It's just about 6 months before we are off to Bangalore, India for our four and a half month trip of a lifetime! If you didn't know about this - sorry, you can catch up with the full story on down below on this blogUp until about 2 months ago, everything was going really well in terms of the plans for going out. There are no major changes in many ways but, as ever when you try to walk along this 'faith road', just in the last 2 months, a number of challenges have started to emerge which are starting to occupy our thinking.
We thought it would be a good idea to share these challenges with you and, in particular, highlight 4 areas that we would really love for you to 'stand with us' on as we step out with this amazing adventure!! We know that many of you are committed to us and you will never know how much we appreciate that.....
The following is some background information on each area:
1. MUM'S OP TO HAPPEN AT THE RIGHT TIME:
Many of you will know Sarah is in need of a hip operation. Her arthritis is inactive at the moment which is good but the damage there has been to her joints over the last 20 plus years has meant there is not much cartiledge left in various areas - hips being one where we are down to 'bone on bone' at the moment - not nice!
We hope it goes without saying that our biggest prayer (as ever) is that Sarah is healed and does not need any treatment. However, until that happens we have been advised by the surgeon that an operation is needed around January 2008 sometime! Great! With an estimated 3 months recovery time that's not looking good for India so
please pray for an earlier appointment for this operation. God knows our needs so we need to trust his timing. We are doing all we can to work with him (!) by offering to take a cancellation.
2. HOUSE IN UK – RENT IT OUT:
We now plan to rent our house out as we have incresaingly felt that it is right for us to come back to a 'home' - for the sake of the kids as much as anything. Ideally we want to rent to someone we know so that we can leave all our stuff in the house and just walk back in after India.
We have said that we are giving it up til the end of this year for this ideal plan to happen and are going to trust God for that. We do have a plan 'B' but are believing for this plan A to happen.
Please pray for someone we know (a family or 2 singles) to rent the house. If you know of anyone, do give us a shout for details....
3. A HOUSE IN BANGALORE TO RENT:
We are in Raj's hands on this and trust him to get us a place that will become 'home' for the time. We have at least 2 families coming out whilst we are there and team of (potentially) 20 people coming out from our Church too so this house needs to be big enough to cope but sensible enough to not stand out - if you see waht we mean?
Please pray for just the right house for us whilst we are in India - at a good rent !!
4. ENOUGH MONEY FOR TRIP….
We didn't know whether to say this but we want to be 100% honest. Until
2 months ago our savings were going well - for the flights (£2000 odd) and costs whilst we are out there. Sadly Sarah crashed her car a few weeks back and we have had to get another. It's not an option with sarah not to have a car and I use mine daily for long trips etc. We didn't really have a choice. Bang - savings gone!! Without wanting to over spiritualise things, it has meant we are back to trusting God again on this now which is so easy to say isn't it!?
Most of the leave I am talking from work is unpaid and we are challeneged by these finances we have got to raise but not the slightest bit concenred. Money is money and of all these 4 areas this one os of least concern to us. That said we do want to ask you to pray for finances for us for the trip - tickets and finances when we are out there. It's one thing to save and go for 2 weeks on your own but another to take the family out and live for 14 weeks!!
The following is some background information on each area:
1. MUM'S OP TO HAPPEN AT THE RIGHT TIME:Many of you will know Sarah is in need of a hip operation. Her arthritis is inactive at the moment which is good but the damage there has been to her joints over the last 20 plus years has meant there is not much cartiledge left in various areas - hips being one where we are down to 'bone on bone' at the moment - not nice!
We hope it goes without saying that our biggest prayer (as ever) is that Sarah is healed and does not need any treatment. However, until that happens we have been advised by the surgeon that an operation is needed around January 2008 sometime! Great! With an estimated 3 months recovery time that's not looking good for India so
please pray for an earlier appointment for this operation. God knows our needs so we need to trust his timing. We are doing all we can to work with him (!) by offering to take a cancellation.
2. HOUSE IN UK – RENT IT OUT:
We now plan to rent our house out as we have incresaingly felt that it is right for us to come back to a 'home' - for the sake of the kids as much as anything. Ideally we want to rent to someone we know so that we can leave all our stuff in the house and just walk back in after India.
We have said that we are giving it up til the end of this year for this ideal plan to happen and are going to trust God for that. We do have a plan 'B' but are believing for this plan A to happen.
Please pray for someone we know (a family or 2 singles) to rent the house. If you know of anyone, do give us a shout for details....
3. A HOUSE IN BANGALORE TO RENT:
We are in Raj's hands on this and trust him to get us a place that will become 'home' for the time. We have at least 2 families coming out whilst we are there and team of (potentially) 20 people coming out from our Church too so this house needs to be big enough to cope but sensible enough to not stand out - if you see waht we mean?
Please pray for just the right house for us whilst we are in India - at a good rent !!
4. ENOUGH MONEY FOR TRIP….
We didn't know whether to say this but we want to be 100% honest. Until
2 months ago our savings were going well - for the flights (£2000 odd) and costs whilst we are out there. Sadly Sarah crashed her car a few weeks back and we have had to get another. It's not an option with sarah not to have a car and I use mine daily for long trips etc. We didn't really have a choice. Bang - savings gone!! Without wanting to over spiritualise things, it has meant we are back to trusting God again on this now which is so easy to say isn't it!?Most of the leave I am talking from work is unpaid and we are challeneged by these finances we have got to raise but not the slightest bit concenred. Money is money and of all these 4 areas this one os of least concern to us. That said we do want to ask you to pray for finances for us for the trip - tickets and finances when we are out there. It's one thing to save and go for 2 weeks on your own but another to take the family out and live for 14 weeks!!
