17 June

Delayed sharing this piece of news until I'd got a clearer picture of what's going on... for those familiar with my 'USA Saga', something happened that Gunnar, my wonderful USA based immigration lawyer has never experienced! Whilst I was in Romania last weekend, I had an email from him, incredulous at the reply he'd just received from the Immigration Service, that my application was denied, on the basis that 'Foriegn Mission Director/Missionary' was a not a bone-fide job per se.... the fact that churches all over the USA have both Mission Directors and Missionaries, all recognised by the tax/government/social services, seems not to have reached USCIS (Customs Immigration Service). The decision is appealable, and I/we (church/lawyer) are going ahead with it.

I had a long chat with Gunnar on the phone, and he is astonished. Everyone over 'there' and those I've talked to here all believe this is part of an ongoing spiritual battle, which we are asking God very powerful to intervene in! I'd really value your prayers over this issue, as I have to officially appoint Gunnar by 25th June to appeal it for me, which also means coming up with a considerable amount of money for the official appeal fee, plus Gunnar's own expenses. Right now, I have none: summer (and Christmas) are the worst times of year for people who live like I do, so your prayers for faith, hope, and provision would be greatly appreciated!!

16 June

Two and a bit fantastic days away with the 'Rhinos', at the beautiful, peaceful retread, House of the Open Door Community, near Broadway, in Worcestershire. The value of these days can never really be communicated: they are special in so many different ways. We laugh until we're hoarse, we share lives, we share 'successes' and failures, we drink wine, eat incredibly as the Community look after us so well, we cover each other's backs, lift each other up with the most powerful, outrageous, uproarious prophetic praying you could ever imagine.... and leave refreshed, built up, established in our calling once again, and ready to claim more of God's Kingdom to come, and his will to be done.... wonderful days.

In between times, I've been in Northern Ireland, for r&r (rest and relaxation for the non social networking readers amongst you!), to spend time building wonderful friendships here..... in the mix are frequent visits to my dear friends Andrew & Valerie Barr, in Coleraine: with them last week for a gathering in their home, a lovely evening of just sharing what God is doing in this lovely country. I'm back in Coleraine on the 17th, to speak at a men's meeting in their church, where I've been asked specifically to talk about miracles...... Your Kingdom Come, Lord Jesus!!! And then staying over with the Barrs so I can share a Magners with Andrew.... non alcoholic, of course!

It is so lovely to be able to come home to this house: especially with so much football and cricket on tv right now! If anything will help me unwind, it's sport... even if England can't manage to beat the USA!

5 June

The more I dwell on the 'event' blogged about the journey (in blue, 24 May!), the more astonishing it gets.... I've talked to Dave & Clare, and Ian, who were with me on the trip to Colombia, and they are as astonished as me.... in fact, Dave reminded me that it WASN'T 2 hours, but an hour and 50 minutes, the rain re-started when we'd been 'home' 10 minutes.....

What's more, the storm went on all around us on the journey home. Incredible thunder and lightening on all the mountains around us: it was like we drove under a huge umbrella. You have to see and hear an 'Andes' thunder storm to know just how incredible they are, and just how miraculous this ride was. Even a few weeks on, my jaw just hangs open when I think of it.... God is so, so amazing!

Since returning to the UK, I spent time in England, visiting my sister, brother in law, and nephew, in Cornwall, and then some lovely days away with the Rhinos (if you've never read my blog before, you'll find out who the Rhinos are on the 'who is Paul' page!). It was such a blessing to be with them, and the prayer/ministry time we all get from each other is just so vital and powerful.

A couple of weeks ago, another part of my life ended :( .... when my dad died, I was 12 (he died 45 years ago in September). Two amazing men from our church, Victoria Baptist Church, Eastbourne, took on significant roles in my life, one - Norman Barber, my Sunday School leader, took on the role of the 'dad' who took his boy to different places - Twickenham for rugby, Farnborough Air Show (the year Concorde did its first ever public 'fly past') and many other things. The other man, Roy Lanning, who was my 'Covenanter' group leader, took on the spiritual role. I am so deeply grateful to both men for looking after a lost and bewildered 12 year old.... Norman died some years ago, but Roy died just 2 weeks ago, and it feels like something else has 'gone' from my life, around the same time as mum dying.....

And for that, even more I'm grateful for the Rhinos, who cover me spiritually, emotionally, practically, watch my back, and love me to bits.....

So, tomorrow & Monday, Coleraine, Northern Ireland: a meeting with my dear friends Andrew & Valerie Barr, in their home. Wednesday back over to England, en route for Romania, then back to Ireland the middle of the following week.... would value your prayers!

24 May

COLOMBIA PART 2....!!!!

Something quite astonishing happened on the way back by road from Buenaventura.... I've said before that it is a dangerous road, only two lanes, over the Andes, dangerous in daylight and good weather..... so even more so at night, and in the middle of the most incredible rainstorm I've seen in a long time. It's normally about a 3 hour journey in good weather. We'd left the church after the evening meeting to go to get a sandwich in the nearby shopping mall, when the rain arrived. It was so hard it took out all the televisions in the mall, and was even finding gaps in the roof (of a newly built mall) and was gusting inside the food area. We were, if I'm honest, a little worried about the journey back! Bendy mountain roads, no white lines, no cats eyes, steep drop.... even on top speed the wipers weren't handling the rain, and the road was like a river.....

Having seen God do many wonderful salvation and healing miracles, I sat in the back seat of Walter's car and thought about the miracles Jesus did.... I have to say I've not been overly successful with geographical and meteorological miracles in the past (:-(), but just declared out 'Peace be still!' with all the authority I could muster - and the rain stopped!!!!! It didn't begin again until we were all nicely safe and secure in our apartment.... what's more, the 3 hour journey (good weather) that should have been more like 4-5 hours bearing in mind the conditions. took just over 2 hours.... so, without wishing to over-exaggerate, it would seem we were transported some distance, too. Before you go 'He's out of his mind, now he's really gone over the top'!!! - don't forget that there were 6 of us in the car who all experienced the same thing.... and there's really no way you can do that journey in the time we did: huge trucks, farm vehicles, buses, and frightened drivers all use that road, and overtaking 'spots' are 1) at a premium, and 2) extremely risky! And if Jesus said 'You'll do the things that I have done, and greater....' then - bring it on, Lord!

A meeting in yet another dangerous area of Agua Blanca was on, then off, then on again at the last minute... the pastor, David, was worried not many would come to hear the gringos (never a problem for me with numbers, but seems to be for others!). He needn't have worried - about 400 turned up, and again the whole meeting was one charged incredibly by the power of the Holy Spirit. The whole evening was dynamite, and I felt really constrained to make an initial appeal for salvation, and then leave some time before making an appeal for healing. Often, if you make such appeals close together, the people who have responded to the call for salvation rush across to the 'healing' side, and they can get missed by the local church leaders.... It was right to do it, as about 120 gave their lives to the Lord, the church leaders chatting with all of them to follow them up. I should think a further 200 (at least) came forward for healing, and there were many who were.... All of us 'Brits', plus Diego and Walter, plus Lupe, Walter's wife, were praying for the sick for around 2 hours

A mum, carrying her 6-7 yr old daughter came to me, the little girl had very damaged feet and legs, no arches in her feet, with severe walking difficulties. Prayed for her, and she and mum left.... prayed for some more.... only to find mum and the girl back in front of me about 20 minutes later, with mum laughing and crying, and the little girl walking by her side - with arches, no pain, walking perfectly. Apparently, they'd got home, and the daughter told mum 'When he prayed for me, I felt this amazing heat right through my body, and saw a brilliant white light, and saw God, who told me I was healed'.... when they came back, I got them up onto the platform to testify, along with a number of others who'd received instantaneous miracles.... the testimonies, of course, led to even more healings.... healings went on until all had been prayed for, at about 1045pm (from a 6pm start!). Dave & Clare were back at that church the next night, and were praying for eople until 1130pm...

...whilst Ian and I were taken by taxi to Puerta Tejada. Never been there before, and I was told it was about 45 minutes out of the city.... 2 hours+ later, and having stopped many people to ask the way (most of whom made encouraging comments like 'don't go down there, it's too dangerous!' and 'keep away from that street, it's too dangerous!') we found the church.... to find, as we'd say in England, 3 old ladies and a dog at the meeting.... hmmm. By the time Ian got to share his testimony and speak, and I did too, there were about 15-20 people, and some people got healed, so I'd never say it wasn't worth it.... They want a 7 day 'crusade' there next time I'm in Cali, seven days in the danger zone, huh? Yes.....

Another 'interesting' arrival at a meeting found a similar story - 3 people, plus, outside, a devastated pastor, who, that day, discovered that there had been immorality at the heart of the worship band, resulting in 25 or so of his 30 members leaving the church.... to say I felt out of my depth with how to address the situation, so fresh, would be fairly accurate, but I am so grateful to God that we (Ian & I) were there. We spent time praying with the remnant, especially Oscar, the pastor, and his wife, for an hour or more, and, it seems, left them encouraged, blessed, and re-envisioned.

Another lovely meeting, this time in the north of Cali, pastored by a couple, Candy and Diego: on the surface, it seemed more of an 'up and out' church than I'm used to being in in Colombia, the church only 7 months old, but with well into 3 figure membership/attendance. Once we got down to the nitty-gritty, it was a church full of people financially destitute, incredibly sick and incurable, and many with humongous problems.... a lot of healings, and lot of people prayed for, and a lot of blessing.....

On the last Sunday, Ian blew everyone away at Walter's church: Dave & Clare did the same at my friends' Hendrik & Teija's church, and I went to yet another church I've never been before. I knew next to nothing about it, but the name of it 'got' me as I walked in! It's called 'Generacion de Fuego' - Generation of Fire.... and boy, was it a great service. Souls saved again, I guess I prayed for 100 for healing, stretching my Spanish incredibly (I'm grateful that God seemed to do some miracles with my Spanish more than ever before!), and during preaching, prophesied over a number of people in the congregation and band.... It was a wonderful 'meeting' end to a quite astonishing trip....

Hundreds and hundreds saved: hundreds more healed, invitations back to do many '7 day' events next time, invitations to Peru and Ecuador, and, more than anything else, the total, mind-blowing, incredible privilege of being there when God turns up in meeting after meeting after meeting.....

21 May

Well, what can I say about Colombia, Cali especially, that doesn't sound like a repeat from the past 14 years....? Hot weather (around 35-38C most days), and every meeting wonderfully blessed by God... some new church locations, some re-visits, took three people with me - Dave & Clare from England, who have been with me before, and Ian from Northern Ireland (though he's English!) for the first time. I arrived ahead of the others, and had a great weekend preaching in a couple of churches - one pastored by very-long-time friends Hendrik & Teija Hoere, in their lovely new building, a church with a great name too - El Abrigo el Altisimo (the Shadow of the Almighty). and another in a place named Yumbo (pronounced 'Jumbo', but with a 'soft' j), a huge industrial city north of Cali, to a new church to me pastor by the President of the pastors association, Pedro Rojas. Both were great meetings, and very hot (!! clothes changing colour due to excessive water content!), and prayed for loads of people... some in Yumbo testified to immediate healings, and there were some people who made a first time commitment to the Lord, too. The first half of the sermon was translated by a guy who had lived in London for 8 years: in fact, very close to where I was born! But... just because you can speak English doesn't necessarily make you a translator, and my Spanish has improved somewhat, so I had to help out occasionally! The lovely brother concerned made a valiant attempt at his first ever public translation, but it was hard going from a preacher's point of view! Pedro wants me back, which is nice to know, especially as he'll be President of the pastor's association for the next 2 years!

Translation is a real 'gift': knowing languages doesn't always mean much, as you have to instantly be able to contextualise and idiomise what is being said.... it became a lot more cohesive when my dear friend Diego took over half way through, but God used the whole service to do some lovely things....

A return visit to another long-time friend's church, Norbey & Carmen Arias, Casa de Dios (House of God) was again a lovely meeting, with a super time of 'proxy' prayer for Carmen who has cancer, amongst many other things. We were able to go to their home later in the trip to pray for her, and there was a noticeable physical and emotional improvement in her conditon. The service was tremendous, with - again - many being prayed for, and some immediate testimonies.

A 'usual' trip to the port city of Buenaventura was a great time - though it was, again, markedly hotter than Cali, reaching about 42C (about 112F for the small percentage of the world still on that scale!) with intense humidity. It was a privilege, once again, to be able to go into the huge, desperately poor hospital in the city: I discovered on the Sunday that the director had stopped Christians going there for some time, so I saw God's hand on the visit even more. The conditions are tragic: the desperation of the patients even more so. Ian was with me, Dave & Clare went to the emergencies section. We spent as much time praying with the families visiting as we did with the patients - families have to provide all the food, a lot of the hour-to-hour care, including changing & washing clothing and bedding. It is such a privilege to be able to bring hope into hopelessness, as well as healing into people's lives, which God did with a number: greater still was the fact that at least 15-20 people gave their lives to the Lord, patients and family members - still, of course, the greatest miracle of all. There were some genuinely immediate healings, a lot testifying to pain going, and joy coming into desperate lives.

Wonderful church Saturday evening, outside the city, in the jungle, pastored by friends Daniel & Liliana: the church was packed, with loads of young people too: it was an 'electric' atmosphere, and a good number gave their lives to the Lord, and there were some wonderful healings, including a man, who'd had long-term back and spinal problems, much pain, who testified to instant healing. Daniel & Liliana are an amazing couple, and they are really seeing the Kingdom of God brought into an incredibly tough situation. They are so poor, the church is actually situated on a bend in the road known locally as 'Dead Man's Curve' as so many accidents happened there.... they are changing that! Buenaventura is also a hotbed of witchcraft, all types of oocult activity, and a violent city.... three weeks before we were there, a car bomb was exploded outside the town hall. Sunday morning was in a lovely church in Buenaventura, with a wonderful lady pastor: many people again responded to the gospel, and many were healed... what more can I say....? It still amazes me, after all these years.....

The evening meeting was a slightly different ballgame (!)... such a religious spirit in and over the church, Dave and I hit it as hard as we could, and pray for change there.... so many ...er... unusual things going on in the meeting.....

Club Noel, the children's hospital in Cali, again a regular visiting place and scene of many, many miracles over the years, was a similar story.... hope, joy, salvation, healing.... Ian really grasped the opportunity to see miracles happen, and a young girl, about 6 years old, who had never walked, took her first steps, to the astonishment of her mother and aunt, as he commanded a miracle in the name of Jesus. It is hard to describe, in hospitals in Colombia, the appreciation of patients and families, to have 'gringos' even bother to go there, let alone engage with them and bring something into their lives that wasn't there before. Miracles of all sorts before your very eyes....

Some astonishing meetings during the second week.... I was asked to speak at an evangelistic meeting in a gazebo in a public park, in the poorest and most dangerous area of Agua Blanca, itself the poorest and most dangerous part of the city.... I wasn't totally aware of QUITE how dangerous this district - Mohica - was, until we got there, when the pastor, Raul, informed us that he'd specifically requested armed police to be on each street around the park... loads of them! Pump action shotguns, machine guns.... the pastor himself had experienced a huge muscular neck and back spasm at 3am that morning, and was healed instantly..... loads of people at the meeting, plus a large number of young people playing football or just 'hanging out' at the park.... MANY saved, loads healed.... a fantastic night. My friend Hendrik had been in that very same area a few months before, and was robbed by 5 armed gunmen... didn't know that until afterwards, perhaps a good thing!

Long blog, this one, too... I'll add more tomorrow! Much more to add....

21 May

A long time since the last blog.... there are a number of reasons for that, not the least of which was the death and funeral of my mum in March and April, and the slow agonising demise of my laptop which refused to run the necessary software for updating here... there are other reasons, too, maybe for later!

Mum's death, though in many ways expected, still affected me deeply. Though she had been in dementia care for some 5 years, until February, she seemed to be 'going along' as per normal, but then it was noticeable that she was going downhill. Since mum had been in care, I'd tried to get to see her (and my sister and brother in law) every 6-8 weeks: she lived in Cornwall, which for those who don't know is the most extreme westerly point of England, and as I look back now, I'm so glad I saw her a good deal, even though for most of those years in care she didn't know who I was. Strange, isn't it, how we are sometimes? I saw mum more when she didn't know me than I did when she did know me.... March saw her getting more frail, and then just around her birthday the deterioration was rapid. I was over with her for 2-3 days before she died, on 22 March, and, obviously, back again for the funeral on 1 April. Saying goodbye to mum had another strange impact on me.... it made me miss my dad all the more, even though he died 45 years ago, so with all this going on, blogging didn't seem particularly a priority. One of my favourite rock songs is 'The Living Years' by Mike & the Mechanics, and it's all about how our priority seeing people who are dear to us can often be overshadowed by 'doing' life.... I'm so grateful and blessed to have had a mum - and dad, though for a very short time - who loved me to bits, and would do anything for me.

My trusty 4 year old Hewlett Packard laptop had severe damage done to its operating capabilities by the very people I had to contact to sort out an 'issue' with it - the technical support section. Countless hours on the phone to their 'help' (joke!!) centre, then their complaints department (don't bother with them if you have a complaint - they can't and won't do anything!), did nothing at all, after their initial 'expert' had rendered the machine almost useless. I had to give up the fight with them once mum became worse, and big trips intervened, but I will resume it in the next few weeks, even though I've had to acquire another machine in the last few weeks. Now I've finally reinstalled the software I need for writing here, I'll - hopefully- be a little more frequent.

The slow moving machine that is USA immigration seems to have almost ground to a halt.... though there was one disastrous mess up with the application to them submitted by the lawyer.... Immigration for some reason had my permanent residence application with me as both the 'petitioner' and the 'beneficiary', and the  postal address of the church in Virginia wrong... so the receipt for filing, a very vital stage I'm told, was sent to the church, rather than the Pastor: problem is, the church is only occupied on a Sunday pretty much, from about 9am - 130 pm. Because of that the receipt was returned to immigration as undeliverable, resulting in them effectively 'shelving' my application for 3 more very expensive (for me) months. I called the lawyer to find out what was happening, only to discover it was....nothing :(. So, it goes on.... I keep hearing more and more 'horror' stories about friends and their 'issues' now going to the USA.... right now, I have no idea when I'll be able to go back there.... it's over a year since I was last there, and a year next Wednesday since I was 'returned'. As well as not being able to see Katy, Joshua, and my grandsons - which is tough, I miss them terribly, it also means that I still can't even transit through the States en route to Latin America, which really does nearly double the cost of getting there.

It's been 'interesting' in the few months I've not written here to see how many people are actually interested in reading the blog! After such a long silence, I've heard from some people who seem to have missed it.... hopefully it's a lot more than have written to me!

AND SO TO WHAT GOD HAS BEEN DOING.....

There have still been a lot of trips during these months, though the 'diary' section is way out of date :-( ..... I've also been determined to rest a bit more between trips, as I know what last year, effectively living out of a suitcase, did to me physically and mentally, so I am scheduling more 'pit stops' at home in Ireland.

Since last writing, I've been in Romania, Mexico, England, Scotland, and Colombia. All have been good, with Mexico and Colombia being great! The Colombia trip comes to an end on Tuesday (18th) then the long haul home from Cali, via Bogota, then Toronto, to London, ash cloud permitting.

It's been 5 years since I was last in Mexico, but it was like being at home straight away, staying with my dear friends, the Osorio family, and being involved almost exclusively in their church, La Leon de la Tribu de Judah (The Lion of the Tribe of Judah, if you can't work that one out!). A wide variety of meetings, from cell groups to men's groups to a number of services. Many people prayed for, some healings, and - it seems - much  blessing for them and for me. I had one unusual meeting, which I had to be taken to by boat, on the canals of Xochimilco (great name, huh?!), with the meeting being held in the Mexican equivalent of a Garden Centre! It was wonderful to see the Osorios again, though the joy was tempered by the fact that my dear friend and brother, Enrique, the 'dad' of the family, was not there, having gone home to be with Jesus, last September. He was the same age as me :(. The trip to Mexico was curtailed and changed due to my mum's increasing ill health, and then her death, so I plan to go back to Mexico later in the year for a proper trip. All the chopping and changing of dates meant that charges were incurred for flight changes, I had to 'lose' and overnight hotel booking (for a 21 hour layover in Toronto) and car hire.... I was going to use that 21 hours to go and visit Niagara Falls - well, I would have been relatively close.... in the end I had to route through Montreal, which again required a hotel and car... but, the airline did me a small favour in that they upgraded me to 'Executive First Class' from London to Montreal (and boy, was it good!)....

Healing news from Scotland and Ireland too: Steve -'To date my shoulder and neck, which have troubled me for many months, neither are causing me any pain'... 'Annette & Roddy's baby is now in correct orientation' - a lovely couple from Ireland whose baby was breech, looking unlikely to turn before birth, did so overnight!.... (south east England) Tim - after 55 years of 12 day a month migraines (crippling ones), no headache for two years come August....

Scotland again... "My mum told me that at the end of the service on Sunday you asked for people to go forward for healing. She also told me that she felt with all her being that she was to go forward but she never did. My mum has an exceptionally close relationship with God that shapes her whole life and she couldn't understand why she felt her legs would not walk her out to you. My mum is a real tough cookie and part of me feels that she didn't want others in the church to see her as she would not want others to see her pain. My mum has Arthritis and Psoriasis that causes her pain on a daily basis, but she never complains and she has such a sunny and positive spirit that she never feels sorry for herself. Nearly everyday she tells me in some way or another how blessed by God she feels her life is. 

She told me how you had also said about rubbing or touching can bring healing or closeness and as she left i think she gave you a wee shimmy, she felt she had to do something as God had spoken to her so strongly. She told me that she genuinely believed that she had experience a touch of healing through this contact...she held out her left hand and her fingers did in deed look straighter than i had seen them in a very long time. I know you probably get hundred of emails asking for prayer and healing and you probably only feel you can heal the ones that God has called to you, but i really believe that my Mum was spoken to on Sunday and for some reason she couldn't make it to you. Therefore, please don't find me rude, but could you please say a prayer for my mum? I really felt i had to search you out and contact you because she really felt you had a strong impact on her and she so rarely does anything for herself. Though, she may throttle me if she ever finds out I've emailed you about her!" And then, a couple of weeks later... "Just a quick update to let you know of some of the healing that has happened for my mum! Last week i was home visiting my mum and she showed me her right hand....her fingers for the first time in about 20 years are straight! She hasn't been able to straighten her hand out for as long as i can remember but her fingers were so straighten out she could put her hand flat on my leg. She has also been wearing a splint recently to straighten her hand out and that too appears to be holding straight on its own without the splint. I pray that more healing keeps coming for my

mum but i can't express how grateful i am for what has happened so far! I really was taken aback at her hand, i truly believe you are bring miracles to my family and for that, I thank you."

Craig (NI) - severe hip and upper leg pain healed... Sydney & Carol, incredible ongoing miraculous healing.... Sydney from a thumb cut off in a work accident, Carol from paralysis caused by failed back surgery.... Ragnhild from Finland, healed by email (! God uses it, don't knock it!!)

Great few days with my friend Mike Edwards and his lovely 'Voice of Comfort International' church in Greenwich, South London... many prayed for, and a time of real blessing it seems, for the church, and it was for me, too....

27 January

There are lots more stories in addition to the ones I put in yesterday's blog, but a couple more that were so special they are worthy of extra mention. A young mum, who had severed from severe depression when I visited her church a few months back, told me that she is completely healed of it when I was back there a few weeks ago. Another young lady, whom I discovered I'd had the privilege of praying with at the Detling Bible week last August, was then suffering from acute anorexia, and was under 5 stones in weight (under 70 pounds, Americans!). The doctors told her she was dying. She came and spoke to me in a church a couple of weeks back, probably doubled in weight, looking totally different, and well and truly healed from that terrible addiction.

I've not mentioned names, because I've not asked the people concerned if I can, and it would be an intrusion into their privacy for me to do so. If I can get them to write out their stories, though, then I'll place them on the testimony page!

26 January

Over a month and no blog... I do apologise if you're one of those who looks here regularly to see what's been going on.... there are no real excuses, just that I tried over the holiday to take a real break, something I rarely do, and realised that I'm not very good at knowing how to relax and rest... I hope and pray that your Christmas and New Year were as relaxing and restful as mine, and that 2010 is a time when you know and experience the presence of the living God more than you have ever done. Christmas for me, with dear friends in their lovely home, was a real blessing.

An enforced additional rest occurred at the beginning of the month, when I flew back to England for 2+ days with my accountability guys, the Rhinos, when the UK was at a standstill (again!) because of snow. We were scheduled to meet in the middle of the Cotswolds (for those of you who know England), and then I was preaching there and in Worcester at the weekend. Well, that part of England was hit especially hard by the weather, so by the time I landed in England, everything had been cancelled!

The frustration with airlines today reached a new peak for me over the next 24 hours as I tried to get to Ireland. One of the things that I appreciate about the USA is that customer service IS just that.... in Britain we're not very good at it sometimes! It was certainly non existent with the airline I was dealing with, and what had begun as a 70 pounds round trip escalated into a changed ticket, one way, costing 173 pounds! What a bargain - not!

A recent return visit to Loose Baptist Church, Maidstone, was a really great time. Youth meeting Friday evening, a Saturday morning session on healing, which resulted in praying for a large percentage of the people there (it was scheduled to finish about 12.30pm, and, if I recall, we left the building nearer 3pm!). Saturday evening was with the Elders of the church, and Sunday was a packed house. There were some who testified to having received healing, and it was especially delightful to pray for a man named Bob, after I'd had a word of knowledge concerning bad pain in the right side sacroileac area of the back. No one responded initially, which is always an 'interesting' (!) time: Bob hadn't responded as it was his first time in church, dad to one of the young women of the church, and - he would say - not yet a believer.... he was healed, and 'gob-smacked' according to his daughter, Sarah! A lovely guy, Matt, was healed in his knees, and there were other testimonies, too.

A great weekend up in Coleraine, Northern Ireland, with good friends Andrew and Valerie Barr.... I was with them for an evening just prior to new year, and prayed for a lovely guy, Craig, in his forties, but with major-league hip pain. God is good - he was healed, no pain since. Visited then, too, the home of a couple, the husband had, 5 weeks earlier, cut off his thumb, the wife was rendered paralysed and incontinent when surgeons, doing spinal surgery on her, probably severed a nerve.... they had been told (I stand corrected if I've got these numbers slightly wrong!) that only 1 in 10,000 surgical procedures to put a finger back actually work.... well, we stood and agreed in prayer that his would - and it has worked! Sidney was also told by a nurse that if they see one in 3 years work it is unusual. He has almost total feeling and senses to the thumb restored, apart from maybe the top quarter inch, which is coming back! The wife became 'continent' almost immediately, has full feeling restored to her right leg, and use, if not yet full feeling, which will come, of her left leg. Both are miracles!

One of the things that is 'difficult' about what I do, in praying for people, is that you don't often hear what happens. British people especially it seems are reticent to report on what God does.... it was fantastic, then, to hear about a couple prayed for in Bangor, Northern Ireland, who had been told they could never have children: and to discover about 2 months after praying for them that the wife was 6 weeks pregnant! Just Sunday night, a man told me in church that his right arm, which had been causing him a great deal of pain, was healed when I'd prayed for him in October. Thank you, God! It's a privilege to pray, many times, never knowing the outcome: it's an even greater privilege to share in the thanksgiving to God when someone tells you that God's done what you prayed for!

Just a quick mention about my USA immigration situation: I'm delighted to tell you that, after 4 months of putting the application for permanent residency together, Gunnar, the lawyer in Pennsylvania, submitted it to the US Immigration service on December 21. It was a nice Christmas present to hear that! The whole petition is about 300 pages, hopefully covering every aspect of what the CIS (Citizenship & Immigration Service): they may ask for further evidence, or simply approve it. Gunnar reckoned on December 22 perhaps between 2-8 months. I think I have to go for interview, probably a medical (cough, please.... takes me back to school days!). Now would be a good time for God to start moving the mountains many have told me that he'll do! Perhaps mountains of paperwork...? Gunnar told me mine was the largest application he's submitted in his time as an Immigration Lawyer.

Meanwhile I'm learning what it is to rest and relax, ahead of a very busy schedule about to unfold. This coming weekend I'm back in Ayr, Scotland, at the lovely Southside Christian Fellowship. Hoping to get Graham with the new gall bladder etc., along to tell his story.... Then middle of next week out to Romania for 5 days, and probably a change of schedule to the last newsletter - perhaps to Sweden, with Mexico happening in March after yet another trip to Romania, with Pakistan (the invitations to other cities there keep coming in!) in April, and now Colombia in May. I'm hoping to move the Philippines on to June, maybe tie it in with time in Malaysia and possibly Australia (how do I end up there in the winter????)... Who knows, maybe by the time I go to Mexico and Colombia, I might be able to do it via the USA, which is so, so much cheaper than alternative routes!

20 December

Wow, Christmas seems to have arrived so quickly this year! I'm back in Ireland, since Thursday, having made my flying visit to Romania (which was a good trip) and then the long drive down to west Cornwall to see my mum and sister, and family. It's sad to see mum most of the days I get to see her, as she spends a lot of time sleeping, and - mostly - she doesn't SEEM to remember who I am. Dementia is a horrible thing, and I empathise with anyone who has relatives suffering from it, or alzheimers....

Still trying to get the house organised in Ireland, why oh why am I so un-practical. Show me a diagram of how to put flat-pack stuff together, and I'm lost instantly! And paint and I have never been friends.... I'd rather preach in a jungle village and sleep in a mud hut than decorate!

I do hope and pray that you will all have a lovely Christmas, knowing the presence of the living Jesus, God's greatest gift to humanity, in everything you do. I pray, too, that 2010 will see your dreams fulfilled, and the blessing of God take you to increasing levels of faith and experience. Thank you for your love, interest, support, and care in 2009.

9 December

Wasn't able to finish writing here two days ago as my internet connection wasn't good enough.....

I have been very blessed by some wonderful people from the church in Ireland who have systematically cleaned and decorated (still a work-in-progress!) the house, and people who are doing things I'm hopeless at - like plumbing in a washing machine & dishwasher (I was given one of those - it's just like being in America!), putting flat pack furniture together, and other stuff I hate, lose all the screws for, and can't even understand the instructions!

Today was a long day, up at 4.15 am to be at the port for the ferry to Scotland, then a long drive south ready to head for Romania at the crack of dawn tomorrow. I just marvel at my aged car, which flies down motorways, and I think today it wondered what had happened to it, as, for the first time in 3 years, it has no suitcases or bags in it!

7 December

A quick mention of an error in my newsletter - my phone number should read +44 7976 529325!

Some further wonderful news concerning Graham, from Troon, mentioned below. He was due to have surgery for a double hernia and a hiatus hernia 8 days ago. Having prayed for him, with my great friends Graham & Margaret Wallace, 2 weeks ago, Graham saw the consultant 11 days ago, and was told there was no need for surgery.... God's blessing him and his family outrageously!

The lovely chaplain of Kilmarnock Prison, whom I met when I visited there with Steven Anderson, of the Scotland Healing Rooms ministry, was awaiting double hip replacement surgery, and was in constant pain, and walked accordingly. Steven wrote to me last week and told me that since that Friday, 12 days ago, Colin is walking perfectly normally with no pain... and Jim, a painter, who could hardly walk to the front of the church for prayer in Cathcart, Glasgow 11 days ago, went into work the next day running and jumping, climbing ladders, and testifying to all his work-mates about God's miracle healing power. I love this stuff!!

Last Tuesday, I was on the ferry with my overladen aged Toyota, from Stranraer to Belfast, to go to my new UK home. The sea was 'interesting' for 3.5 hours, with a force 9 gale blowing! I'm so grateful to God that I'm blessed to have no problems in the air, in cars, or on the sea- which is a blessing, as I spend so much time in one or other of them!

28 November

Just a quick note first to say my Christmas newsletter has been posted on the 'newsletter' tab (what a surprise!).

November's been a pretty busy month, with a great deal of travelling in the UK, all of which, I'm delighted to say, has been excellent! It was a joy to spend three days with my great friends Dave & Sian F-J, and their sons Drew & Tim: known them since 1984 (scary - 25 years!) and they bless me so much when I'm in their home. That was en route to see my family in Cornwall, which is always lovely, and though, while it is lovely to see mum, it is hard when she longer shows many sign, if any, that she remembers me.

On the return trek, it was as always great to be able to speak at City Church, Plymouth. It was a great morning, and a good number responded for healing. It was a thrill, too, to receive a prophetic word (thanks, Angie!) concerning finance: such a need right now! So bring it on, Lord! The same evening, I was with my great friend Andrew Pearkes, and his wonderfully 'out of the box' church, Maranatha, in Exeter. It was a blast, with many responding for ministry.

A lovely 30 minute early morning for the devotional time at CPO (Christian Publicity Outreach) in Worthing, and then came the long haul north to Scotland. I am so blessed by the Lord for the car I have in the UK - my 16 year old Toyota Carina, with 160,000 miles (petrol, not diesel - not so uncommon for a diesel!) on the clock, just keeps going, it seems, better and better....It was so weighed down with 'stuff', the tyres at the back disappeared into the wheel arches! Because of my enforced sojourn in the UK, everything I have there is in the car now, en route to Ireland next week. As I have been unable to get at anything in the house in America, I have had to buy many many things as the seasons have changed! When I was 'returned' to the UK in May, it was spring, so I had t-shirts and polo shirts, and a spare of shoes! Today, as I write, it's 1 degree celsius in Bangor, Northern Ireland, 34 fahrenheit! More about immigration and Ireland in a minute!

It was lovely to be with long-time friends Graham & Margaret in Troon, on the glorious west coast of Scotland. During the few days with them, Margaret took me on a whistle-stop tour of the homes of some very sick people, with whom it was a delight to pray. In one home, of a couple George & Karen, there was a very real sense of God's presence, and Karen's dad, Alec, saw a very specific vision/picture for me, which was an incredible encouragement. Thank you, Alec.... In another home, of Graham & Lynne, God just totally blew me away.

I'd been in their home about 13 months ago, Graham (early 40's I guess - if you're younger Graham, I apologise!) had been allowed home from hospital for a few days, possibly his last time at home having just had surgery for (now) untreatable cancer. He'd had his gall bladder removed, and a few parts of other organs, and there was very little hope or time left. Seeing him last week, totally healed, I wouldn't have recognised him.... when he was scanned, he'd got a new gall bladder, and other organs were all intact! What an amazing story! Since last year, the family have been on a round the world holiday, kayaking all over the place, and two weekends ago, in mud and rain, Graham and his two lovely children walked 8.5 miles.... God is amazing!!!!

A wonderful weekend with the Scotland Healing Rooms folk: a great time in Kilmarnock Prison: please pray for a resident there, Brian: had a long chat with Brian, 95% blind, with a real sense that God is going to do a miracle for him... he has another 13 years there, having been sent down for murder... .but nonetheless, a lovely man, and someone who God loves dearly. So many challenging and stimulating questions from the prisoners, even if I did need to have translation from broad Scottish into English to understand them!

Wonderful meetings in Edinburgh, Cathcart, Glasgow.... loads prayed for, hopefully faith raised: and then the honour of sharing with the radical bunch of people who ARE the core team of Scotland's rapidly growing Healing Rooms. And a fantastic word from God for me from Stephen.... thanks, my friend!

Right now in Romania, where it's bizarrely warmer than most of western Europe: should be freezing here now. Busy weekend, then back to England Monday.

I'm hoping and believing that the immigration saga will move on another huge step this week: it seems that my great Lawyer, Gunnar Armstrong, is about ready now to submit my application/petition to the Immigration authorities. It's a huge file, apprently! Please pray, if you do, that all the encouraging words about God acting swiftly, moving mountains, etc., that I've been given, will kick in as all the documentation is sent off!

In the meantime, I've taken on the rental of a little house in Bangor, Northern Ireland, which will now become my permanent UK base. It's a major league step of faith, but I know that through this whole 'visagate' saga, that God has been stretching my faith in every direction, both in trust and in ministry, and there are so many positives now coming out of what, 8 months ago, and over recent months, has seemed to be the opposite! Thank you for your prayers. Do give a ring if you want to know more.

4 November

Writing this from the beautiful Devon countryside, with grey skies, pouring with rain, and the sun out.... only in England!! Slowly making my way down to Cornwall, to visit my mum, sister, brother in law, and nephew, stopping en route to blog, hopefully get my newsletter written (none this year so far :( - well, it has been an unusual year of change, and I wanted to write something positive!), then at the weekend, speak in two great churches, City Church, Plymouth, and Maranatha, Exeter.

Last Sunday was really good, in many ways. At Brownhill Road Baptist, Catford, in the morning, and felt a real liberty there.... gave a word of knowledge concerned with healing, to which (at first!) no one responded.... that can throw you when you feel convinced God has said it. So I did a 'Heidi Baker' and pushed it, at risk of looking an even bigger idiot, until finally someone responded to it. Phew! As far as I know, healed: then at least 3 others said it related to them, too. I made an appeal for people to come forward for prayer for healing, at least 15 did, and then, as always, a few more after the meeting (!) - and was then told that had NEVER happened before in that church.... one or two people told me there and then pain had gone, or a discomfort disappeared.... so.... let's see what happens for them this week!

On in the evening to my Rhino-buddy John Pressdee's (and Yvonne's, of course, but she's not a rhino!) church, in Orpington - another Baptist church, but shaped in a way that is really 'Pressdee-shaped! - it was such a privilege to go there, as, only 16 days before, the whole Pressdee family mourned at the funeral of their lovely 41 year old son in law, Andy: to be 'big' enough to have someone speak on healing when you have just NOT seen someone so close to you healed, is wonderful, and I sensed God would do some good things as a result. Another word of knowledge, this time in the form of pain (it's at that point you hope someone responds to it, as you can get left with the pain yourself!). I got out of my car, and it felt like someone had put both legs on a stretching rack, the muscles in my upper thighs felt at breaking point. So dutifully I shared this: again, no response. Hmmm. Then felt it was possibly hip related, at which point a lady responded, prayed for her, and she spent the rest of my sermon on her back on the floor! During the sermon, I talked about seeing the supernatural replacement of hip joints, at which point she sat up and said 'I need that too!', so, after further prayer, she was moving her hips and legs in ways she hasn't done for some time! God is good!!! And my own leg pain went at that point....

Others testified to their own healings, too, including someone with really bad shoulder pain. I always look forward to hearing the stories at some point into the future!

31 October

Back in England again after a really good few days in Bangor, Northern Ireland. Since writing here a couple of days ago, I've spoken the lady with cancer, and the salvation of her friends is very real! It is such a privilege to see God do what John Wimber (the great American healing pioneer, and evangelist) used to call 'the stuff'. I'm so glad that God uses pathetic, wrung out individuals to work through in bringing transformation, by the power of His Holy Spirit, into the lives of other people. The lady with cancer is breathing better, but still needs a lot of prayer.

On Wednesday evening, spent time with a lovely pastor that I only knew a little until then, Noel: it was good to get to know Noel (I do remember that his wife Janet cooks good curries!) - I had a real sense Wednesday evening that our meeting was infinitely more significant than a social reunion. Met him in the recording studio of a guy named Jon, whom I first met two years ago. Prayed for him at a meeting, where he was, if I remember correctly, playing guitar and keyboards (brilliantly) - while suffering the most horrific diseases in his body, doing everything from a wheelchair.... his sense of humour, even then, was remarkable (I'm more and more convinced that healing comes through laughter and fun - that's what makes the JOY of the Lord our STRENGTH). Joy isn't in the miseries who so often tell you, long faced, with monotone voices, 'I'm full of the joy of the Lord' - if you haven't met people like that yet, thank God you haven't and pray that you don't!). Jon was then 4 and a half stone in weight (63 pounds for American readers, or 24 kilos for euros!), suffering from, amongst many things, chronic crones disease, premature hair loss, and (from the long list left that I can't remember!) was told that he and his wife would have no more children.... By the way, Jon is in his 30's, been sick for years.

