Haiti has been constantly on my mind in the last couple of months, since I started work as a Youth Training Assistant with an organisation that teaches 15-16 year old boys to lay bricks. I was working in the Compassion UK office www.compassionuk.org when we heard of the earthquake on 12 January 2010 and we began to learn of the devastation that had been wrought in Haiti.
Today I received the book “Unshaken” in which Dan Woolley of Compassion International tells his story of being trapped in the Hotel Montana in Port-au-Prince when the earthquake struck.
I am attending a baptism this evening at Mansfield Baptist Church and when I looked on the church website I found a link to You Tube to Philippa Hanna’s song “Ave to Love” and a video of Haiti. It was then that I realised I started work with my present organisation on 12 January 2011 (exactly one year after the earthquake in Haiti struck).
Because of the terminology used in the organisation in which I am now working, in the last few days I have been looking at the words “foundation” and “cornerstone” in the Bible via www.biblegateway.com and at the fact that both of these words in the Bible point to Jesus. He must be our firm foundation and the chief cornerstone. My prayer is that all the people of Haiti and the staff and pupils of my current organisation will come to understand this and put it into practice.
On 16th April Philippa Hanna is due to be singing at The Winding Wheel in Chesterfield (where my church, New Life, meets on a Sunday morning) and I am hoping to be there, helping people to find children to sponsor via the Compassion UK stand.
The Cross is in the Field 
Great stuff Jacqui speaking boldly for Christ. I look forward to your next epistle.
Hi Jacqui
Why is it called the Cross is in the field?
Mary
I wanted to put a “banner” on the top and just did a “Holy Spirit dip” into my photographs and landed on the one you see. I was then reminded of a song by Godfrey Birtill called “Lift Up Your Heads (Alleluia)” that has those words “The Cross is in the Field” in it. It also has the line “Arise my Warrior Bride” and that reminds me of my “Battle of Britain/Bridal Party story” that I don’t think I have blogged yet. If not, I must do it soon as it is topical. Godfrey Birtill came to Woking to do a workshop on the day I moved from “Kingfield” Gardens in Woking to “Hallowes” Close in Guildford. And as I look at the song again I see it has the words “Go where no “hallowed” feet have trod”. The words of the Godfrey Birtill song are as follows:
Lift up your heads, you gates of brass!
You bars of iron yield!
And let the King of glory pass;
The cross is in the field.
Alelluia….Alelluia…Alelluia…. Alelluia………
Alelluia….Alelluia…Alelluia…. Alelluia………
You armies of the living God
Stand in your Captains might
Go where no hallowed feet have trod
Arise My warrior bride!
O fear not, faint not, halt not now;
Don’t quit, like men be strong,
To Christ shall every nation bow,
And sing with you this song.
Uplifted are the gates of brass
The bars of iron yield
Behold the King of glory pass
The cross has won the field!
James Montgomery 1771-1854 (Moravian Hymn book)
Godfrey Birtill (Music) & Adaptation
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Thanks Jacqui. As ever you have a thorough response.