Greetings friends,

Reflections

I want to start this post by saying an enormous THANK YOU to all of you who have supported ‘me’ and then ‘us’ over the last few years in so many different ways. It has been interesting to look back to when I started writing this blog – when I was heading off to Bolivia with CMS early in 2016. I can’t believe this is now over 10 years ago, and several of you have been praying and giving financially since then, which is incredible. A lot has happened since then!

It was a huge privilege to serve for 2½  years in Bolivia with Novo Communities in its early stages. I continue to support Novo’s work and am inspired by how it has continued to flourish and expand to other countries – praise God for this amazing ministry. On my return to the UK, I went back to working part time at Yeldall Manor (another ministry which will always have a special place in my heart) alongside studying Pioneer Mission Leadership with CMS. This course inspired me to think creatively and contextually about God’s mission, and I pray for continued opportunities to practise what I learnt there in my life now and moving forward.

It has at times been easy for me to feel disappointed that I’m not really ‘doing’ much pioneering mission at the moment. But there have been small encouraging encounters where I feel God has placed me at the right time. For example, in the queue at our weekly Food Hub across the road, where I’ve often ended up being a listening ear to someone who has been struggling in various ways. I love the fact that it’s on my doorstep, is community minded, and values reducing wastage which is good for the environment. It has an air of Missio Dei about it – joining in with something where God is already at work.

A year after Alex and I got married in 2020, we moved from Northolt to Shrewsbury, where we ran a small Christian community house for ex-offenders. We remain in contact with some of our former residents from this time, and are encouraged when we hear of any who are doing well. This was before Alex started ordination training in the C of E, which he has just completed. Oh, and we had two children in that time too (Caleb, 3, and Reuben, nearly 1). This sounds like a rather busy few years, now I come to reflect on it and write it down!

Thank you so much again for all you have invested and given over this time to enable me, and us, to do all this. It has been an immense blessing and privilege to have had so many people journeying with us. May God bless you richly.

 What next?

We are on the move! Alex is getting ordained in Lichfield Cathedral on 27^th June. He then starts his curacy at One Parish, Telford, which consists of two churches (Christ Church, Wellington, and Holy Trinity, Hadley). We will be moving to Apley, near Wellington on Tuesday 9^th June. Please be praying for us – my head and diary are so full for the next couple of weeks – from moving house admin, lists and preparations, to settling the boys into a new preschool, to getting ahead with my work so I can take some time off the week that we move, to the usual day-to-day of being a mum and thinking what to cook and doing yet another washing. We are looking forward to the other side of the move!

Finances

On a practical note regarding finances (if you are a regular supporter of ours), our Stewardship account through which many of you have been giving will be closing at the end of June. If you don’t stop your monthly gift independently before then, your gifts will automatically stop after this time. If you have been giving to our bank account through a standing order, please feel free to stop this after the end of June if you are able to continue until then. Many thanks.

Prayer and Praise:

• We thank God for the provision of a house (which comes with the job of curate) and grant money which has hugely helped us with some decorating work and inevitable moving costs
• We are thankful for our time in Shrewsbury which has been a wonderful home for us
• We pray for our transition to Telford – for stability for Caleb and Reuben; joy and peace for us all; new friendships and opportunities
• For Alex in his new role as a curate and for all of us to feel at home in our new church context

I’ll leave you with a few pics from family life over the last few months:

Please keep in touch and come and visit us in our new house – we’ll finally have a spare room again!

Love and all God’s blessings,

Rachel, Alex, Caleb and Reuben