Glenmanus GO Team

Hello Faithful Readers and True Believers! I think one word can describe my posting efforts.......late. As raging as James probably is currently. I'll try and fill you all in on the ins and outs of the Glenmanus GO Team this year.

The team headed up to the North Coast soon after the end of the CY Outing. We were greeted at the manse and had a rough plan of the weeks work along with prayer. Soon after, we jetted off to our 5-Star Accomodation at Norman and Nancys where all the team was staying. You could imagine it would be stressful, but truthfully the only bad thing about it was the queue for the shower!

After our day of rest on Sabbath, our work began on Monday, giving out 3000 copies of the Anchor, with the title "Do you have a Credit Crisis?" along with smaller pamphlets on "Points to Ponder" for Portrush. God provided great answer to prayer with this as the weather always seemed to clear up as we were heading out.

Another ministry we carried out was visitation, we met with a number of older people from the congregations aswell as various Nursing Homes in which we sang psalms, gave out the Points to Ponder phamplets and enjoyed the fellowship with the older people. The Team really appreciated this as we saw the joy we were bringing to the generations that have taught us so much. One particular visit will stick in my mind for a long time, as we went to Mr Ernest Lloyds house, where he spent time talking to us and praying with us. I still struggle to find words to describe it, lets leave it at "it was some thing else".

Our other ministry was the Holiday Bible Club, being held in a local school as Glenmanus R.P is undergoing renovations. This was a blessing in disguise, the school provided a lot more space for games and the different groups as well as seperate classrooms where the children felt comfortable. We were studying "Elisha:God's Miracle Maker". So we were able to tell the 60-odd Children that came every night about how God was able to make many incredible things happen through his servant after people had faith in him.

On Thursday was our day at the Giants Causeway. We travelled down to the Causeway and sang Psalms and gave out leaflets on how the Causeway was really formed. God provided great weather for this and the team found it challenging aswell. In our Psalms we chose ones that praised God for his beautiful creation and we hoped and prayed that people passing would spend time listening.

Our work finshed on Friday morning so the team decided to hang about for abit, we visited Mr. Chips for lunch and a review of the week, then we attended Barrys, did the usual favourites, including Freak Out twice! The team then decided to go to Carrick-a-Rede Ropebridge, my first time there, we enjoyed some incredible sights and after crossing the bridge, we found a place overlooking the sea where we spent time in praise and prayer which was an amazing experience as we saw His vast expanse before our eyes as we worshipped.

I hope you've enjoyed my brief outline of the week. My first GO Team was a hectic and tiring, yet challenging and hugely enjoyable experience. Please remember the Glenmanus Congrecation in your prayers in their follow up work that they carry out.

Photos: (coming soon, some things up with the uploader thing at the minute)

Also, please leave a comment, I was struggling at times on the team to either be saying Portrush or Glenmanus Congregation?! Any help with that one?

Alastair

Nantes Go Team 2008

Sorry for the delay in getting this post up. For a brief moment I feared the Messenger report would be out first! My computer is deadly slow at uploading pictures so more will be added in the future, consider this a working in progress.

A few years ago I visited Nantes with my family during our summer holidays and expecting similar 30 degree heat I boldly packed my flowery shorts for the week of the Go Team this Easter. Despite really enjoying the week the weather failed to provide an oppertunity for an Easter tan so that is the last time I will choose a Go Team for the climate!

We all arrived in Nantes on Saturday 15th March despite Alistiar Rolleston's problems getting through security at Belfast International due to the hairdryer in his hand luggage, understandable I suppose that a guy with short hair carrying a hairdryer would raise suspicions. We flew via Standsted and arrived on schedule around Saturday tea time and upon arrival Erin excitedly informed the other team members that on the flight to Nantes she had been chatting with "A magician... he plays the harp for a living".

