Journal Archives - Page 23 of 74

Fire from on High – and there was….. a bullet in the throat….neck…. multiple bullet holes in a body….

Posted on November 2, 2016 by Paul Bennison Posted in Evangelism, Journal, Random Thoughts, Testimony, Travel 2 Comments

Catch up time….! – busy days have meant that time has flown by: Friday evening, we were in a tremendous church – Fuego de lo Alto (Fire from on High): the Presence of the Holy Spirit ws very real, tangible – you could feel him. A really lovely, grat musically – worship band, with worship was that was genuinely to God, and not about him, or about the band. All the guys spoke well, not just about who they are/where they’re from – but now, about the miracles they’ve seen….Posted on Facebook posst from Thanney here the other day: one from Davy here today…

In ‘Fuego de lo Alto’, people were saved, and many people were instantly healed, or received a miracle that was – medically – impossible. A lovey man, Fabio, clearly suffering a lot of pain, had lost lots of internal organs, some of which were affecting his weight, terribly crippled legs and knees….he was a former Cartel high flyer’ who – 16 years ago – was shot 37 times (37 bullets that hit him, anyway, in two separate but continuous attacks. There’d be a 3rd attempt on his life previously, but from no distance, the shooter missed him with all the bullets… there were bullet holes in the head rest of chair MILLIMETRES either side of his head…. God was clearly protecting him even then!

Thanney, Paul, Fabio - shot 37 times and lived - and now being healed of the endless list of damage inside his body - and Andrew — Thanney, Paul, Fabio – shot 37 times and lived – and now being healed of the endless list of damage inside his body – and Andrew

Fabio let me feel the bullet that is still in his throat and neck, and touch the (still quite deep) bullet holes in his body… the surgery scars were incredible in his body were incredible. I’ve touched bullet holes before – ‘fresh’ ones about 15 years ago from the previous night’s attack on a young man. Then, when praying in the University Hospital for a man shot the night before, still open, at the height of the AIDS: he was in a coma. I asked God what I should do: he told me to put my fingers in the bullet holes….from about 6000 miles away, I’m sure I heard my mum whisper ‘you’ll catch AIDS!’. I’m not in fear of catching stuff, I’m here to see stuff healed!

Just as my forefinger touched his skin, God cauterised the hole..and then all 7 of them…

A lot of Fabio’s pain went: he had pins and needles in his feet, a smile as wide as the Andes, and faith that God was going to carry through to completion the work he began so instantly. Prayed for supernaturally replaced organs for him, for all those that had been wrecked by bullets, or removed surgically as a result of the bullet damage.

A relaxed Thanney speaking with Johan translating, at Fuego de lo Alto

All the team saw God heal multiple people, a couple or more saved or recommit their lives to the Lord….. it was my first time at this church, and I love it! The Pastor and her husband have invited us for a meal this week, and asked when I’m back next …. often a good sign…. !!

Saturday, we had a meeting in the afternoon, and a spectacular morning in ‘centro’, the city centre, where there are thousands of street stalls, and small ‘stall’ type shops in an abundance of malls, wonderful places, loads of friends who own shops there….I’ll blog about that separately!

Davy discovering that Johan has mastered his accent as he shares on Friday

Here’s Davy’s facebook post from a couple of days ago – much, much more has hppened since then!

Its great to seeGod at work here in Columbia… prayed for many people here, and seen them all healed! Our God is so good!! A lady last night in church the lady was deaf in the left ear: i put my head on her left shoulder, and whispered a prayer in her left ear. After prayer, the lady told us she heard the prayer, and was healed! She could hear, praise God. One of the stories from today was a child with bad eye sight, wearing glasses with very thick lenses in them. I took the glasses off the childs head, waved my finger across his eyes. they didn’t move. He could not see it. I then lifted the child in my arms and prayed for him: after prayer he could see without his glasses… thank you Lord, its only you can do it. All i can do is pray, and God answers all prayers. The other day, Adrian and i prayed for a young boy that came up to us in the street were we were doing some work. The boy had an evil spirit in him from birth: we prayed for him and cursed the evil spirit to leave him, then i prayed for his spine to realine and go back into its proper place, and for his left foot which was broken to go back into place. Also his ankle, which was swollen, he was in severe pain. After prayer he was banging his foot of the ground: he had no pain. God healed him from the top of head to the points of his toes. He was healed, thank you Lord. May haved prayed for at least 100 people from when I arrived in Columbia, and have seen God doing wonderful miracles. I am praying to God to keep the miracles happening in our own city at home, and further afield, were ever God sends me to. Amen
Andrew at Fuego de lo Alto, talking of what he’s seen God do here in Cali

The house that Thanney couldn’t build, but did save from collapsing (and possibly killing 140 street kids and adult helpers!), with lots saved and healed, too!

