Green Pastures

Hi everyone, Christmas greetings from Maghera! For those of you who have been waiting on this update for a long time, my apologies. This past semester has been my craziest so far at Metro, hence the lack of contact!

I returned to New York early September ready for a step up in my responsibility. Most teams (divisions) at Metro have one Divisional Leader, two staff, and 3 – 4 interns. Because of staff changes I was aware my team would most likely not get another staff member so it would most likely be Fiona ( my DL ) and myself. Which would mean running my site alone with interns, which at the time seemed pretty daunting. So I was ready for the step, we started semester – it was busy with just the two of us, we got our 4 interns and off we went.

We had just finished week 1, I walked into work expecting the normal... little did I know! Sadly, my DL Fiona has had to return to England as her mom is being treated for cancer.  Please keep her in your prayers, her mom is not saved and needs healing.  In one conversation my entire semester changed, as I was literally thrown into being a Divisional Leader! A quick exit of the comfort zone!!!!!

A Divisional Leader is the one responsible for the entire team, the sites, the decisions, the trucks, training the interns, all paperwork etc. There is so much more to it than I had ever imagined, and I am so thankful that my eyes have been opened to how much they do. This position is one that in normal circumstances you receive a lot of training for. This time around, however, it was learning on the go! I was so blessed with an amazing coach & strong interns. God provided a staff member halfway through semester, which was such a blessing. While I was completely out of my comfort zone, God provided everything I needed and I learnt so much about true dependence on him, as I often had to make decisions in areas I had little experience in.

It has been a great semester. Division 15 has learnt the true meaning of being flexible; we have had more changes and truck breakdowns then I care to remember. Yet it is incredible to look back and see how God stretched us through it all. We were able to reach so many wee lives with strong Biblical truths, which we know God will use to change their lives.

I want to thank you all for your love and support. This past few months I have not had much contact with a lot of you, due to the new responsibility and busy-ness that comes with that – but I know you continued holding me up in prayer and I am so thankful for that.  For all your texts, letters, e-mails – I thank you. It is so great to still be a part of home even though at times you feel a world away.

Today begins a new chapter in my life! This afternoon I leave for Switzerland. I am en route to Romania for a project we have with Metro over there. It is called the ‘Warm Feet Project.’ It is basically the same as Sidewalk Sunday School, but at the end of the programme we give out boots and socks. A lot of these precious kids are out in the snow and ice with no good footwear. People from all over the world donate money and sent boots and socks to these families. If this is something you would like to contribute to, please find more information at our website:   www.metroministries.org or drop me a wee email.

This project for me is something I know that I need to do. About halfway through semester we have a shooting in one of our sites. Our team was a few blocks away, setting up for our first session of Sidewalk Sunday School. We heard the shots and later discovered a pregnant lady had been shot and killed outside of a nearby school.  Tragedies like this can quickly become normal, because you hear of it so much. I was alarmed at how minimally affected I was when hearing of it. This has been a kind of reality for me now for almost a year and a half, yet I never want to become complacent or unaffected by this stuff. This day, I knew I needed to push myself further into the need to keep motivated and focused on the need. Not long after this, the opportunity for staff to be in Romania at Christmas came up, and I really felt God leading me to step up to it. It is totally new territory for me, and I am very excited at what God is going to do there and teach me. The project runs from December 27^th – January 1^st with lots of outreaches throughout different villages in Romania.

Here are some prayer points:

• Pastor Bill – Fall semester is one of his busiest with lots of TV fundraising for Operation Holiday Hope. Keep him in your prayers as he continues to travel and fund the outreaches.
• Fiona & her mom – My Divisional Leaders mom who is fighting cancer, that she will give her life to God and be completely healed.
• The kids of New York – There are so many things I have seen this semester that have made me so angry that these kids are growing up in such circumstances. Please pray for their protection, that Metro would continue to be a lifeline to them and that they develop a deep relationship with Jesus who will sustain them when they are not at Sunday School.
• The Warm Feet Project, Romania – That God would use this project in a mighty way to feel physical needs and that the message of Christ would change many lives. Protection for the team as we make our way to Romania over the next few days. For strength and provision for the staff who serve at Metro Romania.
• Interns – The Fall ’11 interns have returned to their home countries, and are now making big decisions about their futures. Please keep them in your prayers, it is an emotional & difficult time to step back into where they came from.
• Visa – I am waiting on my next visa to process, this can be slow so please pray for favour in timing so I can return to Metro for  the beginning of our spring semester in March.

Happy Christmas to you all! I will be spending it in Switzerland and leaving for Romania the morning of the 26^th. It will be a different one but I am excited at all that God will do through this project!

Thank you all for your love and support, I love and value you all and hope to see you soon! I will be in Northern Ireland for about a month and a half when I return as I wait for my visa. Excited to catch up with you all!

Love and prayers,

Becky xo

Psalm 72:12-14

“He will rescue the poor when they cry to him; He will help the oppressed, who have no one to defend them. He feels pity for the weak and the need, and He will rescue them. He will redeem them from oppression and violence, for their lives are precious to Him.”