Hosanna in the highest

I seem to have gone from almost NEVER updating my blog to maybe overdoing it a bit. If you start to get sick of the ramblings of a simple teacher just let me know.. I just seem to have a lot on my heart recently.

One of my fellow Gateway participants just played this song and it has been a favourite for a while, I'll explain after you've had a chance to read the lyrics :)

Hosanna - Hillsong United

I see the king of glory

Coming on the clouds with fire

The whole earth shakes

The whole earth shakes

I see his love and mercy

Washing over all our sin

The people sing

The people sing

Hosanna

Hosanna

Hosanna in the highest

I see a generation

Rising up to take their place

With selfless faith

With selfless faith

I see a near revival

Stirring as we pray and seek

We're on our knees

We're on our knees

Heal my heart and make it clean

Open up my eyes to the things unseen

Show me how to love like you have loved me

Break my heart from what breaks yours

Everything I am for your kingdoms cause

As I go from nothing to Eternity

Hosanna in the highest

The 2 points in this song that will either send chills down my spine or tears to my eyes are:

I see a generation

Rising up to take their place

With selfless faith

With selfless faith

I teach.. big surprise eh! But not just as a profession but as a calling, and every time I see a child of mine pray, worship or just talk about their personal relationship with our Saviour it all makes sense. All the long hours, paperwork and times of just pulling lumps of hair out my head, they're just all worth while.. that is the generation I see rising to take our place, and that my friends is the reason I teach.

Heal my heart and make it clean

Open up my eyes to the things unseen

Show me how to love like you have loved me

I live and work in Africa (well technically float in African waters) and the longer I am there the easier it is to start to close my eyes to the hurt in west Africa.. I honestly pray that my eyes or always opened to the things that God see's. That I weep His tears and hurt His hurt. I don't ever want to reach the point where the poverty or need doesn't affect me anymore.. but secretly I am always afraid that it might, 'God give me grace'.

Ben

Benin outreach 2009 - in pictures!

Here is my homage to the 2009 Benin outreach.

This is no where near the quality or variety of the sleek presentations that our PR and Communications teams put together. But all the photos reflect my outreach and are true personal memories from my life over the last 6 months.

(all photos appear in no particular order..) (or structure..)

Enjoy the journey:

Hide and go Seek

This blog is dedicated to Lost.. Yes, the TV show.

To fill some of our evenings here after Gateway classes we have started to run through series 1. Never having watched this I have to admit that I quite like it..

In this case it is not so much the content of the show that inspired me (even though their is enough there to write a full socio-analysis on), but just the title: LOST.

What does it mean to be lost? And then when is it that you are found?

Personally I have found myself lost for so many reasons. I currently feel lost being away from loved ones, missing them makes me feel unsure where I am. When I'm so busy that I can't find a second to spare, feel like I can't collect my thoughts, I feel lost. When again I screw up and remove myself from the presence of my Saviour, I am lost.

And thats just me. There are of course a millions reasons why someone or anyone will feel lost.

So often we are on our own desert island. Our plane has crashed by our own hand or by circumstances around us and we are just looking for survival.

But with LOST comes FOUND.

When I pray, I'm found.

When I hold a loved one in my arms, I'm found.

When I stand in worship, I'm found.

When I sit at peace and want for no one or nothing..

I

am

found..

But as easily as we get lost; as easily as I can get lost, being lost presents the opportunity of being found. And just like 'hide and seek' as a kid. When you've hidden so well that you think you will never be found, time passes and you just want the game to be over but don't want to give up.. being found is the most content feeling that exists.

I wish you all to be found, every day of your life. And don't forget to remind those around you that you haven't lost them out of sight either.

Ben

The story of the innocent bystander..

Hi all,

my new years resolution of blogging is holding up well, maybe I should add that to my prayer requests.. :)

Quite a few people have been asking me the same question the last week or so and I've decided to do the dangerous thing (you know me, I'm all about risk taking) and answer the question full on:

The tale starts on a cold, windy night in East Texas. A gail is blowing outside and there are just 2 people about..

Innocent bystander to Ben: 'So Benjamin, what do you think of the US?'

Ben slowly turns and looks the innocent bystander in the eyes and motions to 2 nearby chairs, 'You get the coffees, grab a seat and I'll explain all', he says.

The innocent bystander runs off and grabs 2 cups of coffee, Ben's is strong, large and black (not really important to the story but just so you all know how I take it..), then quickly joins our hero of the moment and sits down listening in awe. (hihi a little bit of poetic license there).

