It's been pretty busy, lots of coffees, Jesus chats, training, weekends away...and not much time for blogging....or my mind has just turned to smoosh by the end of the day.
I would love to give a nice wee summary of what it is that I do with Connect but it's really hard to pin it down! If you haven't already heard, Navs is a discipleship minstry for university/college students, and I'm doing the 1 year internship with Glasgow Navs called Connect which involves getting alongside the girls and walking with them towards Christ! We have our weekly group bible study/dinner and then we will normally meet to hang out in pairs throughout the week. It's a massive honor to have a job where I am encouraged and supported to talk with people about God and see how we can go deeper in relationship with Him. It's definately not a one-sided support, I probably get at least as much encouragement from the girls as they do from me. As well as personal discipleship, the year includes overseeing and organising the Navs events throughout the year, like weekends away, the prayer meetings, worship times, and the Carol Service (coming up on Tues 11th Dec @ St Silas, 7.30pm. DON'T MISS IT). Me and Suzie (my fellow Connect one-er) also have a number of book studies throughout the year, a presentation, and a number of additional bible studies to go over as well as our weekly one with our Navs group. I never realised how much we would be poured into this year so the emphasis others have taken on building us up has been a total blessing!
I should probably tell you why I signed up for Connect in the first place:
Well a year and half ago I had just graduated and was praying about what to do next since I had just come to God and wanted to jump right in. I really felt like God said to apply for Connect that year and so I did after I was encouraged to by leaders. I went through all the application process and interview to be told that I wouldn't be taken on because I was such a new Christian. I was devastated since I was sure God has said and I thought I mustn't be able to hear from God (keep reading...it makes sense later). So then came YWAM and I am certain this was God's plan for me instead. I had always thought that Connect would be the obvious plan for after YWAM and thought it'd be nice to be in Glasgow again for atleast another year, knowing that I didn't feel called here long term. However, in the 2nd week of YWAM I was in prayer and felt like God said "You know how you're thinking of doing Connect...did I say that or was that you?" and I knew that I had decided on that as a nice next choice as opposed to asking God. Then He said "What if I wanted you to leave your nice family, mum, church and friends and start you life of 'mission' now and stay on outreach or wherever in the world I might want you. Are you ready to go?" Then I realised how I had always invisioned the mission for the future when I'm ready, and saw how tightly I was holding on to these great blessings God had given me but letting them restrict how/where He wants to use me. So with many tears I prayed and handed these things back to God, knowing that He is trustworthy and only life surrendered with Him is at its fullest. I then spent the next 2 weeks anticipating that anyday He might tell me where He wants me to go and that it probably won't be anywhere near home. Then in worship one morning He said 'I needed you to give up all those things you were holding onto, but I want you to do Connect. Now it's my terms, not yours'. I was so confident that this was God but asked for a confirmation anyway since they're fun to have! - And got back to the base straight from worship, opened my email, and sitting there was 1 new mail saying 'You can now apply to Connect'. My first email from Navs in like 3 months! Confirmation, check! And since I was away in Bangladesh and only able to do the online application, it turned out that since I had had the interview and leadership training during last years application process they had more to go on...so I did hear Him right the year before! I know now how essential it was that God took it away and then gave it back in a new light...since my idea of Connect before was staying home and soaking it up before life of mission truely starts, but since I have given up home as entitilement to God, I now see this year that mission starts here, not far off in the future when I'm 'ready' - whatever that is?
....Hope that story made sense!
All I need to ask now when I experience a struggle with my purpose/effectiveness in Navs is ask 'Did God call me here?' and since I have a clear 'Yes', it's so easy to trust in Him this year that this is exactly where He wants me to be, therefore the most effective place I can be - in His will!
Oh and the team is amazing! Me and Suzie (the other Connect 1-er, front row 2nd from left) have really similiar passions and visions for this year, and get along super well! And it's been pretty amazing working with Sam too, since his passions for prayer and seeing God glorified have always encouraged me from day 1. He's challenged me to not lose my focus in all the details + busyness but to pursue intimacy with God. Here's the team for this year :) Great bunch:
That's enough for one blog. Have lots more to say so will try get it up asap.
Thanks for listening!
Rosh x
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