International Sunday | 16th April

Speaker 1 00:00:05 International Sunday. Woo. Welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome. We've got, have we got food after this service as a second? After the second service. If you guys wanna stay round for round two, you'll be more than welcome. Um, we are gonna have a conversation with someone who has been like a sister to me. Well, is a sister to me. She is called Isa. Might, don't you welcome her to the stage. Speaker 2 00:00:29 Hey. Morning. Morning. Speaker 1 00:00:30 Hello. Speaker 2 00:00:31 Hello. Hi brother. Speaker 1 00:00:32 We don't get the opportunity to do this very often, do we? Speaker 2 00:00:34 I don't think they'll let us. No. Do it together. They know Speaker 1 00:00:37 Life. We, we were speaking beforehand and we said we're gonna have to put a time limit on cuz we could just go Couldn't we? Forever? Speaker 2 00:00:42 Probably could. Speaker 1 00:00:42 Ever, ever. There was Can anyone, was anyone here in the church longer than six to seven years ago? Ah, okay. Can you guys remember the thing called comfy chair that we used to do? <laugh>? I was trying so hard to find the theme tune, but I couldn't find it. But I promise you we will bring it back at some point this year, please. Okay. The comfy chair, uh, the comfy chair was a little thing that we used to do in the church many years ago where uh, there was this theme tune, which you will all hopefully hear. If you hear this year, at some point I'll find it. And uh, we used to do little interviews with people about their lives and this is a little bit similar on this wonderful international Sunday. Sure, sure. We are gonna be asking Ian a little bit about her life, what she does, how God is using her in this time and this moment, what she's learning about God. All those things is where we are going. But first, give us your name and how long you've been attending Rediscover Church Speaker 2 00:01:32 For. Okay. My name's Issan Marvel. Yes. And I have been in rediscover church since October, 2012. Wow. So this October will be 11 years. Look at that. So 10 and a half years ago. Speaker 1 00:01:48 Yeah. I love it. You can remember me coming into this church for the first Speaker 2 00:01:50 Time, can't you? Yes. Yes. I remember you coming into this church and you Speaker 1 00:01:53 Were shaking face baby boy. Yes. Speaker 2 00:01:56 Turning off a baby, a babe, an actual babe. And you used to, you used, he used to photo bomb everybody. So you'd be doing this really nice photo and then you'd get home and Sean would be in the back like this. Speaker 1 00:02:10 Yeah. Still do it now. Yeah. Yeah. Still do it now be careful if you take photos in this church. That's all I'm gonna say. Sure. Yeah. Um, let me ask you an icebreaker question. What is one item you would say you can't live without? Speaker 2 00:02:24 Like, do we need to go like spiritual, spiritual <laugh> and be like my Bible or No? Um, Speaker 1 00:02:32 We all know you would choose your Bible. Speaker 2 00:02:33 Yes. I would choose my Bible. We all know that. However, when I moved into the home that I'm in now, yes. Because I lived of Hannah for years and like most of the furniture was hers. The only furniture that I owned when I moved into my new home was a coffee machine. That was the only piece of furniture that I had. Speaker 1 00:02:52 And that would be the item you Speaker 2 00:02:53 Choose right now. That would be the item I choose. I tell people that I love, I don't drink coffee for me. I drink coffee for you <laugh>. So that I'm nice and I smile. Coffee is for the safety of you guys. So it would be my coffee machine. Go Speaker 1 00:03:09 And coffee. Would anyone else choose coffee? Just be honest. Come on. Coffee, look. Coffee, coffee. Speaker 2 00:03:14 Coffee, coffee. Tea. Okay. Or tea. Okay, Speaker 1 00:03:17 Let me ask you another question then. What one food could you not live without? Yeah, that'd be mine. Crisps would be Speaker 2 00:03:25 Mine. Salt and vinegar. Walker's. Green salt. Speaker 1 00:03:27 Yeah. Speaker 2 00:03:28 Walker's green. Um, Speaker 1 00:03:29 <laugh> salt and vinegar or cheese and onion. Put your hands with your cheese and onion. You Speaker 2 00:03:33 Can leave. That's fine. The door is there. Speaker 1 00:03:35 And put your hands with your salt and vinegar. Yeah, the saints arise. Look at them. Fran. Cocktail can that You Speaker 2 00:03:41 Can also leave. Rob, Speaker 1 00:03:42 Put your hands if you're something else other than somon and cheese and onion. Okay. There's a few of you. There's a few of you. Mark would be prone cocktail if he was here. Yes he would right now as well. Um, Isan, you are also, you've got the coolest name in history in my opinion. Because you are a doctor. Yes I am. And therefore Dr. Marvel. Yes. How cool is that? How cool is that? Yeah. Doesn't have the same ring. Dr. Hornsby. Yeah. To Dr. Marvel. Dr. Marvel. I would choose your name every single time. Yeah. Give us a little bit of insight as to what that was as a season in your life. Speaker 2 00:04:13 Yeah. So I um, I moved to Exeter as I said in 2012. And I came here to do my doctorate in child educational psychology. So I work as a child educational psychologist now. And I also lecture