Ben leans back and takes a sip of his coffee, sets it aside and leans forward to answer the innocent bystander's question:

The US is what I expected and yet nothing like what I thought :)

Yes everything is HUGE!! The vehicles are enormous beasts and it is honestly impossible to walk anywhere here cause everything is so spread out!! And Wal-Mart could cover a blog post on its own!! Food and drink come in HUGE portions and to put it subtly some of the people aren't quite petite either :P

But to be frank it is not as bad as I expected it to be.. America is often portrayed as ignorant, arrogant and small minded.. I have found non if these to be true.

The people here have been nothing but welcoming, friendly and genuinely interested in me and Mercy Ships, I am thoroughly enjoying learning about the diversity of this big country and the necessary teasing that I can bring into that.

America is as interesting as I always thought it would be and I would be lying if I thought it was heaven on earth (everybody knows that is Scotland!) but I will help stand up for it when the American bashing is coming from anybody but me!

Haha slightly odd post, but do y'all expect anything else from me..

God bless,

Ben

PS re-reading this it is even more strange than I originally thought.. but its too late in the day to go changing it and I'm definently posting after all that typing!! Goodnight!

Howdy Cowboy

My new years resolution was (and is of course still) to post more frequently on this blog, so here's to a good start!

At the moment I am residing in Garden Valley, Texas. The Mercy Ships International Operations Centre is based here. I am here to complete the Gateway training program, a mandatory 4 week course with a 2 week field service in Benin.

The course consists of a Basic Safety Training (maritime safety stuff, but lets me be a fireman for a day :D ), some cross cultural training (including working with the poor) and a part faith foundations (to aid us in our personal walk with the Lord).

Its a good way to get everybody on the same page before serving.

We have today just completed the First Aid and CPR part so now onto fire fighting!!!

It was great to be home for New Year! Scots International Church thank you for your everlasting support and love! It honestly brought a tear to my eye seeing you all looking back atme when I was relaying my news. It truly felt like a son returning to a family! Thank you!

Time for bed on this side of the Atlantic! God bless!

Ben

PS Keep reminding me if I forget to post! And expect a newsletter in the next couple days, if you would like to be added to the mailing list let me know.

Prayer request

My new blog thing is on the sidebar: a prayer list. Each time I update my blog I will update my prayer list too. These are things that I would truly appreciate y'all (as they say in Texas) to remember in prayer. Ill try to explain at the bottom of each post what its all about so you dont have to guess.

One of my worries over this last week has been finances, it is still disconcerting not to have a paycheck coming in and as Mercy Ships means selffunding (even this training course and flights) it gets me nervy when I start to look forward. Yet how can I doubt Christ! God has provided amazingly so far, please keep me in prayer that I trust in Him instead of looking for my own solutions.

Prayer for the new year

A year has past, it has been a year full of excitement and travel, happiness and sadness, changes and settling in. I want to start the year being thankful for some things that have been a large part of my life in 2009 and praying for up and coming things in 2010.

There are too many things on my heart to name here and even then I am sure most would be of no general interest.

These are but a selection, please dont take insult if I have forgotten you, I am constantly praying for so many of you it would be nigh impossible to cover it all.

Thank you so much for the comments and uplifting words I have received over the last 6 months and please keep them coming.

God bless, Ben

My prayers for 2010.

I AM THANKFUL FOR..
I am thankful for all the financial and spiritual support I have received over this last 6 months.

I am thankful for the friends and family that have surrounded me close or from a distance and the wonderful relationship I have been blessed with.

I am thankful for the opportunities, inspiration and solutions God has provided in my work in the Academy this year.

I am thankful for amazing colleagues and administrators.

I am thankful for the kids, their simple faith and inspiring relationships with Jesus Christ.

I am thankful for the Benin outreach and the opportunities we were given to serve their doing His work.

I PRAY FOR..

I pray for the up and coming outreach in Togo, that we will have a smooth transition and be able to touch as many minds, hearts and bodies as possible.

I pray for Benin, that the work that was started there may carry on and blossom.

I pray for loved ones distanced from me.

I pray for the leaders of Mercy Ships that they may keep leading this organisation with sureness of mind and prayerful consideration.

I pray for my brother and sister in law ad their first (soon to be) born.

I pray for the Scots International Church, its ministry and support.

I pray that this may be a year of spiritual growth for us all, that you will be blessed and your life filled with peace and happiness.

All this in our Saviours name. Amen