Zerubbabel Focus: Teleconferencing Overseas
by Meryl Langley

"There’s the phone. I wonder who it is?" Here in the UK, that call is usually someone from within the fellow-ship, ringing to update us on some news or simply to just touch base.

Our local fellowships in Ireland and in England meet once a week. Christina Duncan from Scotland joins the English fellowship once a month. Since we all get together only six times a year, telephoning and now e-mailing have become integral parts of fellow-ship. Always, when one of us has spoken to someone in the States, we then ring around and pass on the latest news.

Most of us have e-mail at work or at home, and this form of communication has become really valuable. I love it in the morning when I get to work-the first thing I do is to see if I have "mail." It’s great to start the day reading a message from someone in the fellowship. We all work in the midst of worldliness and the temptation is to react and respond to everyday situations on a soul level rather than seeing through to the spirit dimension. I pick up the phone at least once a day and talk to someone about the ups and downs of the day, relating to them what God is doing in my life and in the lives of those I work with. Staying in touch keeps my focus not on how I’m affected but on the wonder of what God is doing in each situation.

On occasion, it has been really helpful to set up a three-way call. These usually have been times when someone has needed input, help and encouragement, and we have been extremely grateful to God for His means of technology that has enabled this to happen.

We have had cross channel calls at 7:30 a.m. just to share a significant piece of scripture. There are also the calls to do as Paul urges in Col. 1:28: "We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ." More and more the lines are busy between us doing just that as we have become stronger in our desire to see each one live to the fullest this abundant life.

Since writing the last paragraph, the phone rang. What a surprise! It was a friend who used to meet with us and would like to meet up with me again. Isn’t that amazing? It is just very exciting what God can do by means of the telephone. The transatlantic call on May 3rd 1999 was a vital part of God’s plan to return Jo to the fellowship (Intercessor, Summer ’99). Who knows what the next call will bring?