June 2018 - Paul Bennison

FOR CALENOS READING THIS!

Posted on June 24, 2018 by Paul Bennison Posted in Journal, Personal, Random Thoughts, Travel Leave a comment

For people who live in or near Cali, some of you will know that I’m there often – generally at least 3 times a year. I invariably bring a team, and have, for many years, mostly rented short-term apartments big enough to accommodate 5 or 6 people. As Cali is getting more and more popular for visitors (I’m President of the Cali Tourist Board!!), short-term apartments have got more and more expensive, and we ended up staying further and further out of the city, like Bochalema!

I felt it was right to rent a ‘permanent’ apartment, which I did from 1 March. It’s very central (Los Cambulos). It’s opposite the ‘interesting'(!!) church on Carrera 41 😉 It’s also unfurnished 🙁 – we got by when I was there with a team earlier this month: but if anyone has any furniture they could donate, I’d be very grateful, and so would my teams! Being a missionary, buying is sort of out of my sphere of possibility!

I have bought some things, but I’m now out of money 🙁

If you can help, we need:

couch and armchairs
other ‘comfortable’ chairs!
dining table and chairs
2 desks
Saucepans (2-3 – different sizes), other cooking utensils

2 single beds
1 double bed
Washing machine (wishful thinking??!!)
Towels – various sizes – hand towels, bath towels, bath sheets
chests of drawers
bedside cupboards

and other things you’d like in your house that I might like in mine!

If you can help, could you let me or Wilmar Gomez know in a message on Facebook, or if you know his phone number, call him? The next occupants of the apartment will most like be 7 July.

Thank you so, so much!

THE MIRACLE OF JOSE LUIS

Posted on June 4, 2018 by Paul Bennison Posted in Evangelism, Personal, Testimony, Travel 1 Comment

After all this time, God, together with us again (the translation from Spanish) Outside the hospital more than 5 years ago: in Josel Luis’ and Ayda’s living room 4 days ago!

Some hardy readers of the blog will remember Jose Luis, from 5½ years ago. I met his dad, also Jose Luis, carrying a brown envelope with scans and x-rays of Jose Luis’s head: Jose Junior was then 4 months old, and his dad and mum, Ayda, had been told by a brain surgeon that there wasn’t much hope for his survival beyond about 5 years. He’d been born with his fontanelles and sutures missing – closed – in his skull. With them missing, it meant that the skull was solid, with no room for the brain to expand. That meant extreme brain damage, and probably an early death.

Dad sat next to me in the waiting area 0f the ‘Club Noel’ children’s hospital outpatients. I asked him why he was there as he didn’t have a child with him. He’d come to see my brain surgeon friend, Dra Dunia Quiroga, for a second opinion, as the first surgeon had pronounced no hope. Dunia is a lovely Christian, though then, Jose Luis and Aida weren’t.

I asked if I could pray over the brown envelope: yes was the reply, and then Jose Luis was called in to see Dunia. As there were no more patients, I left the hospital with my team.

Dunia looked at the scans, showing no fontanelles or sutures, as expected: BUT as they looked, lines began to appear on the scans where they should be. Dunia sent dad home to get Junior so she could scan him herself. Three hours later, she rang me, with news that totally blew me away. Both fontanelles and all sutures were in place, perfect, so it meant the brain had room to grow. I was gobsmacked, flabberghasted… whatever word you want to put in there.

We were at another hospital with Dunia early (6.30 a.m.) the next morning, the other side of the city to where Josel Luis and Aida lived. Getting across Cali is difficult enough: at that time of day when rush hour(s) are starting, it’s almost impossible. When we arrived, the family were sitting on a wall by the door – WITH Jose Luis Jr – to come and say ‘thank you’ – I was in tears. It was MY privilege, and the team’s, to have been allowed to pray, yet they were saying thank you.

A few months later I had the joy of being invited to lunch at their home with the team I had on that occasion – the delicious ‘Banda Paisa’ Colombian (very) special meal. It was wonderful to see them. Then a series of circumstances occurred which meant I hadn’t seen them for 5 years. Until Friday. What a thrill, delight – to see the family, meet their lovely daughter Laura, and, of course, see Jose Luis, now 6, and at the top of his class at school. He’s a delightful young man, friendly, fun, clever – and should be a cabbage or dead!

God is so incredibly amazing, isn’t he? This lovely family, complete because of the intervention of the creator of the Universes. And for some reason, I don’t know why, he seems to allow me to a part of something that is so far beyond anything I can do. Thank you, thank you, thank you Lord. All now wonderful Christians, and being blessed by the Lord in so many ways.

We had the joy of praying for the whole family on Friday, and prophesying over each of them – Laura wants to be a singer, she was too shy to sing to us, but who knows? Maybe the next Shakira?

AMAZING MORNING AT MISION EL ABRIGO INTERNATIONAL CHURCH!

Posted on June 4, 2018 by Paul Bennison Posted in Journal, Random Thoughts, Testimony, Travel Leave a comment

If I had to pick a church that I’d consider home while ‘away’, it’d be MAI church here in Cali. Maybe that’s in part because I’ve been going there for so many years, and so many of the people there I’d consider very dear friends. For our little team, it was a great place to finish the trip – we were there this morning, and the presence of God is so real there, the huge warmth of the welcome, the hospitality, the honouring both of visitors and each other… I could go on. Many in Northern Ireland know people from the church, not the least of them being Hein and Teija Hoere (though this time they’re away in Holland), and what they have established both in terms of church – the people, not the building – is an immense honour to them, and an incredible legacy.

