First there were sixteen or so – the group that went to Bulgaria, spouses and kids - coming together again for a debrief. Talking about the highs, lows, experiences of the trip, views and perceptions, why go all the way there when there are also other cultures here, how to be more effective here through what you learned and how God changed you over there – a bag of all sorts, as debriefs usually go. All in all an awesome experience, not just to share God’s blessing with another nation, but also to learn more about God’s Kingdom.Feedback will take place on 14 July – venue in Pretoria still to be announced.
Then later there were thirteen or so (plus kids) – to talk about families in missions. Can missions and families co-exist, or will they get in the way of each other and pull in different directions? When you put God’s Kingdom and His calling on your life at the centre, then there will be no conflict – your calling will include your family. Just as when Abraham followed God’s calling to a land that he did not know, and his whole family came with him on the journey. That means leaving the familiar and what we think of as safe, but what is safe really, and what inheritance do we really leave our children? Houses, cars, a good education…the securities of this world…or an inheritance in the Lord? Sometimes we make that switch “too” late, and then there needs to be humility and a heart-to-heart chat, and leading by example, to explain what is happening and to help them cope with the change of direction.