Mark, Belfast International Aeroport- Awake, Alive, Alert, Enthuasiastic

On Sabbath we worshipped with the fellowship in Nantes and enjoyed a meal with the congregation during which we made conversation through a combination of French, English and charades. During the afternoon our team leader Andy McKelvey (aka P10) lead our first Bible Study of the week, each one was based upon a different Bible character. There was also great laughter at the news of a marriage proposal to one of the team members by someone from the fellowship, we'll refer to him as "James McC" to hide his identity.

Our work began in earnest on Monday morning as we started our principal task of distributing "Reflexions", a leaflet containing the gospel message, to as many homes as possible. The part I found to be the greatest challenge was not the miles of walking but my stumbling attempts to convince people that they wanted to open the front door of their apartment blocks to allow me to put Reflexions "dans des boites au lettres" however by the end of the week we had succeeded in distributing a colossal 28,000 leaflets, making the area of Nantes which we covered over10 times the size of Dromore. Noticing all the different names on each of the thousands of letterboxes I was struck by how important this work is and how we need to pray that God will change the lives of those people who would open their letterbox to find this leaflet. Pray that people will respond to these leaflets and that God will grant Malcom wisdom as he deals with responses.

Beaucoup des Reflexions

Mark in Action

Andy Tackles An Apartment







On Tuesday evening we organised the "Soiree", an evening's entertainment for the people of the fellowship to invite their friends to, we held a table quiz with a musical interlude (starring Andy, Charlotte and Catherine Ball), an epilogue by Malcom Ball and refreshments afterwards. The evening was quite successful and there many non-Christians present, pray that God will use the message to bring them to a saving faith in Christ Jesus.

Malcom warms up the crowd with a rendition of Robbie William's "Angels"

As leaflet distribution continued I was given a different task on Wednesday afternoon, mentally exhausting rather than physically, leaving Mark to walk the streets of Nantes alone. Malcom had arranged for me to spend the afternoon with a fourteen-year old french boy named Julian with whom Malcom has been helping with occassional English classes. I found the afternoon very rewarding and thoroughly enjoyed it as we talked about school, holidays, music etc. Pray that God will use this simple, practical help and expression of Christian love to break into Julian's life and that he may be saved.

We also spent an evening with a few teenagers connected to the fellowship and Andrew McKelvey impressively succeeded in explaining "Ah-Saw-Ohh" in French. We played games together, had supper and then they asked us questions about our faith and what it was like to be a young Christian in Northern Ireland.


On our afternoon off we ventured into the centre of Nantes with Denise Ball as our tour guide. We saw the sights of Nantes including: a theater, a strange elephant, a fountain, a cathedral and a castle. My favourite sight however was the delicious crepes which enjoyed for tea! I definately preferred the crepes to the snails which we tried for a starter on the second on Sunday of our team.

Apparently quite a similar design to the new Cullybackey building

Nantes Go Team Eat Snails

We returned to Northern Ireland on Monday 24th after 9 days abroad. I was quite relieved to be able to understand what people around me were saying and being able to read some English again. I really enjoyed the week in Nantes and it has helped me as we remember the mission work in prayer to see the difficulties facing our missionaries. Nantes is a team which involves a lot of practical work so french isn't essential and I think every young preson should take the oppertunity to go to Nantes at least once to encourage the people there and to help you to pray more specifically for the work. If you are any good at French I would go further and say it is your duty to use your gift at languages to help the church in Nantes. Remember to water the seed sown during this week of outreach through your prayers as God's blessing is essential, we are entirely dependant upon him.

"Unless the LORD builds the house,
those who build it labor in vain"
Psalm 127v1a

Cloughmills Go Team 2007

Last week was the Cloughmills Go Team. My first ever go team! It was a really good week but because I'm now in the middle of the Dromore team I'm not able to write any more but Amy McCollum kindly made this video of pictures from the week. Hopefully I'll be able to write more about it at a later date. The captions and all are Amy's so the video is probably considerably funnier than if I'd made one. So big thanks to Amy and enjoy!