Well, he runs around now like a 15 year old, has incredible energy, the doctors say he has no trace of crones left in his body, AND - his hair is growing again!!!!! He also now weighs 8 stones (112 pounds, about 50 kilos) - AND AND AND - he and Dawn have a wonderful new baby..... astonishing!!!! God is outrageous! God, heal every part of Jon's body left to be healed, and grow his hair thick and long.....

One of the lovely things I inadvertently missed blogging from Colombia, was a visit to a secondary school. where all 4 of us - Alan, Dave, Clare, and me - were asked to share our testimonies, our walk of faith, and then answer questions, all of this under the banner of the students wanting and needing to hear and speak English! It was a great time, with a very attentive, and then enthusiastic audience, who asked some very good questions.

Tomorrow, Sunday, I'm speaking at a church I've not been to for, I reckon, 15 years (is it true preachers speak everywhere twice, once on the way up, and once on the way down - it's good to be back??!!). My long time friends Dave and Pat Bridle have invited me to Brownhill Road Baptist Church, in Catford, S E London: it'll be great to be there again. Then, in the evening, I'm at Green Street Green Baptist, Orpington, Kent, led by my wonderful fellow Rhino friend, John Pressdee and his amazing wife, Yvonne. They really have done wonders at that church, so I'm up for a day of healings and miracles, and - where necessary - salvation!

Just a quick update on the USA situation: 7 months since I was last there now, but it looks, just looks, that in the next few weeks the lawyer will be submitting my petition for permanent residency, to become the Director of Foreign Mission for Restoration Christian Centre, Newport News, Viriginia. What that means is that I contniue to do what I'm doing now, in involving that church more and more in missions, still getting to travel just as much as ever, hopefully with a few more of RCC's members in tow! There are still many months to go, humanly (Gunnar, the lawyer, estimates 6-9 months), and potentially many hoops to jump through, and hurdles to negotiate. Your prayers would be appreciated.

Due to the protracted nature of the immigration saga, I took a giant faith leap this past week, and have agreed to rent a house in Bangor, Northern Ireland, which will of course become my UK home. I've realised that with the amount I'm in the UK and Europe anyway, it is sensible to have somewhere that can be home AND office. I'd really value your prayers for this, as it is, for me, a big commitment financially for the rent, and practically, too, as it means furnishing the house, and, of course, now paying rent here, and bills and utilities for houses on two sides of the Atlantic. Perhaps I could get some tips from Members of Parliament in the UK on how to run two homes.....!!!! (They own theirs, though....)

26 October

Looking back, the trip to Colombia was, once again, fantastic. It is always demanding there, partly due this time to the abnormal temperatures, but also the humidity and the altitude. But so, so worth it! A good number saved, many healed, lives transformed, churches turned upside down.... wonderful! God is so gracious and so faithful every time I go there, and with those who go with me.

The trip home seemed to last forever - 10.5 hours non-stop Cali to Madrid: and, though I managed to get four seats to myself across the middle of the plane, and lay down, I STILL couldn't sleep :( . Why is it that, on a short haul flight, say to Belfast, or to Romania, I fall asleep before the wheels have left the ground, and long haul, I hardly even close my eyes? Murphy's law?? The 4 hours in Madrid airport waiting to fly to London seemed interminable as well - thank God for Starbucks!

A few days away with the Rhinos was just the prescription following that trip, especially at the beautiful House of the Open Door Community, in the middle of the Cotswolds, England. Seven of us (missing one :( - we miss you Phil!), lots of laughter, some tears, good food, and amazing ministry within the group, is so so important to me.

Right now, I'm in Northern Ireland: after the heat of Colombia, the Irish climate doesn't QUITE compare, with a nice wind, cool to say the least, and a good bit of rain! But God's the same here as He is in Colombia, and yesterday, in the morning at Christian Fellowship Church, Holywood, and in the evening at Towerview Free Methodist Church, God turned up and blessed people. Many ministered to in the morning (well past 1p.m. before leaving the hall), and again in the evening - a lady with lung cancer (lungs so bad and so noisy they kept her awake at night) and - I think - 3 secondary cancers, including liver - she was breathing easily after prayer, and three ladies, who'd driven quite a distance to get to the meeting all got saved! Praise the Lord!!!

Here in Ireland until Thursday, then heading back for a full day of preaching Sunday in South London.

15 October

Well, tomorrow we leave Cali :( - this trip has gone so, so fast, and so many lovely things have happened, 17 days was just not long enough.

Heard great reports back from Sunday's visit to the Baptist Church in San Fernando: I guess Alan and I must have prayed for the majority of the congregation of 200+ - I think it was one of the latest finishing services the church has had! Not the preaching, you understand - the praying! The preacher was excellent, I hear... :) For a church that is probably not used to my style, or testimony and preaching like Alan's, there was very real blessing there. It has been great to stay at the Baptist Seminary - a lovely lady who works here, Gloria, has had very real peace the last two weeks over biopsy surgery - she was desperately worried about it, and she had the biopsy Tuesday. We heard today that she is doing great, back home, and thanking God.

You'll have read (maybe??!!) further down this blog about Andres David, the 14 month old who got a whole grape stuck in his throat, cutting off not only his own breathing (that was restored) but worse, cutting off the oxygen to his brain. He's been is a completely comatose state for 4 weeks, no movement, nothing.... since praying for him last Friday, he has started moving, he's opened his eyes spontaneously, and there is 'life' in his eyes - God is so, so good.....

Last night Dave and Clare spoke at the great church 'Dios Esta Presente' (God is Present here), at the church's request on 'Halloween'.... they did that, but unpacked all sorts of good stuff on being set free from fear, healing, and more, and prayed for many after the meeting.

Various hospitals over the past few days, too: prayed for loads of seriously sick children at the 'Club Noel' children's hospital: if history repeats itself there, God will heal all of them, and many parents too.... I'm in faith for that. At Santillana Hospital, prayed for a good number of patients, again many kids, and we know of some who were healed, and for some the progress has begun.

Planning to be back here in March, hopefully for a month that time....

And now, packing - aarrgghh! - and the long trek home. Dave & Clare head back to the USA, via Bogota and Washington DC, Alan to Bangor via Miami, London, and Belfast, and me back to London via Madrid (11 hour flight.... ooohhhhh!). Value your prayers for safe travel.

12 October

Another great day yesterday. Dave & Clare disappeared off at the crack of dawn to do two services in Casa de Dios church, 7 and 10 am (there are some churches that have their first service at 6am - I know, I've done that a number of times - 6, 8, and 10am!). Great meetings, prayer and prophesy flowing.... it is great to have found out about Carmen, Pastor Norbey's wife, who, a year of so ago was diagnosed possibly with cancer: prayed for her a lot last year, and, whilst she is still unwell, it is now definitely NOT cancer.....

ALan & I went to the Baptist Church of San Fernando, in the north of Cali. Our accommodation here in the city this time is, in fact, in the missions house of the Baptist University (Fundacion Universitaria Bautista), and the opportunity came to preach in a church I've not been to in all the 12-13 years I've been coming here because of that link. A good friend told us we'd need shirts and ties (rather than polo shirts) - I'll be honest, my first response was either they have as we are or not at all, but pretty rapidly after that the apostle Paul's response to 'become all things to all men in order that I might win some'..... repentance on my part! So Alan and I went shirt and tie shopping! I own a good number of 'proper' shirts and many ties - it's just another of the frustrating expenses that the immigration issue with the USA has dumped on me, as I can't get at them....

So, dressed up like dog's dinners, and trussed like turkeys, we set off.... once we met the Pastors, Leonel and Consuelo, all the doubts of it being like so many Baptist churches changed! There ended up being great freedom, a wonderful response from the congregation.... Alan (again) spoke very well, and at the end, I asked for people who wanted healing to raise their hands... probably 10% did, in a crowd of 300... then the other 90% proceeded to come forward too! Much pain went - migraines, tumours, carpal tunnel (there's SO much of that here this time), arthritis pain went, and I'm looking forward to hearing what happened to a dear lady named Graciella, in a wheelchair, who looked like she was ready to get out of it and run....

Today's planned day out at the Juan Valdez Parque de Cafe is off... Pastor Walter, who was taking us, has a sick little daughter, so rather than expect him to just leave her, we told him to stay at home with her. So, I guess it might be shopping and a movie....

Tomorrow's a potential early start, and a good day.... with a school at about 8am somewhere in the south of the city (we're pretty much in the middle, and it's a big city!), and then the kids hospital, Club Noel, where I've seen whole wards emptied of terminally sick children healed and go home... (see Dr Dunia's video interview on the testimony page - she confirms it!!)

10 October

Wonderful reports back from last weekend in Buenaventura.... the pastors of the church, Abraham and Xiomar Ramirez, have said that it was a major turning point in the life of the church, that it has taken the church to a whole new level of faith, expectation, and power... that means so much to the Kingdom, so thank you, Father, for your blessing there, and please maintain and then increase the growth, passion, and power....

Tuesday night's meeting at the foundation.... you can find pictures from that meeting, if you've signed into Facebook (along with, it seems, about half the world!) at this link:  http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30407679&id=1289037028

(you might have to cut and paste this). Again, feedback has been marvellous... people healed, saved, and blessed.

This visit is even more latino than ever (!) in that we're getting our meeting details often on the afternoon of the evening we're preaching... you just roll with it here, and, even trhough I like to know 'up front' where we're going, it's actually quite easy to remain phlegmatic and chilled about it.... having said that, we DO have some of the next few days schedule now, so that's updated on the 'diary' tab.

Wednesday, Dave and Clare went to our dear friend's Walter & Lupe Torres' church.... a lovely meeting, with, as usual D&C praying for everyone and prophesying over all or most!

Alan & I were at 'Casa de Dios', 'House of God' church. It is pastored by my long time friends Norbey & Carmen Avias. I'm always amazed at the turnout for midweek meetings outside of countries in the western world: a good number, Alan spoke brilliantly. It's fantastic to see how God is taking him to new levels in every meeting, and giving him revelation..... he's gone from telling the wonderful story of his wife, Barbara's miraculous healing - he still tells it (and she has the most famous ex-osteo arthritic knees in the Americas!) to preaching what God is giving him, and a real liberty to preach with revelation. When I think back 22 months to a Sunday morning in Bangor when I met Alan & Barbara, and Alan wouldn't have been 100% convinced then that God could do what was prayed for, though I think he knew deep down that God was the only hope for healing Barbaba's knees....(they were! - rapidly) but not before God set him on fire, with all I could describe as a 'Pentecost' experience... he's still on fire now.....

When it came time to preach at Norbey's church on Wednesday night, I'd got a great 'platform' prepared for me by Alan, and I went for it.... God gave me many prophetic words for people, and then we prayed for a good number at the end... healing testimonies will come, but, more importantly, lives were changed by the world and the power of God.....

It's still unusually high temperatures here - 35-38C daytime (98-104F Americans!), so it was lovely Thursday evening to preach in the garden of the home of Diego and Pilar Reyes. They are SUCH dear friends, planting a church in the heart of their community, Jamundi (pronounced Ham-und-ee).... 25 people, 60% of the not yet Christians, sitting in the (relative) cool of their verandah on a warm summer evening (jealous yet??!!). We all went, Alan again spoke very well, I preached, and asked Dave to do the evangelistic appeal. 13 people gave their lives to the Lord. Thank you, Father! We then prayed for everyone: prophecy and healing were sown into lives.

At that meeting was a lovely man I prayed for 2 years back - Umberto, and his wife Helena. Their grandson, 14 months old, is in a coma having swallowed a grape 5 weeks which stuck in his throat, cutting off his breathing, which in turn cut off the oxyegen to his brain. Medically there is nothing that can be done for him: but we went to their home to pray for him, and a real peace from God fell: we left, believing that the miracle for Andres David would happen. It was great to see Umberto again, as, 2 years ago, he could hardly walk, with chronic hip problems, walking with sticks (canes, for Americans!). My prayer for Umberto, in Spanish, has become apocryphal... I was well into the Spanish prayer for a miracle when I totally forgot the word for bones... asked Diego (under my breath)... 'huesos'... off praying again, asking for 'nuevos' bones.... slight problem in Spanish is that huesos is similar to 'heuvos' (eggs), and nuevos is similar too... so ended up commanding 'nuevos heuvos' to Umberto.... new eggs - I won't trouble you with what that translates to in real terms in Spanish, but it refers to an altogether different part of the anatomy! You can work it out! Lots of laughter.... then 'nuevos huesos'... Umberto now walks perfectly, no sticks: he walked up six flights of stairs to pray for his grandson, better than any of us did! Thank you Jesus!

Last night, back at a wonderful church in Agua Blanca (that's White Water' by the way.... there's little other than stagnant toxic water evident in the streets!) at the church Hefzi-bah, pastored by an amazing man, Fernando, in a wheelchair 23 years. I've know Fernando a while, and his church is wonderfully liberated and free. Last night, Dave did some crazy stuff with a load of the children there, Alan spoke and shared Barbara's story better than ever (you have to be so, so proud of him Barbara!). Dave sang a lovely song of his about God's grace, based on Psalm 51... so again, a great platform to preach from.

When the ministry time came, we prayed for everyone (probably over 200) to receive the crazy Spirit of God (( base that on 2 Corinthians 5:13!! - 'If I'm out of my mind, it's for the sake of Christ...) - and then, for healing, involved all the kids in praying for the sick. Many healing manifestations began - feeling muscle growing on wasted limbs, carpal tunnel being healed, pain of all sorts leaving bodies.... and then prayed for Pastor Fernando... all of us believe he'll be out of his wheelchair before long (as a policeman 23 years ago, he was shot in the back and it destroyed his medula (I have no idea what that is, but thankfully God does!).

Busy day tomorrow with a number of meetings.... and even more blessing to come.... fortunately Dave & Clare drew the short straw, with a 7am meeting, and another at 10am! They are at Casa de Dios, Norbey & Carmen's church - I'm with Alan at a Baptist church in the city somewhere, which has required buying a tie (it's hot enough here without being trussed up!).

6 October

A great weekend in searing heat in Buenaventura. Hosted by the church Allianza Cristiana (Christian Alliance - quite easily translatable really) and the pastors Abraham & Xiomar Ramirez, there were quite a number of meetings, and some wonderful healings... Buenaventure IS a tough city, but God is at work there, amidst the poverty and violence of a rugged port city. The temperature was incredibly draining, outside very high 30's (100+F), in the church touching mid 40's (115+F) and so, so humid. My clothes changed colour when I preached, including the knees of my trousers! Perhaps that's too much information... :)

Maria was healed of spondylitis.... Leidy of serious lung problems.... Diomedes was healed of long time spine issues.... Manuela of pain in the pancreas and spleen... Judith of throat and ear pain.... more to come!

Tonight, Tuesday, Dave & Clare were at a church I've been to before, pastored by a lovely man, Farid. It is a cell church, about 100 there, and they prayed for and prophesied over everyone.

Alan and I were at the wonderful kids foundation, Fundacion el Abrigo, in Agua Blanca. Every Tuesday they hold cell meetings and once a month a healing meeting. That was tonight. It was the biggest meeting they've had since it began, 25% more than the normal number, and there were some instant healings. Tatiana, severe stomach pain for a year - healed: Theresa, joint, bone and tissue pain in her left arm and right leg - healed: Genni healed of severe arm pain.... more to come!

It was a shock to learn of another big immigration issue, though reassuring in a bizarre obtuse sort of way! Benny Hinn was refused entry to England last week, so it's quite good to know I'm in somewhat exalted company! If you want to know more, you can read about it a www.bennyhinn.org

2 October

Arrived here in Cali, Colombia, on Wednesday night late... long, long day of travelling, made all the longer (and much more expensive!) due to the fact that I can't even transit the United states whilst visagate rolls on! I had to fly through Madrid, then into Bogota, 3 flights, 5 airports, 24 hours... having left England with the temperature at around 14C (that's about 56F for American friends), it was 26C (80F) at past midnight, and getting hotter! Day temperatures are soaring....

Quietish day to recover yesterday, and today thrown right into busyness! Driving to Buenaventura for a very busy weekend of meetings - but that IS the city where the little boy came back to life last year, and hundreds were saved and healed there in March. It would be amazing to see the same again: so Dave & Clare Cleave and I would value your prayers for a miraculous intervention. Alan Gouck arrives from Northern Ireland on Sunday night, but it is strange here without him and John Crowder, from Virginia, who is still recovering from his quadruple heart bypass surgery.

Buenaventura is Colombia's main port: it is tough, dirty, rough city - that Jesus loves... it is far, far hotter there than it is here, so we'd value your prayers for that part of this hectic weekend, too - it's been 45C (118F) and 100% humidity the last few days there, so....preaching is like taking your own in-built shower!

The next 15 days seem to be fully packed, and, please God, the blog will be full of wondrous stories....

As for Visagate (!), Gunnar, my lawyer, is hoping to get all the info he needs from John and the church in Hampton within the next 48 hours, and my application for permanent residency should go in next week. It could take a few months, it could take a few years.... many have been praying that God will move mountains, so now would be a great time for that!

19 September

My apologies for the long delay here again... I've not been doing nothing (in fact, I've been quite busy!) but I just want to report things clearly, especially where this absurd visa situation is concerned!

Had a really good morning at Pevensey Bay Baptist Church mid August: first time there, but it was great to see Terry Fitzsimons, whom I knew from my old Youth for Christ days (they ended 1983) when he was a tremendous evangelist to the travelling community. Prayed for a lot of people after the meeting, and, as usual, I hope and pray to hear good reports from there one day soon!

It was good to be in Ireland, where I ended up staying for 2 weeks, since then (and anyone who knows me will know how wildly funny this is!) I've been staying in West Hoathly, West Sussex, LOOKING AFTER 3 CHICKENS!! I'm house-sitting for friends who are on holiday in the USA, and where they live is quite rural, hence the chickens... I'm not the world's most natural 'good life' person, but the eggs do taste good, and the birds are quite sweet.... my biggest responsibility is to get them up in the morning, and then put them to bed! Nick & Sarah's house is quite rural, and built on quite a steep slope: of course, the chickens are at the bottom of the slope, and by the time I get back to the house, I'm panting!

Two lovely Sunday preaching engagements this month, at two unrelated Kings Churches, in Addlestone, Surrey, and Wellington, Somerset... prayed for a good number of people at both, and in Wellington is was great to receive a picture, drawn for me, by Joe Jenks... prayed for his 3 year old brother, Sam, last time I was there, who had never spoken: that same Sunday night he spoke, and Joe drew me a picture saying 'Thank you for Sam's speech', to Paul from Joe. It's impossible to get something like that and not be in awe of what God can do.... and not be brought to tears! Same meeting, Tricia, who I prayed for last year - 15 years off work, on many benefits with major back problems: she came and told me - walked into doctor, signer herself off, same with social services, got a job...healed.... wonderful!!! Thank you Lord...

My visa situation is that now, I'm submitting a permanent residency application through Gunna, the lawyer: the church in Virginia want to appoint me as Foreign Missions Director. Gunnar's working on it now, and is hopeful of getting the application in forst week in October. There's a lot of water still to flow under the bridge, and it might be anything from 6 months to 2 years before I might be able to go back. 5 months since I was last there.... seems an eternity already, so possibly 2 more years isn't a great blessing! But God is good, I asked him to give me peace to be able walk through the months ahead, as well as hit the accelerator where ministry is concerned, rather than just buckle and hide! Thankfully he seems to be doing that....

24 August

Thank you to everyone who has written to me, with words of encouragement, and blessing... thank you for praying, if you did, for the Embassy visit last week. It seems that the B1 US visa is not the one I need, so a fresh approach is now in process for a religious workers visa (R1) or permanent residency. I'm really none too sure what all the letters mean (B1, B2, R1, R2... we live in a world of letters and numbers!). What I do know is that God is doing something in all of this immigration stuff, and I want to come out of the end of the process having understood what He's trying to achieve!

I've been over in Ireland for a few days now (cool and wet, compared to the sauna of the Oval in Surrey for the triumphant Ashes victory (yeaaahh!!!) over Australia. If ever I need proof that I'm still English, it's when football and cricket are being played! I plan to stay over here for another few days, while I take stock of the visa situation, and work on the alternatives!

14 August

Well, I now have the date for my interview concerning the visa to the USA... it's this coming Thursday, 20th, at 1045 am.... I asked the lawyer, Gunnar, to arrange it in Belfast, if possible, as the US Embassy in Grosvenor Square, London, can sometimes be hectically busy, and more than a little intimidating. I'm at the Belfast Consulate, which is great. There are loads of 'requirements' which I'm now working through, just to ensure that the interview takes place. Seems like you only have to breathe out of turn to get the appointment cancelled and the visa fee lost!

I'd value your prayers, as it seems that the US Embassy feel they have the right both to hold the passport of visa applicants, and deny the applicant permission to leave UK for any purpose whilst the application is 'in process'.... hmmm. I'm due to be in Romania and Colombia within the next 6 weeks, so some prayer into that bizarre and absurd 'rule' would be appreciated!

Right now, I've just finished being involved at the Detling Bible Week, in Maidstone, Kent: a wonderful week of ministry, teaching, connections, and God's blessing.... it really is such a privilege when you hear of people's lives being changed forever by God's power, and that somewhere in that you've had some involvement...

A lovely lady named Anne came up to me last Sunday, after I'd spoken in the Communion Service (which, thankfully, went ahead as a 'normal' communion service, despite the 'warnings' from Health and Safety - God bless 'em! - about swine flu. A huge percentage weren't in faith to catch it!! I asked anne what I could pray for for healing: nothing, she'd come to say thank you - for praying last year. Then, she'd suffered from chronic depression for over 30 years, multiple failed suicide attempts, and every morning woke with a 'flicker' behind her eyelids when the depression kicked in before she'd opened them, and the thought 'Oh, I've got another day to live'.... Since the same meeting at Detling last year, she's not had a moment of depression, no flickers... and a transformed life.

My dear friend Timothy Bigden, whose testimony is on the testimonies page, told his story  to the conference of total healing from 55 years of chronic migraines, and hasn't had one since... Two years ago, prayed for a (then) 4 month old, Jude Hudson, just declared profoundly deaf by doctors: Jude hears now... God is so, so good!

A good number of people healed this year, too.... great connections with a number of people - including an amazing guy, Simon Guillebaud: a wonderful French couple, Francis & Diane Dognon: Catherine Brown, a prophet from near Ayr (my Scottish 'home'!): renewed friendship with my long time friends Geoff & Annie Lawton - I worked alongside Geoff for some years in Youth for Christ in the late 70's and early 80's, and I guess it's at least 20 years since our paths last crossed!

4 August

My apologies for the big gap in writing here, but a few weeks back I decided that I'd do what those who care for me, and those to whom I'm accountable (they care for me immensely!) advised me to do: take a break.... The past 3 months have been very stressed, and so I 'disappeared' for 3 weeks, to get up late, watch films, see a few friends. It became possible for me to stay in a couple of places where I could be on my own, which, with the lifestyle I lead, is very, very rare. The more I began to unwind, the more tired I became, and I spent a lot of time thinking, praying, sleeping, reading, and (this will astonish those who REALLY know me!!) I hardly looked at my computer!

It was most certainly what I needed, particularly with the ongoing 'visagate' situation: there were so many questions to answer for the lawyer, US immigration forms to fill in, and some of the questions took hours! On one of the official immigration forms, there was a box 2.5 inches (about 7cms) by 3/4 inch (1.75 cms), with the instruction: 'List all the countries you have been to in the past 10 years, with dates'................!!!!!!!! It took 16 sides of A4 paper to do that (that's about 22 pages of US letter paper, for my American friends!). As my diaries/agendas are in the house in the USA, I had to do it from passport stamps - 3 passports, the current one, and two old ones. Passport stamps, for those who are used to them, are often illegible: over inked, under inked, smudged, one over another.... it took me about 20 hours just to decipher them, and then longer to put them in date sequence, and I particularly wanted to get it right so that I could demonstrate where USA stamps were transit stamps to other countries. Maybe now I have that information, perhaps I'll post the finished article here, as (depending on your mindset!) it is either very impressive or completely crazy! Of course, it was made more difficult, as there are no stamps in passports within the European Union countries, so I had to compile those from past web pages, memory, and other people's memories and agendas!

Hopefully, all the documentation and information that the lawyer, a great guy in Pennsylvania, Gunnar Armstrong, needs, is now with him, and it's possible that in the next few days the visa application will go in, and the appointment for my interview will be made.

So, I now feel refreshed, at least: all I did in July was spend a very happy and blessed day speaking at St Luke's Church, in Maidstone, on my return from a good trip to Sweden. It was great being back in Maidstone, even though my dear friend Eric, the Vicar, was on holiday.

This coming weekend, I head back to Maidstone, for the Detling Bible Week, where I'm speaking at the Communion service on Sunday afternoon (those with Detling memories will recall the '4-5 hour line' of people wanting prayer for healing a few years back. Much as I'm happy to do that again, it is somewhat of a relief that there is a fantastic ministry team at Detling headed up brilliantly by Pat, Eric's wife, and so the prayer burden is well shared! I'm also sharing seminars with my great friend Arnold Muwonge, from Uganda. The seminars are called 'Pray the world', which sounds pretty good from my point of view!

Following Detling, I should have been going back to the USA for a few days: instead, I'm going to Eastbourne, where I had such a great tome back in May. I'm preaching in Pevensey Bay and probably a couple of other places in Eastbourne, over the weekend 14-16 August, and then - if it's confirmed - going to Uganda on 22nd, for 10 days. A couple of preaching dates in England, followed by a short visit to Romania, will precede - hopefully - a return to the USA for a few days r&r before heading for Colombia for 3 weeks at the end of September.

3 July

I've wanted to wait before writing here about the visa situation, so that there is something positive to report: I saw the London immigration lawyer last week. Also through a long time connection - a student on a YWAM school in England maybe 13 years ago - I was put in touch with an immigration attorney in the USA who is very familiar with YWAM and offers low cost immigration services to missionaries. He has spent many phone hours - at no charge - going over the circumstances of my situation. He knows that being a US resident has never been on my radar screen and feels quite hopeful about the outcome once the true facts are documented and presented.

I have reams of questions to answer and just need time to sit down with all my paperwork and get the answers down - hopefully that'll be in the next few days.  US immigration want to know every country I've been in in the last 10 years with dates... help!  Very difficult for all the European ones of course since we don't need visas....

2 July

Long time, no blog! It's been an interesting month - lots of great things happening, some terrific meetings, a lot of good feedback and stories from places visited... plus, of course, the ongoing 'visagate' issue! Also some devastatingly tough things have happened, which, with everything else going on, have made it a steep 'learning curve' month. As it is NOT possible for God NOT to answer prayer, and as it is NOT possible for Scripture NOT to be true, then - all things work together for good, and what the enemy means for harm, God means for good.

A few days in Ireland to gather my thoughts, and try to work out what needed to be done in order to get back to the USA.

Received some lovely testimonies from people via email - I've posted a couple for now on the 'testimonies' page.

2 weeks ago, it was a delight to go back to the King's Church, Epsom (though it might be Ewell!) after many, many years' gap. Doug & Chris Croucher, who lead the church, are long-time friends (we worked out it was probably 21 years!). Two really great services, the presence of God was there: prayed for loads of people afterwards, a lot wanting impartation, which is very thrilling!

A great 48 hours away with my 'Rhinos' accountability group: it is always such a huge blessing to be with them, and for me, this time, as it has been a particularly 'trying' time. Thanks, guys, for your support, your love, your insight, wisdom, blessing, and affirmation.

The past week, I've been in Sweden, sharing ministry with Heidi Plympton. It has been a great week, beginning with the first Swedish wedding I've attended... it was outdoors, in a lovely park in the centre of Gothenburg. It was a boiling hot day (unusually so for Sweden, we were told) - and it's stayed that way ever since - the wedding of friends Henke & Jacki was beautiful, and a great evangelistic opportunity with lots of people passing by listening.  It is always a joy to be in Gothenburg with Ulf and Else-Marie: an even greater joy to be involved in their wonderful church, 'The House'. Sunday's meeting was brilliant, Heidi prophesying out of her boots, me imparting stuff to people, and numerous prayers for healings... their were some, and testimonies were given at the end.

Then something a little different - we had to get a ferry across to an Island, wherre there was the first ever healing/miracle/prophesy meeting in a cafe in an idyllic location, a place named Foto (the last 'o' is pronounced more like 'er')... probably some 120 people filled the place, many not-yet-Christians - and dozens responded to come forward for ministry. As always, stories tend to come slowly...

Monday night in Boras was great, speaking at a prayer group of probably 100, in the Pentecostal Church.

Tommy in Boras healed of pneumonia and a lump blocking his throat; Mattias healed of long-term crippling fibro-myalgia; Tim healed of decades of torturous migraines; 4 yr old Sam speaking after 3 years of silence; Marina healed of muscles that constantly tear in her calves..... God is good!

The tragedies.... please pray for the Johnston family in Ireland: they lost their lovely daughter Jenny, 5, who who beat death almost 2 years ago only to go home to be with Jesus after a series of chest infections caused by the pressure of the tumour on her breathing.. Words are nothing at a time like this: I know how I feel, as I've come to really love the Johnstons, and especially Jenny: how they must feel today is beyond anything I know. And my lovely friend, also in Bangor, Paddy: suffered for some time with motor-neurone disease, also succumbing to an infection, and going to be with the Lord.... Joanne, his lovely wife, must be devastated, Paddy was on in his mid-forties, and, from having been there a few weeks ago, it would seem an infection was what ended Paddy's life... I'll miss both Jenny and Paddy a great deal, and I'm so sad that I couldn't re-arrange flights from here in Sweden to get back for either funeral....

Visa information update to follow!

2 June

PRAYER & MAYBE HELP NEEDED….!

Right now I’m in the middle of an extraordinary situation, and I’d value your prayers. Like I've said in virtually every blog, I’ve seen God do some amazing wonders over the past few months, in Colombia, Sweden, Finland, Ireland, and, wonderfully, England! Some amazing healings and miracles….

Which seems to be bringing retaliation from the enemy that is intensifying. That’s good news, as it means he doesn’t like what I’m doing….

Last Tuesday, I flew to the USA for a couple of weeks of much needed rest, after a demanding few months. I never (usually!) have any problem getting into the USA, but last week, I encountered the enemy disguised as an immigration officer! (Angels come in disguise and take us unawares, so doubtless the enemy gives it a go, too). As an Englishman, domiciled in the United Kingdom, and on a UK passport, it should be so easy to get into the country with whom we have the 'special relationship'!!! Seems not so.... My brother in law is calling it 'Visagate' which I think may well stick.....!!!!!!

Quite irrationally, and without questioning me, in a few minutes, the rather unpleasant immigration gentleman (??!!) - decided that I was illegally earning a salary and soliciting business there (which of course, I’m not!): for that reason he refused me permission to enter the country. Many Americans have written to me expressing their distaste and concern for their immigration service, it being, as the arrivals hall posters say, 'the face of our nation')... 5 hours later, I was on a plane back to the UK. No access to the house, my clothes, anything: and with the real possibility that I might not get to see my daughter, Katy, Joshua, and my two lovely grandsons again for a very long time… If I had earned, or actively 'touted' for support and even preaching engagements, I'd have held my hands up and said 'Fine'... but I never have, which makes so unbelieveable.

American immigration is ‘interesting’, and at times, it seems, deeply complex (I’m sure Brit immigration is the same, it’s just that as a Brit I never have to encounter it….). The immigration officer concerned made his decision in minutes, without reference or questions to me: I tried to tell him that I have never earned in the States, at which point, in front of a good number of other people, he became very abusive, and slanderous.

It’s incredibly disorientating and frustrating to be barred from access to your possessions and what you believe are your rights…. I think I'm having to learn some new lessons in letting go of what I THINK are my rights. As I thought about my own frustration, though, it was like God said to me... 'How about persecuted Christians who are parted from their homes and families for 20 years?' - I thank God that my situation is not even comparable to that...

Now, I have to begin the process of accumulating every piece of information that I can (and relying on others to do what I now can’t do the American end) to prove that I don’t earn there, and, looking at the American Embassy information on the internet, it seems it will be at least 5-6 months before I can get to the house for R&R, if everything goes 101% well (unless God intervenes with a miracle). I had to ‘commission’ yesterday an American Lawyer, an immigration and visa specialist, operating from Mayfair, London (help!!!!! – if you’re reading this outside of Britain, it might help you to know that Mayfair is probably the most expensive real estate area in the world) to work on my case. I see him 3 weeks today, that’s the earliest appointment I can get, just for the initial consultation,11am on 23rd June. It’s going to cost a great deal of money, so I’d really value your prayers, but I have no other option open to me. At least I’ve managed to get this brought closer from the time I was quoted last week, viz. sometime after 6th July. For that alone I’m grateful. This company have been dealing with issues like mine for 31 years in London, and are ‘on the doorstep’ of the US Embassy in Grosvenor Square, London. To prosper for 31 years in Mayfair must mean that they are pretty good!  It will run well into 4 figures (pounds!).

And because the enemy thinks he can win…., I know that, but I decided at the weekend that this didn’t take God by surprise, even though it devastated me for some days…. And that if Satan thinks he can win, by keeping me from much need rest, then I’m going to do him as much damage as I can in the weeks/months that this will take, and inflict as much devastation on him as I, with God’s help, can manage….

So, I‘d really value your prayers. I'm going to Northern Ireland tomorrow, where I have a place to live, and it’s somewhere where I can, for a while at least, rest and relax after the travelling and now this past week of immense stress! If you need my England address for any reason, it is 13 Meadow Way, Addlestone, Surrey KT15 1UF.

Thank you for your continual love and support for me. I can’t tell you how much I value it. May God bless you outrageously and abundantly more than you would ever dare ask or imagine.

1 June

I've known Gerry Page, as I said below, for 32 years (that's the sort of thing I used to hear my grandparents and parents say, thinking 'how old they are!!'). For 21 years, his lovely wife Merial has be incapacitated - let them tell you why, and wha's happened since we had a great time praying together!

"There were times in the 1st seven years when she (Merial) couldn't walk across the room but that hasn't been the case recently though she still couldn't walk around a supermarket or more than 50 - 70 yards without great arthritic pain in her hip and knee joints that would last for days. She has osteoporosis as a result of the years she spent mostly bed bound. Walking with very painful joints for many years had caused problems with her back going out of line but as far as we know there was no scoliosis, though she does have three vertabrae at the top of the spine which are out of position. More recently the arthitis has spread to her hands, and she has had problems with pain in her shoulder (which we forgot to tell you  had been healed!) We are just waiting on the completion of healing in her hands and hip and knee joints and neck but God is definitely doing something and we continue to walk on in it. Also before you prayed she was constantly taking pain killers to survive, but since then, although she is far from pain free she is managing without them which is totally amazing.

"Merial has noticed a significant difference since you prayed. We didn't see totally healing with in the 21 hours as hoped but we have seen and she has felt some great changes. It seems like her spine has been straightened out, giving her a new posture. Something has changed in how she feels although she finds it difficult to explain what but knows something is happening.  Today we have been to London with the children for the first time to visit the Science Museum and some of the famous sights, and Merial managed more walking than she has done in over 20 years. Although she had to use her wheelchair for a good part of the day she was able to get out and walk for fairly long periods of time and this evening is not suffering in the way we would expect. Tomorrow we are going for a walk on the downs as that is what she asked God for! Watch this space... ".

Work in progress... a wonderful story is unfolding. Don't give up if you don't receive the instant miracle... some miracles come slowly....

Sooo.... now I don't want to detract from Merial's story.... so I'll save my crisis for tomorrow!

30 May

Lots of lovely testimonies from last weekend in Eastbourne - doubly special for me as it's really the place where I grew up - I was born in Stratford, London, but my mum and dad moved to the Eastbourne area when I was 5. I think I might even have been quite sweet then.... and two from Williamsburg, in the USA....

A great day with Old Town Community Church, in the morning at their 'usual' venue, and then - unusually but wonderfully for a church - in the Drive pub. I've always been convinced that's the sort of place Jesus would be in the 21st century, going to the people rather than expecting the people to come to him - like church historically. And Jesus, as far as I can see, never healed anyone in the synagogue or the temple - so, to have the chance of sharing testimonies of the mighty things Jesus is doing to a packed pub (I'm not great at estimating numbers, but I'd say conservatively there were 150 there) in between songs by the excellent Gospel Choir led by my long time (ouch - 32 years!) friend, Gerry Page, was wonderful. In the morning, a lovely guy, Hayden, was healed of asthma - he felt it happen, a lovely young la, Chelsea, was healed of bad shoulder pain - both testified in the pub, the best testimonies ever are from people just healed as no one can say 'You're making it up', which lots of people do. Robert was instantly healed of stomach problems and other issues; Ted was able to walk from Old Town to the town centre Monday (you'll know that's no mean distance if you know Eastbourne) 'for the first time in a long time'. In the evening, I reckon I prayed for 60 people or more, a high percentage of them not yet Christians... at least one person got saved, and some were healed... wonderful!

Gerry's wife Merial is a wonderful 'work in progress' healing - I want to ask them if I can tell the story before I write it here...

Stories from a few weeks ago, in Williamsburg, Virginia - I'll paste my dear friend Ian Roberts' report here, and on the testimony page.... I'll just tell you the backgrounds.

Deborah had a massive undiagnosable blood problem (non diagnosis can often be far more frightening than a serious diagnosis). Her platelet count was down way below danger levels (if I recall, 15000). Lisa was a victim of multiple sclerosis and acute depression. Both were on SERIOUS medication.... Here's what Ian wrote to me:

I had 2 phone calls today - the first from Deborah Thompson who had just returned from the Doctor - her platelet count has jumped thro the roof to 160,000!!!  She is ecstatic and giving praise and thanks and testimony......we continue to believe for complete deliverancec  from diabetes and for her eyes to return to  healthy 20/20 vision...

The second call was from Lisa Ellis - she called me from a car dealership to ask my advice on some car stuff...after about 20 minutes of working thro all this, I said 'and how are you?'  She kind of calmly said - 'well I'm off all medications, no ambien, no valium and I have this amazing energy...'!!!  She sounded like a different women Paul - they are both walking and miraculous trophies of God's incredible grace...

God is good, huh???!!!!

Tomorrow, I'll share a current crisis that I'd value your support and prayers for, but I want you to have time to rejoice in what God has done, and then apply it to what I need God to do!!!!

22 May

A few days of not being able to get online again....my apologies! I'm trying to connect via a mobile internet 'dongle' in an area where there is very little phone signal.... which makes the internet a liiiiiitttle slow.....! So this blog might be brief!

A great weekend last ...er...weekend (!) at Loose Baptist Church, Maidstone. I've known Mark and Anne, the pastors, for a few years, and, as Anne was wonderfully healed from a particularly vicious 18 months of M.E. (fibro myalgia if you're in the USA!), they have a great belief in healing. There have been some testimonies but I want to wait until they are confirmed before writing about them... and I'm sure there will be more. At least 3 people gave their lives to the Lord Sunday morning, which is the greatest miracle of all.