Posted on October 29, 2016 by Paul Bennison Posted in Evangelism, Journal, Testimony, Travel Leave a comment

Literally. a couple of days into the renovation of the street kids centre, Thanney began to remove the old toilet (a poilte word for it!). In doing so, he discovered that, when the house was originally built, the ‘builder’ had failed to put the plastic soil pipe in place (cost about 70p here): so for goodness knows how many years, the waste from the loo has been filling up the foundations, swirling around smellfully, eating away at the sub-floor (the earth floor below the concrete), widening the rather large hole it had created….

The walls had a half-inch gap above the door height, where the floor had dropped, and the floor had a big dip in the middle… that could just have been poor building – Thanney’s been somewhat bemused by the building regulations (not!) here…. What Ana Bustos, the wonderful lady who runs this ministry, as well as other ministries, as well as 100 hours a week as an eye surgeon in hospital – wanted, was more stuff put in, like toilets, windows, kitchen, bathroom, etc., all more weight – and the walls were already on the verge of collapsing (it’s a 22 feet plus high building, so big walls!). If they’d collapsed with 140 kids and maybe 20 workers inside, they’d have mostly been killed…. so, Thanney effectively has saved the lives of a lot of kids, adults, and maybe the visionary, driving force that IS Ana Bustos.

For a while, Thanney felt he’d failed, in that he knew he wasn’t going to be able to leave behind a gleaming new interior. Far, far, far from that, he’s made sure – now – as best he can with the way Colombians build (often using wood for supporting beams rather than steel) – that the house will stay standing, as safe as he can make it, by shoring up the floor and walls with huge beams and some things I’d never heard of and can’t remember the name of! A vital job, well done, by Thanney, with support from Davy, Andrew, and Adrian – who, as well as doing what they were told by Thanney, between them, ended up praying for healing for many neighbours, passers-by, and leading a considerable number to Jesus…..

A church that I love going to here – Dios con Nosotros (God with Us) – was our first church meeting of this week: it’s down in the south of the city, pastored by a man who 20+ years ago was Director of Security for the second biggest drugs cartel in the country – maybe the world (Pablo Escobar’s was the biggest ever – true fact: the Medellin cartel which was Escobar’s, spent US$2500 a month on rubber bands to keep the money tidy….). It’s a great church, a good crowd for Wednesday evening always: I got Adrian to preach again – I love to preach here, but I don’t bring people with me to sit and listen to me, I’ve preached in lots of the churches many times, too – and I get to pray with people, and the majority – if not all – get healed. I keep asking the guys to write down their prayer miracle stories: I haven’t had one from any of them yet…..

on Wednesday, the first man I prayed for, name now somewhere in the ether, had terrible pain in his spine, huge retriction in movement, doctors couldn’t diagnose the problem, so he was just on pain killers, was healed instantly – in his spine. The pain moved to his appendix region: prayed: pain went. Then to his pancreas area – healed, straight away. The enemy is a right so and so, shifting the pain around! It went, his face ‘uncreased’ as the pain went – thank you, Lord.

A lady with acute pain in her left knee and lower leg – the end product of diabetes – was healed instantly. A young lady with gastritis-type pain in her stomach and abdomen had the pain go immediately for the first time in weeks. A young man – married – with back pain (though I think that was a cover for his real problem, which, at first, he was maybe too embarrassed or ashamed to ask for prayer for ), had the pain go: that clearly gave him confidence to ask for his second problem: I can’t tell you if this one was healed, though God never half heals anyone, so I’m pretty certain it is! – preature ejaculation. It was causing terrible stress between him and his wife, as it was – indeed – very quick: less than a minute. Perhaps In April I’ll see him again, and ask him: watch this space!

All the guys had the maority healed, if not all – at least the ones who could give an instant answer. Adrian also had someone saved, and as he’d preached on Zaccheus, he challenged the middle-of-the-road ‘tree-climbers’ to get down from the tree, and get their Christian lives in gear. Quite a few did, which was very exciting.

Tonight, in a few minutes in fact, a new church to me – ‘Casa de Adoracion: Iglesia Fuego de lo Alto’ (House of Worship: Church Fire on High – I’ve said it many times, but the church names are inspirational both to going to church, and expecting something to happen – ‘**** Baptist’, ‘****Presbyterian’, ‘****Gospel Hall’ doesn’t ‘do it’ like ‘God with Us’ or tonight’s church, or my favourite, ‘Today is the Day of your Miracle’). Expecting much….

