Page 5 - News Spring-Summer 2025
P. 5

It occurred to me at the time that I ought to speak to   had simmered down but I then needed to opt out due to
            either Chris or to the Executive Director Iain Mair about   family circumstances. In 2024, Graham Beckett (National
            what I’d felt. However, I did what so many of us do; the   President) asked me if I would like to join him and the
            stiff upper lip came out and I told nobody, probably   team in Chile, November 2024 and again I said “Yes,
            not even Sarah. I’d figured that a) I’m not well travelled   please!” After all, it had finally come back around full
            and getting on a plane by myself was a disaster waiting   circle.
            to happen, b) assuming I’d boarded the right plane I   How did you feel about applying, were you nervous,
            would no doubt be a useless witness for the Lord when
            I got there and c) these sorts of things are best left to   excited?
            the members who I’d come to know over the years and   I had a mixture of nervousness and excitement as I
            admired; GO Trips were surely not for someone who     completed the application form. I admit there was
            stuffed things into padded envelopes and prayed it    some nonchalance too as I had half expected that
            arrived at its destination (for I worked in the Stores    some event might occur meaning the trip would be
            at that time).                                        cancelled, or that my GP would recommend against
                                                                  the trip upon reviewing my records when I sent
            Anyway, it was several weeks, maybe a couple of months,   over the medical release form. As I read through the
            afterward when I was working away in the Stores staring
            at the wall calendar at all the numerous appointments   application questions, each time there was a part of
                                                                  me thinking “can I actually do this?” and that perhaps
            that lie ahead when Iain Mair came in to see me. He   ShareWord Global would review the application and
            said, “how would you feel about going on a mission    think I’m not made of the right stuff.
            trip?” Immediately I felt that even though I had kept
            my Moldova feelings to myself, God had actioned them   How did you feel when you knew you had been
            regardless. Without considering everything mentioned   accepted to attend the trip?
            above, I just said “Yes please!”                      When I received the acceptance email I thought “have
            Later down the line Iain told me that the trip was to be   they made a mistake?" Once that had passed, I felt
            in Chile, November 2019. Sadly, the trip didn’t go ahead   happy and excited because I knew a team of us were
            and was cancelled considering the protests and riots   going to an unfamiliar place with the intention of
            happening at the time within Santiago, which would have   spreading the Good News of Jesus and seeing God at
            been our base. So, I aimed instead for Peru, early 2020   work through us and at work in the nation of Chile.
            which ended up being cancelled for obvious reasons!   What preparations were required in the months
            We then aimed for Serbia, mid 2023 which was cancelled   leading up to the trip? Did you receive any training
            due to a tragic shooting in a Belgrade school. It all started   in advance of the trip?
            to become something of a running joke that whatever
            trip I had planned to attend was inevitably going to be   ShareWord Global (SWG) were very helpful right
            cancelled simply due to my presence. We aimed again   from the beginning. In terms of the practicalities,
            for Serbia late 2023 after national tensions and concerns   they provided a check-list to all trip participants. In
                                                                  terms of what to expect during the GO Trip itself we
                                                                  received a copy of one of SWG’s booklets “GO Trip
                                                                  Guide – International Edition”; this runs to 138 pages
                      I THOUGHT “HAVE THEY                        and contains lots of preparatory advice pre-trip.
                         MADE A MISTAKE?"                         As our focus is to make connections with people and

                                                                  to chat about the Gospel message, knowing Jesus in a
                                                                  personal way and spending time in prayer in the run

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                                                                                                                 18/03/2025   16:34
       News Spring_Summer 2025.indd   5                                                                          18/03/2025   16:34
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