at the university. Um, I didn't know about Exeter when God said Exeter. I had to look it up on a map, <laugh>. And I was so afraid to tell my parents Exeter because we had agreed Nottingham, like I had a flat in Nottingham that my parents paid right. For the year. And I remember praying about it when I felt like God was saying, no, I want you to go to Exeter. And I remember I waited till my mother got into the bathroom because there was a door between us <laugh>. And I said, I really feel, I know we've paid for this flat in Nottingham. I know that my fir that my luggage cuz my aunt moved my luggage, you know, to the flat in Nottingham. I know it's all there, but I really feel like, like God is saying extra. And the beauty of having Christian parents is that she's like, yeah, they told me Xta about a week ago. We were waiting for her to tell you <laugh>, we've already called your aunt and she's about to move your stuff <laugh>. No way. We need to find some place in Exeter. So it was absolute confirmation that it was Exeter. Speaker 1 00:05:36 It's better weather here than any. Not as Speaker 2 00:05:38 Well. Oh, for sure. For sure. For sure. For sure. And you know, like I love Barbados. I'm kind of proud of my Caribbean heritage. So I couldn't imagine not living in Barbados. Like one of the reasons I chose education was psychology was cuz I could assure myself of a job when I went back. And so the plan was what my plan to God was. I was was gonna be an extra for a year. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, I was gonna find a church, I was gonna stay in the back. I was gonna make one friend <laugh>. And then at the end of the year I was gonna leave church, well Exeter and go back to Barbados. So that was my plan to be here for a year and do my doctorate distance from Barba. Speaker 1 00:06:17 Not worked Speaker 2 00:06:18 Out that way. Nah, nah. Not worked out the first Sunday. I don't know if she's here or she remembers. We're off. Yeah. We need to. Yeah. No, no. Um, I sat behind Leanna Davies, Leanna Sunday I came to church and after the worship of the first service, she said, hi, welcome to Rediscover Church. See your first time. They said, yeah. She said, yeah, worship rehearsals Thursday <laugh>, I'll see you there and hop is tomorrow. I'll see you there. And that was it really. I got involved. I felt like home. Um, I felt like God absolutely. The, this church was a part of my story. I I walked in, no one said anything, but I knew that I was gonna be here for a while and then, yeah, I felt family and I felt belonging. And so it's made me feel safe enough to choose to live my life here. Speaker 1 00:07:08 When did you know that God's confirmation? When when did you receive that confirmation? Within that first year? When did you start to sense God was perhaps changing the plans that you thought were ordered in front of Speaker 2 00:07:18 You? I think within the first week of, of finding this church. Cause I was here and I was kind of looking around. Yeah. And Mo was who told me about, cause I was part of Numa told me about this. And within the first week coming into church, going to prayer meeting, getting coming on team, feeling like I felt people that, cuz I had felt a bit alone moving from the Caribbean, not knowing anybody Anton night, but knowing where extra was, just the warmth and and sense of of love that I felt Mrs. B's house on a Monday. We were fed for years. You, you just had a sense of family. And so if in that first year I didn't know how it was gonna work because I had enough money for a year. So the, I I knew I was gonna save for more, but okay, God, you need to sort that because I have enough money for one year. Speaker 2 00:08:03 And then of course like he does when I was, you know, thinking, okay, maybe I have to go back. He completely opened up a path and I got a scholarship, which is not usually open to international students and some set which I currently work sponsored me, which they don't usually do with international students. So then, and that happened like maybe in June. So then I was able to stay. But I, I knew like money was running out and my parents, we cannot afford to have me here for three years. But then God made away really Speaker 1 00:08:33 Amazing. Yeah. We thoroughly believe that this church has been a place where God is sending people to, but also a place where God is sending people from. And I, I believe right now my spirit, that God is doing something amazing within the life of rediscovered church, but also the church across Exeter in the southwest where people are being sent here for a, a purpose and for a reason. And we are getting to grips with what we feel God is stirring in the midst of us. What that purpose and reason is right now. And a big part of that, as you know, is church planting the hope to plant 100 churches in the next 10 years. A big tall ask that we believe God is going to accomplish because it's not our vision. We thoroughly believe it's God's vision. Sure, yeah. To be part of his mission and his call to make disciples to impact regions, towns, cities. Speaker 1 00:09:26 And I'm so thankful that so many people have been sent here. I I was one of them 10 years ago as a, a missionary from the up Northland of