ACTION'S STRATEGIC RELIEF MINISTRIES Part 1

 Over the next few blogs we will be combining two things:

1) Stories of those we have met on our travels and 

2) Projects which we are praying for. 

The ACTION family is large, and Ukraine, Nepal, Colombia, Serbia, Pakistan, and Cuba are all on our heart as priority prayers ...amongst many other countries. 

We want to share some of that with you, conscious that we are part of a growing army of mission partners who are praying for the same goal with the same ambition. We long to see Christ's kingdom increase, for the unreached to be reached, and for all glory to go to Him when this happens.

We'll accompany this with more detailed emails for those who pray on a regular basis with us (please do get in touch if your would like to get this and don't). We'll also explain how our priority projects are strategically serving these needs. 

Whenever we pray we are conscious that we can't ask God to do something unless we are ready ourselves to be partly the answer to those prayers if appropriate. We give him the best of our emotions, gifts and all the resources he has given us to steward. He who gave us everything is rightful owner of all we have all we are (1 Cor 6:19-20). Lord save us from only ever being lip service disciples. 

Please pray today with us today for two things:

1) The continued aid going to those ravaged by war in Ukraine, floods in Pakistan, and displacement in Afghanistan. 

2) The training of gospel workers reaching out to unreached (especially in Nepal).

ACTION'S STRATEGIC RELIEF MINISTRIES

TRAUMATISED FRIENDS INVITE US IN TO THEIR LIBERATED HOMES IN UKRAINE. 

The vital work of ACTION RELIEF AID. 

Come with us on a road that joins many places made infamous by recent atrocities. Places like Bucha, Borodianka, and Irpin were known 12 months ago as  unique entities and situations loved by their inhabitants, but now around the world are infamous collectively as the places where evil swept in uninvited. 

As we travel on this bright September morning the sun shines gloriously. However, there remains an unnerving tension which hits all senses. The aroma is one of destruction even after so many days. Yes in places smouldering, burning and the smell of death is still apparent. The air tastes charred as home after home lies rubbled, scorched and daubed in the black paint of desiccation. 

It seems so incongruous on the eye when a place such as Borodianka, with its idyllic snapshot of nature and long established community is also the scene of major destruction,  and needs so much rebuilding. To the many older generation inhabitants who remain,  it remains a home, whereby the small maker gardeners spend their retirement years tending such fruitful smallholding spots of this richly blessed agriculture. The unnoticeable difference now is that every other house has been reduced to a pile of bricks, each gate or entrance has been peppered with bullets, and the birdsong has largely disappeared. As we go to great an inhabitant with a small bag of aid, all of the friends come out to welcome us. What a contrast to that day when those who came were not so welcome. 

a) Anatoly's Story.

"Just a few weeks before I had lost my wife. She was of Russian descent, from the same region as those who came uninvited. She was the love of my life. We lived here happily with our dog, our chestnut trees, our vines, our fruit orchard and chickens. We live simply, but the field behind the property enabled us to grow enough to keep us going each year. 

It was just after the beginning of this invasion, when the shelling came closer, there was little warning. I gathered enough to stay here underground, after all this is my home, the place of all memories for me, and I wanted to protect my elderly friends on our street and provide them with vegetables and fruit. I was grateful that all the younger people had left for safety, we knew their reputation and what would happen if either young women or men stayed. We were the guardians of this village. They bulleted and smashed in the gate (that I built well), for fear that I was a sniper... hiding behind. I am a mature man and seriously no threat to youngsters with AK-74's . They then hit my dog repeatedly over the head with the back of their weapons and he died. He was a good dog to me and great company after my wife was no longer here - I lived on my own, and loneliness is itself a unique poverty. They left him there ...just where you stand. 

Underground I kept silent, a prisoner in my own basement, but I could hear what they were doing, and for a month and two weeks  I survived on scraps as they sat in my garden chair, raided my cupboards, and helped themselves to all my stored winter produce, fuel, wood and small comforts. It was so cold and damp, remember it was February. I have never been in such an unhealthy place in my life and I am surprised that my body was able to keep going in the way it was. 

