Encounter Worldwide (methodist.org.uk) offers Christians in Britain and Ireland the opportunity to spend three to twelve months sharing in the Methodist Church’s mission, life and culture in another part of the world. It may not be something at we have come across in the hallowed halls of the Yorkshire URC Synod, but one of our ecumenically minded folk has taken that opportunity.

Judy Rogers, a member at St Andrew’s Church Skipton – Our Church (standrewsskipton.org.uk), applied before Covid to this scheme which was delayed until late 2022. She did the interviews, the induction and the training; the bags were packed and off she went on Tuesday 10th January. She will be staying with Rev Colin Gertze and his family, in Rehoboth, which is 50 miles south of Namibia’s capital, Windhoek.

Judy is no stranger to travel having previously worked in Western Samoa and Papua New Guinea with the Council for World Mission in her 20’s, as well as living in Sumatra, Fiji and Tanzania with a young family in her 30’s and 40’s, She’s now off again with a new sense of excitement to experience something of the Church in Namibia now in her ?0’s.

On being asked at St Andrew’s before leaving ‘What will you be doing?’ her answer was, ‘I don’t know, but I will be sharing in the life of the church in Namibia. We live in such a work driven society in the UK that it is hard to just go and be in faith. But I am excited at this amazing opportunity, to travel in faith expectantly and with hope. Above all I am looking forward to learning about a new country, sharing with a new family, meeting new people and being able to tell their stories’.

Now Judy, being Judy, is keeping us all updated as to her time in Namibia and has set up a blog at Malham2Namibia – Encounter Worldwide visit to Namibia (wordpress.com) so take the opportunity to see how our Faith is alive in Namibia and maybe we can draw on that to enrich and enliven our own Faith.

Please keep Judy in your prayers as she works in areas new to her and with Encounter Worldwide as they foster experiencing life and faith in a different culture and setting.