An insight to Dewis' lab!

Hi all

If you ever wondered what I get up to at work this link should give you some insight :)

http://www.eppendorf.com/int/hawkpopup.php?contentid=13

enjoy

Dewi

Community Meal@Newmans&Toggwells

Nate & Marrisa

Thanks so much to those who came over on Monday to hang out and hear from Nate and Marisa... we had a truly wonderful, inspiring, funny time together, hearing their stories and sharing some of ours, praying together, and even receiving some pretty spot-on prophetic input from both of them.

Annas' new Job!

Congratulations to Anna on her new Job!!! We're so excited for you guys and so excited about the future!!

...also big up to JO, even before completing her first year as a teacher she has been asked to take on the role of acting head of drama next year.

Wow! Gods' positioning us for some exciting stuff!

Thankyou to Dewi&Sarah for hosting Sundays community meal and cooking some amazing meatballs, and Happy Birthday to Emma!! What a great indoor BBQ party!

J0N

Regenerate Zambia : Streets2Streets

HANNAH & RICHARDS WEDDING

Dear friends,
We'd be grateful for your prayers today... I've just got back from a trip to A&E with Emma. For the past two days she's been having pains in her side, in the same place she had them back in December. They've been worse this morning, but not like they were at the end of last year. The A&E docs say that we need to get her June cyst-follow-up appointment pulled forwards. Emma's in bed now. We're still praying for Jesus to heal her.

The Moravian Daily Prayer for 29th April last year reads, "Holy Spirit, teach us how to pray. Help us to take time to reflect quietly amidst a bustling world. Give us the peace that Jesus promised. Help us to come to know you so that we may fulfill our role in your eternal purpose, in the name of Jesus. Amen."
Amen to that. Jesus, teach us how to pray.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
A few things;
//the Parliament week of prayer, Tuesday 6th - Friday 9th May
If you're free at all next week, please consider popping into London and joining in with the prayer walking and other events that 24-7prayer are hosting around Westminster. The prayer walking (around the Parliament/Whitehall area) kicks off at 10.30am on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and at 4pm on Friday. If you come along, I can probably get you in on some of the prayer stuff happening inside Parliament afterwards... which is always fun. :o) All of the details are on this website; http://www.christiansinparliament.co.uk

//community meals and gatherings
There wasn't many of us at Rosi & Jon's on Sunday, but we had a great time - it was good to have Anna & Tim with us again, and Pat & Dave Bilbs. Rosi cooked up some amazing food, and talked a bit about learning to "trust Jesus" more. We ate and we prayed and we broke bread together, and then I told a few stories from my recent trip to the States, visiting 24-7 Boiler Room communities... they inspired me a lot!
Phil

Better is One Day in Your Courts...

Felt really great to be coming to the end of a working day knowing we would be having special time with our heavenly Father this evening! We filled our room with candles, and it was great to hear the back door open and Jo come to join us in prayer. We set no agenda other than to pray for an hour, much like an hour slot in a prayer room, and God was imedeatly present from the moment we started. At the end of our prayer time Ros described it as being better than a week away in the countryside. God was able to do more with us in that hour than in a whole holiday of rest. Jo answered simply by repeating the scripture...'better is one day in Your courts, than a thousand elsewhere'.

Thou Shalt Always...

Sue&Drew hosted another great Bible study at their place on Sunday. We looked at the 10 commandments and got into discussions about law, New and Old Testament, and structures for society. We then naturally chatted more about ways in which this relates to our community and our hunger to see people come to know God, in whatever shape, place or form. This prompted us to begin praying for our friends!
Sweet.

