As I came to the end of my degree I still had no idea what was going to be my next step. There were a few different options that I was considering, one of them was to stay at home and spend the year with a 24-7 prayer community, helping with a prayer spaces in schools team. However, I knew that I was meant to go away and although being involved in prayer spaces seemed like such good idea and an amazing opportunity, I knew I couldn’t stay. Having made the decision to come to Guernsey, it was even harder when I would hear about new things that were going to happen at home, new opportunities arising in schools, which I would have soooo loved to be involved with. Spending a week going in to schools with LZ7 was incredible and all the time, I kept thinking about how amazing it would be to do schools work full time.

A week or so before I left for Guernsey, I was handed a piece of paper with the contact details of a lady named Becky, who lives in Guernsey and had just done her first Prayer space in a school in Guernsey!!!  God wanted me in Guernsey but he also knew that I had a heart for schools work and so I kinda think he allowed me to do something that I wanted where he wanted!!!

Within the first week of being in Guernsey, I contacted Becky and was able to meet with her soon after. When we met, Becky was able to show me how and what they had done in their first prayer space in a school. I think having had some experience of being involved in prayer spaces in schools before, it was nice for the two of us to talk, as Becky had never seen a prayer space in action, before running her own. I was able to share the experiences that I had had with prayer space and she was able to show me what they had done in the first one that she had run. She was also able to ask questions and it was nice to be able to encourage her and tell her that things were very much the same as how we would do them!

So a few weeks ago I was able to take part in helping with a prayer space in a Guernsey school. And oh how it was different!!!! Well it was very much the same…but the kids where very different..or so I thought. On Monday afternoon a team headed in to the school and set up the prayer space in the school’s library. The teacher that had helped Becky get in to the school, had already covered the bookcases in sheets and removed the chairs and tables for us.

So on Tuesday morning, I arrive at this school…..which doesn’t really look like a school more like a really big house, with a big drive way…there are no huge fences or gates that make the place look like a some form of prison, there were no kids hanging around  outside. And as I walk in to the school…the place was sooo quiet, I enter the office and say that I am here with the prayer space team...I am asked to sign in and told to go straight through…there were no security doors, no buttons to press, or fobs to open doors.

Inside the library is a familiar sight! I might have been in a different place doing a prayer space with a different group of people but as I walked it was clear that it was a prayer space…much like any other that I had been involved in before. There were a few different stations, but all had the same kinds of focuses as in England.  By this point I am really looking forward to seeing how the prayer space works in Guernsey, there has only been one prayer space done before and I had seen how it works in England and was intrigued as to how it would work here!

Each activity was explain to me, so I knew what was to be done at each station. Due to us using quite a small space, and the fact that we only had 30 minutes with each group, we decided the class would be split in to small groups and would be led around to the different stations by an adult.   The first class walked in and the first thing I noticed was that they were sooooo quiet, the second thing I noticed was that they were nearly all boys. This was the same for every class that we saw. I actually couldn’t believe how well behaved and polite all of the children were, there was definitely a different atmosphere than that of the schools in England.

As I took each of my groups around the prayer space, it was lovely to see how excited the kids were, they were soo looking forward to this and couldn’t wait to move on to each activity. It was lovely to see how serious most of the children were taking the whole experience. One station allowed children to think about worries that they have whilst holding a stone, they then place them worries in to the hands of God. It was soo moving to watch the children as they really thought seriously about those worries that they have. It was also sad to hear their response when asked if they had any worries, so many of them would reply that they had lots. At 7 years old surely children should have lots of serious things that they worry about?!?!?!?

There are so many stories that I could share and it’s hard to know which ones to mention.  Something that we did in this school which I have never done in the prayer spaces in England, was to have a gold treasure box and inside the box was a mirror. Before showing the kids we would ask them who is special to them, and who they think is special to God. One at a time we would then let them open the box, so they can see who else is special to God.  It really was beautiful to watch their faces as they realise that THEY are special. Watching some faces it was almost as if they had never heard that before, some of the children were embarrassed to see themselves in the box.  

I think it was easy to look at these children and think wow I bet they have a lot of things, they live in a nice area, go to a posh school, probably live in a big house and think surely they are happy in life. I’ll admit I’m guilty of thinking these things, but spending time with the children I realised that ok, they may have that posh life that people dream of, but it doesn't mean life is easy and perfect. I realise that although issues may be different than those of the kids in England that we have met through schools work, there are still issues!! It may be that their parents work 24-7 in order to provide what they feel is the best for their children. Perhaps because of this families break down, as more focus is put on work than family. Or maybe the kids are put under loads more pressure from parents to be perfect. The amount of children that said they were worrying about music exams was crazy. I’m not saying its wrong to make your children do exams, but is it right to put so much pressure on them to succeed that they are constantly worrying, that they won’t make the grade?! That they are not good enough?!  And perhaps they may have all the toys, DS’s, laptops, and ipods they want…but  not knowing, hearing or feeling that they are special is so much more damaging than them not getting what they want!!!! By no means am I say that this is how many of the children where in this school….I honestly don’t know…but it just made me think and also made me realise at how quick I was to judge.

Another moment that sticks in my mind is a girl in one of the groups I was taking round. At every station she would pray out loud, in front of friends without any worries about what they would think. At one point she told me that she loved God, she prayers every night before she goes to bed and that, she was probably the best Christian in her family, as well...there not really Christians. When we went in to the quiet area, she stated, I will say the blessing for everyone, got all of her friends to bow their heads and prayed for them all!  

Lastly, the place where I noticed the biggest difference was when I took each group in to the quite Zone, after explaining that they could spend some time there talking to God, no word of a lie…95% of the children I took in closed their eyes and prayed there little hearts out.  Even if they didn’t pray out loud, just by watching their faces it was clear to see that they really were taking it seriously, and that in that moment they really had grasped the opportunity to talk to God.

The whole experience was beautiful; Becky is currently in discussions with another school about doing a prayer space there. I am so excited about getting involved with another.

            I love that God let me have the opportunity to be a part of Prayer Spaces in Guernsey! 

Finally (I really mean it this time) here is some feedback that the prayer spaces received, so moving and so makes you see how valuable this prayer movement is.