Big Live Show

 Last night was the long-awaited Big Live Show. This is the fundraising event for Casa Semear which I've been planning and producing for the last six months! The band had been rehearsing long and hard to get the songs up to scratch. Local singer/song-writer Andy Craig had also been enlisted to play and I'd been working with him to learn some of his material. Meanwhile I'd put my studies aside to produce some videos of Casa Semear, to put the programme together and do all the organising required to get the show off the ground. However, on friday night disaster struck and I ended up in A&E at the Royal Infirmary with serious chest pains and breathing difficulties. There was talk of keeping me in over the weekend depending on the results of X-Rays, blood tests and the ECG. Thankfully I got the all-clear and there didn't seem to be any serious cause other than major stress. On Saturday morning the band came together for a final rehearsal but I was still struggling to breathe through each song and wondered if I was going to have to call the whole thing off! However, by the grace of God I was fit and able to perform by Saturday night.

Band

The show went well. The programme ran smoothly and there was a good turn out. Just before  the end of the show we announced the total amount of money we'd collected over the evening which came to £850.10. However, by the end of the night  more money had come in and altogether, including the £250 cheque from the teachers at my work, a £400 collection from Casa ABBA, a £75 donation from Keynotes Children's Choir   and several other donations in the past month, we have managed to take in £1812. The majority of this will go straight to Casa Semear and a small portion of last night's collection will contribute to my living costs during my two month trip. There is now enough money to pay for the kids camp in July and money to buy some more resources for the daily running of Casa Semear. A valuable part of the evening was also being able to share with people a little bit more about what's been happening at Casa Semear and spreading the word about why funding is needed.



Andy Craig

I couldn't be more grateful to all the people who made last night a success. The band worked so hard for months and put up with all my bossy rehearsal directions! Thanks to Alex Russell for getting up and working his magic! A huge thankyou goes to Andy Craig for volunteering to play and for the £200 brought in by sale of his albums. Also a huge thankyou is deserved by the tech crew without whom nothing would have worked! Thankyou also to the wonderful people who stewarded, served refreshments, collected money, sold tickets and made all the other bits of the evening run smoothly. I couldn't have done it without all the help of willing volunteers and I am eternally grateful for your support. I had great fun doing the show and I'm a little sad it's over. Oh well... there's always next year!

 

Video of the Big Live Show: "Forget You" by CeeLo Green

Blessed

When people say that God works in mysterious ways... they're not wrong! This morning I received the monthly prayer letter from Robert and Silvana (check the "Connections" page if you don't know who they are). As some of you will know, the building renovation of Casa Semear included building two small flats at the back of the property for visiting missionaries or ABBA staff to live in. The money raised last year covered the building and interior work of the flats but with money running low there was little left for the furnishing. However, Robert and Silvana's prayer letter this morning brought some good news:

"In our last letter, we mentioned a lady who cooked for us on the day that we did the roof on the missionary house.  Well, she and her husband bought a flat at the beach, and furnished it.  After it was all kitted out, they found out that the flat that they bought, didn’t really belong to the previous owner, so after a lot of talk, they managed to get their money back.  The reason I am mentioning this is, they had a full house of furniture sitting there, and they didn’t know what to do with it.  They then prayed, and remembered us at Casa Semear.  They remembered that we had just built two missionary flats that needed to be furnished.  End of the story… they gave us it all!  God is great!  A beautiful couch, that is in the library for the mean time, oven, triple bunk bed, TV, DVD player, fridge, two wardrobes, mattresses, table and four chairs, a full set of kitchen cabinets and a television rack.  It was totally unexpected.  What a blessing!"

My experience in Casa Semear last year taught me that very often God works in unexpected ways and He provides just what is needed at the right time. Last year with less than 24 hours to go before the kids camp we had no bus/transport and no cook. However, by the grace of God both things came to us within 12 hours. It's often a test of faith but God always delivers! So, please keep praying for the funding for this year's camp because as of yet there is still no money guaranteed. I'm confident that it will come through. Watch this space.

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Update - 13th May 2011

The good news isn't over yet. Tonight at work I was presented with a cheque for £250 by a small but wonderful group of teachers from the local high schools. Unbeknown to me they had been collecting money together for a while and today they brought me not only the cheque but a personal gift and their best wishes for my trip. I'm not going to lie - I cried a little bit! I'm always overwhelmed when people not only take an interest in the work but invest in it too. The money will be put towards the camp and makes up a quarter of the total required. We have been blessed!