Jumpin' around the Country!

Hi again. Well, I did not reach my goal of blogging for a few days in a row! Just don't know where time is going and every day seems to speed by. Crazy. In the last week we have been zipping up and down the motorway in Scotland meeting people and presenting the Sefton Village report and vision. I wanted to bring a constant stream of blogs about all different things, but it seems as if I am just giving a weekly report! Anyway, here's what's been going on.

* Last Friday was a busy day. Mary's mum & dad were here and we had a great time. I was invited by my brother Paul to take the chapel service at the Teen Challenge Rehab Centre in Sunnybrae. Paul works there and is doing an incredible ministry. I am so proud of him. A good friend of mine called Kenny Ross also work there and I was so blessed by what he is also doing.

I was instantly amazed at the sheer beauty of the place. They have built 3 new bungalows for the guys in rehab and the gardens are spectacular. I saw the handiwork of Paul everywhere! He is responsible for training the guys for work. I took the chapel service and shared my story with them as well as the vision of Sefton. Really felt the presence of God. One guy was really touched by the Lord and I had the honour of leading him to Christ. I ended up praying for everyone in the room. Definitely a God-moment!

In the afternoon I came home and whisked Mary and the kids to the Birthday of a lovely little girl called Shannon. She is the daughter of my best friend Mark (Ben) Ritchie and she has become very friendly with oor Lydia!

At night, we spoke and shared at the Fraserburgh AoG's kids club - GLO! What a joy to see around 200 kids enjoying a great night where Jesus is the centre. Lisa Ruth, the local Children's pastor is doing an amazing work there.

* On Saturday we drove down to the Central Belt to a tiny village called Fauldhouse, where our ex-agents and good friends Keith & Anne Pointon stay. What a journey ... fog as thick as treacle. Glad to get there.

Sunday was a busy but great day. We had arranged to meet Matthew and Claire Kerr with their beautiful daughter Madeline. The picture of them was taken by Lydia!! They are from Shetland and they came with us on our travels on the Sunday. We went to Livingston AoG, led by Pastor Peter Cochrane. Tell you what, I love the people there. They have always been behind us in so many ways. Had a great service and felt the presence of God.




Went back to Keith & Anne's for a bite to eat and drove in mid-afternoon to our friends Thomas & Grace Lewis in Paisley. Guess what, more food! They went with us to East Gate Church (AoG) in Elderslie, Glasow, led by Arthur & Linda O'Malley (above). Their building is an old church that Arthur and the team have completely renovated. It is the most beautiful church building I have ever seen. Had a great service there and people really touched by what God is doing in the Philippines. We were so blessed!

* Monday - did some practical admin stuff at Norman & Gillian's house. Spent rest of day with the Kerr family. Went to amazing soft play area in Livingston. Great place - parents sit down and eat, drink & talk ... and the kids run around silly. Met close friends Davis & Jenny Thomson at night and went to theirs for dinner.

* Tuesday - said goodbye to Kerrs and spent morning & most of afternoon with Steve and Molly Ritchie from Musselburgh. Had great time catching up. They are going to Sefton to cover for us in November and they have helped us so much. Spent rest of day with Keith & Anne.

* Wednesday - MEDICALS!!!!! Spent most of day at Care for Mission in Musselburgh. All four of us had medicals an wee Lydia & Josiah did great getting their injections for their blood tests. Mary doing well but the Doctor told me some news that I was not expecting ... I'm overweight! What a shock (not)! Seriously, I know I have to shed a stone or five! Aaagggh!

After medicals went for a lovely meal at a local Brewers Fare. Diet starts tomorrow! The last Supper was great. Drove back up to Fraserburgh, waiting an hour at Forth Road Bridge!!! Patience mark.

Tonight, went to Powerhouse Kids Club at the Elim Church. My brother David is the leader of Powerhouse and is doing an incredible ministry - not only on a Friday night, but he is pouring his life into so many young people's lives. So proud of David and I know that there are great days ahead for him.

So here we are, back in Fraserburgh. Guess what? Tomorrow morning we are driving down to the Central Belt again... feel like a long distance driver! On Sunday morning we are at All Nations in Edinburgh and in the evening we are at the Bridge Centre, Musselburgh. Never mind, we have a wee holiday next week with the Ritchie clan, so it should be great.

Will be back soon .. take care!

On the Road at Last!

What d'ya think of these cheeky faces??

So many things have been going on in the last couple of weeks that it would take a large chunk of your day to read it! So I won't ... I'll do the smart thing - Bullet Points!

* We started our itinerary on September 3rd. Meant to be a couple of weeks before that, but the printers could not get the literature on time. To be honest, we needed those extra few weeks! But feeling better, stronger and coherant now!

* Listen to this for crazy: Finished the printing of some of the leaflets at 3:30am on Saturday ... went to bed and got up at 5:30am to start our itinerary. Drove 3hrs to Whitburn, did our presentation and then had a 45 minute bite to eat before driving 2 hrs north to Aberdeen. Did our presentation, had coffee with Mary's brother and drove 1 hr home to Fraserburgh. Mad. Really mad. Don't advise it, but achieved it!

* Aberdeen AoG - what a place! Amazing! The building is an old traditional church, but Iaian and the gang have totally refurbished it. (Totally=100%!). The front of the building is truly beautiful - automatic glass doors looking out on to the main street. You can see as well as hear the people worshipping as you walk by! The service was amazing - great music and a packed church! They were so receptive and were challenged by what the Lord put on our hearts to say. Well done Aberdeen .. you guys are doing brilliant.

* Big thanks to our agents Norman & Gillian - they have been working hard behid the scenes to get everything ready for itineray.

* AoG Weekend - September 8-10 in Aviemore. Great to see 600 people get together for a God weekend. Met almost everyone I wanted to meet in one go. It took mary over one hour to reach our table for the evening dinner... she was speaking to everyone (even the Lithuanian waitress!) What a girl. Phil Baker from Oz was speaker. Very funny and witty.

Example: How many men does it take to change the toilet roll?
Answer: Dunno, it's never been done!

* Dundee - We had to get an extremely early breakfast on Sunday so we could make the long trip to Dundee AoG. Lovely drive down the A9 ... breathtaking. Blessed by what God is doing with Des & Sharon in Dundee. So many new people meeting in the big hall. Many young people and different spirit there now. Encouraging.

* Camera - at last! I now have a new Canon Ixus 800IS camera. Lovely. Look out for some noce shots. Tested it out at my favourite place - Gardenstown (Gamrie for the uncultured). Look how beautiful this place is in pictures below!

* David & Wilma Flett - yesterday Mary's mumk & dad came down for Wick. Wilma is 60 today - Happy Birthday. She is now officially an OAP, but don't tell her! Had a good day but tomorrow we will celebrate with the whole family - family portrait, special meal etc. Roll on!

* TB Clinic - if I have to see that place one more time I will scream very loudly! We went through to Aberdeen on Friday afternoon for me and Mary's check up, through again on Monday for Lydia's test and through again today for Josiah's appointment. Why can't they realise that we are actually a family who live in the same house! We can actually organise ourselves to drive through together on the same day!!! But good news - Lydia has no TB and the Specialist is very happy with Josiah. Praise the Lord.

Well, that's us about up to date. One of these weeks I am going to get my act together and do a few blogs in a row! Don't believe me???

Crikey!

Crikey, it's me again!

Yesterday, I, like most of the world was absolutely shocked at the death of the great Australian conservationist and TV star Steve Irwin - The 'Crocodile Man'. What I cannot really believe is that this amazing guy works every day, face to face with huge crocodiles, venomous snakes, deadly comodo dragons ... as well as his fare share of lions & tigers.

And yet, what gets him in the end? A stingray. Stingray. A fish. A creature that has hardly ever kills anyone and is quite insignificant compared to the ferocious animals I have mentioned.

Quite a lesson for us. We can be facing huge 'giants' in our lives and even be successful in overcoming them. We can often overcome cancer, or unemployment, or the death of someone we love ... but sometimes the little stingray are the things that bring us down.

Remember David. It wasn't a lion that finished him off. The bear was no problem.. Even the giant could not stand in the presence of little David with his huge God.

