Greetings From South Africa

As a church, we support Phil and Rachel Bowyer, through prayer and giving, in their work with Soul Action, South Africa. You can read more in previous posts about the vital work they are doing . Last week we received this message and gift from them.

"To all at the Link Church,

Thank you for your support and prayers throughout this year. As we continue to join in God's mission daily, people's lives are being transformed as a direct result of your on-going commitment to us as a family and to Soul Action.

This decoration has been formed into something beautiful from a piece of 'fallen' nature by Gugu, a young lady we had the privilege of meeting in April.

You may recall Phil sharing some of the steps that led to this creation when we visited the UK in June/July.

Gugu was working the streets of Durban, until some of the people God encouraged us to gather together saw an opportunity to work together to begin to bring restoration to her life.

We hope you like the give and have a lovely Christmas and New Year.

God bless,
Phil, Rachel and Zac."

And finally....

We have recently gone from this:

 

To this:

 

 

A major improvement, we are sure you'll agree! This was accomplished thanks to the many generous donations to our building fund, and a grant from Awards for All Scotland.

Storehouse and Starter Packs in 2013

STOREHOUSE

Through our Storehouse ministry we seek to help those who, for many reasons, may have a shortage of food or basic household items. During 2013 we have recieved requests on a regular basis to help people facing crisis or difficult times. Thanks to the faithful giving of Link members we have again been able to respond to every request by providing food parcels and/or Asda vouchers. A typical food parcel contains basics such as teabags, coffee, sugar, salt, tinned goods, pasta and rice and pasta/rice sauces, breakfast cereal, biscuits, toiletries and household cleaning items.

During 2013 Storehouse has supplied:

• Food parcels -   3 to Link members; 5 to outside agencies (e.g. Women's Aid) 
• Asda vouchers - £120 in total to Link members and outside agencies

We also collected again for Christmas Hampers and this year have four ready to go to Link Church members and Women's Aid . Each hamper contained a selection of basic food items and Christmas treats.
 

Even after all this giving we still have 2 food parcels and some vouchers stored, ready to meet emergency needs. We are aware that the Christmas period can bring its own difficulty and crisis to many people, and our contacts at Women's Aid know they can call us at any time should a woman in their care need this kind of help.

We can only meet needs through Storehouse as we become aware of them. Do you know someone in need? Or have an idea that could help us help more people through Storehouse? Please speak to Jackie or Ruth.

 

"This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God."

2 Corinthians 9: 12

 STARTER PACKS

Through our contacts with Women's Aid we also provide Starter Packs to women who are moving into their own accommodation. In these circumstances, women can receive grants to help with the purchase of furniture etc, but these cannot be used for the basic household essentials which we would all struggle to do without. Each Starter Pack contains essential items such as crockery, cutlery, saucepans, a toaster, iron and kettle. During 2013, there has been a constant demand for Starter Packs and we have given out at least one per month. There have been times when the lack of these items has been the only holdup to a woman finally moving into her accommodation and it has been necessary to put a pack together very quickly indeed! If you would like to know more about the Starter Packs, please speak to Jackie or Mo.

These vital ministries could not do so much without the regular giving of the people of Link Church. Those of us responsible for handing over the food parcels and packs hear so often that they are going to meet desperate needs and of how people have been touched by the kindness and love shown to them through our giving. If you have given in any way to Storehouse or Starter Packs during this year, be encouraged to know that your giving is making a huge difference to many lives.

"To everyone at Link Church, thanks for everything that the church has given me and my family for my new home. The starter pack was a great help. Thank you very much."

(Thank you message from the recipient of a starter pack this year.)

News from Sunny Lahore!

Here we are in sunny Lahore enjoying the warmth but not the flies which keep buzzing me as I type. We are now staying with Esther for three days, before we go back to Qaiser's for the last few days. Last night Andy spoke in a tent meeting in a village on the edge of Lahore. There were more than 250 people there and God moved with power. We were accompanied by 30 young men on motorbikes, some 3 to a bike!