the UK down here to the South <laugh>. Um, and I believe God's stirring it in his people right now. There's a verse in acts from chapter 17, two verses. It says from one man he has made every nationality to live over the whole earth. And he has God determined their appointed times and the boundaries of where they live, determined the appointed times and the boundaries of where they live. He did this so that they might seek God and perhaps they might reach out to him and find him for, he is not as far from us as we may think for in him. We live and move and have our being. God is calling us in this time to be sent to and sent from the local church. The question is, where are you being sent to? Where are you being sent to? What is the capacity in your life or the area of your life where mission is taking its precedence. Hessan you work, you told us a little bit about, um, how you got to where you are right now. Tell us a little bit about what you do. Speaker 2 00:11:00 So, um, uh, educational psychologist, we often work in schools and in earlier settings and in colleges we, I do quite a lot of work jointly with health. And I guess the, if I was to kind of think about saying it in a, in a, in a sentence, really my role is to support the most vulnerable children, young people and their families. And to support them in live in having good and positive outcomes. Yeah. And so often schools get us involved if they're concerned about a child or a young person about their development. And there is almost a tagline that my team uses. It says, you know, we are hope catchers. I love that educational psychologists are hope catchers because sometimes you're in situations where everyone can feel really negative. Yeah. Or it feels really stuck. Or people at children and young people or schools are having a really negative experience and they're being really honest about that. Things can feel really difficult in, in educational settings. And we acknowledge that that's how people feel and we catch what's positive, what's possible. What is the potential, what is the purpose that God has spoken over this situation. And, and that's what I do. And I support people in thinking about a positive possible future. Speaker 1 00:12:20 I love that. Isn't that just a summary of the gospel right now? Right. We're, we're in a time and a place where things are dark. There are things going on that we know aren't according to the way God wants. There are things around us that can literally, um, shape our thinking and to only seeing the negativity of this time and season. But there is a call on our lives right now church to be hope catchers. Yes. To turn negative into positive, to see what God can do even in the darkest of times that we are called to be carriers of lights in a dark place. I love that. I absolutely love that. To be hope catches. Yeah. That's, that's beautiful. What have you seen God do within your role or, or what have you learned about him within this, this process of you going into schools and helping people within their educational? Speaker 2 00:13:10 I think it was really interesting when you asked me to interview and I had to kind of re-shift how I view again, how I view mission because my, my job, you know, 95% of what I do is outside of church. Yep. And I believe, I truly believe that God is the best psychologist that there is. I can't separate my work is absolute worship to him. And so the, I think also people who are working in kind of education, health and care and like caring professions, God has filled those places. Don't, don't kind of believe what you're told. God is filled those places with people who believe and trust him and know that they cannot do their job without kind of leaning on his strength. Yeah. And his guidance. So I believe God is the best psychologist and I've seen him show up in situations where it feels really stuck and really dark. Speaker 2 00:14:04 And what you prayed earlier about, you know, God opened my mouth and you feel it. There are some situations I thought, I don't even know how we, how this is unstuck. How things feel positive and he shows up in and makes a real difference for those lives. So I think for me it's that trust in him because some situations can feel really complicated and really complex. Anyone who works education, health and care, you know, that things can feel really complex and really stuck and then suddenly you get this divine idea or you hear yourself saying something which is psychologically sound because God is the best psychologist ever. Yeah. But you know, that's absolutely a God idea. Speaker 1 00:14:45 Where does that breakthrough come from in those settings? You sound like when you find yourselves in seasons or workplaces, there might be people here today that are, that are in really challenging workplaces right now. Feeling like things aren't, you know, flying with the things of God perhaps in their own environments. Yeah. The, I'm hoping and praying the people that are Yeah. That having that, but where does that place of breakthrough sensing God's hand on your life in a secular environment that's not filled with loads of Christians who are praying every day, where does that breakthrough come from Speaker 2 00:15:16 For you? That word from