It was a woman bathing. No giants around ... but that one glimpse brought pain, heartache and disaster into David's life, as well as his kids' and grandkids'' lives.

So today, keep fighting the giants in front of you, but keep your eyes on the small stingrays around you. But most of all, keep your eyes fixed on Jesus!

G'day ....

Broadband for a Broadguy!

It's 1:30am ... but I am happy! At last, my wee hoosie has 24hr uninterrupted broadband. Yehey! Prepare to have blogs coming at you from everywhere! Well, at least a couple a week.

I am amazed that a few people have phoned me and emailed me to see if I am OK after reading my last blog. I know it was a bit heavy, but I just wanted folk to know that it takes time to adjust and sometimes that adjustment time can be tough. Just to let you know, we are feeling a lot better now. We had a great visit on Saturday from our dear friend John Wildrianne, who is Pastoral Care Director in AoG World Ministries. He flew from London, arrived in Inverness, drove to Fraserburgh just to see us and encourage us. Top man.

Good day on Sunday. Went to Fraserburgh AoG and heard my old (as in age) friend Andrew Smith preach. Good message. Can't believe he is still preaching from those old notes I gave him in 1997. I think I need to send him some more ... ha ha ha. I drew a picture of the people coming out of the church after Andrew's message (see below)

Went to Elim in evening and they had a sharing night. They are starting up a Women's Ministries (a very dangerous thing to do!!!!!) and some of the ladies were sharing and testifying. Always great to see and hear transformed lives.

I'm going to bed now. Hopefully I will get a digital camera soon so I can stick on some pics for you to see. In the meantime, here are a few cartoons to keep you going. By the way, just double click any image or cartoon on the blog to get a bigger picture.

Goodnight ...

Re-Entry (Warning - this a long BLOG! make a cuppa tea first and make yourself comfortable!)

I remember, a few years ago, watching with horror as the NASA Space Shuttle disintegrated over America leaving all the crew members dead and causing widespread grief throughout the world. Was it a bomb? Was it shot at by terrorists? What caused this terrible disaster. Well, after an intensive investigation they found that the problem was a small heat-resistant tile that had broken off during take off. These tiles were so important ... without them the shuttle would disintegrate on re-entry.

Six months after the accident, Discovery channel did a documentary on the tragedy. A simple tile. I could not believe it. Re-entering the earth's atmosphere is not by chance ... it is an exact art. The shuttle has to come into the atmosphere at exactly the right speed at exactly the right angle and exactly the right place. I was amazed to find out that the shuttle was not like an airplane upon descent ... but is a glider! Amazing. (Boy, you're learning a lot today!) The greatest risk to the astronauts' lives is not the space walks or when they are near the moon .. it is coming home.

Re-entry is also used in Missiological circles. It is when the missionary or overseas worker comes back into their own culture. Believe it or not, this is also our most difficult time. Is our most difficult moments when we are out in the Philippines planting churches, running an excellent school, giving 24/7 care to children in the Children's Home, mentoring young Bible College Students, developing the Fire Centre, crying every month for the Lord to supply all the finances for 40 staff members ..... No. Our most difficult moments are right now. On re-entry.

I remember being a young UK Pastor and thinking, "These missionaries are always saying it's tough coming home on itinerary. Who do they think they are? They are doing the same as us, except it is much harder here. Let them come back to UK to plant a church. Then they would know how hard it was here." Now I don't think like that as I have been in both pairs of shoes and I know what it is to be in hard situations here, but I know how hard it is to be in hard situations away from you family, friends, culture and comfort zones.

So right now, things are tough. I'm not complaining or even moaning. It's just the way it is. Things seem so confused right now about our future - we DESPERATELY need personnel to help us. We just cannot run all these ministries alone. For example, in the Philippines the parents of our KMGLC students are crying out for us to continue their kids' amazing educational and spiritual progress. We feel a real burden to start and have been given the go ahead from AoG World Ministries. But we have no Teacher. And we have been crying out to the Lord for 2 years saying, "Lord, have you called anyone yet? Maybe you have called and they have not answered.?" Practically, we cannot stay for more than 1.5 years if we have no school as Lydia leaves our pre-school and there are no schools is Santiago to cater for her. We want to start sharing the vision of the school, but do we wait for a teacher or start in faith? So confusing!

I am still very focused on Sefton as we have no complete cover for the 6 months, so I am still organising the finances etc. from UK. Crazy but no way round it. Life is so hard to set up in the UK (even setting up Broadband!!!) and it is a big adjustment. Believe me. We have been buzzing around Scotland over the last 4 weeks and it feels as if our feet has not touched the ground. And in between I have been struggling to get our itinerary in shape and literature done. Impossible.

So bear with us as we take time to adjust. It takes time. All the ideal things that they told us to do on our 'Care for Mission' interview 3 years ago went out the window when Abe got sick. Everything else - our plans and schedules - took second place, and now we are playing catch up. Only, we have no energy to catch anything!

If you don't believe me, believe a Doctor! There is an excellent web-site that deals with the area of missions from a UK perspective. It is called "OSCAR" and every Pastor and Church should read their stuff. They are excellent and provide excellent material for every aspect of missions. Dr. Debbie Hawker is a writer for OSCAR, and she has written this article about 'Re-entry'. Happy reading ... I pray it will challenge you.


Re-entering the ‘home culture'
60% of returned expatriates report that they had predominantly negative feelings about returning to their own country. It is common to feel confused; disoriented; ‘like a fish out of water’; exhausted; frustrated with materialism, and overwhelmed by the amount of choice in supermarkets (e.g. by six different brands of diet dog-food!). Such feelings are sometimes referred to as ‘reverse culture shock’. Some people feel disappointed that expectations they had before they went abroad have not been fulfilled. Some people have to return earlier than they expected.

Many missionaries experience signs of mild depression for a short period after returning to their own country. These may include a lack of energy; sleeping problems; irritability; difficulty making decisions; a change in appetite; tearfulness; feeling unhappy, and feeling overwhelmed by small tasks. Some people find that they cannot stop thinking about their experiences overseas, and that it is hard to concentrate on anything else. For other people there is a sense of numbness, and the time abroad seems distant or unreal. Some try to cope by not thinking about their life overseas.

It is important to realize that such symptoms are completely normal after living in a different culture, just as a grieving process is normal and expected after the death of someone you love. It is important that you do not criticize yourself for feeling this way, or get depressed about feeling depressed. People who accept their feelings as a normal part of the readjustment process tend to get over them more easily. It often takes at least 18 months before people feel ‘back to normal’ in their own culture. People who adapted most to the culture overseas and were most involved generally take longer than those who were not so involved with the local culture. Rushing back overseas again is generally not a good idea, as this causes more stress, and makes the next re-entry even more difficult. It is generally better to wait until you feel more settled before considering another move.

Whether your experiences were positive, negative, or mixed, relating them to someone who understands can help you move on to the next step in your life. As well as talking with friends and family, many people find it helpful to have a more formal debriefing session. Personal debriefing has been defined as ‘telling your story to someone who understands, until you are heard in such a way as to bring “closure” to your experience, so that you are free to move on’. Personal debriefing is recommended for all returned missionaries, as it can help you reflect on your experiences, cope with the stress of readjustment, and enhance self-understanding and personal growth.

If you experience symptoms of stress or depression, take special care of yourself. Don’t berate yourself, as such symptoms are a common part of re-entry. Moving cultures is exhausting. It is important that you take sufficient time to rest and relax on your return. You may need to sleep more than normal. Try to avoid making major decisions until you have had time to readjust. Even if people keep asking, ‘Are you going to go back?’ or ‘When are you going to get a job’, don’t feel forced into making decisions too soon. It may be helpful to turn down some invitations at first, and take things slowly for a while. On the other hand, it is important that you do not avoid all forms of activity. Prioritize the things you want (or need) to do.