This morning I had the joy of speaking to the daily morning ladies' meeting, and Andy and I prayed for many sick ones. I will be teaching the second part of the message tomorrow morning. Andy will be preaching again tonight, but he is having trouble finding time to prepare as people keep coming to the house for prayer for their families, which is great, but distracting.

Keeping control of our schedule is somewhat difficult as plans are continually changed by others, leading to problems with overlap. Please pray that we are able to do what God wants rather than what man thinks is good. We are trying to fit in all we can though. This Friday we will not be able to do anything as there is risks of trouble for all the communities due to a Shia Muslim holy day, but we will still have Saturday and Sunday to work.

We are both well, but taking care of what we eat and drink. Thank you for praying. We feel your support.

Andy & Heather

Update from the Turnbulls in Pakistan

Here is the latest news from Andy and Heather in Pakistan. They have had problems so far with emails but managed to get this one out this weekend:

Heather has not been well and I have had to leave her in Lahore for the weekend to recover fully. I am in Raiwind which is currently hosting a Shia Muslim conference with 2.5 million Muslims being stirred up for Jihad and gun fire in the air, but is not stopping us meeting and preaching in the local churches. I have just finished one session (midnight) and have two meetings tomorrow (Sunday). We are seeing God move in the Pastors meetings, with a fully understanding of scripture producing changes in lives and ministry, and also in the church meetings where we have seen healings and salvation.

Please pray for Heather's full recovery and for spiritual strength for us both as we enter into the busier second week.

The Moore Family in Bali

Recent updates from the Moore family in Bali:

Language   Well...we've now been here six months...seriously.  The good news is, we are better able to communicate, on most days, in Indonesian.  The not-so-good news is, I am now less than dependable in my correspondence with people in two languages.  Luckily, people here are extremely gracious and accepting of us "boolays."  That word is slang for whities and I actually have no idea how to spell it...so here it is the way it sounds...for the most part, if we even try to speak Indonesian, they go with it.   At any rate...here's a brief update on the "business" side of things here:    (1)  Our primary physical job here at present is learning language.    (2)  We are house hunting again since this lease is up in January, and the rent has significantly "naiked."  Kami sangat suka kata itu, "naik."  (We really like that word, "naik").  You say it like this, "nike." It is quite useful and varied in meaning.  If you ride or drive a vehicle or animal (horse, donkey, etc), you naik it.  If you go up the stairs, you naik them.  If the price increased, it naiked.  That may be it for real meanings...but we have expanded its versatility amongst ourselves.    (3)  We are beginning to get a better picture of what our physical niche might be here (more later).    (4)  We have been encouraged by our relationships with our current neighbors.  One precocious little girl even borrowed our Alkitab story book (children's Bible in Indonesian) to read at home and take to school!  I am praying that there will be opportunity to share the whole Truth with her soon.    (5)  We are continually astounded and blessed by our friends...both here and back hom Maybe that's it for now...though, now that I have remembered that I can do this from my phone, and not wait for the home internet to be working, I will do my level best to do this again soon...hold me to it. Agung Road Trip     Box of Chocolates     You never quite know what might offer itself on our little street. Rolling vendors of all sorts...various foods, ice cream, buckets, brooms, toys...we mostly ignore the sound of them these days. But one day, the kids in out yard got very excited when they heard a "drum" with a distinctive sound. Right outside our gate was a man on a bicycle with a monkey in a box. They put on quite a show...every bit as good as something you might see at a circus...right in front of our house! When it was over...it set us back Rp15000... But we consider that a buck fifty well spent ;)

Slowly But Surely....

The workmen are making slow but steady progress on our disabled and gent's toilets.

 





 

There will be NO Messy Church this Saturday (28th September) as our building is still too Messy from this construction work! The next Messy Church will take place on 26th October, 4 pm - 6 pm. 

 

 



News from the Storm family

Annelie Growing Up!

We love how adaptable and outdoor loving Annelie is.  She already has many stories to tell.

However, one of the knock on effects is the regular breaking of any sleeping pattern she develops.