Al was absolutely a hundred percent. Not that I ever thought it wouldn't be, but absolutely on point that comes from almost a private place of, of prayer and seeking God. Because the Bible says, you know, the earth is the Lord. I truly believe where I walk, I have authority. And when I show up in situations, the kingdom of God is here. I don't separate myself or what I'm doing like God is with me always. But hearing his voice is a doing word. It's an action. You have to be familiar with it. And how do I hear God's voice? How do I know what I, how I think he's communicating to me? It's in my private place of prayer and worship that I do. So that when I do go out in into my workplace, I can hear him or I sense what he's doing. But that comes from building up my own spiritual strength, from seeking time to pray and fast and worship. So it's those sacrifices for me in the quiet times that supports me in being able to sense what he's doing. Cuz he's all around, he's everywhere. My job is to sense what he's doing and what he's saying. Speaker 1 00:16:28 Love it. Speaker 2 00:16:29 Yeah. Speaker 1 00:16:31 So good. Henry Martin, uh, he said these words that I read this morning as I was just doing a little bit of research and prayer into this and, and I'm gonna ask you if you can pray for us in a moment to close our service. He said if that's okay. But Henry Martin says these words, he said, the spirit of Christ is the spirit of missions. The nearer we get to his spirit, the more intensely we become a missionary, the spirit of Christ is the spirit of missions. The nearer we get to him, the more intensely we become missionaries. What does it look like this week as we come here on a Sunday to be the gathered church? And in a moment we become the scattered church. Speaker 1 00:17:25 Hundreds of people who know the gospel, who are filled with the Holy Spirit going into offices, schools, hospitals, educational practices to be carriers of the mission and light of Jesus Christ. What does it look like in your conversations with those family members who don't know Jesus? What does it look like on the phone call a little later with a son or a daughter? What does it look like when you wake up tomorrow morning? You have your quiet time and you prepare yourself for the day. That is a hat. The closer we are to the spirit of God, the more intensely we become a missionary for him. Church, I want to encourage you this week that there is a purpose to your days. Speaker 1 00:18:34 And I want to encourage you to think even bigger than in this season. There's a purpose to this church. God is doing something new. See, I am doing a new thing. Will you not? Mm-hmm. <affirmative> perceive it. Don't miss a church. One Peter four 11. If anyone speaks, let it be one who speaks God's words. If anyone serves, let it be from the strength that God provides so that God may be glorified through Jesus Christ in your everything to Him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen. Amen. Would you pray for a Zan? Of Speaker 2 00:19:23 Course Father God, we thank you for your word. We thank you for the man that you say you are. You are always with us. There is no place that we go where your presence does not go before us. And you guard the way and you light the path before us. God, I pray as we your church, as we leave this place and we go into our works, we go into the areas where we have influence, our spares of influence, whatever that may look like, may we be reminded that we are always on your mission field. Amen. We are always carriers of your life. Amen. And your hope and your truth. I pray that we perceive and we search out where you are. I pray that we live in the word and the season of when we open our mouths, you will fill it. Amen. I pray that we trust that you are good. You will never leave us, you will never forsake us. And I pray that we stand in the knowledge that you are always with us. The plans and purposes you have for us are good. The plans and purposes that you have for the people in our work and our families and our homes, they are good. And I pray God that we pick up that mantle of mission and we see your kingdom come in our homes, in our communities, in our works and in this church and in this region. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Speaker 1 00:20:56 Amen. Can we show some love to East Sound this morning? Thank you for joining me. That was awesome. Thank you so much Sophie. Yeah. Welcome Sophie up to the stage. Come on. It's a great joy to have my good friend Sophie. Sophie is currently a youth leader, uh, with me on the youth team and has been uh, an exceptional role model and leader to many of our young people in this church. Uh, which I'll get onto in in a moment, but Sophie first, um, tell us how long you've been coming at Rediscovered Church for? Speaker 4 00:21:31 I think five years, probably now. Five. Yeah, five years I reckon. Speaker 1 00:21:35 Lovely. Five long years. And um, what, what has been, what have you learnt most about God in the last few years? I'm putting you on the spot. These aren't questions that I through at you. Speaker 4 00:21:46 Prep me for this Sean. What I learned most about God, I think, I think I've learned a lot about God's grace. Yeah. I think