When I finally came out, they had built underground bunkers in my back garden with my best timber. They spent many hours drinking and dropping food, unaware that they had invited in also a host of rats." (This bit of the story I tried to forget but was reminded when we walked down into the dark bunker, and my size 8 Adidas stood on a fury friend who was considerably bigger than my footwear.) 

"To those who came..." said Anatoly, "it seemed normal to live like vagabonds, sewer people, they lived and behaved like animals.

They shot my best friend across the road. (the house we had just been to deliver a bag of aid to an elderly widow.) He was the best of men, a lifelong friend,  going to help someone on that day, but they shot him in front of his wife because they dared to come onto the drive out of their home. They wanted to prove a point. All the neighbours are older than me. Despite (the widows) many respectful pleas, she was not allowed to bury him. He lay in open view for many days until they needed to dig a trench there to hide ammunition. They put dug soil over his body to taunt in mock burial. When we did finally get to give him a dignified funeral it took us (me and his widow) 3 days to dig away that huge mound of earth. As they left my property they caused as much damage as possible, destroying my chestnut trees. That one (points to a broken stump) had produced great chestnuts for generations before. I'm left now with just these two little trees. 

Today I am though just grateful to be here. I am so grateful for the liberation, so grateful for friends like you from the churches that have been so kind and such a lifeline to us. It isn't so much about the things that have been brought to us (though they are so helpful and keep us going), it really is about your solidarity and company, knowing your willingness to listen to our story and as friends, to cry with us and help us try to process in our minds what has happened. This is a very precious thing, and you don't know what a treasure it is until you need it.

There are some things I still don't understand, things my mind wakes up thinking about each day...

• Why did these men (from the same place as my wife) act like animals and brutalise everything we have ? 
• Why would they fight against their own kind? We are the same, just people with the same heritage.   She was so different the Russians who came, so beautiful, so caring, so loving, so hospitable. I wish you had met her.
• Why would they delight in so much destruction ? I dare not go into my field now, I would not survive, everyone has told me they have left mines. The mines are in no pattern, they just want to catch me out with their bad game.

The contrast when the Ukrainian friends (army) came was so obvious. Seeing my sad state... and my dog, they brought to me a brand new puppy they had been caring for. He is such great company, and full of fun"

At this moment he becomes very excited, and after rolling over and jumping increasingly high to please his audience, he settles for tummy strokes before getting so excited, that he relieves himself. "Oh - you have let me down says Anatoly, can't you see we have important friends with us, where is your etiquette?" I share that my 8 old fury best friend would do exactly the same, but have not the excuse of youth. We belly laugh, there is a great unity and trust as we joke together. As we make a move to go, Anatoly then doesn't want us to leave. He extends the visit by climbing up on a rickety chair,  to cut fresh grapes for us off his vine to take home to our families with a bar of his very best chocolate. He makes us promise with assurance that we will call on him the next time we travel that way. 

Anatoly is typical of many we have connected with. A simple bag of basics has bought more than a momentary conversation,  there is a deep human connection. He trusts believers and sees our coming in context / sharp contrast to those who have visited his home before. We are not the only ones sharing the gospel in this location or dark period of Ukraine's history. At the end of Anatoly's road hangs a banner from a church we know well. Praise God for the solidarity and unified expression of Christ in this situation, it has built a great bridge over which the family of Christ are not only heard but invited in to share more. A key part of ACTION relief is working with local and pastors and churches to help the growth of local churches or establishment of new ones where there are none. 

Continue to pray for those who have been so wonderfully impacted and come to find their home in Christ. Continue to pray for friends like Anatoly, who trusting of us, and wonderfully kind and so generous, are yet to truly see the glory, eternal security, and unreserved welcome of the one who loves us and gave himself for us. 

