The school holidays are now over and there's a lot that has happened. We had some new visitors come into the Café - many who get diverted from St John's park where Marlene, Carol, Tom and the volunteers were working. The volunteers are a wonderful addition to the ministry - being young and quite a bit more attractive than us they present a face of the church that shows it is not only for boring old fuddy duddies like us, but that young people also find Jesus interesting and desirable. This I think brings hope to the youth - awareness that they will not be all alone in the church. These young people also bring freshness and newness with them and their eagerness to read the bible and maintain their relationship with God inspires those who meet them - myself included.
In the Café we had regular visits from some children who wanted to play pool or fussball. We have a shabby old pool table that we get out of the back room and lay ontop of a big table and it forms a pool table for the children to learn on. If it were a grand table we'd be less comfortable with them learning on it, so it's not a bad thing it's a little dishevelled. We had daily visits by the same children. Some were really open to learn how to hold a cue, how to aim the ball and where to leave the white ball. During one visit a little girl came up to me, she was 8 years old. She had left some money lying on the table. I said to her she must be careful of her money. She said that she took it off her dad last night in the pub who was drunk. Can you believe it! She said she took £40 off him and she lost half of it somewhere and the other ten she had spent. I was absolutely astonished. How does this little girl ever become something more than her parents? God pour out your spirit please!
One other thing that really bothers me is the victim mentality of so many people! One fellow I know who has a very dirty, untidy apartment complained that somebody was targeting him. I asked how he knew that, he said that they had pushed a cockroach through his letter box! Can you believe it! The lie that he has told himself! All of his problems are because somebody else is picking on him! Natalie said that perhaps it was God who put the cockroach through the letter box. This is probably the truest answer - though it is quite amusing. The book of Haggai tells us that God will actually bring about such things as these in order that we are drawn into a relationship with Him. Please pray for the end of victim mentalities - that people will take responsibility for their circumstances - that they will learn to fear God.
Ramadan came to an end right at the end of the school holidays. Muslims will celebrate with Eid al Fitur. It is a celebration where they put on new clothes and eat nice food together. A bit like their version of Christmas. They had spent about 30 days fasting during the day - and this during the school holidays. On the first day of the new moon they celebrate Eid and some of the youngsters came and did a rap at the Café.
In the Café we had regular visits from some children who wanted to play pool or fussball. We have a shabby old pool table that we get out of the back room and lay ontop of a big table and it forms a pool table for the children to learn on. If it were a grand table we'd be less comfortable with them learning on it, so it's not a bad thing it's a little dishevelled. We had daily visits by the same children. Some were really open to learn how to hold a cue, how to aim the ball and where to leave the white ball. During one visit a little girl came up to me, she was 8 years old. She had left some money lying on the table. I said to her she must be careful of her money. She said that she took it off her dad last night in the pub who was drunk. Can you believe it! She said she took £40 off him and she lost half of it somewhere and the other ten she had spent. I was absolutely astonished. How does this little girl ever become something more than her parents? God pour out your spirit please!
One other thing that really bothers me is the victim mentality of so many people! One fellow I know who has a very dirty, untidy apartment complained that somebody was targeting him. I asked how he knew that, he said that they had pushed a cockroach through his letter box! Can you believe it! The lie that he has told himself! All of his problems are because somebody else is picking on him! Natalie said that perhaps it was God who put the cockroach through the letter box. This is probably the truest answer - though it is quite amusing. The book of Haggai tells us that God will actually bring about such things as these in order that we are drawn into a relationship with Him. Please pray for the end of victim mentalities - that people will take responsibility for their circumstances - that they will learn to fear God.
Ramadan came to an end right at the end of the school holidays. Muslims will celebrate with Eid al Fitur. It is a celebration where they put on new clothes and eat nice food together. A bit like their version of Christmas. They had spent about 30 days fasting during the day - and this during the school holidays. On the first day of the new moon they celebrate Eid and some of the youngsters came and did a rap at the Café.
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