This week many of our team are heading off to Brazil for an outreach, joining other YWAM teams from around the world, at COP30. They will teaching in local churches about creation care and how God has called us to steward this planet. Through this they will also work with local churches to reach out in the city and also to the communities that live on islands in the Amazon river.
As I’m here saying farewell and praying out our team members I’m reminded of an earlier time in YWAM. It was actually during Wendy’s Discipleship Training School where the team were preparing to go to Thailand. I was staffing the school and so was also making my plans for being part of the outreach team. But as I took some time praying for the outreach I felt God lead me to a passage in Numbers 4
‘And this is what they are charged to carry, as the whole of their service in the tent of meeting: the frames of the tabernacle, with its bars, pillars, and bases, and the pillars around the court with their bases, pegs, and cords, with all their equipment and all their accessories. And you shall list by name the objects that they are required to carry. ‘
Numbers 4:31-32
He had called people from the tribe of Levi to look after the tent pegs. In this I felt God saying to me to not go on that outreach and to stay and look after the ministry that we were part of (there were a number of jobs that needed to be done while the team would be away).
It was an encouragement as well from God that we all play our part, sometimes in ministry we can see the things that look exciting to do and sometimes there are the things that just need to be taken care of (the tent pegs). And there will be a season for both.
So as part of our team head off, those of us who are here in Cornwall will be looking after things here. Neither one is more important than the other and I can truly say it is a joy to serve in looking after our “pegs”. I’m looking forward to hearing the stories when the team return, and to share our own stories of this time here in Cornwall.