wePRAY - Recap
This month we’re taking a short break from our series focusing on Dan Rockwell’s 7 Universal Competencies for Success’. We also have a special guest editor Ant Horton, east to west’s CEO, who’s been given free rein on this month’s wePRAY – hooray I hear you cry!
From my perspective, I’d like to thank you for your ongoing care and support for east to west over the past 12 months. 2019 seems to have flown past and I’m sure 2020 will hold just as many excitements and challenges as the year coming to an end.
We’re also asking you to pray specifically for Irum, Relational Support Worker at Bishop Wand Secondary School in Sunbury…
Have a great Christmas and see you in 2020!
Dan
Over to Ant...
December 2019
I LOVE CHRISTMAS!
I love the Christmas story of Jesus being born. I love the thought of the King of kings being born in such an ‘earthy’ context. I love the time of being with family and friends, the carols, the turkey with all the trimmings and the twinkling lights of the decorated tree with presents around it.
As a child, the thought of two weeks off school was a time to look forward to and enjoy… some of you may well relate to that! But what I continually find hard is the thought and knowledge that actually, for quite a number of the children, young people and families that east to west support, Christmas is a time of anxiety, chaos and uncertainty. This may be due to the people around them abusing alcohol; the threat or witnessing of domestic violence; or the reminder of a parent or close relative who’s died and therefore Christmas is a time of sadness. Challenges around poverty and tight finances can also mean children, young people and families don’t get to experience many of the luxuries of the festive season.
Along with praying for those children, young people and families, can I ask you to please pray for all our team as they bring hope those who live with the prospect of a chaotic Christmas? Many of the team will also find that as the Christmas holidays approach, they meet with children and young people, who unexpectedly begin to open up about their worries and concerns. In some cases, this means additional support needs to be put in place very quickly, which can add levels of stress and concern for our team, who’re already tired at the end of a long academic term.
With this in mind, we are really pleased that we can continue to focus on one of our amazing team. This month we’re focussing our prayers on Irum, who joined us in September, becoming Relational Support Worker at Bishop Wand. Please find Irum’s prayer points below.
Thank you for your prayers, we all really appreciate your continued support.
May you know the peace and hope that Jesus came to bring over this Christmas time.
God Bless
Ant
This Advent, we’re asking you to pray for Irum. Irum joined east to west over the Summer to take over the role at Bishop Wand, vacated by Laura’s emigration to Canada. She has settled into the pace of school incredibly quickly and is already making a massive difference in the lives of those young people she’s supporting.
Relational Support Worker at Bishop Wand Secondary School, Sunbury
Praise:
• Give thanks to God for this opportunity at east to west. I honestly feel like I have finally landed in my career doing something I LOVE to do. I also LOVE who I do it with, such an awesome team!
• For Flow church, my family and friends.
• Thank God for financial provision… we can finally complete our kitchen extension, which has been 10 years on the cards!
• Praise God for bringing me healing from my past wounds and trauma and helping me to see life again.
Pray:
• For strength, wisdom and forgiveness in marriage. That God would speak and move in it.
• For wisdom and discernment at work when we meet with staff and the young people… pray that God would continue to protect those who are vulnerable.
• Pray that I would have courage and boldness to hear and do what God asks me to do. I have a burning desire which has been reignited after many years to do God’s work and I desire for my life to be used in a powerful way for His glory.
• Pray for my children; their emotional well-being; their school and that my relationship with them as their mother would continue to become deeper and stronger.
• Please pray that my parents, brother and sister-in-law would get to know and experience the goodness of Christ Jesus.
This is such a privileged position to be in, thank you. It’s taken me some time to be open and vulnerable… now that I’ve started, I can go on and on!! So much to give thanks for and to pray for!
Irum
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