Travel Archives - Page 10 of 40

Why….?

Posted on July 5, 2017 by Paul Bennison Posted in Journal, Personal, Random Thoughts, Travel Leave a comment

Much of the time I’ve been travelling, doing what I do now – way more than 30 years – it’s been to countries at the poorer end of the spectrum, a lot third world, some creeping into the ‘developing world’ category. I couldn’t even begin to quantify how many people I’ve met, been infinitely more blessed by than they have by me, the vast majority of them so poor that the blessing they’ve been to me is exponentially multiplied.

I learned something vital early on in this journey I’m on. Don’t make promises you can’t – won’t – don’t actually have any intention – of keeping. I’ve met countless people in Africa, India, South America, China, Eastern Europe (I could go on with the geography lesson!!) who themselves met people from western world nations, who made promises to help them – and never did. It’s devastating to them. As someone who (and those who know me know I hate this expression, but it’s the only one available) ‘lives by faith’, I know what it’s like to have promises made, and then have them never materialise. I made a decision back in 1987 that I would never promise what I wasn’t sure that I could come up with. Over the years, I’ve had people with me who have done it: and they’ve never been with me again (my choice), because it is so painful to be promised, to hope – and then have that hope deferred, which makes the heart sick….

This trip, we’re a bit short of our vital budget for the construction of the refuge house for street kids. Thanney and I have had some promises – maybe some are more ‘hints’ than promises of money to come towards the project, and then it never happened. We’re not talking ‘poor’ people here: not people whose circumstances would change so radically that they can’t do what they promise. In fact, those folk are the ones who TELL you that they’re so sorry, but things have changed, and they can’t do it….

I’ve got a question I don’t really know the answer to: perhaps you can help me with an answer? WHY? Why do people do that? Is it to ‘look/sound good’ at the time? Truth is, they look infinitely worse after the event….

I’m so grateful for the wonderful people who support me, regularly or one-off. But I’ve had a few of the others over the years…. What do you think? Am I being unreasonable, when promises come, and they’re not kept?

An array of wonderful and very different miracles

Posted on July 5, 2017 by Paul Bennison Posted in Journal, Personal, Random Thoughts, Testimony, Travel Leave a comment

It’s easy to tell that I’m in Cali because everything to do with the internet is playing silly games! Virtually no signal from the internet in the apartment (same as the last visit!), incredible thunderstorms with torrential rain that took out all the electricity, and even Word Press (this programme that I use for the website and the blog, deciding it didn’t/doesn’t want to post to Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn…so here goes at another attempt to post the first blog from Colombia…

It was a good journey here, a little shorter than often, thanks to a good tail wind, but next to no sleep for either Thanney or me on the long haul flight. It was such a blessing to see Wilmar’s happy smiling face at arrivals in Cali airport – it really lifts your spirit to see him. We didn’t have a meeting Saturday, thankfully, so we kicked off at Wilmar & Marlene’s church, Mision El Abrigo Internacional. It’s always so good there: and so many really good friends after more than 18 years visiting the church. Thanney spoke really well from Job: it was so good I thought I could cut back what I had to say and not speak for long! I wanted to get to the ministry time, anyway…

I’ll just pick out some of the lovely testimonies that came from the meeting: Dora had been suffering extreme pain in her head neck, and shoulders – no known diagnosis, painkillers didn’t touch it, but God did, and she was healed instantly. Maria had torn muscle from bone in her shoulder and had very limited movement of her right arm, and a lot of pain. Lovely God healed her immediately, too. A lady with a serious stomach problem received instant relief from the discomfort and pain….

Cristian and Angelica came and sat with me – Cristian had been suffering from a virus, and as they are moving house this week, he rather wanted that healed. It was. They are a couple with an amazing testimony – the fact that they are moving – buying their own house with a mortgage – is a miracle. Two years or so ago, Peter McAvoy who was with me, got to pray for Angelica, who was in massive debt, and under 24-hour pressure from the bank to repay 24 million Colombian pesos – about £6000, US$7300, 7000 euros, AU$9000. That, to people here, is an impossible amount. Angelica had 2 million she offered the bank – if you know banks, they’re hardly likely to accept 8% of a debt in full payment! And they didn’t. Sunday, Pete prayed for her: Monday she had to come up with the whole amount.