J0N

Comunity Meal @ The Newmans

Golden Lion

Ros and I were at The Golden Lion last night...its been referbished! (historical features still intact!) The floor is a little cleaner, the back bit actually looks comfortable to sit in, the lights were a little brighter and the music a little quieter...which makes for good future chats! (not getting too deep here, but theres actually a real history of Christians meeting here over the years.)Whats more there was a folk club upstairs which happens every Wednesday night and is only £1 entry! We had a little look and was great to see violin, guitars and banjo all being played...though apparently we had just missed the belly dancing!
J0N

Dreams & Vision

Last night we gathered together, (Drew, Sue, Dewi, David, Rich, Phil myself and Ros)at our place to discuss ways which we can move forward as a community. We prayed and then wrote down dreams, prayers and desires on our hearts in our individual walks with Jesus and as a community.
Here are some of my *rough* notes...



Rich - already living the dream! Relating with people at Mangiamos, dealing with many organisations through work and meeting with local MP and Christian Aid with David.
(all in one day!) Feels privalidged to be walking this walk with Jesus!

DO WE FEEL SUPPORTED?

Ros - We need to be able to ask for help aswell as being aware of each others needs

Jo - Oppenness, its ok to ask for help

Drew - looking for ways to be supportive and sensitively aware of each others needs

Sue - finding the time, texting and emailing, but prefers face to face.

Drew - Knowing our gifts, often we are better equipped to help in certain areas

ACCOUNTABILITY

Dewi - one to one accountability, praying together,
Prayer beakfast allowing time for this.
Question we need to ask ourselves...
Is there anything in your life you need to be talking about?

Sue - So many different groups, communities, churches, difficult to know where to put our energies

Phil - We need to be looking; 'where are the relationships that are going to spur me on to seek first the Kingdom of God, where do I give deep'?
Challenging questions we need to be in the habbit of asking each other...not just how are you/fine, but how is your soul? Actively making ourselves open.

LOOKING OUTWARD...

Jo- Learning to love everybody in a way that doesn't seperate me as a believer from those that don't yet believe, we are all made in the image of God and all have God in us.

David - Hospitality and welcoming strangers and homeless to community meals.
Be great when this becomes ordinary!

Jon - Looking for things we can do together (as well as individually in our day to day lives)to serve the elderly and homeless in our area, maybe joining with other churches to do this.

Jo - Oppenness to healing

Drew - healing: needs will become known as we look for them. Our aim is to make Jesus known, mirracles should be seen as signs pointing to Jesus.

Phil - Go and love people! Hospitality must go beyond our homes, way of love, let your peace rest

Drew - 1. Be seeking the needs
2. Come together as a community to pray for needs
3. Take oppertunity as it comes

Phil - Lets take the risk!

Ros - Regular prayer walks in Romford, getting out there, having a vision for our town, seeing the bigger picture, our answers to prayer may not always involve us.

PRAYER & WORSHIP

Ros - Be great to go for 24-7 prayer!

David - ...or/and daily rhythms of prayer

Jo - WORSHIP TIME!


WHAT THINGS CAN WE DO PRACTICALLY NOW?

Jo - to take on hosting times of WORSHIP
Ros - to host TUESDAY PRAYER NIGHTS
Phil (and all of us) - to look for more CHURCH LINKS
Sue - organise a day where we act on WORLD ISSUES
Ros - STORYTELLING FOR SMALL ONES will be back on!
Jon - BLOG & ONLINE CALANDER

24 hours of prayer... (-1)

(extract from Toggie Tales...)



24 hours of prayer... (-1)
OK, so we cheated a little bit. The first '24-1prayer' in our community house was actually only 23 hours, because the clocks (in)conveniently leapt forwards one hour half-way through the night.

Amazingly, only 2 people missed their slots

It felt a bit like we were 'commissioning' the prayer room (just to the right as you come in the front door - plenty of you have visited, so you'll know where i mean [grin]). Although we've had the room labelled 'prayer room' since we moved in a few months ago, it's been a bit of a multi-purpose room until now.

As we set it up on Friday evening, Ian joked that Jesus would probably turn over the tables and rant something about "this room will be a Room of Prayer!" It felt good to be preparing the room for it's promised purpose. We're determined to keep it a place of prayer...