WHY STRATEGIC RELIEF IS SO IMPORTANT: 

1) ACTION WORKERS ARE IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME: 

Our relief aid continues to the hardest hit areas. By God's providence this is through longterm trusted partners and pastors with the local church (however fledgling) at the heart of all our relief efforts. These brothers and sisters know the local culture, the sensitive issues we need to tread carefully on, and they are in it for the long haul. Relief work will continue throughout a brutal winter approaches and as battles rumble on in Ukraine. This is no mean task. In other situations like Pakistan and the situation in Afghanistan things are equally challenging with, issues of security and travel, and there severe cold is exchanged for severe heat. Back in Ukraine there remains a huge mission field of friends who listen, trust and want to know more. Now is the time to increase industry and support, not lose interest. 

2) WITH GROWING, TRUSTING RELATIONSHIP COMES THE PROSPECT OF HEALING: With relief aid comes trauma help, much given through natural progression and ordinary conversation. Articulating the realities of trauma for any individual releases fresh tears and sometimes fresh anger, but always there is a healthy growing process which brings life back into some normality. Expressing these issues in a helpful way with trusted friends brings a gradual positive dynamic to recovery. 

3) PATIENT SHARING OF CHRIST ACCOMPANIED BY THE CREDIBILITY OF DEEP TRUSTING RELATIONSHIP, CONSISTENT CARE AND AUTHENTIC COMPASSION. 

After immediate trauma friends like Anatoly are not able (or want) to process the five points of Calvinism.  In fact they struggle to remember what day it is. To them a day can seem like a month and a month like a year. The mind and heart has already reached capacity. Over time however, friends are able to process and comprehend the real fact that a human being loves them, and that they seek to represent and following Christ in doing so. It becomes apparent that those who came and stayed with the situation came in the name of grace and redemption and in every way were driven by the love of GOD. This is the simple but profound foundation from which many good things grow. Anatoly's land may still be some seasons away from growing anything fresh, but our prayer is for the mustard seed of faith may be planted, take root in that heart and home, to the blessing of many and the glory of Christ. Please pray with us today for all who share Christ in these pivotal and critical situations.

HELP FOR PASTORS REACHING THE UNREACHED IN DIFFICULT SITUATIONS.

In the next blog we'll share what we are doing to encourage and help pastors stick with the task God has given them at the most strategic times in the most difficult of places. 

URGENT REQUEST:

Please pray for our Brother B who is trying to get with the team to train pastors and gospel workers in the hills of North West Nepal. Their timetabled travel was postponed due to bad weather. Pray for the door to open for travel, for the providence of God to open up treasure from his word, supernatural equipping in his people, the birth of more new believers and churches. We trust God in his providence and give him all the glory for what he is doing as the church continues to grow.

 

The Queen who kept her promise... points to the one who keeps all his promises.

 

"For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God."

2 Cor 1:20

"The things which I have here before promised, 

I will perform and keep. So help me God."

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Coronation 1953

The young Elizabeth solemnly promised "I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong."

She kept this promise. For 70 years 214 days and even as a 96 year your old grieving great grandmother, Elizabeth demonstrated an anchored stability, consistency and faithfulness that our contemporary world so rarely sees.

 In 1953 the world was a very different place. The post-war era of rebuilding from destruction, living in humble gratitude for peacetime, meant that "service and duty", or "serving others above ourselves", were not despised words. 

"For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others 

and to give his life as a ransom for many." 

Contemporary Britain however is a much prouder, bolder, more individualistic place, where self-control is an anathema, and promises broken (either in brazen arrogance or casually) are not a surprise in our culture. Having appointed 15 prime ministers, her majesty knew a thing or two about broken manifestos and their consequences. Runways that he promised would not be built, tax increases that they promised would not happen, and boozy parties without social distancing which all there promised to be "work events", are nothing compared to the multitude of infidelities, indiscretions, broken relationships and hurt families which litter the roadside of our age. Secret, murky affairs at the core of pubic life once meant the end of careers in the 1980's, as details squirmed out in memoirs and tabloids. In 2021 however, even being recorded in HD by the House of Commons internal cameras was no deterrent or prompt to inhibition. When such a video went viral, some plaudits suggested it would actually aid career progression to be seen as "normal". In such a moment, are we being caught throwing away commitment, or just being true to ourselves  for a moment of "me time" pleasure?