This weekend I'm in Eastbourne, with a meeting at Old Town Community Church: if Eastbourne's the same as when I lived there (about 120 years ago...!), it is not the upper class end of the town! I'm looking forward to it - and also the evening 'do' at the Drive Pub, when long-time friend Gerry Page is taking his choir and band to be the live music for the evening, with me telling 'God stories' between songs.... please come along if you can! It's in Victoria Drive, 7.30pm.... should be a great evening. Gerry told me today they've leafleted about 1,600 houses.... could be a long night of praying for people - good job there's plenty of liquid there to keep me going (water, of course....)

12 May

If ever you have the privilege of being 'stranded' ('delayed is the word airlines keep feeding you with - 'another 40 minutes' when they know full well it's going to be hours - or cancelled!), then I hope for your sake it is never in Newark, New Jersey, or Washington Dulles airports! I arrived dutifully at Dulles airport at 1130 am on Thursday 3 hours before my international 'check in' though the initial flight was only domestic to New York... at 7pm the plane was still on the ground... I really think that Washington' main airport should knock the 'es' off of the end of the name, as Dull suits it much much better! Thankfully, Continental airlines realised, by 5pm, that I wasn't going to make ANY connection to London that night in Newark, so they booked me on to the direct flight with Virgin Atlantic... a long, long day like that was not what I needed though, and I fell asleep on the plane 30 minutes before we landed in London :( ..... joy oh joy!

Friday was a 'spaced out' day as a result! Early start Saturday (in the 'car boot sale' queue at 615am).... 's funny, car boot sales go better when the day is cold and the sky overcast! Saturday was warm and sunny - seems people head out for day rather than crowd in the buy other people's 'treasures'! It was so so... :(

But... Sunday morning at City Church in Plymouth was great, so good to have Heidi there too, and prayed for a lot of people between us at the end of the meeting... faith is rising in that church for the total healing of Jules, the pastor, such a wonderful guy, who has had MS for countless years.... soon, Lord.... no, now, please!

Sunday evening with a small group of folk in my friends David & Sian Fenton-Jones' home in the delighful little village of South Milton, in Devon... a lady there, Monica, told me of the healing of her ankle last summer when I preached in Kingsbridge - she'd had a serious bone spur which went.... Satan's moved the infirmity down now, to the fusing of the bones in her toes and feet... so he's gradually being driven out... really sensed Monica would be healed and pain free within days. Anna Marie, suffering from ....well, you name, she's likely to have had it! ....a real sense of the presence of God on her as he began to free her from the illnesses, and more importantly, the side effects of the steroids which have been so vicious in her body.

Pete came suffering from a severe pain in his shoulder and neck, bones crumbling, when he just 'happened' to say God had done a miracle in him many many years ago. I asked him to tell everyone, having felt God say to me that  he'd be healed as he spoke out his own testimony of God's miraculous power all those years back.... as he came to the end of God's story in his life, he just laughed and said all the pain in his shoulder and neck had gone! TESTIMONY IS POWERFUL!!!!!!

Two lovely 'in process' healing testimonies from my dear friends Maria and Bjorn Isacsson in Boras, Sweden.... I've posted them on the testimonies page. Gid is so, so good....

5 May

Thankfully my body seems to be coming out of its 'hibernation' of the past 10 days! Not quite so tired today... praying for a real refreshing as Thursday and my next journey gets closer and closer. I was re-reading today a prophecy my friend Heidi had for 'The House' in Gothenburg.... in it, she used a little phrase that jumped out at me even more than it did when she delivered the word (by phone, if you remember!) at the beginning of April... that God is 'setting up a display of ferocious righteousness' that will tear down religious spirits.... and that (and bear in mind this was 4-5 weeks ago) given his church the 'tools' to heal the wave of 'new sicknesses that are emerging in the earth'.... with the subsequent advent of swine fever, and the fear that has gripped the nations across the world, this is really reassuring (and very cool!).

The Mental Health Foundation produced result of a recent survey (13 April 2009) - stating that 77% of British People find the world more frightening in 2009 than in 1999; people are in more fear of crime in general, knife crime, terrorism, MRSA... you name it, people are afraid of it. Young people are more afraid than older people, though older folk are 'not coping'.... along with the financial crisis, WHAT AN OPPORTUNITY this is for the church.... to BE church, and not DO church, and to start being what the world needs instead of what religion wants....

'm excited... by all that's going on...

3 May

Well, the more I've forced myself to relax since I've been home, the more tired I've got! I think my body is trying to tell me something.... no more 5 week trips! I'm just trying to do what my body wants to do, so I've really chilled out as best I know how, these past few days, and I'm praying that the 'getting more tired' syndrome will reverse in time for me to head back to England on Thursday! Yet another overnight flight, yet another Continental Airlines connection in the delightful (not!) Newark Airport... straight into a crack of dawn car boot sale (like a yard or garage sale, American friends where about 1000 people with cars and 10,000 greedy grabbers converge on one place to sell stuff!) as I need the cash... then drive to Plymouth, where, on Sunday morning I'm with my lovely friends at City Church....

The great joy for me (on a par with the joy of being with them!) is that Heidi will be there too, our first outing together since July 2007. And man, she's on fire....!!! Light the blue touchpaper and stand well clear....

Those of you who know me well will know that my dad died 45 years ago... today would have been his 85th birthday, and Vivien and Derek, my sister and brother in law, are sending me pictures that they are scanning from those fiddly little tranparencies that we used to think so marvellous... as I've looked at them, it has reminded of what I lost as a 12 year old, but reminded me of the legacy dad left, not financial (far from it, we were never a well-off family), but put so wonderfully at dad's funeral by our then pastor, George Cumming - culled from the story of Stephen in Acts: 'He was man filled with Holy Spirit and faith'. If I inherit nothing more in my life, that's an inheritance I hope that one day might be my story, maybe my legacy. I'm so grateful for my dad, and look forward to seeing him again one day (though I hope, not soon!).

29 April

The testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy.... so wrote the Apostle John, in Revelation 19:10. What does that mean in reality? When we talk about what Jesus DID 2,000 years ago, it builds faith.. and the impact of the 'story' carries a prophetic application that we can claim for our own lives. Nothing has changed, 2000 years on, as we are called and commissioned by Jesus 'to do what I have done, and great things than I have done because I'm going to the Father'. So, the testimony of Jesus TODAY, what He is DOING today, becomes a mighty sword in the believer's hand... for me, I apply this to healing and miracles.

Jesus left behind him an awesome inheritance for us, you don't need me to tell you that: teaching, wisdom, authority, power, love inexplicable, healing, miracles. that 'special gift of faith' that means that we can know that we know that we know what God is going to do through His Son and the awesome power of the Holy Spirit. 'The people of Israel knew God's acts. but Moses knew His ways....'.

The enemy HATES the verse about testimony (along with several thousand other verses!!!) because he knows that when we tell of what Jesus is doing, others get healed, receive miracles, get saved... sadly, there are people in churches who want to deny that God does this 'stuff', perhaps because it challenges them where their own theology of healing falls down (such as 'God doesn't do it today', 'It stopped at the end of the apostolic age'), or maybe through sheer unbelief or even jealousy....

There are a number of reasons why I haven't blogged anything for nearly 3 weeks: during the last few weeks there has been a situation where a lady received a real measure of healing and blessing (as compared to 'being healed') from a 30 year-long crippling disease. Real change came over her emotionally, and physically: some motor function returned, and I made a point of engaging the translator not only in translating my words, but to see the change in her face and her body, to a point where it was translated for me, from her, 'My husband will never believe this after 30 years!'. There's no way I could have known she said that as I don't speak the language! I did in fact put the story in the blog at the time: but someone, unknown to me, though known to God, challenged what had been written, through a pastor who should have known better than try to save his own face and succumb to the will of the enemy by asking me to remove it. You'll never seek God's face if you're trying to save your own.... The translator, more than well known to the pastor concerned, astonishingly denied what he had seen to save the pastor's face. Denying the power and work of the Holy Spirit is not the unforgivable sin, but I suspect in God's agenda runs it quite close... And we wonder why revival doesn't happen??? I never want to write ANYTHING that isn't provable, irrefutable: I am unable to confirm what happened because I'm no longer in the country, and have no way of contacting the lady in question.

So, I've waited a while to let the Lord show me what happened here: and He showed me what I've written above. Many other wonderful things happened during the whole trip away: some people I've had e-mails from, people who were healed, others who testified... a lady, Ritva, involved in a car wreck, damaged the nerves in her face above the bridge of her nose, affecting her sight, even her smile. As God touched her, watched her face change, and she laughed....

In Sweden, I was asked to pray early in the meeting for a man named Stefan: critically ill with cancer, with a liver swollen and distended.... I wanted to tell a few stories (to raise faith, as the testimony of Jesus etc., etc.,!), and prayed for him. A couple of weeks later, I received an e-mail from his sister in law, to say that Stefan was much worse for the next 3 days. That OFTEN happens, the enemy knows he's losing his grip, so he kicks back with even greater venom: it's OUR response in that immediate period of time that determines whether we are healed or not - not our faith, but just the determination to say 'I AM healed'. These are the sister in law's words, not mine: "He is now better but we must continue to pray for him. He was very sick and for at least three days he throw up everything he ate and drank, then suddenly he got better and we praise God for it!!".

Five weeks away was a long time: it was demanding (12 meetings in 6 days in Finland, and probably 1500 people prayed for), over just 2 of the days in Sweden more than 9 hours of speaking and then prayer for people afterwards.... Ireland was great, a little more relaxing, and the Men's Conference seemed to go well... I think I prayed for the majority of men there, anyway! Some told me they had been healed last year when I prayed... maybe I'll know next year about this year! Some real transformations in some of the men, which is fantastic....

Wonderful news, too, that God has miraculously healed my prophet friend Heidi, just as doctors were telling her she might never recover, that she might not be able to walk 100 yards (that's just under 100 metres for my European friends!) for maybe 6 months, maybe 6 years... and on the day when her 'disabled' sticker arrived for her car, so she could park anywhere. She was going up and down stairs all day not because she needed to, but just because she could.... So, all being well, the Heidi-Paul double act will be appearing in a number of places over the coming months! Check out her blog: http://heidiplympton.blog.co.uk .....

Then, the long (delayed - thank you again Continental Airlines and Newark Airport) return home. I don't think I've EVER had an on-time connection out of Newark Airport... :-( ..... but it IS good to be in my home, wonderful to be in my bed, and today was a lovely day in that I got to pray for 2 ladies in the Williamsburg area who have got 'undiagnosed' or 'wrongly diagnosed' curses over their lives, and both have had extreme damage done to their bodies by being given medication for one thing which had severe and life-threatening reactions in the bodies elsewhere... I'm looking forward to hearing, even in the next few days, what God has done for them.

So, I sort of apologise for not blogging, if you've been checking, and sort of don't apologise, as I wanted to just let the Lord clear the 'garbage' above out of my mind!

9 April

Four days of only being able to get online for about 5 minutes, just long enough to download mail, and not a strong enough connection to handle the web page!

Sunday afternoon in 'The House', Gothenburg, was like being in heaven, with amazing worship, Ulf Christiansson's wonderful rock singer's voice, and passionate worshippers. Again, it was so easy to preach from this sort of 'platform', and I had a blast... prayed for loads, to receive more fire (if that's possible with some of them!). It really is a unique church, and I believe it is a church 'model' for many many others who want to carry God's glory and see the fire of revival fall..... Any church 'founded' on nothing less than 2.5 years of prayer and fasting HAS to radical. It is a real delight that they want me back in June, together with Heidi, so I can't wait. Some healings, others in process... tinnitus, knees...

Ulf and Alex, his powerfully anointed and equipped son, drove me to Boras, where my friends Bjorn and Maria have a wonderful ministry to refugees. The first 8-10 people, at least, were from Iran, Kosovo, Albania and more... and others from Angola, Palestine... Lovely time ministering to them, and God touched a number of lives. The Angolan lady then prophesied over me, that I have the fire of God in my hands, and an anointing greater than Elijah on my life... it's a blessing to receive a word like that, but I think the Elijah bit might have to be weighed...!!!! The fire of God bit I'm very happy to own!

Monday was spent first driving from home to home to pray for housebound sick people in Boras - MS, Parkinsons.... over these Scandinavian nations there really seems to be a territorial spirt where Tinnitus is concerned. Countless dozens, even hundreds, have asked for prayer for it.

Monday evening was spent with a group of people wanting to begin an apostolic centre in the town of Aneby: the Pentecostal pastor in the town took the very bold move of closing the church down because there were so many 'issues' - in order that something new, fresh, and powerful could emerge. I stayed with that Pastor, Vilgot, his wife Margaretha, and son Robin... a radical family, with the call of God on their lives, and the adventure and freedom of God in their spirits.

Tuesday was lesson after lesson on 'Your Kingdom Come - More!' with about 50 students and a host of other hungry gatecrashers! That was the theme for the two days, including evening meetings, and I just went for it big time....! I believe we're not so much in a World v. Church' clash anymore, but in a 'Church v. Kingdom' clash.... A great, but tiring and demanding two days, and I'm wanted back there this year, too! At least three 'leg' healings... one young lady with short calf muscles, had problems walking and running - she ran that night! - another with knne problems that prevented her running - she ran too! - and a young man whose right leg was a clear 2cms shorter than the left (normally a back issue), and his right leg came down to the same length as the left as his back lined up. Thank you Lord!

Then a 200 km drive to Orebro, and a wonderful warm late night welcome at Vello and Ingalill's house.... Today, on to Kungsangen, just outside Stockholm, to my dear friends Stojan & Soila Gajicki, and a sauna and barbecued bratwurst sausages... before being back at Arlanda airport for 6am, to fly to England, then later on on to Romania.... I'd value your prayers for tomorrow! It's going to be a demanding day of travel, I land in Bucharest at 0025am Saturday morning. Bless you!

5 April

Moved from Orebro to Gothenburg on Friday... sad to leave there after such great meetings and wonderful hospitality. But the church I'm with here in Gothenburg is just amazing: led by long-time Christian rock band (Jerusalem) front man Ulf Christiansson, they founded the The House on no meetings, but 2.5 years of prayer and fasting. During that time, people DID join, and through the prayer and fasting, lives, ministries, anointing, and calling were revolutionised amongst those there. A few months back they had to finally move out of Ulf & Else-Marie's house, too many people! But what they found was a building in the city just like a house.

Perhaps 100-130 there at last night's meeting: the worship, led by Ulf with his rock singer voice (wonderful!), took off..... then I did something I've never done before! Prophet friend Heidi wanted to come on this trip, but she has been unwell for 21 months, and felt it would be too much.... so, Friday night I asked her on messenger if she had any words for Sweden. Then, in the meeting, she prophesied to the church and the country over the phone.

The platform of worship and the prophetic was so, so wonderful to preach from! It was one of those occasions where I knew I was 'on a roll' - Ulf was blessed to see some 'unexpected' people prayed for, and transformed, there were healings (his mum's shoulder and neck (he's nearly 60, so I don't know how old she is!), and others were wonderfully set free and liberated.... Can't wait for this afternoon, then on to Boras for a meeting at 6pm....

7 hours speaking at a Bible School on Tuesday in Ralingsas, and preaching in the evening: 4 more hours with the school on Wednesday, and preaching again... then, overnight back with my lovely friends Vello and Ingalill on Orebro, and on to Kungsangen, with Stojan and Soila - I went to Serbia with Stojan last year - but no meeting, just friendship, a sauna, and a cerveza or two!

2 April (more!)

Two wonderful meetings, last night and tonight, in Orebro, Sweden, a city fast becoming one of my favourite places to visit, not only in Sweden, but anywhere. The meetings were organised by my dear friends, Vello & Ingalill Vaim, a wonderful Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, passionate, Kingdom seeking fun-filled couple. The meetings were wonderfully informal, perhaps over the 2 nights with 60-70 or so people attending (different people each night almost!), with lovely worship led by a man named Bjorn, and his wife Brittis. God's presence was there from the start: it was easy to build a rapport with those attending, and last night, I felt it right to raise, and even impart, faith. Many responded for prayer, I know that there will be many testimonies. The meeting was a first for me in one way: I've had meetings before where I've had to ask for a change of translator (or even give up speaking - but that's rare!) for various reasons.... Ingalill is a great translator, but halfway through my 'preach' she just got wonderfully, uncontrollably, and instantaneously drunk in the Holy Spirit, and couldn't speak... her & Vello's daughter, Elisa, only saved last year but wonderfully and radically changed, walked very purposefully to the front, and carried on where her mum had left off... it was amazing!

Tonight really continued where last night left off.... expectation was high, even though about 70% of the people were different from last night, and the worship - Bjorn again (ho ho ho) - laid a lovely foundation. I felt led to speak on the establishing of the Kingdom on earth, and the end of man's Christian empires... and for the 'finisher's anointing' of Zerubbabel (Zechariah 4) to be poured out on all of us. Prayed for lots more people.... watch this space! A wonderful night....

2 April

Been a delay in writing here, not because nothing's happened - it has, and it's been great, with testimonies of healings and miracles - I've just tried to use these two 'free-er' days to relax!

Good things first... a lovely little girl, I guess about 5 years old, in Jyvaskala, the daughter of one of the Salvation Army officers there, had bad stomach pains every night. She was so sweet, I sat down with her on my lap, and prayed for her, and kissed her when she went... her dad told me that she ran back to him saying 'Daddy, he kissed me and sat me on his lap!' (thrilled rather than accusing!!!!)... next night, dad told me that when she went to bed that night she had no stomach pain for the first time in many many weeks...

In a church in Turku, I was greeted on arrival by Harri, who had been such a great translator for me there earlier in the week, with a lady named Maia (I guess that's how you spell her name): I don't know old she was, but I'd think late 60's, scoliosis/curvature of the spine, that had affected her for much of her life. I'd prayed for her Tuesday, and for the rest of the week she'd walked perfectly and straight, and swam 2 kilometres a day, which she had never been able to do...

A lovely young lady, Miina, I'd think about 17 or so, had her spine curved too - out 22%: quite considerable, her left shoulder obviously much lower than her right, many centimetres. Mum was in church at the beginning of the meeting, and told the people what had happened - she had been completely straight since then, and they even had to move a lampshade higher which Miina had been able to walk under until then.... Miina then arrived, and we thanked God with her for such a lovely creative miracle in her body. When it came time to pray for the sick, I said I'd pray for one side of the congregation, and Miina would pray for the other... people were very blessed! The best people to talk of salvation are people just saved: the same with healing - the best people to pray are those who have just received a miracle! Look at my great friend Alan, from Northern Ireland: he's only been a Christian for 16 months, as a result of his lovely wife Barbara being wonderfully healed of osteo arthritis: he's praying for the sick and seeing healings and miracles, because he hasn't learned yet from a 'Christian heritage' that God doesn't do this stuff....

Jussi, from Turku, Finland was healed of cancer (I've put her testimony on the testimony page, strangely enough!).... she said in her email 'I felt so healthy today'... her friend Oili, who has MS, was 'much better' and is standing (she was very much wheelchair bound when I met her last week!), with more power in her arms and pelvis, and her sitting and balance are much better.... And another friend, Anja, whose sight was failing badly - well, 'her sight is much better'.... Thank you Lord...

28 March

Hmmmm... overnight in Jyvaskala it was -20C, so a little short of the prediction. Still pretty cool though...! It was an INTERESTING drive: the person driving me is one of those people who is continually jiggling with the steering wheel, so every journey so far has been 'jerk the wheel a few centimetres' - which often means we're on the rumble strip at the edge, or on the white lines in the middle (also rumble strips). I've had to grab the wheel 3 times on the trip so far, as concentration (maybe tiredness) is his greatest asset. Even his son, who followed us for a hundred miles or more (almost 200 kms), said 'he's a funny driver to follow! all over the road!'. I did think once our time was up as we were on the wrong side of the road with him trying to clean the windscreen/shield!

So, stress levels aside, or, better still, taking them into account (!), the meetings have been great! Met in the Salvation Army centre, it was packed, last night and the night before. Thursday's meeting was way over 4 hours, with probably 150 people to pray for: not all for healing, as I'd preached leading up to other things - freedom from fear (of men, shyness, insecurity and so) and also for fresh anointing.... so as both nights were in the same place (no driving - thank you Jesus!) until after last night's meeting, there were many filled with new fire, new vision, new passion.... there were healings, too!

My voice has begun to crack up again, which is a bit of a concern, as I'm preaching 5 times today and tomorrow, at 1 and 6pm today - in Tampere and Lahti (150 kms/100 miles away), and then at 11am tomorrow in Helsinki, and then twice at 4 and 6pm in Turku, again about 150 kms away, I'm told. Please pray for my voice: and for strength. I'm pretty tired, all the changes of bed don't help with sleep patterns, and though I'm trying to snatch a bit of shut-eye in the car (two reasons - I need the sleep, and it means I can't see all the 'incidents'!).

Tomorrow night, after the evening meeting, it's back to the ferry, for the overnight roll to Stockholm, and two meetings Monday afternoon and evening! I think I have Tuesday free, but I'm heading a few hundred kilometres to Orebro, but it will be to my dear, dear friends, Vello and Ingallill Vaim.... we laugh a great deal, and talk very deeply a great deal, so it's a lovely mixture.

26 March

This has to be in haste, as I'm being driven a long way from where I am (where am I? If it was Wednesday evening yesterday, it must have been Hervanta, Tampere! About 150 kms (100 miles) north of Turku, and a good 15 degrees celcius colder (It is -15C here, probably about 0F!!).... and today we drive another 200 kms further north, where I'm told it could be -25C).... deep joy, and deep snow!

Again, an amazing turnout for the first of three meetings, at noon yesterday, in Turku. Church was packed, and the Spirit of the Lord was VERY evident... I don't know how many people said they were healed of cancer, but I know of at least 3: a giant of a man diagnosed 18 years ago with paranoid schizophrenia testified to his KNOWING he was healed - you could tell by his face and persona that massive change had happened); lots more besides those...

At 3.30 pm I was ushered in to a packed church in Huitennen, to be greeted by a Scot in a kilt (would YOU wear a kilt in those temperatures??!!)... wonderful meeting, a physical therapist healed of cancer, her colleague having an improvement in her failing sight, a lovely elderly lady, in excruciating pain, laughing instead of crying as the pain went, another lady with chronic pain (undiagnosable by the doctors) in her right leg, healed instantly....loads more, but time is running out! It is SUCH a privilege to see God move like this....

Last night, in a church that meets in a cinema, in Hervanta, a 'satellite' town on the edge of Tampere, perhaps Finland's third biggest city, God just ran riot! It is a church with many young people, the worship was was with the first rock band I've encountered in Finland (mostly it's acoustic guitar or piano).... dozens healed! A man born with chronic bronchitis, struggling to breathe, just began to gulp in large lungfuls of air and was healed: a lady who had suffered brain damage in a car crash was healed: and now I've just been told by the pastor I have to leave in 2 minutes... so I'll try and get on line again later!

24 March

Having done my Captain Pugwash (think you have to be British to know that one!) impersonation last night, spending longer on the sea (11 hours) than I've ever done before, arrived in Finland around 7.30 am this morning. It really was a good crossing, despite parts of the sea being frozen: a lot of places I know could learn from the Swedes and Finns how to equip a ferry!

Not much respite before launching into the first meeting, at noon: it was a wonderful time. I couldn't believe how many people were there - about 100 - for a mid day meeting on a Tuesday.... I think they must have mostly been people on sick leave... :( or with time on their hands.... I think I prayed for all of them, the meeting lasting a mere 4 hours 45 minutes (well, the meeting was 2 hours, praying was the rest...). Finished at quarter to five, taken for 'lunch', back to where I'm staying after that, and out for the next meeting (a mere 4 hours 10 minutes) at 6pm....

Loads of people healed in the noon meeting - bodies all over the floor, looked like a drive by shooting! My brain is scrambled as it is late, so I'll need to 'revisit' that meeting to write some down....

Tonight was even more remarkable. I preached in a Finnish Lutheran Church (there's a first time for everything!!! My, my Irish Presbyterian churches, Methodist Churches, and now Lutherans - whatever next??!!) - around 4-450 there... I think THEY all came forward too, but I did ask for some of the church ministry team to help.... prayed for a mere 2 hours 10 minutes.... but boy, was it good! A young lady, Mina, scoliosis (curvature of the spine for Brits!) was healed... felt damaged discs and vertebrae moving under my hand. Her shoulders were level, she stood up straight..... A lady named Ritva - well, you could see the second the Holy Spirit hit her. She had an accident that had destroyed the nerves in her face above the bridge of her nose, affecting her sight and her hearing... her face changed, and she began to laugh. And laugh. And then some.

So many were healed tonight: I'll recall more when my brain is more active (don't laugh!), and a number saved.... what a result! And I almost phoned in sick (not literally!) to get out of the meeting... at 5.30pm I'd have given my right arm to be anywhere else (as well as ambidextrous)....

23 March

Arrived in Stockholm yesterday, to a very busy schedule, and a lot of snow! Started snowing as we left the airport... and I'm told that the forecast for Finland this week is for the return of severe winter weather.... deep joy!

Great meeting yesterday in Sundbyberg, Stockholm: some very tangible evidence of God blessing and healing and changing people's lives. More and more of that please, Lord, over these next 18 days here in Sweden and Finland.  Some evident 'deliverance' for some people: obvious and testified healings of others.... a lovely ex-missionary man (Tanzania) was so blessed and released from the pain of surgery following 'rear end' cancer... his wife freed from pain, too.... another man, in deep depression for a few years, tried to commit suicide twice, was set from from a spirit of death and suicide, and went from wailing in emotional pain to peace and then laughter...

11 hour ferry crossing tonight to Turku, Finland, from here tonight... I'm told the ferries are great, so I'm hoping.... sleep doesn't come easily to me, I'm sharing a berth on the boat, so I'd value your prayers! The trip, too, seems to involve a great deal of being driven.... that shouldn't be a problem, I hear you say...but, when you've been driven 3-4 hours to do 3 meetings, finish at 11pm, andhave 4 hours back to your bed, it's unbelievably exhausting...

18 March

After a quiet few days trying to shake off this most vile of colds, I have to say.... I've failed! I still sound like someone who smokes 100 cigarettes a day - raspy, croaky... and right now I'm packing for tomorrow, a trip of 5 weeks, preaching every day almost... I'd really value your prayers on this one! It'll be 'do-able' with my voice, but unless it's back to normal, how long it will last, I don't know...

It really is a heavy schedule, too: the first thing is of my own making - I'm doing a car boot sale on Saturday morning, as the money is much needed, but sitting on Ford Airfield at Littlehampton at 8am might not be the best for my cold if it's still hanging around then!

Yesterday, I received an email from the pastor I'm with first; I'm preaching twice in his church in Stockholm on Sunday and Monday. Monday night, the overnight ferry from Stockholm to Helsinki, then preaching Tuesday twice in Turku... Wednesday three times in Turku, Huitinnen and Hervanta... the full schedule is in the diary, but it's demanding. There's more in the final itinerary than I knew about :(. Please pray for strength.

Having not felt like doing much because I've felt so unwell (I know, I know, some people think it's funny that someone who believes for healing and mighty miracles is unwell: actually, praying for myself is far, far harder than praying for other people, and no one who prays for and believes in healing is immune from everything...if they are, will someone please tell me where Smith Wigglesworth's been hiding out? I'd love to meet him... ;), I have to be honest and say right now I'd rather stay home..... BUT, once at Washington DC airport, or at least on the plane, the adrenaline will kick in again. I'm looking forward to being back in Sweden, especially looking forward to going to Finland for the first time, then in Sweden again, happy, too, to be spending a few more days in Romania, and then pleased to finish up the trip with a visit to Northern Ireland, my second home now. I'd value your prayers as I'm the speaker at the Men's Weekend away, and I really want to bring the men there something fresh from the Lord.

I've then got 14 days at home, which will be a real blessing.... my house hasn't been dusted and cleaned since I don't know when, but then I haven't been here to make it dirty! It also means that I can catch up with a few people locally, which is very important to me.

15 March

During this trip, only John so far escaped one of the most horrible colds that I've certainly ever experienced - much more like flu, but not quite enough to make you stay at home in bed and sleep it off.... some people would say I'm sure that it was a good thing that I almost totally lost my voice (!), but fortunately there was enough of it left for the translators to hear!

On Wednesday evening we were in three churches: John and Alan went to El Abrigo el Altisimo, the Shadow of the Almighty, where they reckon there were 100 people, most of whom responded for prayer. Alan knew of some immediate healings. Clare went to the church pastored by a lovely lady, Argenis, where I spoke a few months back.... she had about 50 - most of whom wanted prayer.... that's a busy night all around when there is only one or two of you!

Dave & I went to Adoradores - Worshippers - pastored by a great young man named Edier Fernandez. We'd had a marvellous meeting there in July last year, with some wonderful miracles occurring.... it was great to hear some of the ongoing stories! Right near the end in July, I'd had the opportunity to pray for an older lady, Carmen, whom I later learned was Edier's mother: she had cancer, and was dying. She told me then that she felt it leave her: that's always good to hear, even better to walk into the church and see her, 8 months on, worshipping the Lord! I got her to testify during the meeting, and she said that the doctors had kept testing and re-testing her for cancer as they couldn't believe it. She kept telling them it was God who had healed her... I know Scripture says that God will be not be mocked, and one of the Doctors laughed at her, and said that she had just been fooling them all along, that God didn't heal... horrifically (for him) both he and his wife have subsequently been diagnosed with cancer. I have this sense that we will see more and more of this sort of thing as people denigrate the amazing power of God....

Adrianna, who had been married for 7 years, and her husband whose name I  think is Luis, couldn't have children. Doctors said it was impossible. Well, a week on Wednesday she is in hospital to give birth to twins.... it is as close to the day of 9 months as you can get from when I had the joy of praying for them. It has (and most certainly will in other ways!) revolutionised Luis's life...

Thursday we were back to the hospital, Santillana, this time without having Dr Dunia to go round with us. She was too busy: another Doctor allowed us only down the corridors to pray, which was incredibly frustrating. Some of the kids from last week had gone home healed, which is wonderful.

I was so wanting to get in to see Issabella, the 7 year old who began to come of of her cerebral/genital/oral herpes coma.... she had been doing well for 4 days, and then, tragically, contracted meningitis, which killed her almost overnight. I was in tears, speechless, and (am still) devastated by that news. I know that what people have said is that she is now healed and perfect and no longer in fear is true: but somehow that isn't sufficient for me.... I am so angry at the devil for what he does, and it has made me more determined than ever to see him crushed and beaten.

The other coma 'victims' are all doing fine, thankfully....

On the last night, we went into 2 more churches, John to Walter Torres' church, Revival Centre, where he prayed for everything that moved.... the rest of us went to a church I've preached at many times, in a part of the city known as La Rivera. Jairo, the pastor, is a lovely man: we had a great evening, with salvation, healings, and deliverance, and many prophetic words for people. I even managed to croak a message, and croak a few prayers....

All being well, I'm back, probably with the same 'team', in late September, for 3 weeks, including a pastor's conference and crusade at Edier's church, for a week. It looks likely too that I'll be in Armenia, Buenaventura, and Bogota next time, so the net is widening!

The journey home - as with the journey to Cali - was dreadful! We were up at 3.30 am to be at the airport for the customary 3 hour check in for international flights... once again, we were on the plane, when we were told the plane had a fault and we had to disembark... what we were told would be a quick job took 5 hours, meaning we missed our connections in Miami. Alan managed to get a later flight to London, but the rest of us were told we'd have to stay overnight in a hotel. That might sound nice to some, but believe me, layover hotels are far from glamorous, even less so when all you want to do is be home in your own bed. I put on my 'militant' persona.... and we flew finally into Washington DC, landing at 1130 pm, and John's wife Mary, and son Scott, drive us the 3 hour drive home....

14 March

Please forgive the lack of 'blog' the last couple of days: we were so busy, and all of us, to some degree or another, had the most vile cold bug.... I'm home now, so will try and blog later on today (it's 5am here and haven't been home too long form yet another journey from hell on airlines!).... so many good things to tell you!

11 March

Sunday afternoon we had the usual hair-raising ride back from Buenaventura! 'Life passing in front of your eyes' is a fairly typical experience of that drive! Dave & Clare were involved in a meeting with my dear friends Diego and Pilar Reyes in their young but thriving church in Jamundi. The service began at 4pm, for which, of course, they were the customary 1 and a half hours late Colombia time! Nonetheless, God turned up and blessed them immensely with prophetic words, words of knowledge: the meeting finished at around 11pm!

Monday, the trip to the children's hospital was postponed because we'd have been with terminally sick kids, and Dave, Clare, and I were all manifesting wonderful colds! Didn't seem like a good idea to take such a nasty cold, too, into a hospital, even though we are in faith for them to be healed.....

The 'day off' yesterday involved a trip to the Juna Valdez coffee park, which is in Armenia, a good 3 hour (hair raising!) drive from Cali.... last time I took John there, it was a Monday, and they close on Mondays... so, we went on Tuesday.... it was closed (unusually) for maintenance... so a long, abortive journey, at the end of which the drive, tiredness, frustration and colds meant we all crashed out fairly early when we got home!

Back to business today though: meetings tonight, tomorrow, and tomorrow night, so we're raring to go and see God 'top off' this trip with some wonderful things. A healing meeting tonight at Hendrik's church would be good to pray for, if you could!

8 March

A few wonderful meetings since Friday! Friday evening, we were in a church in a place called La Sirena: they meet in a house, but outside of China 20 years ago, I don't think I've ever seen a house so packed! John & I were welcomed like returning victors, such was the greeting! The place was heaving with people, boiling hot, and everyone came for prayer.... a number found salvation, and many were healed... again, cancers, blood and circulation issues, broken limbs mending...

Found out more information about some of the people responding in hospital, especially the ones in comas... Dr Dunia Quiroga told me that one lady, Blanca, had such a critical blastoma (I can't remember the term she used, but is was in the cortex of her brain: these are inoperable and incurable, and kill quickly... hers had spread to the cerebrospinal fluid, and metastasized (I sound very professionally trained here, don't I - comes with having a brain surgeon as a dear friend!). Her coma was so deep that nothing affected her.... so for her to move, to see her eyes moving under the lids, and response from her lips, is a major miracle in the making....

Improvement continues, too, with Issabella, much to the astonishment of all who nurse and treat her.... what a testimony she will be and have when God finishes the job!

Saturday, we set off for the port city of Buenaventura, and the fun-fair ride that the drive to that city is! It's an astonishing journey, over the Andes, on roads that are really not good, just two lane, and with big trucks from the port taking the 'short' route to Cali.... overtaking is an art form, but a 'heart in mouth' exercise too.... last July, when John, Alan, & I were in the city, we were so conscious of the heaviness and spiritual darkness of the place. Wonderfully, some of that atmosphere has lifted, and the meetings we were involved in this time were quite astonishing.

We arrived to lunch in the jungle outside of the city, with lovely pastors Daniel and Lily at their home... it's a joy to be with them, they are so kind, generous, and hospitable, even though very poor. We had fish (ooooohhhhhhh dear!) with the eyes still in place... those who know me well will know my complete dislike of all things fishy! - but what do you do when people have made such a sacrifice to feed you? So, I ate... my sacrifice in return for theirs!

Last night, there was a combined churches get together in a school - well over 500 people there.... John spoke, Alan testified, Clare spoke, Dave spoke and sang, and I preached... well, the tsunami of people coming forward was huge....

Alan prayed with a young lady of 16, named Mara: extreme pain, carried to the front, crying and shouting with pain.... she was totally instantly healed.... a multitude of other things healed as he prayed for different people... Dave & Clare prayed for a little girl who'd broken her arm, and couldn't swivel it  or turn it from the elbow - that was healed instantly....

I prayed with a young man, Carlos, deaf and dumb - he spoke instantly in tongues! - and heard, too.... another deaf lady got her hearing back in like minute increments! It just kept getting louder and louder for her.... a lovely guy, Jhon (yes, that is how you spell it!), broken leg 3 years ago, unable to walk without walking sticks/canes.... we actually saw his leg moving as I prayed for him, and I took his cane away and asked him to walk.... he did, a few steps... then stopped. I asked if it was pain- or fear of falling - that stopped him: it was fear... prayed for that to be broken, and then he just walked and walked and laughed and laughed...

An older man, I recall his name as Luis, had been very active: but he had major hip and knee problems, and walked with great pain, and with immense difficulty.... within minutes he was squatting on his haunches, kneeling, bending his leg, and walked out, with just a slight limp, and no pain....

More cancers went, major blood circulation problems were healed, scolioses were straightened... it may sound awful to some, but there were so many healings it is hard to remember them all! As they come to mind, I'll blog them....

Today, we were in a lovely church of the leader of the pastors association for Buenaventura, Pastor Jolanda: her church is 'Jesus vive hoy' - Jesus lives today. Again, a packed house: and more salvation! As I finished preaching, I felt that I should get people who wanted to be free from fear to stand: I think probably 95% of the church stood - fear of man, of witnessing, shyness, insecurity, fear of just about everything in fact! Prayed a 'blanket' prayer for them, before asking those forward for healing. As I prayed, three people fell and began to manifest demonically: God wonderfully set them free. A good number received salvation, and dozens and dozens were healed.... a lady named Carmen, probably 75 years old, unable to walk, got out of her chair, and started striding up and down the church. she was still doing it 10 minutes later.... another deaf lady heard.... bones mended, pain left, cancers went..... what more can I say at risk of not being 'boring'???!!!!

God is so, so good... and still 4 days to go....

6 March

Today we spent a lot of time in a very poor hospital: it used to be the Social Security hospital (Seguridad Social), but was recently privatised by two big companies, so should improve.... it was an astonishing few hours..... John, Alan, and Diego (translator) went off together, and Dave, Clare, and I went with the lovely Doctor, Dunia Quiroga, brain surgeon extraordinaire.... it's great having Duina with you because she knows exactly what patients can and can't do, exactly what they have and haven't got...

We prayed for 3 people (amongst others - more in a minute!) who were in deep comas. Dunia had told us a few days ago that people in such comas only respond to deep pain .... all three began to move - limbs, lips, eyes... one began to open her eyes.... Dunia was stunned, which is a nice response to confirm that God was bringing them back to 'life'.... a elderly lady named Sophia was transformed... she'll be going home soon, as will a great guy named Cesar Augusto (amazing name!! Ceasar Augustus!!). Cesar is 42, and was dying with Parkinsons disease, and was HIV positive. His whole visage was troubled, stressed: his body shook uncontrollably. I sat down on his bed and put my arm round him, Dave felt he should put his hand at the top of his spine.... I prayed for peace, joy, and miraculous healing.... he stopped shaking instantly, and didn't shake again for the 10-15 minutes we were with him.... I asked him if he felt anything - he said he felt fine, and well.... God is good!

Dunia gave me an update on Issabella (see 5 March entry): she is moving quite extensively now, communicating with her mum by eye movement, and following mum's and nurses movements with her eyes.... everyone who nurses her and knows her is amazed.... keep praying for he, please! As with everyone else in the blog, if you have time!

Some amazing things happened in a church in Palmira last night, called Puertas al Cielo (Gates of Heaven) - Palmira is a city to the north of Cali, and, as usual, with latino time-keeping, we arrived at the church about 8.10pm for a 7pm start (!).... that can add a great deal of pressure, because to be in a church for the whole service, and experience the worship, gives you a feel for where the church is at. Not only that, but Alan, John, and I were driven to the church at over 100 miles an hour (160 km+ for those those who work in foreign language!), which is ok on a British motorway (if totally illegal!) but on Cali's packed streets with Colombian drivers.... hmmm...!

