Rhodd o lawenydd, chwerthin ac efengylu
Ydych chi erioed wedi bod awydd byw ar gwch bychan gyda phump o bobl eraill o wahanol wledydd a gwneud dim ond gwasanaethu'r gymuned leol am ychydig o fisoedd? Naddo, mae’n debyg!
Dyna’n union wnaeth Caroline, Philipp, Raphael, Mirella, Anaïs a Ludovic am y ddau fis diwethaf.
Mae’r Island Reach wedi bod ar gei Conwy ers y Nadolig, yn cael ei newid yn Llong Trugaredd – mae manylion y prosiect yma. Daeth y tîm at ei gilydd i orffen ail ran eu hyfforddiant Ysgol Hyfforddi Disglybyddiaeth Ieuenctid gyda Chenhadaeth – YWAM. Treuliwyd eu tri mis cyntaf eu hamser yn yr Yswistir yn mynychu darlithoedd diwynyddol. Ail ran eu hyfforddiant yw gweinidogaeth ymarferol ac, yn enwedig, cenhadu ac efengylu, felly, i Gonwy amdani!
Gydol eu hamser yno, mae’r tîm wedi dod yn bartner gyda’r eglwys leol i helpu’r gymuned trwy gynnig gweinidogaeth ymarferol. Maen nhw wedi tacluso mynwentydd, peintio hostel ieuenctid, clirio gerddi, helpu paratoi caffi i agor a llawer mwy.
Roedd dydd Gwener, fodd bynnag, yn cael ei neilltuo ar gyfer gweithio ar y cwch. Ar y dyddiau hynny, byddai pobl yr ardal yn galw heibio, rhai gydag anrhegion o deisennau, ac yn treulio amser gyda’r tîm. Byddai brecwast yn cael ei rannu ac yna amser yn cael ei dreulio i weddïo ac addoli cyn dechrau gweithio gyda'i gilydd.
Gan fod y cwch mewn lle amlwg ar y cei, roedd yn ddigon hawdd codi sgwrs gydag unigolion. Roedd y tïm yn synnu fod pobl mor barod i rannu. Ychydig iawn, mae’n debyg, o fân-siarad sydd yna yn yr Yswistir. Ond roedd yn codi cywreinrwydd pobl leol ac ymwelwyr a oedd yn gofyn yn aml, “Beth sy’n digwydd yma?” gan wahodd y tîm i rannu eu stori.
Soniodd un aelod o’r tîm YWAM am ei hufudd-dod dewr yn ymuno â’r tîm. Roedd yn teimlo ei bod yn cael ei galw i feithrin ei pherthynas bersonol gyda Duw fel rhan o’r tîm er gwaethaf nad yw’n siarad Saesneg, heb sôn am Gymraeg. Roedd canfod ffyrdd o wasanaethu a rhannu cariad Duw heb allu cyfathrebu’r eiriol yn hynod o anodd ac eto’n hynod werth chweil.
Nid gweledigaeth YWAM yw gollwng pobl i mewn, dechrau rhywbeth newydd ac yna ddiflannu gan gefnu ar y prosiect. Y diben yw cysylltu a chyfuno eu hunain gydag eglwys leol, gan gynnwys eu hunain a’u hamser fel rhodd.
Soniodd y Parch Eryl Parry, Offeiriad Arloesol ym Mro Celynnin, am pryd cyrhaeddodd y tîm gyntaf.
Roedd y cyfnod cyn y Nadolig yn llawn cyngherddau, digwyddiadau a gwasanaethau. Ac yna, roedd y Sul ar ôl y Nadolig, pan mae pobl yn ddi-hwyl a’r niferoedd yn aml ar eu hisaf, yn fwgan o’n blaenau. Ond yn hytrach na wynebu’r Sul yn benisel, daeth y cyfan o’r prosiect Island Reach a’r tîm YWAM ag ynni a brwdfrydedd a gododd yr eglwys gyfan o’u hamgylch. Roedden nhw'n wirioneddol yn rhodd gan Dduw.