Monday, ‘out of the blue’, the bank called her on the phone. Yes, they’d accept the 2 million pesos, and write off the remaining 22 million… As a result, 2 years on, no longer in debt, they qualified for a mortgage – and this week they move into their own home. Such a lovely miracle, and blessing from God.

A year ago, I posted a video interview with Olivia, and her daughter, Maria Jose. Olivia is one of Wilmar’s sisters: I’d had the joy of praying with her and Maria Jose 3-4 years ago, when Maria had been diagnosed with a very large and life-threatening brain tumour. It had affected many vital functions, from sight to speech to hearing to walking. She was 7 years old then. If you want to, check out the video from 11 months back ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNHmpmmQWPA ), and then look at the video I’ll put a link to in a minute, taken on Sunday. The transformation is incredible. 3 years back, after receiving prayer, Maria was due to go for surgery: she never had it, because the tumour had gone. Various faculties started to return, and on Sunday, It was lovely to be able to talk with Maria Jose and Olivia – I asked Maria what she wanted God to do for her next, and she wants to jump and run better than she can at the moment…. It’s such a wonderful testimony of God’s redeeming and ongoing miraculous power.

Here’s the video link: it’s on my YouTube page, too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8O1s9zAw-QM

Thanney and Wilmar have been doing the rounds of builder’s merchants and suppliers yesterday and today, with a real blitz on the construction of the street kids refuge beginning tomorrow. Please pray that there will be a few volunteers from the church to help Thanney, that the rain will keep away, and that he’ll not only keep fit, but multiply what he can do, with God’s help!

If you have time in your praying, I’d really appreciate your prayer, as – yes, I’m back in Cali – the enemy doesn’t like it, and the damage I did to the muscles in my legs 5 weeks ago, is being seriously assaulted by him! We’re also a fair bit short of our budget for this trip, if you’re willing to pray for God’s provision for the construction. Thank you, bless you.

The joy of time-changes!! I know, 6 hours isn’t too bad….unless you don’t sleep it!!

Posted on July 2, 2017 by Paul Bennison Posted in Journal, Personal, Random Thoughts, Travel Leave a comment

Lovely evening to kick off the trip, with the Gomez family, they are such a delightful family…now for the much-needed sleep, I’ve pretty much managed to stay awake until ‘normal’ bedtime in the U.K. (midnight here, 6 am now back home), so I’m praying that sleep comes easily, and works wonders on these battered legs!!

I have to confess to breaking one of my cardinal sins, and one of my ‘strong advice words’ to people coming with me…. I repent!!! I always – for myself, and advise others- avoid sleeping during the day after a 20+ hour journey, even for an hour, as it can so easily knock the jet-lag into action, and we do have a 6 hour time change here…. that really can muck up the night’s sleep. I slept on an off for about an hour this afternoon (Saturday), and it’s now 0530 a.m. and I haven’t slept a wink yet… up in 2 hours for a church meeting, where I’m going to be as fresh as a daisy to preach!

It’s been wonderful to have had 3 months or so (March to June) relatively pain-free: then before the full breakthrough to the healing of the osteoarthritis came, the enemy has tried to bring breakdown. I’m not having that, that’s why I’m here now, and maybe it’s not a coincidence that in the morning, Thanney and I are at the lovely Mision El Abrigo Internacional church, where the 3 months of breakthrough began in March.

Time for breakthrough again tomorrow, not just for me, but for others in that lovely congregation.

http://www.paulbennison.com/2017/06/30/14739/

Posted on June 30, 2017 by Paul Bennison Posted in Journal, Personal, Testimony, Travel Leave a comment

In about 4 hours, I head for the airport, to fly to London tonight: then on tomorrow, with Thanney (who flies to London tomorrow) to the lovely Colombia, the wonderful Cali – at 10.40 p.m. tomorrow night. There’s a 6-hour time change – Colombia is behind the UK – so we land at the delightful time of 0405 am, then on to Cali at 0534 am. As the weather seems to have changed to autumn here(!), I must say it’ll be great to be at 35°C in the afternoons again! Davy flies out to join us next week.