And it felt very good to welcome friends from around Romford (and beyond) over the next few hours, as they came to pray for their hour or more of the rota. Angela train-ed all the way across from West London to take the first hour. Ruth and Jamie dropped in, pausing a moment from their preparation to take a bunch of young people away on an Alpha week. Clare and David brought their boys later in the afternoon - the sounds of their enthusiastic Douggie Dug Dug (?) worship resounded throughout the house! Rosi and Jon bravely took two of the midnight shifts. And our girls signed themselves up for one in the afternoon.

Emma and I joined them for half of it, and we soon found ourselves in a circle praying for 'the one in the middle' (standard prayer practice - hehe). We prayed for Angel first - she'd had a bad dream the night before and had drawn a picture of the witch she'd seen in it. We prayed that the nightmare wouldn't come back, and then asked her what she wanted to do with the picture. "Screw it up!" she shouted. We cheered her on as she screwed it up, then stamped on it, then ripped it up and stuffed it in the bin. "Gone!" she announced. "Amen," we replied.

I love the simplicity of a prayer room. I love the fact that our children experience it as their space as much as we (adults) do. I love the creativity... I get inspired by Jon's art-work and Oscar's simple prayers. I love it that the prayer is as welcoming for those who are stumbling through valleys and darkness, as it is those who are dancing across mountain tops (and God is utterly present with both, of course). And I love it that this prayer room, like every other I've been involved in, inspires a stronger passion for prayer (we want to get back in there... but pray for longer this time!), and compassion for the lost (we've got to get out there... and be yeast in the dough of life).



~ ~ ~ ~ ~

We ended our twenty-three hours at midday on Sunday with a community meal... to eat and drink and celebrate together. It was a beautiful day. Nearly 30 of us huddled in the little prayer room, including Anna, who'd whizzed round the M25 from St Albans, and our long-time friends Ian and Gwen (now based in South Africa). We listened to one another's stories and reflections, and agreed that we "must do this again". And then we prayed together, and commissioned one another (because commissioning has nothing to do with rooms, of course, and everything to do with people... people on a mission) with these words;

"Let me tell you why you are here...

You're here to be the salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavours of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You've lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.

Here's another way to put it: you're here to be light, bringing out the God-colours in the world.

God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this. As public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light-stand. Now that I've put you there on a hill-top, on a light-stand... shine!

Keep open house.

Be generous with your lives.

By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in Heaven."
(Matthew 5, The Message)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Jesus, let your kingdom come in Romford...

Community Meal (Dewi & Sarahs)

Big Thankyou to Dewi and Sarah for cooking us all a great curry (with a much appreciated bowl of chilli's)! Was great to have the Griegs with us, and spend time sharing stories, eating food and trying our best to become appointed members of Poppies 'cool' gang.
J0N

The Evening Standard

Anyone who bought The Evening Standard on Tuesday might have recognised someone on page 25! Dan was also featured with Greenjade on London Tonight. Can't describe how crazy it was to hear Alastair Stewart utter the words...'True-Skool-Hip-Hop'.

Romford prayer Walk

Friday night we had a curry round JOs! We then set off into the heart of Romfords' nightlife to pray over the clubs and bars and people. This was quite a big deal for me personally, having lived in Romford all my life but almost rejecting it at the same time. I've walked down this street hundreds and hundreds of times. After a great night out in the city, I usually try and ignore that moment when I step off the train in Romford and everyone is pouring out of the clubs embarissingly tarted up, rowdy and aggressive and out of it. The music especially is something I've learnt to love-to hate. However, I've found an amazing thing happens when your prayer walking. On one level I'm praying for the people I see and the clubs I walk past, for God to move in their lives and in these places... but at the same time God is doing something in me, changing the way I see this street, opening my eyes to see things he sees. In the hour or so we spent praying that night we met Street Pastors who were also praying, and have been doing so for many nights. I was particuarly inspired by an old lady I saw, who walked very slowly with her walking stick, praying for all the young people she passed. We should definatly do this reguarly! Who knows what incredible ways God may want to use us as we make ourselves available to him on nights like these.
It was great to have Drews' good friend Ian with us that night! Thanks for praying for a town you had only just arrived in!
J0N

Feel free to add any more thoughts guys!!

