George: I have somewhat reluctantly served as Chairman of the local Neighbourhood Forum for the last 18 months. I didn’t desire the job nor do I consider myself particularly well-suited for it. However, our multi-ethnic community needs all the help it can get in getting along in peace and harmony, and that’s part of the mandate of the Forum.
My right-hand man, the Forum Secretary, is a devout Muslim of Pakistani heritage (the largest ethnic group in our area). Our Treasurer is a kind Jamaican lady not very happy about the busy new mosque across the street from her home. Then there is the older Irish gentleman who in more than one election ran as a candidate for a political party branded as racist and if given a chance would “send all the immigrants back to where they came from” (would that include him I wonder?). All this makes for interesting dynamics in our monthly meetings, and I have learned that the surface layer of peace and harmony is covering a deep bedrock of suspicion and distrust–where? In our committee? Perhaps, but even more so in the wider community.
This directly impacts our ability to serve as Christ’s ambassadors here. We have had to consciously work at overcoming suspicion by acts of kindness and love in the name of Christ, and so it continues. My initial reluctance has given way to conviction that I can serve Christ well as Chairman of the Neighbourhood Forum. The local community needs a sense of true community, and who better to help create that than God’s people? Pray for us as we seek to let our light shine that people may see our good works and praise our Heavenly Father. Pray for our Christian witness in the Forum and in the community.
Karen: God seems to be doing something new in my English class. Whereas my class used to be composed solely of Pakistani Muslim women, it is now more diverse, including a Russian, a couple of Brazilian, a Somalian, as well as an Afghani and several Pakistani women. I recently had opportunity to give the Afghani lady a Jesus Film. One of my former students who became quite ill last year, has returned to class this year and was excited when I told her about the boys’ club her 2 sons can attend. She has already watched the Jesus film & told the Afghani lady, “It is very good.”
Pray as we continue to sow seeds in the hearts of the children who attend our clubs. The current theme in girls’ club is compassion. Last week I spoke to my younger girls about the compassion of Jesus the Messiah for people and told them the story of the mothers bringing their children to see Jesus. I shared how Jesus’ helpers sent them away but Jesus said, “No, let them come!” He wasn’t too busy for children. He cared about those children and their mothers and their needs. I told our club girls that He cares about them too.
Continue to pray for things we have mentioned before–George’s mother Doris, the new special monthly fellowship of believers, and the needs of our little church.
We are grateful to be part of God’s great “community”, the Church of Jesus Christ.
George and Karen