Fel eglwysi, rydyn ni’n aml yn euog o fod yn amheus wrth weld eglwysi neu sefydliadau eraill yn gwneud rhywbeth newydd. Pan fydd grwpiau eraill yn cynnig eu hunain, gallwn gilio, ac er cywilydd, wrthod y pethau sy'n ein gwthio y tua allan i'r hyn sy'n gyfarwydd i ni ond a allai ein helpu i drawsnewid ein cymunedau.
- Cyn hyd yn oed gyrraedd y cwch, ysgrifennodd y tîm eu gweledigaeth a’u gobeithion. Un o'r gobeithion hynny oedd bedyddio rhywun. Yn ystod yr wythnos gyntaf, ar ôl dim ond sgwrs anffurfiol ar y cei, gofynnodd rhywun am gael ei fedyddio.
- O ganlyniad i hynny, gofynnodd rhywun arall, aelod adnabyddus o’r gymdeithas, hefyd am gael ei fedyddio.
- Cynhaliwyd ‘addoliad cyfoes ‘Noson Glodfori', yn neuadd yr eglwys, yr oedd y tîm wedi’i baratoi a’i arwain. Daeth 70 o bobl yno a chodi'r to!
Pe na byddai’r eglwys leol wedi partneru gyda YWAM, neu pe byddai YWAM ddim ond wedi cyrraedd yn ddisymwth ac wedi sefydlu gweithgareddau annibynnol neu gyfochrog, ychydig iawn o gyfle fyddai yna o adeiladu ar y dechreuadau hyn. Soniodd Minuelle am y teimlad o fod yno i adeiladu pontydd. Trwy bartneriaeth â’r tîm ar y cwch, bydd yr eglwys leol yn gallu cynnal y perthynasau newydd hyn a, gobeithio, gweld datblygiad ym mywydau pawb sy'n cymryd rhan.
Ond nid gydag Eryl ac Arweinydd yr Ardal Genhadaeth yn unig yr oedd y bartneriaeth. Roedd yr aelodau o’r gynulleidfa a aeth â theisennau at y cwch, a wirfoddolodd i helpu gyda’r gwaith adnewyddu (ac sy’n dal i wneud hynny) ac a oedd yn gwasanaethu mewn ffyrdd eraill, yn sylweddoli eu gallu eu hunain i adeiladu pontydd a'r hyn sydd ganddyn nhw eu hunain i’w gynnig. Dangosodd cynulleidfa’r eglwys gariad drwy gysylltu’n rhydd â’i gilydd.
Gofynnais i’r tîm dros beth allen ni weddïo, fel eglwys ehangach, ar ôl i’w cyfnod yng Nghonwy ddod i ben. Roedden nhw’n gofyn am bedair pheth syml.
- y byddai gweddill y prosiect yn llifo’n esmwyth ac y byddai’r cwch, ar ôl cael ei adnewyddu’n llwyr, yn ateb ei ddiben ym Madagascar.
- Y byddai Duw yn dal i weithio ym mywydau pobl roedd y tîm wedi’u cyfarfod yn ystod eu cyfnod yng Nghonwy
- Dros y tîm eu hunain wrth iddyn nhw geisio bod yn ufudd i alwad Duw ar eu bywydau
- Am ddeffroad ysbrydol ledled Ewrop.
Daeth ein sgwrs i ben trwy drafod pa gyngor fydden nhw’n ei roi i bobl eraill yn ystyried y math yma o alwedigaeth. Nid yw pob prosiect YWAM ar gwch. Mae yna bob math o ffyrdd o wasanaethu Duw mewn ffyrdd ymarferol. Roedd Caroline, arweinydd y tîm, ar un adeg yn rhan o dîm eirafyrddio a geiriau’r tîm wrth adael oedd:
Os ydych ch'n teimlo fod Duw yn eich galw, allwch chi ddim colli.