Doing things which you enjoy and which give you a sense of achievement can help defeat feelings of depression. Spend time with supportive people, and look for opportunities to laugh. Moderate exercise, like walking, helps to reduce feelings of stress, and acts as a natural anti-depressant. To look after your health, try to eat a balanced diet. Avoid drinking excessive caffeine or alcohol, as these can interfere with your readjustment. Cry if you feel like crying - it is a healthy thing to do. Don’t take on too much, but set yourself small, achievable goals. Recognize when you are under stress and do things which help you to relax. Accidents are more common at times of tiredness and stress, so take extra care, especially when driving.

Try not to dwell on negative thoughts. Think about what you achieved and learned through your time overseas. This is not to deny that there may also have been negative experiences, but it can help you to see that the experience has not been meaningless.

Although this description of difficulties might sound very negative, most people readjust well given time. Most say that they would not have wanted to miss the experiences they had overseas, despite any negative feelings they may have on return. Even those who experience depression or stress symptoms completely recover when they receive help. It is important to remember:

* Having some difficulties fitting in when you first return is normal
* Adjustment takes time
* It is best if you don't bottle up your feelings or criticize yourself for having them
* Talking about your experiences can help, and debriefing is very beneficial
* If you are worried about any difficulties, or if symptoms persist, contact someone for help
* You have coped with transitions in the past, and you will get through this too


This article was written by Dr Debbie Hawker. Debbie and her husband David are Christian clinical psychologists who specialize in offering help to missionaries and their families. They are based in the Midlands (England).

Now, Where was I ....

G'day folks. A week is a long time in politics, but four weeks without internet is like a prison sentence! Yup, still waiting. I was one of those poor souls that saw SKY's offer of free broadband and thought that 'coming very soon' meant exactly what it said. After waiting three weeks, I got an email from SKY with the great news that I can get my SKY broadband in around 12 months time!! Great! I'll be thousands of miles away by that time. AAAggghhh ... back to square one. Anyway, good old BT will put in my broadband on Monday - after all my effort!!!!

What has happened in the last 12 days? Well, here's a wee update:

* Ended up staying in Fraserburgh for a week extra. Couple of reasons - we had difficulty getting Josiah's TB medicine here in UK. Turns out that there are very few kids with TB in UK, so getting syrup was almost impossible. But Garden's Pharmacy in Fraserburgh were fantastic and went the extra 100 miles to make sure wee Josiah didn't go more than 2 days without the medicine. We went down to the Central Belt a week late, but it worked out well.

The second reason that we could not go down to the Central Belt was that we were absolutely shattered. Both Mary & I felt a level of exhaustion and tiredness we have never experienced before. We just could not physically go. So we decided to stay in Fraserburgh for an extra week and let the kids have some settled time. Good choice. Kids had great quality time with my mum & dad.

* Went down to Central Belt and stayed with our agents' Norman & Gillian in Bathgate. They have done a lot of work to their house and it is beautiful. Great to catch up with their family again. Met a lot of friends over those few days - Lesley & Stuart Baillie in Edinburgh (had a great time with their kids - especially finishing a jigsaw with Joshua!), Andrew & Lois Smith (had an amazing curry at their place ... MMMMmmmmmm!!!!), went to visit Mrs Nora Graham in Larbert to show her photos from the school. Mr Graham is seriously ill in hospital so we spent a bit of time just listening and praying with her in her home.

Had a great time on Sunday morning at Whitburn Pentecostal Church. So great to see old - and new - faces, and to feel the presence of the Lord there. Loved it.

Heard the sad news that my sister-in-law Ashley had fallen and broken her leg in three places at Youth Camp. Couldn't believe it. Just a day before the family were going to go on holiday. Please pray for Ashley, Paul and their lovely boys Nathan & Aaron.

Came home and spent a few days in Fraserburgh. Our friends David & Jenny Thomson from Edinburgh were up to stay with Kenny & Suzanne, so we had a great night with them. Have to admit that us boys stayed up until 4am playing tiger Woods golf!!!!! But just ask Kenny & David who won!! These are the times I REALLY MISS.

Had a great time with my Uncle Billy and Aunty Betty in Gamrie. If you have never been to Gamrie, you should go. Breathtakingly beautiful ... but not so satisfying as the scrumptious meal that they cooked us! My cousin Elizabeth was there with her two beautiful girls - Libby & Milly. They have become Lydia's 'kinda cousins' and new friends!

Last Saturday we came up to Wick. Met the Thomsons and the Ross' families at Elgin on way. What a laugh. Six adults, ten kids all packed into Burger King. Imagine. Arrived at Wick late at night but happy to see Mary's mum & dad again. But not half as happy as they were to see us!!

So we've been here for a few days and went to the Salvation Army on Sunday. Good to see everyone again. Major Norman told everyone about my Blog from the front - thanks Norman!!!! Again, Mary played her coronet in the band - so proud of her. Lydia was amazed that mummy could play the metal thing!

Will go down to Fraserburgh again on Thursday and hopefully John Wildrianne from AoG World Ministries is coming to visit us on Friday. Next week is kinda hectic - Lydia starts school on Tuesday, Thursday I meet the new World Ministries Director Dave Russon along with our action Asia Director Mike Dixon in Whitburn and on Saturday I am going to a AoG Regional Ministers meeting in Perth.

To be honest, we have been really finding it hard in these last few weeks. I cannot switch off from Sefton Village, as we have no consistent cover for the 6 months we are here. I am still contacting the Philippines regularly. We are also really struggling to get out itinerary organised, prepare powerpoints/prayer cards/pens/bookmarks/DVD's etc. It is hard to do between all the travel and appointments we are doing.

Please pray for us at this time. We are going through what they call in Missiology "Reverse Culture Shock" or "Re-Entry". We are coming back into what was our own culture, but now that culture has moved on. People have moved on. Trends have moved on. Fashion has moved on. Churches have moved on (well, some!) There are things that we have had to re-learn and things that are brand new. It just take time to adjust. It is late, so I will write a bit more about it tomorrow. Until then, just keep us in your prayers.

BLESSINGS ....

The Unforced Rhythms of Grace

Hi there ... yup, I'm still alive and well up here in the Beautiful town of Fraserburgh. We arrive down from Wick last week and have been here trying to get lots of things sorted out ... especially BROADBAND! My goodness. It is twice as easy to get DSL in the Philippines than here in the good old UK. My dad gave me a Tesco Dial-Up CD to keep me going but 95.8% of the time I cannot connect. AAAAAaaaggh. Get me back to the hi-tech world of the Philippines (joke!)

Anyway, can't complain. I am more than blessed! We have settled into our wee house in Shore Street and have seen many old friends in the last week. So good to catch up. Spent a morning with my buddy Ben - actually he has the same name as me but obviously he comes a long way short in the looks department! He's the kinda friend that I have absolutely no contact with for 3 years, but when we meet up it's as if we had never been apart. Special friends who will be forever friends. And tommorrow is my wee boy's 2nd birthday! Wehey!

Met Mary's brother Bruce and his wife Alison again. Salt of the earth folk who you can depend upon and who care so much. Uncle Bruce came all the way to the Broch to give Josiah a wee prezzy for his birthday. That's what you call the extra 42 miles! Spent good time with Michael and Alison Tait last Friday night. They treated us to one of the best meals I have ever tasted - Prawn Cocktail (massive ... but I did tell the guy that I hadn't tasted one for 3 years 'coz I've been in the Philippines etc. etc.) followed by a steak with creamy Haggis sauce (Yup) and ending with sicky toffee pudding. All with my favourite drink - Blackcurrant lemonade with a dash of lime. Good that my diet started on Monday eh?

On Saturday we were meant to go down to the Edinburgh area for the weekend. But, to be honest, we really struggled last week. It's as if we completely ran out of steam. We were mentally, spiritually and physically exhausted. It just hot us like a tidal wave. We were meant to go down south on Friday, but we have been having trouble with our car so we got it serviced and new brakes etc. On Friday night, for the 1st time ever we locked ourselves out of our house! We all had to stay in grannies house. Lydia thought that this was the coolest thing ... ever ... and she kept thanking her mummy & daddy for the great idea. If only she knew!

It was if the Lord was saying, "Wait, slow down, Stop. Take time for yourselves. Take time to settle. Let your children rest and adjust. Don't run around meeting lots of people and tell them "We're fine" when you are not. Relax. Enjoy family. Wait. Strengthen."

