No, I haven’t disappeared off of the planet! These few weeks are the rest’ time that God insisted, both to me, and via other people, that I ‘build in’ in order to avoid burn-out: rest which is so frequently mentioned in Scripture – ‘Come unto me all you who are heavy laden, and I will GIVE you REST’….. ‘In repentance and REST is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength’.

This year has been very busy, after a bit of a break in January, non-stop, really. England, Mexico, England, Sweden, Colombia, France: and England and Colombia again coming up fast on the horizon. So these days have been utterly invaluable, and a blessing, and a wonderful chance to relax and recharge my batteries!

Good, too, for me, as I passed an ‘anniversary’ on May 26: the 5th anniversary of being ‘returned’, for no reason to do with me, as it turned out, from the United States…. the fifth year since that awful evening in the US Immigration Secondary Screening ‘tank’, when the decisions of others turned my life upside down. But God is as so faithful in keeping his promises, that what the enemy meant as destructive, for harm, God has brought good from it.

Good, in that the past five years, I’ve learned a lot about people, people who call you friend, worse still, ‘best friend’ – and come through it still believing in close, close friendships, but entering into friendship with a little more discernment!

Good, no, amazing, in that it’s probably been the most astonishing five years of my life in terms of seeing God move, in seeing increasing numbers of salvations, miracles, and healings.

Good, as, after a few traumatic and debilitating months immediately after the USA farce, God told me to rest, and I believe encouraged me to find home here in Northern Ireland. And – surprise, surprise, I’ve found rest, and home. I had to allow God to teach me to rest: I’d often considered rest to be the thing you did at night, and a snatched few minutes in an armchair during the day. To most of you, who doubtlessly know this (!), it’s in ‘repentance and rest is your salvation’ – in my case, freedom from ending up in a situation that turned out to be so bad: in ‘quietness and trust is your strength’. I know I’m stronger, spiritually, even physically (and yes, my knees are doing much better, despite the fact (medically) that’s impossible). I’ve learned to love quietness and solace. ‘Come unto me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest’. So with the little I had materially – most of it disappeared God only knows where in the USA! – and the unbearable burden of near burn-out, I’ve found rest…. Ain’t God just flippin’ amazin’, eh??? (Even though living with the lovely Irish accents, you can’t take the Cockney out of the boy!!).

I think I can safely say that EVERY trip has been astonishing: the last five years has seen an acceleration in every area of ministry, which is breathtaking, humbling, and wonderful.

I’ll write again… .soon, but wanted to leave you with this lovely testimony…. it’s been on FaceBook, so you may have seen it, and it’s nothing to do with me, but just wonderful, and says a lot about how to hold on to God, his promises, and his faithfulness