Family Corner (First this time, with Ministry Praise & Prayer to follow below):
The Lord is always answering prayers, but the title of this update relates to some recent and very dramatically answered prayers on the family side of things that have been a deep encouragement to us, and we want to share that encouragement with you. (It's not "life or death" stuff, but it's still very real for our family.) You know, there are times when the answers are just so clear that we need to stop and mark it in an "Ebenezer Stone-like" way. And so, we are going to lean into a "family story" this time around because it has been deeply encouraging to us.
As of 21st August, quite unexpectedly, both Malachi (20) & Arielle (18) found themselves facing pretty big unexpected complications that could have meant disorientating changes in their immediate plans. Long stories short, Malachi found himself needing to change "majors" at Edinburgh (something that is very tricky to do in the UK), and Arielle - though thrilled to have heard of her acceptance at Durham University the week before - found herself strangely with no offer of promised student housing and thus contemplating the need to take an unexpected gap year.
Three long, long, long, long weeks went by. Many people prayed. We meant to write to this bigger loop but just didn't manage it. The complications weren't going away. We were wondering if the Lord was prompting big changes? Would both kids be home in the Autumn? It was difficult to wait on many levels.
We were feeling pretty weak and needy. Lord, what are you doing? We found some encouragement in these words: "Jesus's prayer life is driven by his experience of sonship. As a son, he can do nothing on his own. He is the most dependent human being who ever lived. All too often, Christians see prayer through the lens of discipline, as in, "If I were more disciplined, I'd pray more." But dependence, not discipline drives Jesus's prayer life....Luke's emphasis on Jesus' exterior prayer life, combined with John's focus on Jesus' interior dependence on his Father, gives us a remarkably coherent picture of what it is to be human." [emphasis added], Paul Miller's _A Praying Church_ p. 124-125.
It was encouraging to be reminded that uncertainties that just felt so destabilizing and that - amongst other things - was helping us to be more truly human through prayerful dependence. Nothing new. Perhaps another way to re-state Romans 5:1-5. But just an encouraging way to think about it. And so counterintuitive. (Even as I type this I'm thinking how quickly this sort of perspective leaks out of me).
And maybe the result of this could have been a loving "No!" God would still have been good. But on 10th September a pathway to a new major opened to Malachi (and to a major he'd already been considering before the complications, but had hesitated to pull the trigger on) and on 12th September Arielle was granted housing at the 11th hour (after a gracious intervention by a senior administrator). Both are thrilled. We are feeling pretty thankful. The Lord is merciful.
A brief attempt to capture some of this just doesn't do the actual story justice. Just know - WE. ARE. THANKFUL. AND. ENCOURAGED. BY. THE. LORD'S. GRACIOUS. ANSWER. IN. THIS. SITUATION.
Pray for Malachi and Arielle in their new steps and Jenn and Luke and me as we settle in to "3" at home as it were. Luke is starting the equivalent of USA 9th grade (UK 10)! A strange mixture of happy and sad. Many of you will know what this is like. Pray for good new rhythms for all of us. Pray for more daily prayer-ful dependence.
Ministry Praise & Prayer
1. Please continue to pray for the autumn ministries starting up. We are seeing the Lord open doors even as we continue to walk by faith as a small church plant who has endured much transition! The Lord continues to enable us to be a fruitful and frontline loving and witnessing presence in NW London’s diverse religious context and we are so grateful for this. Praise God.
2. In addition to regularly getting to share the gospel with unbelievers on the street and in our local networks, we do see a small stream of visitors attending various outreach events and sometimes our weekly worship meeting. What an honor to be able to share the good news of Jesus with friends who really have never heard it. We are praying for a special outreach event on the 27 October (Celebration of The Light): https://www.nlss.org.uk/events. Would you please pray for these outreaches?
3. Toward the end of encouraging church planting that is culturally appropriate in diverse largely South Asian contexts, we are playing a role in organizing this conference coming up on 18/19 October: https://www.advanceinitiative.org/london2024
Please pray for the Lord to use this.
4. Please continue to pray for the Lord to bring more committed followers of Jesus to help the church plant to grow and sustain these great ministry opportunities and to exercise good servant leadership. Pray for the existing committed leaders to be sustained as they pour out in so many ways and so sacrificially.
Thank you for standing with us in prayer and partnership!
with love in the Lord from all of us,
Matt for Jenn and the fam