Nonetheless, the power of God was there, and He turned up big time to heal and save. The pastor, Juan Carlos, said there were over 300 people there, and my estimate is that we prayed for 90% of them. There were many testifying to immediate healings, others which began.... stories will follow! It's always a delight when a pastor is over the moon with the way a service goes, and certainly Juan Carlos was delighted.

En route to Palmira, we went to pray for a lovely pastor named Harrell, from the church Dios esta Presente, who was hit by a motorcyle whilst crossing the road recently. He had suffered incredible brain trauma, horrific broken bones, including a totally shattered right leg, and we were told at first, by the doctors, that we weren't allowed to see him. Persistence paid off, and we (Pastor Walter Torres and I_ were given 2 minutes with him... a Colombian 2 minutes, of course, which was 15 in reality! We were told there would be no recognition (both of us know Harrell), no response... I guess that doesn't take the Holy Spirit into account! After a few minutes, Harrell was smiling, and even began talking, though it was strained, and my understanding of Spanish didn't compute, but Walter did.... Harrell was saying 'God is in control'..... we hugged him, anointed him, and blessed him before we left.... he's going to walk out of that hospital very soon.

We did get customarily hi-jacked in the way to the hospital, ending up going miles north of the the city to view a sugar-cane plantation.... deep joy! Couldn't see the wood for the sugar cane....

Tomorrow we head for Buenaventura, where last July little Andres came back to life... lots of meetings, lots of being driven, lots of praying... please pray for strength for us, and B'ventura is so, so much hotter than Cali (it's 33C/94F here!!) and very, very humid.... also has malarial mosquitoes!

5 March

So busy the past couple of days.... various hospitals, churches...  Monday evening, long-time pastor friend Hendrik had Dave, Clare and Alan at a cell group meeting from his church, in Agua Blanca (one of the poorest parts of the city). It's a new-ish cell group, led by a relatively new Christian but incredibly on fire and anointed man, Gustavo, at their kids foundation, which he runs... out of the 50 adults there, 13 made first time commitments to the Lord, 7 recommitted their lives, and that on the strength of Alan's testimony.... Dave & Clare then began prophesying over people, and a meeting that normally ends at 9am because Agua Blanca is (somewhat) dangerous for Christians after 9pm, ended at gone 11om.... Safety? No problem! John & I spent time with dear friend Fernando, our best translator, to plan translation and meetings over the next few days...

Tuesday, Clare, Alan, and John went way south of the city to Jamundi, to a drug rehab centre. 25-30 people were there, all three shared testimonies. John was in his element having once been a drug addict, and subsequently has run a drug rehab programme. Many of the 'inmates' responded for ministry, and, as so often happens in Latin America, a meeting that was 'scheduled' to run for 2 hours, went on for many more! Causes a few problems later in the day, but Latinos never seem to mind that! The ministry was very well received, even though it's a government sponsored place: oh to have that freedom in the west. A number made recommitments, and one guy, whom Alan spoke to, was on the verge of committing suicide, his wife had left him, his kids had gone, he'd given up God ages back, but wanted to know God again... Praise the Lord!

Meanwhile, Dave & I went to hospital Santillana, with Doctor friend Dunia... prayed for loads of incredibly sick kids, with some immediate evident results... I must just tell you one incredibly horrific story.... a lovely 7 year old girl (we know she was lovely, because her mum showed us photos of her) was in an incredibly deep coma. She had been sexually abused by her father, and was suffering from genital and oral herpes, the coma induced by cerebral herpes. Issabella's body is a tragic, horrific mess. No movement, response: breathing via tracheotomy, fed direct into her stomach with tubes, Dunia told us that deep coma victims only respond to deep pain. Issabella is emaciated, mouth covered in scabs, body bruised.... mum was there, but is in denial of what her husband has done to her daughter. The nurses are praying that God will take her life, so that she doesn't have to go back to her father.... hmmm. Both Dave & I had a sense that God would use her to bring change in her dad.... what the enemy means for harm, God means for good.... as we prayed for her, I stroked her face, held her... her respiratory therapist was there, along with Dunia, who is a brain surgeon (so who knows what cerebral herpes can do)... both were astonished at how Issabella responded, starting to open and close her mouth as though breathing normally, movement in her hands, and eyes, and an incredible transformation in her face. Her face had been a picture of pain, shock, trauma, and fear: and peace became the most evident feature. The therapist was astonished: she said she'd never seen anything like it, Dunia was amazed too.... So much more I could write about the hospital but we're about to be whisked away again...

Last night, at a church I go to often, Dios esta Presente (God is Present), we had a wonderful evening. All of us shared, I preached, and (conservatively) 95% of the people there - about 200 - came forward for healing and ministry. It was wonderful to go there and see 2 babies - both born in the month to people I prophesied over last year who couldn't have children! Healings last night, more to come. A church, making a huge difference for the kingdom, under incredible attack on it's leadership by the enemy. We;re going this morning to pray for a pastor who, having been appointed in January, aged 37, was instantly involved in a motorbike accident, and has irreparable brain damage. Every pastor of the church is either very ill or injured, cars are being stolen, finance is under attack...  God is about to say to Satan, I believe, that 'enough is enough' and will roar like he did for Samuel in 1 Kings 8.....

So, more later, as we have to run now! Hospital this afternoon, church in Palmira tonight.... please pray for us!

2 March

Wow, talk about hit the ground running....! And what a day day one was here in Cali, Colombia - without a day to unwind, relax, and settle in, God turned up in immense power.... More of that in a minute!

Heading back for the airport again before dawn on Saturday was NOT a blessing, but at least we had a plane with no dents and it managed to get off the ground and take us to the delights of Miami Airport, where we had a 6 hour layover. I have to say, having spent a grand total of 18 hours in that airport on the way to and from Barbados in December, it is really not an airport you want to spend more than about an hour in! We arrived in Cali about 9pm, 16 hours and a day after leaving for here.

By the time we'd got to the apartment we are staying in, it was past 11pm, and by then we'd learned that between us we were preaching 5 times on the Sunday, the first service at 7am. 4 services were in one church, 7, 9, and 11am, and 4 pm, the other in another church at 10.30am. I was in a church I've never been to before, Igelsia Fe y Esperanza (Church of Faith and Hope), and it's a pretty big church. Well over 500 at the first service, rising to about 6-700 for the other two, and about 500 in the afternoon. I preached 3 of the services, with John taking the 9am service. Dave & Clare went to the church of my great friend Walter Torres, and though it's not big, they had a blast... Clare preached, Dave prophesied, and it seems like they prayed for everyone, with very powerful results, including deliverance.

At Faith and Hope, in the first service, dozens responded to the call for salvation first, and then maybe 300 for healing. More saved in meeting two: many more prayed for: and increasing again in meeting three! It's almost impossible to explain how tiring preaching and praying for crowds of people are, but it is oh so rewarding.... but by the time the 4pm meeting came around, we were shot.... but again, it's amazing how God re-invigorates you when you need him to! During the worship, we were singing (in Spanish of course!) 'Open the heavens, let it rain...' when all of sudden the ceiling above the platform came crashing down under the pressure of an immense torrent of water... who said God doesn't answer when we ask! It was a very prophetic moment, and paved the way for an unplanned sermon on my part!

During the 4 services, at a conservative estimate, 250 gave their lives to the Lord! I asked for testimonies of healing before I spoke: three ladies with cancer testified to immediate healing, feeling the cancer leave them, and (physically) seeing that tumours had disappeared. A lady testified that when John prayed for her, intense stomach pain disappeared: Alan saw arthritic fingers straighten, so did I.... diabetes, high blood pressure, osteo parosis were healed, along with a myriad back issues, and I do believe that we'll hear the story of the healing of a lovely little girl, Ana, who was brain damaged at birth by oxygen deprivation....

I could blog on, but we'll try and collectively get the stories 'catalogued' - and, truth is, after 7 hours of sleep in 4 days (hardly slept last night, the adrenaline of the meeting was pumping: I'd appreciate your prayers for sleep!), I need to go to bed soon!

Today we were at Club Noel, the children's hospital: we saw some physical healing, but perhaps the most remarkable was little girl, Sara, maybe 3 years old, whom Alan prayed for - T.B, chronic asthma, immobile, lifeless - who instantly was up and kicking, and...wait for it... speaking in English, which she didn't know, of course, being Colombian and only 3..... There will be many testimonies when we're back there on Monday next week.....

27 February

Seems it might be possible that someone (!) doesn't want us to go to Cali.... we all got up at 3.15am to leave for the airport at 4am, boarded the plane just a few minutes late, then all had to get off again because there was a 'maintenance problem'. I guess with the two recent big high profile crashes here in the USA, there is heightened paranoia, but it seems there was a big dent in the small fin-type wings on the tail.... we were told it would be sorted in an hour, then another hour, then another hour.... until finally at around 10.30 am - when it was too late anyway to get our connection in New York for Miami - they announced what we all knew and the flight was cancelled...

We waited for our luggage to be returned, and somehow they'd managed to lose one of mine when it hadn't even left the airport... it did come back in the end, then we all creaked and groaned our way home, to do it all again tomorrow. Thankfully, we're NOT with Delta this time (YEEEEAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! Hooray!) and we're flying two hours later direct to Miami, then on to Cali.... so, an unexpected evening at home to sleep more than 45 minutes I slept last night, and maybe even watch a movie .....

We know now that it IS going to be a good trip....

26 February

Catch up time again! In a few hours, I'll be leaving for Cali, Colombia, where, if God does there what he's done every time so far, there should be lots of wonderful stories to relate here... please pray that the five of us going - Alan from Bangor, Northern Ireland (who God is using increasingly and wonderfully in healing even though he's 'only' been saved 14 months!), John from Virginia, my Pastor here (he turns into a prophetic steamroller when he lands in Cali!), and Dave (prophetic, musician) & Clare (preacher, prophetic) Cleave, from Cornwall but now in Virginia too.. .will really sense the Word of the Lord, and know the power and release of His Holy Spirit....

Please continue to pray for Jenny (see 16th) - she's doing better, but Satan is NOT going to win.... pray especially for Michael &Lynne that they will know the power of praying people all over the world supporting them as they defend their daughter against the onslaught of the enemy....

Some wonderful stories... I'll have to try and be brief as I'm still packing to leave in 6 hours' time and it might be nice to sleep for a couple of hours!

Robert in Northern Ireland, cancer... told by doctors a number of times not to plan too far ahead (!) in his late 70's.... his dream 2 years ago was that he'd live long enough to celebrate his 50th wedding anniversary to Betty... prayed with him then that he'd not only achieve that, but live to see many more than 50. The 50th is this year, now, and the doctors have told him that his cancer-cell count is the lowest it has been for a very long time.... Robert's an amazing man, incredible faith, determination, and he's become a wonderful friend.

Graham in Scotland... desperately ill last year (Aug/Sept), young (early 40's), young family.... had loads of surgery, lots of things partially and totally removed. Really, his prognosis was no sort of normal life.... if there was to BE a life... he just 'happened' to be home from hospital on the weekend I was in Troon/Ayr, had the joy of praying with him and Lynne.... from what I understand, some of the removed organs have...er.... miraculously re-appeared, and they have just returned from a 5 week I think - I stand to be corrected!) holiday in Australia....

There are more.... but I really need to pack!

16 February

Please could I ask you to pray for Jenny, the lovely little girl in Northern Ireland? Jenny has been under constant onslaught since new year's eve, with various infections that have gone way beyond 'normal' in the ferocity of the attack on her... she's been hospitalised a number of times with chest infections, two of which (I think, might be more) have stopped her breathing. All I can feel and believe for this amazing little fighter - and she really is that - is that she has such a future ministry (though the enemy doesn't know the future, of course, any more than he knows he's beaten) that Satan has sent his legions after her life. Please pray that not only will he not succeed, but that Jenny will do such damage to the him in the future.... Please pray for Michael and Lynne, too, her mum and dad, who are so amazingly strong through these incidents....

Thank you. Bless you.

11 February

Wonderful few days here in Northern Ireland, with the beginning of at least one amazing miracle unfolding!

Despite the astonishing winter weather, flew here ok, which was a great relief. So much of the UK seemed to have ground to a halt with snow and ice. Had the privilege of preaching at both morning services of West Church, Bangor (my home church here!) - prayed for dozens of people for healing and many other things at the end of each service. In the evening, with it having snowed much of the day, headed south towards the border with the Republic of Ireland to Armaghbreaghe. A lovely Pastor, Ivan Thompson, is pioneering a whole new move of God's spirit there, so it was a delight to speak at the healing service, which we got to with ease, as the snow seemed to melt in front of us! There was, though, a lot of snow around the church, and we wondered if many would come as it was bitterly cold.

Well, around 100 did... and I guess we prayed for around 60-75% of them at the end.... including the joy I had of praying with a lovely young woman, Diane, told by doctors about 3 weeks earlier, that there was nothing more they could do for her cancer... those words bless me, as it means that there is only one thing left for medics and cynics to acknowledge when healing comes - that it was God who did it. Diane had received a lot of treatment - including radiation, which gave her skin cancer, as if she needed that on top of all the internal cancer she had... she'd had many surgeries, scarred all over her body from neck down: had lots of tissue and lymph glands removed, many tumours taken away. Despite her dire acute illness, she'd managed to achieve a first class honours degree in Occupational Therapy, so all in all quite a remarkable young woman - who had been sent home to die with a supply of chemotherapy tablets to take until......

As I prayed for her, I found myself praying that God would give her new flesh, new skin, to replace all the scar tissue, that it would be external evidence of the internal miracle. (How many times do I think, 'Me and my big mouth??').

WELL...... Monday evening her dad said to her 'I think the scar on your neck is shrinking and getting paler...' - closer examination showed that not only was that true, but new, pink, fresh skin and flesh were appearing where the scar had been... that is happening on her chest, as well, I'm told.... if that's not a miracle, what is???!! God is so, so good..... I'm waiting to get hold of her phone number to talk to her.... encourage her, pray for her, and hear as the miracle unfolds....

Last night, a lovely meeting at Towerview Free Methodist church.... prayed for a man named Robert, with parkinsons... Alan, my good friend, had prayed for him, then I prayed, having been praying with others whilst he was with Robert... and by coincidence (!) I prayed exactly the things Alan had... Robert's face changed... he looked so different from when he'd arrived... looking forward to hearing what God has done for him today! Both Alan and I knew that we knew that we knew he's being healed....

Miracle Jenny J is doing well.... dad and mum and family are such an inspiration, and quite amazing in their faith....

More to tell, and to come, but now I need to sleep, as I leave tomorrow back to England, en route to Romania Friday.... Colombia's coming soon, too.... can't wait!

5 February

A couple of weeks' silence... can't remember when I had a month at home, with only a few meetings locally in the USA to speak at... I've said before, I struggle a bit with relaxing - like with sleep, relaxation and I are not the greatest friends! - but as the days went by, I got more and more tired, which suggested that my body actually NEEDED the break... Added to that, it's the first time in a long time that I've been able just to sit and listen to the Lord, and he said things to me, and did things in me, that I didn't know needed doing! It was a precious and special time.

One of the -very - unexpected things that God did was in the most unlikely of ways... for years my brother in law did 'slide' photography, and had a mass of transparencies in his garage which he and my sister never looked at any more... until I told them a couple of months back about slide scanners, for the computer. Since they got one, they've been avidly scanning and printing. 10 days ago, they sent me a few pictures from over 40 years ago: with my mum, when I was 12: and with my dad, in May/June 1965. One picture, a picture taken from behind, was of me and my dad, who died suddenly 3-4 months later, with our arms round each other, and little 12 year old me with my head on his shoulder.... no sooner had I clicked on it to open it and the tears erupted.....for hours. Even as I'm writing this, it's happening again..... Dad died in September '65, only 41 years old, and I only knew him for a little while really, but boy, did I love him... and I realised in January 2009 just how much I miss him, what a wonderful dad he was, and how much I'd still love him to be in my life. The bible says that there are many teachers, but not many fathers... they are so important, whether 'natural' fathers or spiritual.... I thought that I'd dealt with the loss of my dad years ago: only to find that the grief was still sitting in an unknown part of my emotions and I had no idea....

Travelled back to England last weekend, to arrive just at the same time as the snow, and with the wonderful prospect of quite a bit of driving ahead! I was down in Cornwall to see my mum, sister and brother in law and nephew Stewart.... it was good to see them and be able to rpay for them. I went a day earlier than I'd planned to race ahead of the snow, as I was always told they never had any in Cornwall...! Hmmm.... they do, and a lot! It was 'interesting' driving on narrow hilly roads, with parked cars, and walls pretending to be hedges, where no car had gone before, on fresh snow on ice.... hmmm. Prayed a lot, as even a small dent on my trusty Toyota would see it written off (totalled, for any Americans!)... well, it is 15 years old, and on the journey back from my Rhinos get together last night (again, finishing early to race today's snow - good job we did, as where we were had 8 inches (20 cms) today....

Talking of Rhinos, had a wonderful time away with them, even though two couldn't be there. It's so hard to verbalise just how vital this group of men are to me. It's so wonderful to be in an environment where I know I'm loved for me, not for what I do, and where I can be ...me. And to have a bunch of anointed, spirit filled men, anoint you, pray for you, and prophesy over you, is a wonderful blessing....

So, weather and open airports permitting, I'm in Northern Ireland from Saturday, preaching three times on Sunday, and doubtless a few more times during the week, before heading back to England onwards to Romania..... a few days there, then back to the USA for Colombia on the 27th. There seems to be a huge expectation in Cali for this trip, so my faith is rising up through the roof for it... And I'm believing for great things in Ireland too.... in the evening, the first ever (I believe) healing meeting in Keady/Armaghbreaghe, close to the border... come Lord Jesus, and do what only you can do....

24 January

Just a note to say an update to one testimony, and a lovely new one, have been posted on the 'testimonies' tab.... preparing here to preach at my home church tomorrow, value your prayers, I want to share something relevant and from God.

Also to say that my trip to Serbia, Croatia, and Montenegro has been postponed (I'm beginning to get a complex about postponed trips!!!!) - very valid reasons, but it leaves me with some dates to fill in May. I'm due to be in Romania mid May, so if you want me to come to your church, I might well be able to!

The pound continues it's merry way to the bottom of the world currency pile, it is down to $1.37 to the pound commercially now, which means for ordinary people $1.31 tops... to have dropped so far so quickly is a disaster! And it keeps going down....

19 January

Tomorrow's a big day here in the States, following today's national holiday (Martin Luther King Day), with the inauguration of Mr Obama. Who knows where the world will go now from a human perspective? On the surface, he seems to have it all, but I remember only too well a similar 'young' man with the looks, the answers, the smile, the charisma, and the oratory, riding to power to in the United Kingdom 12 years ago. Thank God GOD'S in charge.... we don't have to know, believe, or want any more than that.

God is still faithful: I've had to remind myself of that over and over even in the last 24 hours, as the pound has once again plunged against the dollar - last week, it was mildly hopeful, when it reached the 'heady' heights of $1.53 to the pound (6 months ago it was $2.06). Tonight it is at the lowest it has been commercially for a very long time - $1.42 - and the commercial rate is always much higher than the tourist rate, so I guess for me it's around $1.37. God is faithful..... but would you still pray for a miracle financially for me, please? Pray always helps accelerate God's faithfulness!!!!

The next trip is pretty much non-remunerative, with a visit to my mum, the Rhinos accountability days away, and Romania... I'd really appreciate your prayers!

14 January

Well, no great revelation as to what to do with the 'lost' 10 days that will now be Alaska next year... at least, not yet! - so it looks like I'll have a few extra days at home, which is a very nice prospect, as I don't often get a 'run' of weeks at home. It might mean I feel compelled to do more cleaning (though I think that's unlikely!), rather use the time to see people/pastors in this area and develop friendships and relationships. If I'm honest, when I'm at home, I sometimes feel guilty because, with people supporting me so sacrificially, I ought to be out 'doing'. Truth is, the average pastor or missionary seems to get a sabbatical every 7 years, often for between 3 and 6 months, and in 30 years I've never had one! So maybe 3-4 weeks at home is acceptable.... This Sunday, 18th January, marks the 30th anniversary of my last date I received a salary cheque/check. Quite a remarkable testimony, not to what I've done, but to God's love, loyalty, faithfulness, and provision. I really feel humbled and blessed: if anyone had told me in 1979 when the first scared and tentative step was taken to walk away from a career in banking, that 30 years later I'd still be on that path, I'd have laughed and said it's not possible... So, here's to the next 30. I'll only be 86 then, so I should still be running....

10 January

It's always a joy to go to visit my great friends' Frank & Phoebe Shaia's home fellowship - The Watering Hole' - in Williamsburg. There is always a very real sense of the presence of the Lord there, and it's always informal, relaxed, but extremely powerful. The people are a very prophetic bunch, and last night I was so blessed to be on the receiving end of some amazing words from the Lord through a number of them.

It is a great privilege to have prophecy spoken over you (when you sense it is right, and not 'flaky'!! - there is plenty of that sort around!). Frank is very prophetic, and has prophesied over me a number of times in recent months, especially to do with God opening up Mediterranean countries to me, beginning with a picture of a door, very specifically Med 'style'. Last night it was more detailed, mentioning 'a pastor in Israel' and another 'pastor in Italy'. I have a few indirect links in Israel, but none in Italy, so but moving closer to Italy in a few months' time as I go to Croatia and Montenegro, on the same trip as Serbia.... those of you who know me will know the 'angel' story: God spoke very clearly last night about an increase in his divine protection, and that (and this REALLY blew me away!) he will go wherever I go. Before you jump on theological 'high horses'! that really is a direct fulfilment of God's promise in Psalm 37:4, which I've taught for years, and then about 6/7 years ago heard Bill Johnson (Bible expositor extraordinnaire known to many) preaching, that it is not God's desire he wants to fulfil through us if we delight in him, it is OUR desire... what do YOU want.... which in turn is fulfilled by Jesus' promise of 'anything you ask in my name, I WILL do it...

I've longed to go to Israel, never been, always feeling that as it wasn't a 'mission' trip, I couldn't justify it... I think, too, that I've always wanted to go with a specific English preacher, who knows Israel inside out, and the Muslim world, too: perhaps I need to contact him and ask him if he has plans to go again soon.... he's in his 80's now. I felt a few more pieces fall into place last night, and almost like a changing up of gears....

There was more to the prophetic words, but I'd value your prayers as I weigh up and get others I'm accountable to to weigh up, what God has been saying. Thank you!

8 January

If you get the chance, do have a look at the new testimonies from Victor and Roy on the 'testimonies' page... I will add the photo of Victor when I can remember how to do it.... :-(

Christmas & Winter 2008/09 newsletter now available!

7 January

Well, things can change fast! A lovely Pastor in Bethel, Alaska, called yesterday- it seems that one of the churches I was going to be involved with, with Dave & Clare, has gone through a radical change, with the Pastor (not the one who called, he's overseeing the transition) standing down, leaving the church in a state of flux. In a community that small (just over 6,000 people in Bethel) such a change ripples out through the community, and it seems better that the imminent trip is postponed. So, having bought clothes for -56F (that's what it has been there!) it looks as though I'll be asking Eddie Bauer to take them back from me before I take the labels off! What it HAS done is begin a lovely relationship building with the overseeing pastor, which will be a big plus when the visit does take place, which is likely to be a year from now..... so, I'm praying and asking God what he wants me to do with the 'spare' 10 days I now find I have!

6 January 2009

I'm so sorry, for anyone who keeps up with my blog, that it's been a couple of weeks now since writing here, but Christmas, New Year, and the problems with the software have got in the way. Right now I'm downloading a new version of the web editing software, so hopefully that'll be history!

I do hope and pray that you had a good Christmas, and that 2009 will be a year of immense blessing to you: in the face of a worldwide recession, I pray that (and believe that) God will 'survive and prosper' His people when other businesses are collapsing all around.

Having not been in the United Kingdom since 19 December, it's funny to think that Woolworths, a shop that's been around for a hundred years, almost twice my lifetime, will not be on the High Streets when I get back there at the end of the month... no more getting all the Roses & Quality Street caramels from the Pic'n'Mix :-(

The last couple of weeks for me have been such a blessing, having the amazing privilege and delight of Christmas in the Caribbean as a gift, with a lovely family from Ireland: I can't even begin to say in words what a blessing it has been. I realised when I 'stopped' how tired I was, and if I'd spent the holiday just about anywhere else, I'd have found stuff to do, especially at home.... so to be blessed in such a way was an amazing gift. I won't say too much as I know it's very cold where a lot of people who read this blog live.... but it WAS very warm, and the sea very blue.... and I hope my tan doesn't fade too fast :-)

Once the new software is installed, I will post a lovely testimony from Colombia, which arrived a few days ago, and a furhter testimony of the little boy, Sam, who began to talk recently.... hopefully, too, with a few days at home before Alaska, I might even get some more pictures and testimonies posted....

My newsletter is now here online, unsurprisingly on the 'newsletters' page under December 2008.... so if you didn't get one, or binned it with the avalanche of mail you recieved over the holiday, you can read it and/or print it from here...

I'd appreciate your prayers as the dollar and euro continue to strengthen against the pound.... the rates in the press are very often the commerce rates, and tourist rates for mere mortals like us is mostly a few cents lower.

I have a lot to prepare for Alaska - I've been asked to speak into such issues/ subjects as hopelessness, despair, depression, suicide, lack of vision... in a culture which is affected so much by SAD - Seasonal Affective Disorder - due to the ultra short daylight that far north, these are huge issues. I was briefly chatting to a Pastor on the phone today, from Bethel, which is about a far west as you go in Alaska, who told me that it was a little warmer today - it had risen to -40 degrees (yes, minus 40!).... it sent me straight out to look for thermal clothes! Thank God for Eddie Bauer stores!!!! Please pray as I think through how to address all the issues positively, without it seeming I just don't understand....

21 December

Seems that quite a few people didn't get the newsletter I emailed out at the beginning of the month. I don't know what my internet provider does with mass mail: in the summer, I sent it once to everyone, and some people got it over 60 times (what a blessing!)... if you're reading this and didn't get it, can you email me and tell me please, as I haven't been able to put it on the newsletter page yet due to the problems with my software!

I've added a few more testimonies though, if you want to read them.

I'd really value your prayers (even though I know God is faithful, they still help!) with the British pounds' crisis on the exchange rate front... as the pound slides down against the dollar and euro, both those currency devaluations affect me.... the commercial business rate, which is the one you hear on the news, is always higher than the tourist rate, which is the one ordinary people like you and I get. So though it gets reported that there are $1.48 to the pound, when you buy as tourists (and that includes using cash machines/atm's) you get about $1.38 (6 months ago it was $2.06). And as for the euro (which I need when I'm travelling to eastern europe and other countries!), the official rate is 1.05 euros to the pound: at the airport on Friday, it was 0.95 (6 months ago it was 1.45). God IS faithful, but there is also a reality, and that is that I've lost about 35% of my 'income' plus the supporters who have had to stop their support due to the current crisis.....

20 December

Home again... long day yesterday flying! It was different for me, as I flew in the afternoon - it was nice not having to be at Heathrow at 5am, which I often am for flights! - but it made getting home really late! John was at Washington DC airport to meet me though, and drove home 3 hours, having literally just driver there the same amount...

Still having big problems with my web software - I keep trying to get this particular version of the software, but there's a newer 'model' out now, and I can't get hold of Tim, who designed the website, to find out if he can still use the old one if I get the new one... not exactly a world-shattering problem, but it does make it hit and miss as to when I can actually get the software on my computer to load....

Ireland continued to be a time of real blessing - is it ever anything else these days? Really is becoming my second home.... I'm back there again in February, which I'm already looking forward to.

Romania was good, too: only there for around 3 days, but busy, and a real blessing. I was going straight from the airport to visit my mum, in her home in Newquay, but there's an awful bug going around, seems like everyone in the place has got it, mum included, and the staff, so it was better from their point of view not to go. Praying for mum that it doesn't get worse for her.

Two lovely days at Chantmarle Conference Centre, in Dorset, with World Harvest Christian Fellowship. It was their annual church conference, and I followed, as speaker, my great friend Arnold Muwonge, a wonderful prophetic Ugandan missionary to England.... a hard act to follow. I had two main sessions, and after Wednesday evening's, I think I must have prayed for just about everyone at the conference.... I was praying for a good 2 hours, and people testified there and then, and next morning, to knowing that God had healed them. I love being with African churches, they are so open to the Spirit of God, and faith doesn't seem to be the 'issue' for them like it does for so many of us westerners.

They are also very honouring, and the Pastor, Wale Babatunde, was so gracious and kind in his introductions, and I hope and pray that this will grow to become a great friendship, not only with him, but with his churches. It is a great ministry, and effective in a number of nations.

4 days to the wonderful celebration of Jesus' arrival on earth: I hope and pray that your Christmas will be blessed, peaceful, and joyful, that the problems of the world will become God's problem for you, and that 2009 will be a year of blessing and anointing.

10 December

I do apologise but I'm having a spot of bother with my web page software! It keeps telling me, when I try to load it, that there are important files missing, so actually getting it to load is somewhat hit and miss.... guess I need to reinstall it again, but that means a long download which I can't do until I'm back in the States. So, no blog update, newsletter not posted yet... hopefully soon! Some more testimonies to put here, too....

I'm having a great time here in Ireland, with lots of people to pray for, a few meetings, and chance to catch up with friends... I leave here in the morning though, to fly back to England, then crack of dawn Friday, fly to Romania for 3 days.

I'm sure that here, very soon, I'll hear testimonies from these few days... often don't hear them until I come back 'next time' :( ... heard today the story of a lovely lady (I won't mention her name) who'd suffered from acute depression for a long time, and a stack of insecurities... totally transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit through prayer. Healing comes in all shapes and sizes! One lady, last night, with severe neck and shoulder pain, was healed.... a young lady with a curved spine and as a result, uneven hips and feet - well, her spine moved as she was prayed for.... God's Good!!!!!!!

2 December

Starting to pack to get into yet another of those hollow metal tubes to be whisked 7 miles up at 600 miles per hour.... under the control of.....who? I've no idea who I entrust my life to every time! But, it'll be worth it, as I'm headed for Bangor, Northern Ireland, very much a 'home' for me now. I go there Saturday morning, until the following Thursday, then a flying visit to Romania, followed by the real privilege of speaking at the prophetic conference of World Harvest Christian Fellowship, a church pastored and led by a man with whom I made a very real connection at the Detling Bible Week, Wale Babatunde.

The past couple of weeks have been great... filled with mail, email, videos, mail, laundry, videos - and the highlight - 4 days over in Houston over Thanksgiving, with my daughter and son-in-law, Katy and Joshua, and my two great grandsons, Ethan and Seth.... I have to say that, even though he's 'only' my son in law, I'm so proud of Joshua, who graduates with a degree in accounting, which he has done in his spare time, alongside a demanding job with NASA and two young sons to 'help' with his homework... Katy & Josh have done amazing over the years he's been studying, and he's graduating with what would be in the UK a first class honours degree, and in the States, a 4.0 'score'.... It was fantastic to have time with Ethan and Seth, we 'bundled' and laughed a great deal, and it was good to have English stuffing with the turkey, and roast potatoes....!

So, 15 busy days now coming up, returning here on 19 December - but.... with the (still) amazing prospect of Christmas in Barbados.... still seems like a dream! I'm wanting to get as much sun as possible to stockpile it in my system for the trip mid January to Bethel, Alaska... where some days it could be 2-3 hours of daylight, and temperatures lower than -40 fahrenheit (no idea what that is in new money!).... life's certainly varied! And I do put this ageing body (56 years old on the 14th December!) through its paces, and hammer it with extremes sometimes!

My latest newsletter is now 'out' (if I can remember how to do it, I'll put it on the newsletter page here!). Would value your prayers as the pound continues to plummet against the dollar, losing 5.2% yesterday, and taking it to its lowest point for many, many years.... that means the pound has lost around a third of its value in 3 months, which equates to about a third of my support disappearing!

20 November

It's nice to have stopped for a few days! Though there's a lot to catch up with now I have, and wonderfully exciting things like mail andlaundry (I know, they plague you, too: but often I can't get near a washing machine so it stacks up a bit... :( ! It's been good to catch up with myself: the last few weeks have been so hectic.... I'm not sure I know how to relax any more!

Some lovely stories in the mail this week... I've put them on the testimonies page, if you want to read them. I have to set to on writing a newsletter, too: for someone who still doesn't know much about computers, or design, it can be quite stressful!

Something occurred to me (maybe it was God reminding me??) a week or so back. January 2009 is the 30th anniversary of my living without a salary (some would say living without a job, I guess!). I'll fill the story in in more detail in the newsletter, but by 1979. I had been arguing with God for a few years over leaving my job and going into full time ministry. I liked the idea of ministry, but I also liked having a salary on the 18th of every month.... I don't ever believe that God makes us ill, but I DO believe that he uses it sometimes to teach us, or show us things that we wouldn't see or hear in the normal 'stuff of life'. I got a gastric flu bug, nothing too serious, was sent home from work early on a Thursday afternoon - and never went back. Fifty one and half weeks later, and many inconclusive hospital tests, including a couple of weeks IN hospital (for a while they thought I might have leukaemia - I actually had brucellosis, which until then I only thought cows caught...), I quit my job, having learned to live on less and less over that almost-year (I only got paid for a month as my length of service didn't qualify me for me).

Ebenezer - 'hitherto has the Lord helped us' - more modernly translated as 'God has been faithful up until now'.... back in July, in Cali, Colombia, American prophet Rodney Nelson prophesied over me that same name - and added that God will be faithful from now on. (That was the prophetic word where God said 'the dead is raised...' and it is recorded in full on the 'who is Paul - what other people say about him' page). God HAS been faithful: 1979 was tough, but God showed me a lot. Since then, God has been so, so amazing in what He has done, where He has allowed me to go, and allowed me to see....

Next Wednesday, I have the total delight of being able to go to Houston, to spend Thanksgiving (still none too sure what the celebration is all about!) with Joshua, Katy, Ethan, and Seth, my daughter, son in law, and lovely grandsons. I'll be there until Sunday, so doubtless I'll be a worn out granddad when I fly back here to Virginia!

14 November

Goodness me, time is flying by.... another week since I updated here.... so much has happened this week!

Super time with the Vineyard Church, Melton Mowbray - wow, how that church has grown in the 21 months since I was last there, and how God is blessing it! It was lovely to see so many respond for ministry at the end, and even lovelier to have the church ministry team take a lot of the praying! Looking forward to hearing stories... I'm sure there will be some!

Straight back to Addlestone, where I rapidly repacked and overnighted with my dear friends Keith & Margi to get to Heathrow early for the flight to Sweden. Hoped Sweden might NOT be cold and wet like England, but it was a vain hope! Four terrific meetings over a couple of days with Agape Church, Sundbyberg, Stockholm: some 'immediate' healings, including a lovely one of a none-too-young lady who had suffered lifelong pain from rheumatic fever, and her fingers had 'seized' up preventing her playing the piano in church, which was her delight and part of her worship to the Lord.... prayed for her Monday evening, she testified to no pain on the Tuesday evening, and played the paino in the worship.... other healings and 'healings in progress' were testified to, so it made it a great couple of days! Spent a few hours on Tuesday with my great friend Stojan Gajicki, which was lovely, and fixed up a return visit to Serbia, and also Croatia and Montenegro, too....

A trip to Finland also looks very likely, and a return 'tour' of Sweden.... in March and April... it really does seem that God's sense of humour in having me live on the far side of the Atlantic and yet bring me to Europe consistently will continue!!!

Two great days away with the Rhinos, such an important part of my diary and more than that, my life... don't know what I'd do without those guys speaking into my life, praying for me, and caring for me.... priority number one, without a doubt!

Busy weekend this weekend, Friday and Saturday in Cornwall visiting my mum, sister, and brother in law - and nephew Stewart of course - praying with them and for them, then on to Plymouth tomorrow, to speak Sunday morning in City Church, one of my favourite 'visits'.... and another Sunday evening, to Maranatha Church, Exeter, both churches so alive and so open to the Holy Spirit..... a good day ahead of many hours in another hollow metal tube back to the USA....

7 November

Great time on Sunday at King's Church, Wellington, Somerset, England: especially good to catch up with some 'old' friends (it's probably 7 years since I was last there!), and even more special as it was wonderful to have Heidi & Stuart Plympton there, sharing in the ministry. It was Heidi's first public 'outing' for well over a year: you'd never have believed it as she produced prophetic word after prophetic word for the church and individuals.... so good to work alongside her again! Prayed for pretty much all the people there, I reckon!

Lovely story in today from Scotland.... "I'm sitting here at the laptop still wearing my specs - but still hopeful of healing - but....with no pain in my neck for about the last 5 weeks and just as exciting, I have days where the alarm clock wakes me up! I'm sleeping so much better than I have done in such a long time". I can vouch for the 'struggling with sleep people' (it's not my most successful past-time!!) so when God does a healing in that area, it is such a blessing! Really did seem to have a ministry of sending people to sleep that week in Scotland!

Here in Romania now, just with a small group of students and one or two other meetings, and then a hurried return to England Saturday afternoon and a drive to Melton Mowbray.... quickly followed by 2 days in Sweden.... and then Rhinos!

An amazing blessing confirmed this week.... Christmas has been taken out of my hands and instead of spending it in the UK, Virginia, or who knows where, some dear friends have asked me to join them in Barbados, which has just blown my mind.... the whole thing is a gift, so it's just an outrageous blessing from God for which I am extremely grateful.

Been working a little on the diary for the new year, and some provisional datesare in, but not confirmed.... hoping to get that sorted in the next few days!

30 October

Heard a lovely story today from a dear friend who, for many many years, has suffered the most amazing migraine attacks, which have effectively crippled him for days at a time, and often.... had the joy of praying for him (as many times in the past - never give up!) at the Detling Bible Week in August, and this is what he said....

"Thanks to all your prayer support the headaches which have afflicted me for so long, have been significantly better since Detling. I am grateful to the healing power of the Lord mediated through my brothers."

Been praying for my brother in law, Derek, too, who earlier this year was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He's been through radiation, and going through hormone treatment. The oncologist had said that it was a nasty tumour, quite aggressive.... a few weeks ago, his PSA reading was up (I'm told it should be less than 5, his was in 3 figures).... been praying a lot with and for him, and he heard last week that it is now 0.1! Thank you, Lord!!!! The oncologist 'couldn't explain it'....

And so, tomorrow, Thursday, I head for the sky again, en route to Wellington, Somerset; Romania; Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire; Stockholm, Sweden; Cornwall; and Plymouth, Devon, before coming back home on 17th November.

For various reasons, the trip to Colombia has been pushed into the new year (probably end of February and into March), which, with hindsight, is a relief, as during these few days at home, my tiredness has been overwhelming. I think a couple of weeks before heading back to eastern europe and England again is probably a good thing!

27 October

Can I ask for your prayers please? It's a purely practical thing, but 4 months ago, our lovely British pound bought 2.1 USA Dollars. So, on a 300 pound withdrawal from a cash machine/ATM, I was getting $620. This week, because of the collapse of the pound in the past months, I get $460 for the same 300 pounds. That means a loss, effectively, of 25% of my 'income', and if you add to that the fact that in the last 6 weeks I've lost 4 regular supporters, mostly due to the 'credit crunch' and loss of jobs, and all for very valid reasons (they still love me, which is most important!), and that's another 130 pounds plus a month that has just 'disappeared'. The pound shows no sign of stopping its slide: it's the lowest it has been for years, and the first time it has dropped below $1.60 for 16 years.... so it is a very very tough time for me right now. Thank you for your prayers!!

