Bulgaria Mission Trip, Stepping Out in Faith!
Written by Lisa adams
This half term, Matt and Izzy McGarry, alongside David and Lisa Adams, will be taking eight Year 13 students (second year of college) to Bulgaria for an exciting five-day mission trip!
The students applied and were selected for this opportunity, and we are so excited to see what God has in store for them. During their time in Bulgaria, they will be working alongside a number of churches, serving among different children’s and youth groups. There will be plenty of opportunities to share their faith, give testimonies, lead activities, encourage young people and demonstrate what it means to be Jesus’ hands and feet.
As well as serving in the churches, the team will have the opportunity to experience a completely different culture, from the food and traditions to different expressions of church and styles of worship. They may also discover that communicating isn't always quite so straightforward! With the help of Google Translate, local translators and perhaps a little acting things out, they will find creative ways to connect with those they meet. There will even be opportunities to lead worship and visit a Roma village.
While there will undoubtedly be lots of fun, new experiences and opportunities to build friendships, we have certainly been reminding the students that this is a mission trip, not a holiday!
Our heart and prayer is that this will be a significant time of spiritual growth for each of them. We are believing that God will use this experience to shape and mould them, develop their gifts and anointing, deepen their hunger for His Word and teach them to recognise and respond to His voice. We want to see them step out in faith, grow in confidence in who God has called them to be and experience first-hand what it means to serve Him on mission.
We are praying for opportunities to see God move powerfully, for lives to be touched, testimonies to be shared, prayers to be answered and miracles to take place. Above all, we want these young people to return with a greater understanding of God's heart for the nations, a deeper relationship with Jesus and a fresh boldness to step into all that He has for them.
We are going in faith, believing that God will pour out His favour and blessing on this team, open doors for the Gospel and use each of them to bless and encourage the churches and communities they encounter.
Please join us in praying for the team: for protection, unity, boldness, opportunities to share Jesus and, most importantly, for each of these young people to encounter God in a fresh and life-changing way.
We can't wait to be a part of all that He does!
The students applied and were selected for this opportunity, and we are so excited to see what God has in store for them. During their time in Bulgaria, they will be working alongside a number of churches, serving among different children’s and youth groups. There will be plenty of opportunities to share their faith, give testimonies, lead activities, encourage young people and demonstrate what it means to be Jesus’ hands and feet.
As well as serving in the churches, the team will have the opportunity to experience a completely different culture, from the food and traditions to different expressions of church and styles of worship. They may also discover that communicating isn't always quite so straightforward! With the help of Google Translate, local translators and perhaps a little acting things out, they will find creative ways to connect with those they meet. There will even be opportunities to lead worship and visit a Roma village.
While there will undoubtedly be lots of fun, new experiences and opportunities to build friendships, we have certainly been reminding the students that this is a mission trip, not a holiday!
Our heart and prayer is that this will be a significant time of spiritual growth for each of them. We are believing that God will use this experience to shape and mould them, develop their gifts and anointing, deepen their hunger for His Word and teach them to recognise and respond to His voice. We want to see them step out in faith, grow in confidence in who God has called them to be and experience first-hand what it means to serve Him on mission.
We are praying for opportunities to see God move powerfully, for lives to be touched, testimonies to be shared, prayers to be answered and miracles to take place. Above all, we want these young people to return with a greater understanding of God's heart for the nations, a deeper relationship with Jesus and a fresh boldness to step into all that He has for them.
We are going in faith, believing that God will pour out His favour and blessing on this team, open doors for the Gospel and use each of them to bless and encourage the churches and communities they encounter.
Please join us in praying for the team: for protection, unity, boldness, opportunities to share Jesus and, most importantly, for each of these young people to encounter God in a fresh and life-changing way.
We can't wait to be a part of all that He does!
Hope Courage & Faith in Pakistan with CRY
Written by Aimé Gotte
Last September, CRY traveled to Pakistan alongside our friends and partners at King's Community Church to visit our local project partner. Here’s a glimpse of what we experienced, witnessed, and learned along the way.