And for tomorrow, too: a wonderful church, one of my favourites, ‘Casa de Oracion Rey Jesus’ – House of Prayer: King Jesus’. Always healings and miracles there, including one lady healed of 7 different cancers over the years I’ve been going there!

Just now – before we go – one of Ana Bustos’s helpers, Jean (as in French John!), came here to ascertain what Thanney says needs doing now in the house, as my boys have finished there today. Having done that, the guys all chatted to him about the Lord, and Adrian led him to Jesus….

I thought you’d like to read Thanney’s Facebook post yesterday: originally, he was coming to build: over the months we’ve talked about the whole picture of Cali, he’s wanted to see miracles…. having felt early in the year that it wasn’t his ‘gift’ necessarily !!) – here it is:

Halo All
Having a wonderful time over here with the most amazing hosts, this is a snap of us all having a pizza and beer lol, we have been very busy working on the drop in centre and sorry to say we have to leave them and move onto the drug rehabilation clinic, but before that Paul Bennison has asked me to fit in a roof for one of his many churches so looks like I will be busy for a bit, this has been and still is the best decision I have ever made to come out here to help as many people that we can in our short time here, all the people we have meet have such a strong belief that they will be cured when we pray for them and guess what I have seen miracle after miracle being preformed blind prople seeing crippled people walking I could go on and but this will have to do for now. God Bless you all

The ‘house’ that Thanney (and the team!) built…well, will make a zillion times nicer!

Posted on October 25, 2016 by Paul Bennison Posted in Evangelism, Journal, Personal, Testimony, Travel Leave a comment

For some years now, I’ve been friends with, and got to know well, Dr Ana Elisa Bustos Gomez. Ana’s an eye surgeon: she works in the hospital 100 hours a week, and she’s as remarkable a lady as Ana Beiba, they are both heroes of mine. I’ve been with Ana Bustos many times to one of the worst places I’ve been to on earth – underneath a road bridge, where a large community of street people live – drug addicts, alcoholics, prostitutes, solvent abusers – every form of addiction. It truly is ‘unreal’ if it weren’t for the reality of it…. Doctors here don’t get paid a lot – I know that from various of the as friends, even top brain surgeons. Ana cooks hot meals for the ‘bridge people’ at home, and takes it to them once or twice a week – out of her own pocket, and there are a lot of them. I love going to help hand out the food, and talking with people who live there, praying for them. There have been healings there, as everywhere here: it’s tragic what drugs do to people. One of the guys there I’ve got to know quite well over the years, he speaks 5 languages, but can’t work because of drugs….

Adrian, Thanney, Ana Elisa Bustos Gomez,Davy, Andrew

As well as the ‘bridge’, Ana has a house – that’s being exceedingly complimentary to it! – where she takes in 140 street kids every day, feeds them, clothes them, teaches them, teaches them about Jesus, and loves them to bits. Again, all out of her own pocket….. there is no state help, no benefits, no rich foundations that fund the two Anas: in the house, the only electricity is ‘borrowed’ from a street vendor, who has two 1.5 volt (I’m reliably informed by Thanney) wires giving light and heat to keep hot food ‘warm’…. Ana’s borrowed one of those cables, as the previous tenants didn’t pay the bill (as I understand it, for 10 years). The amount outstanding was 1,500,000 pesos – about £450 or 500 euros, US$550, AU$700. A totally impossible amount for Ana to find. Thanney discovered that they ran lights, fans, all sorts of electrical things, off that one cable – the thickness of bell wire. It’s a house fire waiting to happen – with 140 kids inside. Oh, and no fuses, of courses… In a western house (I’m learning a lot from Thanney!) it would be minimum 12 volt cable, protected, insulated, and fused…. Te one skinny cable also meant, of course, that Thanney wouldn’t be able to operate the tools he’s brought here, to leave behind with a builder who can’t afford to buy anything like them….

The house for street kids - 140 a day - in need of some TLC — The house for street kids – 140 a day – in need of some TLC

The 'kitchen'..... :( — The ‘kitchen’….. 🙁

Ana came this morning to pick Thanney up – and the other 3 guys all went off with him and Ana. The hold up in beginning any work, and doing anything significant, was going to be the electrics: by the way, there’s no water either…. I wrote a post last night to put on Facebook to see if I could raise the £450: then laid awake thinking, think-praying, as to what could be done. When I woke up, the only response provoked….how shall I word it….or not…. it provoked a response borne out of my initial reaction! Money for the trip seemed irrelevant in the light of the lives of 140+ kids, so Ana had the money, has paid the bill, and the guys are underway. New sanitary fittings arrive this afternoon, along with a lot more other materials. Ana burst into tears when I gave her the money this morning…. the bridge people and the street kids are burned into her compassionate heart.