  Sadly the Queen herself was not a stranger to the sad consequences and desolate realities of reckless living in her own family, yet she stood apart as a woman of principle, dignity and trustworthiness. She was simply in a different league of moral reliability and quiet (understated) steadiness in her inner life. Rising above the volatility and crowd noise was a single life of exceptionally long equilibrium.  

What enabled such consistency ?

Phil 4:13

"I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength"

In '53 the commentator said...

"The bible itself is presented to her by the moderator of the Church of Scotland"... who said...

"Here is Wisdom;

This is the royal Law;

These are the lively Oracles of God."

There is so much to admire in the Queen's legacy. Grace, compassion and equality of unconditional and impartial welcome came from a Queen who knew her Saviour.

Multitudes of testimonies, from myriads of countries and cultures in the last week  have declared that private receptions with the Queen revealed an honest humility, genuinely sincere transparency, which rather than being a window of folly inspired so many others to greater love for others, to be peacemakers, to be gracious. 

The trending media has had a united thirst to meet those who "met" and "knew her well". Giles Brandreth, David Beckham, Jon Anderson, Marilyn Monroe and many ordinary folk have expressed in many ways a consistent line from every angle, that she was a "good" woman. The question remains, will her legacy and this impact left with so many continue now that this central thread which ran through all our lives these last 70 years has been cut ?

I fear our country has misunderstood what made the Queen the woman she was.

As the double rainbow over Buckingham palace reminded us of the God who is eternally unchanging in his global rule and promise, "The rock" on which the Queens life was built, people wanted to express their gratitude.

Sadly however they seemed to direct their honour (and even worship) not to the one living God for his kindness and faithfulness to us through her and all generations, but to anything else that would give a sense of momentary pathos and pseudo spirituality. Note the many marmalade sandwiches left in the parks, plastic wrapped flowers and spontaneous moments of applause (a thing which became a Thursday religious ritual for many in the pandemic). What do these expressions mean or achieve? What do they say about what our nation is hoping for, and trusting in for the future? 

Is the Queen being led into the future by Paddington ? Is he the only one holding her hand ? If this is so, how firm, real or true is our hope?

We pray for the King. We will look to honour and respect him, and seek to praise everything that is "good" (Phil 4:8). We pray that in his heart he will not believe that he has outgrown or is above the foundation of "the faith". We pray that media coverage will expose reality to our country, that faith is only as worthy or secure as what or who our faith is trusting in. We pray that in humility our King will sit under the Word of God, and find Christ.  Christ is for every one of us (regardless of status, role or failure) the only answer to our many broken promises before God and others.  He is the beginning of true life, the true image of humanity, the answer to our deepest relational and eternal needs. He is the root of all faithfulness. He is the only future of Hope in life, death, eternity, and the future of our nation.

HOW SHOULD WE BE IN A POST-QUEEN WORLD? 

1. WORSHIP THE ONE WHO MADE THE QUEEN WHO SHE WAS.

So what will be our response over the next few days? Is it to weep with those who have no hope, or to point people ourselves to the one and only hope? 

2. POINT TO THE ONE WHO LIVES AND KEEPS HIS PROMISES. 

 "Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him."

1 These 3:13-14

There is a promise which outshines all other promises, an "Amen" to summarise all "Amens" which displays the unalloyed truth of Christ. When he walked out of the tomb, all fear was banished, all power of God's enemies was defeated. Because he lives we can face tomorrow, whatever that means for us personally or for our country. 

It may be that we now enter an era in the UK where Christianity is even more marginalised in our multi-faith, post-Christian nation. Does this mean that the true church and those who belong to Christ live less powerfully? My bible says "no", The Spirit in me says "no", my current experience of world mission in frontier places and church history tells me "no". Our confidence is in the risen Christ, who is all powerful, active by his Spirit to reach all places and shine in the darkest recesses of our hearts and planet. As times get darker, the church shines brighter. 

