Chidamoyo and the God of Surprises

I was invited to talk during the main service on MIssion Sunday at the Parish Church of St John the Baptist in Crowthorne on the feast of Christ the King, 26th Nov 2006. I was a little nervous and greatful for the support of my son Chris. However, it went well. There was an interesting display of the work supported by the Church in the hall after the service. Coffee and refreshments were served and people were very interested and supportive. People seemed to enjoy the slide-show presentation we put on. The money collected on the day, including gift-aid amounted to £262.88. That was good, but it was not all!

The following week I had a wonderful experience of way God can surprise us. When I was listening to Pray-as-you-go on my way to work in the morning, it was suggested that I ask God to reveal Himself to me in a special way and even to surprise me that day. The next bit of music I heard was by Ladysmith Black Mambazo, which I really like and I thought, "Thank you, God. What a lovely surprise!!" Then I forgot all about it. Imagine my amazement on opening a letter when I got back from work that evening. It contained a cheque from a St John's parishioner for £500. It was gift-aided as well, which means Chidamoyo gets and extra £142.03. This means that £903.91 was raised for Chidamoyo from St John's parishioners on the 26th of November. God is good!