It’s going to take a miracle to get this, and one of two other jobs done, in the 13 days we have here: but it’s a city of miracles!

In the heart of extreme violence, God pours out his love like the Victoria Falls….

Posted on October 25, 2016 by Paul Bennison Posted in Evangelism, Journal, Personal, Testimony, Travel 1 Comment

What a wonderful first day of ministry Sunday was. A day populated by two wonderful churches, lovely worship, and loads and loads of people healed. Even better, after Adrian had preached in the Sunday evening service, in Siloe – (and, I discovered from the Pastor, Samuel, the heart of the most dangerous barrio in this, one of the most dangerous quarters of the city), at least 30 – maybe more – people gave their lives to the Lord. Foreigners don’t go to churches like this – well, most foreigners! (but then I feel ‘Caleño’ – a native of Cali), and my sense was that people had come to the meeting partly because there WERE gringoes there. God’s love emptied out over them like the Victoria Falls, and lives were transformed. I do love God so, so much for loving people who many would think don’t deserve to be loved….including me.

In the morning, at Wilmar’s church, the worship as always there, was wonderful. All the guys spoke, just for a few minutes – for Davy, the first time I think he’s spoken publicly in any form of meeting), Adrian preached, I shared a bit at the end. Loads responded for healing – healing here includes – as everywhere, of course – physical, but you pray for a lot of people who want prayer for their families – kids in prison for drug offences, murder, you name it: for financial blessing from God, they’re about to be evicted….. praying for them, you get involved in their lives, which is one of the reasons I just CAN’T have a line of people at the front, pushing them over, saying ‘be healed’….. Sit with them, hold them, hug them….empathise, show compassion… God’s love is EMPTIED OUT over them….

Pain went, bodies were healed, sickness disappeared, peace and hope came… Wilmar’s mum, Maria, who is just so adorable, came to tell me about her grand daughter, Maria Jose,who I had the joy of praying with last year, and her mum, Wilmar’s sister, Oliva. Maria Jose had a serious, incurable brain condition (I think she is about 8 years old). Oliva – and the family – were desperate: Maria told me Sunday that Maria Jose is totally healed, and doing wonderfully well….. God…how do you do it? Thank you, thank you, thank you that you do….

Oliva, Maria Jose, and a bloke... last year, 2015 — Oliva, Maria Jose, and a bloke… last year, 2015

I could list names and diseases, but you’ve read them before in past years – and, honestly, I think some people are bored with reading them… I’ll never get bored of praying for them though, and every time, every meeting, every person, amazes me….

In the afternoon, the first time I’ve been in a church meeting in Siloe (Sil – oh- ay): though I’ve been in houses with siccarios, drug dealers, prostitutes, murderers – and been under the same waterfall….. once upon a time – for the first 4-5 years I came here, the people I came to stay with then wouldn’t even want to drive along the road at the foot of the hill that Siloe is ‘built’ on – it’s one house built on another, from tin, bits of wood, anything in fact – as it was too dangerous, especially with a gringo in the car. So it became a ‘bucket list’ place for me to go into, especially to preach there! To just say that God was there would be to denigrate God: you could feel him, cut the presence of the Holy Spirit with a knife…. all the guys shared again, after a lovely time of worship. I just felt that Adrian was carrying something special that day, so though I’d have loved to have preached, I asked him to – and salvation came…. 30 or more, like I’ve said, out of about 80 (the place was packed – bunged, if you’re Irish!) – wall to wall. I shared a bit from Psalm 103, and then – the tsunami of people wanting prayer – probably all 80 – and the drenching of the waterfall of God’s love….

A lady, virtually blind and hardly able to walk, the end product of diabetes – saw perfectly, and walked. Osteoarthritis went from legs and knees especially!! THANK YOU, JESUS!! I’m more in faith than ever this trip, that my turn is coming…. especially as they’ve been so excruciating! All manner of pain – gastritis, heart pain, joint pain, kidney pain…. I prayed with Thanny, and his praying saw a number of instant healings and miracles…. he was obviously blitzed by it as he was quieter than usual!!! I’m so thrilled that, on day one, the guys saw what is commonplace here: my principle of ‘dropping them in it’ DOES work…. :). I could go on and on listing miracles and healings…..

