On behalf of LTCC this year outing was organised by one of our Council members to Littlehampton
on Saturday the 5th August 2014. Morethan 40 people including adults
and children joined the trip. As usual people were collected in 2 different
places before 9am: South Harrow and Heston Methodist Church. The weather was
not very promising in the beginning and the travel also had many constraints
because it was not up to our expectations, but our joy of being together was
not taken away from these challenges. We talked, played, laughed and ate
together.
We played in a vast area of a play ground. We started playing
with the majority of mixed groups both young and old and men and women. 2 of
our congregation senior members played the cricket and that was a marvelous image I still carry. Gradually all of them took part in the games and played
together. During lunch time each one shared their food. We had enormous amount
of food which were organised and displayed. The food was shared with the helping hands of our
volunteers. As time went by the ground
was full of people joining from many other organisations on that day. So we had
another challenge, our place was trying to be encroached by others. When others
moved in, some of our conversation helped me to think about how we have grown
up spiritually. When our place was taken away by other people, our members were
encouraged by one another to understand other people. We were able to share the
ground with them as the ground belongs to every body. We were able to continue
playing our games happily in our given
space until 2.30pm and some of us were visiting the sea shore as well. After
2.30pm we had been given for our own time with our family. What a great
testimony!
At the end of the Outing, before we got into the bus, one
person was down by a severe stomach pain. Those who were with him panicked how
to help him. There were few nurses amongst us. One of the nurses immediately
came and helped. But her hands were already weak. She recently had a fracture
in her hands too. 2 hrs later the friend was feeling better. When we were about
to depart from Heston Church he was telling everyone, the nurse (our member)
who helped her was like God to him. What a wonderful testimony! People need
simple help. They expect compassion.
Everyone can help when we have confidence to share our
capacity no matter whatever situation we go through .Christ came into this
world to share this model of Compassion, holistic contribution in Mission to
share what he have. This year Outing encourages to see how LTCC is growing with
Christ like Mission in our challenging
situations.
Rev. Jessie Anand