I’ll do my best to blog most days – to let you know all about the construction progress, and to let you know the great things that God is going to do during our 24 days there. I’m grateful for those of you who will pray for us more than you’ll know. We really do covet your prayers, I’m grateful that there’s been some improvement in these torn muscles in my legs – an answer to prayer, in process, already!

Band of Brothers – Juan Carlos, Orlando, Thanney, and Fanor

For those who have given financially to the street kids refuge, thank you so, so much. The folk in Cali are totally blown away by your love and sacrifice. When you think how many very young children will be blessed by this building, it is SO worthwhile. AND, of course, on Sundays, there will be a new church functioning, in a churchless area.

Please pray for safe – and good – travelling (upgrades would be wonderful!) – it’s quite a long flight (10-11 hours London to Bogota), and neither Thanney or I sleep well on planes! The films get a bit boring after the second or third one…

What a shame none of us like steak…… 😉 (I’m lying…!!!)

Cali, here we come!

Posted on June 29, 2017 by Paul Bennison Posted in Journal, Personal, Random Thoughts, Testimony, Travel Leave a comment

Time to go home…. :)

Posted on June 27, 2017 by Paul Bennison Posted in Journal, Personal, Random Thoughts, Testimony, Travel Leave a comment

It only seems like about a month ago that Thanney and I returned from what had been a great trip to Cali, Colombia. God did so much, not the least the incredible miracle that God did through Thanney in getting so much of the construction done on the street kids house, despite so many attempts by the enemy to derail it. Countless healings, people saved, amazing miracles…

If I’m honest, I find leaving Cali, at the end of a trip, increasingly hard: it really is much more than a ‘second home’ – it’s home from home, and going back is something I look forward to for so many reasons; the wonderful spiritual environment that is over the city, an ‘Open Heaven’: wonderful friends; the friendliness of Colombian people: the climate: and so much more. I’m into my 21st year of going to Colombia now – coming up on Friday, when Thanney and I go again, and then next week, great friend Davy King, from Londonderry, joins us, will be my 86th time in the country, and my 79th in Cali (I first went to Cartagena, it was only after a couple of years I was invited for the first time to Cali).

When I think how I felt when I got my first-ever invitation, my desire to go back is a miracle! That first time, ‘Please come to Cartagena’ had my mouth saying ‘yes’ and my mind saying ‘no way, not a chance!’…. Colombia’s ‘reputation’ (then) was pretty difficult (it was difficult in parts, but mostly a completely wrong perception!). The talk of murder, violence, kidnap, of course, the drugs. It was in the USA that I found a ‘prophetic’ sticker (!) which I put on my case for the first trip….

The word from God that took me to Colombia for the first time…..

While both Thanney and I have been aware of the enemy attempting to derail the trip yet again, we’re even more aware that God is doing so much to make it a great trip. Every time there seems to be more amazing than the previous visit: I don’t see why this one should be any different! The enemy has tried to stop me walking (tearing muscles – quad and calf in my right leg), dropping on Thanney a huge bill for repair for his van (he’s a builder, if you didn’t know), expecting it to be maybe a couple of hundred pounds, it turned out to be over £2500! The van isn’t worth ‘investing’ that sort of money in, so it means a new van…. God intervened in his search for a replacement and has answered every prayer, and then some that Thanney hadn’t even thought of praying!

We’re still about £5,000 short on the budget for this particular trip – what has come in is wonderful, and we’re praying that God will do the rest over the next few weeks. It’s a slightly longer trip than usual – a week longer, in fact, than the March-April trip: leaving here on Friday 30 June, and returning to Bangor late on Tuesday 25 July, so still 4 weeks or so to see God provide that other money. If you can help, then please let me know!

So, I fly over to England Thursday evening, to get a few things done there daytime Friday: Thanney flies to London Friday afternoon, and we fly together all night Friday from Heathrow to Bogota, then on to Cali. Please pray for us, if you would? There’s a lot to be done to the street kids refuge, Thanney’s asking God to multiply the work of his hands by at least four times: I’m praying that God will do amazing things that will change the lives of hundreds… salvation, healings, miracles – and that God will heal these old legs of mine totally, especially – now – the damaged muscles. But more than anything else, pray that Jesus is raised high, and that hundreds – thousands – will be blessed as he draws ALL men to him.

Why do some not get healed when they’ve seen God do miracles? This might shock you…..