The worship is always first class, and sets a wonderful platform for ministry to follow. Jeff discovered today that the presence of God messes up the best-laid plans! He’d prepared a short message, which even as he stood up went out of the window! – and he shared something else. Same for me! I’d got my message prepared, and then God – if he didn’t SAY no, made it clear it was to be something else, so I shared on the amazing promises in Isaiah 60.

The response for healing was rather overwhelming! I haven’t got Jeff & Ian’s stories yet, but for me, the first lady had – strange to say! – osteoarthritis in her right knee, and was waiting for surgery. She was in some considerable pain, walking and especially climbing stairs being a major problem. She was healed instantly, and walked back and forth across the church, and then went upstairs, with no pain at all.

Last week, a good friend of Wilmar’s, Breyner, came of his motorbike – a common occurrence here! – and badly fractured his left collarbone/clavicle, damaged his shoulder, and some pretty bad grazes down his left side. The doctors said he’d be with his arm in a ling for a month, then would begin a month of physiotherapy, and it would be some months before he could ride again. I prayed for the clavicle and shoulder, and asked him if he’d removed the sling at all in the days since his accident. No. So I suggested he give it a try. Asked him what he COULDN’T do with his arm – his reply was ‘straighten it – it’s been in the sling all the time – so I suggested he try to straighten it….which he did, dead straight, down by his side, no pain in the clavicle or shoulder, and all the pain in the grazes had gone, too. His face was worth the airfare! – absolute amazement, then a huge smile, called his mum to tell her to look – everyone was stunned! I think he’s thinking f getting back on his motorbike soon….

A lady with a blocked colon was healed: more arthritis: and a long list as Wilmar and I prayed for about 15 or so people. I know Jeff and Ian were having success the other end of the church because of the laughter and shouting!

It was a fantastic morning.

In the afternoon, a specially convened’ doctor’s appointment for me for countless – well at least 24! – injections into my knees and feet, in order to get me home tomorrow with somewhat less pain than the enemy’s been throwing at me this week! The last 3 days, my toes have been excruciating, all linked to the osteoarthritis and cellulitis, so Gustavo gave me a whole load of jabs in my feet. That’s a first for me! Normally doctors ”lie’ to you and say that ‘this won’t hurt a bit’: he didn’t. He said ‘Paul, this one’s going to be really painful!’. Well, it wasn’t – for which I thank God for my high pain threshold!!

AWESOME GOD

Posted on June 3, 2018 by Paul Bennison Posted in Evangelism, Journal, Testimony, Travel 1 Comment

Some fantastic church meetings these recent days, with one church featuring twice – 80+ there Saturday, and at least 120-130 Sunday morning. I think of the Saturday, Ian, Jeff, and I probably prayed for all of them! But there were some fantastic healings and miracles.

Both Jeff and Ian shared what God had put on their hearts and did it excellently. It’s really good the way this ‘little’ team of three have ‘knitted’ in together, from what’s been shared. Jeff was a drug-infested man who, 9 years ago, was miraculously saved by grace and set free from 35 years of drugs (cocaine, speed, pot, alcohol abuse, pornography), anger and envy, was incredibly used by God over these three weeks. He’s moved into a place of blessing others with healing, freedom – and is learning more and more how to use and handle the authority given to us by Jesus. (And he got new teeth!!).

He prayed for dozens, and saw:

A lady with a chronically arthritic hand, couldn’t close it, it was like concrete. After each of about 5 prayers, the fingers moved a bit more, until in the end she she gripped big strong Jeff’s hand so tight she hurt him! Lots of pain in her shoulders, knees, hips too – then she got up and danced with Ian.
A girl with dislocated little finger – caught it in a mesh fence while running, healed immediately
boy with dyslexia raced to the front at the call for prayer, and got a huge infilling from God in his life
Jeff was clearly in dancing mood, as a lady healed of an arthritic back and shoulder did some salsa with him!
Lady with major circulation problems, had to wear compression socks, screamed as her clawed toes became unclawe
girls in the doctor’s office all filled with joy

Ian received many prophetic words/words of wisdom/words of knowledge for people – a lot very specific and directional – it was wonderful how he got the people who wanted such direction in their lives! Ian has a wonderful, gentle way of putting people at ease, before speaking into their lives, and the radiance of their faces as they moved away was a delight.

I had a wonderful time with a man named Christian, who was carrying his past with him like a ton weight. That disappeared so quickly into history, and he just laughed and cried at the same time. I had a prophetic word for him about him being a proclaimer of the good news – not just across Colombia, but worldwide. Tears again as he said that was his greatest ‘impossible’ dream. Then both Ian and Jeff – not knowing what I’d said to him – prophesied exactly the same thing. He and his wife Jennifer then came and prayed for my knees, and for me in general, which was a real blessing. After I’d prayed with Christian, I got him to stay with me, and pray for other people, and many were healed. I do love doing that so much! He was blown away.

A lovely young man, about 19, Camilo, had a very bad spinal injury, received playing football. His spine had twisted badly, and his neck too: discs and vertebra out of place. He is clearly good footballer, just about to break into the first team squad of America, Cali’s second biggest soccer team (Deportivo Cali is the number one – I joked with Camilo that he could be delivered from playing for America when he was healed!). He was in a lot of pain, walked very stiffly, and was due surgery. He couldn’t bend. Often when I pray for people I get them to do something they couldn’t do before the prayer. For Camilo, touching his toes was impossible: and guess what??!! He did it in seconds, totally healed!

A dear gentleman with Parkinson’s and early stage MS was healed instantly. Loads of arthritis, osteoarthritis, migraines, all sorts of ‘ladies issues’, and so much more, were healed.

The foundation was set for the meeting by the worship band, who were excellent.

Dozens healed, many set free, many leaving the past behind and walking into a whole new future.