Prayer Letter - October

Jon Hilder. Relay Worker. North Wales. October prayer & newsletter Dear friends,

address 54 Orme Road Bangor Gwynedd LL57 1AY e-mail [email protected] mobile 07749 832010

It seems like a long time since I last wrote; hopefully not too long. Much has happened and it’s time for an update! I am very much more settled in Bangor now and have begun to make good friendships, which makes all the difference. I’m also getting into a regular weekly working pattern, so I feel more like I know what I am doing! Last week I was out of action for three days having picked up some sort of bug. Unfortunately this meant that I was unable to attend the UCCF Welsh team training days which I was looking forward to. Having recovered, it was great to spend the weekend just gone with my girlfriend Una who came to visit. One of my personal highlights of our time together was stumbling upon Britain’s smallest house, in Conwy! My responsibilities are gradually increasing. Last night (19th) I led my first group Bible study on Philippians 2:1-18 with Glyndwr CU. I enjoyed the challenge but I think it’s good that God’s word has the power, not me! Having befriended some christian students, I will soon be starting to study Colossians on a regular basis with two or three of them. I am also hoping to start studying Mark’s gospel with my non-christian housemate. God willing, I will be starting a group in early November to read through Lindsay Brown’s book Shining Like Stars.

What has God been saying to me? One aspect of Relay that I’m really enjoying is the study program (which takes 8 hours per week). Recently we’ve been looking at the nature of God as trinity. 1 John 4:16 says that ‘God is love’. I’ve known this basic fact since Sunday school, but why or how God is love can be unclear. Furthermore, I sometimes wonder if the claim Christians make that ‘God wants a relationship with you’ could really be true. However, realising that God is three persons in perfect community and relationship means I know that God is not only capable of love but He is, by His very nature, love. Therefore I can be confident in believing that the gospel is not too good to be true and seeing God as a loving Father. I can talk to Him and I can hear from Him, I have a relationship with the Lord of the universe! My God is amazing, this needs to be reflected in the way I live my life, the way I treat Him and my witness to those who don’t know Him.

One vision week Here are some statistics to give you an idea of the mission field… • Over 5,000,000 students at 300 universities & colleges in the UK. • 95% have never heard a coherent explanation of the gospel. But we believe God loves them, however unlovely they are, and that they need Jesus as their Saviour – that’s where CUs come in! In the last week of October the UCCF Wales team will be travelling around the nation running special one off meetings in Swansea (26th), Cardiff (28th), Bangor (29th) and Aberystwyth (30th). The aim is to challenge and inspire individuals and CUs to love the gospel and take it to their fellow students. (NB: I will be at all of those meeting, except the one in Cardiff).

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12:1-3