The last month has flown by (pun intended). I flew back to North America at the end of August. The 2 weeks before my departure were quite hectic as I was lining up and organizing things for while I was on the other side of the ocean. You never really realize how much you do until you need to make arrangements for someone to fill in. Thankfully, I had the amazing David, someone who I have been mentoring for a number of months, be able to step up and keep the lights on while I have been away. He was a bit nervous, but I had full faith he would do great and by all reports is doing great.
I had a very smooth journey across the pond and have been spending time in the US & Canada. It has been both wonderful and strange to be back. I was reminded of how different things are between here and there. (I may or may not have laughed for about 15 minutes after seeing the sheer size of a US medium soft drink at Wendy’s… it is at least 2x time the size of a swiss large) My time back has been a mix of restful vacation and reconnecting with so many of you who follow along. I have found this to be quite a restorative time. My area of ministry has been very busy since the beginning of the year with the different projects and people to train. It has also been about a year since I have been able to take any time off which I am sure has also contributed to my situation. 🙂
One of the highlights of this trip has been finally being able to return to Canada after nearly three and a half years. I even got the opportunity to share in the church, my grandfather pastors. In doing so, I became the 4th generation of my family to speak there which was quite exciting. I have also visited a handful of other churches and small groups which has been amazing. I have thoroughly enjoyed reconnecting with people I have not seen in ages and getting to meet many new people as well. Everywhere and everyone I have visited has been so welcoming and I have been touched by the reception.
For me, presenting and speaking is not a very natural thing. I prefer to stick to the back and keep a lower profile, so this has been rather stretching. Thankfully, I have experienced some personal breakthroughs in this area and I have noticed that I am becoming less and less nervous. In life, we all have different areas where we need to learn to lean on the Lord and this is one of mine. While it is still by no means easy for me to speak in front of people, I am learning to surrender and lean on Him for where I come up short.Â
I also want to extend a warm greeting to all of the new people who have joined these updates over the last couple of weeks. Knowing you are interested in what God is doing in and through my ministry is a huge encouragement to me. These updates come out on the 20th of the month and are the tip of the iceberg & highlights of what is happening. If you have any questions, are curious about something, or just want to say hi, all you have to do is reply to this email and it comes directly to me so I can write back. I love getting to engage with all of you and know what you want to hear about so I can continue to make these updates better and better. You can also reach me directly by emailing me at benj@rockcache.com.
I am in the USA until the start of October when I fly back to Switzerland. I would appreciate prayers for the transition back into the normal ministry rhythm. There is always an adjustment when switching gears and there will be quite a pile of things for me to tackle when I return.
As always, thank you for coming along with me in this adventure of faith,
Ben