Posted on June 24, 2017 by Paul Bennison Posted in Journal, Personal, Testimony, Travel Leave a comment

I have a ‘principle’ that I’ll pray for people in wheelchairs early on in any ministry time. It wasn’t always that way: many years ago, I’d leave them to the end, perhaps hoping that they’d go home because they couldn’t wait or had got bored (!), or that everyone else in the church had gone, and they wouldn’t see the person leave in their wheelchair, knowing that I’d ‘failed’…..God really challenged me on that one, admonished me for my lack of faith, and I knew I had to change….which I did, even if I was terrified of the failure affecting the rest of the ministry time.

Some of you will have heard me tell the testimony of Jose Luis, in Sweden: a stroke victim of 2½ years. There were three men in wheelchairs at the front of the meeting, I was with my friend from England, Heidi. I determined that I’d go to one particular guy first: taking the Swedish translator with me, I asked him his name, and what did he want God to do for him – I didn’t really need to ask what was wrong, he had pretty evident stroke characteristics.

When he told me his name, Jose Luis, I spoke to him in Spanish, saying it was a Latino name. 2½ years wheelchair-bound, not able to walk. It turned out he was from Cali, Colombia: 46 years old – God was very good to me! I’d been going to Cali for 11-12 years by then and seen many miracles there, and the faith expectation of many Colombians. I asked him where he was from: South America. Which country? A dangerous one that foreigners wouldn’t go to(!). I replied that applied to many South American countries! I mentioned Colombia. Yes, I’m from Colombia. Which part? I was there 4 weeks ago…. The south-west. Which city? A very dangerous city that foreigners don’t go to. I mentioned a few names, including Cali. Yes, I’m from Cali. Told him I was there 4 weeks earlier. He was amazed. Which part of Cali? A very dangerous part that foreigners wouldn’t go to. I told him that applied to quite a lot of the city (then!). When he discovered I’d stayed on the next street to where he’d grown up, you could see his faith increasing – he was astonished.

What do you want God to do for you? I want to play football with my sons again, go walking in the woods in mid-summer, and skiing in the winter. I laughed and said that from a country where the temperature rarely – or never – drops below about 20°C, to want to ski was a miracle in itself! He laughed – and I just suggested that he get out of his wheelchair. Didn’t pray….I felt that his faith had risen to a good place. After a few minutes, (seemed like an

eternity), he moved his paralysed arm, put it on the arm of his wheelchair together with his good arm on the other side, and slowly got out of his chair, under his own steam. I can’t stand seeing people being pulled or pushed out of wheelchairs, or held up when it’s clear they’re not ready to do it alone…

When Jose went, he left his wheelchair, lonely, empty, at the front of the church….. 🙂

Jose Luis got up – took his first tentative steps, and then, just with the support of his family, walked out of the church. A few months later, I was back at the same church. I arrived as the worship was underway, and as I walked down the church, recognised from behind Jose Luis, standing, with his arms raised, worshipping God….

The next man – I think his name was Tony – also a stroke victim – had been waiting patiently as I’d been with Jose. Chatted to him for a few minutes, and then asked him what he wanted God to do for him. He’d been the same length of time in his wheelchair as Jose, paralysed, like Jose, down the left-hand side. His response was great: ‘I want what he’s just had!’, so I just told him to get up….. which he did, and he, too, walked out of the church. (More below the pictures of Jose!)

Almost the equivalent of the empty tomb….! Jose’s empty wheelchair…..

When I got to the third man (I won’t say his name), I said, ‘Well, it must be getting easy for you now after seeing what God’s done for those two men!’. He was the youngest, two young children, another stroke victim, and 2 years or so paralysed. His response totally and utterly floored me. ‘What will happen to my benefits if I get healed?’ I told him he’d almost certainly lose them, but he could have his life back, be a husband to his wife, a dad to his kids, earn for another 25-30 years, and LIVE again. Please don’t pray for me, he said…. so I didn’t.