Yesterday, though, the enemy struck again, and we woke to the sad news that Lee was going to have to return home, as his lovely wife, Katie (they are such dear, dear wonderful friends) had lost their ‘not-long-pregnant’ baby. It’s not the forum, nor is it my place, for their story to be told: please pray for Lee, Katie, and Mary, their utterly gorgeous 2 year old daughter – a miracle herself – as they go through this time of loss and grieving. Lee was only here 56 hours, but his impact was great: he flew home last night. I miss him, cos he’s truly one of my best mates: I’m sad that he’s had to go, but even more sad as to why he’s had to go. And he DID have to go….

Hola, Colombia, es bueno estar en casa! (I hope that’s right!)

Posted on October 21, 2016 by Paul Bennison Posted in Journal, Personal, Random Thoughts, Travel 1 Comment

It’s good to be home!!! It truly does feel like coming home when I come to the state of Cauca, Colombia – and especially Cali: having not been for a year, I feel like I’ve been AWAY on a ministry trip, and I’m now back with my family… the friendships, the welcomes, the greetings, the feel of the city, the taxis, and the excitement, looking at the schedule of meetings, and seeing and hearing of some of the wonderful things Thanney will be able to do, as well as him see the miracles that he’s wanting -as are al of us – to see more and more – is really inexplicable. You have to come here to feel it….

Kicking off tomorrow in my best mate’s Wilmar’s church, Mision El Abrigo Iternational, which was planted by my 20 year long friends Hein and Teija Hoere, couldn’t be a better introduction. Adrian Curry is going to preach, but I won’t be able to resist a greeting – well, someone has to introduce the new boys!! – and then in the afternoon, preaching in Siloe, one of the exciting danger hot-spots of the city – a first for me in 19 years!

We so covet your prayers for an outpouring of God’s miracle and saving power. Thank you for praying for us.

It’s going to be a good trip to Cali….

Posted on October 18, 2016 by Paul Bennison Posted in Journal, Personal, Random Thoughts, Travel Leave a comment

When the enemy steps up the assault, I think it’s safe to say that he’s pretty worried by what’s up ahead! So often, prior to,or immediately after, a trip to Cali, people going with me – including me! – come under various forms of attack. For me, the enemy’s pretty predictable – long-time readers of the blog will know that 6 times in 2 years (2014-15) I had my credit card ‘compromised’ (that’s such a lame word for ‘stolen from’, isn’t it?) – from a zero balance (which is how I have to try and keep it!) to maxxed out to its limit.

That hasn’t happened this time – but this morning, I was checking my bank account online (not something I do too often as it’s quite depressing usually!) and saw a direct debit to British Telecom for £55…… I don’t have anything with BT, so it was a bit of a surprise, to say the least. Then I saw it was in the list of direct debits on my account….checking back, it’s been taken for many months, often in excess of £55. Calling BT, I discovered that the BT account number is the mobile phone of a Mrs Lisa Williams! I WILL get the money back, as there are indemnities with direct debits, but it’s just the timing – 3 days before leaving for Cali…..and it’s a good few hundred pounds 🙁 !

Lee and Katie are also under pressure – if you’re praying for us, please pray that the other 4 men avoid the enemy’s assault – and for al of us, while we’re there, for the families at home, and when we get home. We’d really appreciate it!

Cali’s (pretty much) Irish invasion!!

Posted on October 17, 2016 by Paul Bennison Posted in Journal Leave a comment

CALI, COLOMBIA – well, three and a half days until we head for the airport, on the way to what I feel is going to be a very special trip, to wonderful Cali. The biggest team for some time…. please pray for the logistics of getting around – especially when you’re trying to get one taxi to follow another in Cali’s rather ‘unique’ traffic!!

We’d really value your prayers for the whole trip. The enemy’s been having a right go, which isn’t surprising…

I’d value your prayers, too, as my financial condition leaves a bit to be desired – still some (to me, quite bit!) to pray in.

This isn’t an ‘appeal’, I’ve not wanted to do that, as many of you supported the lovely Romanian young lady through her medical traumas recently. For those interested, she’s through the cancer surgery, had the hysterectomy – but while she was in hospital for that, her dad died (the family didn’t tell her while she was hospitalised, as she was stressed and traumatised enough: and you don’t want to know how much funerals cost in Romania!) – and when she left hospital about 2 weeks ago, she’d still got abdominal pain, saw the doctor – and is currently in hospital again having had an appendectomy….. 🙁 – her appendix was on bursting point, so peritonitis was just about the last thing she needed. What should have been 24 hours in hospital has already turned into 5 days, as her body hasn’t recovered well – I guess it’s in shock from recent events…

The last surgery is why I’m a bit ‘short’ (money, not height – though I am that, too!!): I honestly couldn’t ask again for help for her, so I drained my account and attacked a credit card (I hate using credit cards if I’m honest) to pay for it. Thank God for the NHS, as it cost 1700 euros!