We had some engagements and things set up down south, but people understood and graciously released us. Over the weekend and over the last few days it has just felt 'right' to be here. The kids have adjusted again to their house, they have spent the whole weekend with their grandparents - with some extra special visits from Uncle Bruce - and we feel stronger. Norman, our agent really encouraged us and so did Keith and Anne Pointon. They are all a blessing to us.

I must admit, I was beginning to get a bit anxious about things - very unlike me. I was anxious because of the fact that I had to organise all the literature for the itinerary - brochures, pens, DVD, CD's, Prayer cards etc. - and I haven't even started. Oh for a graphic designer to help me! I was anxious about what has been happening at Sefton. I am still upset about what happened to Abe. A little bit anxious about my overheating car! Also, I was really longing for my family to be settled in one place for a wee while. These are all pressures that add up to worry.

But Keith prayed something over me in one of his calls. He said, "Lord, let Mark live in the UNFORCED RHYTHMS OF GRACE." Beautiful. God has a place where we can allow His grace to strengthen us and give us peace. of a place of strife, but a place of rest. It really blessed me.

So whoever you are and whatever you are doing - allow yourself to dwell in this place. A place where you can meet with God and He can meet with you. A place where you can be real and honest. A place where you can lift your hands and say, " It's tough ... but I can make it." A place where we can exchange our weakness for his strength. God hasn't designed you to fight 24 hrs without rest. Every soldier needs to rest, strengthen and wait for new commands. This is not wasted time, but essential for victory.

Don't strive ... live in the "Unforced Rhythms of Grace."

Thanks Keith.

Wick in Week

Good morning! We have been here in Wick, Caithness since last Tuesday and we have enjoyed it so much. This is a place where we can really relax and spend time with Mary's mum & dad. The weather has been truly Filipino and the kids have enjoyed their excursions to the lovely swing parks here with their granny!

It was so good to see David & Wilma again. They had not seen their grandkids for one and a half years and we were so looking forward to catching up with them. The most touching thing happened; as we were just drawing up to the house, they were waiting for us. As David opened the door, wee Josiah shouted, "Hello Granda!" We were amazed. Later we realised that he recognised his granda because he saw him every week on daddy's computer! The power of skype! If you have relatives that live more than an hour away, you need to install "SKYPE" ...it really works and is absolutely free!

Mary's mum is working full time, so we have been making the best of the lovely evenings. Saturday was the Gala day and they really make an effort for the parade at night. Pity my camera has not arrived yet! On Sunday we went to the Salvation Army and it was great to see old friends again. The people here in Wick are so encouraging and have supported us in so many ways. They were so excited about seeing Lydia and Josiah (and us!) and they were amazed at how Josiah had grown.

Little Josiah was in good form during the service. The beautiful thing here is that when Mary comes to Wick, they just include her as if she had never left! She plays in the band and sings with the songsters! Anyway, as the singing group prepared to sing they motioned for Mary to join them. Little Joe wouldn't give up his mummy without a fight. So she ended up singing with him in her arms. During the chorus he jumped out of her arms and was making for the drums! I almost died! He almost knocked over his Granda's coronet and had his foot on the base drum before I grabbed him! What a guy!

We have been keeping in constant contact with Sefton Village. In 2003, Steve & Molly Ritchie covered Sefton for us, so when we came home we could concentrate in our itinerary. But this time it's gonna be more difficult. The two Singapore ladies are doing a great ministry there. I am so proud of them and know that this will be a time where they learn and experience so much. The rest of the staff are doing great and Gemma is coping very well, according to many people.

I have some sad news to bring you I'm afraid. Last Thursday something terrible happened to one of our beautiful aunties who works in the children's home. She was travelling back to Sefton after her 2 days off at 9:30 in the morning. The taxi van dropped everyone else off along the way and she was the last to get off. When she asked the driver to stop he refused and grabbed her arm. He locked all the doors and drove to a secluded spot. He then raped her and drove away. She made it back to Sefton but was severely traumatised and in shock. So tragic - she is only 19 and was really going on for the Lord,

During the night she had suicidal thoughts so we had Uncle Jonathan sleep outside her room. On Friday she felt strong enough to go to the police and press charges. Good thing is that they caught the driver of the van and he is now in jail. But he told our aunty who he raped that if she went to the police, he would kill her. But she reported the crime and he is in jail.

Please pray for this lovely girl. Pray for our Social Worker Marilyn, who is handling the whole problem and ministering to the aunty. Pray against all suicidal thoughts and pray that the Lord would erase this terrible ordeal from her memory. Pray she will feel a sense of cleansing and wholeness. Pray that this will strengthen her love for the Lord. Pray that her lovely smile will come back again.

Of course, Mary was is really upset over what has happened. these staff are like our family. The devil is having a real go and is trying to shake our faith. Nothing like this has happened in 6 years, and we know this is the plan of the enemy. Please keep Mary in prayer also - that she can be a support to the team over there.

Yesterday, at the Salvation Army, we sang a number of old hymns. At Cornerstone in Santiago we don't sing many of the hymns because they don't know any of them! But when I come home it is sometimes good to sing these hymns that I haven't sang for a few years! In the service we sang 4 hymns. Two I knew, two I'd never heard of. But here are some of the verses from those hymns, and I hope they encourage you today:

O TO BE LIKE THEE! BLESSED REDEEMER
THIS IS MY CONSTANT LONGING AND PRAYER
GLADLY I'LL FORFIET ALL OF EARTH'S TREASURES
JESUS, THY PERFECT LIKENESS TO WEAR

O TO BE LIKE THEE, WHILE I AM PLEADING
POUR OUT THY SPIRIT, FILL WITH THY LOVE;
MAKE ME A TEMPLE, MEET FOR THY DWELLING
FIT ME FOR LIFE AND HEAVEN ABOVE


GIVE ME A TRUSTFUL MIND
WHEN DOUBTS AND FEARS ASSAIL;
HELP ME CONFIDE IN THEE, ASSURED
THY GRACE CAN NEVER FAIL

GIVE ME A STEADFAST MIND
FIRM AS A ROCK, AND SURE;
UNSWERVING, LOYAL I WOULD STAND
AND TO THE END ENDURE


DEAR LORD, I LIFT MY HEART TO THEE
MY HELPLESSNESS I OWN,
THE WAY BEFORE I CANNOT SEE,
I DARE NOT WALK ALONE

SO OFTEN IN THE PLEASANT PLACE
OUR FAITH DEPENDS ON SIGHT;
THE TEMPER OF MY TRUST MUST FACE
ITS TRIAL IN THE NIGHT

THEN QUIETNESS AND CONFIDENCE
AND WAITING ON THE LORD,
SHALL BE MY STRENGTH, MY SURE DEFENCE,
AND PEACE BE MY REWARD

selah ....

A Week is a Long Time ...

It is one week since I last wrote in my blog! So sorry. So much has happened in these last 7 days. I will give you a brief update, and hopefully I can try and be more regular in my writing. The pictures in this blog were taken in the last few days in the Philippines, so we are a little behind. We left our digital camera at Sefton for the team to use, so we need to buy a new one for up to date pics!

Last Monday we were in Manila and Vivien left in the morning flight back home. We bought a few last minute gifts and made our way to the airport in the afternoon. Got all our luggage through no problem - although why is it that you always feel like a guilty convict when you go through some of these airports? The three flights went well and we arrived in Aberdeen on Tuesday morning.

First thing to notice: the weather! Incredible. Thought the pilot had taken a wrong turn! My mum and dad were there waiting for us as well as Mary's brother Bruce. It was so great to see them. We drove home to Fraserburgh tired but happy. We saw our new car for the first time - a green Renault Laguna Estate. Very nice - thanks Bruce for all your hard work getting it for us! The only problem was that out main case never made it to Aberdeen - last seen in Manila! Got it now.