26 October

Goodness, has it really been 9 days since I updated here...? My time at home (got home on 21st) seems to have gone so fast, and now only 3 days left before a very busy 3 weeks in England, Romania, and Sweden.

Sunday last week went well (at least, from my point of view!!) at Frensham Baptist Fellowship: it seemed to go well, too, for the high percentage of people from the meeting who wanted me to pray for them afterwards.... guess if it had gone badly they wouldn't have come forward! It was a joy to pray them, and I hope and pray that there have been many 'results'....

Hearing stories (slowly :( .....) from other places! A lady in Devon who was off all painkillers having had bad back trouble ('the physio didn't quite know what to say...')!! A lady, Beth, from my home church in Viriginia - her feet both pointed outwards severely, had done (as far as I gather) all her life...and couldn't straighten them, let alone turn them in. It obviously affected her walking, general mobility, and also her self esteem: she would never wear skirts and always wore trousers/pants in order to cover her feet as much as possible. Just 'happened' to hear on Friday evening that her feet are now perfectly straight, she can turn them in if she so desires(!) and she wears skirts....how wonderful for her, and thank you Lord!!!

A lovely man from Ireland (I'll have to check with him if he minds me using his name here!) two weeks ago was told by doctors that his lymphoma was accelerating and aggressive: the next week they said it was 'in remission'! I sort of think that might be another word for 'healed'!

It's been good being home, but we had a very busy weekend of meetings at our church, and of course my great friends Dave & Clare Cleave are here too.... the church weekend was exciting in that it took place because there is real growth in the church, and it was a 'restructuring for revival' weekend.... though I'll happily leave church structure and the worling out of it to others who might actually enjoy it! It's been great seeing Dave and Clare, and seeing how well they fit in with the church here.... they're going to be an amazing asset to Restoration Christian Centre in the months and years ahead.

17 October

Well, as usual it has been very busy here in Northern Ireland! So many visits to people's homes to pray for them, plus the Conference in Coleraine (not too big an attendance, but a great time), and a few meetings interpersed with a lot more praying for people!

The Healing Rooms conference was a great time, despite being fairly small in numbers. It was great to get to know Andrew And Valerie Barr so much better (Andrew in the NI Director of Healing Rooms), and also Steven & Helen Anderson, who were also speaking, the Directors of the thriving and flourishing Healing Rooms ministry in Scotland. Some real connections were made, a lot of people prayed for (inevitable!!). Prayed for a lovely couple, Brian & Carol, Brian has been a Multiple Sclerosis victim for 14 years (he's 54) together with crushed and collapsed vertebrae and discs in his back. Pain would probably be 15 on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the worst.. :( but by Saturday night he was standing with his arms raised in worship, and ended the evening declaring out loud prophecies that had been spoken over that he will dance for the King, that his healing would continue, and that Satan would have to restore all that had been stolen from him...

Stayed with a lovely couple, Geoff & Wilma McGookin: fascinating to hear Geoff's story of a transformation from being a convicted UDA terrorist to helping andrew head up the healing rooms....

Being here in Bangor (which I am until tomorrow, Saturday) has been great: very much a 'home from home'. Didn't preach Sunday night, but the pastor, Charles, asked if I'd pray for people after the evening service for healing, whaich of course I was delighted to do: thought at first no one was going to come forward and I'd get the evening off....well, the floodgates opened, and I was there 3 hours beyond the end of the meeting! Some people came to tell me that they had been healed in meetings earlier in the year, and needed prayer for other things, or even other people. I'm finding more and more that God is doing the 'stuff' by proxy, but then the precedent Jesus set with the Roman Centurion and his servant is a pretty undeniable and convincing precedent, well good enough for me!

Some healings then, some 'measure of healing' for others, and some lovely stories.... one lovely lady who a year a ago had major eye problems (like fast losing her sight and heading at best for major surgery) has 20-20 vision without surgery... people getting sleep that had eluded some of them for months and years... a man with a major heart condition that he knew was healed - my friend Alan, from here in Bangor, was with me praying for people on Tuesday evening, and he saw some people healed, too.... truth is, even as I write this, I'm so tired, I'm having trouble recalling some of the healings, so maybe I ought to go to bed and sleep!

Travelling back to England tomorrow, ahead of speaking at the church of Russ & Roz Parker, in Surrey: Russ is a fellow Rhino, a great preacher, and though I'd love to see him, I think I'm slightly relieved that he's somewhere in North Carolina preaching himself! Guess all of us are insecure somehwere when it comes right down to the nitty gritty!

9 October

Back for a week in incredibly cold and wet Britain! Landed at Heathrow Saturday morning, and drove straight down to South Milton in Devon, an 'open house' pre-Alpha soiree on Saturday, and for Sunday's meeting at Kingsbridge.Seems there could be 30 people on the Alpha course, which for a small rural town is pretty astonishing! Sunday morning was a lovely meeting: I don't know how many people I prayed for, but it must have been around 75% of the congregation, as I stopped speaking at 12 (miracle!) and left the building just before 2.30pm! A lady, Monica I think, with a cancerous bone spur on her foot, and with legs of conisderably uneven length went away with legs the same length. She'd not been able to walk even from the church to the car previously: she did Sunday, and then went out for a 2.5 hour cycle ride! I know many other good things happened, just waiting to hear....

Down to see my mum in Cornwall from Kingsbridge, and my sister and brother in law. Then the long haul back to Addlestone, for the flight to Belfast Tuesday morning. Straight into praying for people in their homes, Tuesday and all day Wednesday, and much of today, Thursday. Driving to Coleraine midday tomorrow for the Healing Rooms conference.

1 October

Wow, the time is flying and my time of'respite' is nearly over... I didn't realise until the last few days how much I HAD wound down, and tiredness hit me very hard! One more day before I head back for Washington DC airport, and the delight of an overnight flight landing at some ungodly hour Saturday morning.... still, I have the delight of spending Saturday evening and overnight with my long-time friends David & Sian Fenton-Jones in the heart of the Devon countryside before having the privilege of speaking Sunday morning at the church they attend, Kingsbridge Baptist. Then a drive in the afternoon down to West Cornwall to see my mum, sister, brother in law, and nephew, before heading back to the dear friends Keith & Margie Bland, close to Heathrow, for the flight out to Belfast on Tuesday. I'd appreciate your prayers for strength for this trip, and all of the next 3 months: I know I keep asking, but it is quite a gruelling schedule! My fault, I know, I admit it! But everything seemed like a 'God idea' at the time....

I'm looking forward to hooking up with Andrew Barr, the Director for the Healing Rooms, Ireland, again. We've met a few times, and it'll be good to get more time with him, as he's one of 'those' people there's an instant connection with.

Spent Monday afternoon with a few men who I really think could be the american version of 'Rhinos'.... John, my best mate was there of course, along with Frank Shaia, from Williamsburg, and Bill Beni, a terrific pastor from Cumberland, about 2 hours west of where I live. There's a real desire to 'be there' for each other, to be honest, share fellowship, and watch each other's backs. We're meeting again at the end of the month. That will never, of course, for me, mean quitting Rhinos in England!! The dates we meet together are the first thing in my diary/agenda each year! And 'm looking forward to being with them in November.

27 September

It's been a nice week at home.... spoke at my home church last Sunday, I felt it was a good word(!) and John did too, which is always a relief! World events are moving so fast, and it is going to take those of us who want to run with what God is doing to run even faster. God spoke to Jeremiah about running with the horses, which is what I spoke about on Sunday....

Some lovely meetings this week with different people, especially with a man who is becoming a very dear friend, Ian Roberts, an Aussie who, with his great wife, Bev, live a few miles up the road, in Willimasburg. Last night, Friday, I was with a home fellowship ('The Watering Hole') with great friends Frank & Phoebe Shaia, their fellowship is wonderful and all of them are good friends. It was a joy to pray with a number, some for healing, others just for blessing or prophecy.

Time seems to be racing on now, and in just a few days I'm back on a plane, the same day Dave & Clare Cleave arrive here from England: they are looking for somewhere to live, feeling this is a good place to 'settle' for the time being, and they seem to want to travel a bit more with me, which thrills me to bits, as they are great to have 'on the road' with you!

Friday begins the hectic spell that leads into Christmas, so I'm praying for God's increased strength and anointing for the busy days ahead.

20 September

Wonderful time with Southside Christian Fellowship, in Ayr, Scotland.... a weekend of meetings, plus lots of people to pray for in their homes who couldn't make it to the meetings. Seems last weekend I had a specific ministry of sending people to sleep! Not in the meetings, I would hasten to add.... I lost count of the number of people I prayed for who had major league sleep issues, and a good number testified to having slept the next night, and subsequent nights. One lady, who had not slept more than a couple of hours for some years, slept 8 & 9 hours.... I know only too well that lack of sleep is devastating, so for people like them this is a real miracle, and such a blessing.

It was so good to get to know Colin Mutch, the Pastor of Southside: felt a real connection with him and with others in the church. Colin's sense of humour is similar to mine (aarrgghhh!!! I hear you shout!), and the meetings were fun, as well as being blessed by God, much as a result of Colin's lovely spirit and humour.

There were many other healings, and I'm pretty certain that there will be more testimonies coming out during the week and in the days ahead. I'd love to go back to Ayr again soon!

The long drive south went well - I had to be around Heathrow in order to fly home - and it was so lovely to be able to stop off in Keswick (what a gorgeous town) to spend a little time with my cousin Robert, Norma, and their son, Stephen. It's been a few years since our paths last crossed, and it was such a blessing to 'hook up' with them, as my family is unbelievably small, and to lose contact with them almost halved it!

Then the long day coming home.... flight delayed nearly 3 hours due to a cracked outer panel on the plane (!! glad they found it!!), but it was a good flight after that, and great to see the smiling face of John, my Pastor and best mate, in Washington DC airport.

And coming home was so good, too, as at last (I think, hope, and pray!) everything that needed doing in the house is done.... so I can shower, do laundry (delightful!), flush to toilet (even more delightful!!!), AND use the kitchen.... I need a few days of 'chilling', I think, though I'm preaching tomorrow at my home church, and will probably have a few more meetings here and there.

13 September

Lovely few days in Bangor and the surrounding area in Northern Ireland. Kicked off by meeting an amazing ,missionary couple from the United States, whose passion for Ireland knows no limits, and who are so wonderfully God-driven crazy. Had opportunity to pray with a couple of their childrem, who suffer from varying degrees of autism. Bangor is where lovely 2.5 yr old Oscar, suffering from acute autism 5 years ago, began his 'road' to freedom, so praying for autism there has a good 'history' which always makes it easier to pray!

'House' calls filled the rest of Monday and Tuesday - going to the homes of very sick folk and praying for them: then a great meeting Tuesday evening at West Church, Bangor, my adopted home church in the UK. Probably about 60 in the meeting, and I think I prayed for just about all of them! My good friend, Alan (who was in Colombia with me) was there, and there's a wonderful young lady at West who has a real heart and anointing for praying for healing, Ellen. Ellen is, I think, 16, and boy, is God using her already! A lovely young woman, Fiona, was suffering from a neck joint that was very painfully out of place. As Ellen and I prayed, she started making a lot of unusual movements: I asked her what was going on, and was she in pain... no, what she was feeling with my hand on her neck was what the physiotherapist did to her, and had tried to solve the problem over a long period of time.... seems like God did it in a few moments!

Would you pray with me for a terrific man, Paddy (is there a BETTER Irish name??!!) please? Paddy is a very fit man, footballer, 46 years old, with a wonderful heart, who has been hit hard by motor neurone disease. I've got to know him over the last couple of visits, and I know God is healing him.... I'm praying that his heealing will be total by the time he and his lovely wife Joanne are due to go on holiday to Spain on 10 October....

Spent some time with John & Karen: their little girl Robyn was the one who went home to be with Jesus just 3 weeks or so ago.... it was such a privilege to be with them, in their time of questioning, grief, and yet a closer and closer walk with God every day. They have become real, dear friends in the past few months. Please remember them in prayer.....

More house calls, including to see my adopted family, the Johnstons, in Donagadhee... just a year ago we met, when their lovely daughter Jenny had been issued with a medical death sentence of maximum 2 weeks.... so good to celebrate her life a year on from that weekend! And my lovely friend Harry, who a year ago was at deaths door (and looked it!)... still some way to full recovery, but he looks a different man, and God's future for his life is wonderful ....

Then down to Dublin with my friends Robin and Sharon.... to hook up with Joan Hunter, daughter of Charles & Frances Hunter (the Happy Hunters) as Joan was speaking in a great church, Victory Christian Fellowship. So, so good to reconnect with Joan after a good 5 year gap, and meet many from the church there. Joan was fantastic that evening....

Now in Ayr, Scotland.... and a super meeting last night! With Southside Christian Fellowship, God touched loads of peoples lives, and a number were healed, with (I know!) more testimonies tonight....

8 September

Lovely day with the folk from Selkirk Baptist: 2 very different meetings, but with many people responding for prayer and ministry.... another one of those situations where the stories will be heard over coming days, even weeks. I'm realising more and more that the purpose of healing is not only to bless the sick person, but very often God has a bigger picture that he wants to fulfil in bringing that person freedom from their illness. So often, too, we look for the 'instant quick fix' healing, and if I; hearing god right, he wants to grow the faith of the person being prayed for even if it is an 'overnight' healing. Faith is belieiving that you have received what you have not yet seen...

So I'm looking forward to hearing stories and testimonies coming from this past 24 hours! Head off early this morning on what doesn't look a long journey (in a straight line!) but unfortunately, there aren't many straight lines amongst roads in Scotland! So 100 miles plus will take about 3 hours, then I fly to Belfast for my few days in Bangor, Belfast, and maybe Dublin.... just praying that Ryanair won't sting me for excsess baggage!

6 September

Having left behind the 94F/33C hot dry temperature of Virginia, it's a bit of a shock to come back to the cold, wet British summer - 46F/9C when I landed yesterday! Incredible rain here, flooding everywhere, meant I didn't attempt the 420 mile /700 km drive to Scotland straight off of the night flight.... did that today, with howling gales and driving rain not presenting quite the hazard they might have done in my exhausted state yesterday!

Lovely being here with Brian & Jess Talbot, in Selkirk, Scotland: I've know them for many many years, first meeting on the then Spring Harvest counselling team in Ayr, then in their church, Bulawayo Baptist, in Zimbabwe. 10 years since we last saw each other, feels just like carrying on where we left off! They now pastor Selkirk Baptist, in the Scottish Borders, and it's a real privilege to be them in their church tomorrow. One of my lasting memories of Brian, especially, was being with him in Hwange National Game Park, very early in the morning, and getting his pickup truck stuck in deep sand.... not SUCH a problem... UNTIL a herd of charging elephants, headed by the most enormous bull elephant, came crashing through the trees straight towards us! Fortunately, at almost the last minute, they veered away from the truck, and went past without bothering to take any notice of the cowering humans, only a few feet away from us! Life is not often dull!

Really looking forward to, though the nerves are there, to this coming 9 days of ministry, in Scotland and Ireland.... value your prayers that what I have to say and share will be from God, and fresh and relevant.

2 September

Well, two thirds of this year have gone - seems unbelievable the speed with which it has disappeared! Thursday kicks in the start of another journey, which really doesn't end - apart from a few days here at home - until about 22 December. There are some busy months ahead, but I feel at peace that God is in what's planned! I'll try and keep updated here - I've acquired one of those marvellous 'mobile internet' thingys which connect you anywhere that there is a mobile phone signal (in the UK - they cost an arm and a leg to use abroad!). Depends on the strength of the signal of course, as to how much you can do! With my mobile phone company, they say they cover 99% of the UK - I wonder, as someone who travels all over the UK, why I'm so often in the other 1%....

In case you don't get a newsletter (my Internet provider here in the USA is NOT good at sending multiple emails with an attachment - some people got the current newsletter 15 times, others not at all!) - there's a downloadable copy on the newsletter page. It has some of the stories that have been recorded here over the past months.

30 August

Eight days at home - been nice to have the chance to rest a little, though there's still disruption in my house with kitchen related jobs unfinished :( I was hoping and praying that it would all get done quickly once I returned home, and that I could 'enjoy' my time here, but it's not to be... I need an electrician, and the one who's already been paid is away at least until Tuesday, which means I have bare wires out of the wall in the kitchen and things not working... so as I leave on Thursday for Scotland, it means that this time home, too, hasn't been what I needed. Six months now where I've had things going wrong, and contractors of one sort or another in and out or delayed... please pray that it might all be done by Tuesday and I can enjoy Wednesday at home! Hopefully, please God, when I'm back at the end of September, THEN it might all be working as it should!

Two great meetings last Sunday, one at my home church, Restoration, where I preached, and another at the lovely Fellowship in Williamsburg run by Frank & Phoebe Shaia. Good relationship building times too with some other friends from Williamsburg, Ian & Bev Roberts, from the United Methodist Church. Ian & Bev are Aussies, so our 'English' is much more similar!

This weekend is a holiday in the States, Labo(u!)r Day, so everything is a little more relaxed generally. Then comes a hectic 3 weeks in England, Scotland, Ireland, Scotland, and Romania.... in fact, it's a pretty hectic time right up until Christmas! Value your prayers for supernatural strength!

19 August

A few more days with insufficient internet connection... ! Sorry! Ireland was a lovely few days, with my feeling that it was right to go there confirmed by a number of real divine appointments. It has been an increasing blessing to go back to Bangor so many times in the past year, and to build some wonderful friendships as well as see God move and bless.

A few days in England now, preceding my return home to the USA on Friday. Hopefully no more returning home 'water woes'! I think it should all be ok now - please, God!!!!

13 August

With 10 days due in Romania turning out not to happen (!) it means a little bit of breathing space here in the UK, to catch up with people I rarely get the chance to see. Tomorrow I head for Bangor, Northern Ireland, for a couple of days to pray with a few people for healing, then down to earth as I do a car boot sale as I can use the cash! A few days then seeing people before heading home to the USA, and working on my autumn/fall & winter diary, and doubtless some meetings thrown in! I think God had a hand in this 'break', which, as I enjoy it, I realise more and more how much I needed it! September/October/November are pretty manic, with still some things to try and 'shoe-horn' in....

7 August

Wow, what a great week! Not been easy to get online sufficiently to get edit the site, nor has the connection been brilliant... also, so, so busy! Amazing week of preaching, teaching, exhortation, ministry.... I ended up doing far more than I'd envisaged in terms of seminars, praying for people... I was involved in seminars with my great friends Eric Delve and John Pressdee (3 sessions), Arnold Muwonge, a wonderful Ugandan missionary to England, with a huge ministry back in his homeland (4 seminars)... I most certainly lost count of the number of people prayed for! I spoke at the Communion service Sunday, which was a wonderful time (no, RT Kendall, John Paul Jackson, and Jackie Pullinger were not there... phew!) nad last night spoke at the youth celebration with about 3-400 15-17 year olds there... huge responses at both meetings.... tonight, in the final celebration, where there were probably 2-2,500 people, Eric Delve asked for people who'd been healed to raise their hands.... about 500+ did, which is wonderful.

Some quick stories... prayed for a lady yesterday, who was healed - but as she fell, Dennis, the 'catcher' dropped his glasses and she fell on them. Later, he asked me if I prayed for broken glasses... laughing, I said 'no, but I'll pray for your eyes!' - and his sight was restored! His distance sight was fully restored from having been very blurred....

A lady due at hospital for big tests was having trouble with her creatinin levels... don't ask me what that is, I have no idea - but she saw me the next day, and the doctor had postponed surgery as her level was normal, and she was healed...

Many back and bone issues were healed, and sight restored....

Arnold Muwonge has asked me to speak at his leaders conference in Kampala next year, and preach in some big healing evangelistic crusades... another amazing African, Wale Babatunde, has booked me to speak at his church conference in December... need to do a bit of juggling of the diary to fit that one in, but I'd certainly love to do it. Wale and I 'clicked' the instant we met.... I've known Arnold for some years. This really is a quite wonderful conference, and every time I come here, it seems to be better and better.

3 August

Great opening night at Detling, with Eric Delve preaching on 1 Samuel 30: David recovering everything that had been lost - EVERYTHING, after making so many mistakes The God of the second, third, fourth, and more chances.... A real word of encouragement, challenge, and passion.

Today the programme 'proper' kicks in, and my first time 'up' is to preach at the communion service at 2.30 pm. Steve Hepden is a hard act to replace, but I'm believing with great faith and expectation for God to do some miracles and many healings. Made all the more daunting for me, as the preceding main speakers are R. T. Kendal (known to just about everyone)l, and John Paul Jackson (the wonderful American Bible teacher and prophet), with R. T. Kendall to come after me.....the butterflies are already being commanded to fly in formation! Then tomorrow night, of course, it is Jackie Pullinger-To: God has this wonderful way of making sure I stay humble and not a little insecure!!!! Please pray.....!

31 July

Seemed like a strange few days at home, but now the water is dealt with, the kitchen can be restored while I'm away :) so I can really look forward to going home on 22 August!

Busy day in England today, then heading off to the Detling Bible Week where I'm now due to preach at the communion service on Sunday due to the indisposition of my good friend Steve Hepden.... so I'm hurriedly at short notice asking God what he wants me to say, as the conference wants it to be a healing message with a lot of ministry...  It'll be great to be back at Detling, which is such a lovely event, growing each year, though it is a bit daunting to be on the same speaking team as R T Kendall, John Paul Jackson, and Jackie Pullinger-To! On Sunday, the communion is 'sandwiched' between John Paul Jackson and RTK! Hmmm....

28 July

Wow! I've got water! I had to get a plumber in and was intending to get 2 or 3 estimates, but the first one who came arrived within about an hour of calling him, he looked at it, and told me he could repair it there and then... which he did! It seems to be fine, and I've been like a little boy in a toyshop, running water, doing laundry, flushing the toilet - it's quite vexciting! Tomorrow, the tiler is in finishing off the kitchen floor, and then Thursday (sadly, from my point of view, after I've left for England), the kitchen guys are in, so by the end of this week my little kitchen should be brand spanking new with water.... I never thought I'd enjoy hearing the sound of the washing machine!

It's all cost more than I'd anticipated, but, like the prophetic word reported the other day, given by Rodney Nelson in Colombia (the 'who is Paul' tab, 'what other people say about...'), God has been faithful up until now, and he'll be faithful from now on....

I've spent the last two days catching up really, and though my house looks like a hurricane has passed through it, there's not much I can have done to tidy up until the kitchen is done. So I've caught up with emails, people, phone calls... and just have tomorrow at home before flying back to the UK. Still trying re-enter the atmosphere from the statosphere, too, which is harder than it might sound!

27 July

Back home now, after a long and gruelling journey: it feels a bit like someone has pulled out my plug after the high intensity of the trip to Colombia. It is sometimes hard to 're-orientate' - not just culturally, but spiritually. John my Pastor said on the journey home that it had been the best of the 3 trips he'd made to Cali with me, each one getting better and better, and with more happening. It is hard to sum up in even more than a few words what this trip was like!

Maybe we'll never find out a categoric answer concerning Andres, the little 4 year old boy who had died in Buenaventura: that's hard, except that to me, John, Alan, and the two Colombian pastors with us, we felt that God had done the miraculous. That was 'cemented' with the prohetic word to me from Rodney Nelson (see 'Who is Paul: what other people say....') who knew neither me, nor the situation, and yet who so powerfully prophesied 'God says that the dead IS raised'... Thank you, Lord!!

Countless miracles, I heard on Thursday from her pastor, Edier, that Angela (see blog entry for 20 July) is walking, getting stronger every day, and has no pain.... wonderful! Thank you Lord! Carmen, Edier's mum, is also healed of her breast cancer... and I hope that someone videos tomorrow's meeting in Dios esta Presente, when the young man who woke from the coma having had his breathing tubes pulled out, gives his testimony in the church!

Thursday evening, John spoke in my long-time friend's church (Jhon & Adriana Bermudez) and seemed to prophesy over everything that moved! He also released a gift of prophecy to many in the church, which is just what that Jhon & Adriana had been praying for. I spoke in a radical new church in the north of the city, and prayed for healing for many: pain went, sickness went, faith rose, and I prayed for a number for the gifts of healings and miracles to be given to them, especially for 2 young men who so passionately want to be missionaries, a crazy wonderful guy named Fernando, who is an extreme evangelist, and for Richard, who has a powerful prison ministry (I met Richard 18 months ago when he was in a Cali prison with us and 220 out of 350 men gave their lives to the Lord....)

Coming out of the 'stratosphere' is kind of difficult!

But it was back to earth with a bump.... home at 1am yesterday morning - to no water....seems like the problem is even bigger than was thought before I went away. My good friend, who wanted to have it fixed, found it was more than he could do. So, my house, already looking like a bomb-site with half the kitchen gone, is going to remain that until (maybe) the whole main pipe from the street is re-laid to the house. So, no kitchen on Monday, and I have to be honest and say it is almost impossible to 'rest' here, which is what I needed so desperately before heading for England on Wednesday next week. I'd value your prayers for supernatural rest! And... that I can find a plumber (an honest one!) Monday or tuesday, who will do it while I'm away, and that maybe the kitchen can go in then, too, before I get back here on 22 August. I've sort of got 13 days then when I can relax a bit, before the merry-go-round that is the autumn kicks off in Scotland on 5th September!

24 July

Wow! What a day yesterday! The hospital, Santillana, only saw us pray for one family, but it was a divine appointment, with a lovely couple, Victor and Clara, and their great 12 year old daughter, Hepzibah. All three were sick: Victor with an undiagnosable swelling in his throat, which made his Adam's apple about 3 times the size it should be; Clara, longing for more children having had 6 miscarriages, with doctors having told her it was impossible because of a chronic womb condition (and more so as she has just reached 50 years old), and Hepzibah, with a strange brain condition that had defied all treatment, as well as having fast degenerative myopia. Prayed and prophesied over all of them in the waiting room of Dr Dunia Quiroga's consulting area at the hospital. They were blown away, as God began to speak a time frame on the healings, which for me is always exciting but scary! (72 hours isn't long, Lord!!!!!!!!!)

I thought there might be 100 at the healing meeting I was speaking at: I walked in to see at least 350-400, so I knew it would be a long night! When I arrived at the church, Dios Esta Presente (God is Present), the Pastor, Cielo (heaven!) immediately told me of an amazing miracle following my 'preach' there Sunday. A young woman, Diana, asked for the healing of (I think) her brother-in-law, who had been in a serious road accident on January 26th this year. He was very badly injured, on life support machines and a ventilator, with tubes in his throat. Doctors said he would die, and the family had fought for 6 months to keep him alive on the machines. The family have worked out it was virtually to the minute of the prayer that the mum accidentally pulled out the tubes, and neither she nor the doctors could put them back in, normally a relatively easy process. (Dr Dunia says that it is always possible as the holes stay open for around 24 hours)... the doctors gave up, said there was nothing they could do. The next thing was that he opened his eyes, was breathing, and he will be in church on Sunday (I only wish I was going to be here!!!) to give his own testimony (I got Diana to share it with the church from the platform last night).

Also, the sick pastor, Alvarro, who was paralysed 2 weeks (and for 9 months prior to that), walked into the church last night, using a frame, but that was impossible 2 weeks ago.... he walked out WITHOUT IT....!!! He's also eating, which he hadn't been, as his throat had been paralysed too, and his voice is returning. I plan (when I can remember how to do it!!!) to put pictures on here as soon as possible!

Maria Fernanda testified publicly last night to the fact the in November, she had a large tumour and could not have children.... I prophesied over her that she wouldn't need the surgery the doctors were saying she needed imminently for the tumour: the tumour went, and on the platform last night was a young woman 6 months and 1 week pregnant....

Another Fernanda's husband, William, testified to her miraculous healing from her thyroid cancer (scan down to 1o July to re-read the story) and his daughter's miraculous new kidneys.... it still all blows me away totally, and I just want to cry. I feel so inadequate 99.99999% of the time, God is just so, so amazing, and I'm so blessed to be in the places I find myself where this all happens....

Last night, there were instant healings - back conditions, bent spines, hearing, chronic pain, a number of knee issues... probably of the people there, we must have prayed for 250-300. Many testimonies to follow, I know that....

John had a great night speaking at pastor Walter Torres' church, about 50 people there, and he prayed for and prophesied over a good number. We're going out with a bang, not a whimper, it seems...! Two more meetings tonight, John in the church of our dear friends Jhon and Adriana Bermudez (wish I could be in 2 places at once!), and I'm at a new church, about 100 people, pastored by a lovely guy, Rodrigo Valencia. Expecting great things in both places.

Spent lunchtime with the prophet from Tennessee that I've mentioned, Rodney Nelson. Really feel that there is a 'connection' there with him. It feels as though I've known him years, but until 18 hours earlier, I'd never heard of him, and he'd never heard of me. When he prophesied, he hadn't even talked to me... had the chance to hear and see the video of his prophetic words over John & me, on Tuesday night.... for me, it was such an 'affirmatory' word. John feels I should put it on the website, so if you're interested in reading it, it will be on the 'Who is Paul?' page, under what other people say about me! So, it's there in full.... those who love me, weigh it for me, and let me know what you feel God says to you about it please?

Strength for today (and bright hope for tomorrow???!!!???) please, if you're praying for us: we both arrived home totally shot last night, and we're on 'catch-up' today to say goodbye to people before leaving for the airport at 5am tomorrow and the 19 hour journey back to Norfolk, Virginia. And then, the kitchen.....!

23 July

Busy day today! Lunchtime meeting, hospital a few hours this afternoon, then John and I are in different churches tonight. Last night, we went to a meeting at our friend Pastor Walter Torres' church, where a prophet from Tennessee was speaking, Rodney Nelson. God gave him a blockbuster word me, which was an amzing blessing: and a word for John which confirmed a few things to him. We'd never met him before, just had a chance to say hello and shake hands before the meeting, and, after his message, he had us both up front immediately.... his first word to the two of us was that we were 'more than apostolic'... the word for me, if, when I re-read it (it was recorded, thank goodness!) is appropriate, I'll put it on the website....

For me, tonight, it's a specific 'healing' meeting, which I struggle with a little, as, though I know God has called me to pray for the sick, I can't tell him or make him turn up to heal.... though I'm aware that wherever His presence is, so there is healing! It's the 'big' church from Sunday, so it might be quite a late night.... So many miracles have happened there on this trip, and last November, that I know my faith is high for tonight!

Tomorrow, possibly a cell group meeting over breakfast in Jamundi, about 30 minutes south of Cali, then a lot of people to see, say goodbye to, and pray for, packing, and two more meetings in the evening... we're going out, hopefully, in a blaze of GLORY.....

22 July

Two wonderful services for John & me on Sunday, and Alan was with me in both as the emphasis was on healing. The first service, Dios esta Presente, at the rather 'interesting' time of 7am, was to around 1,000+ people, and only had a few opportunities afterwards to pray for people as we had to rush to the 10am service at another church, El Abrigo el Altisimo. John prayed for quite a few at the end of the second meeting, and I'm due back at Sunday morning's church for a special healing meeting tomorrow evening. Prayed for loads of people at the second church: some people told me about pain and sickness going, and there'll be others....

Still no news on Andres, from Buenaventura, we can't seem to get any, so I'm just running with what I believe - and all of us who went believe - that what I heard God say was what happened.... that he did come back to life.

Yesterday, we had a tremendous time in the very poor Social Security hospital: with many of the patients, you could SEE the peace of God come over them, and the joy of the Lord fill them. So many had major brain diseases - tumours, haematomas, brain trauma of many varieties.... one lovely 15 year old young man, Dairo, had been in an accident in December. There were no obvious physical effects even though he'd hit his head hard: but there was considerable brain trauma which meant that he was totally out of control of his body, which convulsed and jerked every few minutes. Despite that, he seemed happy, and was thrilled that we went to pray for him, as was his mum. His future (without a God-intervention) was major brain surgery which is extremely dangerous, according to our dear friend, Dunia Quiroga, the neuro surgeon who has been mentioned many times in the blog before. Well, guess I spent 15-20 minutes praying for him, then moved on to other patients. Before leaving his section of the hospital, I went back to see him, and talked to him and his mum, and he'd been totally still for over 40 minutes, something that hadn't happened for 8 months.... I know God healed him, and that he'll leave hospital totally restored by the weekend.

Just heard that today's visit to Club Noel, the kids hospital, has been cancelled, as Dunia has so many major surgeries in hospitals all over the city today.... so we'll just have to phone and check that all the kids were healed, like last November!

A myriad invitations back for later in the year, which is always encouraging.... what a trip it has been so far! Still a good few meetings and another hospital to visit yet...

20 July

Well, what can be said of the last 24 hours? Every sort of emotion gone through, some ripped to shreds... in a lovely church in Buenaventura - whose 'motto' is "The history of our church has beenwritten on it's knees" ...it was such a delight to be there... in the jungle, truly, way outside of the city, in a village called 'La curva de diablo' (Devil's Curve). Prayed for everything that moved, more than once(!) except the myriad of malarial mosquitoes..... a lot of blessing and prophecy flying around! The pastors are very poor, but so amazingly generous, and so grateful for our being out in the middle of nowhere with them.

The hospital on Saturday was..... those of you who know me, will know that for many years I've known that God has said one day I'll see the dead raised. Arrived yesterday to hear a distressed woman wailing, carrying a very sick looking little girl. It wasn't the daughter that was the issue though, sick as she was with malaria: it was that her 4 year old son, Andres, had died 10 minutes earlier with cerebral malaria. Went with John, and two pastors, Diego Reyes and Walter Torres, to pray for him. I held him for about 45 minutes, praying and weeping with dad Alejandro: then quite clearly I felt God say to me, 'It's time to leave now.' I have to say that I really didn't want to go, but knew that I was compelled to leave so that as and when Andres began to breathe again, I could never say I had anything to do with it. It was perhaps the most distressing and difficult decision I've ever had to make: but Walter also felt the same thing. On the way home in the car (that journey is a whole other story!), it was like God hit all of us - Alan, John, Diego, walter, & me -with a holy laughter, and in the middle of it I heard the same voice that told me to leave Andres' room gently say 'It's done'. I don't know how we'll ever find out, unless one of the Colombian guys calls the hospital, but I have to just leave that to God. I think all of us were totally convinced Andres would be resurrected....

The journey home, after eating a lovely meal outside the pastor's very poor home accompanied by the ever present venomous mosquitoes, we headed for Cali, over narrow two lane winding mountain roads, overtaking everything at great speed, close to the edge, straight at oncoming traffic, for almost 3 hours. I thanked God many times that Walter is a great driver, but seems to have a fearlessness where oncoming vehicles are concerned! Many jaw-drop moments, silent screams, and a safe arrival back in the security and relative coolness of Cali (32C - it was 39C+ in Buenaventura yesterday!

18 July later

Well, Buenaventura (it means 'good adventure') is not the prettiest city in Colombia.... it is loud, hot, crowded, and, I imagine, if you're on your own here as a 'gringo' (as all white people are, not just USA residents, like in Mexico), quite a 'threatening' place to be. We're here with a lovely pastor and his wife, Daniel and Lily, to go into hospitals and preach in their church. The hospital is big, humid, and desperately sad. We split into 3 'teams', to try and pray for more people. Guess I prayed for about 30 as I'm sure John and Alan did, too. No immediate miracles, but a few that will happen, I know, including that of a young woman named Miracle, suffering from tuberculosis.

Not sure if I'll get online tomorrow, so thought I'd update tonight for tomorrow - a meeting at 10 am, lunch with pastors, then the emergency section of the hospital, followed by another meeting at 7pm, which, if it goes to form, will be about 3 hours or more, then a 3 hour drive back to Cali. I'm preaching at 7am Sunday morning in a large church (1,000+) called Dios este Presente (God is Present) where the miracles happened at the pastor's meeting last Wednesday. John preaches at their 10 am service, while I dash to another church, El Abrigo el Altisimo, to preach in an advertised healing service at 10 am. So a busy few hours coming up! Value your prayers for strength and a real increased outpouring of God's Holy Spirit.

18 July

Having been in Lakeland, where reports have been of a consistent increase each night in the demonstration of God's presence and power (and it was John's and my experience in Lakeland), I think the same has to be said here!

Last night was just phenomenal! It was my turn (and my privilege) to preach, and the response and the manifestations of God's power at the end were remarkable. I'd actually preached for healing, but felt right at the end I should first make an appeal for salvation.... at first, no one responded. so I asked again, getting the congregation to stand. Well, at least 20, maybe many more, came forward to give the lives to Jesus! Then the stampede, with the healing appeal, and the magnitude of the healings was amazing.

A young lady, Angela, aged 25, had been unable to walk for 7 years. She was in incredible pain as she was carried to the front, and held up by friends. I prayed with her for a few minutes (her left leg in particular was like a matchstick), and then asked her if she was ready to walk.... Alan and I both felt her muscles grow and the bones expanding as we held her ankleshe gripped my hand, and the hand of Pilar, wife of our dear translator friend Diego, and her left foot was flat on the floor for the first time in all those years. She took a few staggering steps, and I suggested she sit, and take a breather. A few more minutes pra

yer, and she shot up to standing, and then with her hands just resting on mine and Pilar's arms, walked the width of the church... a few more moments rest, and she walked again, and then, just supported by friends, she walked out of the church, with NO pain... she was blown away, as we were, of course!

A lovely lady named Carmen, who we discovered later was the mother of the pastor, Edier, was healed (she knew it) of breast cancer. A young woman, aged 32, crippled with scoliosis since 20, had been told by doctors then that her spine was that of at least a 50 year old, and that nothing could be done. It was another case of feeling a spine - the discs and vertebrae - move under my hand, and I told Geraldine, the 16 year old daughter of pastor Walter Torres (who organises a lot of things for us here) to put her hand there. She was stunned as she felt the spince straightening and the miracle happening!

A lady, blind in her right eye, saw - though as at last night through tunnel vision. I'd felt at the beginning of praying for her that she see totally today, so that was a great start!

There are many other stories from the meeting, and there will be many more to be heard in the next few days. I have to stop now as we are in Buenaventura, Colombia's main port: a big city, but very poor, and we're just about to go to the main hospital to pray for the people there....

The journey here was fun, high up over the Andes (we 'maxxed' at about 7000 feet (2200 mtrs), winding roads, with much traffic, at great speed!

17 July

Fantastic meetings last night - John was in a church named Adoradore, in the north of the city, Alan & I were in Iglesia Misionera Camino de Salvacion (Way of Salvation). John was rocking after the meeting, as 13 people gave their lives to Christ, in a congregation of about 200. We had maybe 250-300 where we were, with a lovely pastor and wife, Julian and Josefa: paralysed, blind, huge health issues in many of them (and a dog that was some derivative of poodle!!). It was steaming hot (no fans anywhere near the front!!), and at the end when I asked for people who needed healing, it was a stampede. There were healings, lots of 'prophetic "you'll wake tomorrow, or in 3 days"' healings and miracles. I'm looking forward to hearing the testimonies! Must have prayed for about 40 kids alone, many terribly sick, with them sitting on my lap and watching their healing wash over them.... many tears, bodies on the floor, and the power of God running riot in the church!

