UPDATE!

 

We returned from England and Northern Ireland the very last day of October 2006, in time for our daughter's birthday which we usually miss as it is on November 5th.

Ministry was absolutely wonderful in England at Holdbrook Christian Fellowship with the Derry's.  Lila Jane did a Women's Meeting on the Saturday, an all day function and there was so much ministry accomplished; it was as if the Lord had everything set up.

A good spirit in the church, it's always wonderful to see these lovely people of Holdbrook, they love us and we love them.  Our stay with Bill and Margaret was short this time as we were booked into Northern Ireland on the Monday.  Bill so graciously got us to and from the airports, which is no easy thing over there.  Here in America, we think nothing of going 60 miles to pick up somebody from an airport, but you know...England does not have the land space we do, so the congestion is horrible.  The Derry's are always so gracious.

From England we landed at Aldergrove Intl. and our friend Liz was there to meet us, she never lets us down.  She and Jake even had an extra car for us to use, it was wonderful, we just put some insurance on ourselves and paid for the petrol, and it left them free to not have to transport us everywhere.  They have three younger children who came from a troubled home they have been caring for.

Ministry is always good in Northern Ireland, there are hungry people, and they admit it.  We ministered in a few new churches, missed out on a few Women Aglow Meetings as the woman who was supposed to do the booking "forgot!"  God made it up and gave us so many other new places to minister,, it was wonderful.

We were able to visit with our adopted daughter, Michelle, and that was a great time as well, to see her glowing  with happiness.

We arrived on time and left on time, a most unusual thing!!!  Airport personnel were especially helpful this time at Heathrow.  We met some lovely people traveling this time; one lady looked at us and said, "you are ministers aren't you?  the Lord just spoke to me and told me to tell you, It's not too late, I have no idea what that means, but perhaps He will show you!"  We are not sure what it means, but perhaps we will find out!

We sold out of our new CD while there and now have sold out here in the States as well, that really helps with Missions folks.

Highway of Holiness Church decided to give us 100 Pounds monthly for the Feeding Program we have just re-started for the Philippines, that is fantastic and we appreciate them very much.

It is always a blessed time ministering in Northern Ireland for us.

We went to the United Kingdom in 1979 with a group of other ministries at the invitation of an Irish Evangelist. This was a life-changing experience for us! We fell in love with Ulster! We went back over in 1980 and stayed for three years. We planted Gates Of Zion Church in Ballymena, Northern Ireland. We were given housing in a mixed Protestant-Catholic Housing Estate, with hopes from the housing authority that we could help make a difference. In Northern Ireland. We did make a difference in Ballymena; the town drunk came to know Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior; prostitutes came to the Lord, it turned the housing estate "right side up!" These folks went about Ballymena and button holed many and consequently, many others came to the Lord as well. We were honored by the Mayor of Ballymena for the work the Lord did through us. We turned that church over to leadership in 1983 which took it in a totally different direction; but now a thriving church named Victory Christian Fellowship under the ministry of Robert and Rosemary McCauley has picked up where we left off.; and welcome us back every time we return to Ballymena. There are few mixed estates in Northern Ireland, as there is so much hatred perpetrated by radicals on both sides of the Catholic and Protestant factions. When you read about “the troubles” as they are spoken of in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, believe us...it is terrorism on both sides and it is just a few who cause “the troubles !” "The Troubles" continue in Northern Ireland; just before we left the Protestants took a young Catholic Man and tied him to a fence and crucified him as Jesus was in his hands and left him to die; but Praise the Lord, somebody took pity on him and when we left, he was in hospital, covered with gashes and bruises, but recovering. When will the hatred stop? When Jesus becomes more than a four letter word to all of these terrorists on both sides! That's why we continue to go over there to minister.

We have ministered in all Denominational churches, large and small; in Non-denominational Churches. We were even invited to minister to a Catholic Charismatic Group right in the heart of Belfast, and in a Monastery in an area where they build the bombs. Many have come to Jesus Christ, both in Ulster and the Republic. We have been interviewed several times on BBC Radio and the interviewer was speechless when we replied very frankly to his questions concerning Christian Television Programming. He said “there is too much religion don’t you think?” Lila Jane replied, ”we have an off and on button and a button that changes channels on our televisions, don’t you?”