It’s interesting, as someone who prays for the sick. Two out of three were blessed with amazing miracles by God. One went home in his wheelchair. I know for a fact that in those sort of situations that people say ‘Well, he (me) failed with the third one’…. nope. It’s not often like that. You’d be amazed how many people, who come for prayer, don’t WANT to be healed. Why do they come for prayer? Who knows…. it could be peer pressure, they need sympathy, empathy, want to be seen to want to be healed. But if you don’t want to be healed, the likelihood of receiving your healing is pretty negligible….. It’s something that people who pray regularly for the sick have to ‘live’ with – people believing you’ve ‘failed’ when, like this man, he had no desire to be healed if it’d cost him his benefits….. I suppose he could tell people he’d responded for prayer, but that the minister failed: I can’t imagine he’d tell his family he chose to stay on benefits!

I’m grateful to God for the Joses of this world! Especially if they come from Colombia…. even more if they come from Cali!

Astonishing Cali miracle memories…. more please, Lord!

Posted on June 24, 2017 by Paul Bennison Posted in Journal, Random Thoughts, Testimony, Travel Leave a comment

Sitting in the waiting area, outside the consulting room of my friend, Dr Dunia Quiroga, Neurological Surgeon, in Club Noel, the children’s hospital in Cali, praying for all the kids with every sort of brain disease, disorder, and trauma, is always a wonderful time, but four years ago, there was a standout meeting….

Dunia used to see her patient, write out a ‘prescription’ in English – which was actually the diagnosis of the problem the child had – and tell the parents to take it to the British guys in the waiting area, and get them to pray for the child…. amazing, eh?

A very troubled looking dad, without his baby, sat next to me. He’d seen Dunia, and I talked to him in my ‘best’ (!) Spanish. Dad – Jose Luis, was distraught: his eight-month-old son, also Jose Luis, was in disastrously sick. At his birth, it was discovered immediately that he’d been born without fontanelles and sutures in his skull. That meant that, as his brain grew it had nowhere to go: and it meant, just a few more months down the line, that he’d be severely brain damaged, and his life expectancy was very short. I sat and prayed with dad, with the guys with me, then he went back in to see Dunia, and we left the hospital.

A few hours later, Dunia phoned me. She’d asked Jose Luis to bring Junior to the hospital. There, she got him scanned and x-rayed. They showed both fontanelles and all sutures in place, exactly where they should have been at birth… astonishing!

Very early the next morning, we were at another hospital the other side of the city. When we arrived, Jose Luis, his wife Aida, and Jose Luis Jr. were sitting on the wall outside, to see us, to thank us… it blew me away because to get there, it would have taken them a couple of hours at rush hour (we arrived at 7 a.m.) – AND cost a lot (for them). It was so emotional to hold young Jose Luis, knowing that I was holding the most incredible miracle – a little boy who now had a future and a life.

Lee Collier, Jose Luis, Aida with Jose Luis Jr, yours truly, Chris Spark

Later on, we saw the scans and x-rays – my doctor friend, Lee, himself a neonatologist, was able to explain them to me! – and for the next couple of years, it was so wonderful – and humbling – to see Jose Luis Jr, growing just as he should, a lovely bright, perfect little boy….

Jose Luis Jr, Now quite famous(!), Jose Luis was born without either fontanelles or sutures in his cranium, which meant severe brain damage due to restricted growth, retardation in every developmental area, and a very short life expectancy. I first met him at 4 months: in the picture here he is 20 months, and God’s miraculous intervention with fontanelles and sutures is something I’ve well documented!

CALI, COLOMBIA – PRAYER REQUESTS

Posted on June 21, 2017 by Paul Bennison Posted in Evangelism, Journal, Travel, Uncategorized Leave a comment

It’s been a little while since I posted here, this blog will explain a little as to why!

This is a request for prayer, as in next week (30 June-25 July), I head for Cali, Colombia, with great friends Thanney Pyper and Davy King, for stage two of the wonderful building project that will rescue 150 children from life on the streets and the hands of the drug cartels: it means that the kids will be loved, fed, clothed, educated (secular & Christian), and have medical care. On Sundays, the house will be a new church, when completed in November, in an ‘unchurched’, dangerous area of the city. There will as always, be many church meetings during the trip, and countless miracles and healings.

