It always amazes me how God not only gives grace and forgiveness to sinners who turn to Him in repentance, but that He would also invite them into the joy of being used for His Kingdom purposes.
This is the wisdom and fathomless patience of God, that He would use us, weak vessels, to bring Him glory. How many times I have kicked against God’s call to obey Him in bringing the light of the Gospel to people in desperate need of God’s mercy – and yet He continues to show more grace. Praise God for His patience!
As I wrote in my journal last fall after making the decision to accept 20schemes’ Ministry Intern offer, “I am sure that I am the weakest missionary that has ever been called – and all the more I will be glad since God will get all of the honor.”
Ways You Can Pray:
- We can thank our Good Shepherd for His patience with us! I am also thanking the Lord for all of the times He has given us strength to obey Him with joy even when it is hard.
- Tommy and Lorne Millar are some of the sweetest people. They serve through 20schemes with a church in Maryhill, Glasgow (Maryhill Evangelical) that has recently partnered with 20schemes to be a church revitalization. Tommy is pastor there and Lorne is a Women’s Worker. Last I heard, the Millar family have still not been able to find a house in Maryhill although they have been looking for several months now – please pray that God would provide this housing for them so that they would be able to live within the scheme and be better able to serve the people in the Maryhill. Please pray, too, that the Millars would not lose heart or grow discouraged in their ministry, but that God would continue to bless them with strength, courage, and joy.
Video and Pictures for this week:
When I visited several schemes this past fall, I was especially moved by the work God is doing in Maryhill, Glasgow. 20schemes released a short video this week about the Millar’s work in Maryhill:
Tommy Millar took this picture while I was in Scotland last fall. I am in the middle, some of the new flats built in the scheme are in the background, and on the far right of the picture is one of the elders at Maryhill Evangelical:
A view of Maryhill Evangelical (in front and behind of the building are tenements and various housing in the scheme):
Here is a picture inside of the church. There are about a dozen members who have been faithfully keeping this Gospel-preaching church alive over the decades; the reason why they have been able to sustain such hard and often discouraging work for so long is written over the pulpit: because “The Lord Reigneth”. As I mentioned above, 20schemes recently began a partnership with Maryhill evangelical, and the Millars are in the process of helping to revitalize this church. Praise God for His faithfulness in preserving this church in Maryhill! May they be a bright light to the 10,000 people in the scheme who don’t know Jesus.
Claire in Scotland 