So your prayers are coveted!! Thank you and bless you. I will try and blog here every day for those interested in all that God does, this time practically, through Thanney and other team members who want a bit of physical work! – and spiritually. It’s going to be good…..

Fat people are harder to kidnap…..

Posted on October 16, 2016 by Paul Bennison Posted in Journal, Personal, Random Thoughts, Testimony, Travel Leave a comment

It seems unreal to me to think it’s a year since I’ve been to the country, and the city, closest to my heart: Colombia, and Cali. Due to team ‘personnel’ issues the March and July trips were cancelled late on, and I feel like I’ve been suffering withdrawal symptoms since last November! This Friday, I head back ‘home’ and this trip is GOING to happen! I’ve also got the biggest team that I’ve taken for a long time – normally it’s me and 3 others: there are 5 others this time, and, with the exception of one of my best mates, Lee Collier (he’s been 2 or 3 times before), none have experienced the amazing ‘open heaven’ that is over Colombia, and expecially Cali.

The six of us would really appreciate and value your prayers: I’m believing for God to do what he always does there: but really, I’m asking him to gives us ‘more than I’d ever dare to ask, dream, or imagine’. The six of us going are:

Davy King – from Londonderry, Northern Ireland: a good friend growing in faith and effectiveness for healings: a man quite happy to pray for anyone he sees that God says to pray for, in places like hospital waiting rooms. Davy seems to know almost everyone in Londonderry, and those he doesn’t know seem to know him! He’s 52, I lose count of how many are in his family – he has lots of brothers and sisters! – and three (I think!) children of his own, and a number of grandchildren. Davy is a very practical man, and something of a ‘jack of all trades’!
Davy King
Andrew Seaton – from Bangor, Northern Ireland: a Sales Manager, worship leader, and has been praying for the sick for some years. Married to Orpah, Andrew is 48, two children, Callum and Naomi. Andrew’s been ‘thinking’ about going to Cali for a few years – this year, I – or God! – was obvious more persuasive! Andrew has, very kindly, shuttled me to and from airports for trips – though this time he’s going, so the shuttle won’t work!
Andrew Seaton
Lee Collier (35 I think!) – from Maidstone, Kent: a man who, like just about everybody who’s been with me – fell in love with Cali on his first visit, and is back again. Lee is a Registrar Neonatologist (it’s fantastic to have a doctor on the team who believes in miracles!), married to Katie, also a doctor
Lee Collier (he’s the one on the left!!)

partner in a GP surgery, who has also been to Cali, and loves miracles. As well as being a successful doctor, Lee also has a degree in Computer Systems Engineering – he’s been my ‘saviour’ a myriad times with his computer genius, though I’m glad to say he’s never treated me for any of the babies I’ve been pregnant with! He and Katie have a gorgeous daughter, Mary, 2 years old, a miracle herself. Lee is also a worship leader, and a genius with sound and light systems, and electronics generally. Needless to say, I don’t feel in the least inferior to all of Lee’s multple gifts (not!!).
Thanney Pyper, 62, from Bangor, Northern Ireland: a very good builder with his own business, Thanney (Nathaniel – but he doesn’t like being called that!) is married to Colette, and has two daughters, and a son. We met, and got to know each other very well, when he came to do some urgent repairs to my house when I had a leak from my main water tank. Thanney initially wanted to go on this trip to do some building,
Thanney Pyper (hes the bigger one!!)

but as the time has got closer, he’s longing to see people healed and ‘miracled’ when he prays for them. Thanney has raised quite a large amount to buy good quality power tools, to take with him, use them there, and then leave them with someone who’ll make good use of them.
Adrian Curry – Adrian, from Londonderry, has recently become a friend, I don’t know too much about him yet – but he’s recently completed a 3 year Bible college course, and is now ordained. Adrian is married, a man of faith, a good evangelist, and loves praying for the sick. He has a reall lovely spirit, I’m looking forward to getting to know him better! No picture of Adrian yet….
And me…..!!! I won’t bore you with any information!! – just a picture with a Cali pastor who truly is one of the best friends I’ve ever had…..
One of the greatest friends a guy could ever have, Pastor Wilmar Gomez, with some BritGit…

As well as a lot of practical building work, there’ll be many church visits, we’ll spend time at the lovely Ana Beiba’s Home for Abandoned old people, with the wonderful Enrique Leal, at Reconocer, the Christian Drug Rehabilitation centre he’s run for many years, with lovely Ana Bustos, and the street people she blesses immensely, visit hospitals, prisons (I hope!), and whatever else God and the local pastors put in front of us to do. What I do know is that the time we’ll be there will go far too quickly! And it’ll be wonderful to be in 30C temperatures every day, enjoy the glorious fresh fruit juicescoffee, and the occasional wonderful steak!