We came home to our 'wee hoose' in Shore Street. We were so delighted when we walked in the door. It is perfect. Living room & kitchen on ground floor, bedroom & bathroom on 1st floor and bigger bedroom on 2nd floor. It was beautiful inside and fully furnished. We would like to really thank my mum, dad, David, Elizabeth, Paul, Ashley, Aunty Helen, Gavin, Louise ... and everyone who worked or gave in any way ... for all your hard work in getting this house ready for us. Words cannot truly express our heartfelt gratitude for what you have done.

On Tueday and Wednesday we spent most of the time meeting up with my family again. Our kids were so delighted to meet and play with all their cousins. It was so brilliant to see my brothers and their families again. It felt great to be home.

On Thurday we spent time unpacking and getting things organised - TV fixed up, try to get broadband, Internet access, gas & electric cards etc. Things needed to be done and it is great to have a granny & granda around to help with the kids!!! Ha a lovely BBQ at night ... everyone was in shorts & T-Shirts but we were still in our fleeces!

Friday was a special day. We dropped off the kids with my dad and headed for Aberdeen. We met up with our close friends Keith & Anne Pointon. They have been in China for the last few years and it was good to catch up with them and talk freely! We went to Jimmy Chungs - Keith could not believe we brought them to a chinese resturaunt! In the evening, we went to visit Mary's brother Bruce and his lovely wife Alison. They have helped us so much in so many ways. The kids loved seeing their uncle & aunty again.

The weekend was also eventful. On Saturday me and Josiah went to the local football gala that was hosted by Solid Rock ministries here in Fraserburgh. Saw my best friend Ben there as well as many other folk. There were over 40 teams and hundreds of people were there. Me and Josiah were treated to Ice Cream & strawberries as well as hamburgers and coke. Nice to be home!!!

On Satuday afternoon we had a special surprise Birthday BBQ for Lydia at my brother David's lovely garden. He had 3 paddling pools out as well - felt like Waterworld! Little Josiah loved it. He was still jumping in the water even after he was dressed to go home. Boys will be boys! It was a lovely family time and an opportunity for all the cousins to get to know each other better. On Saturday night we went to our good friends Kenny & Suzanne Ross. So great to see them and the kids again. And so good to see Jackie Neil, who was down in the NE for a wee holiday. We miss Jackie so much in the Philippines and she knows everyone over there so well. She was so shocked with the death of Pastor Abe , so it was good to share with someone who really knew him. Mary had a great time catching up with her friends. I had a great time with Kenny - eating fish & chips and playing Ludo! Some things are still special.

On Sunday we went to the Elim church in the morning and the AoG church in the evening. Great to see so many old and new faces, although I think that many people were on holiday or enjoying the nice weather! In between we went to mum & dad's for lunch. MMMmmmm. Mum's beef'n'tatties. No words can describe how delocious that meal was.

Yesterday we did a few practical things in the house and prepared to go to Wick to be with Mary's mum & dad. We are really looking forward to going north. They have not seen the kids for one and a half years. It will be great to see them again later today. I am looking forward to driving on good quality roads with no tricycles, jeepnies, rice-laden trucks, crazy buses, ducks, chickens, pigs, horses or carabaou on the roads!

To be honest, the last 7 days have been good but at the same time they have been so hard for me. I have been trying process and work through the death of Abe, and it has been difficult. There have been so many times when tears have fallen as I think of what has happened. I will write more about this when I have had time to work things through in my mind and spirit. Keep praying for Gemma and the kids today. All the crowds have gone and they are left alone with their thoughts and memories .. and no husband and daddy. The picture below was taken on the day Abe died - Lydia and her 'future husband' Renz Abe!


Thanks for taking time to read the blog today. I will be more consisitent in the coming weeks. We will be one week in Wick, come back here for a few days and then go the central belt next Friday for a week. Hopefully we will see many friends again and catch up.

Wil be back soon with some news from the Philippines, Wick, Fraserburgh and wherever wlse we end up! Take care - and enjoy the weather ....

My Dear Abe...

ABRAHAM ALIPDA
1963 - 2006

Last night, my friend and co-worker went to his reward and to the Lord whom he loved with all of his heart.

He wanted to say goodbye to me before he said goodbye to this world.

We held hands most of the day ... and when I left, so did Abe. My destination was Manila; his was somehwere far better. No more pain Abe. No more suffering. No more cancer. No more tears.

As I write, tears trip on to my keyboard. My heart is really broken. For a loving wife. For two little boys with no 'papa'. For students with no shepherd. For Sefton Village with no father. For a missionary with a missing best friend.

One day we will understand, but on that day it will matter not if we understand the explaination. For we will all be in the presence of the One we love forever.

My last words to Abe were, "Abe, I have to go now. I cannot tell what will happen in the next 6 months. I do not know what will happen to me, or you. All I know is that I WILL SEE YOU AGAIN. I pray it will be here in the Philippines. But if not, let's wait for each other in heaven." In his pain, he lifed his head and winked at me. He tried to smile and lifted his thumb.

The Lord has taken Abe first. His life is a trophy of grace. His example is a blessing. His walk with God was beautiful.

Let me learn from Abe. Let my life be a preparation for heaven.

Are you ready?

Pack Up Your Troubles in You Old Kit Bag ...

Had a great weekend. On Friday we had Feeding Programme where we fed 600 kids. We actually ran out of food and had to by all the last six classes (200 kids) cakes and biscuits. They were even more delighted! The picture above shows me and Pastor Danny so happy - we only had one packet of biscuits left!!! Thank you Lord!

On Saturday we had our monthly Powerhouse here at the Fire Centre. Biggest amount of kids ever - over 500 from all around Santiago. So blessed!

On Sunday, we had our monthly Cornerstone United service. Again, so many new faces. Around 500 people turned up to celebrate together. We had Pastor Ed Guirrero preach -the guy who was totally and instantaneously healed of a massive tumour! No wonder he was so excited when he declared, "Our God is a healing God!" We prayed for around 50 people to be healed and anointed them with oil. The presence of God was tangible and I KNOW many were healed! Guess what? Pastora Julie testified! Amazing.

We ate our lunch together and then the churches had a surprise Farewell for us. What a great afternoon. In true Filipino fashion, absolutely everyone had to do something - drama, dance, songs, encouraging messages etc. It was really lovely. I looked over these 500 happy people and thought, "This is what it is all about. Transformed lives. New life."

On Monday, I had two long meetings - with the AoG District in the morning and the Bible School Board in the afternoon. Just getting everything organised for going home. This morning we had our regular Cornerstone Leaders meeting. We discussed all the vision and plans that we have over the next 6 months. I really challenged them. They are a great bunch and I know that our churches are going to grow while I am at home.

This afternoon, we had a great laugh. Mary & I gave away all the clothes that we don't use any more or that are not 'with it' in UK. Well, my wardrobe was slashed by 80% and Mary wasn't left with much either. Good news for the students at Bible School .. they got them all! So funny to see these wee pip squeaks of guys (28 inch waists and even smaller chests!) walking about with my shirts and t-shirts. But they were all so happy and shouted, "Thank you Pastor Mark .. perfect fit!" What can you say?? Check out the picture.

Keep praying for Pastor Abe. we have been praying every morning this week for him and we are believing for a breakthrough. He is trying his best to eat, but the good news is that he has been going to the toilet over the last 3 days - first time in weeks. Pray that he will eat food, digest food an pass food. Pray for a brand new stomach and brand new intestines. Pray that EVERY trace of cancer will go from his body and that he will be able to 'serve the Lord with gladness' again. I arranged for him to get a haircut from one of our Cornerstone members. First time I have seen someone having a harcur with a drip attached!

Tonight, it is almost midnight and Mary is still working away trying to get the house ready for us leaving. She is packing all our stuff into cases and we are wondering if we will ever be ready to go! I still have around 42 'Things to Do" in next few days on top of everything else. Never mind, We'll soon be home!!!!!

Speaking of home, I have details of where we are going to stay:

33 Shore Street, Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, AB43 9EA Tel: 01346 511532
Email: seftonvillage@yahoo.co.uk

Gotta go. Busy days ahead. Life is even harder as I have been really sad since England were knocked out of World Cup and I still have times of uncontrollable tears. I will get over it someday, but just don't mention football right now. NOT.

Be blessed ...