Pakistan is a country rich in culture, full of colour, amazing food, and extraordinary hospitality. Yet, beyond this wonderful hospitality lies another reality. One of hardship, discrimination, and even persecution faced by some communities at the hands of those with ill intentions.
Our week was packed with activities. We visited several children’s club programmes across different villages, spent time at a school supported by CRY, met families living in some of the country’s most vulnerable communities, and visited a church construction project in which Catalyst and KCC have invested.
We also had the privilege of participating in three open-air church meetings in the evenings, worshipping and sharing fellowship with our Pakistani brothers and sisters.
Throughout the week, we witnessed both the harsh realities faced by these communities and the extraordinary faith, determination and resilience of the people we met.
Three things stood out to us in particular:
1) Courage
The courage of our Christian brothers and sisters is remarkable. Their faith is not simply something they practise on a "Sunday"; it is an identity that can come with genuine risks, discrimination and significant personal sacrifice.
2) Education in these communities is far more powerful than many of us in the West might imagine.
Education is something we can easily take for granted. Yet, for the children and families we visited, access to education represents something extraordinary: an opportunity to break the cycle of generational poverty, escape exploitation and build a different future.
Education is not simply about learning to read and write. It is about dignity, opportunity, freedom and hope.
3) We in the West have so much to learn from our family in Pakistan.
We travelled to Pakistan to encourage, support and stand alongside our partners and the communities they serve. Yet, we returned having received so much ourselves. There is something deeply humbling about witnessing the faith, generosity and hospitality of people who, materially speaking, have little, yet have so much to teach us about what truly matters: community, unity, resilience, faith, and forgiveness.
What can you do to help?
The work CRY is doing, in the school and among children in rural communities, is creating a pathway for over 80 children to escape a life of brick-making and instead attend school, receive an education and build a brighter future.
However, like many projects across the charity sector, this vital work is at risk. Every year, CRY must raise the funds needed to keep these children in education and ensure this life-changing work can continue.
To find out more please visit www.cry.org.uk
Pakistan is a country rich in culture, full of colour, amazing food, and extraordinary hospitality. Yet, beyond this wonderful hospitality lies another reality. One of hardship, discrimination, and even persecution faced by some communities at the hands of those with ill intentions.
Our week was packed with activities. We visited several children’s club programmes across different villages, spent time at a school supported by CRY, met families living in some of the country’s most vulnerable communities, and visited a church construction project in which Catalyst and KCC have invested.
We also had the privilege of participating in three open-air church meetings in the evenings, worshipping and sharing fellowship with our Pakistani brothers and sisters.
Throughout the week, we witnessed both the harsh realities faced by these communities and the extraordinary faith, determination and resilience of the people we met.
Three things stood out to us in particular:
1) Courage
The courage of our Christian brothers and sisters is remarkable. Their faith is not simply something they practise on a "Sunday"; it is an identity that can come with genuine risks, discrimination and significant personal sacrifice.
2) Education in these communities is far more powerful than many of us in the West might imagine.
Education is something we can easily take for granted. Yet, for the children and families we visited, access to education represents something extraordinary: an opportunity to break the cycle of generational poverty, escape exploitation and build a different future.
Education is not simply about learning to read and write. It is about dignity, opportunity, freedom and hope.
3) We in the West have so much to learn from our family in Pakistan.
We travelled to Pakistan to encourage, support and stand alongside our partners and the communities they serve. Yet, we returned having received so much ourselves. There is something deeply humbling about witnessing the faith, generosity and hospitality of people who, materially speaking, have little, yet have so much to teach us about what truly matters: community, unity, resilience, faith, and forgiveness.
What can you do to help?
The work CRY is doing, in the school and among children in rural communities, is creating a pathway for over 80 children to escape a life of brick-making and instead attend school, receive an education and build a brighter future.
However, like many projects across the charity sector, this vital work is at risk. Every year, CRY must raise the funds needed to keep these children in education and ensure this life-changing work can continue.
To find out more please visit www.cry.org.uk