Far - but Near

It's amazing:   communications today mean we can speak even when we're not there ...

... by broadcasting.   Radio stations in Swaziland, Slovakia and England regularly receive wonderful letters saying what a blessing our programmes are proving to the lives of people we have never met.   Do pray for 'the Word on the airwaves', going out many times each week.

... by literature.   A letter arrived after the recent publication of my book 'Bereaved' which said this:

"Recently a friend of mine committed suicide, so I have been in a predictable state:   but I picked up your book and found it so helpful, really down to earth.   I have been going through a period of unbelief, and the stories in the book have given me a lot of hope, seeing the light again.   I feel ready to listen to God and let him help me through".   Isn't that lovely?   As the books are read widely, please pray for them to be a blessing to many.

... by video.   The other Sunday a lady came up to me after I had made a call for people to trust Christ at her church.   She asked for a leaflet explaining it was not for her, but for her adult son.   He was seriously ill in hospital and she had shown him my video 'What is a Christian?'   At the end of the video he had said the prayer of response out loud, and the lady wanted to give him a leaflet to encourage him in his new Christian life.   Wonderful!     

UK News - Disley

A marvellous weekend at the end of February saw some 30 people indicate a response to our Lord Jesus Christ, including many leading members of the churches.   One older lady remarked "I have never heard the Christian message preached like that in the whole of my life". We are hoping to conduct a full Mission in the area in the near future.

Lindfield

What a great Mission!   Our very first Mission directed specifically towards older people saw much fruit - and some surprises.   Sylvia Johnson, one of our Associate Evangelists and a key speaker in Lindfield, enthused:   "It was amazing to see how many members of staff in the Care Homes responded to Christ, even though we were speaking to those they were looking after!"

Young and old, cared for and caring:   we had over a hundred tell us that they were trusting the Lord Jesus.   And there were echoes from the past, too.   A lady told me, "I trusted Christ when you were here in 1987.   A few months later my baby died;   I would never have got through without Jesus".

Niger Notes

John Price and I spent over two weeks in Niger.   We began with a leaders' conference in the capital of Niamey.   The commitment was amazing - one leader travelled 500 miles by bus to be with us.   During this first week we held an outreach meeting in Niamey.   Our main contact in the country,    Mohamed Samna, said to me "This is the happiest day of my life," as he saw his 17 year- and 15 year-old children come forward to trust Christ.   I was met the following day by one of the leaders of the young people.   He said to me:   "What an amazing evening we had yesterday!   We have been praying for my sister-in-law for many years and last night she went forward to trust Christ.   We have hardly stopped crying since, we are so amazed with joy.   Even our Pastor can hardly believe it.   I asked her why she had responded.   She said she had never realised until this moment that Jesus loved her personally".

We went right up to the centre of Niger, to the very edge of the desert.   In one Tuareg village, only the millions of stars lit up the world under a pitch black sky.   I spoke to half a dozen or so Christians, and we then went on to show the film 'Jesus'.   I spoke between each of the four reels, and after the second one told the story of Zaccheaus and how he met Jesus.   As the    crucifixion was shown, a man lent over to me in the darkness and asked (via my interpreter) "How can I become a Christian?"   I told him he would soon be able to become one.   At the end, I spoke of Jesus' invitation, and asked them to step forward if they wanted to trust Jesus.   Over 20 did so, including that man and the village chief.    There is an evangelist who will care for them all.   The next day I was asked to pray for the land where they were going to build a church.

In another major village, we found we had literally come to the end of the road.   From there on there was desert in every direction for at least 250 miles towards Algeria and Mali.   The village had over 5000 people in it, only one a Christian.   We showed the film 'Jesus' again and 1000 people came into the town square under the light of the stars.   About 75 came to enquire about Christianity at the end.   It was the first time the Gospel had ever been preached in that village.   The Christians who were with me were still counselling the next morning.

At Agadez, a soldier heard me speak and came up to say, "How can I accept Christ?"   We stood together and I led him to Christ and he spoke of many other soldiers wanting to respond.   He is now going to go and tell them how they also can become Christians.   We were invited by the Sultan of Agadez to meet him: we gave him a Bible and shared the Gospel with him and his household.

In this central part of Niger we had to travel all the time with armed guards because of bandits.   One armed guard came to protect me when I was preaching at a church on the Sunday morning.   At the end of the    service I invited people if they wanted to come and trust Christ to do so.   Virtually everyone in the church was a Christian, but from the very back my armed guard came forward and said, "I have come of my own volition because I want to give my life to Christ".   He said this to the entire congregation and we prayed with him as he trusted Christ (gun and all!).   

I know you were praying.   Praise God for all he did - and is going to do - in Niger.   John and I are so glad you travelled, in spirit, with us.

Miracles: 2004 Style

You will be familiar with Jesus standing up and stilling the storm from the stories in the Gospels.

  The problem in the Sahara Desert is not the waves, but the constant, 12 months a year, harmatan wind, which drives the sand and makes outside meetings almost impossible.   On our journey from Agadez southwards we went through a sandstorm which lasted for nearly 200 miles.

  On that journey my companions from Niger asked me if I had noticed something completely miraculous while we had been in the desert area.   They had seen that every time I had got up to speak, wherever we had been in the open air in different towns and villages, the wind had stopped completely and utterly so that people were able to listen in comfort without having to rush for a shelter.   The whole of the rest of the time, the wind had never stopped.   As a result, the good news of Jesus Christ was able to be preached freely.

And Finally...

So that's our news - new style, new blessings, same great God!   "We'll praise Him for all that is past, we'll trust Him for all that's to come".   Thank you for your love, prayers and support.   I'll write again after another busy four months.   May you yourself know that "the blessing of the Lord makes rich, and he adds no sorrow to it" (Prov. 10:22).

With greetings in Jesus from Darren, Julie and Sue in the office, all our Associate Evangelists and Trustees, and from me -