Bits 'n' Bobs

Ah, back again! What a great night - we had 40 Cell Group Leaders/assistants tonight being trained by Maureen and Sabrina from Cornerstone Singapore. We enjoyed it so much. It was brilliant for me to be one of the congregation and not the trainer. I could get used to it! The ladies had really prepared well ... notes for all the group, ice-breakers, interaction etc. We have around 16 cell groups in Santiago, but we need to go to the next level of multiplication. Anyway, I won't bore you with that now .. but if anyone is interested in cell groups (as opposed to Bible Studies, Focus Groups etc.) I can spend time with you when I get home.

Here is some 'catch-up news' from the Sefton Grapevine:

* Pastor Abe - had a tough weekend. Went to the Oncologist on Friday but the Doctor took all his information from the tests done in Manila. Abe was sure he was touched by the Lord and we should have taken new tests. Before he went to the Doctor he was eating lots of fruit with me and was off the IV drip. He was much happier and getting stronger. His spirit was positive.

I never saw him again until Sunday night because we had a busy weekend. But I was shocked,. His face was very drawn and he had lost weight. Gemma told me he was given these tablets that were 'better than chemo and no side effects'' and Abe had taken them for 2 days already. He had been constantly sick, had lost weight and was dehydrating. Abe said that he wanted to come off the tablets and just get back to where he was... trusting the Lord for a miracle. But he was discouraged.

Over the last couple of days he ha improved physically, emotionally and spiritually. He feels much better and is beginning to eat again. Please continue to pray for Abe that the Lord will continue to heal him day by day. We come home a week on Monday and I don't know how I am going to be able to leave him, as I feel he is leaning on me at this time. Please ask the Lord to give me grace, courage and wisdom.

* Weekend - We had an excellent weekend. Most of my time was taken up shooting the video for our DVD that we will show around the churches. I took all the Children's Home, School, Bible School, Jail ministry, feeding Programme, church etc. It is really time consuming but once it is done it will be worth it! I am working on the script now and will send it all away by Fed-Ex tomorrow.

We had a great couple of services on Sunday. Pastor Danny spoke in the 8am Tagalog service about 'Running the Race' and Maureen and Sabrina spoke in the English Service. They were excellent. In both services, many came forward for prayer. I was really blessed by one of our youth called Jonas (15) - he stood up and invited his whole class to church and 12 came to the service!

In the afternoon I went to our Church Plant in Nagassican. What a great time we had. There were about 45 adults and 25 children there and the young people led the worship. Many responded and gave their lives to Christ. So raw and refreshing!

* World Cup - Really enjoyed watching around 3.65 games over the weekend! I got this unusual figure because the kick offs are at 11pm and 3am local time here. Killer! I started to watch nearly all the 11pm games, but only got through the England one! How can England play so bad and still get through? Anyway. Last night I watched my team Ghana do really well against the mighty Brazil.. They played brilliant football but just could not score.. Shame. But it was good to watch a team outplay the Brazilians at their own game.

* Our car - Tonight, I sold our car. Well, it's more like a van actually! We have had it for tow years and it has been the best car we have ever had. We have driven 43k km .. most of which have been on the road to Manila picking up or dropping off visitors! It has been a great workhorse for Sefton Village and we had hoped to keep it for a few more years. But for various reasons, we decided to sell it. Some things are more priority right now. I drove it for the last time to church tonight and was a bit sad. It's a man's thing ladies!

Funny thing was that I met the new owner outside the church while the Cell Training was going on. We met inside my car and we signed all the documents and they gave me the money. The guy then said, "Can you pray for this car Pastor? Can you dedicate it right now?" So there I was, laying hands on the car and then laying hands on the couple who bought it. Right in front of all the tricycle drivers, security guards and dogs. Only in the Philippines. I had to hitch a ride home!

* Preperation for Home - Over the last couple of weeks, we have been so busy getting things organised - both here and at home. Mary has been working like atrojan since school opened and has had to change ebrey document in school because of teh new teaching session. She is also training maureen of how the school operates etc. I have a million things on my 'TO Do' list, but also seem to have a never ending stream of people at my front door! At home, all our families are working hard in various ways to help us when we get home. We are very grateful.

Below is a photo of our 'wee hoosie' in Shore Street, Fraserburgh (not sure which one it is). This will be our home for 6 months and we are so excited about having a base in Scotland. Will let you know address when we have it.




My eyes are rolling and my fingers going slower and slower. Hopefully, my internet is fixed for a while so that I will be able to get out more blogs. Until then ... goodnight!

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..............

Back ... but Frustrated!

AAAaagggh! We have been phone-less and broadband-less since early Saturday morning! Frustrating is not the word! Never mind, we're back in business now.

I am just going out to Cell Group Training, but here is a wee cartoon for you to look at until I return.

Just wait a while ... just like this guy below ...

Family

Well, after yesterday's epic, I thought I would do a short and sweet blog today! A few minutes ago I got an MSN invitation to join my brother David on a video call. Isn't technology amazing? I remember being in Ghana in 1994 and having to walk around 3 miles just to try and call someone! Anyway, we ended up talking to my mum and dad, David, Elizabeth etc. It was so great to hear and see them all.

I have been thinking a lot about family this week. I am so blessed. Amazingly blessed. My mum and dad have loved me and encouraged me since the day I told them I was going to Bible School (and well before that actually!!). They are completely behind all their boys and, even though we often make funny jokes about them, we really love and respect them both so much.

My brothers, Paul and David, both love the Lord and are serving Him full time. They are great at all practical things as well - they are the DIY experts. Me, I'm just happy the Lord gave me the lions share of good looks, humour and personality .. all mixed up with a great deal of humility!! Ha Ha

'Ma brithers' are married to two great ladies (I was going to write 'wifies' there, but they would kill me!) called Ashley and Elizabeth. They both love the Lord and serve him in their local church. And my nephews and niece ... well the are the best! Nathan is the eldest and is very grown up. I hear he is very smart and very gwapo (handsome in Filipino). He obviously takes after his uncle Mark! One of my favorite things I am going to do when I am home is taking Nathan to see Aberdeen play. Aaron will have changed so much since we last saw him and I hear that he loves sweeties, cakes and anything that the dentist says is not good. He is a lovely wee man and I can't wait to see his cheeky smile again!

We were so blessed to have David's kids here for 3 months at Sefton. Bethany is beautiful and was always out playing ... especially with water! Bethany and Lydia were so funny together - we used to call them Paris and Nicole. If you know who they are, you're up to date with Hollywood, if you don't then don't worry, you're not missing anything! Wee Daniel was the happiest, cutest and most content baby we have ever met. He loved to sleep, get cuddles, eat, crawl around and then sleep ... before the cycle started all over again!

Doesn't stop there! My uncles and aunties are all Christians and they are such a blessing and support to us here. I have noticed over the past few weeks that many of them have been putting 'comments' into this blog ... my goodness, I didn't know half of them had a computer!! Just shows eh? These 'older' folks may say that they can't even work a calculator .. but secretly they are tecky-web surfin' - Gig crunchin' whizz kids! Don't be fooled!

I am also very close to all my cousins and love it when we meet up for our family reunions! What a laugh! Cousin George never loves to lose .. even when playing 10 year old girls at table tennis! My cousin Andrew Jack is the funniest guy with the straightest face you will ever meet. My 'Peterheed' cousins are the nicest folk you could ever want to call 'family' and when we meet up it is as if we had never been apart.

And then there is Mary's side of the family ... they also are such a blessing to us. David Flett is a constant source of encouragement. Before we came to the Philippines he bought his first computer. I remember writing down 'How to Save'... step by step. Now? He is a hundred times further on than me. If I have a problem I go to him!! Another one of these quiet tecky-whizz kids disguising themselves as Grandas. MMmmm. And Wilma Flett - who could ask for a better mother in law. I mean, all these jokes I hear about MIL's are just not true in my case. When we go to Wick she cooks lovely meals for us, does jigsaw puzzles with us, plays with the kids ... and EVEN watches the football with me and David. Can a man ask for a better mother in law?

