'Under the Cosh'

A good friend of mine emailed me today and commented - "you sound like you are under the cosh?" Been thinking about it all day -what on earth does this phrase really mean? It's one of those phrases that you know what it implies but don't exactly know what it means.

What's a cosh? Being an Aberdeen supporter for many years - of course I know what under the cosh means!' But do you know know what a cosh is? A cosh is a 'weighted stick" and to be under the cosh means to be "under threat or coercion". The Cassell's Dictionary of Slang says it is a 1950s phrase, but relates it to a late 19th century American phrase "under the gun", with a similar meaning. A cosh is a weighted weapon to attack or hit with ... a weapon.

There you go! Are we under the cosh? Yup, we are! There is no doubt that we are under pressure right now from many angles, situations & attacks.

Right now, there are so many brilliant things happening in and through Sefton Village:

* These last two weeks have been amazing as far as the influence of our School is concerned. We have a lovely couple called Simon and Pauling Marsh here from England. Simon is a retired Headmaster and was the chairman of Christian Head Teachers UK for many years. They have been doing seminars for all Private School teachers here in Santiago and it has gone wonderfully well.

After the initial seminars last week the Chief of the Department of Education set up another seminar for today! And they have arranged for between 100-200 teachers to attend another seminar on Friday! And Simon is teaching principles straight from the Bible!

Two years ago, the Lord spoke to me and said that Sefton was going to be a source of blessing to the schools in Santiago. Id didn't know how and I spoke to Mary about it. But now ... it is happening before our eyes!

* Bible School is going great. Lorenz and Joy continue to bring excellence and challenges to SBTC.

* FEBC - Ground breaking service tomorrow! Wow.

* Street Pastors - we are beginning to realise that we have to begin to pastor people where they are...on the street. It is significant that probably 90% of the ministry of Jesus was on the street, in the marketplace. Probably 90% of any church's ministry today is in a church building. Major problem. More about this soon.

* Jail - Pastor August and team continue to see amazing things happen in BJMP. More conversions, more discipleship, more baptisms.

Top guy at BJMP says that since Sefton came, the jail has completely changed. Before' they fought like dogs ... but now they are encouraging and praying for each other'. You can feel the presence of God.

* Feeding Programme - Henry now doing feeding programme 3 days a week. Around 2000 kids a week! At the same time Pastor Jun is teaching the kids through the Powerhouse ministry.

* Hospital - wide open for us! We go every Wednesday but chief of hospital wants us there 'as much as possible Pastor' Now ministering in Cauayan hospital weekly as well.

* Churches - all growing! New churches being planted! Pastors full of vision and fire. God speaking and we are trying to listen.

Amazing things happening in Nagassican. Every morning this week they are having 'Jericoh Walks' from 3-6am! On Friday we will walk around Nagassican and anoint with oil as we go. The young people an children there are receiving visions and words from the Lord. Amazing. 'Nagassican is for the Lord,' Danny told me tonight. Another blog on another day.

Yup, the enemy is standing up and applauding what is happening here! Nope. For every advancement and victory there is a battle and a cost. Dodging the bullets and being under the cosh is difficult and we have faced these times before, and surely they will come again.

What are the main difficulties right now?

1. Finances - wish I could wave a magic spiritual wand and get the pound back up to 93 Pesos to the Pound (like it was in July!), but it ain't gonna happen. It has dropped like a stone. Yesterday we got 62 ... the same rate as we got when we came here 9 years ago! Nightmare.

Taking inflation of prices, we are probably getting only two thirds of what we were getting last year and half of what we were getting in 2000. With nearly 50-60 staff, a children's home and all the above ministries to run ... we are going under! We either have to pray for more monthly support from UK or begin to cut down our staff numbers here at Sefton.

The potential of revival is the point of recession!

Still praying and trying to find the Lord's mind on things. I am well aware that the whole of the UK is in financial crisis ... but we often preach about God's amazing economy ... now is the time to see if it is true! One thing's for sure ... He has never let us down yet!

Big pressure is also the building of the new school. If the pound had not dipped we would have had almost enough to have finished stage 1 of the building. But, because of the exchange rate, we are well behind. We need to be finished by June but as I speak we are down to our last few pesos with none at home!

We are at the end of the rope ... but 'without faith it is impossible to please God." If it's where God wants us to be it certainly is not where we would choose to be!

2. Physical attacks - we are well aware that many of our families are becoming sick. Pastor Jun's motorbike was stolen during the service. Today, on the way to hospital ministry I had a flat tyre, Marlou had a flat tyre and the chain and sprocket of Danny's motorbike was destroyed. OK, maybe you say these are all coincidences ... but I have lived long enough to recognise that the enemy works discouragements in this way.

3. Future plans - all of us Missionaries at Sefton are really trying to find the mind of Christ as far as to what our own future's hold and what is the plan of the Lord for Sefton. Should we hand Sefton over? If so when? If so, how? If so, to who? Huge. Major implications.

It is good for all of us to ask these questions because we don't want to go home early .. but neither do we want to stay a day too late! Don't worry ... we are not planning in moving on or coming home this year. But we are seeking the Lord for His PERFECT will.

4. Mary's dad - David has had a real difficult time of it over the last 4-5 months with one thing after the other. Recently he has been in real pain wit his hip. On Saturday he was in such pain that they had to take him by Ambulance to Inverness. They found out that his hip is actually broken ... but he has never fallen! He is having tests this week to find out what has happened.

As a missionary, these are the toughest time. When our families are suffering at home. It is so hard for Mary right now and she is literally taking one day at a time. Please pray for David, Mary's mum Wilma, her brother Bruce and for Mary herself. Thanks.

5. Busyness - since New Year it has been non stop. Meeting after meeting after event after event! Keep waiting for a 'normal' week to arrive! We've had quite a lot of visitors at Hotel Ritchie and there has been a lot of 'extra things' recently. Sefton is getting busier (typed that word a few times and still doesn't look right!) and the harvest is getting bigger!

Well, there it is! My heart has been opened up. I wrote on my Facebook that 'I am struggling' and I really was...and in many ways I still am. But I am not down, or depressed, miserable or moaning ... I am just a bit tired and a bit unsure of some things.

I'm at the amazing place where I need to see some miracles! and grace. But, been here before and I know, like Bear Grylis, there is always a way out!

Have to have attitude of the amazing Paul ...

'We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.

We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. That is why we never give up.

Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!

So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.' (2 Cor 4:7-18)

Yes, we are 'under the cosh' right now ... but don't worry, like they said about those Hebrew young guys who were thrown in the fire - "there is another man in there with them."

Even 'under the cosh' ... Jesus is here! Selah!