when I was younger I don't think that was something that I understood very much. And I think recently I've learned a lot about like how kind God is and how actually like we don't have to be perfect and be this super spiritual Christian all the time and actually we're struggling. Like God has so much grace for you and like obviously he wants you to like live what the Bible says and stuff. But actually if we find it really hard to do that sometimes or you mess up like actually God's always after you. He's not gonna just kick you in the day and leave you like he loves you just as much if you're not perfect all the time. Love Speaker 1 00:22:23 It. It's brilliant. Um, before we talk about what you did in the summer last, it was last summer, it was last year, last summer. Um, let me throw a few icebreaker questions to you cuz you're a youth leader so you can Speaker 4 00:22:34 Definitely Yeah, I'm youth. Speaker 1 00:22:34 Yeah. <laugh>. Um, what is the one item you can't live without? Speaker 4 00:22:40 Ooh, maybe my paints. Speaker 1 00:22:44 Paints. Yeah. Speaker 4 00:22:45 I love painting so it might be that. So Speaker 1 00:22:48 Some of you'll have noticed the painting that was done in the hallway outside. This is the one that did that, which is absolutely awesome. Have a look on the way out if you've not seen it, it's absolutely amazing. Paints. That's a good one. Um, what one food could you not live Speaker 4 00:23:01 With without? Okay. Bolognese a hundred percent speak. I love it. It's my favorite. Speaker 1 00:23:04 Bolognese. Speaker 4 00:23:05 Okay. Yeah. I love it. I have it. Breakfast, lunch and dinner record. Yeah. With cheese. Loads of cheese on top. Speaker 1 00:23:12 Has anyone ever had spaghetti bowl and aa breakfast before? No. There's a few <laugh>. It's coy. F like um, what is your favorite flavored crisp Speaker 4 00:23:22 Salt vinegar. Yes. Yeah. Speaker 1 00:23:25 Any cheese and onion in the house. Okay. Any salt vinegar in the house? Yay. Okay. Really passionate sort of vinegar fans in the house. Any other flavor in the house? Pro <laugh> prong cocktails shouted out in the first as well. We've got a few prong cocktails in the house. Okay. Um, last question. I could keep going forever guys. This could just be church for us this morning. Um, last question is Sunday roast. Yeah. Favorite item on a Sunday? Roast Speaker 4 00:23:51 Yorkshire puddings or stuffing If we have stuffing but stuffing doesn't happen much in my house but I love Speaker 1 00:23:55 It. I like stuffing in Yorkshire. Putties. Speaker 4 00:23:56 Yeah. That, that would be an absolute dream. <laugh> Speaker 1 00:24:00 Stuffing for anyone else? Yorkshire Pudding for anyone else? Meat for anyone else? Sprouts for anyone else? Can you just cheer at everyone? Speaker 4 00:24:11 Yeah, just say you have it, everything. Speaker 1 00:24:12 <laugh>, you've got everyone. Okay. Love it. Thank you. Sorry. Um, Sophie, we're gonna talk about a few things that's happened last year. Tell us about what you did this summer. We're just get straight into it. Um, Speaker 4 00:24:23 Yes, so this summer, well this summer just gone. I went over to Senegal in Africa, which is west coast of Africa, um, for six weeks with a charity called Mercy Ships. Um, which if people don't know them, they're like a massive, they've got I think two ships at the moment. Two like they look like cruise ships. They're really big. Um, and they have hospitals on them like proper, like what you'd see down the road and in Exta like a proper hospital and they just sail them around different places in Africa where people can't afford healthcare or like there's not much access to it and um, just do surgeries and operations and things for people for free. So I just went into some work with them. Incredible weeks. Speaker 1 00:24:55 Yeah, that's great. How long was you on the ships for? Speaker 4 00:24:57 I was on there for six weeks. Speaker 1 00:24:58 It was on for six weeks in the summer. Uh, where did the idea come from? Speaker 4 00:25:02 Um, so I'd heard about the charity like quite probably when I was like 14, um, at a conference called Spring Harvest. Dunno if anyone knows it. Um, and yeah, just kind of heard about 'em then and thought, oh that's really cool and just banged it. I've always been like, oh I'd love to travel, I'd love to do some mission work. Um, and then it was Easter last year, probably about this time last year. I went home from university for Easter and I was joined to my family. I, I dunno what to do in my summer. I've got a really long summer, dunno what to do, maybe go and visit this friend and do that and do that. And my mom was like, Sophie literally said she wanted to go to uni because they've got such long summer holidays there so you can travel and do mission work and art and things like that. Speaker 4 00:25:39 Why don't you look at some things like that. So me and my sister just had a little look online and we looked at Mercy Ships and she actually found the position that I applied for, um, which was to be a summer program assistant, so like a teaching assistant basically. Um, and she was like, oh, just have a go. And the deadline was literally a couple of days away and it would be starting like six weeks later. Um, and