Mike Rutter’s Weblog…….

I have not been able to get to a computer for a while so sorry for lack of updates. I have had a lot of first time experiences here in Mongolia that I will write about more when I get back. I preached in a Mongolian church which meets in a Gir (round tent) which was amazing. I flew as co-pilot to a nearby town which was a dream come true for me. The journey back was equally memorable as we came back by Russian jeep cross country for 14 hours. Not a journey I will forget in a long time! The retreat that we have been doing went really well and I got to meet some realy cool people here who are doing missionary work in Mongolia.

Today we have been doing the tourist thing and visiting the market and shops. I am currently at a very nice family’s house who are missionaries out here. We fly back on Monday night so should be back in the UK late Tuesday.

We arrived safely last night at about 12pm Mongolian time (5 pm UK) The guest house we are staying in is reasonable – some interesting decor We are all now adjusting to the time difference, most of us slept well last night but were woken up by a very busy road outside being marshalled by some extremely over enthusiastic traffic police with whistles. We’ve already had a few hairy journeys in cars – I don’t think they have road laws here! We are currently planning the retreat that we are running with the team over here and so I am typing this at the JCS centre in Ulan Battar. They have lots of nice computer equipment so I am happy. Anyway will try and post next time I get access.

Well I leave for Mongolia tomorrow leaving behind my family for 2 weeks. It has come upon me quicker than I though as these things always do and I don’t feel as prepared as I would like to. I have got my sermon and workshops written so at least I will have something to say when I am out there. It is my first time outside of western society so I am really looking forward to getting a different perspective on life to the one that I have always known. I am going as a part of a team from my local church (St Mikes) to help lead a retreat for the missionaries that work out there. As well as the retreat there should be some time to sight see. I will try and post to this blog from Mongolia but that all depends on access to the internet – so I won’t hold my breath!

No this is not a conference discussing the merits of circular bread in which to put burgers…. it stands for Bishop’s Advisory Panel which is the thing I went to in Ely just over a week ago. Anyway I got a call today to say that I have been recommended for training. That means that I now probably have 3 years of part time training to do after which if all goes well I will be ordained as a vicar. I told Joel today and his words were , “but dad you’ll look like a geek”. Always look to your children for encouragement……..

Well I survived and had a great time in the process. The weather was scorching and the kids were all in all a great bunch to take away. I was also pleased to see that as well as the previously mentioned hardware that they all seem to have these days, they also brought out packs of Top Trumps. Some things endure don’t they…..

Pippa and I went to a charity ball last night – a chance to shake out the old DJ once more. It was in aid of the Georgina Grace Trust which raises money for charities that support families with disabled children. It was something that Pip’s practice had bought into so it was really a ‘work do’ but for a good cause at the same time. It was at York Race Course which is a great venue as the views from the suite are great. Apparantly it was a celebrity ball but neither of us knew any of the 4 celebrities that were there. We had a a good time though.

Pip has now gone down to her Mum’s with the kids leaving me home alone for a couple of days so that I can prepare for my selection conference which is this half term. It is in Ely from Tuesday to Thursday and will be when I get interviewed as I continue to explore the possibility of ordination in the Church of England. It’s seems to have suddenly come upon me, but I’m relieved because it has been a long process. I am still very positive about testing the sense of calling , but am not very clear about what any future ministry might look like. Time will tell………

I was well chuffed to find out that 2 of my favourite bands have reformed. Crowded House and James are back in business. The world is a good place………..

As I mentioned in my last post, we went to hear Heidi and Rolland Baker last weekend. They work out in Mozambique, in fact they are the only ‘relief organisation’ allowed in there at the moment. They work for Iris Ministries and basically exist to help the poor and in particular orphaned children in the country. Their schools achieve the highest academic results in the country and considering where the children have come from this is some achievement. Have a look at their website for more details.
Pip went on Friday night and I went on Saturday. Heidi had left by then so it was Rolland that spoke. There was some great worship to start with and then Rolland got up to speak. He is so excited by what God is doing through him and Heidi that it is infectious when you hear him speak. They have seen some pretty bad things happen out there and have come under a lot of opposition. Despite this he has a real joy at knowing that this is what he is meant to do . What s interesting to me is that they are seeing some amazing things happen. People being healed physically and emotionally. The miraculous stuff comes out of the pratical hands on caring stuff. I like that. I like the way that they really care for and love the children out there by providing for them practically and that whilst this is going on, God seems to do miraculous stuff as well. The two go hand in hand. I have to admit that my tendency to think everything through often finds me struggling with some of the claims that are made, but I cannot refute the outcome of their work out there – that being changed lives. Lives that were literally ‘hellish’ being turned round and given hope again. Because of this, I am much more able to believe the miraculous stuff and get excited about that also.

Last Thursday I had the privilege of meeting with The Archbishop of York as part of my ongoing exploration of ordination (becoming a vicar). He was very tired as he had just returned from Tanzania where he had been meeting with Anglican leaders around the world, but despite this he made time to see me, spending about 40 minutes with me to chat about my future. He made me feel very at ease and I enjoyed greatly my time with him. I have heard that he is happy to sponsor me to go to a selection panel in May………