News from Claire!

Claire writes:
It’s week 7 in the hills and the time here is going quite quickly. It’s only seems the other day I wrote the last news letter – but that was nearly 6 weeks ago!
So much seems to have happened in that time and it’s hard to think were to start.
In my last letter we were going to have the first Teenagers seminar to chose the young leaders, in the end we had two, one day seminars with over 300 teens coming along and we were able to chose 16 young leaders. Some of the parishes have such big numbers of teens that we chose three leaders for that parish rather than two. We have started weekly meetings with these young leaders to train and inspire them in leading their groups back in their own churches.
I have also started the Life Skills sessions at school for the year 6 and 7’s. So far we have looked at; Godly values, Setting our own values for our life and also Peer groups and peer pressure. It’s been a challenge as I don’t have an interpreter for these sessions and so the young people don’t always understand the concepts fully and thinking for themselves seems to be a new thing for them also. I am trying to think of creative ways to help teach these sessions so there is less writing and more chance for them to think and apply.
One of An African Dreams trustees, Liz and her husband Rob came for a week. It was a great week and lovely to be able to talk to someone about what I am doing here. They brought gifts for the orphans so we spent the afternoon distributing them and also they had a huge list of jobs and fact finding for the charity, which amazingly was completed!
But I write this letter after the most brilliant and wonderful week so far. Yesterday we finished the very first Teenagers Conference. It was a great three days! We had 334 teens who registered, we had teaching, all around the theme of: Jesus: Impossible is Nothing! My teaching was an overview of who Jesus is in the first three gospels. With the overall teaching being; Jesus is the King, the servant, the friend of sinners and the perfect human. (The overview of John will come at a later date). We also had some great times of praise and worship (African style of course), small group bible study and a football match! The amazing thing is that Jesus showed up and met the teenagers in their own need, just as was for Blind Bartimaeus, whom Jesus asked ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ The young people prayed, knowing that Jesus is asking them the same question. We had 55 teens make commitments to Jesus which is just totally amazing!! The teenagers really gained from the conference with many, I believe, leaving with a new understanding that Jesus is for them, and He can do the impossible! The conference for me was a brilliant fulfilling of the vision which I had, that the teenagers would be valued and taught at a level they can enter into. I’ve been blown away by the amazingness of the young leaders we have chosen. They worked really hard during the conference, being in charge of the dooms, the teens from their parish, leading worship times, helping with translation, serving the food, organising the football and leading the small group bible studies! Wow!! Just totally awesome how they have got the whole servant leadership idea sorted from the word go!
As it’s currently the school holidays we will continue to meet up with the young leaders more regularly and next Saturday we have an inter-parish Football and Netball competition! We will also hold another one day seminar at some point so that the young people can have the complete picture of Jesus, using the teaching of John’s gospel, and that Jesus is God!
Prayer Requests:
1. Praise that provision for the conference was received and that we now have bibles to give to all the young leaders so that they can be fully equipped to teach others God’s word.
2. For wisdom and discernment to know how to continue and work with the local people and pastors.
3. That I’ll know where I am best to use my time and resources while I am here .
4. For patience, and for the ability to learn some of the local language.

Thank you for all your prayers and support , Love and Blessings Claire x

What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8