Maybe one of the Queen's greatest legacies to the United Kingdom, will be the way her longevity shone a spotlight on changing Britain, and made people yearn for the better day; a leader who gave more, who lived for something greater, who gave us a glimpse of the ultimate, the greater reality in humanity and human leadership, and made us hunger for it again.

Praise God for the life of the Queen. Thank God for her restraint, leadership, influence, and desire to use power well in our country . We do not idolise her or make a saint out of her, but we do honour her as creature of God who became a blessing to his world. She was a child of Christ and with her we shall reign together, with Him, forever. 

Lord, help us now to live as citizens of heaven, steadied in the joy of the resurrected Christ. Help us live in gratitude and with liberty, self control, and faithfulness, knowing that our eternal security is in the loving hands of the King of Kings, who loved us and gave himself for us. To the one who is immortal, and the one whose reign will never end, we dedicate afresh our love and our lives. He is more than worthy of the very best in our lives. 

 Love divine, all loves excelling, 

joy of heaven, to earth come down,

fix in us your humble dwelling, all your faithful mercies crown.

Jesus, you are all compassion, pure, unbounded love you are.

Visit us with your salvation; enter every trembling heart.

Breathe, O breathe your loving Spirit into every troubled heart.

Let us all in you inherit, let us find the promised rest.

Take away the love of sinning; Alpha and Omega be.

End of faith, as its beginning, set our hearts at liberty.

 Come, Almighty, to deliver, let us all your life receive.

Suddenly return, and never, nevermore your temples leave.

YOU we would be always blessing, serve YOU as your hosts above, 

pray, and praise YOU without ceasing, glory in YOUR perfect love.

Finish, then, your new creation; true and spotless let us be.

Let us see your great salvation perfectly restored in you.

Changed from glory into glory, till in heaven we take our place,

till we cast our crowns before you, lost in wonder, love and praise.

So thankful, so safe.

 Rejoice always,  

pray without ceasing,

 give thanks in all circumstances; 

for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you

1 These 5:16-18

We are home, safe, grateful, nourished and reinforced. After months of being unable to see some gospel partners, there was concern (even worry), but there should not have been. At every turn we tried to take this to the one who knows all things, has ultimate power to further his good purposes and micro provision for the smallest of needs. However, we have an enemy. We are not unwise to his tactics. They appear especially when communication is difficult. He loves to breed suspicion, to sow the seed of doubt, and drive a wedge between gospel partners doing such critical eternal work at the most pivotal of times. 

He that is in us  however, is greater than he that is in the world. The most profound reflection of our travels, is that God is living at work in the lives of those who serve him. Christ is risen, working in, and through his family. He holds all things in his hands including the keys of hell. He equips his servants in the most demanding and unimaginably dark times. Suffering is a core part of his plans. Suffering produces perseverance, character and ultimately hope. Suffering comes to those who follow his path, but suffering is always followed by glory for those who invest their suffering and respond to it in faith and dependance.

This short blog is to give God all the glory for his protection over his people during the  last few months, especially where the gospel is dynamically at work and there are good explosions... of new believers. To the outsider such friends who have recently come to Christ may look fragile, both spiritually, and emotionally, but their hope is in the one who never fails. We have a commander who knows exactly what he is doing. 

Children's playground in Borodianka

The war in Ukraine is real brutal and grotesque, but there is an even more violent battle going on for the hearts of men and women, boys and girls, your heart and my heart are not excluded. 

Make no mistake you  live in a spiritual battle zone wherever you are, however comfortable you have made yourself. Wake up, and put on your full body armour (Eph 6:11-12) today with urgency ! Don't be asleep to the danger or reality of the times (1 These 5:1-5). Cling close to the commander (2 Tim 2) and follow his instructions in firm trust. 

Those who do so, know they are winning. We are in the safe hands of the one who leads us to victory, and have much to thank him for.  

Close-by in a residential back garden are a collection of military hides. 

THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS NOT SET IN A PLAYGROUND (WITH THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF ENJOYMENT) IT IS SET ON THE FRONTLINE OF THE ETERNAL BATTLE WHICH CHRIST HAS WON.