Recently Annelie is only sleeping at night by cuddling Mummy or Daddy! As lovely as this is, it is also very demanding on us - as you can imagine.

This week we will be breaking this pattern so that she learns to sleep on her own once again. We expect a fair bit of screaming, crying and at the end of the week - a sleeping baby!

Please pray for this process this week - Thank you.



 

Full Time Team is Expanding!

 

This month David has welcomed Joce (UK) and Wayne (China) into the team full time.  We are now a team of 4!

Praise God for an expanding team and pray for them as they adapt to their new roles.



Work in progress

Work commenced on Monday!!!  Good progress is being made.  Our building will be busy with normal activities this weekend.  Just keep in mind that for a couple of weeks our only toilet facilities are on the first floor. 

A Work in Progress...

Great news!

 

September 9th sees the start of our building project to upgrade our toilets facilities to have a properly fitted disabled toilet.  This is being accomplished in part with a grant from Awards for All.  

 

To push ahead with increased facilities we will have to run with significantly reduced facilities for two to three weeks.  Please be advised that from 9th  September our only toilets will be on the first floor.  This may impact anyone with a mobility issue. We have spoken with all groups using our building but want to inform any visitors to our Sunday services.

 

Keep an eye out here for updates on the progress of the work!

News from World Horizons

Here is the latest update from David and Corne Storm.

Team Photo

The 8000 mile round trip to Eastern Turkey and back was not without its fair few challenges!

However we have already heard that since praying and fasting for a couple of days in one north-eastern province, the number of believers in the province has now doubled!  The Lord God is Mighty to Save!

 Iftar

The Turkish government put on mass 'Iftar' end of fast dinners.  Here, we joined 500 Kurds and Syrian refugees in the breaking of their daily Ramadan fast.  We were welcomed very warmly by Muslim families and individuals alike.

Iraq Convoy

Due to a change of events, we had the unexpected bonus of a spontaneous trip to Iraq!  This was quite a journey involving an armed convoy along the Turkish/Syrian border as we entered Iraq.  In Iraq we met some friends and Iraqi Christians.  It was so encouraging for us all to hear their testimonies and to pray together.

   Cairo Skyline

The August trip to Cairo has been cancelled.  However please join us in remembering the nation and people of Egypt. We will specifically be fasting lunches over 2nd-6th September to pray and invite you to join with us.

We recommend reading this link to better understand the current situation and in understanding how to pray.  https://www.sat7usa.org/understanding-the-present-situation-in-egypt

Soul Action South Africa Update

 

 

It was good to have a visit from Phil, Rachel and Zachary Bowyer back in June while they were in the UK. They spent 4 weeks travelling around to spend time with their family, and visiting churches and groups to share about their work. It was a trip that they found physically exhausting, but spiritually, socially and emotionally energising, inspiring and surprising!

 





I'm a church leader, get me out of here!

On their return to South Africa they hit the ground running by gathering local church leaders on their first day back to pray about their national conference planned for next March. During the first week they were back they met with the 20 leaders they have been gathering to think through what it means to empower communities to use their own resources to meet their own needs. The leaders in the photo may look like they are trying to escape the building, but in reality they were asked to make the longest line they could with the resources they had on them! The exercise not only brought out their competitive streak but also drove home the point: we can sometimes overlook our own resources, and - worse still - forget that even those people in what we think are the most desperate situations still have resources and potential.

Pray:

• That this group of leaders would be catalysts in this country for a move towards people empowerment.
• For stories of people for whom empowerment has led to them re-discovering their fullest potential in God.

Educators discussing in groups the advantages of shared reading.

 

Soul Action South Africa's Literacy Project's vision is to empower children to reach their full potential. To achieve this they have chosen to support teachers in low economic communities by working with schools to teach children to read and write in English. One of the ways Soul Action supports teachers is by facilitating workshops. In this case the teachers had asked for support with shared reading. 19 teachers attended the workshop which aimed to develop an understanding of what is meant by, and how to facilitate, shared reading.

 



Feedback from all the groups

 

Pray:

• For Rachel as she continues to train teachers, and especially for the relationship she is developing the Department of Education in KwaZulu Natal.