The gift of joy, laughter and evangelism
Have you ever fancied living on a small boat with five other people from different countries and simply serving a local community for a few months? Probably not!
That’s exactly what Caroline, Philipp, Raphael, Mirella, Anaïs and Ludovic have done for the last couple of months.
The Island Reach has been in Conwy quay since Christmas, being converted into a Mercy Ship. The team were brought together to complete the second part of their YWAM (Youth with a Mission) training. The first 3 months of their time together was in Switzerland attending theological lectures. The second part of their training is in practical ministry and, in particular, mission and evangelism and, so, to Conwy they came.
Throughout their time here the team have partnered with the local church to help the community by offering a practical ministry. They’ve tidied graveyards, painted a youth hostel, cleared gardens, helped prepare a cafe for opening and much more besides.
Fridays, however, were reserved for working on the boat. On those days local people would come down, some with offerings of cake, and spend time with the team. Breakfast would be shared and they would spend time in prayer and worship. Being in such a prominent position on the quayside meant that conversations with individuals were unending. The team spoke of their surprise at people’s willingness to share. Switzerland, apparently, is not a place of small talk. However, both locals and visitors were intrigued and frequently asked, “What’s this about?” inviting the team to share their story.
One of the YWAM team told of her bold obedience in joining the team. She felt she was being called to grow in her personal relationship with God as a part of this team despite the fact that she doesn’t speak English, let alone Welsh. Finding ways of serving and sharing the love of God without the ability to communicate verbally was particularly challenging and yet hugely rewarding.
YWAM’s vision is not to parachute in, set up something new and then disappear again abandoning the project. Their purpose is to connect with and integrate themselves into a local church, offering themselves and their time as a gift.The Revd Eryl Parry, Pioneer Priest in Bro Celynnin, spoke of the time when the team first arrived.
The lead up to Christmas was full of concerts, events and services. And then low Sunday after Christmas, when energy levels and numbers are often at rock bottom, was looming. Rather than hit that Sunday at a low the YWAM team brought with them an energy and enthusiasm which lifted the whole church around them. They were an absolute gift from God.
As churches we are often guilty of being suspicious when we see other churches or organisations doing something new. When we’re approached by other groups we can shy away and, to our shame, reject those things which push us outside our comfort zone but which could help to transform our communities.
I asked the group to name three of their highlights from the trip.
- Before they even got on the boat the team wrote their vision and their hopes. One of those hopes was to baptise someone. Within the first week, simply through an informal chat on the quayside, someone asked to be baptised.
- As a result of that first person being baptised another, well known member of the community, asked to be baptised also.
- An evening of worship was held at Saint Mary’s Church which the team helped to lead. Over 70 people came along to worship God.
Were the local church to have not partnered with YWAM or YWAM to have simply parachuted in, set up independent or parallel activites there would be very little chance of building on these beginnings. Miruelle spoke of a feeling of being there to build bridges. Through partnership with the team on the boat the local church can sustain these new relationships and, hopefully, see growth in the lives of all invovled.
The partnership wasn’t simply with Eryl and the Ministry Area Leader. Those members of the congregation who took cake to the boat, who volunteered with the renovations and who served in other ways realised further their own capacity to build bridges and what they have to offer themselves. The church congregation realised again how they can show love by engaging themselves freely.
I asked the team what we could pray for as a wider church now their time in Conwy has come to an end. They asked four simple things.
- That the rest of the project would go smoothly and that the boat, once it is fully renovated, would serve its purpose in Madagascar.
- That God would continue to work in the lives of the people the team had met during their time in Conwy
- For the team themselves as they seek to be obedient to God’s call on their lives
- For a spiritual awakening across Europe
We ended our conversation discussing what advice they might give to others who are considering this type of calling. Not all YWAM projects are on boats. There are all kinds of ways of serving God in practical ways. Caroline, the leader of this team, has previously been part of a snowboarding team and the team’s parting words were,
If you feel that God is calling you, you can’t lose.