Some years ago, I found this sticker, bought 4 of them, and stuck one on my luggage for going to Colombia. The immigration soldiers (yes, they were soldiers, then – still are, I think!) thought it was so funny they asked if they could have it…. the first three, I said yes to, but then superglued the fourth one as I didn’t think I’d find another the same to buy! Well, I found a patch, which I’m sure I’ll iron on somewhere, for the arrival in Bogota on Saturday morning…..

As usual, when I’m in Cali, I’ll try and blog every day, perhaps get each othe guys to contribute what they feel about what God’s doing…. that’s if you want to read lots of stories of miracles…..!

Wonderful God!

Posted on October 16, 2016 by Paul Bennison Posted in Journal, Personal, Random Thoughts, Testimony, Travel Leave a comment

On a recent day spent in Londonderry/Derry, it was just such a blessing to see God at work again. It was a long, and tiring day, and it was a wonderful blessing not only to be with my now very good friend Davy, but to have another very dear friend, Michael Gerner, with me. I’ve got to know Michael well over the past few months, and he really blessed me by offering to drive me to Derry – a lovely respite for my legs, which are taking their time to recover from the fall I had a few weeks ago. It was even more of a blessing, as Michael lives in Carrickfergus, which, compared to Bangor, is well on the way to Londonderry, and 45 minutes’ drive from me.

To have another faith-filled pray-er, was wonderful – Davy’s faith is growing exponentially, and Michael is from a line of faith-filled believers. Sickness didn’t stand a chance! As always, many of the names have disappeared from brain (!), but we prayed with a lovely lady, Irene, who, in recent visits, has been healed of fibromyalgia, osteoparosis, osteoarthritis in many parts of her body, especially hips and knees. Irene was suffering with a trapped sciatic nerve, which was so excruciating that she was falling over. If you’ve ever had one, you’ll know that a trapped sciatic nerve is totally debilitating, and the pain is indescribable. Irene was healed instantly, which began a train of events related to her that was wonderful. Her sister, Yvonne, in her 70s I’d guess, had had three strokes some 8 years ago: the third had left her totally paralysed, and she’d been in an old people’s home since. She had no movement, even in her hands. While we were with her, God began the miracle: she began to grip Davy’s hand, and even th change in her face said that something significant was happening. She had tingling in her body, which she’d had no ability to feel for those 7 years. Davy called me Friday: Irene had called him, she’d been with Yvonne tht afternoon. While looking away to talk to another resident, Yvonne sat up, and was sitting on the side of the bed when Irene turned back to her. Then she stood up, and began to move…. what happens in the next few days will be incredible!

In the next room to her was a lady in her 90’s, who’d had no movement in her legs for a very long time. By the time we left her, she was ‘high-kicking’ her legs – and that’s increased since. She’ll be walking this week….. Opposite her, in another room, was a lovely lady who’d had to have both legs amputated. She’d had no feeling in the stumps, though she had experience ‘phantom’ pain in the lower halves of her legs that weren’t there. This day, she felt heat and tingling in her legs: her astonishment was evident! 20+ years ago, God grew a brand leg for a lady in a mountain village in India, she only had a small stump at the base of her butt, she’d been born with muscular dystrophy, and her leg had totally withered and gone 30-35 years earlier. To hold the stump, and see and feel a new leg grow, is a feeling I’ll never, ever forget – watching a calf, knee, shin, ankle, and foot grow as my right arm moved with the growth, was just indescribable – all in about 1 minute. I’m believing the same thing is going to happen for that dear lady…. it was a medical error that had caused her legs to be amputated in the first place. God’s going to bless her….

It was yet another day when everyone prayed was either healed, or the healing process began. We must have visited about 6 homes, plus the old people’s home, and prayed for a dozen to 15 people at least….

God, you blow me away…. I posted this on Facebook the other day, and it’s so true:

I believe in God.
Not because my parent s told me to.
Not because a church told me to.
But because I’ve experienced how awesome he is.

And I haven’t even scratched the surface of his awesomeness yet….