 

Copies of the Soul Action South Africa monthly newspapers are available in Priory Lane. Or go to their website: www.soulaction.co.za for more information.

 



Kids Try Praying

Our children and young people have enjoyed getting to grips with praying over the summer with the help of these great Try Praying books for children and youth. Like the adult version, these books explain what prayer is all about and encourage young readers to try praying for themselves with some simple steps they can follow.

The children's version has stories and puzzles which made learning about prayer fun for us all! The youth books have plenty of testimonies from young people who have found that praying has really made a difference to their lives in all sorts of trials and difficulties which are so typical in the experience of young people today.

We have a few of both books left over, and plenty of the adult version too, so let us know if you would like one! Or you can find out more about TryPraying and order books at www.trypraying.co.uk

Moore family update

A Little Gardening

 

                                                                   Rice Farming



 

Words for rice:

Sawah = rice field

Nasi = cooked rice

Beras = uncooked rice kernals

Padi = rice plant while growing

Nasib = destiny

Reinventing the Wheel

 

There seems to be no end to the things we thought we knew how to do, that now we are having to re-learn. From little things like how to pay at the grocery store (praise that there is a grocery store!) to bigger things like how to communicate with our neighbors and how to get enough internet service to actually send a newsletter. Part of me really wants to plant some tomatoes...the other part knows that that, too, will be something I must re-learn, and I am not sure I am up for that just yet. Luckily, it is tomato planting season year round here, so I can put that off a little longer! So far our struggles have been few and seemingly trivial (praise!) and I am humbled to realize that God cares enough to help out with those too. He really does provide everything we need...even the small stuff...just when we need it. And so, perhaps our complete dependence on Him is exactly how it should be...after all...I can't make a tomato grow anyway...I can just do my part...and trust that He will do His.

 

                                                                               Lucy

 

Thankful

We have so much to be thankful for. Since it is Lucy's birth month, I will share a story about her. So, about two weeks ago, it was Lucy's turn to have a cold, and about a week into it, she seemed to be getting a little worse. In fact over the course of a day, she really didn't want to eat, or play, and her chest started rattling when she breathed. Of course, we noticed this last bit as we were heading out the door to fellowship with some new friends. The international medical clinic is open 24/7, so we decided to make a brief showing at our friends' house, then take Lucy after that. Our friends started praying for Lucy, and she began getting better! She started playing contentedly and ate all her supper. Her breathing improved, too, and needless to say, we did not end up going to the doctor. She has not looked back...she is completely healthy! Praise the Lord!


                                             Here's what some locals were up to recently.

Prayer Requests Praise! We arrived safely! Peace in Adjusting and patience in learning language and culture here. Praise! That the Lord has provided school opportunities for Norine, Silas, and Biggi beginning in August. That the Lord will continue His perfect provision. Balinese persons of peace, that we would be drawn together. Young Balinese house churches...that they would continue and multiply! Our families...that the Lord would grant them joy and comfort in our journey Our children...that their excitement would be contagious! Our team...that the Lord would be the center and focus of its forming! Love, Patience, Peace and Joy!                                                             

Milestones

An update from David and Corne Storm:

We have recently celebrated our 8th Wedding Anniversary - how time flies!

At the end of May this year, we also look back on 5 years of ministry with World Horizons.

Both of these little milestones represent a great opportunity to thank many friends and family members and church for their continued friendship and support - THANK YOU!

 

David is now in full swing for preparing for the 6 week overland journey to Turkey.  The team recently had their preparation get together - 21 people will be on team. 

 

Please pray for the final preparations - of Land Rovers, catering, finance, itinerary updates with people in Turkey and please pray for some specific words from the Lord that will fuel us all.  We leave on Sunday 16th June.

The Moore Family in Bali

 

 
Luke and Julie Moore are missionaries from our sister church, Athens Link Fellowship. In April 2013, Luke and Julie moved to Bali with their children, Norine, Silas, Abigail (Biggi) and Lucy, to work with Pioneers, a sending organisation.