Mary has a brother called Bruce - a topper of a guy. Like me, loves gadgets. Loves cars, music, PA Systems, motorbikes and Aberdeen Football Club (well you can't have it all good!) He is really helping us to prepare for coming home. He found a car for us to buy and we are so grateful. He is married to a lovely lady called Alison. She is so gentle and caring ... God knew what Bruce needed! They both came to visit us last Christmas and we had a great time. Can't wait to see them again.

I think that's it. Why am I writing this? Well. last week, I really felt that Abe needed a boost. Abe was orphaned at a young age and did not know a father's love. When my dad came out in 2001, Abe and him became very close. Abe said to my dad before he left, "Is it ok for you if I call you dad?" My dad said, "No problem Abe." Last Tuesday I passed the cell phone to Abe and I heard him say, " Hello dad .. so good to hear from you again.How's mum?"

I tried to imagine what it would be like to live with no father or mother; what it would be like to have no father's advice or no mother's unconditional love. What would it be like to have no close family around you ... no brothers to banter with or sisters to tease. Uncles and Aunties that hardly knew you and cousins you only met at weddings and funerals.

Out of everything, being far away from our families is the greatest cost and sacrifice we are having to pay. Sometimes you have to bite out lips and move on. But at least .. we have family. At least we will be with them soon. And we are so grateful. We cannot wait. We are blessed.

How about you? How about your family? Treasure them. Cherish them. Contact them. Love them. Because days may come when you wish you could.

So much for short'n'sweet!

The Tide is Turning ...

This is a longer Blog than usual. I don't apologise because I don't want to miss anything out. If you read it to the end, you WILL be blessed!

This time last week I was in a Manila hospital with a very gravely ill friend and co-worker, Pastor Abe. He could hardly move and was in great pain due to major surgery he had one week before. The Doctors had given us their opinion - "No hope .. Nothing we can do medically ... 4th stage of cancer ...only supportive care."

Our family were only four weeks away from coming home to UK and our plans and preparations were hardly off the ground. I remember crying out to God and saying,"Lord, why? Why are all these things happening? Why now? It does not make sense. Pastor abe has not been sick for a day of his life and now, out of nowhere, a death sentence is upon him. In his prime, with two lovely kids. Why? For what reason?"

Good thing is, you can be truthful with God (even pastors!). He is well aware of our suffering and questions; He knows pain and he knows the reasons why. He sees the big picture, and where we don't understand, He does. Where we can't work things out, He can. Where we don't know what will happen tomorrow ... He's already there. But sometimes - it is hard to trust and believe. Especially when you cannot see the way ahead

That is how I felt 7 days ago. I had left Sefton Village on the busiest week of the year. I thought I would be there for a couple of days, but knew in my heart it would take longer. Financially we were shot, and we were beginning to eat into the money set aside for airfares home. Gulp! Believe it or not, this poverty stricken Island of the Philippines has the most expensive medicine in the world. Hundreds of pounds slip through your fingers in a few days! But your friend is dying and needs it! What can you do?

What did we do? To be honest, we were struggling. But, aren't you glad that God doesn't want us to dwell in the land of discouragement?

I waited patiently for the LORD to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. Psalm 40:1-2 (NLT)

We turned to the Lord. A couple of significant things happened that changed our hearts and our outlook. There is a lovely man from an AoG church in Prestwick who was told a very similar report by a doctor in Scotland. His cancer levels were unbelievably high and he was given a certain time to live. He was devastated but began to believe God for a miracle. A sudden miracle never came, but God challenged him to live in the Word of God & in God's blessing every day.

Bernard began to memorise the Word of God. He began to confess the Word of God and declare them by faith. After 6 months, his level of cancer had gone down to normal levels. He began to memorise and speak out up to 60 verses three times a day ... God's medicine! He sent me a 4-page email to be read to Abe, including all the scriptures. In many instances he had put Abe's name into the verses to make it personal.

Last Thursday, I read out the whole email, including the verses, to Abe while he lay on his bed. I tell you. all in the room felt the incredible anointing of God. At the end of the email, Abe said "Mark, feel my stomach! God is doing something inside me!" His stomach was moving around before our eyes. This gave us hope. We have read that email many times since and it is one of the most powerful words I have ever read.

On Friday, the Specialist gave us the up to date news with the results of Abe's endoscopy. The worst news. It was cancer of the stomach and was very fast moving. Abe would have 6 months to live, although Chemo would prolong life for a few months. When the Doctor told me & Abe this, I will never forget what happened. Abe smiled! It was a smile of faith!

That night he had a dream of two angels coming and taking him away in his wheelchair. He said to the angels, "Where are you taking me?" The angels replied, "We are taking you to the healing room ... don't you want to be healed?"

We came home early Sunday morning. Abe was still in some pain, but his spirit was changed, He was walking by faith. I got a shock phone call at 6:30am on Wednesday ... from Abe's phone. my first thought, "Oh no!" (Man of faith!). But Abe was sounding great! He had has old strong voice back ... not the whisper he had been speaking with the day before! "I am here outside the Bible School. I am here with these lovely students. I have walked right around Sefton Village (with drip attached!) with Gemma and I know I am changed. I have been sitting down for one hour. I woke up this morning and I was thirsty and hungry. I feel strong! God gave me a dream ... come and I will tell it to you."

I went down and he and Pastora Julie were sitting there in the Nipa hut (left) I said, "Wow, is this the new Out-Patient Clinic at Sefton?" Abe told me that during the night he had a dream that he was fighting a huge snake. Finally, Abe grabbed it by the throat and choked it. he threw it away. Then the voice of the Lord said, "The enemy has given up." When he woke up, he was strong. he told me he was going to preach in the chapel service before the week was out! Now that would be a miracle. From bed to pulpit in two days?!

Last night Abe had a text at 3am. The Pastor who lead him to the Lord was woken up by the Lord and was instructed to tell Abe that the Lord had healed him and what he had gone through would prepare him for a greater ministry.

So today, I bring you better news. Of course, medically the news is not good. Tomorrow we go to the Oncologist here in Santiago. But we go in the knowledge that the greatest Doctor and healer of all will give His report on Abe ... and we believe that it is a good one.

Keep praying. Keep believing. Keep trusting. Keep in touch. And no matter how hard and difficult the situation you find yourself in ... Your HOPE IS IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!

Home at Last

Back home ... at last! It was so good to return home after a week away in smoggy Manila! I had such a frustrating day on Saturday - it took us almost 5 hrs to get Pastor Abe discharged from the hospital! Don't ask me why or I will lose today's joy as well! Suffice to say that sometimes trying to get discharged from a hospital here makes you feel like a criminal ... as though you are guilty of something. The cartoon (left)is how I feel right now!!!

We travelled during the night and arrived at 6:30am. I tip-toed into the house, put on the kettle, collapsed into the Sofa and hoped for a 30 min nap! Well, after 2.5 mins two little kids came running through the living room shouting, "Daddy's home, Daddy's home .. weyhay!" The welcome was worth losing sleep over! It was so good to see Mary, who has had a tough week holding everything together whilst I was away. We decided to miss the first Tagalog Cornerstone Service that started at 8am. This reminds me of a funny story I heard once:

Son: "Mum, I'm not going to church this morning" He pulls the duvet over his head.

Mother" You should go. Can you try and go .. pleeeaaase?

Son: Give me 3 valid reasons and I'll think about it.

Mother: One, it is the house of God and you should not forsake meeting together.

Son : Mmmm... not bad.

Mother: Two, God is waiting for your praise.

Son: Mmmm... true.

Mother: Third ... you ARE the Pastor!

That was me on Sunday 8am - Pastor Missameetin Ritchie. But we made the 2nd service arrived just in time for all the dads to recieve a Fathers Day mug from all the ladies in the church ... accompanied by a song - "Thank You for the Cross Lord" (I thought the title of the song was ironic, but kinda funny!) We had a great service and I really enjoyed seeing everyone in the church again.

Today (Monday) has been a day of catching up with everything. There is a pile of stuff on my desk to sort out from last week. I went to visit Abe & then Pastora Julie. You know, it's amazing. Pastor Julie's stomach has shrunk to normal size, she is eating well, walking a lot and her hair is growing back. Pastor Abe doesn't have far to look for inspiration! I'll take photos of Julie so you can see the difference from a few weeks ago.

