SEPTEMBER 2011

SEPTEMBER 2011 PRAYER LETTER



Dear Friends,

We hope you have had a good summer and feel refreshed for the time ahead. Although we have been quite busy, God has given us time these last two months to catch up and spend time with family and friends. It was fun working together towards Penny's dad's 90th birthday celebrations – a garden party for his friends and the family on the big day, then an extended family lunch at Waterloo Cottage where we had twenty to a sit down meal and lots of fun - both a great success.



Katie and Sam have finished working in Samos and have now started a 9 month internship in Australia. Mary is back from six months in China and will be looking for work in teaching English to immigrants in this country. She went straight from Heathrow to help with leading youth from Broad Haven at Soul Survivor in Shepton Mallet where four of them made commitments, along with 900 others during the week. Lucy introduced us to her new boyfriend Mike before she returned to Norway.  We enjoyed his week with us and are looking forward to spending a lot more time with him. We have been back to Broad Haven for two weddings and a funeral, then had a few days holiday there with Becky and Pete, Kevin and Mary- all greatly enjoyable.

We only managed to do two shows this summer with the Ugandan jewellery but these proved fruitful and resulted in further opportunities. Requests for talks on our time in Uganda and Kenya have been pouring in as groups put together their new programmes. Not only does this greatly help the school in Uganda, but also gives us opportunities to make further contacts in different areas and raise awareness of what God is doing today. A school in Hay on Wye want to continue the link with the Ugandan school. Another school where our son- in- law teaches would like to form a link as well and have invited us to bring a Ugandan experience to the children there.  The church in Broad Haven blessed us with a brand new digital projector which has meant we no longer have to travel to keep borrowing one. After showing pictures and speaking at one group about some of the healings we saw whilst in Kenya, a grandmother asked for prayer for her grandson who has a brain tumour that had grown to give him double vision. I had the whole group hold him expectantly before God as I held up his photo and we rebuked the tumour.   Later we heard his vision became clear at the same time as we were praying. Another person with whom we have been praying regularly who also has a brain tumour has improved so much that he is back to riding his bike and the hospital does not want to see him again for several months. After showing slides of people who were healed in Kenya at a church one evening, I went straight from there to a barbecue and told Ifor and Lucy about two people who were healed after the service as a result. One woman overheard and asked to meet with us for prayer for herself. When she came she felt the peace of God so strongly that she wants to bring her sister for prayer for healing too.

 Ifor joined the chaplaincy team for the RWAS and has been on duty at the Dog Show and earlier at the Hound Show. Before the Royal Welsh Show we joined a group praying around the showground which we felt was very effective.  We both served in the Christian Rural Network tent again this year, serving free teas and coffees and biscuits and praying with those who wanted us to. As a result we saw several people healed, including one who was healed simply by walking into the tent, much to her surprise!  Ifor served as a chaplain for one of the days at the Royal Welsh and found his high vis jacket and large label actually helped him have conversations with those showing animals and stallholders.

This summer we prayed from a hill overlooking Crickhowell.  A group local to that area came to join us with their banners and we had a wonderful time praying and blessing the town. One of these people came to see me and has since started a small, outward looking group herself.  Recently we prayed over Knighton and again people from the local area joined us and we felt the morning was very effective.  Earlier in the summer we were invited to join Kilvert’s Pilgrimage Walk between five different churches in his Victorian pastorate.  Ifor was asked to take the service in the last church which was not accessible by road and was lit by candles from each pew end.  Rosie settled herself by the church fireplace!

We are both continuing to preach in different chapels most Sundays.  Through this we try to help people develop a personal walk with God and raise their awareness that beyond their traditional chapel services there is so much more of the Kingdom of God that is accessible to them.  On the healing side, we have put an advert in a countywide bulletin advertising “Alternative Christian Healing” amongst all the ads for reiki, reflexology, hypnotherapy, etc.  Those who contact us will then hopefully come expectantly.  We have seen an increasing degree of healing and deliverance in those we are ministering to long term.  Because of upbringing, one suicidal person was having problems because she did not understand love beyond her love for her children.  For the next couple of hours Jesus gently took her back to her childhood and babyhood in a very special way.  We sat there in awe as Jesus ministered to her.  Life is so very different for her now.  Something similar happened to another person who came. We have also been helping a couple with their marriage.

In the small home group we lead, one lady has given her life to Jesus.  Healing is progressing steadily in her and another lady.  The husband especially is hungry to learn more and more from the Bible.  Both women see very clearly what the Holy Spirit is doing as we minister to them.  One of the group is Russian and at our last meeting we were treated to Russian caviar!  It tasted like a strong version of smoked salmon.

Ifor has become increasingly aware of the difficulty all the form filling is posing to a number of farmers.  As he was explaining to me about the possibility of offering a service for this, a text came in saying  “Whatever is on your mind, do it”!   This text was nearly not sent to him but the writer felt a strong prompting to do so.  Soon afterwards, while at a Golden Wedding in Erwood, Ifor found himself sitting next to two farm inspectors who both vouched that this would be an excellent thing to offer.  The one, who had taken early retirement, had actually considered doing this himself because he saw the need.  So that looks like a green light that could helpfully provide a way of coming alongside some of the busy, hardworking farmers.

 Last week we helped Anne Roberts, who is working alongside us, move house into Breconshire.  God provided that house and the sale of her previous one in a remarkable way.  Two days later we hosted her 60^th birthday party which was lots of fun and a great way of getting to know people better.

The Baptist Home Mission are promoting our work again!  This time as part of a series of posters called “Imagine if …”.  The poster shows Ifor talking with a farmer by his tractor, then has a small insert of a closed Baptist chapel in Builth Wells that now sells antiques and bric-a-brac.  You may see it one day!

Thank you so much for your support and prayers. We really appreciate it!

With our love,

Penny and Ifor.