17th Feb Community Meal

The Community meal was at ours this week and Ros began by reading out this prayer (above) which we have on our prayer wall. She prayed that these community meals would one day soon provide for those who are without food, and we would have the privaledge of opening our homes to those who need it most. This was followed by a great Amen!
It was so great to have my cousin Rebecca and Phil's friends Tim and Anna join us! We hope you enjoyed your time with us and hope to see you again soon guys!!
After a great stew cooked by Ros and veggie option from Sarah, Emma unvieled yet another fine Birthday cake for Sarah Walters, who was away that day!?! We sang happy birthday for her anyway (and for Phil also!). Hopefully you were able to hear us Sarah! We did sing very loud!
'Oscar Newman', veteran harmonica player displayed his stop-start loud and louder 'thats what gets really them going' tallent. much to Ambers' dancing delight! :)

Ros & Jon's Travels in India!

Thankyou for all your prayers and support...we're not sure our trip could have gone much better really! There were so many prayers answered and the whole experience was such a dream come true and has really encouraged us to keep stepping out in faith in the things we feel God calling us to, (even if we're not sure we can afford it! :) )
God was really with us every step of the way. Our first night was spent in a budget hotel with a tiny rickety wooden lift, a 'Mickey Mouse' mattress, dirty sheets and a small woollen bedcover not quite big enough for the both of us. However, outside was the dark early hours of India, and we had this real sense that God was with of us, a sense of 'pilgrimage' and being taken out of our comfort zones into a place where we will quite possibly hear Gods' voice clearer than ever before!
We didn't sleep too well in the heat, and were woken up by the huge sound of traditional Indian music being blasted, (from somewhere?) echoing throughout our hotel. It was somehow both annoying and yet truly magical and wonderful at the same time!:) I got up and looked out of our hotel window and below and above I saw the busy streets of Chennai bursting with colour and life to an Indian soundtrack. Women carrying barrels on their heads, men in sarongs hammering away on rooftops, autorickshaws beeping past, a man dancing in the street, beautiful sari dresses soaring by on motorbikes.















We spent the next two nights settling in at a beautiful beach resort...our first holiday in a hot climate!
















RECORDING...
We then returned to the city where I spent the next two days recording traditional classical musicians in a studio run by two guys, Timmy & Sean.
This was a real dream come true and at times I couldn't believe it was actually happenening! Can't wait for you to hear it when its all finished!


PROJECTS....
For the rest of the time we were driven around Chennai to 'minister' to various projects linked in with the church out there.
Each place we visited we told them that there were people in London (you guys) praying for them and this deeply encouraged them! So please pray for these places!!















ARUWE - whose motto is... 'To Live Is To Love'.
We met the 2 women who set up this project after they finised their degree in social work, and were amazed at their strength, courage and love for the people they passionately care for. The project looks after local destitute elderly women, who have been left by their families, single mothers, women who are abused by their husbands and feed and care for 130 slum children. It was a pleasure meeting them all, and it was clear that Jesus lived and breathed in this place of calm, peace and at times, real joy.

Please pray:
They have very limited funds to keep this vital project going (they do not receive money from the government etc) and at times the staff have gone for months without pay. Pray for God's provision over this place and for all the people there.
As well as this, they need a new building to house the women and children - there are dangerous iron spikes sticking out of the wall and the roof is made of asbestos, which is dangerous, especially in the summer when heat becomes unbearble and the women and childen can't shelter in that room - they sleep on the roof below.