We had orientation and a welcome party for our new students at the Bible School this afternoon and tonight. We have 25 new 1st Year students and around 10 have stayed on for 2nd year. Praise God .. in all the hard times the Lord is always calling and anointing people. Moe photos and news from SBTC later in the week.

We also welcomed Maureen & Sabrina from Singapore tonight. They are two lovely ladies who are here to cover the school for us over the next couple of months. They will also keep an ye on the Children's Home and help us in the church. They are so lovely and they are from Cornerstone Singapore. We are so blessed with them. Another lady from Cornerstone, Brenda, will come from July-January to take over the school etc. GOD IS SO GOOD.

Well, after all my excitement about the World Cup being here, I have to tell you that I have only seen one game! My team are doing well now - GHANA! I love Ghana as a nation and as a people. I went there for 6 months in 1994 and saw the Lord do great and wonderful things. You should see the smile of a Ghanaian! So come on Ghana. One more win and we are through!

England? What can I say? Scrape through with a own goal in the first game and a couple of goals against the world class Tobagoans in the second. Never mind, maybe by the time Josiah is 18 Scotland will be good enough to qualify! Until then, we will just dream of '78!

Who's Report Will You Believe?

This morning I spent some time trying to sort out our itinerary for coming home to Scotland. Everything has been put on the back burner with Abe’s condition, but I had to send out emails to the Pastors so we can begin to plan our church visits in UK.

Things are working out well about coming home. We have a little house in Shore Street, Fraserburgh and Mary’s brother Bruce has found us an ideal car to buy. Over the next few weeks we will be preparing the teams over here for the 6 months without us. Praise God, Cornerstone Singapore are sending 3 teachers to cover the school for us while we are home. They will also really help us in the church. Gillian Saunders will be coming out at least once to help with the Powerhouse and Steve & Molly Ritchie will be coming out for November. So we are really grateful.

We were hoping to be preparing for coming home at this time – our presentation, powerpoints, pens, information leaflet etc. – but Abe has my full attention right now. Please pray that when I get down to the things above, God will give me a creative mind and fast thinking mind (no jokes please!)

I had a long talk with Abe today .. the longest since we came here. He has really been thinking and praying things through. The main thing he said today was that he was full of peace. He had no fear, no worries and no doubts. Only a deep peace. He is sure God will heal him. Yesterday, Pastor Ed Guererro visited Abe all the way from Isabela. Ed had a similar experience to Abe. Sudden caner, given no hope, medical results were terrible … but the Lord took out his tumour overnight! The Doctors were astounded and for the last 4 years he has been completely healthy. Abe was really encouraged by Ed’s visit.

Abe is eating better now, drinking regularly and going to the tolilet regularly. he is much brighter today and his spirit is good. At the end of the day we pray and we believe for a miracle. Tomorrow we will get the report of the bi-opsi. We will take it from there. Tonight I read out the story of Elisha and his servant. The servant was full of fear when he saw all the Assyrian soldiers surrounding the town … ready to kill Elisha the man of God. “We are finished. We are going to die. The game is over” was what the servant shouted at Elisha.

You could almost hear Elisha’s smirk and laugh as he said, “There’s more that is for us than is against us! Lord, open his eyes.” And there they were … many warriors of the Lord, warriors of fire in mighty chariots in the sky. Everything changed!

As we wait on the report of the Doctor, I reminded Abe that it was not the most important report. We will wait on the report of the Lord! Whatever He decides is the best. Until then, we will believe for a miracle for Abe. Tonight we had a tremendous time of prayer for Abe. We felt the power and presence of the Lord in that little room.

When I was a boy, I always got a ‘nae bad’ report card, but the teachers always wrote, “Mark could do better”. I don’t want that on my report from the Lord. I want to hear the report, “Well done good and faithful servant.”

Survivor .. Outlive & Outlast

I will give you a wee report about Abe at the end of this blog, but life is still going on fast'n'furious at Sefton! I am so blessed by our different 'teams' at SV - at times like these everyone just pulls together a little bit harder!

Actually, we have almost 40 full time staff at Sefton. We also have another 10 who are in our church leadeship team but who are employed in the secular world. In the Philippines, the leader of the company or business or ministry has to try his/her best to look after each employee ... and their family! So, as you can imagine, there is a lot of 'looking after' for me and Mary to do. We know we are responsible for these lovely co-workers and we always try our best to help out in whatever way we can.

Over the last few weeks, Mary has been very busy with the teachers preparing for the school opening. Yeterday, school re-opened after our Summer break. All the kids arrived with a lot of excited faces and smiles! This year we have extended our number of classes. Before, we had 3 sessions in teh morning and 3 sessions in the afternoon. Now we have added a new session over lunchtime which gives us 9 classes per day ... an extra 80 kids can be educated! As you can imagine, there has been a lot of changes in the admin side, Mary had to find 3 new teachers assistants and train them all up! But, praise God, everything went smooth yesterday and Mary was very happy.

Yeterday was also the start of the school year at Sefton Bible Training Centre. Praise God, we have interviewed 21 new first year students and around 10 students will stay on for 2nd year. We also have many day students who will enroll in various courses. I wish I was there to meet the students, greet and encourage them etc. But me and Pastor Abe are here, so it is time that the young leaders in SBTC will rise up and do what we have taught them to do! They are well able and I love them dearly.

Children's Home is going well and Marilyn is doing a great job. Some children have gone home in the last few weeks, but some have also arrived! I will get Mary to inform you of the changes if and when our lives get back to normal (whatever that is!!)

Thanks to everyone who have texted, emailed or called me. I have tried to pass on all teh messages to Abe and he has been really encouraged. Please send this blog address to as many people as you can so we can share the prayer burden and so people can be well informed as to what to pray for.

Yesterday was a better day for us all. Abe and Gemma was much more positive about things and we had a great time of prayer in the evening. Abe had an endoscopy test and the doctor wanted me to be there. I couldn't believe it as the small camera went through Abe's body and reached his stomach (almost put me off my KFC later!!) The Doctor pointed out that the walls of Abe's stomach should be smooth, but they were filled with cancerous tumours. They took some samples for biopsi. I spoke to the main specialist in the afternoon and he basically said that it looked like a type of cancer that was very fast spreading. If it was this kind of cancer, there really is nothing they can do except chemotherapy, which would only extend his life by a few months.

That is the medical report, now for the spiritual one! Abe is a servant of the Lord and our King is a healer! Abe is very strong in the Lord. There have been a few issues that he needed to deal with and we prayed about this yesterday. After his endoscopy, he turned to me and said, "I will come through this Mark. And after this, we will serve the Lord with greater power," We hugged and prayed for each other. What a precious moment. I prayed for him and we believed for a great miracle together.

In the evening, he told Gemma that he did not want to wear his hospital pyjamas, but a t-shirt that I bought him from Singapore. It was a 'Survivor' t-shirt! He smiled and clenched his hands in faith. These are good signs.

This morning (Wed) he has eaten for the first time for ages. A little only, but only a little is a victory! He has also been to the toilet for the first time in a long time. These are all little signs of encouragement.

The situation is still the same - we need a miracle. But God can choose to give a complete and absolute miracle in a moment, or he can give strength and healing every day until he is healed. We want an immediate miracle, but right now I would gladly accept a gradual one! I don't known the plan of God, but I know God has a plan.

Thanks for your prayers. Thanks for your support. Please pray for Mary at Sefton - she is carrying a heavy load right now due to me being here in Manila. Please spread the news and burden. I will try my best to blog every day, so please point people to this page for up to date information.

Something really touched & challenged me yesterday. Gemma called home and spoke to her kids. The oldest is called Angel Paul who is 8 yrs old (below), and the youngest is Renz Abe and he is only 4 yrs old. At the end of their call, Angel said, "Mama, please tell Daddy I love him." This really broke Gemmas heart as it was the 1st time Angel had ever said those words. It gave her hope and focus.

So today, while you have time, if you really love someone ...really tell them. I know that they know that you love them. But tell them.