Quietish day again today, but Alan and John want to shop (I don't, of course!!!), as this is Alan's last chance before heading home :( Then we have a big healing meeting tonight in Iglesia Adoradores, which threatens to be bigger than last night's meeting there, so could be a late night! Early start tomorrow to the poor port city of Buenaventura, where we've been told that the mosquitoes are very friendly, and like to share their lives with you.... joy oh joy! It is also much hotter and more humid there, being at sea level (we're 4000 feet/1300 metres up in the Andes here in Cali). BUT... it seems that it is the whale mating season, and they are close inshore to do their stuff. so this could be a new experience for all of us! And John and Alan are quite excited about seeing the Pacific Ocean for the first time! Hospitals there tomorrow afternoon, and Saturday: meetings Friday night and Saturday, apparently big meetings... so late finishes: and we have to drive back to Cali after the meeting on Saturday as we have meetings Sunday morning (John's forst one is 7am!!!), and we're unlikely to be home beofre about 3-4 am.... Value your prayers!

15 July later

Club Noel is a sad place - so many desperate parents and children. Yet it is wonderful to see the power of God touch the lives not only of the children but also the families too. It is so, so different to Europe or America, in that the parents are so immensely grateful to you for being there, being willing to pray for their children, and them. It is such a privilege to see the peace of God, the joy of the lord, and hope come into their lives and onto their faces. I don't know how many we prayed for today: I guess it was around 60 or so: there were some healed, and some where I know God told me to prophesy that they'd be healed within 48 hours, or by the weekend.... One mum, Martha, was desperate for her 3 year old, Dana, who was dying with Tuberculosis. I didn't know what was wrong when I went into the room, and just sat with my hand on Dana, when a nurse came in and started to say that I should have a mask... too late, I guess for that, but truth is, I'm not in faith to catch TB but to see it eradicated.... It'll be some days, maybe even next week when we go back to the same hospital, when we discover the stories.....

It is so hard to describe how tiring it is praying with that sort of intensity, from room to room, for 3 hours! Right now, John, Alan, and I are 'crashed out' in a mall food area, deafened by miming pan pipe Indians and their loud sound system! It takes quite a long time to 'recover' if that's the right word from the emotion and pressure of expectant parents in fear for their kids' lives... I feel like I have a ton weight on my back, but such expectation in my spirit, it makes it all worthwhile...

15 July

Quieter day yesterday, which was a relief after the busy-ness of the previous week. Just some meetings during the day with pastors (which produced more meetings to come!) and then the Colombian national synchronised swimming team. A much larger group thatn I imagined, about 15+, ages ranging from about 13-20. Many of them not yet Christians, it is wonderful that they are in a cell group for my great friend Hendrik's church. A real privilege to be able to share the gospel with them, and pray for them. Many will be in the Kingdom before long: some are thinking of being at the healing service I'm preaching at in Hendrik's church on Sunday.

In 40 minutes time, we're due to be in the really sick children's hospital, Club Noel, where all the terminal and chronic kids went home healed in November. So faith is rising for this exhausting afternoon: exhausting emotionally and spiritually. Please pray!

13 July

At risk of sounding like a record that has got stuck.... always the same here in Cali!! - the meetings just get better and better! John, my Pastor, has just said that each visit he makes here is better than the last: and this is no different! He was in a church in Jamundi (pronounced 'Ham-undi') and many peoples lives were changed, and John ended up doing some counselling, which is really his passion and forte.

I was in a church called 'The church of Mission and Restoration', pastored by a lady named Arjenis. a lawyer. I've never been there before, and for the first few minutes, I wasn't quite sure how they were receiving me. Seemed like 'arm's length'! But then I made them laugh... and that was it... responsive, receptive, and at the end, Arjenis had me anoint, pray for, and prophesy over all her leaders... what a privilege! Then the 'rush' came - people forward for ministry, healing.... people WERE healed, and better still, saved.... after the meeting, I was so, so tired having prayed for many. I try and pray as much as I can in Spanish, though I'd not yet dare to say much in a sermon (it's a vocabulary nightmare with the same Spanish words in different countires meaning totally different things, mostly, it seems, rude or abusive!!!).

Again, I'd value your prayers for strength: the last couple of days we've been hit by a... how shall I say it... increased trip to the bathroom/toilet schedule...!!! And still be grateful for your prayers concerning the kitchen and water woes back home: I still need to see God do a minor miracle in making it happen, though I've been so blessed to receive some gifts to help me. Bless you!

12 July

Amazing night last night! Two meetings, John was in a cell group meeting at my dear friends Hendrik & Teija Hoere's foundation, in Agua Blanca, very poor part of Cali. 13 people gave their lives to the Lord - imagine that regularly in cell group meetings in the UK or the States!

I was in a church in another desperately poor part of the city, Ciudad Cordoba: a church called Amor y Paz (love and peace). The church doesn't usually have a Friday meeting, and this one was only arranged Wednesday morning, so I wasn't expecting too many there.... I was in a meeting there last November, in a small sports arena, and God graciously turned up with salvation and healing then. The Pastor, Luis Salas, is a wonderful man, and he put word out on the grapevine about last night's meeting. Around 250 turned up! I think I prayed for at least 50% of them, and there were many healings and some people saved, others receiving a fresh anointing from God.... it was a wonderful blessing to be there, but totally exhausting!

The last 24 hours have been a battle, as I think the tiredness of the last few months came home to roost, but God certainly gave me fresh energy last night, and, thankfully, a good night's sleep, so I'm feeling much more refreshed today! I also experienced only my second day of (how shall I say this?) - increased bathroom visits (!!) in 20 years of travelling.... fortunately, you can buy medication 'over the counter' here that are prescription drugs back 'home', and the pharmacist gave me something that certainly seems to have done the trick!

I'd really value your prayers over these next few days - heading for 'mid-trip' and tiredness here, because of the busyness and humidity is always there. And please pray for health protection, too: I don't really have time for too many extra bathroom visits!

This afternoon, 5pm local time, we're at Community of Faith church's youth Group, and again there will be many to pray for. Fortunately, it should be over by about 8pm, as opposed to last night's 11.15pm!

11 July

Last night, in La Calima, a poor northern suburb of Cali, we were at a church which has a real heart for restoring drug addicts, alcoholics, prostitutes, and those (to use the church's words) at 'alto riesgo' - high risk.... a young man, Franklin, was cycling past when he heard an English voice, stopped, came in, and got saved instantly... it was a delight to lead him to Jesus. Rodrigo and Claudia told me about a young man in their drug rehab house, high in the Andes at Lacumbre: prayed for him on his second day in rehab, and the next morning his life was totally transformed and 'clean'... God's so, so good!

Last night, we prayed for just about everyone in the meeting, some more than once, and there were healings and transformations, and a good number of bodies on the floor! Both Alan and John have realised more than ever how tiring it is praying for healing.... we were totally exhausted last night, so exhausted in my case I couldn't really sleep.... which I desperately need! We were told a cleaning lady was coming to 'do' our apartment this morning at 7am, so like good boys we were up and waiting.... at 9.30 am we left to take the laundry she was supposed to do to the 'lavanderia', the nice laundry lady with a shop close to us! No sign of the cleaner.... ahhhh, Latin America!!!

Just sitting here online in the mall (!) and a lovely pastor and his wife have just stopped to talk to us... Norbey & Carmen Arias. Went to pray with Carmen at home two days ago: she has been bedridden for months with a bacteria that infected her blood during surgery in hospital, unable to walk, and really deteriorating rapidly. I've known them for many years, and have never seen Carmen like she was. So, unable to walk for months, she stood this morning, and looks totally transformed in her body and spirit... walking today....

10 July

Better connection today I think! A lady named Fernanda had massive thyroid problems when I was here last time. Apparently her thyroid 'reading' should have been 0.5: hers was 297, the doctors said she should have been in a coma, and that her condition was untreatable... It was hugely swollen. Prayed for her, and she was at the doctor's early that week, and he checked her thyroid level again, and it was....0.2! At the same time, I prayed for her baby daughter, who had been born with a genetic kidney disfunction that meant she couldn't..er...evacuate: there were also scars on both kidneys. Her kidneys are perfect, according the x-rays!

A lovely young wife, Maria Fernanda, had some large tumours, which the doctors had said were both very dangerous and would prevent her having children. Saw her yesterday, and she no longer has the tumours, and is 6 months pregnant....

Last night, a lovely meeting at Casa de Dios, House of God, church, pastored by long time friends Norbey and Carmen Arias. Carmen is very sick, so ahead of the meeting went to their home to pray for her. The atmosphere in the room changed, and I heard myself telling her that she'd be walking by today.... I'm waiting to hear! The meeting was great, John preached, but afterwards we got to pray for the whole congregation, and people were healed, anointed, empowered, set on fire...

Alan from Bangor has taken to all this like a duck to water, and the fire and heat on him increases in ministry times, and he felt the pastors (mentioned yesterday) legs strengthen and muscles grow as he had his hands on them... he's prophesying, hearing from God, and praying for the sick....

Quieter day today, but a meeting tonight at a lovely church where I've been before, so expecting the miracle and healing count to increase....

Please, if you're praying about my water woes and kitchen crisis, keep praying! Some money has come in, but I do need more, and I've told all the men doing the work that it will happen the day I get back from here! In a way, with all the wonderful stuff going on here, it sort of pales into insignificance: but when I get home, it will be hugely significant! And very necessary... Thanks for praying!

And please pray for extra strength for John, Alan, and me.... it is so demanding here! Alan, after one day of meetings, said to me last night 'Praying for people REALLY tires you out, doesn't it?' - something it's hard to explain until you've done it! Thank you FOR your prayers....

9 July

Wow, what a morning!!!!!!!! Early start for a Pastor's breakfast, but it turned into a wonderful time of God doing some miracles! Pastor Alvarro, who a few months ago was appointed as pastor, was struck down with a disease that doctors have not been able to identify. Parlaysed, unable to walk, a losing life fast, God just touched him miraculously this morning, and he walked across the church and back, then out of the church... I know his healing will be complete in a couple of days....

The connection here is very poor again, so I'll add more stories tomorrow all being well!

8 July

I'm sitting in a shopping mall in Cali (no, not shopping!) where they have free wireless internet, but it's not really a 'man' enough connection to load the webpage! And I'm listening to the biggest thunderstorm rolling around the Andes, and the heaviest rain that I think I've ever heard.... but then it suddenly stops here in the tropics, and the sun comes out again!

It's been a surprising start to the trip here, in that normally nothing is arranged until you get here, however far in advance it is known you're coming! This time, John and I were straight into preaching, twice each in two churches, on Sunday: I prayed for a large number of people at the end of each service, and there were testimonies of healings, thank you Lord! The programme here is going to be so hectic after today: it seems dozens of people want us, and the opportunities in the hospitals, and hopefully the prisons, are there. We're doing everything from cell groups to 1000+ churches, maybe bigger: seminars, leaders meetings, pastor's breakfasts, and endless other doors opening, including big crusades (not on this trip!) in Panama, Honduras, and other South American countries .I'm connecting in a big way with pastors who have so many contacts, and it makes the upcoming diary/agenda organisation interesting!

It is a tiring city to be in in many ways, as it is constantly busy, and the traffic is just - unreal! Coming here makes me appreciate so much British roads and even British traffic jams! There is constant noise, but fortunately, the apartment we are renting for the trip is in a relatively quiet area, but this month sees Colombian independence day (I can;t imagine we'll get much sleep THAT night!) and one or two other celebrations, and boy, are Colombians good at celebrating!

Value your prayers for good rest at night, as my time at home prior to coming here was so disrupted and stressful because of the water situation at my house, and even the days immediately following the trip will, God and finance willing, be hectic with a new kitchen being put in! I'm only home 4 days before heading for England and the Detling Bible week!

2 July

The conference in Sweden was a great time! On Saturday night, a lot of people were healed, including a lovely man named Raymond, who arrived at the conference using a wheeled walker/zimmer: he hadn't been able to bend his right leg for many years (20, if my memory serves me well). By the end of the evening, not only was he bending his leg, he'd discarded both walker and walking stick/cane (sorry for all the pluralities, but different words are used on either side of the Atlantic!!), and left the meeting with a whole new vision for his future of what and where God was going to use him (I guess he was in his 60's).... no retirement there, then! A lady named Birgit, who arrived at the conference suffering from Parkinsons, knew it had gone, and on the last Sunday, I prayed for her that the effects of the very heavy-duty medication would leave her...

A lovely young woman, Ulrika, was wonderfully touched and blessed by the Lord, she had been suffering from MS, and knew that God had healed her.... Sunday morning, God just 'blitzed' her....

Sunday morning was a time of praying for the sort of anointing that is happening in Lakeland, Flordia, to touch lives in Stockholm. It did! Healings, anointing, fire, blessing... were all there. It was such a privilege to see God touch so many lives.

Thank the Lord my luggage arrived back with me from Sweden this time! And it arrived in Washington DC yesterday, undamaged, too! Maybe my faith in airlines is about to be restored!

The last few days have been incredibly demanding: 6 out of 7 conference sessions over 4 days, countless people prayed for and prophesied over, straight from the last session to the airport to fly back to London, arrived about 7pm, then back at Heathrow to fly to Washington yesterday.....

It would be even nicer to be home if I had water (still none!), and now half of my kitchen has gone (the rest to be removed to match it!) in order for the plumber to get to the pipes properly, so that the main can be replaced. That means a real walk of faith, as to have new kitchen units put in is more than I can afford! The old cupboards were pretty yukky: so in many ways it might have been a blessing in disguise and a catalyst for me to change them! I have been encouraged by a good number of people who have said there's nothing wrong in using some 'income' to meet my own needs: I just find it hard to do when it comes to things like this, and tend to quantify such an outlay (about $5000, 2500 pounds) as 'so many airfares'.... but now I have no water, and no kitchen, and I have no alternative. So, these 3 days at home are 'interesting'!!!! Not exactly relaxing..... sort of needed a bit of relaxation time, if I'm honest, but there you go.....

John (my pastor) and I have to be at the airport at 3.30am Friday morning (US time, 8.30 am UK time) to fly to Cali, Colombia (arrive 11.30 pm Cali time, 5.30 am UK time). Cali is always wonderful, but just the nature of the city is demanding: it is hot, humid, and noisy (it seems a lot of Calenos - people of Cali - don't sleep!). It'll be great to have my friend Alan Gouck, from Bangor, Northern Ireland, there: I might be acting as 'middle-man translator' for the latino translators from alan's Belfast accent!!! He's belieivng for many saved, and many healed - and, you know what? When you believe for something you haven't yet seen or received, you get it... so I'm up for that too!

29 June

Wow... such a powerful healing anointing presnt in the meeting last night! You could 'feel' it... a lady named Piria (I'm assuming that's how you spell it!) was in severe pain with curvature of the spine/scoliosis: the Pastor's wife from the 'conference' church has known her well for years, and she invited her to the meeting. She watched as Piria struggled with the pain throughout the meeting. Well... within a couple of minutes God had done a wonderful miracle - Piria shouted at first that her back was on fire, and she said 'Something big is going on!!' - both she and I felt her spine moving under my handas God straighteded it and put it back into place... I asked her to do something she'd couldn't do before because of her back pain - (no, she didn't run a marathon!!) - like touch her toes. She did much more than that: she touched and palmed the floor, and she couldn't do that even BEFORE her back was bad.... I asked her to testify to the people in the conference, and she began in Swedish, and the got so 'drunk' with the Holy Spirit, she started speaking in Finninsh (and she couldn't do that either!). And Finnish is certainly not a language you learn instantly or accidentally!!

Another lady with bad pain in her head and neck... I told her that by the time she walked out of the building, it would be gone. It went quicker than that: as soon as she walked away she felt it just fly out of her head and neck!

And there were more....!

Two more conference sessions today, 4pm and 7pm Sweden time (an hour ahead of Britain, and 6 ahead of the United States)... value your prayers for the anointing to increase! My final 'slot' is tomorrow morning, Sunday, at 11am, then it's to Stockholm airport by 2pm, to fly at 4 back to London, a hurried repacking of luggage (assuming my luggage makes it back from Sweden with SAS airlines this time!! - I almost think I have more faith for healing than my luggage!), and then back to the States Monday morning, for 3 days at home (please, God, can I have plumbing and water that works??!! So much to do!!) before heading off for Cali, Colombia on Friday...

28 June

Been a while again.... good wireless connection where I am now until tomorrow, so making the most of it! Here in Sweden, midsummer is the BIG celebration of the year, maybe because it never gets dark! I have to say I like it like that, light evenings are wonderful, and even in more southerly parts of Sweden you can read a book outside at 11pm without too much trouble....

So, midsummer is also conference season, and I'm involved in one here in Stockholm. Two very good meetings Thursday afternoon and evening, and a number of people were healed, including a lady who had major bone and muscle problems with her jaw. She could only open her mouth less than half and inch (about 1.25 cms), so not only was talking a problem, but eating a bigger one. After a few moments, she was doing a wonderful impersonation of Nemo (a small fish for those who never saw the film!), and she was really blessed by God in her spirit, too. I want to try and get stories first hand, and I'd like hers...

Another lady struggled to walk into church, limping badly, with long term acute muscular and bone pain in her left foot and ankle... last night God healed it, and she was striding backwards and forwards, spinning around, and dancing....

21 June

Wow... Lakeland... what an amazing experience! Only two nights there, the second 'better' than the first (if that's even remotely quantifiable! - and the first night was wonderful!). Tuesday night, the worship lasted over 2 hours, and for at least a quarter of that, Roy Fields, the worship leader, was laying flat on his back on the floor... while a sound that just about everyone there knew was that of angels singing (it was not a human sound, and no instruments were being played) led the 4-5000 people in a time of worship that was, to say the least, quite remarkable. Todd Bentley spoke, but only for a little while, and a great deal of ministry followed! Wedensday, the worship went for just on 4 hours, again, a wonderful time that flew past. Heather Clark, who led it, seemed to go from strength to strength.... Todd Bentley and Ryan Wyatt shared on the anointing that God wanted to pour out - that of Elisha, a double portion, so guess who was up for that....? Really didn't want to leave, as it seems that the power and intensity of the move of god there increases daily.... but Sweden is on the horizon for me, Tuesday (leave the USA Monday to fly via England), and feel that there is something I've 'inherited' from Lakeland to take with me...

Back home, still no water.... :( - the only thing now is to take the cupboards out and have the whole thing re-plumbed... it's a bizarre experience being in the States with no water! Africa, India (in parts both places) you might expect it... but Viriginia? Not really.... still, someone had to provide a nesting place for the camel back crickets, I suppose...

16 June

For those of you who have been following the wonderful and astonishing story of Jenny Johnston, THIS IS ANNIVERSARY WEEK - the anniversary of when the enemy thought he could destroy her and her family with such a vicious and venomous tumour and limit her life to no more than three months... it was a year ago THIS WEEK when the Oncologist diagnosed Jenny's tumour and accompanying cyst, just a few days before her third birthday. Michael & Lynne, dad and mum, were told she had no hope (and, of course, on September 7, she was given maybe 10-14 days to live). Her right hand side had 'shut down', she'd effectively stopped eating, and the future was chemotherapy, radiation, steroids, and death. ON THE 19th, IT IS JENNY'S 4th BIRTHDAY... and she is back dancing, playing, using her trampoline, living life to the full, and getting ready with a lot of excitement to start school.... pretty much on the anniversary of the Oncologist's '10-14 days left' diagnosis....

God has done such a wonderful miracle in Jenny, and more in her family. Her birthday party is one children's party I actually think I'd LIKE to be at!!!! And to add to the blessing, her Aunt and Uncle have just had a boy cousin for Jenny, and they'll be in Bangor now, for the big day! Congratulations Chris and Lesley!

Looking forward to flying down to Lakeland, Florida, at the crack of dawn on Tuesday morning, to spend 2 days in the revival that has surrounded Todd Bentley's ministry there... I want whatever God is giving away, and I'm so glad to have this oppotunity to go with John, my best friend and pastor, just ahead of going to Sweden and then on to Colombia....

Another thing I'm looking forward to is having my 'head on fire' friend Alan Gouck, from Bangor, in Cali, Colombia, with john and me... Alan got radically saved and totally transformed when God wonderfully healed Barbara, his wife, of osteo-arthritis, and first his back and shoulders were set 'on fire' followed by his head.... reminiscent of Acts 2! That was in December: when I was with them a couple of weeks ago, Alan's head was STILL on fire, and he'd already looked at fares to Cali on the internet! He's believing for many people to find the same sort of 'unreligious' transformation and faith that he's found, and for many miracles... it'll happen, because that's what he's EXPECTING!

It's been good to be at home for these few days.... but it could have been 'gooder'!!! I can't remember if I'd blogged that three times, when arriving home from three trips, my mains water supply into the house had burst.... well, it happened again on Tuesday night: caught it before it did too much damage, and lived without water for 24 hours until the plumber could come.... fixed it, told me that there is a strange creature here in the USA (strange to us Brits, anyway!) which like the damp... camel back crickets, and I'd been blessed with an infestation of them... deep joy. Can't do anything about it without ripping half the kitchen out, which is going to have to happen. THEN.... it burst again in a different place last night. I didn't notice it for a while. When I did, the cupboard under my sink was about an inch deep in water, so... no water again today, unless I wring out the myriad towels and other things used to try and mop up into the kettle.... sadly, it's not an insurance claimable thing, so I'm going to have to find the money to have the pipework completely re-done, and the kitchen re-fitted. I'd not be honest if I told you that I said 'Praise the Lord!' on both occasions.... in fact, having just spent 6 pretty busy weeks travelling, preaching, praying, and doing what I do, I was a little peeved with God for a few minutes having so looked forward to coming back to my my 'space'... don't worry, I'm ok with God now! I DO believe, though, that it IS one of those niggling onslaughts that the enemy wants to use to disrupt the little relaxation and rest time that I do get, so I'd value your prayers over my plumbing!

Must write a newsletter, too, this week!

6 June

A lovely testimony just added from Sweden to the testimony page....

4 June

Wonderful last few days in Northern Ireland: a visit to the home of the lovely McCausland family, William, Tracy, and their two lovely sons, Callum and Sam. Met them back in March, and prayed for the boys: Callum has dispraxia, and Sam has Duchenne's Muscular Dystrophy.... there was evident improvement (certainly to an infrequent visiting outsider!), so it was great to pray them again, and look forward to seeing what God has done in the next few months.

Great to visit Robyn Ferris, too: a brain stem tumour which again seems to be improving day by day... John & Karen, her mum and dad, have become good friends, like Tracy and William.

Lots of individual home 'visits' - please pray that a lovely man, Paddy (good Irish name, huh?!) will see the healing I really sensed for him within a few days from motor neurone disease... lovely to re-visit Harry and Annette Sames - especially as when I first met Harry last September, he really was in a terrible way with various life-threatening diseases.... still some healing to be done, but he's more than alive and I know he'll be headed totally...... (er, headed??? Possibly even HEALED, Harry!!).

Wonderful meetings on Sunday in Towerview Free Methodist, and then Maghabery Prison (no connection between the two!!)... lovely spirit in both places, and a number of prisoners were in tears.... then out into the wilds of the Irish countryside to Tullylish, where I had the leasure of meeting a great CofIreland vicar, Arthur young, and praying for quite a few people at the end of their healing service.

My office in Bangor is nearly ready... as it seems right to make it my UK base, and for Europe too, looking forward to being able to unpack my bags and stop living out of bags all over the place! The 'home' might be available soon, and God has provided me with a car for when I'm in Ireland... God's so good at doing this stuff!

Heading for a few days in Romania tomorrow, then back for a fast turnaround to go home to the USA on Tuesday... going down to Lakeland, Florida, for a couple of nights, with John, my best mate and pastor in the USA....

30 May

A day of catching up with people yesterday! Hendrik & Teija, Alan & Barbara (their stories are in the blog and on the testimonies page), and meeting a great pastor, Ricky Montgomery. AND... the afternoon with the Johnston family: how wonderful it is to see Jenny so ALIVE and full of beans, so much energy, and so amazingly and perfectly normal. It's a year ago mid June when she was first diagnosed with her brain stem tumour, and nine months since it was my forst ever privilege to meet her and her family. God has done such an amazing miracle in Jenny, it would be almost unbelieveable if it wasn't what God is best at doing!

So good to catch up with Alan and Barbara, too: God did a lovely healing for Barbara in December, and revolutionised their lives, especially Alan's! It looks like he's going to Colombia with me in July, so the revolution will continue!

28 May

A return visit today to a town, Dromore, Northern Ireland, to pray for a lovely little girl, Kirsten.... saw her first in March, when her prognosis was very poor indeed. Mum Lisa told me that she had a large tumour on her brain stem that was inoperable, and another large tumour on her spine, also inoperable. She had had surgery for the brain tumour but it couldn't be removed. Well.... what a wonderful update today! The tumour in Kirsten's spine has gone, the brain tumour has shrunk (and, if it is going to be needed, which I pray it won't! is now operable).She is wonderfully alert and alive, eating well, and occasionally bad tempered, so it seems she's well on the road to total recovery! It was so good to be able to pray with her and mum again today, that the tumour will totally disappear in her brain, and that the shunt in her head will supernaturally be removed, as the doctors have said it can't be....

It is great to be here in Ireland, too, with my dear friends Hendrik & Teija Hoere, from Cali, Colombia: they are en route to Holland, Hendrik's home, and it is good to be able to talk about what me and my little team in Cali in July are going to do, as well as catch up with them both, for the first time ever outside of Colombia!

27 May

A lovely day last Sunday with long-time friend Gill Tovar, Vicar of Holy Trinity, Twydall.... three services, prayed with people in all of them (surprise, surprise!!)...

a lovely lady Betty, whom I had the privilege of praying with at the church in July last year, came to say 'thank you' as she had had a serious blood condition that was not responding to treatment, and God healed her! Elizabeth, maybe the shortest person I've ever prayed for, maybe in her late 70's (rude to ask, huh??!) was helped painstakingly to the front for prayer, using walking sticks (canes for my American friends!), and strong arms of a friend, as she had dislocated knees. As I prayed for her left knee, she began to shout that they were tingling, and then almost shouted 'They are healed!' and proceeded to walk rapidly out of the church having cried on my shoulder first.... can't tell you what a privilege this is! I'm so grateful to God. Believing that a lovely young lady who came for prayer with her mum - Chelsea, 16 - with some serious incurable heart disorders, will be healed by the time she sees the specialist at the Brompton Hospital Thursday. Lots of testimonies going to come from here....

One lovely long-term healing I heard about last week - Sylvia Taylor, at St Mary's, West Horsley, England, was prayed for 4, maybe nearly 5 years ago: knee problems, lots of pain.... still (literally!) walking in her healing. God is good!

Arrived today in Bangor, Northern Ireland.... it's nice to be 'home'! It really is feeling like my UK home more and more, I only hope I can pick up the accent! Seems like the next week is going to be pretty busy, with a myriad 'home' visits to tumour victims, and serious sickness of all sorts.... but can't wait to see my favourite young lady, Jenny Johnston (and her lovely mum, dad, and gran), whom I hear is doing wonderfully well 8 months after she should have died.... the family's general doctor has now decalred her a miracle, and on Tuesday there is a 'consultation' with the oncologist, who I am praying will also utter the 'm' word having previously said that God is clearly working overtime on Jenny's behalf!

On a practical level, I'd value your prayers as I try to 'jigsaw' my diary/agenda together: as you can see, the next few months are filling up rapidly, and I'm feeling I need some 'good' time at home, and really could do with a bit of a vacation/ holiday (depending on which side of the Atlantic you live....). As you might have noticed, there's a possibilty of going to Jordan very early in the new year, a possibilty I'd grasp with both hands! The past 3 months have been pretty busy, in fact the year has been: I'm so grateful that people want me, so I'm not complaining, and there's so much I'd love to fit in, but recognise I need to be wise in putting in 'rest and relaxation' time.

Also, I'm praying that I might, just might be able to 're-vamp' my kitchen back home: it is the only part of my house that is... well, a little 'grim', and is one of the reasons I don't really eat when I'm home, as the cooker/range is at best yukky, and the cupboards and counter tops/worktops are in the same category! A good friend at church is a kitchen builder, a good one, and he's given me a rock bottom price free of labour costs, and free work surfaces.... $4600 (2300 pounds) which will add considerably more than that to the value of the house, and make it really home for me.... and it will add 31 feet of cupboard space in a kitchen about 8x6 feet (2.7x2 metres)!!!!!  I struggle with spending money on 'stuff' as that is a few airfares in my mind, but I do need 'home' to be 'home', if you know what I mean. So I've taken advice and feel it is a valid prayer request to the Lord for the cash! Guess I'll find out soon enough!

23 May

13 days now.... McDonald's free wi-fi isn't really powerful enough to get the web page editing software online! That's mostly what I've been relying on since being in England... so thank you McDonalds for free access! Some great things happened over the past couple of weeks... a lovely meeting at Kings Church, Addlestone, on the 11th: not a big attendance, but so good to be back with a church where my involvement goes back more than 18 years... prayed with a few folk, and the lovely ongoing story of Gabriella, the 2 year old daughter of Pastors Richard and Louise, who really shouldn't be alive, but of whom the doctors keep saying 'She's a miracle....'

In the evening on the 11th, it was wonderful to be with a radical bunch of young people in Haslemere, Surrey: a joint youth work from St Stephen's Church and Three Counties Church... so many on fire youngsters, it was a privilege to speak to them, and pray for a few. Seems that some want to go on a trip with me one day soon!

During the week, went to the Christian Resources Exhibition a couple of times, and kept bumping into people I haven't seen for years. Two of them I was at Bible School with, one I hadn't seen since then (24 years! - and what was worse, he didn't look any different!! Grrrr... wish I could say the same!). A number of preaching invitations have come as a result, which is a blessing and a privilege, but just what IS God up to with all this involvement in the UK and Europe??!!?? Seems, really, that I had to go and live in the USA in order to come back.... Right now, I'm due to back in the UK or Europe in June, July, August...well, actually, every month this year! Really need to see God's provision if I'm to fulfil it all!!!

Last weekend I drove down to Cornwall to see my mum, sister, brother-in-law, and nephew... mum's doing ok, but (when I'm there, anyway!) non-communicative. I love to see her, pray with her, talk to her, but it is tough when there's nothing coming back. Prayed again with Vivien, Derek, and Stewart... so much healing needed there, please pray for them if you have the time.

After Cornwall, had a great time Sunday with City Church, Plymouth, and there were some healings - Angie, who had a bad pain in her side, that went: her daughter, Lydia, who was being sick and felt very unwell, was healed too. Longing for the total healing of Jules, the pastor, from MS: it's coming, but the enemy doesn't want to give up! It's a great church, and they have 8 people who have just been trained to be street pastors, which is a wonderful ministry to the myriad damaged young people on the streets of the city on weekend nights.

A great time, too, with Maranatha Church, Exeter.... a young man called Matt, going deaf - heard. Thank you Jesus! So many people prayed for, such a tangible presence of God, there were other healings, and God touched many lives. Just waiting to hear reports back.....

This week, I was away with the 'Rhinos' - always a special time, and it was fantastic just to be prayed for, ministered to, and prophesied over by a bunch of men whom I love dearly, and who mean so much to me and the ministry God has entrusted to me.

John Pressdee, one of the Rhinos, and pastor of Green Street Green Baptist Church, Orpington, told me about a lady, Edna, in his church (where I preached on 13 April), was blind in her left eye, had been for years.... the Lord touched her eye, she saw, and the next day saw her doctor, who immediately announced 'It's a miracle...!!!'

Doing a car boot sale Saturday to bring me back to earth, as I need the cash!... then heading for Twydall, Gillingham, Kent, where I'm preaching 3 times Sunday, and where God has been moving recently... so the vicar at Holy Trinity, Gill, is expecting great things this weekend! I'm praying and believing for that too....

And then on Tuesday, I head back to Bangor, Northern Ireland, for 8 days: so looking forward to being back there, seeing Jenny Johnston... and praying for more and more people.

10 May

Wow, nine days and hardly online... nowhere near good enough internet to connect to the web page either! Been a hugely busy time since arriving back from the USA, but at least my luggage arrived with me from the USA! I wonder every time now... My luggage from Sweden finally arrived, too, with the suitcase virtually destroyed! It was one that Samsonite advertise in the USA as virtually indestructible, with a gorilla jumping up and down on it, and throwing it around by the handles.... well, the reason it didn't arrive was because SASairlines' baggage handlers had succeeded in doing what the gorilla couldn't... a point I made with great delight to the airline that their handlers were clearly more destructive than your average gorilla....

A good time with many Romanian friends and some churches, including a number of students with whom I spend a lot of time, a good number of whom are not yet saved, or Christians in waiting.... Over the apst few weeks I've heard of more healings, and a good number of people getting saved: I'm trying to get the people concerned to tell me their stories... harder than you'd think!

Back in England now, and starting a busy few weekends of preaching in different parts of the country: tomorrow, I'm with King's Church, Addlestone, Surrey, a church I love to be involved with and with whom I've been linked since the mid 80's...20 years, scary! Later on, I'm speaking at the Youth Group of St Stephen's Church, Haslemere, Surrey: not been here before, but their Youth Pastor is a guy I met a few years back, Lee Nancarrow, a dynamic, powerful, crazy guy... so I'm looking forward to that!

Lots of catching up during the week with friends, and plan to get to the Christian Resources Exhibition at Sandown Park to see if there's anything there I can use in my travels! Later in the week, I will go and see my mum in Cornwall, and spend some time with my sister ahead of going to Plymouth to speak in the City Church, another church with 20 years of friendship and involvement (gulp! - my grandparents used to say things like that!!!!) in the morning, and then at Maranatha Church, Exeter, in the evening, pastored by long-time friend and traveller and crazy guy Andrew Pearkes.... hopefully I'll be online before then!

1 May

Fly back to England today, with a hectic few weeks coming up - in fact the beginning of a hectic 6 months I think! It is wonderful to have so many invitations coming in, and a real blessing. This trip embraces Romania, England, Ireland - where it looks as though I'll be making a UK base... desperately need one as I'm in the UK and Europe such a lot, and Bangor has become such a 'home' to me over the past few months. It looks, through the kindness of god's people, that I might well have a room in someone's home, an office, and more... just praying now for a car there, as it is too expensive to keep taking mine across on the ferry (I'm told 250 pounds a round trip, and that with the probability of an 800 round trip to Stranraer, adding another 150 pounds in petrol! Please pray about this for me, if you can? I'd so appreciate it....

25-27 April

Very remiss of me not to update for 10 days... great confernece at my home church in Newport News, Virginia, even if the attendance was a little less than we'd hoped for... Dave & Clare did a lot of music and preaching between them, and I preached a bit too (can't help it sometimes!). Lots of prayer and ministry with the folk there, lots of prophetic words flowing, and the feeling that I've met a 'key' couple as a result of the conference: Ian & Bev Roberts, from Williamsburg, spent a lot of time chatting and praying with them post-meetings....

21 April

Fantastic time yesterday in a meeting at Grace Fellowship, Williamsburg: the presence of God was there in such a wonderful way, it was so 'easy' to preach (though I'm still always so, so nervous before I start: wonder why I put myself through the trauma so often!). A big response from the 150 or so people there, guess I must have prayed with 40-50, and my friends Dave & Clare prayed for loads of people too, as did John (my Pastor) and Frank & Phoebe Shaia, mentioned below. The Pastors of the church, Jack Joyner & Brian Fleming, are wonderful guys (Brian even loves 'proper' football! - as opposed to the American type with your hands!), and a strong link has been forged here. I love good relationships! Looking forward to hearing the testimonies out of yesterday's meeting.

Jack came up with a wonderful testimonial after the meeting, which I've put on the 'Who is Paul?' page, under 'What other people say....'

19 April

So much to catch up with when I returned home, it's been hard to relax! A good few days, nonetheless, and a wonderful meeting last night in the Fellowship 'The Watering Hole' led by my dear friends, Frank & Phoebe Shia. It's been a few months since I had the joy of being with them, and God touched and blessed a lot of people, including me! A lovely lady, Jean, was healed (her story is on the testimony page), and I believe a miracle set in progress for a guy named Sean, 34, with something that related to MS, called arachnoiditis. It is inflammation of one of the 3 linings that surround the brain and the spine, and is excruciatingly painful, debilitating, immobilising, and incurable. Sean has had this for 2 years, and had a sense (though I don't want to say it was prophetic) that he'd be healed within 2 months...and so put my money where my mouth was!!! Looking forward to hearing how God does this!

Jenny Johnston in Bangor, Northern Ireland, is doing great! She's back on her trampoline, dancing, and just building up lost strength from those awful dark months in the autumn... the Oncologist said recently - 'It's obvious God is working overtime on Jenny's case!' Wonderful!!!! Looking forward to seeing Jenny in May or early June... still working on some dates!

11 April

It's been an odd few days in many ways, catching up with friends in England (which is nice, not odd!!) but after the busy-ness of the past 5 weeks, it's been a strange adaptation! I'm actually more tired than I was when I was in full flood! Still, preaching on Sunday in Orpington, at the church of my very-long-time friends John & Yvonne Pressdee; John is a fellow Rhino, and they are both such great people that I'm sure their church reflects who they are, so I'm looking forward to it.

Then Monday, head back for the States, and home.... haven't seen my house since before the end of February, so I'm looking forward to that, too, and to have a few nights in my own bed!

8 April

Well, it really does seem like SAS airlines have managed to completely lose my main suitcase on a non-stop flight from Stockholm to London... really value your prayers, if you're a pray-er, as the bag contains all my best shirts, trousers/pants, polo shirts, phone chargers, washing kit, loads of vitamins and standby medication...and more. My frustration is compounded by the fact that the airline seem to have an excuse/reason not to have any liability, and had the audacity to suggest that due to their negligence I should claim on my insurance.... I really do need this bag back, and it has to be somewhere in the world, with my luggage tags on it. It'll take a long time to claim from insurance anyway, and I just don't have the means to finance (even temporarily) the replacement of everything essential lost, nor do I have the time to do it.... so please pray! Thank you....

6 April

Some lovely stories coming from Sweden... I've included one on the testimonies page about a lady named Ulrika, with Multiple Scelrosis... an ongoing story, but one 'in process' and worthy of current inclusion, especially as she doesn't yet know the Lord....! It was a strange few days, realised how tired I was after Sweden, and, in slowing down a little, just got more and more tired as my body relaxed! Love Sweden, want to go back again as soon as possible...

1 April

More healing for the mum mentioned below... she's able to walk bending her feet now, which she hasn't been able to do in years... up to the knees next, Anne!! ... until finally right out through the top of your head, healing all the way up! And David is delightedly telling his friends that God has healed him... oh that we adults would tell the 'testimony of Jesus, which is the spirit of prophecy' (Rev 19:10) more and more, and louder and louder...

And Maria, a lady from Novi Sad, Serbia, whose story is in the blog mid January, healed overnight from chronic scoliosis (curvature of the spine for us Brits!) back then, is telling her story everywhere...

On a 'down' note... after my trying 'luggage experience' with Delta Airlines in December, when 3 out 3 bags were lost, my luggage didn't turn up from Stockholm yesterday either :( - my big suitcase with all my clothes, washing stuff, phone adaptors, my 20 year old 'bought in China' back scratcher, spectacles... Scandinavian Airlines seems as inept and incompetent as Delta. I keep getting the usual stock answer 'we'll send a fax to Stockholm' - 20 years ago I might have accepted that that might take time, but with communication so fast today, it's not acceptable! So, now I have to try and remember (again!) what was in my luggage, and then go through the time-wasting fight of getting money back from an airline... If I'd flown through Terminal 5 at Heathrow, I might have expected it, but a 2 hour direct flight from Stockholm to Terminal 3...?

