Enjoyed doing a slideshow this morning on "Life and Work in Uganda" for the Probus group meeting at the Castle of Brecon Hotel. Dad used to love going to this.They seemed to find it inspiring and have generously through the paper bead jewellery the Ugandan children had made. All the money raised goes back to the actual schools where the children made them. This will be used to help pay their teachers' salaries, etc.
Sad to say goodbye to my dear schoolfriend Liz at Brecon Cathedral last week. Hundreds of people packed into the 700 seater cathedral with a large number standing too - tribute in itself to how many lives she had enriched in her sixty years. While she leaves so many to mourn her departing, she herself is enjoying a wonderful time with Jesus in her new body.
At the beginning of September, before the new term started, three of us walked around the Brecon schools, praying blessing on them and however the Lord led us to pray. He has a real heart the children and their teachers.It has been good to be involved with helping organise a big event in a marquee at Powis Castle for farmers, their families and all those interested in the situation farmers are facing nowadays. Over the last few months Christianne Glossop, Chief Vet for Wales, and a group of Christian farmers from mid Wales have been meeting at our house to discuss and finalize details for this exciting event.
A Berkshire farmer, NIGEL BUTLER, will be the speaker. He is a good friend of Angus Buchan who drew an enormous crowd of around 800 to anothet farming event we were involved with organising in Trecastle a couple of years ago. Nigel is also a popular and sort after speaker.
There will be games organised for the children.
Please pray for the event and let those who you think would be interested know about it.
Yesterday I Ied the last of the sessions on hearing God with the group in Hay. It has been such an encouragement to see how much God has blessed them through this over these last few weeks. He graciously spoke to each of them through the items they chose off the table; through "going for a walk with Him" in their minds' eye; through Bible verses; and finally in groups of 3 as they put into practice what they'd learnt by hearing God's words for each other. The latter particularly surprised and encouraged them as they found out how accurate these words were... when they thought they couldn't do it!
I'm praying He will continue to grow them in these new abilities to hear Him over the summer holidays and that they will grow in confidence enough to be blessing in this way to those who do not yet know how much Jesus loves everyone.
It was such a privilege earlier this week for me and a good friend of mine to be present when our mutual friend opened the door of her heart wide to welcome Jesus. He poured His peace into her mind and soul. Such joy ☺.
Last week I shared with the same Bible Study group in Hay about how life changing Ifor and I have found two-way journaling with Jesus to be since we started doing this two months ago. They had a go at the first exercise where we all quieted ourselves, focused on Jesus and wrote a love letter to Jesus. Then we continued, whilst tuned to the flow of the Holy Spirit, to write what He was saying in response. Many were quite taken aback and greatly encouraged as Jesus responded with His personal words of acceptance and love for us as individuals.
Today was my weekly Bible Fun group for the mums and young children in our immediate locality. One of the mums who started doing this two-way journaling a fortnight ago told me how much it has changed her life already. She loves hearing Jesus speak to her so readily and feels so uplifted by Him.
It was good to share in our Godson's wedding celebrations recently. What a stunning location overlooking Hay for the wedding marquee after the service!
"God speaks again and again, though people don't recognize it. He speaks in dreams, in visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on people as they lie in bed. He whispers in their ear." Job 33:14,15.
Since my post on 10th May God has given me much revelation and counsel through dreams which I have found really encouraging. Last month I was asked to lead a bible study on this with a group in Hay on Wye. Together we looked at lots of Bible references and I simply shared what I have learnt so far. I encouraged them to have a go and keep pen and paper by their bed. A fortnight later on my return a number of them shared their dreams and through the guidance of the Holy Spirit we were able to interpret their meaning together. This was an encouragement to everyone as He spoke through them.
This weekend one of my former youth group got married at the chapel in Broad Haven where we used to minister. I was aware of Father God enveloping them as Ifor prayed His blessing over them and their marriage. It was a privilege to share their special day with them and their families. Lovely also to catch up with friends in the chapel on the following day. Special people.
After heavy hailstorms, snow and freezing temperatures to welcome May, it looks like Winter is finally, if reluctantly, losing its hold. Paradoxically Spring seemed to start very early in the county! This seems to reflect the nature of our ministry here: new beginnings, sad goodbyes, people in difficulties and times of blessing. We never know from one day to the next what God has prepared for us to walk into. Listening to His heart and His promptings is paramount, each and every day, one day at a time.
Another service Ifor took was on Easter Sunday in a very isolated chapel just below the top of the Black Mountains. We got soaked walking across the field from the car to the chapel, but local people kept coming and coming. More chairs were found and more communion glasses. Seventy people squashed in to the little chapel, double the good number that came last year. As the wind howled around the windows and down the chimney, the children cracked open and stirred our duck eggs while Ifor explained the Easter Story. Only one child was brave enough to have Ifor crack open an egg over her head - you should have seen the look on her face when she heard it crack! Eventually she gingerly looked up ...... Ifor had blown the egg earlier to illustrate the empty tomb. The children then left to scour the windy graveyard for hidden Easter eggs while we continued the service inside before joining them for tea and cakes in the stable, newly converted to provide an extra room and a refuge for walkers.
One of the funerals Ifor has been involved with this year was particularly tragic as the deceased was so young.The family are taking solace and encouragement from learning about Heaven and discovering more about Jesus. They are finding the assurance they need and growing in faith. Some of the books that they are finding particularly helpful on their journey are "Heaven is for Real", "The Shack", and "Waking up in Heaven" by Crystal McVea.
Ifor writes..... "It's quite remarkable how so much of what we do leads on to something else. Some time ago I was going round the farms with my part-time job selling feed and fertiliser, when I came to a farmer who happens to be the chairman of the local rugby club (with 16 teams including children and ladies, and 600 members). He didn't want any feed, but he did say they needed a chaplain! So I'm now chaplain to a rugby club. Recently I responded to an FCN call where a local farmer had been injured and couldn't work for 3 months. He lived completely alone and was in the 
who I've known for 6 years but hardly ever see. Another FCN call resulted in me making contact with the farmer's friend, another farmer who desperately needed help with milking. I offered to help once a week with the milking, and found myself supporting his neighbour, who had been tragically widowed. I've ended up milking on 3 different farms these last few months, though I'm now cutting back.
Penny writes.... On the family front, our little granddaughter Emily has now been discharged from Alder Hey Children's Hospital after five months following a bleed into her brain fluid. The last scan showed all was working well and there was no longer any residue left.