I said, okay, have a go. Um, and just applied for it then and just went from there. So yeah, it's Speaker 1 00:26:03 Cool. Absolutely amazing. So, uh, you sign up for Mercy Ships, um, you get the news back that you've been accepted to go on to them. You're gonna be there for six weeks traveling away from home Yeah. To go into different places doing things that you've probably never done before. Yeah. That's pretty good. Experiencing cultures you've never experienced before. Um, as that news starts to set in that you are gonna go onto Mercy Ships mm-hmm <affirmative>, um, what was the feeling? Was it excitement? Was it fear? Was it nervousness? What, what Speaker 4 00:26:30 Was it? I was so excited. Like I genuinely was just really excited. Um, there was loads of stuff I had to do, so they said like, yeah, you are in in Carmen. I was like, yay, great. And then they sent me all of this paperwork and I was like, oh my gosh. Um, and there was so much that I had to squeeze into that six weeks. Cause normally they let you know like a couple of months in advance, but cause I'd applied so late, I obviously couldn't have any more time to sort it all out. So I was really excited if I had loads and loads of stuff that I had to do beforehand. So I was like, oh my gosh, am I gonna get done? So I, I was literally constantly like, oh, I'm not gonna go, I'm not gonna go. I'm never gonna get all the paperwork done. Speaker 4 00:27:04 And then I'd get the expert done, they send me some more, I'd be like, yeah, I don't think I'm gonna get this done. And then like literally everything that I had to do looked like it wasn't gonna happen until probably like a day before that it was due. And then God would be like, yeah, there you go. That's fine. I was like, okay. But it happened probably about 10 times and by the end I was used to it. I was like, yeah, nothing's gonna get done until the day before. It needs to get done. That's just how it's working. But yeah, it was, it was, it was busy preparing for it but I was really excited. Speaker 1 00:27:30 So. Good. And uh, you step onto your first day. Um, what happened? What was the six weeks like for you? Speaker 4 00:27:37 It was amazing. It was, it was really, really different to anything that I've ever done before. Cause I've never left Europe so it was, it was a big change. Um, and I arrived, our flight was delayed. I arrived at like three in the morning and we got off the airplane. We all, I met with some other people who come from different flights and stuff and we all met up with um, it was like a little guy with a taxi sign and we've been told, look for that sign. He'll take you where you need to go. So we all kind of Lloyd and we, this guy, it was dark, couldn't see anything and these two big trucks pulled up and this chuck just all in the back of the trucks, Chuck all our luggage in another truck just disappeared. I was like, I've got no idea where I'm going. Speaker 4 00:28:10 I can't see anything. I dunno any of these people. So it was really surreal. Um, and then waking up the next day and looking out the window and just being like, oh, it's totally different to anything I've ever seen before. Yeah. Um, and even Ste cause we were in a hotel for the first night. We had to um, quarantine cause it was covid restrictions and things and stepping out of the door, um, for the first time to walk down to the ships to board was just like, it was just so, so different. There was like the first thing I walked out and there was like armed policemen with machine guns and I was like, okay, this is a little bit different to England. Okay. Um, and then going down the street and like the roads are like probably what you'd imagine if you haven't been to Africa. The roads are like just what I imagine. Like there's no, no one does anything that you would do in it. Like you just drive all over the place and honk at people and jump outta the way like it is mayhem. Um, but yeah, it was amazing. It was so, so such a different culture and different country. Um, but yeah, getting on the ship was really exciting. It was great. Speaker 1 00:29:01 And what did you see God do within the six weeks thinking now of people in the room that have lived, uh, lived a life depending on the things of God and hoping that in the seasons ahead God will invite them towards mission, invite them towards experiencing God. Do something when we step out. Yeah. Yeah. What did you experience God do within your time? What did you learn about him? Did you see him do anything in particular? Is there anything that sticks out in your journey that you can think? I can't believe God did that was incredible. Speaker 4 00:29:36 Yeah. Okay. I think there's probably quite a lot of things that I could talk about that God did. Um, I think first off, the thing that I absolutely loved was, and I know we talk about loads in church and loads in the Bible, it's like unity. Um, and just the feeling of being on that ship and working with so many people who all loved Jesus and everyone was doing such different things and like, there's like heart surgeons and cooks and cleaners and like mechanics, like such different people and like everyone with different skill sets. But I think just like the love and like just the joy