Live long in the land….

Posted on October 1, 2016 by Paul Bennison Posted in Journal, Personal, Random Thoughts, Testimony Leave a comment

To add to the post that I wrote yesterday about my dad (I’ve put it below if you don’t see Facebook), and really making the most of, and honouring, your parents, it’s been my privilege over the years to pray with countless people who – humanly – have every good reason NOT to honour, or forgive, their parents. Yet, when Jesus becomes involved in that situation, forgiveness and restoration bring amazing healing. I know countless situations where families have been restored through the willingness to forgive, and the power of that forgiveness. Children of abusers, murderers, theives – find that there is redemption.

When dad died. for some years I had major emotional and psychological issues, understandably.. Mum struggled to be a single parent, especially with a ‘troubled’ teenage son: we certainly had our battles and confrontations. When I got ‘properly’ saved (as opposed to being a ‘christian’ because I’d gone to church all my life), everything with mum changed. It was a lovely relationship. When mum was hit with vascular dementia 11 years ago, it meant her mind ‘went’ overnight. I wanted to visit her as often as I could in the care home, even though she lived in West Cornwall. I committed to seeing her for at least a couple of days every six weeks, even though from the first visit she had no idea who I was (that remained until she joined dad – without doubt much to her joy – in March 2010). For four of those 5 years in care, I was based quite a lot of the time in the USA, so it was a long trip to see her, but I’m so glad that I did, as she’d really sacrificed her life to bring me up through those tough years, when she was in desperate grief herself. It was the least I could for her after her life of serving other people, especially me.

Often, it’s pride that keeps us from restoration: often, the lies of others, that we’ve believed, that makes us determined not to forgive. ‘Forgives us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us’. Luke 11:4.

Isn’t that something? Jesus teaches that as we ask our Heavenly Father for forgiveness, we should also confirm our practice of forgiving others. Of course, this assumes that we are in the practice of forgiving others, an assumption that may or may not be true for us. How could we pray in the way Jesus teaches us if we are unwilling to forgive? How could we ask God to forgive us if we hold grudges or become mired in the quicksand of resentment? There are a few verses in the Bible that scare me: Luke 11:4 is one of them. Forgiveness is such a powerful thing. If we don’t forgive, the end product is too scary to contemplate. I guess many of us know – I certainly do – that unforgiveness destroys US more than it damages the person we haven’t forgiven. And when it’s our parents, it taks on an even greater significance, because of what God said in the ten commandments.

Not forgiving parents (or anyone, come to that) is not given to us an option in the Bible, is it? Exodus 20:12 says “”Honour your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.” It was a long time into my Christian life before I really took in the second half of the verse: it’s hugely significant, and I know of people personally who are, or will be, on the ‘wrong end’ of that verse, because of unforgiveness. While forgiveness is often far from easy, it certainly isn’t impossible. And I know myself, that I can’t hold on to unforgiveness, and maintain doing what God has called me to do. Those of you who know me well, will know some of the ‘areas’ of my life that I’m referring to. I can’t imagine getting to the end of my life still holding on to unforgiveness from decades back….

There’s a great song from some years back, ‘The Living Years’, by Mike & the Mechanics, which is very sad: maybe something some Christians can learn from it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUdiQWxps5E

Don’t waste your life holding on to unforgiveness: I pray with many people whose illnesses stubbornly won’t go when prayed for, then to discover that they haven’t / won’t / can’t forgive someone…. and I don’t know about you, but I really do want to live long in the land the Lord my God is giving me…..

Facebook post 30 September 2016

Being very aware that there are some situations where this might not be possible, for various reasons, I’d love to encourage the majority of who can do it, to really make the most of your parents….

I know I’ve talked about my dad often, he was a wonderfully special, Spirit-filled man, loved by everyone. It was 51 years ago today that he died, aged 41, when I was 12, I’d just got home from school…. the impact dad’s death had on me was immense.

With dad, May 1965, in Friston Forest, East Sussex, just 5 months before his his untimely relocation from East Dean to Heaven.... — With dad, May 1965, in Friston Forest, East Sussex, just 5 months before his his untimely relocation from East Dean to Heaven….

And today, Friday 30th, I’m aware how much I still miss him: how much I’d love to sit and talk to him, listen to his wisdom, learn from his wonderful relationship with Jesus – and I’ve always wished that I could have talked to him about his experiences in the Second World War, he was a bomber pilot.

I know that he’d have been my best friend if he’d lived: I look forward to seeing him again when it’s my turn to go to where he’s enjoyed living for the last 51 years!

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