If you're the praying sort, and reading this, please pray for luggage protection for me. It really is more than a frustration: it causes immense inconvenience, and even to get the airline to refund emergency items (like a razor and shower gel) in Delta's case has taken 3 months...

31 March

Back in England now, and reflecting on what has been a wonderful trip... a young man, David, aged about 10, who'd had an undiagnoseable problem with his right leg (a great deal of pain, couldn't do sports, and more...) was healed last night. His mum was also experiencing healing from her toes upwards... literally! A great timje yesterday at Stojan and Soila Gajicki's church, in Kungsangan, Stockholm.... a lot of freedom, and a lot of blessing... healings, too, I know.

And for me, the immense delight of having Ulf Christiansson, who is mentioned in previous blogs, going to Colombia with me in June, if his diary works out ok... Lots of invitations back, which is always nice (It's never a nice feeling when you're invited to speak somewhere - once!!), so most of this trip was second and third visits, and to be invited back again is very reassuring!

29 March later!

Nice after a flight and a hard but good two weeks to arrive in Stockholm and find that my friend Stojan Gajicki has arranged a sauna...!! Man, it was hot, but it certainly soaked away some of the tiredness...!

29 March

Spent the morning praying with a lovely couple in Boras, Pierre & Marita Enbert... they are a delight to be with, Marita has suffered from stomach and lung cancer for a couple of years or so now. Had the joy of praying with her last June, when she was not in good state health-wise: could hardly get out of bed, couldn't walk, coudln't even read the newspaper. 15 mniutes after being prayed for, she was cleaning the windows of her house... the cancer, according to the doctors, is still there, but she is living pretty much a normal life, and even the effects of chemotherapy are totally non-existent in her body!

Was driven down to Gothenburg to meet up with good friend Rory Kaye, who'd organised what turned into a lovely, crazy meeting in his home with quite a good number of people: Lars, one of those there, had bad back problems, and he was healed, a not yet Christian older lady was saved, along with a young lady, others hugely and mightily touched by God with healing, anointing, blessing, laughter....

I love it when God messes a meeting up!

This afternoon, fly on to Stockholm, where I meet up with my dear friend, Stefan Gajicki, who is such a wonderful, spiritual crazy man.... two services in his church tomorrow, which I'm anticipating will be a great blessing!

28 March

Two very busy internet-less days... in Aneby, a small town near Huskvarna (chain saws!) and Jonkopping (matches!) - good days, based out in the forest at a Bible school base. Dave & Clare went with me from Gothenburg, leaving me there as they had to fly back to England Wednesday... really good evening meeting, with a lot of faith from many people who are really praying powerfully into revival for Sweden. Seemed to pray for just about everything that moved, and prophesied over many. Dave was prophesying like there was no tomorrow over some people, and there were some testimonies of healings, and some 'feeling better' - I want more than that!! At the end of the meeting (11pm), Christer Brandt, a lovely staff guy from the Bible school, asked me if I knew the plans for Wednesday...I thought I had an evening meeting, but it turned out I had 5.5 hours of seminars on 'A delivered people, a prophetic nation' - sooooo, not a lot of sleep that night! Wonderfully, God turned up, along with about 50 people, and there was some terrific ministry, setting people firstly free from fear (especially the fear of men/other people).... then from shyness, and then seeing a number released into prophetic words....

In the evening, again seemed to pray for the world and his wife, with some testimonies of healings from the night before, and some others there and then... so, a tiring but fruitful day. Must have done ok, as they are conisdering asking me back as a main speaker at the midsummer conference in June 2009 (Sweden's conference season as it is the big holiday, the USA equivalent of Thanksgiving, except they have the week off!). I'm told that between 2-5000 come to the conference, so it could be fun. (Thinks: maybe I need a team!!)

Drove from Aneby to Boras today, to meet up with 'old' friends Bjorn & Maria Isaksson. Visits to the home of some lovely Iranians to pray for one very sick, and another not so sick lady... then to hospital to man suffering residual blindness from brain damage caused by a stroke. The very sick lady. Farnus, (broken the base of her spine, major back and leg problems obviously) felt intense heat... always a good sign! ... and said the pain had subsided... the other lady felt like a heavy weight on her as I prayed, so hope to hear tomorrow that they were healed... the man in hospital I had a real sense that he would go home this weekend discharged... please Lord, please!!!

In Boras tonight, smallish meeting, but lovely atmosphere, and a guy called Carl experience freedom from a 5-month long stomach disorder that made him constantly feel her needed to be sick... another lady, with chronic next pain, had the pain go, praise the Lord... there were others, but the remarkable story here is GOING to be a wonderful lady, Marita Enbert (stomach cancer) and her lovely husband Pierre. Marita has had cancer a long time, is going through Chemotherapy but with absolutely NO SIDE EFFECTS at all, and I've prayed/propheised that her tumours will be gone by Monday... I'm really believing more and more that some date to 'habg your hat on' is in line with God's plan, as Jesus never said 'at some vague nebulous date in the future you might be healed' or 'shame you weren't here yesterday, you blind person, as I had a REAL anointing for that then, but not now....' So, Lord, please.. you've done it an increasing number of times, please give me the confidence to keep doing it: If it worked for Elisha and the Shunamite Woman ('this time next year you'll be holding your own child') it's good enough for me to run with.... Lots of people blessed, including a lovely married couple, and then home late again...

Tomorrow, going to really lay hold of Marita's healing in her home with Pierre, and Maria Isaksson... the Enberts are such a wonderful couple, and will trumpet the story far and wide when it is complete... so, by Monday, please God!

Then on to Gothenburg, for a meeting in the evening organised by my American friend Rory Kaye... it'll be a blast with Rory, a man who moves powerfully in prophesy, and healing, so we should have fun!

Heard this week of more testimonies from LAST year's trips here, and the continued healing of many who were healed then... want to hear more, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE WRITE TO ME IF YOU ARE HEALED!!!!! I'D MUCH RATHER PUT YOUR stories on the testimony page than have me telling your stories!

I'm desperately tired, it's been a great but demanding trip, it's 1.30 am as I write, so I'd value your prayers for strength over the l;ast few days of a fantastic tri pto Sweden. Saturday I fly to Stockholm from Gothenburg, for a relaxing evening with my lovely buddy Stojan Gajicki and his great wife Soila... and his lovely family, before 2 services in his church Sunday and no doubt mucho praying!! Please pray that as I stand up to speak, the tiredness will drop away... thank you and bless you!

25 March

One of the great passions of my life is to see other people move into a new dimension of ministry and power... if I can help facilitate that in any way, then I have a great sense of fulfillment and blessing. The church I mentioned yesterday, 'The House', is a church built on a foundation of prayer and fasting - the first couple of years or so of their 4 year existence was purely prayer and fasting. You can imagine, then, that this foundation has provided an astonishing platform on which the it is based. The people who make up that church - principally young people, but fathered and mothered wonderfully by Ulf and Else-Maria Christiansson - move powerfully and with great anointing in evangelism, intercession, and prophecy. So it was wonderful yesterday to see them ignited with healings and miracles... a quite astonishing afternoon and evening (it began about 2pm and ended at 830 pm!), to see them commanding healing & miracles in the name of Jesus, with a passion and fire that will see many, many lives transformed and the dead raised.... It is such a privilege to be able to encourage people, guide them a little, and the wind them up and let them go... great to stand back and watch God anoint them with a new dimension of his power. Rebecca Christiansson felt such an intensity of the fire of God in her injured back she was yelling with the heat (which I felt in my fingers, too)... she's a young woman with an astonishing destiny (she's been prophesied over twice that she has a 'Kathryn Kuhlman' anointing)....wow!!!

There's a lot of talk about 'emerging' churches; I'm not really sure what that title means (apart from some emerging churches closing down as 'we don't need to meet anymore, only have meals together')... there is a need for churches that embrace the raw power of the Holy Spirit, and I feel that 'The House' will be a church that many will look to in order to 'model' an Acts 2 church in the 21st century. More power to you Ulf, and stay right off the end of the branch, my friend!

During the course of the last few days, I've preached so much, prayed so much, and encouraged others, that my voice is almost totally gone! So with meetings every day, some days 2 meetings, between now and leaving Sweden, I need God to do a restoration work on my larynx by this evening's meeting in Aneby!!! And whilst the snow LOOKS lovely, it would be a blessing if no more fell so that we can get to Aneby by road, and Dave & Clare can get back to Gothenburg tonight, leaving me there for tomorrow's meeting....

24 March

Writing here just seems to get wilder and wilder....! Been in 'The House' today... wow...! An more passionate collection of primarily young people you'd be hard pushed to find anywhere. As a church, they meet in the home of Ulf Christiansson, many of them recent converts from drug/alcohol excess backgrounds. The church was established about 4 years ago, on the foundation of purely prayer and fasting for 2 and a half years. Because so many are recent converts, they carry no religious 'baggage' and have simply been, through the ongoing prayer and fasting, totally ignited by the fire of God. It was a privilege, blessing, and pleasure to be with them. With the 'Core' today, their leadership group, and I want them to pray for me....

Got to pray with and prophesy over a good number of their guys last night: Dave and Clare have been fantastic to have around, as they are both prophetic and powerful prayers. Hoping that I can twist their arms to go to Aneby with me tomorrow afternoon, before they leave for England on Wednesday morning.

It's almost a total 'whiteout' here in western Sweden, with snow falling heavily all day yesterday, and the temperatures to match (yesterday I guess about -6C). It looks beautiful, but of course it's not quite so beautiful to walk or drive in! But seeing as I haven't seen such snow in a long time, I'm thoroughly enjoying it!

23 March

Wow! What a wonderful meeting last night at Korskyrkan (Church of the Cross) here in Alingsas....!!! The worship took off, the most amazing passionate piano player you'll ever see, Svenne Jansson (he looks like Larry Norman only with a piano!)... from what I recall, Svenne never had a lesson, can't read a note of music, yet plays just amazingly, improvising and producing amazing music...prayed for him, and he was so impacted by the Holy Spirit he was under the piano, reaching up and playing awesomely with one hand whilst rolling on the floor laughing!

Met for the first time, and was translated by, a wonderful guy, Daniel Viklund: Daniel carries an amazing anointing, and I felt so in awe that a man recognised as one of the best preachers in Scandinavia would translate for me. It was so easy to preach with him even though we'd never met until 30 minutes before the service. Such a wonderful, humble young man. Per Sotorp, a Norwegian singer, whom I met last year, has become such a good friend over the past few days, along with his lovely wife Ester. The church pastors, Hans & Eva Marklund, are just wonderfully unreligious, totally free in God, and a joy to be alongside. Hans wants to open up Finland to me, the third person to do so, so it seems that Finland will be featuring in my future... back 4 weeks ago, Bill Beni, a lovely prophetic pastor from my home state, Virginia, prophesied over me that I would have a significant impact and ministry in Finland, so who am I to dispute what God is saying from so many men of God??? I know that Sweden will also increasingly be on my agenda, especially with the depth of friendship developing with wonderfully Godly people like Vello & Ingalill Vaim, Hans & Eva, Stojan & Soila Gajicki, Per & Ester Sotorp, Morgan Carlsson, Daniel Viklund, Ulf Christiansson, Christer Brandt, Pauli & Soila Kemi, and many more...

I'm just a bit breathless, if I'm honest, at the pace that all this is gathering! Norway is likely to soon feature on my agenda, too.

Last night, it was so fantastic to have God speak prophetically to so many people, and by the end of the evening, Hans, the pastor, was totally drunk in the Holy Spirit, and there were many other people prayed for, and some significant healings in the pipeline....

It's 2.20 am as I write, adrenaline still racing, but with some wonderful meetings over the next couple of days in Gothenburg with The House, a church led by Ulf Christiansson, where I'm believing for signs that make you wonder...

So many people from here seem to want to travel with me, and I'm already saying to God that a team with Vello & Ingalill, Hans & Eva, Per & Ester, Daniel, Morgan, Dave & Clare (my lovely Brit friends, who are just cutting loose here with prophesy, words of encouragement, and praying for the sick), Stojan Gajicki, plus John from my home church, and me, of course(!!) ought to go to Colombia together sooner rather than later...

22 March

Wonderful news today!!! Lovely Jenny Johnston in Bangor, Northern Ireland started walking totally normally last night! She'd been walking for about a month, but needed, after 9 months of non-use, to build up muscle strength. She'd waslk holding hands, or just one or two steps on her own, but last night, she announced, 'I'm going to walk now!'. Lynne, her mum, got up to hold her hand, and she said, 'No, on my own!!!!' PRAISE THE LORD!!!!! Easter weekend, and the TOTAL COMPLETION of one of the most remarkable miracles I've lived through and see. When Jesus died, he said 'IT IS FINISHED!!!!' and not 'I am finished'.... Thank you Jesus, you are SO not finished, just beginning in many of our lives to realise the awesome power that raised you from the dead is alive and well and living in US!!!!!

Wonderful meeting in Church of the Cross (Korskyrkhan), Alingsas, here in Sweden. The presence of God was so, so tangible, and the power of God was there to heal and set free. Another meeting there tonight, which I believe is going to be even better!

20 March

Tomorrow, Good Friday in most of the world (not Eastern Europe/Orthodox faiths). I pray that the power of God's amazing gift of Jesus, to a dying and desperate world, will be yours, and that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, and who IS alive in you, will compel to do what Jesus did, and greater things than he did...

Two great evening prophetic schools at City Church, Orebro with my friends Vello & Ingalill Vaim, and Dave & Clare Cleave. I have to admit I felt extremely nervous and out of my depth, as I would never put myself myself in the 'prophet' category, just someone who prophesies... but God was gracious, and my butterflies somehow seemed to fly in formation rather than out of control, and God blessed a lot of people.... as well as praying for the gift of prophecy for people, healing, miracles... God broke the fear of man over a good number of lives. I'm so grateful that God still seems to enjoy 'stretching' me, and grateful that he changed my willingness to be stretched many years ago!

A wonderful miracle is in progress here: the son in law of people in a local church works in drug rehabilitation. Last weekend he found a young lady in the rehab home who had taken such a huge overdose that the doctors said she would not come out of the coma, and only be a vegetable. Prayed with the mother in law, by proxy for this young lady, and today she opened her eyes....

Travelling away from Orebro tomorrow, to Alingsas, for two evenings at the Easter Conference of the Church of the Cross, pastored by a wonderful man named Hans Marklund. Looking to God for him to heal, bless, set free, and perform his wonders (as great American preacher Bill Johnson says, 'Signs that make you wonder!').

Sunday & Monday, along with Dave & Clare, I'm in a church simply known as 'The House' in Gothenburg... it is led by Ulf Christenson, whose albums I remember buying donkeys ago as he led a great Christian rock band 'Jerusalem'... so looking forward to some rocking worship, as he's just reforming the band (in his sixties... hope for me yet!!).

17 March

Great to be back in Sweden, to catch up with so many of the friends made last year. Two meetings Saturday afternoon and evening at Agape Church, Sundbyberg, just south of Stockholm: the place was pretty packed for both, and it was lovely to see God touch some lives quite profoundly... there were some healings, not just physical, but emotional too, and a wonderful outbreak of the laughter and joy of the Lord in the second meeting. It's great, too, to see how God over-rules some of the decisions or perceptions I make! There were two women in the meeting who for most of it sat with faces like stone (I know my jokes and storeis are bad, but most people are kind enough to at least smile!!), one in particular 'looking daggers' at me... when you speak, you quickly learn to try not to look too often at the 'negative' people, but there were others near her I wanted to look at! Well, they stayed right until the end, still looking the same, then came to speak to me.... I sort of dreaded it, but asked names and what can I pray for? as I always do. The sharpest dagger just said 'life is hell'... often, at times like that, it is best not to get someone to go through an interminable list of why it is hell... so I asked a few pertinent questions, then prayed for her. For some minutes it seemed not to be being received, but then suddenly God broke through her internal storm with his peace, his grace, and his mercy... it is such a privilege to see God transform someone, and suddenly she began to laugh and cry, ending uprolling on the floor laughing, then staggering out of the church like she was drunk....

Two services yesterday in the lovely City Church, Orebro (pronounced Er-e-brew!) with many, many people responding for ministry, some immediate and obvious testimonies, and many more to come, I firmly believe that! I'm speaking there again tomorrow and Wednesday, doing some things on prophecy and healing, along with a wonderful couple from Orebro - my hosts here for a few days - Vello and Ingalill Vaim. Also arriving tomorrow are long-time Brit friends Dave & Clare Cleave, who will be around for the next week, sharing in the praying and in many others ways. Dave is a great worship leader, Clare a straight-talking speaker, and both prophetic... so it will be fun!

The last days in Ireland - Thursday & Friday last week, were great: both incredibly busy, Thursday going to many people's homes to pray, and the Royal Hospital, in Belfast: in the evening the drive south to Clontibret, in Eire: warm response, a good number to pray for, and a blessing to be there again.

On Thursday, it was great to speand a little time with Jenny Johnston, and spend some time with the family..... her story has been the inspiration for many people's healing already, and that is going to not only continue, but accelerate....

13 March

Great to go to a town, Dromore, to pray for a lovely 22 month old baby with a brain tumour, her mum, and then two lovely ladies, Rosalyn and Betty... a lovely change in the atmosphere in both homes, and a real sense of God's healing touching all the lives...

Heard a lovely testimony, too, from a young lady named Laura, from Towerview Free Methodist Church, who had ligament damage in foot healed on Sunday (her story is on the testimony page), and to have the privilege of sharing with a 'packed house' of people during yesterday evening. Prayed for many, including a young lady named Jemma, not yet in the kingdom, but facing serious surgery for pulmonary hypertension and other breathing disorders... please pray for her, would you? It was great to have Andrew Barr and his associate, Geoff, from the Healing Rooms, there: to say God has bonded our hearts in 36 hours would be an understatement.

This evening, a whole mass of people from a few different churches gathered in the home of a fantastic couple, Don & Helen Ritchie: almost reminiscent of a Chinese house church!! A joy to have the honour of sharing with them, and, again, praying with many of them for healing. Some clear evidences of God's healing power tonight!!!

Busy day tomorrow, ahead of leaving Friday morning to return briefly to England, en route to Sweden. Thursday is filled with visits to sick people in their homes, along with the joy of seeing Jenny Johnston for a little while... then at midday off with wonderful retired (not likely - he's so busy!) pastor Jim Hagan to pray for more sick people before crossing over the border into the south for a meeting in Clontibret.

Value your prayers for strength and refreshing, as it is a busy day, and Sweden kicks off with four meetings in the first 20 hours of my being there....

10 March

Saw Andy (see entry for 7th!) at the men's meeting (see photo and story on testimonies page)... looking great, the doctors 'can't find' the motor neurone disease or the parkinson's disease on any of his scans and tests :-) and the diabetes is ....stabilised!!!!

What a lovely weekend away with the Men's Fellowship group from West Church, Bangor. The location was absolutely stunning, overlooking some of the most beautiful coastline you'll see anywhere in the world. It was a joy yesterday to have the privilege of speaking to the group, having listened to, and been blessed by a lovely pastor on Saturday, Kelvyn Adams. The opportunity was there to pray with all the men yesterday, and prophesy over many of them, and there was both laughter and tears. I was taken to the Giant's Causeway Saturday, which is pretty speactacular, but also perishing cold! - and plenty of time to get to know some lovely men whom I've not really known until now.

In the evening Sunday, there was a lovely meeting at Towerview Free Methodist Church, pastored and led so well by Jeremy and Suzanne Forsyth... I think I prayed with just about everyone at the end of the meeting! It was fantastic to see Alan and Barbra Gouck, whom God touched so wonderfully in December: Barbara healed from very disabling arthtritis - she could barely walk then - and who looks a different person now - and Alan, who brought his wife to the meeting as a self-confessed 'very backslidden Christian'... he hadn't had any relationship with God for 20 years or more, and as I prayed for Barbara God set his shoulders and back 'on fire'! The following Tuesday, he came to another meeting, to tell me of Barbara's healing, and God set his head on fire then... at which point he re-committed his life to the Lord! He's even more on fire now, and he, too, looks totally different!

Met two great men this morning - Andrew Barr, who heads up the Welss of Revival ministry in Northern Ireland, and is responsible for all the Healing Rooms in Ireland. There was an instant bonding of hearts as God brought us together, and it is for a purpose way beyond coffee in the International Airport, Belfast, where we met! Andrew has asked me to be a speaker at the Healing Rooms Irealnd conference in October....

Then met Billy McClay: an amazing man, 71 years young, totally and overwhelmingly on fire for God, and so full of passion and fire for the Kingdom. Billy is contagious... I love any man who says things like 'I got invited to speak in such-and-such a church, and I TRIED to behave...'!!!

Some quality time spent with Callum and Sam McCausland, and dad and mum Will and Tracey... Tracey said there had been a measure of improvement in both of them sionce last week, which is great, loved the chance of praying with them again, and believing God for an astonishing miracle in both of them...

Busy day tomorrow visiting some seriously sick people in their homes... always a privilege, but very demanding and draining... another meeting in the evening at towerview Free Methodist, so hope to hear some testimonies from last night, especially as Alan invited almost all his family last night, and I think I prayed with them all!

7 March

You know, it is SUCH a privilege to serve the King of Kings and Lord of Lords... and a wonderful privilege, too, to see him at work. Yesterday, it was so much more than a delight (I can't think of words to say greater than that) to go and visit the home of Michael & Lynne Johnston, parents of Jenny, and share in their joy of seeing their gorgeous little daughter being a normal 3 year old again after the trials, traumas, and despair of the last 6 months of 2007.... Jenny looks wonderful, she has not 'lost' any of her words, humour, intellect, or life despite the crushing nature of the tumour that filled her head during the middle to the end of last year. God has done such an amazing miracle in Jenny's life, in the family, amongst friends and neighbours, and in the medical community. A lady who works in Marks and Spencers, who remembered her before her tumour, saw her during it, and despaired, like many who don't know Jesus, cried yesterday when she saw the radical and total transformation of a little girl (and her family) who walked through the valley of the shadow of death, and emerged triumphant with Jesus out the other end into abundant life....

My job might not earn me much in worldly terms, or give me any 'human' security, but who can ask for more than being even a little involved in such an awesome act of God...?

It was a joy, too, the meet the McCausland family in Hillsborough, Northern Ireland, and have the privilege of praying for Callum, 5, (dispraxia - apraxia if you're from the USA! - a measure of autism and a traumatic start to his life) and Sam, 18 months (severe Becker muscular dystrophy or duchenne syndrome, the doctors aren't sure, only that both are fatal in teenage years)... all being well, I'm going to pray for them again on Monday, please, please add them to your list of prayer needs.

Later on this morning, I'm speaking at the West Church, Bangor, Men's Fellowship group, where I'm hoping and praying that a man named Andy Putz will be there: last October, I had the privilege of praying with Andy, who was dying with motor neurone disease, class 1 diabetes, and parkinsons. He was tested a few days later at his regular hospital check up, and had none of them.... I would love to get him to write his testimony and video him too....

5 March

Wow! Where does time go? A week since last updating here, seems like 3 days, and as usual haven't been able to get online anywhere, except for a few minutes in the car sitting outside a 'MacDonalds' where they now have free wireless internet access, bless 'em! Almost worth patronising them and eating a big mac for their kindness!

Some great sessions with Voice of Comfort church in London - Africans are so much less backward in coming forward to tell you they have been healed, touched, blessed... there were a number of healings, and I hope before long to hear of more!

Great, too, as I was in the vicinity, to meet up with my long-time friends John & Yvonne Pressdee (and in john's case, a fellow Rhino!). When I landed back in England last Tuesday, I called John at the very moment he was leaving a hospital having visited one of his congregation, very very ill with cancer. He told me that he'd been sitting with this lady, Anne, thinking 'I wish Paul Bennison was here!'...then I rang! Went with him on Thursday to visit her, she had been diagnosed with bowel cancer, and it had spread to many other parts, and there were (as often with bowel cancer) liver complications. Having seen at least two people healed of the same thing at the back end of last year, it was a joy to pray with real faith for her healing.

A long weekend in Romania was great too, immediately followed this morning by a 3.45am alarm (joy oh joy!) to be at Heathrow airport for 4.45 to fly to Belfast at 6.40! Looking forward immensely to my time here in Ireland, but just have this sneaky feeling it's going to be busy....! The joy of seeing Jenny Johnston will make it all miraculously worthwhile!

Last week, Michael & Lynne, Jenny's parents, had to take her for another visit to the oncologist (who first pronounced her imminent death in September, then in October announced that everything that had shut down in her body was irreversible, then in December that he 'couldn't explain it' as to why not only was she alive, but that the irreversible was reversing...) - well, last week, his comment was that 'someone up there must be working very hard on her behalf'!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't imagine we'll get much nearer to having a non-Christian consultant say that a miracle has taken place! This is why God has done it slowly, of that I am more and more convinced, to show THE WORLD that Jesus is Lord and heals when it is totally IMPOSSIBLE!!!

27 February

Time to start this busy ball rolling...! For the next two days, I'm speaking at a conference in south east London for a church - Voice of Comfort International - an African church, which I love. I'd value prayer for an increase in all that I rambled about two days ago in the blog... anointing, power, new level of ministry... I SO long to see God do more and more here in Britain, and I'm asking for great signs and wonders to visit these meetings with my African brothers and sisters, whose own expectation levels are often so much greater than us average Brits!

A few days with Romania follows, back Tuesday: then back to Heathrow for 4.45 am to fly to Bangor, Northern Ireland, where I'm so, so longing to see Jenny Johnston, as the 3 months since I saw her have brought such a massive advance in her ongoing miracle (remember that specialists said she had two weeks to live on September 7th last year...)... also to see another lovely young lady, Robyn, aged 6, who has the same problem as Jenny had, and two little boys who are both very unwell - Callum and Sam McCausland. Please pray for these children... there will be lots of meetings, I'm sure, and many homes to visit with very sick people... I NEED that fresh anointing!

25 February

Arrived back in England today to begin a hectic few weeks! At least no baggage damage on the flight last night! (see 19th's entry!).

The conference at Virginia Beach last week was such a necessary time for me: it was a place where I just sat, and got 'fed' and very fired up... all the conference speakers were great, but I especially enjoyed Bill Johnson, a great prophetic Bible teacher from California: received an impartation of fresh fire and increased anointing from the Lord through Bill... literally rubbed shoulders with him and John to receive more of the anointing God has given them! God gave a prophetic word for me to a man I knew a little, but who knew nothing about where God was taking me.... as I arrived at the conference, he came over to me, and said "God is telling me that you are going to have a major ministry and impact in Finland. Have you ever been there?" No, I haven't... BUT, I know of wonderful Finninsh Pastors in Stockholm, Sweden, who have invited me to their country, and Stojan, my dear Serbian friend from Stockholm, is married to a Finn and does a lot of preaching there... looks like I might go with him in September.

SO... now with Sweden and Finland on the agenda, and a return to Serbia scheduled for later this year, it looks like Scandinavia - so clse all the years I lived in England, and now so far living in the USA! - are truly on my 'radar'...

Sunday, in my home church, we had a wonderful prophetic lady, Jean Allen, come to speak. I'd never met Jean, but she prophesied over a number people during the meeting, and the word she had for me was astonishingly accurate, and massively encouraging! ...about increased anointing, for the nations: that there will be a new level in ministry, a time of stepping up to a new level of power and anointing, that God was going to give me teams of people who would regularly travel with me (that's been my prayer for years!), and she prophesied much, much more...

19 February

Really value your prayers for my 'property' - not the house, but 'stuff'... there has been a continuous 'chipping away' onslaught on things at home and things I travel with, that drains the limited resources I have. I guess it all began with the two burglaries in May/June 2006, when I discovered that 'new for old' replacement contents insurance (even with one of the biggest companies - no names, just a red phone!) meant absolutely nothing when a large amount of stuff is stolen and the finance/commission-driven rogue loss adjusters get their teeth into you. I lost at least 50% of what was stolen, and even now I'm remembering things that were stolen, but too late...

More recently, it has been small, but consistent, things. On the trip back to the USA yesterday, both my bags, one a virtually new Samsonite hard-sided case, the other, a very good quality canvas wheeled bag, were damaged. The suitcase has a locking retractable handle, essential in its use as there is no other way of wheeling it: when it came up on the carousel, the handle was up - and bent, so it won't retract anymore, making it unusable. I always buy good luggage as mine is used so much, and the airlines do treat the bags very badly. I went to claim for the suitcase, but - of course - they have a 'disclaimer' saying handles aren't covered.... the canvas bag has had one end almost ripped off and it, too, is now unusable. It might not sound much, but to replace them both is about $400 (200 pounds) - that's an airfare to quite a few places, and this sort of thing is happening constantly....

Just before I flew to England 3 weeks ago, the mains water pipe into my house burst. I'd been out, but forgot my glasses (thank God for bad eyesight, sometimes!!), and I had to come home to get them. Heard a strange noise, went to the kitchen to see what it was, and was standing in water! I lost a lot of the 'stuff' that's stored in cupboards under the sink - unclaimable, of course! I'm grateful to God that it waited until to 2 am this morning to burst in another place - I'd got home at 11.30 pm. It was about 10 minutes before I heard the noise, by which time the replacement 'stuff' under the sink was wrecked again... and of course, there's the repair costs!

Another area where there is a 'drain' is in airline tickets. Often, I find a great price, but don't have the money: when I have the money, the price has doubled! When I'm in countries like Romania, Colombia, or Serbia, it is impossible to book online anyway, as western banks block all online card activity as fraud is so high in some places. Just an example - I found a ticket to Sweden for about 70 pounds 4 weeks back: a good price, but no money. When I went to book it last week, it was 119 pounds :( - when you're looking at a 4-500 pound fare, that can rise to 6-700 pounds just because of a delay.

Soooo.... if you would ,please pray, as I'd much prefer to spend that sort of money on a fare, or give it away to someone or a project, in the third world!

Please pray, too, if you would, concerning bookings. So many options, so many invitations (for which I'm very grateful to God!), but so little time in comparison. I'd love to do all of them, but of course, it is impossible. I just need more and more wisdom.

18 February

What a lovely morning at Frensham Baptist Fellowship yesterday! It was great to be with Russ & Roz (Roz is one of the two elders): I think I prayed for just about everyone in the church at the end of speaking, and I'm looking forward to hearing the stories that come from there and from Maidstone last week. It was a delight to be with them, and I'm already looking forward to going back there...

The biggest news of the week though, is about lovely Jenny Johnston, from Bangor.... Jenny has now got back much more use in her right arm, and HAS BEGUN EATING AGAIN!! The chemotherapy and other treatment back in the summer/autumn last year, had left a terrible taste in her mouth, and nothing tasted right. She was keeping going on milk, until last week, when everything returned to normal! Lynne, her mum, is letting her choose whatever she wants (who wouldn't when she hasn't eaten since last June?????!!!). Very soon, I want to put the WHOLE story here, with pictures of how Jenny looked last year, and how she looks now....

On my way back home to the USA for a few days, including going to get well fed and blessed at a conference at Virginia Beach, with John Arnott from Toronto, and Bill Johnson. Just frustrated by yet another flight delay here in Newark!

13 February

Wow! What a wonderful day at St Lukes on Sunday.... prayed for a lot of people in the two morning services, thankfully with the help of their great ministry team, so I wasn't still there at 3pm! It's so good when a lot of people are there to pray, and truth is, I haven't got anything folk like them haven't got, so it doesn't need me to do the praying... I DO understand why sometimes, when someone maybe wants some 'impartation' of gifting, you want a specific person to pray for you: I do that, and probably will next week when I go to hear Bill Johnson and John Arnott speak in Virginia Beach! St Luke's is a great church, and Eric Delve is such a great leader that people are given freedom to grow and flourish. The morning services went so well that Eric asked me to stay on for the evening, too, which was the sort of confidence-booster I needed to get over my nerves... It was a great day.

I've just left my two-day stint away with the Rhinos, my accountability group. What can I say about these men.. we've had a wonderful 2 days, perhaps the best Rhinos I've ever been at, and the power of the prayer, prophecy, affirmation, and commitment of my dear friends has set me up in a new way... I'm so grateful to God for them.

Now, it's down to Cornwall to see my mum, and pray for my brother in law, Derek, who has just been diagnosed with prostate cancer... with all he has to do for my nephew, Stewart, Derek just does NOT need this, so I'd really value your prayers as I pray for him and my sister Vivien.

Next Sunday, 17th, I'm preaching at another Rhino's church, my great mate Russ Parker, whose own healing and teaching ministry has been inspirational to me. Russ is also a Reverend Doctor, so doubtless by Saturday the butterflies will be out in force again... just need to get them to fly in formation. Russ is such a great guy, but I'm no theologian, so I'd best stick to stories, I'm sure!

9 February

Back online again, after what was supposed to be a trip to Romania that took me with Romanians to do some evangelism in Mallorca, Spain! It was a last minute change, and it was a great time. Stretched my Spanish (which, at best is mediocre!!) as everything I've learned of Spanish has been from Latin America, and it is so, so different from that in Spain... I'd never been to Mallorca (only been to Spain twice, and that probably 10-12 years ago): I guess as always with evangelism the acid test of how fruitful it is won't really be known for some time, to see who is still 'standing', but there were a good number of souls saved.

Tomorrow, I'm speaking at St Luke's Church, Maidstone, England, the church pastored and led by my long time friend Eric Delve. Eric is one of my preaching 'heroes', a wonderful illustrative and 'multi-voiced' speakers, so passionate, so it is daunting in many ways to speak at his church... but the subject IS healing, which helps me a little more. Not only that, they had Michelle Guinness there last week, a truly hard 'act' to follow... value your prayers!

I'm in England this week, as Tuesday and Wednesday I'm away with the Rhinos! Always look forward to being with these men, men I love and trust, and who love and trust me too... it will be a time of honesty, openness, prayer, ministry, and prophecy... I look forward to it immensely.

28 January

It was a delight today to have lunch with a couple in Williamsburg, a city close to mine here in Virginia. Frank & Phoebe Shaia have become very dear friends quickly, and they asked two other great local pastors to lunch, too - I only know them as Wade and Jack! We had a very special time together, prayed for each other, and Wade suddenly got on his knees and held my feet... praying and prophesying over them (and me, of course!) that God would give me 'new feet, stronger ligaments, bones, muscle, more power, and that there would be times when my feet will have wings, and that they will often be like the feet of the deer'... what he didn't know was about 1) my broken toe, 2) that I have spasmodic arguments with gout (no, not excess brandy, don't worry!), 3) that I have occasional numbness in my toes... and 4) often have pain in both of them... so it was a real blessing to receive his prayer, and I'm receiving his prophetic word, especially the 'wings' and 'deer' bits.. I think the deer part might have to mean supernatural weight loss, too, as I've never seen a deer my weight!

It is lovely to see howGod is bringing me in touch with pastors who have the same kingdom view that I do, and whose gifting and calling is in areas where mine isn't... God's so good at this sort of stuff!

Busy packing, and heading back to Washington DC in the morning... then praying for an upgrade on the night flight back to London (I got one when I travelled via Frankfurt a few weeks ago! thank you United Airlines! ... when you've been 'up front' you never want to go sardine/cattle class again!).

27 January

An update on lovely Irish Jenny Johnston, who HAD a brain stem tumour... she's doing great, enjoying being a little girl again (she's 3 and a half years old) and being 'mummy' to her baby sister, Sarah. She is still experiencing the physical 'after taste' of the chemotherapy, and because of that is still not fond of food. She also needs to regain strength in the right side of her body, but God has provided a lovely therapist who is helping Jenny at home... these two areas still need prayer, if you're able to add her to your list! Astonishingly, though Jenny's condition was so rare, Michael & Lynne, her mum and dad, have put me in touch with another Bangor, Northern Ireland family, whose daughter, Robyn, 6 years old, has just been diagnosed with the same condition. I've talked to her parents on the phone, and look forward to going to Bangor in about 5 weeks to be able to pray with Robyn and her family. Yet another Bangor family have been in touch, too, with two sons, 5 and 1, who are both in desperate need of prayer... Callum and Sam: Callum has many of the symptoms of autism, Sam has just been provisionally diagnosed with severe muscular dystrophy. Please join me in praying for them? I so want to go there and pray for them: it's just not possible before early March, and I'm praying that miracles will happen for Jenny, Robyn, Callum, and Sam before then.

Tuesday 29th I'm back on a plane again, travelling back to England: details are on the agenda/diary page. I'd value your prayers, as the next few months are pretty packed and busy: I'm just grateful that God still seems to want to use me, and grateful that people seem to want me, so I'm not complaining!

A lovely story from Plymouth: a young man who I had the privilege of praying for last May, who had suffered from severe migraines for years (I'm grateful to have never had to experience a migraine, but those who have will know his plight)... well, Praise the Lord, he has not had one attack since then!

23 January

Whew! Online at last! No chance of getting my laptop online in Serbia: dial up connections seemed popular still, and needed special configuration for another machine, and there was never time for that!

It was a wonderful trip: Serbia is a lovely country, wonderful people, but sad in many ways. I was told that in Belgrade, a city of 3 million+ people, there are only around 500 evangelical Christians. Staggering. Novi Sad, a city of about 400,000, had more, but not that many more. A lot of lovely relationships were built, and opportunities to return again this year are many!

There were some lovely healings - in one church, Novi Sad Christian Fellowship, pastored by a lovely couple, Danny & Vera Kuranji, I had the privilege of preaching on a Sunday night, and such was the response for prayer and ministry that a further unscheduled meeting was arranged for Tuesday evening. Before I spoke, I asked Danny to get testimonies from people who had been healed on Sunday night, and without any delay at least a dozen, maybe more, testified to instant healings. It was a wonderful platform from which to preach, and that evening, a lady named Maria, with curvature of the spine (scoliosis), that pushed her forward and from left to right, with a large lump on her back (hunchback), came forward. As I prayed for her, I felt I should tell her that the next morning she would wake up and look in the mirror, and that her back would be healed.... Praise God, it was!!! She phoned many people, and a few of those who knew her gave their lives to the Lord as a result of her miracle. That makes it even better as far as I am concerned!!

I'd love to get from the folk there more 'actual' testimonies, but those who did testify, spoke of healing from rheumatic pain, arthritis, depression, psychosis, heart problems, blood problems... many more.

A great church, the first I spoke in in Novi Sad, saw a tremendous response. Many former drug addicts, in a programme of rehabilitation, came for prayer, dozens with hepatitis C: I know many were healed. Prayed for so many people that morning!

The last stage of the visit was in Subotica (pronounced Su-bot-eet-sa): a great church, Hungarian (it was strange for me in the first part of the service as it was in Hungarian translated into Serbian! Hungarian is an...er...unusual language to outsiders, and Serbian - which is also cyrillic - has c's and v's and h's and b's together, so it was impossible to recognise anything on the overhead screen in the worship, too!) , again saw a lovely response, many prayed for, and I know that there will be testimonies from there. Stayed with a wonderful couple, Mirko and Svetlana: Mirko owns a restaurant, so much for my thinking I'd only be eating soured cabbage and would lose weight! They fed me endlessly, and it was so good to be in their home.

I'm back in the USA now, at home for a few days, before heading off for Romania, via England for a day, then preaching on the 10th and 17th in England, with the much looked-forward-to time away with the Rhinos, the group of men I meet with for accountability, prayer, ministry, and motivation...

11 January

A few more days without being able to get my computer online... and now it's brief, as I'm in Zurich airport waiting for my onward flight to Belgrade, Serbia. Would appreciate your prayers as I so believe that this trip is going to be good! It'll be good to work alongside my friend Stojan Gajicki, during my first visit to his country. Hopefully I'll be able to get online there and relay some stories!

