Pilgrim Soldier

So it’s that time of year where we spend time looking back over the last and forward into the new one and I’m seeing a lot of those sorts of posts in Google Reader right now. Here’s my contribution!

Looking back

Well there are some really obvious events that happened over the last year and here’s a quick recap in chronological order:

First was my Assessment Conference in February followed very quickly by the result which was that I’d have to wait for a year! It came as a bit of a shock after having felt that the conference itself went so well. However, the events since have proven God’s will in it all! He’s shown that He had it all taken care of and that we truly were in his hands.

Next came March and the final official involvement that Zoe & I had with Patverums. It was very strange, especially for Zoe, to hand over a centre we had built from scratch to a new leader but it was great to see so many come to celebrate the 5th birthday which was the same day.

April saw the birth of our beautiful daughter, Abigail Evie Smith, who is a constant delight and who now, at 8 months, is keeping us both extremely busy. Seeing the wonderful relationship that has formed between Sian & Abigail over the last few months is a joy to behold.

Things eased off for a time, well if you can call having a tiny baby in the flat easing off! The next event was our return to the UK in August. After almost 6 years in Latvia it would be a total lie to suggest that the return has been easy. At varying times Zoe, Sian & myself have all suffered a bit from homesickness. The only one who has taken it in her stride is Abigail. However, the transition is still ongoing and we are slowly adjusting to UK life again.

September saw my appointment as an Envoy in charge of The Salvation Army in Godalming. It’s certainly been something of an experience so far and despite some frustrations and many challenges it has been pretty fulfilling so far, and I’ve learnt a great deal more about this God of mine and how to follow Him more deeply.

Looking forward

Well on the personal front this is the year that God will lead us forward into training to be Officers. We have an interview later this month and then our joint Assessment Conference in March.

I intend to try to stretch my faith further this year, growing in holiness and seeking opportunities to put my missional beliefs into practice. I want to delve further into what it means to be a true apprentice of Jesus Christ and want to pass it onto others, both new converts and tired warriors.

On the other front I have some hopes for the future of the corps. I honestly don’t know what the situation will be here in 12 months time, or whether I will still be in charge of the corps as a cadet. However, I do believe that the Lord has plans for the people who make up The Salvation Army in Godalming. I believe that he wants something from them and that He has plans for His Kingdom in this town that The Salvation Army is to be involved in. I won’t go into anything deeper here as I have yet to share the thoughts with those involved, but please pray for continued direction over the coming days for all of us here. Watch this spot for news about the developments!