Dan Alcantara: Almost time for school already?!?!
Dear Prayer Partners
July brought us a holiday, family visits from Tracy’s folks and finally being able to sing in church again!
a busy July
It’s hard to believe that it’s already August, but looking back at July, there was a lot to fit in. Besides the continued lowering of restrictions, we enjoyed a week away by the seaside, forest and mountains in Dumfries & Galloway. This was a good time away from the ordinary. We got to go to the beach (while still wearing raincoats because it’s still Scotland) and adventures (loch swimming and meeting some wild goats).
Despite it being the summer, it feels like ministry has picked up in earnest thanks to the further lowering of pandemic restrictions. I’ve been able to accompany David, our pastor, on more visits and have begun to meet with folks for coffee during the week. On the 25th of July, we were finally able to sing with our church. The last time we had experienced congregational singing was 9 March 2020. For those who know my background in church music and gathered worship, you know that that is a very, very long time. For now, we are still wearing masks while we sing but that hasn’t deterred us from lifting our voices together.
One story we heard, early on here, was of a woman in the town who would walk by the church on Sundays who missed hearing the music as she walked. Pray that the sound of our voices would draw people in as they wonder why we are singing.
looking ahead
August is shaping up to be even busier than July was. As I write this, we’re preparing for one more week’s holiday. We are so grateful for this because a couple in church have generously offered us their holiday caravan for the week! Pray that this would be a good, last getaway before school starts up again.
The coming school year is looking quite big as Owen moves up to primary school and Sophie goes up to secondary school (high school starts at age 11 here). We’re really excited to see what the coming year brings but also know that we will have challenges coming as education here is, politically, very progressive.
We are also looking ahead to what will come as we finish our time with AT3. While it’s still early days, my hope is to begin the Pastor’s Training Course (PTC) when I’ve completed the Cornhill Training Course (my current theological training). Enrolment in the PTC requires me to be in an associate minister or minister-in-training position. As we continue through the autumn term, pray that we would be able to make progress on either a search for a position with a church or for it to be possible to create this position here at Strathaven Evangelical Church.
prayer requests
Charles Hodge wrote of prayer:
The design of God in thus uniting his people in praying for each other’s when in affliction or danger, is that deliverance may be matter of common gratulation (or joy) and praise. Thus all hearts are drawn out to God and Christian fellowship is promoted.
My devotions brought me to 2 Corinthians 1:11 this week where Paul tells the church that they must pray for him. Not because it will make God more likely to act but because more people will be glorifying God when Paul’s deliverance comes. With that in mind, just as you have been praying with us since 2017, please join with us as we pray for these things:
My dad is back in hospital. There have been some medical complications that have compounded as a result of a car accident he and my mom were in earlier this year. Pray for wisdom for the surgeons and the medical staff. Pray for my dad’s safety while in hospital, particularly that he would not get COVID-19 again as he’s immunocompromised.
Give thanks to God that we have received a financial gift from our church here which has enabled us to formally begin the process of filing taxes in the UK (and with an accountant who does a lot of work with missionaries!). Our hope is that this will be the first step toward being eligible for a family visa so that we can continue in ministry here long term.
With school starting again in just over a week, life is going to get really busy again. Pray that we would have good routines as a family and that this coming year would be one with lots of learning but also living as we are called to in 2 Peter 3:18.
Continue to pray that our final chunk of funding would come in. We’ve been incredibly blessed already, with $600 of the $3600 goal being given. That means we are only 10 one-time gifts of $300 or more away from covering our budget shortfall for the coming year!
