Having posted a lot of blogs about Sergey and Svetlana recently, you might be wondering (or not – maybe I’m presuming too much!) if there’s anything going on with me! At the moment I’m home: when I’m home, I do spend quite a lot of time being asked to pray for people for healing in their own homes, and that can be quite wide-spread across Northern Ireland. I’ve also felt that God, who spoke to me about taking REAL rest time 2-3 years ago, has impressed on me that this year has been pressured in so many ways, that I need to take a bit of ‘down time’.
Having done a number of major trips – distance-wise, spiritually, and emotionally – in a very few months, it seemed like a good plan to me. So far this year, I’ve been to Colombia twice, Australia twice, Romania three times, France, and England: and with most recently Australia-Colombia-Australia back to back, I have to admit that my mind and my body were telling me it was time for a breather! It helps, of course, that the football season began a few weeks ago, the cricket against Australia, and a number of rugby matches, have been televised! It’s given me time, too, to catch up on reading a myriad books that had remained unread – Christian and fiction(! – major David Baldacci, Stephen Leather, Lee Childs fan here!), and I’m about to set to on preparing some new stuff to preach. YouTube and the amazing wealth of preaching available there, has also been a blessing, as being ‘fed’ is more important when you give out a lot…
I’m also planning to get over to England for maybe a couple of weeks, to visit supporters and friends: I can never say too much how I value the support of friends, in prayer especially, but also, of course, in practical financial blessing. I did wonder about trying to get away for a holiday, somewhere hot, where I could just sit, read, think, meditate, have an occasional beer or glass of wine… but the financial ‘constriction’ of the past 15 months – it’s still going on, but not quite so intense – means that that isn’t possible. Northern Ireland has many wonderful blessings, but its weather isn’t one of them! I’m not sure I’ve been here on any days where I’d have thought that I could lay in the sun and relax!
I’m planning, too, the next Colombia trip – which will be from late October to mid November. It seems I’ve got a great team again: my great mate, Simon, from England; my lovely Australian friends (though they’ve lived in the USA for 30+ years) Ian and Bev; and a terrific young couple, Andreas and Kristin, from Sweden, who I’ve known for many years, and I always stay in Kristin’s mum and dad’s home (amongst other homes!) when I visit Sweden, which hopefully will be later this year, too, along with France and Romania…. I’d value your prayers for this trip: as you’ll know from blogs and newsletters, every trip to Colombia seems to supersede the previous one, and after 58 times in Cali (67 altogether in Colombia) it’s always exciting to think of being there again! Prayers for the finance for the trip would be appreciated, too – it’s only a matter of 7 weeks away now!
Your prayers for this ‘rest’ time – which is also being assaulted by the enemy in some very strange ways – would be valued, too! Thank you for your love and your care.
