Adventures in Clubland

I love clubbing, and as you can imagine, living and working in Ibiza means lots of opportunities to see the best DJs play the best clubs. The choice is endless, whether it's Sunday afternoon clubbing out on the terrace or some uplifting trance at Amnesia. We often have some cool stories of our clubbing adventures and i've recently sent one to my friend Jon Oliver who I worked with in Bournemouth when he was the Club Chaplain. We went to a club called 'Slinky' on Friday nights and got to know clubbers and as we chilled out struck up some conversations with people.

Jon has recently written a book called 'Night Vision' and also blogs about clubbing too. He ran some highly successful 'Church for the Night' events in Bournemouth too - that still go on - opening an Anglican Church in the heart of the town during some very unusual hours of the night - roughly 11pm till 6am. This meant many clubbers stumbled in after their night out and suddenly had a desire to talk about their life, write down a prayer or just sit in silence. This event still goes on and is run by Michael French and his team. Michael spent a summer with us in 2008 and he's top guy.

Visit to the UK

I'm heading back to England tonight to see my family and to celebrate my 31st birthday with my twin sister Nicole. Christine will join me up in Lincoln too and will meet my family and help to celebrate. I'm of course really excited to get home and see friends and family and have a break before the start of another busy and full-on summer. Time for a rest and to put my feet up.

Looking forward to going over to visit Christine in Belfast as well. We're hoping to do some fun things together (mostly eat tray-bakes) before I catch a flight back out here on the 20th April.

It'll then be a matter of days before Neil comes to work and live here - and he'll be moving into my apartment. The flat's pretty much ready for him to move into. I wish him all the best as he, alongside Claire and Christine, all prepare to move out here for nearly 6 months to work and help 24-7 Ibiza.

Prayer for Europe

Have you seen the move to pray for Europe by 24-7 Prayer? It looks like that the focus is back on this awesome continent with fresh vigour and us guys in Spain want to get involved.

We've got our Prayer team here in the last week of April and we're hoping to kick off the summer with some focused prayer. It'll be great having a team of up-for-it volunteers helping and aiding us in praying.

We'll be praying for San Antonio - for all the people that we know who live and work in this great place; for God to visit people and reveal himself; for God's power to be shown; for strength and courage for all of us living and working out here. We'll also be praying for the nation of Spain too.

We've signed up for a slot on Tuesday 27th. Sign up here If you've got the heart and the time to help us pray, then do get involved and contact one of us.

Living Beautifully

I love this phrase so much.

I think it was Mother Teresa who used this phrase - and i for one think she did live such a beautiful life. She cared for the broken, the dying, the hurting, the forgotten, those with disease that meant they were ignored, the rejected. She did this for no fame, no money - nor did she want position or title. Now that's beautiful.

Jesus Christ also lived beautifully too. In fact, he did the ultimate, he gave up his life for humankind - the most beautiful and precious act a person can do for someone. He dies in our place, so that we might know God the Father. He took upon himself all our sin and shame and guilt so that we might go free. WOW!

So what does it mean to live beautifully?

A beautiful life is one that is poured out for others in service to them - not wanting to get something out of it.
It's a life that looks to the inner beauty of a person's heart and not the outward beauty that is so often praised in our society today.
A beautiful life is generous with resources for those that are overlooked and uncared for.

How can i live beautifully this summer here in Ibiza? That's a question that is on my mind right now. I desire Christ to cloth me with his beauty this summer - that's a good place to start. To be clothed with his kindness, his compassion, his justice, his forgiveness. I really don't think i can do it otherwise, or find it from anywhere else.

Sunshine and Beaches

Had one of those moments today when i was driving down to Ses Salines (the salt flats) to go for a walk along the beach and whilst i was driving down there with the choons pumping out the car, i was like....'WOW, i'm living in THE most amazing place and serving THE most amazing God.' I was taking in the lovely scenery and the gorgeous sun (which has been shining for the last week!).

Do you ever have those moments? I love them. Long may they continue.

The trickle of tourists is beginning too, with many bars and places now open and soon there'll be masses of people. I'm actually looking forward to the Island getting busier and life returning. I just hope that amid all the work and people i get to walk along a beach and remember what life is all about...

When I Survey the Wondorous Cross

Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

WOW!

An Empty Prayer Wall

Our Prayer Wall: EMPTY!

But think of this: In a matter of weeks, we'll have our first few prayers up there, written by random strangers, tourists and workers alike. By October of this year the Wall will be full of prayer requests and there'll be no room for us to put any more prayers up. What a great problem to have? We've got the Prayer team arriving in about 3 weeks and i hope that this wall gets covered in prayers and words that scripture that lays a really strong foundation for the summer ahead.

We've already had some prayers via our new website, but we won't be putting them up here as they're slightly more private. We will also continue to enable people to pop their prayers in bottles in the prayer room so that no one else can read their private message to God.