We've had a challenging month and a half. It started with me (Gina) leaving for a week to a Middle Eastern country, and on the same day, after dropping me off at the airport, Andrew came down with the flu which, after a week, turned into a severe chest and sinus infection that lingered for the next three weeks. After about 2 weeks, a doctor gave him a round of antibiotics, which didn't work. So they tried a second type of antibiotics for another week. We're not sure if the medicine or time was the main healing factor, but after more than 4 weeks, he finally began to recover his strength and energy, and stopped coughing so much. After her trip to the Middle East, I returned for 2 weeks and was able to care for Andrew, but then left again for a week to Amsterdam to attend a Christian media training conference.
During this challenging time, the community we live among at Nazarene Theological College, here in Manchester, surrounded Andrew with love and support. One woman cooked him dinner every night for a week and supplied him with leftovers for his lunch. She also ordered groceries for him online since he didn't have the strength to walk into town to get groceries and carry them back by hand (we don't have a car). Others visited him, emailed him and checked on him to make sure he was doing OK, and spent time with him so he wouldn't feel isolated.
We are so grateful for everyone in the States who was praying for both of us, as well as the love and support in our immediate environment in the UK. We felt that we got to see and experience the Body of Christ at its best.
The training conference in the Netherlands was very interesting, as more than 400 Christians from different parachurch organizations and nonprofits gathered to share ideas and information, learn and talk about how to use technology and communication methods to share the gospel with people around the world, especially unreached people groups. I came away particularly inspired to start exploring podcasting as part of my future ministry.
It was particularly encouraging that so many of the people at the conference have had experience with the Church of the Nazarene -- either attending one of our churches at some point in the past or present, or having encountered us in the area where they live or as part of their work. Everyone without fail was impressed with our church and had very positive things to say about us. I felt very proud to represent our small denomination among so many people from around the world who surprisingly have encountered us and come away thinking positively of us.
During this challenging time, the community we live among at Nazarene Theological College, here in Manchester, surrounded Andrew with love and support. One woman cooked him dinner every night for a week and supplied him with leftovers for his lunch. She also ordered groceries for him online since he didn't have the strength to walk into town to get groceries and carry them back by hand (we don't have a car). Others visited him, emailed him and checked on him to make sure he was doing OK, and spent time with him so he wouldn't feel isolated.
We are so grateful for everyone in the States who was praying for both of us, as well as the love and support in our immediate environment in the UK. We felt that we got to see and experience the Body of Christ at its best.
The training conference in the Netherlands was very interesting, as more than 400 Christians from different parachurch organizations and nonprofits gathered to share ideas and information, learn and talk about how to use technology and communication methods to share the gospel with people around the world, especially unreached people groups. I came away particularly inspired to start exploring podcasting as part of my future ministry.
It was particularly encouraging that so many of the people at the conference have had experience with the Church of the Nazarene -- either attending one of our churches at some point in the past or present, or having encountered us in the area where they live or as part of their work. Everyone without fail was impressed with our church and had very positive things to say about us. I felt very proud to represent our small denomination among so many people from around the world who surprisingly have encountered us and come away thinking positively of us.
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