. George's Church
Morning Terry. Thank you for your prayers and we are ready for the Lord to surprise us once again as we can already see his hand of blessing upon the work out here. Have a great weekend.
ReplyDeleteFather God,
ReplyDeleteYou are the God’s of surprises. You are never caught off guard or unprepared. You call us to follow You beyond the limits of our wisdom, strength and character. Father may the waiting we have to do and the surprises that we face be to us as “instruments of grace”. May they release us from our self-reliance and from the hold our selfish dreams for our lives have on us.
Lord in those moments of surprise; help us to remember that whilst we may be confused, You are always in control. In that moment when we are not sure what is going on, we know in our hearts that you have not abandoned us, You are rescuing us, teaching us, Providing for us, guiding us.
Lord, whilst living this way is hard for us, let us not ever doubt Your goodness, faithfulness, and love. Let us lift our hands to the heavens and celebrate that we are being rescued. We are being loved. We are being delivered. We are being healed. We are being transformed. Lord we are so thankful and grateful that since nothing can separate us from Your love, there will be more gracious surprises to come. So we pray come Holy Spirit, Your will be done, for Jesus sake & His glory. Amen
God Bless.
Terry
St. George's Church