8 January 2008

Well, the end of a much-needed few days where I have been able to catch up with laundry, cleaning the house, and spending time with friends from my home church... the roller-coaster ride begins again!

Had a wonderful evening with a lovely houme church in Williamsburg on Sunday night: it was a time of tremendous blessing, and the folk there prayed for, and prophesied stuff over me that was hugely more than encouraging - in fact, some of it mind-blowing! So I'm looking forward to what 2008 has in store for me....

Today I fly to England from Washington DC, via Frankfurt (like you do!!), arriving tomorrow (joy oh joy, a night on a plane!). I'm meeting up with my great friends Nick & Erica Lugg - they've been friends for many years now, and have a fantastic ministry in Zambia. Right now, they are visiting England, but return to Zambia on the 14th when I;m in Serbia, so it will be wonderful just to grab a few minutes with them Wednesday afternoon.

No doubt Thursday will be filled with people and catching up, ahead of leaving at the crack of dawn Friday for Belgrade, Serbia. I know for a fact that there is a meeting Friday evening in Belgrade, so it's straight into the action! I prefer it that way!

I don't know how much - if at all - I'll be able to get on to the internet while I'm there: I need to do it on a machine with the right software for updating the site here, but I'll do my best to keep the stories coming!

Please pray for protection on my luggage on all the flights of the next 14 days: I'm still fighting to get compensation for the lost luggage en route to Houston last week, but it's looking pretty hopeless....

2 January 2008

Happy New Year, a day late! I hope and pray that 2008 is a good year for you, a year where the blessing and the power of God are evident in every part of your lives. My 'technological onslaught' continues! After recent 'laptop woes', the hard drive decided to die this time... what a blessing! So, another week without a machine...

Just spent three wonderful days with my daughter, Katy, son in law Joshua, and terrific extremely active grandsons Ethan (6) and Seth (3)... it was wonderful, but I'm exhausted! The airline that I flew with, Delta, didn't help, losing both my bags on the way to Houston, so no clothes and gifts for the family, then they lost the bag filled with replacement clothes etc., on the way back. Hmm. Needless to say, if people ever ask me good airlines to fly with, Delta won't feature in my conversation!

Home again for a few days now, but preparing to go to Serbia on January 11 for a week: never been before, so I'm looking forward to it, and a little daunted at the same time. I'm going with a wonderful Serbian pastor, Stojan Gajicki, whom I met in Sweden: Stojan is a delightful man, and I'm looking forward to spending more time with him. It'll be the100th country I've had the privilege of going to, so I guess it makes it even more special!

25 December

I pray that this Christmas will be a time of blessing, peace, and refreshing to all my friends and family worldwide, and that the God of grace and power will bless your lives, heal your bodies, and fill you with hope for 2008. Thank you for all your love and support to me during the past year, and all the years past: I appreciate you and love you.

May 2008 be the best year you've known in ways that you would never have asked, dreamed, or imagined.

22 December

Home now after two seemingly endless days of travel, made longer by my slowness with my broken toe! Nice to be home, though realising now I've slowed down just how tired I am...

Great news about Jenny - from 'a large, aggressive tumour' in September to 'a shrinking non aggressive tumour' now... Lynne asked the Consultant Oncologist how often this happens with the sort of tumour Jenny had: guess it was too much to hope for him to say the 'm'(miracle) word...but he said it has never happened in his experience.... have a sense that even with Thursday's prognosis, there's a (right, and to be expected) covering of his back, but he doesn't want to see Jenny until March when she'll have another scan (pretty good seeing as how on September 7th, she had two weeks to live...). Please keep praying for her: she still needs some strength back in her right hand side in order to have full motor functions again, but she's doing great... Thank you, Jesus!

Busy weekend now trying to do Christmas shopping... looking forward to spending some days in Houston from 27th with Joshua, Katy, Ethan, and Seth, my son-in-law, daughter, and grandsons!

Please pray, too, about next year's invitations...I need wisdom! Also, I'd appreciate it if you'd pray concerning airfares... they can be a real frustration - incredibly time consuming looking for the best deal on the right date at the best time: but just this week, had (yet again) the frustration of finding a reasonable fare to Houston, but I couldn't book it as I was in Romania at the time and most western banks block transactions from there in case it's fraudulent or the card is stolen. By the time I got home and could get online, the ticket price had almost doubled.... Happens so, so often, and I need the best prices I can get for obvious reasons!

I hope and pray that you have a good 'pre-Christmas' weekend....

18 December

For those keeping up with Jenny's blog (!!), yesterday went remarkably well, with Jenny showing no fear of the scan, and asking ahead of it if she and the family could go shopping afterwards... her teeth, which a few weeks back were a possible cause for future concern (only if you REALLY take diagnoses on board!), and there is now nothing to be concerned about. Thank you, God! What's more, Michael heard that the oncologist wants to see her Thursday (20th) - the quickest appointment ever. Please pray that this will be the all clear from him, and that Christmas for the Johnston family will be the best, happiest, and most triumphant celebration of Jesus ever...

Stopped snowing here in Romania: some good meetings hampered a little by my limp, which is getting better every day. Thank goodness it's not so treacherous to walk now!

Back to England tomorrow for a fleeting overnight stop, en route to Washington DC on Thursday afternoon and home...

17 December

Please pray today for Jenny, Michael, & Lynne Johnston as they go for Jenny's brain scan in a Belfast hospital. and for Ann, Ian, Chris, & Lesley, the immediate family... so want today to be the day Jesus' Name is raised high and glorified among medics and sceptics (maybe even a few cynics) and for today to be the day when corporate prayer and many hours of individual prayer are medically answered once and for all with a miracle.... and a day when some Christians REALLY realise that God is the God of miracles...

Here in Romania, it is snowing hard - very pretty until the morning rush hour when it becomes black and wet! Last night (Saturday) was spent in a slightly different way to what I'd expected... Thursday, after my surprise birthday dinner, I fell flat on my face (literally! - I do it spiritually all of the time!!) in the street, feeling a bit of a 'plonker' in the process... grazed knees (ahh..) and hands, a hurting toe, and bigger hurting pride... well, the toe got worse, and I ended up in a Bucharest hospital at 1 am! Seems the toe isn't broken, but it did expose a potential circulation issue in my foot that I'm not in faith to keep... value your prayers! Supposed to keep my leg up, but that's a little impossible as these days are pretty busy, and I'm flying a lot of Wednesday and Thursday back to England then on to home in the USA.

Much more importantly, the video of Dr Dunia Quiroga is now up on the website on the testimonies page: I can't tell you what a thrill it is to have a neurosurgeon testifying to God's miraculous healing! Have a look at it when you can...

14 December

Well, another few 'internet-less' days! - but some wonderful things happened in the busy-ness of the time in Northern Ireland. Little Jenny is doing wonderfully well, jigsaws, shopping, eating, even sleeping a little now! The doctors implied weeks back that there was really no point in doing another brain scan (around the time everything was 'irreversible'!), but the family doctor is 'amazed' (the nearest he might come to acknowledging a miracle paerhaps?), the hospital called to ask if they could have back their emergency 'Jenny's much worse and needs morphine' kit, and on Monday 17th, she is first up for a scan at the hospital... I'm believing, praying... that there will be no sign of any tumour, cyst, or anything... and that she'll walk into the hospital and say hello to the doctors...

Lots of lovely healings... a lady named Barbara healed of chronic arthritis in the knees, sufficient to make her immobile: Lila, who had terrible leg pains and now has only an occasional twinge (prayed for that to go too!): a lady from Clontibret who I told would have to take her hearing aids out with 3 days as they would prevent her hearing (they did, and she did!): a lovely man, Brian, who had had a heart attack in September, and is now looking 20 years younger, perfect blood pressure, and doing great: Helen, whose future was in doubt because of thyroid cancer looking fit and well and given the all clear: Colin, who had had severe ulcerative colitis and a lot of other complications, given the all clear by the hospital... I could go on...

Thank you for your prayers!!!

Today is my birthday, and last night I was treated to a wonderful surprise party at a fabulous Chinese restaurant by my lovely friends Keith and Margaret Bland, and lots of other friends came too... I was so, so blessed.

I'm celebrating today by travelling to Romania, and writing this in Munich airport with my connection time to board the plance to Bucharest getting closer and my hours of paid for time on the net running out..

Hopefully online again later in the weekend!

8 December

A few days since I could last get on to the internet, but now I'm back here in Bangor, Northern Ireland, and delighted to be with my great friends at West Church. It's been a busy few days, visiting lots of people who are sick, visiting others who are in the process of seeing God's healing continue, and a wonderful joy to see Jenny....

Jenny is doing well, talking, so alert and aware, enjoying more coffees out with mum and dad Christmas shopping... I'm praying that her restoration to TOTAL health and mobility will come before Christmas (if I'm honest, I'd love it to come before I leave Ireland on the 13th!): mum and dad have bought her a dance mat for Christmas amongst other things, so that is THEIR statement of faith, and I'm praying and believing that God will honour it.

A terrific meeting in Clontibret on Thursday evening, a town in the Irish Republic, a lovely church with a wonderful pastor, Jim Hagan. I thinkI prayed for everything that moved that night! Some good things happened, and I'm looking forward to hearing testimonies in the days to come!

A busy day tomorrow, in Towerview Free Methodist Church in the morning, in Maghabery Prison (the terrorist jail, I'm told) in the afternoon, and then West Church in the evening, so I guess I'll be preached out and prayed out by tomorrow night....

Don't forget the newsletter link....! Lots more stories there....

1 December

Just in case you don't get my newsletter by email or snail mail (they'll be mailed out in the next few days), it is posted now on the newsletter page on the site!

1 December

Well, yet another assault on my ability to be able to update my blog and add testimonies to the site! Contribute, the programme I need to do that, suffered (in the words of the window that opened when I launched the programme 9 days ago) 'a catastrophic error'! Uninstalling it proved almost impossible, but it went in the end: then the website I was downloading another copy from crashed! Finally got it today...

A wonderful testimony agged to the 'testimonies' page - from the Colombian Doctor, Dunia Quiroga. Have a look at it...

Jenny, in Ireland, is making great strides, and I had a text message today from Lynne, her mum, to say 'Having coffee in Marks & Spencers with bioth my girls. It's wonderful'... Jenny is gaining strength day by day, her neck muscles working well now, and with movement coming back to her right leg...God is so, so good.

I'm back in England since I last wrote here, having had a couple of great meetings in the States at my home church, and with the lovely Fellowship in Williamsburg with whom the relationship is growing and growing. It is a good few degrees colder here in England! Preaching tomorrow, at the King's Church, Addlestone: then visiting mum in Cornwall from the afternoon into Monday.

22 November

Thanksgiving! As an outsider, guess I'm not quite sure why it is such a big celebration!

A lovely testimony posted today on the testimony page, again from Northern Ireland. God is clearly doing something there, and I'm so glad I'm going back there in a couple of weeks.

Jenny from Northern Ireland is communicating more and more each day, and eating pretty normally now... not bad for a little girl of whom the consultant oncologist said everything is irreversible! Just to listen to mum and dad on the phone is such a blessing, as they see God's hand reversing everything that was gone just a few months ago. I'm praying that Jenny will be totally and irrefutably miraculously healed by dad's birthday, December 7th. And I'm going to be in Bangor on the 5th... :) ...

20 November

One of the great contacts made on this trip to Cali (over now, writing this from Houston Airport!) is with one of the leading neurosurgeons in Colombia, Dr Dunia Quiroga. She is the top paediatric neurosurgeon, too, a very specialist area of brain surgery. It was Dunia who got us into many more hospitals, and she came with us on most of the visits from bed to bed. She has a rare and incredible mix of amazing skill in her work, and yet the wonderful openness of wanting to see God heal ahead of surgery. When I can work out how to do it, there is a lovely 2-3 minute video testimony from Dunia about the many healings she saw during our visit, confirmation of many of the stories below! I hope I'll get it posted on the testimony page in a day or so, but in the USA, it is Thanksgiving on Thursday, which of course is a HUUUGE celebration here!

20 November

Visiting Bario los Naranjos (a bario is a district, and this one is 'of the Oranges' - sounds picturesque, but it is FAR from that!!) is always a great experience, and preaching in the Nazarene Church is always a blessing. Hundreds responded for ministry, in probably the most dangerous section of Cali. There were salvations, healings (a large hernia went down under Tim's hand as he prayed), cataracts going, blood disorders healed, arthritis healed, and so much more... it was a great way to end the trip on Sunday night!

Monday was, in theory, free, but ended up with three appointments, two requiring prayer and ministry, when what we had PLANNED to do was shop for coffee and pack! (We did get some coffee - how can you go to Colombia without buying some of the best in the world?). The last meeting was great, though, with one of our organising pastors, his family, and a great pastor from Peru, whom I'd met a little earlier in the visit. Gustavo has a huge ministry across Latin America, and getting to know him has opened huge opportunities in Peru, Ecuador, Argentina, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Guatemala in the coming year.... just need wisdom and more time (and more money!!).

I'd value your prayers as I look from afar for a new apartment (flat for the brits!) in Cali: had one until January which was the base for all that I (and others) have done in Cali, but it went 'sour' when someone we allowed to live there decided that the rent was better in their pocket than with the landlord! There is a possibility of co-renting a place with the church that I am closest to in Cali, for them to use it Sundays for kids work, and one evening for a small bible school. There's an apartment so close to the church that is current being redecorated and rewired, that would be ideal, and it would be great for others visiting the city to use, who could pay me a little towards the cost.

Now...more about Irish Jenny! Every day there is more improvement in the area the doctors said there would be none... laughter, speech (sentences now, if a little indistinct as yet), eating, and day by day God is restoring what the enemy wanted to steal. Have a real sense that Jenny will be fully restored in a very short time now, and as Michael has a birthday early in December, have asked God to give him a wonderful birthday present, that of his daughter 'back' fully restored and with a huge future and testimony ahead of her...

18 November

Lots of healings this morning at a church named "Passion for the King"... the pastor's dad healed of arthritis, a lady healed of a life long blood virus, a partially sighted lady saw clearly, and many other illnesses healed! One more meeting to go...

18 November

Great day yesterday, preaching between in three different meetings. I was in Jamundi (pronounded Hamundi) at a meeting in a garden under a mango tree... a lady named Wency, who had been diagnosed with cancer some weeks earlier, and who I'd had the joy of praying with at a night vigil 2 weeks ago, had all her hospital papers and test results with her... no cancer! A man with paralysed arms began to move them: a man with glaucome felt layers starting to lift in his eyes... and many more!

In the late afternoon, preached at a church El Plantillo del Senor (The Planting of the Lord).... more healings, a great deal of personal ministry, and a lot of praying...  it's amazing how much praying for people exhausts you, and we didn't finish the day until 11pm.... and now ready for 3 more meetings today, including one in the toughest part of the city.

Value your prayers...

17 November

Wow! A great night last night in a church called Hepzibah, in one of the most dangerous districts of Agua Blanca: to give an illustration, the Pastor, Fernando Zamora, who is wheelchair-bound (22 years), has very recently led 8 'siccarios' (motorbike hitmen who earn maybe $10 to do a 'ride by' killing) to the Lord - some were in church! About 200 people attended a meeting in an area where you could feel you were driving into spiritual darknress... and at the end some 35-40 at least testified to instant healings and miracles.... had a real sense, too, that Fernando would be out of his wheelchair within 7 days... these days, I'm beginning to feel that God is actually looking for me to put my faith on the line and set some deadlines, rather than just pray into some 'nebulous' unknown future date. Prophesied over Fernando that his testimony to come will change the community, and that he will go to the nations.... PLEASE GOD!!!

More about Jenny! It has been wonderful to develop the friendship with the family, and day by day over recent weeks (and there HAVE been 'down' days where it seems that the healing process had stopped!) more and more of Jenny's 'irreversible' functions have begun to...well, reverse!!! Within a few days of meeting her, Jenny was taking liquidised vegetables, and that progressed to more food... the swelling in her head began to visibly reduce, and, now, it's pretty normal... Praise the Lord!

Steroid reduction has continued, Michael and Lynne can even see the difference in her, and when you're so close to someone you often can't...

Faith has risen, and belief that impossible can occur has grown day by day....

More tomorrow if I can get online!

16 November

Well, last night's meeting had to be postponed as we couldn't find a translator..  :( so ended up with an early night, which was actually very welcome!

Great time with a class of business people today who wanted English conversation with a Brit! They asked loads of questions about what job I do, so it was an opportunity to share about Jesus with them! It was a stimulating couple of hours.

Now...Jenny from Bangor! I'll tell the story in stages as it is unfolding that way.... 5 months+ ago, Jenny was diagnosed with a large brain tumour with a cyst on the tumour. She was subjected to chemotherapy and radiation, which at 3 years old was incredibly traumatic on her body, then filled with steroids. Early in September, mum and dad (Michael & Lynne Johnston) were told by the consultant 'there's no tumour, and see a surgeon who will operate to drain the cyst'. 3 days later, seeing the surgeon, he told them 'the tumour is big, and it's too risky to operate' and informed Michael and Lynne that Jenny had maybe two weeks left to live.

That's when I had the joy of meeting them (and it was - and still is - very much a joy), one day after his diagnosis. I felt from the outset that God would heal Jenny, but that it would a progressive miracle, as he had a bigger picture to unfold using Jenny's healing/miracle. As I was in Bangor for 9 days, I asked if I could go to see them every day. Jenny's head was swollen because of the tumour, cyst, and steroids. Virtually all of her motor functions had shut down, she hadn't eaten for some weeks, and could only take drops of water through a syringe as her jaw was locked together because of the pressures in her head.

Had an incredible peace from the moment I met the family... and during those first few days we began to see small signs of improvement, despite the consultant saying 'everything that has shut down in her body is irreversible...' .... More tomorrow!!!

15 November

Fantastic afternoon at the accident hospital yesterday, with God visibly touching the lives of many damaged people. Totally confident we'll hear of miracles coming from the prayer time there, as we saw faces and personas change as God touched people, including a young man suffering acute lacerations following a crash on his motorbike with a car, following which he was dragged about 100 yards. To say his body was a mess would be an understatement, and though semi comatose, was ashamed of his appearance. That shame went... and peace came to him.

Last night, an open air meeting in Agua Blanca at a church Iglesia Vida Internacional (Life Church International)... an incredibly exhuberant crowd, probably in excess of 400, great worship: fantastic time preaching, with at least 30 saved, and some 'on the spot' miracles and healings, and no doubt more to be heard of.

Tonight there's a meeting in La Rivera, a lovely church I've been to many times. Full of expectation for that one!

Tomorrow, I think I'll start telling of a lovely story that has been 'running' for 9 weeks now about a little girl in Bangor, Northern Ireland, called Jenny, her parents Michael and Lynne, her gran Anne, and the amazing things God has been doing!

14 November

Couldn't get online yesterday, but so many good things to report since Monday! Monday night was another night vigil, in Agua Blanca, a very poor community. It was held in the middle of one of the busiest districts, in a gazebo (old-style bandstand for Brits!), and it was packed. Extremely (like deafeningly!!) loud, but good praise and worship. John spoke in the first session, but the 'atomosphere' was ruinned by a break (at 11pm! - for empanadas, stuffed potatoes, and coffee..). Tim brought back in the presence of the Lord with a couple of great songs after the break, and I felt such liberty preaching for healing afterwards. Hundreds responded and there were healings and prophecies rolling for a long time. Finally left (what is a dangerous area for white people at night) at 2.30 am. Home exhausted, needless to say.

But the tiredness dissipated when at 10.30 am we were back at the children's hospital, Club Noel, where we'd visited last week. Last visit, we'd been in the chronically and terminally sick wards of the kids: only one child remained there (and going home yesterday!) as the rest had all gone home healed! The same story carried on to Santillana Hospital, where we'd prayed for numrous children and adults, and many of the kids there had gone home, too. One child's granny told us that her grand-daughter, Gabriella Garcia, had had surgery, and incurred oxygen deprivation to the brain, shutting down most of her motor functions, and that she was healed... Praise the Lord!!!!!

Another hospital today, Clinica Rosario at 1.30 pm; it is the hospital to where all the road crash victims go, so this should be a little different....

More has been added to the diary/agenda, so if you want to keep praying, we'd appreciate it and thank you for it!

12 November

Preached last night in the Iglesia Cuadrangular (Four Square Church - for those who don't know it, you might know of Jack Hayford, who is probably their best known leader). The church here is pastored by long time firends Jhon (yes, it IS Jhon!) and Adriana Bermudez, and it has grown and grown since my last visit - probably from 100+ to around 300 there last night. Prayed for most of them for healing, with some great 'instant' testimonies of healing - chronic back pain gone, arthritic pain gone, layer of cataracts gone of one man's eyes... God is doing so much here!

Another night vigil tonight - 8pm-midnight, so stamina is required! Would value your prayers as I have bad pain in my gum where my August-implanted crown is playing up: gave me only 10 minutes sleep last night despite a lot of prayer and painkillers! And as I said yesterday, praying constantly and trying to understand their problems in spanish is very tiring. My Spanish is mostly doing ok, but please God, supernaturally help me with perishing verbs!!!!!!!!!!! A conversation with a relatively good vocabulary but no verbs is very interesting!

11 November

Wonderful meetings this morning! All 4 of them! John preached in 2, and I did the same, back to back, starting at 7.30 am. Testimony from people in Friday's meeting of healings, and the same this morning. The smallest congregation today was 300, the largest well over 1000... started at 7.30am, finished at 2.30 pm: another meeting starts at 6m, and as I've preached in this church many times, I know we won't be finished praying for people before 10pm! I reckon I've prayed one-to-one for around 600 people since Friday... only when you've done it, do you know how tiring it is, especially after preaching a few times in the heat and humidity here!

More tomorrow all being well!

10 November

Great meeting last night - reckon there were over 400 there for a midweeker - oh for that in the United Kingdom! Between John, Tim, and myself, we prayed for at least 250-300, so it was a tiring but wonderfully blessed night.

It was my privilege to pray with a lady and her daughter who had driven for 24 hours for the daughter to receive urgent medical treatment. She had severe curvature of the spine, her head turned permanently at 45 degrees to her body, legs deformed, serious internal problems. The lady was in Cali for one day, and just HAPPENED to walk past the church (which we had only been booked to speak at 24 hours earlier) and saw the notices advertising a healing meeting... the mum said she knew then that she had come here for another reason than the hospital! I sat with the little girl on my lap and began to pray for her, and her whole persona changed, as the miracles began in her body. I felt God say that mum's faith would make her whole, and that it would be within 5 days... Please, Lord!!!

Miracles at the Social Security hospital yesterday, as serious neurological patients were blessed and touched by God. A paralysed arm was healed: major pain trauma went in one lovely man, Jorge Alberto, and people close to comatose condition revived.

Today, a meeting at 3pm with dozens of terminal cancer sufferers, blind, and dying from other disorders, is happening in Jamundi, just south of Cali... and at 5pm I'm speaking at the Youth Service of Communidad de Fe, where in the past I've prayed for upwards of 200 young people! So a busy afternoon and evening in store!

9 November

Yesterday's meeting with the director of the Pastors Association, Arley Guaza, was terrific. A real bond was built with him, and extended immediately to a few more preaching opporrtunities on this trip, and more when I plan to return in March. I believe the whole basis of the revival God is in the process of pouring out is built on relationships, not meetings or organisations, and it's such a delight to have so many strong links around this city, the country, and around the world.

Many miracles over the past few days, including seeing a hugely swollen cancer-filled thyroid just disappear; a girl in San Juan de Dios hospital, in tremendous pain with her back and neck, and gall stones (there seems to be an epidemic of them here!) instantly healed... by the time we had prayed for 4 more people she was dressed and going home! Another young lady, with similar symptoms, as yet undiagnosed and with the fear that goes with such an unknown, was totally healed ahead of having surgery today... many others too!

Early start today with a visit to the wonderful Christian dentist who seems to have taken my oral care on board! Great time in the Social Security hospital this afternoon, with some tangible manifestations of healings, in the neurological section of the hospital.

Tonight sees the first meeting at the church of the President of the Pastor's association, the rock of Salvation Church, in tough area Agua Blanca.

8 November

Busy day today - at mid-day Colombian time (5pm England, noon USA eastern) we are meeting with the chairman of the association of Pastors for the city, which could open doors to churches in all parts of the city, and the region around here.

Straight after this, we had the joy of meeting a guy named Pastor Wilmer, who oversees a number of churches in the city. He's based on John's and my 'doorstep' in Manassas, Virginia, and is currently church planting in Holland. He wants me (and John) to be involved in many meetings and crusades in the future in Cali, the USA, and probably even in Europe, so it was a great time with him.

At 4pm, we are in one of the poorest hospitals in the region, San Juan de Dios, to pray for many of the most under-privileged and hopeless cases. Please pray for us if you read this before we go!

It was great a yesterday to find that, after praying for people to be healed in hospitals and churches, those with me saw gold dust on my face, which is a real sign that the presence of the Lord was there. And when God is there, he is there to heal and save, which was my experience on that occasion. It is also exciting, as it means I know it is so, so right to be here, and I'm so full of expectation for salvation and the miraculous intervention of God during the last 12 days of our time here...

7 November

A really good but tiring couple of days - yesterday we spent some hours at Club Noel, a big children's hospital: it was a wonderful time, and there were some lovely healings, including a girl with a serious uriniary infection. Prayed with a 14 day old baby with chronic pneumonia, and felt overwhelmingly that I should pray for the mum: asked her what I could pray for, and she said 'I have aids'... she knew/felt that she was healed, called the Pastor we were with to tell, and was going to the hospital today to try and get tested to confirm it... A further few hours were spent in a the children's neuro-surgery unit of another big hospital, some had cancer, many with pneumonia/asthma as well as brain issues... I know that some were healed, just waiting for the confirmation!

It was great today to go back to La Cumbre, a town about 7000 feet in the Andes (2300 mtrs), and to have opportunity to speak to, then minister to, a good number of recovering drug addicts. It is a fascinating road to be driven on, to this town, as there are few fences or walls, it is narrow, there are some VERY long drops(!) andf many trucks and buses use the road! Tonight, a great meeting in Casa de Dios (House of God) church, pastored by my long-time friend Norbey Arias. Many prayed for, some healed, a young man was saved, and it was a real blessing. Straight from church to the only place where we can get online - the food area of a shopping mall! Busy day tomorrow, and it seems every day from now on!

5 November

Some great meetings over the weekend here in Cali! Yesterday morning, I was preaching in a unique (bizarre??) combination of a wedding and a healing service...it worked well, it seems, as I got to pray for a good number of people, including the bride and groom (and prophesy over them) and some of the not-yet-Christian relatives. The presence of God was really there. John & Tim were in another church, and God's Spirit cut loose there, too, with prophetic words for people.

In the evening - or rather, night! - there was a night vigil service, starting at 10.30 pm, and we left about 3am... not my best time to be preaching, but I really felt God lay on my heart that as believers, we have to translate so many of God's promises from our heads to our hearts. When Jesus said to the disciples, 'All authority in heaven and on earth is given to me', and 'As the Father sends me, so I send you', then we need to believe that we go with ALL the authority of heaven. Praise God, even in the middle of the night, God turned up in power, and there were some wonderful healings, including the Pastor's father, who was deaf, and isn't any more, and a young man with a broken arm who felt it mend...I know that there will be many more good stories coming from that meeting.

Tomorrow, there is a meeting with the wonderfully named Pastor, Juan de Dios (John of God) Villegas, and his wife Ana Lucia: wonderful time in their church last year, and praying that we'll have more meetings with them in the next couple of weeks. Last year, both John & I had some extensive dental work done in Ana Lucia's fantastic dental surgery (including teeth whitening for the old men!), and as a result, one of the dentists had a wonderful experience from God, being healing and tangibly touched by the Holy Spirit. Tomorrow, too, we begin our merry-go-round of numerous hospital visits, and we're believing God for the same measure - at least- of miracles as last year, when 90% of the patients of two wards went home healed... and then a cell group (home group) meeting for the church 'The Shadow of the Almighty'... as always in Latin America, things start slowly, then it really 'kicks in' and your feet don't touch the ground! That began yesterday...

3 November

And now another 6 weeks and no blog.. :( - well, as my old laptop died with the software on it I need to update it, I started using another machine with the new operating system Vista, and the old software disc wouldn't run on it... so there really seems to have been an attempt to prevent me telling stories.. so, right now I'm in Cali, Colombia, online sitting in the food area of a shopping mall where there is free wireless internet access (I don't have any internet where I'm staying here). I'll aim to get online at least every other day and start to update stories from Sweden twice, Northern Ireland, England, United States, and - I have no doubt - from here in Cali, where I'm really up and running from tomorrow with my friends John (Pastor from Virginia) and Tim (Worship leader from England). I've updated the diary page with all that is planned here so far, so I'd really value your prayers over these coming 18 days!

BY THE WAY, THERE ARE NOW SOME PEOPLE'S TESTIMONIES UP ON THE TESTIMONY PAGE! Miracles still happen!

27 September

Two months, and no blog update...my apologies to those who have regularly looked, but there are a couple of reasons, one practical, one more spiritual! I will update the stories (and there are lots) in the next couple of days.

The practical reason is that my web designer (and what a great job he's done of it!) changed service providers, and that effectively locked the site and prevented me out of updating anything! It is now 're-hosted' (I like to SOUND as though I know what I'm talking about even if I don't where computers are concerned!) so hopefully, all's well from now on! Also, in all my recent travels, it hasn't been easy to get on the internet for long, if at all: and, about 10 days ago, my laptop almost 'died' - the hard drive keeps failing, and though I'm using it now, it gives that wonderful 'blue screen' saying I've experienced a fatal error....sounds so final, doesn't it! Think I need to be praying for the money for a new laptop.

The spiritual 'reason' was that the enemy took my legs out from under me where documenting stories is concerned through a brother who adamantly felt that stories should not be told 'just in case the people don't keep their healing'... This friend had seen miracles occur, but was worried that, if people whom he had seen, for example, get out of wheelchairs, at some date in the future got back in them. One man, in a wheelchair for 2 years with a stroke and paralysed, was at a meeting standing, praising and worshipping the Lord, 3 weeks after he'd got out of his own chair and testified to walking in the woods with his wife and kids... I was stunned at the brother's comments, but even more shocked by how much it affected me being able to write the stories.

Then I began to realise that, if it was wrong to report healings and miracles, then we need to disregard a lot of the gospels and Acts, as everyone Jesus, Peter, John, Paul, and the others, saw healed, or even raised from the dead, died at some stage not too many years after being healed or resurrected...

So, I'm back on track, having learned more and more that Revelation 19:10 is more vital than ever, even to overcoming scepticism and fear within the church: 'The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy' - meaning that the more we tell of what Jesus IS doing, the more prophetic it becomes for a sick and dying world. The enemy's attempt to stifle and conceal what God is doing is going to backfire on him...

13-15 July

To see our church full to bursting at the seams was a wonderful blessing! Lots of 'locals' there, but it seems people came from quite a wide radius to hear Heidi and me! A great worship leader came in, too, Mike Soloway, a man with a tremendous prophetic improvisational anointing on his music. It set a great 'platform' from which to speak. So many people responded for prayer at the end of each meeting: Friday and Saturday nights were well past midnight when they finished, and Sunday's 10.30am service finally ended around 3.30pm! There were 'immediate' testimonies of healings, and there will be many more - Heidi had some great prophetic words for the church, and for John and Mary, the pastors, and a good number of other people

11 July

Time to go home - to Virginia, in the USA! Not quite a 'rest' though - a 3 day conference 13-15 July in my home church, and some other meetings during the following week. Heidi is going too, and it'll be great to have her in Restoration Christian Centre!

8 July

A return visit - after 6 years! - to one of the quaintest named towns in England, Twydall. It's a great place, with a lovely church led by long-time friend Gill Tovar, but not quite as quaint as it's name suggests! Gill is the Vicar of Holy Trinity church, and it was a great privilege to preach there in the two morning services, and then to spend lunchtime with 7-8 of the men from the church... prayed for lots of people at the end of the meetings, and look forward to hearing the stories of what has happened to them in the course of the coming days!

29 June - July 1

A great weekend with Rhema Word Church, in Tottenham, North London: beginning with a night of prayer on Friday (11pm to 5am), and by God's grace, after the busyness of Sweden, I stayed awake! It was wonderful to be able to share with the folk in this church, and prayed for many over the course of the weekend.

18-28 June

Arrived in Stockholm to go straight from the airport to pray for a great young man, Markus, who had suffered from fibro myalgia for 7 years. He was effectively crippled by the illness, and hadn't slept properly for more than a couple of hours at a time for the same period of time. Received a text message from him 48 hours later to say that he'd slept for over 6 hours..and then more hours the next nights... need to find out what's happened to him since! A great start to a busy trip, covering almost 1600 miles (2300 kms) and 8 very different, but excellent meetings. In Vasteras, it was great to meet a man who had left his wheelchair on the previous visit, and who told us that he'd been walking in the woods with his family since - oh, and got saved, too! Still a measure of healing to see happen, but so much happened, praise the Lord, to change his life.

Many great stories to tell, but a fuller report from Sweden will appear later, and in a newsletter which hopefully will go out in the next couple of weeks!

17 June

Today begins a few weeks of travelling that will be quite demanding, taking in Sweden, England, USA, and Colombia. Really value your prayers for strength, wisdom, anointing, blessing, miracles, healings, and salvation! Also value your prayers for the funds to cover each trip - this is the 'silly' season for air fares, and a good yardstick for the cost of a whole trip to multiply the fare by 2-3 times...tickets to Cali, Colombia are coming out at around 800 British pounds - about US$1600, so with other 'big' trips coming up later in the year, some miracles are needed! And, of course, the later you leave it to buy a ticket, the dearer it becomes...

SWEDEN VISIT GATHERS PACE....

16 June

When God starts to breathe into something, it is such a privilege to be on the 'action' end of his move! On 20 May, American-based South African prophet Kim Clement prophesied this:

• A dawning of a new age of unusual miracles. It shall be said of this church, this has never ever happened before in this history of mankind. They will begin to say it, churches across America, England, Africa, and Europe. I'm sending the Word out. God says I'm sending it out. Sweden, Sweden great shall be the miraculous intervention of God. For the religious power that has held you by your throat and strangled you has been cursed and broken. Watch as I raise up unusual miracles as you have never seen before  ( http://www.kimclement.com/words/2007/07-0520.html)

That was the day before Heidi and I arrived, though we did not know of the prophecy until we returned back to the UK on 31 May... we saw God begin to do what Kim prophesied. Believe we are just a very small part of this beginning, and as Sweden is a gateway to northern and eastern Europe, it is significant that God is working there big time!

15 June

Lunch today with Russ Bravo, Editor of Inspire Magazine, and Martin Collins, of CPO, Worthing, for a possible follow up article for the magazine (on what happened in Sweden 2 weeks ago) to the article that appeared on the internet in January , which you can read here; 

http://www.inspiremagazine.org.uk/news.aspx?action=view&id=697,

but is still yet to be published in the printed magazine. The previous article was about the amazing things God did in Cali, Colombia; the internet version has sparked tremendous interest worldwide as the story was picked up by other Christian news-gathering agencies around the world, and has resulted in a good number of invitations, including the ones to Sweden....

Spent the evening with long-time friends Nick & Erica Lugg, who have recently returned - for 6 months - to England, after a 2.5 year stint as missionaries in Zambia.... they experience things that as a travelling missionary I only encounter for a few weeks at a time maximum - everything from church politics to cockroaches and rats (maybe those things are connected!!). They are an amazing couple, along with their two great young sons, Aiden and Jake, and I sometimes wonder how I can even call myself a missionary when I hear about the way they (and countless others, of course) live...

By the way...did you know that the 'collective' name for a group of Rhinos - the name of the group of men I meet with for accountability - is a 'crash'?? Love that! And the same for a group of buzzards is a 'committee'? Might say someting about some committees you know!!!

BACK TO SWEDEN!
14 June
The visit to Sweden went so well that we’re back there from the 18th – a bigger team – with Heidi, Stuart, a worship leader Tim, Marc from Holland, and me – prayed 2 weeks ago with our hands on the doors of Parliament for 2 or 3 minutes, asking God to give us access to political leaders… seems it might happen! What an incredible opportunity! Please pray for us! And pray for Per Danielsson (who organizes much of the itinerary there) and Joel Sjoberg, who translates a lot for us…

The next trip is looking busier and more exciting than the last!
Many invitations coming in these past weeks, to places I’ve never been as well as return visits… Rwanda, Uganda, two separate invitations to Kenya, three separate invitations to Pakistan, Cameroon, India (been there before, but never to Hyderabad, where this invitation is from), Tanzania, Malawi, Alaska, the mid-west of the USA (Milwaukee/Chicago/ Wisconsin), Poland, Serbia/Montenegro, Czech Republic, Iceland, Honduras….Colombia, Romania… please God, can we have more weeks in a year??!!

RUNNING IN A NEW DIMENSION…..
June 13 (a catch up day for the past few weeks as this is the first day of the blog!!)

In the past few weeks, I’ve begun to work alongside a terrific prophetic young lady and her husband – Heidi & Stuart Plympton…I  believe very much that God is in an era of genuine divine appointments LIKE WE’VE NEVER KNOWN, and I’m seeing the fruit of this almost daily! Met Heidi and Stuart in Exeter less than 5 weeks ago, and God has not only enabled us to work together, but has bonded our hearts in a great friendship that would – humanly at least! – take years to develop.
Heidi was in Sweden in May, and we saw God break out in wonderful waves of the supernatural – miracles, healing, prophecy…. Two people suffering from long-term strokes got out of their wheelchairs and walked out of the churches; a not-yet-Christian young woman (Linda), suffering from chronic neck and upper back pain felt ‘water running down my back’ as I prayed for her, and as Heidi prophesied, every time we said the name ‘Jesus’ she felt electric shocks pass through her. She drove home 100 miles (150 kms) with no pain, and called her Christian friend in Orebro to say she didn’t think she could ever say again the words ‘I’m not a Christian’….;  as I prayed for a young woman in Stockholm, with scoliosis (curvature of the spine) both she and I felt her spine moving as God healed her…

A lovely man in the village of Vinninge had a stroke many years ago. The stroke had caused his eyelids on his right eye to shrink back up into the socket, so he was unable to blink. It was a delight to pray with him, and even greater delight when I felt God told me to say to him (on a Wednesday evening) 'you'll blink by the weekend' - and even greater joy when we heard that he WAS blinking by the weekend! A lovely, gentle creative miracle from the Lord.

In Uppsala, a lady suffering from last-stage cancer of the liver, stomach, lungs, and pancreas, had had a dream the night before the meeting in Word of Life Church, in which I’d prayed for her and God healed her… needless to say, He did!
A lovely 3 year old boy, Johan, came to a meeting in Orebro with his mum and dad, Jens and Sirpa: Johan had some brain abnormalities found when  undergoing an MRI scan for a benign neck tumour, epilepsy, a strange side-to-side eye movement, and mum & dad, both doctors, sus[ected he was ADHD. Johan received a great measure of healing that day, and so did mum,  from constant 24/7 headaches, psoriasis, and stress… in the evening meeting, Sirpa looked as though a thousand tons had been lifted from her shoulders.

So many cancers healed, sicknesses and diseases of every type – physical and mental – were healed, and God spoke so powerfully prophetically through Heidi into individual lives, churches, and into the nation… government decisions overturned, too! So many stories… could fill pages here with them!