COLLEGE ASSEMBLEY -
To stand in this college at see over 200 students looking at me as I was sharing my testimony was rather alarming, but also a great experience as it was clear there is a hunger for God's truth and love in these young people's lives. JOn and I were really nervous about this part of the trip, as we didn't really know what was expected of us - we just did what we thought best and God did the rest! I was amazed to see some of the girls eyes were filling with tears as I shared how God healed me from a binding pain in my teen years and learnt how to love myself through Him - and they are all from families of different faith = Hindus, Muslims etc. But I guess this was something they all could relate to.

We later found out that a pastor in that area has been leading 5 assemblies a day in schools across the city - sharing Jesus' love and truth with them all! This is amazing, as most of the schools contain non-christian students...last year the pastor and his church set up a prayer event for students before their exams - and 10,000 turned up! We saw a short film clip of this event, and saw thousands of students coming forward for prayer, tears running down their faces - again, there is a real hunger for God out there, and is starting to spiral out of control!

Please Pray:
This pastor (Gabriel) is desperate for more volunteers to help out with the growing 'demand' to go into schools, and he is building a 'Hope Centre' for all christian students, who will most probably have to keep their faith a secret from their families due to strong Hindu beliefs and will not have the support to help them grow in their faith. The centre will have counselling rooms, a library, a prayer room, accomodation, a multi-media room etc and he asked for prayer that it will be ready in time for June 2008 and for more workers!

The principal of the college JOn and I lead the assembly in, is a christian and set up the college off his own back, which is now very successful and helping young people who would not have had an opportunity for higher education before. He is building a full-on chapel in the grounds of the college, where we had the opportunity to pray around - again, he has many visions for this building and hopes that it will be ready by June 2008.

Please pray:
For all of the above! For the Principal and paster Gabriel, for the students who have found Jesus, for the students who are looking for him and for strength for those involved in this whole project - the threat of persecution is ever present...















CHURCH IN THE SLUM -
Getting out of the car, I could hear women and children's voices singing with passion from a room above, a drum beating and a tamborine tingling...walking into a small room that was filled with God's presence was overwhelming and very humbling. Again, the passion for Jesus could be clearly seen in the women's eyes as they sang to Him, their children crawling around or clapping, or just gazing up at us in wonder at our strnge faces. We had a translator with us, but at times, especially when we prayed together, we didn't need translation as it felt like we were all crying out in the same voice...We shared what we felt God wanted to say, mainly to encourage their amazing work and faith and found out that the women have been praying for a bigger space/room to worship/pray in, and invite the rest of their community to share their faith with them. PLEASE JOIN THEM IN PRAYER FOR THIS.

They love the lost with astounding strength - loving those who persecute them (for example, most of the husbands are hostile to their faith and are at times beaten)and simply loving their neighbours. We were asked to pray for 2 men in other rooms in the slum who were suffering from injuries - one of them has clearly demonstrated his anger against the women's growing faith...please pray for this man's healing (a trapped nerve in hisright leg) and for the other man - pain/deafness in one ear.

Please pray for this beautiufl church, for the men, women and children - for protection, for God's provision, a safer, cleaner environment to live in and for their church to grow beyond their wildest dreams...








I also performed to about 200-300 at an event called Crossroads, where I was able to air the songs I had been recording earlier that week to an Indian audience.

We then led worship and gave a talk at Powerhouse church http://www.powerhousechurch.org/
We shared about our community (you guys!) and a bit about what the Kingdom of God meant to us, leading into the song...Let Your Kingdom Come! It went really well, though I must admit we feel quite convicted about what we shared now, having been so well looked after out there, so humbled by the churches' hospitality and outreach to the poor!
The trip as a whole felt like an introduction to us, of places and people we are praying we will visit again and be able to give ourselves to more, having a bigger picture now of what each of the projects are about. This is a place God has really put on our hearts, and already we can't wait to go back!

JO'S BIRTHDAY! / BURNS NIGHT SUPPER!

Community Meal@Dewi&Sarahs!