that we were doing something together was such a nice thing to be a part of. Um, yeah. And just to share in that. So that was amazing. Um, and I think second off, like I think like when I got there I was kind of like, I think sometimes you can like hype up in your head of it and I was like, oh, like I don't know, maybe this guy's leg will just grow back or something. Speaker 4 00:30:25 And like sure that happens. But like, I think it was more like the simplicity of the fact that everyone knew that we were completely reliant on Jesus for everything that we were doing. Like the fact that we were there, like having the fun sake as a charity we're completely funded by um, what people give and people actually wanting to turn up and do it. Um, so I think just the fact that like God provides all those little things and actually that's where the miracle is that God provides all those little things and the strength and the faith to do it. Um, and I think that was just like one of the most amazing things because it was, it was no different to life here in a sense because everyone was just there doing life and working. Yeah. So it's completely the same, but I think there's just a, a much greater like realization for me of, oh, okay, I'm here because God's put me here and like, oh, I'm only gonna manage to do this. Speaker 4 00:31:13 God helps me to do this. And like, like we had loads of things go wrong, like our first week about 50 people or got this, I don't know if it's food poisoning or some sickness bug because it was a hospital we had to quarantine. So we lost like four of our team were were um, quarantine at one point. Yeah. And then we had a massive storm the next week and like massive bits of debris blowing past and it destroyed one of the gang planks and everything. So a lot of stuff was going wrong. So I think just like trusting God and everything was always all right in the end. But just realizing that like for stuff to go Ryan, for us to be able to do the work that we went out there to do, like we needed God I think was a really cool thing. Speaker 1 00:31:48 It's fascinating, isn't it? Just that realization you just spoke about there, Sophie, of knowing that God had placed you there for that purpose and time learning about God in the journey of stepping out, learning about God, of stepping through the doors that he places in front of our lives. And so often I think that's what we are as a church. People who love the things of God, love the things of Jesus consistently looking for the doors that God places in front of us and then having the bravery and boldness to be able to step through them when they open in front of us. And when we step through those doors, we see God do some amazing things. And so often in our lives we're always looking for the as you just were as alluding to the, the big miracles of life which happen. I know so many of you in this room have experienced big miracles in your life. Speaker 1 00:32:36 I've heard you speak about them with faith and joy in your hearts. But sometimes what that does to those that hear those is they feel that if they're not experiencing that something's wrong. And actually the small miracles in our lives are just as important as the big miracles. In fact, when we add up those small miracles, they make a big miracle, don't they? What would it look like this week as we step into the door of this week? Mm-hmm. <affirmative> to believe that God can lay before us or is even predestined before us this week. Big and small miracles for us to walk into. What would it do for our faith if we was to really believe that God has doors and windows of opportunities this week in our conversations with our loved ones and with people that we don't know to really believe that God has sent you to be part of the church, the global church, but also this church so that you can be sent from the church to be a carrier of light into a broken world. There's an amazing scripture in Acts chapter 17, verse 26, the 28 that I read in the first service and I'm gonna read it again here. It says these words from one man, he has made every nationality to live over the whole earth and has determined there are appointed times and the boundaries of where they live. Speaker 1 00:33:58 Let's think about your life right now and hear those words. They're from one man. He has made every nationality to live over the whole earth as you and I. And he, God has determined there are appointed times. This moment in history, the breath and the air that you are breathing in right now and the boundaries in which you live. Your location here in the southwest are in Devon or perhaps beyond, has been allocated and located right now by God. You could have lived at any moment in history thousands of years prior. You could have had your existence yet here you are today. Now the responsibility that comes with that upon all our lives is how are we partnering with God in the season that he has allotted for this moment? Speaker 1 00:34:54 How is your life saying yes to the small and big opportunities that he brings before you? How is your life saying, I want to get to the end of my days and have God's stories where I saw, I saw, I saw God show up because I was willing to to step out. What does it look