The team is home! We’ll post an update in the coming days, but for now, here’s a short video of #Greenisland2Calais.
Praise God the team got home safe and sound!
We’ll post more updates on their trip in the coming days but for now here’s a short video Ben put together of what the team saw and experienced when they visited the Jungle.
I was able to grab a few moments on the phone with Ben this evening with the other guys in the background. There was a bit of laughter, but you could tell from speaking with them that there is an incredible sadness about what they have seen and experienced today. I asked Ben to write it down in a text message as the line broke up, and this is what he said.
Very overwhelming, even now thinking about it. We had to hold back tears many times. People were so happy seeing us and showing an interest in the village (6000 people).
We were with a church (Ethiopian church) which provided food for 1500 people. We shared food cooked by the refugees on home made stoves/plates utensils. We gave ponchos for rain and we shared our faith with them as they shared theirs with us. We sang together and we also did some magic tricks. We talked about their situation (where/why they came here for). We also spent time praying with them. A lot of them told us we had “touched” them in their heart.
It has been amazing but very hard…The Lord is definitely in there and was definitely looking after us.
Pray for the team after what has been a long and emotionally draining day. They plan to spend tomorrow with the local church in the morning, and possibly some more opportunities for outreach and charity work in the afternoon.
Thank you for your prayerful support.
So the guys have made it to Dover after a long day on the road! They left Greenisland at 5:30am and made it to Dover this evening. They are currently recharging with some Indian food for their dinner!
It’s the first night in the van (did we mention the van has no heating?!) with another early start tomorrow before two long days in Calais. Pray that they rest well tonight and are ready for the work ahead.
Thank you for your support.
In just over 8 hours, at about 5:30am, the team will leave Greenisland, and begin their drive to Calais!
Because of the generosity of our families, our friends, our church, our colleagues, we have filled a camper van with dozens of tents, sleeping bags, blankets, toiletries, toothbrushes, coats and clothing to the Jungle in Calais. Thank you SO much to everyone who donated.
Please now pray for these guys over these next 36 hours as they make their way to France. Pray for safety in travel, as they head from Greenisland to Dublin, on to Holyhead, then a big drive from to Dover, and finally Dover to Calais.
Pray too that God will be preparing their hearts for what they will see, hear, and experience over these next few days.
We’ll do our best to keep you updated with the team through this blog, and on Twitter with the hashtag #Greenisland2Calais. You can also tweet the team your support by using the same hashtag!
A huge thank you to everyone who has donated items and financially supported us! We have just reached our online target of £500 on Justgiving and we have a garage full of stuff to take out! Praise the Lord! It has been truly amazing and humbling to see how God has provided for this trip and moved people to action.
We are packing the van up tonight for the team to leave first thing on Friday morning, so if there are any remaining items that you want to donate, simply bring it to 30 Whitethorn, Greenisland, BT38 8FH (click for map) between 7pm & 8pm tonight.
Like most, I have been incredibly moved and challenged by what is going on across the world, particularly the effect of ISIS in the middle East, and the growing numbers of people seeking to escape their homes and find a better life, often in countries like ours.
Two months ago, I was challenged by the story of Aylan Kurdi, a three year old boy who drowned with his brother and mother while trying to reach Greece. I couldn’t take it in. Maybe it was having two boys of my own, or maybe I was just at breaking point, but it was clear to me: I can’t sit back and do nothing. I wanted to do something, but didn’t have much. My friend had just given me two tickets to an Ulster game, and so I raffled them off to raise some money for the British Red Cross who were out working with refugees. (You can read about that here).
That idea that I can’t sit back and do nothing has continued with me, and as I read of the situation in Calais, I knew the opportunity was there again to do something practical. There is now estimated to be between 5000 & 6000 people in Calais, and their desires are simple: to live without fear; to find opportunities; to have hope. Is there anything different between their desires and mine?
People kept talking to me about the situation; from my pastor Jonny to my Auntie Maureen – and so I shared some of my meandering thoughts with my French friend Ben. His eyes lit up, and began planning how we could help before I’d even finished speaking!
Fast forward a couple of weeks, and we now have a big motorhome that we are filling with blankets, sleeping bags, tents and other essential items that we can deliver to Calais to help people get through the winter. If you can donate any of the following, please get in touch.
You can also support us financially by visiting our Crowdfunding page here: https://crowdfunding.justgiving.com/Greenisland2Calais/
We’ll be posting updates, prayer requests and other stuff on this blog and on social media using #Greenisland2Calais.
The featured image is an aerial shot of “the Jungle”, Calais. The Independent.
Did you sign the petition last week: “Accept more asylum seekers and increase support for refugee migrants in the UK”? It flew past the required number of signatures, and it will be debated in parliament today. See below for an update from the Petitions Team.
Yesterday (7 Sept), the Prime Minister made a statement in the House of Commons on Syria: refugees and counter terrorism:
Following the statement, the House of Commons agreed to hold an emergency debate which will take place today (8 Sept), on the refugee crisis in Europe. You can find out more about the debate and watch it live on Parliament’s website:
http://www.parliament.uk/business/news/2015/september/emergency-debate-the-refugee-crisis-in-europe/
After the debate, the video and transcript will be made available on the same page (the transcript will be available three hours after the debate).
You can follow the House of Commons on Twitter: @HouseofCommons
The Petitions Committee will look at this petition at its meeting today (8 Sept), to decide if it will take any further action.
Pray that God’s Spirit will be at work in the hearts and minds of those who debate this issue today, and that Great Britain would once again be known for giving refugees a new, safe home, as well as committing to help bring peace to other lands.
“Dear Stephen, I Believe in Oscar Wilde’s God”
This is true.
Never to sink from view.
Not only for the few.
This bliss is for you.
This is true.
Never to sink from view.
Not only for the few.
This bliss is for you.
“BeLoved” from 10ofthose.com and Glen Scrivener on Vimeo.
“Community is a sign that love is possible in a materialistic world where people so often either ignore or fight each other. It is a sign that we don’t need a lot of money to be happy – in fact, the opposite.”
– Jean Vanier, Community And Growth
David J Wilson 