Here is an update from Luke and Julie on how things are going so far:

"It is hard to believe we have been here six weeks already!  There have been challenges to be sure (not the least of which has been internet access when we think we need it)...but the Lord has continued to be gracious in providing what we need when we actually do need it.

We are blessed with lovely neighbours on our gang (street) who have been very welcoming. Please pray for them and that our interactions with them would serve as a suitable witness. We have also been warmly recieved by other workers here, many of whom are really helping us find what we need to get settled in.

View down their street

 

Biggi with some neighbours

Language learning has begun and is progressing a bit slowly for our liking. Please pray that the Lord would give us ears to hear and mouths to speak! 

Currently we are trying to secure schooling for Norine, Silas, and Biggi. Please pray that the Lord would help us to discern what He has for them in this area.

Above all, please pray for the spiritual climate here - it is very dark. We have glimpsed a bit of the opposition, it is strong, but our God is stronger and will be victorious!  The power of prayer is phenomenal! We look forward to getting a proper news letter out soon; until then, please feel free to email or facebook (our phones can handle most of that on cell coverage."

 

Farmer with "Traktor"

Volcano in the distance

 

The Moore's would love to hear from you - you can contact them by email:   lujumoore@swissmail.org or on facebook.

Their blog is also good fun - http://balimoores.blogspot.com/

Messy Church

 

We had a fun filled couple of hours again at Messy Church last Saturday when many families came along to enjoy time together as we heard more about prayer. Sarah reminded us of how Jesus said that birds and flowers don't worry about what they will eat or what they will wear because God knows what they need and looks after them. There were even lots of flowers and a little budgie at Messy Church to help us remember that we can pray and ask God for the things we need and trust Him to look after us too!

Over the past year we have learned so much at Messy Church as we have heard stories from the Bible about heroes like Noah, Joseph and David, and the life of Jesus, the friends He had then (and how He wants to be our friend now) and how He died and rose again so that we could be forgiven of our sins and have a relationship with God. We have made all sorts of crafts, things to take home to help us remember these great Bible stories - and had a great time being Messy in the process! Then there's the enthusiastic singing and a chance to pray together too before we eat the delicious food which our hard working kitchen team make for us, and the yummy home made cakes.

Messy Church is always busy with more than 50 people coming along, and there's usually a couple of new families each time too. But numbers have never been important; the people are important and those who come have a great opportunity to hear about God and His love for them.

There is always such a buzz around the building on Messy days - so many people are needed to help in so many different ways, but it is always such an encouraging and worthwhile time and, without everyone's help and the many prayers, it just wouldn't be possible. So, if you help in any way - then a HUGE thank you!

We are having a break for the next couple of months, so the next Messy Church will be on Saturday 31st August. Invitations are already available in Priory Lane so grab a few over the summer and invite any family or friends who might like to come along!

 

Soul Action South Africa

Phil and Rachel Bowyer work with Soul Action in Durban South Africa. Soul Action South Africa facilitates opportunities for Christians who are passionate about integral mission to network, train and work together in order to address all forms of poverty in a holistic way.

Anti Human Trafficking

Soul Action UK spent 10 days with Phil and Rachel in March, filming how projects and churches are responding to Human Trafficking (HT). Highlights included:

Soul Action - the crew spent a morning with the group of church leaders they have been gathering since October 2012. Everyone shared what they are passionate about, how they are responding to HT and how Soul Action is supporting them. They also visited their literacy team, and leaders with whom a parenting course is being developed by a lady named Clare Whittaker. Both issues are cricital to preventing trafficking.

His People Church - they met and prayed with leaders as they prepared to go out onto the streets and minister to girls whose poverty leads them to prostitute themselves.

Grace Family Church - the crew joined an evening service and afterwards filmed church members as they put together toolkits to assist previously trafficked women.

Redlight Anti Human Trafficking - they filmed a lesson at a local school on how to avoid being trafficked, and had the opportunity to meet ladies who, after leaving the streets, were making jewellery: restoring the beauty in the fallen nature that people usually walk by and ignore.