The whole project is costing £55,000, and God has, through his people, provided £29,000 so far. Thanney did an amazing job in March/April, under budget (which was helpful, as we didn’t get what we thought we’d need!). For this trip, the budget for all that needs to be done in the month we’re there is £25,000. We need a further £7,500: this trip will see the roof, walls, electrics, plumbing, and some specific wiring for use by the church: and the completion ‘trip’ requires £15,000. If you feel moved to help these children, Thanney and I would be so grateful. None of this goes towards our expenses.

I’ve had some great months: in praying for me (primarily to honour what God has enabled me to do in Cali), the church ‘El Abrigo’ saw my knees receive a huge amount of healing. As you know, for 18 years (right leg) and 10 years (left) I’ve lived with chronic/acute osteoarthritis: at times, it was impossible to walk, and all the time, causing extreme pain. To receive relief through God touching them, after 18 years, has been indescribable.

But…. the enemy has, as usual, had an ‘interest’ in trying to stop me: I’ve obviously been on his ‘radar’. I’ve refused to stop, and I’ve tried not to let my knees curtail anything I’ve needed to do over the years, which has worked while I’ve been away, though I’ve ‘experienced’ the consequences for some days when I’ve got home!!

Three weeks ago, I slipped off a step, and, it seems, I’ve torn the quad muscle in my right thigh. It’s had a huge impact on both legs, my right leg particularly…. It didn’t stop there, though: as a result of the impairment caused, I slipped while coming down my (dreadful) staircase (steep, narrow, shallow treads, deep risers), and my legs took the brunt of slipping from top to bottom, tearing my calf muscle! My right knee clattered into every banister support on the way down! Both muscles caused considerable bleeding, my leg has been about double the size with the swelling, causing major problems with the knees!! The doctor has given me medication to remove excess fluid from my right leg… It’s been a battle to walk for that couple of weeks and still is, though it is improving, thankfully.

If you’d be willing to pray for me, I’d so appreciate it. The legs won’t stop me going to Colombia, nor, I pray, restrict me from doing what’s expected of me, but, as thing are, it’s going to be very hard, and extremely painful!! Thank you for your prayers, you have no idea how vital they are to us. Each of us going is excited

PERSONAL REQUEST

Posted on June 21, 2017 by Paul Bennison Posted in Personal, Testimony, Travel, Uncategorized Leave a comment

One personal request…. For me, trying to raise money for projects like the street kids house in Cali, and Ana Beiba’s Old People’s foundation in recent years, is something I don’t mind doing, it is so worthwhile and rewarding to know what it’s achieved. Trying to fund-raise for me, though, is something I hate doing, and I really do try and do it as little as possible. A lot of preachers use preaching opportunities to promote what they do, sell their ‘wares’ (books, CDs, etc., share personal needs – I personally don’t like that, which is one of the many reasons why I’ve never written books, though under pressure to do that often!). When I’m out preaching, I just can’t – won’t – talk about personal needs at the end of a meeting, as it’s a huge distraction from praying for people, and keeping the atmosphere of the Holy Spirit to move in people’s lives.

Recent months have been ‘interesting’, in that I’ve lost three regular supporters – all for good and valid reasons, I’d like to point out(!) (redundancy, passing away, change of circumstances) – with very little, or no warning or notice, totalling £145 a month. I’ve also had a couple reduced each month, again because of financial constraints that affect a lot of us right us right now. What it means, in real terms, is that my ‘salary’ (if that’s what you call what someone who lives like I do earns!), has dropped more than £1900 a year, without any warning. You can imagine, on a limited income, that isn’t easy, it’s quite a lot to lose. It’s the same, if you’re in ‘normal’ employment, in finding that this month’s salary is more than £150 LESS than last month without warning, and will be from now on….for me, that’s a drastic reduction.

It’s tough, if I’m honest…. especially when your salary (I guess that’s what my support is!) is not enough to meet all the needs – rent, bills, fulfilling the travelling ministry that God’s given me to do – e.g. the fare to Colombia next week is £1320 from Northern Ireland, accommodation £2-300 for the trip. But I’ve learned to cut my cloth according to my means quite well, though I think there’s not too much cloth left to cut!! Would you add this need to your prayer list, if you pray for me, too, please? And if you feel you can help, I’d be so grateful. One-off gifts are wonderful and essential, but the real life-blood is regular support, even more so if it’s gift aided. Thank you – if you can help, please get in touch.

With much love to you,

Paul

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