like for the month ahead? Henry Martin, he said these words and I'm gonna ask you to pray for us in a minute. Sophie, as we've heard a bit about your journey, I was stirred as I saw Sophie go through this process. I can remember her coming to me whilst she was at university saying, I'm thinking about doing something in the summer. I've never done something before. I think I wanna step out and do something a little bit big. I I, I've never kind of done this before. I feel like God's asking me to do it. Speaker 1 00:35:36 And, and I can remember seeing that kind of inquisitiveness and excitement but also tension and nervousness of kind of going, I dunno what's gonna happen here. And then I can remember you disappearing for six weeks and thinking, where on earth is Sophie gone? And then I can remember Sophie turning back up and when you turn back over Kamer walking into Sunday morning and then your adults and students and there was just this beautiful presence of God on your life where I could sense that you had seen God do things in your heart and you had seen and do things through your life. And I can remember seeing it and hearing your story as we've heard this morning and thinking, what would it look like if all of us had that faith every single week? What would it look like if we were to step into our Monday tomorrow and have the absolute faith that God had conversations for us to have works for us to do service for us to serve in words for us to say songs, for us to write pictures for us to paint in the business room with our colleagues in the workplace. Speaker 1 00:36:43 Henry Mine, he said these words, the spirit of Christ is the spirit of mission. The spirit of Christ is the spirit of mission. The nearer we get to Jesus, the more intensely we become a missionary. The nearer we get to Christ, the more intensely we become a missionary. Today we are the gathered church pressing into the things of God here in different nations and tribes and tongues, praying in their prayers corporately in a place where we can gather and sing out and pray our prayers and speak of the goodness of Jesus. But the reality is in what an hour's time the gathered church becomes. The scattered church we gather to know him intimately and we scatter for his name to be known through our lives. One Peter four 11, if anyone speaks, let it be as one who speaks God's words. If anyone serves, let it be from the strength that God provides so that God may be glorified through Jesus Christ in everything to him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen. Speaker 1 00:38:14 Sophie, would you pray for us in a moment the church we are sent to and sent from? What does this new season look like for you? What is God inviting you towards in the future? What does tomorrow look like? What does this evening look like? What are the faith adventures and stories that he has mapped out before you? The same word that I had for the first service I bring to you. Do not count yourself out. Do not disqualify yourself. Whatever that reason is that comes up in your head. If it's stopping you from stepping into his plans for the season, eliminate it. He's got something for his church. He's doing something. All he needs is a yes. All he needs is a yes. Can you pray for us? Us? Speaker 4 00:39:05 Yeah. Cool. Dear God, I thank you for everybody here in this room today. Um, and I thank you that you call us to live a life that's exciting. Like living for you isn't boring. Um, and I thank you that that can be in our normal everyday life. Yeah. And that can look like just going to work and loving our family and that can also look like having crazy adventures. Yeah. Like beyond England or Yeah. It can look like so many different things. Um, so I thank you that thank you that you let us partner with you in that. Um, cuz you could do all of that stuff anyway, but thank you that you let us be a part of it. Um, and I thank you that where we see so much brokenness and so much pain and heart in our world that actually like you promise that that's not gonna last forever. Speaker 4 00:39:50 And you promise that you'll make a way out of that for us. Um, and that you're with us in that as well. I thank you for that Jesus. And I just pray for everybody in this room. Um, whatever they're going through. Um, yeah. They just know you God, that they'd know your love and they'd know that no matter what season of life they're in, no matter what life looks like for them, that they're made worthy in your eyes and they don't need to do anything super spiritual and amazing that they can just be themselves and love you. And um, and that's actually all that you call us to do is to love you and all of that, to love other people. Um, yeah. And I thank you that life with you is, is simple like that sometimes that all we need to do is, is love others and trust you God. Um, I pray that you just empower people to do that and that yeah. You just draw us closures of the community and let us really get to know one another, um, and work out having himself one another and serve those around us. Um, and just show your love best Jesus in your name. Amen. Speaker 1 00:40:47 Amen. Can we show some love to Sophie whose shadow of us this morning? Thank you. Thank you so much.