 

His Church - they had the privilege of joining devotions at a local Christian school where pupils regularly intercede on the issue of human trafficking - it was very powerful!

PLEASE PRAY FOR a good response to the first short film(s) that will be shown in July, and the rest that will be released online following Soul Survivor's UK festivals.

Umoja and Facilitation

In April they began gathering a group of 20 church and project leaders to explore a community development. This group has committed to meeting monthly for a year to explore an approach that focuses on potential rather than poverty. Umoja involves empowering people to the point where they can identify their own needs and use their own resources to address them.

 

Part of the first session was spent thinking about facilitation, which is foundational to the whole process. Phil and Rachel led the leaders in a series of activities to explore the importance of faciliation.

 

PLEASE PRAY that people put what they discovered into practise and consider how to facilitate in the groups they work with.

 

Phil, Rachel and their son Zac will be in the UK from 7th June to 7th July sharing with current and new supporters as part of an awareness/fundraising tour. They will be with us at the Link on Sunday 23rd June.

 

For more information on Soul Action South Africa, check out their website at www.soulaction.co.za or their facebook page at www.facebook.com/soulaction There are also newsletters available in Priory Lane.

 

Do you need a reminder of this today?

A message from the Link Kids

Remember this photo from an earlier blog?  It is not the most gloriously attractive image, is it?  The good news is that the work to transform this into a fully functioning disabled toilet is now in the tendering process. The drawings and specs are with local companies (Big thanks to Kevan for all his hard work on this!)  and we are praying that we are able to appoint the work to one of them in the beginning of June.  Our deadline for completion is the end of October. 

David Storm in Egypt

David has recently returned from a busy week in Egypt with a colleague. This colleague has been communicating with various churches in Uganda and Egypt for a prayer initiative that stretches along the Nile River.

They are aiming to see simultaneous prayer groups in every nation along the Nile during the first week of September - including Sudan and Ethiopia.  It is an ambitious project but one that has been warmly received by national prayer leaders and churches in Egypt and Uganda alike.

If you are interested in joining this exciting initiative then please do contact David for more information.

 

April update from David and Corne Storm

Time flies when you're having fun...

Corne worked for a week with the World Horizons Youth Development Team on their annual Stewards Trust camp.

(Stewards trust is a Christian charity devoted to discipling young people, families and older people, through camps and house parties)

I was a mini bus driver for them for the week, driving them to various outdoor activities around the Gower and also leading them on a overnight mountain expedition in the Brecon mountains.

 

They were a fantastic group to work with and we believe God had done great things in the kids and the leader's lives.

I praise God for safety on the roads driving the kids and also for a fun filled refreshing week(being away from house and mummy duties).

 

Annelie has recently turned 18 months old.

I love ....

- how excited she is to see me in the morning when I first walk into her room, how she jumps up and down in her cot with joy!

- how she loves the porridge that I make her each morning, that she has a good appetite!

- that she cannot wait to get outside and will walk me to the door in the morning as I leave for work wanting to come outside too!

- that she giggles at my funny dances and funny faces, that she finds me funny!

- that she has TinTin teddy and she knows it as daddy teddy because it looks like me!

- that I can stick her out over a ledge to feel the rush of the wind, and she loves it!

- that we go to the beach to build a house out of driftwood, and she will just sit there as I build the playhouse around her, watching and waiting for daddy to join her when he is finished

- that she loves the big orange Land Rovers!  How she runs to them in the car park, to stand in the drivers seat, pretending to drive and beeping the horn!

- that she trusts me, that my being present gives her confidence!

- how she coped with the rough travel conditions and 45c heat in Iraq, I know I can push her yet further!

- that she is happy to be picked up and cuddled by anyone around the world!

- that she just legs it outside as soon as the front door is opened or as soon as we let her go, I love her desire to go, explore & discover!

- that she is cuddly & will walk over to me to embrace me when I come home

- how she loves the water, loves to splash and swim and put her head in the water

- how she loves her bed and reaches for it as we enter her bedroom at night

1 John 3:1 (NIV)

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!

Annelie and Daddy