It’s been great to be able to take a breather the past 10 days, following Mexico, and especially to allow the treatment that my lovely doctor friend, Jois, did on my knees there. Jois is also the doctor for the lady I mentioned last Sunday, the beneficiary of such an astonishing deluge of God’s grace, Alejandrina. I asked him if he minded using his name in connection with her story, as sometimes doctor’s might prefer to ‘distance’ themselves from a miracle. Jois, bless him, is very happy for me to do just that. He is her doctor, and, I think I said, was the one who asked me to go and pray for her, with her having just been sent home from hospital die, with un-treatable cancer pretty much everywhere. It’s always good to have doctor’s confirm things: so often, they won’t, as they don’t want to give ‘headspace’ to the possibility of miracles.

I’ve certainly noticed the benefit of what Jois did, and have been a good boy, doing what he told me, and to rest them as much as possible :). Cricket and football, and films, have helped! I’ve also slept like a log, since I’ve been home – unusual for me, as sleep and I have not been the closest of associated since before my teens. It’s something I’ve prayed into, and had countless others pray into: but, last time I was in Australia, I recall my mate Robert talking about magnesium being good for sleep….

I ‘just happened’ to be standing in the queue at a pharmacy, and, on display, was a new product – two, in fact – magnesium spray, and another magnesium spray but with stuff added to help sleep…. if you don’t sleep well, you’ll know you’d try anything to assist – so I bought one of the latter, you spray about 8 shots anywhere onto your skin, and – apparently, bob’s yer uncle. Well, bob most certainly IS my uncle, as this stuff works a treat…. yeah, I know, some people will say it’s psychological. It ain’t. I’ve tried just about everything over the last 45-50 years, and since magnesium-ising myself each night, I’ve slept…. so I’m feeling great for Australia, coming up fast next weekend, though I’m over to England on Thursday, flying out to Melbourne, via Singapore, on Saturday. A few more days for my knees to recover a bit more: I must feel better, as I’ve blitzed my study the last couple of days, and it’s now unrecognisable!

Those of you who know my stories will know that in Oz, my friends Robert & Shey, have four sons, three (formerly) pretty high on the autism spectrum, the other with similar, though not specifically diagnosed, signs…. It’s father’s day in Oz today, and yesterday, Robert posted this picture on Facebook: what a great father’s day gift for a dad who’s brilliant with his boys, and has had the joy, with Shey, of seeing God begin the process of transformation a couple of years ago, and now, starting to see far more obvious evidence that God’s continuing what he began, and that it’ll soon be complete – in all of the boys.

I love being with them: I especially love being with Robert, as he’s so direct with what he says, prays…. some might say his ‘comments filter’ doesn’t work the same as everyone else’s(!!), but he’s a bloke who three years ago, would have said that God didn’t heal, ‘cos he’d never seen it, and now, prays for just about everything that moves, and sees healings all the time, especially at work, and as he said in a Facebook message to me the other day – ‘if they don’t get healed, I’ll just have to get ’em saved!’. Oh for more people like him, who don’t/won’t conform to the ‘accepted patterns of behaviour expected of church-goers’!!!!!

So, 16 days of so in Oz with Robert & Shey will be a blast, and loads of other people that I’ve built up good friendships with over recent visits. I hear I’m going to have cupcakes made especially in my honour by some of them! I’ll struggle for the sake of the kingdom….. 😉

Probably a good tie to go to Oz, too, as of course, we thrashed them in the Ashes (cricket, for the ignorant!), and I’ll be back before we thrash them again when England go to Oz in the new year….

And there have always been miracles there…. so, I’ll keep you posted! I’d appreciate your prayers for the (very, very) long flights – 13.5 hours to Singapore alone: I’ve put in a request (bad knees, you know!) for consideration for an upgrade on the way home, and the Star Alliance Gold Card with Singapore Airlines, always helps a bit….