The Living Edge

Born for the Glory

2008-09-17T13:43:00.012+10:00

It is important that we have clear guidelines and directions from the Word of God as to God's ultimate intention for the Body of Christ which will eventually be presented to the Lord as His Bride. For this purpose we have been directed by the Lord to trace the magnificent journey of every believer to the fulfillment of God's glorious plan. "Born for the Glory" has been published by Tate Publishers and is now available in bookstores.

You can contact the publishers directly for the purchase of this book through the following link -

http://www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore/book.php?w=978-1-60462-636-0

or Koorong -

http://orders.koorong.com/search/details.jhtml?code=9781604626360

or your local bookstore.

We would like to have you join us in praying that this message will be a blessing and a unifying factor for the Body of Christ and will bring glory to God. Thank you for praying with us.

Living and Ministering out of the Tree of Life

2007-09-29T15:18:00.000+10:00

One very important lesson we learnt from the Word of God has had a great effect on all our lives as a family. I became aware, as I was reading the Word in my own devotional time with the Lord, of the wonderful truth of what it means to live out of the Tree of Life and not out of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (Genesis 2:9, 16-17; 3:1-8, 22-24). The “Tree of Life” represents the Life of God Himself...his nature and character... and as we live and minister out of that, we always minister Life to others. The “Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil” represents another life-source...living in independence from God, as a “god” ourselves, judging what is right and wrong from our own self-centred perspective and, as the Lord told Adam and Eve, this always ministers “death” to others.

“Lord, may I always live and minister out of the Tree of Life”, I prayed.

Every Wednesday night we held teaching meetings for the Body of Christ in various areas around the city. I was responsible for one of these and one night took a study on the signs of the Second Coming of Jesus...events that the Bible prophesies will take place before He returns. At the end of the meeting a minister from one of the denominational churches came up to me. He expressed his appreciation for the message and said,

“I’m planning to have a seminar on the Second Coming at my church in a couple of week’s time. Would you come and share what you shared tonight.”

I was very happy to go but little did I realize I was about to have a very practical lesson in what I was learning from the Word.

When I arrived at the venue for the seminar it was already filled with people. I sat down at the edge of the crowd. My host pointed over the crowd to a gentleman on the other side.

“That’s the other speaker” he said. “He is a professor from the NSW University”.

It was the first time I heard there was someone else who was going to be ministering. I certainly did not mind but I was curious to know what he would be sharing. He was to speak first so I soon was to find out. As I listened I discovered he was saying the exact opposite to what I was going to say. The basis of his whole message could be summed up in eight words -

“There are no signs of the Second Coming.”

My whole message was what the signs of the Second Coming are! In everything he said there was only one thing I could agree with him about - Jesus is coming back! I began to smile - secretly between me and the Lord - I knew what the Lord was doing. I knew it was a test for me. If I got up and ministered the message I had been asked to share I knew I would be ministering out of the wrong “Tree”. There was no question in my mind - I knew I was right and I knew he was wrong. In my thinking I could have got up with the Word of God and proved him wrong. But I knew I would then be ministering death not life. I would minister confusion and division. The problem was I didn’t have any other message on the Second Coming. I began to turn the pages of my Bible, praying rather desperately as the time went by,

“Lord give me another message.”

With only a few minutes to go before I was due to get up and speak, the gentleman said...

“Turn with me to Luke chapter 17, verses 20 to 21”

...and he began to read...

“Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, ‘The kingdom of God does not come visibly [with signs to be observed], nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.” (NIV)

He closed his Bible and said....

“There you are...out of the mouth of Jesus Himself....there are no signs of the Second Coming.”

I was so glad he took a few minutes to wind up. I was desperately seeking the Lord. The speaker was right. That’s definitely what Jesus said, but as I read on further in the passage I noticed that the Lord then begins to state what some of the signs will be, and certainly later, in Luke 21, he gives the signs in detail. Then suddenly it dawned on me. Jesus was speaking to two different groups of people and meeting them at their specific need. The Pharisees wanted to know the signs of His coming (verse 20). Jesus was answering them at their need. They had not believed in Him at His first coming,. When He told them there were no signs He was speaking of His first coming. The Kingdom of God was in their midst (the literal meaning), He said. In other words, He was the King of the Kingdom right there now among them. That was what they needed to believe. Then he turns to his disciples (verse 22) and meets them at their need. They had already believed in Him at His first coming. He began to share with them about His Second Coming and what some of the signs would be (verses 22-37).

I couldn’t share that with the people but it was the answer for me. Then it hit me as I looked at the passage...the King who will be revealed at the Second Coming is the same King of the Kingdom that is within us, the believer, now. I quickly jotted thoughts down. The other speaker finished and sat down. I got up and ministered the message the Lord had given me...

“The five revelations of Jesus at the Second Coming is how we, the believers, can know Him now”....

* He’s coming back as the great Judge. We, who have received Him as Saviour, already know Him as the Judge of our sin....He took our judgment for us (Romans 6:23).

* He’s coming back as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We who believe in Him already know Him as our King and Lord (1 Timothy 6:13-15).

* He’s coming back to raise the dead to life. We have already been “raised together with Him” (Ephesians 2:6).

* He’s coming back as Victor over His enemies. We have already stepped into His total and complete victory of the Enemy (Romans 8:37).

* He’s coming back as the Bridegroom for His Bride. We are already His beloved ones and we know Him and love Him (Ephesians 5:25-27).

When I finished so many came up to me and thanked me for the message saying how much it had blessed them. Then I met the other speaker for the first time. He came up to me, shook my hand, and said...

“Wasn’t it wonderful how it all fitted together.”

The Lord had given me a practical lesson on how to live and minister out of the Tree of Life. This invaluable truth became a living principle central to our family and ministry.

Bunty Collins

The Importance of the Word

2007-07-20T18:55:00.000+10:00

We have seen numerous visitations of God over the years and have always been conscious of the need for a balance of the Spirit and the Word. For this reason much of our ministry has been teaching the simple Word of God. We realized that the all important necessity in the training of leaders was the Word and the message of the Gospel itself.

So, as God was moving so powerfully by His Spirit in Sydney, the Lord led us to bring with it a strong emphasis in His Word. Each Sunday we had a revolving seminar with 8 series running similtaneously every 8 weeks. This meant that, as well as every believer going progressively through a foundation of 64 essential lessons, 8 people were also developed as teachers. On top of this we had training schools - firstly, an evening one; then an all-day Saturday one; and then a full-time one.

It has been a joy over many years to receive long-term testimonies coming back from leaders and believers in many parts of the world whose lives were transformed and strongly founded in the Lord during that time.

Heights of Worship

Worship was a delightful experience in every meeting at Faith Centre. People were drawn by the Presence of God. The sense of unity was wonderful. People gathered from all different parts of the Body of Christ. We didn't welcome them as 'visitors to our church' but welcomed them in the wonder of what God was doing. "Isn't it wonderful" we would say, "that we have come from so many churches to worship together and glorify God."

There was just a piano and an organ and we sang mostly the Scriptures. Spontaneous worship would break out that often lasted a long time, but the presence of God was so evident that it would seem only a few minutes. From these heights of worship the gifts of the Holy Spirit were released and great prophetic words of encouragement and directions would come. Many experienced healing and deliverance during these times.

There was such a hunger for the Word of God, meetings began spreading out through Sydney's north, to Ryde, the Northern Beaches and Gosford. Many of these began with Bunty teaching in women's groups. But the men were hungry for God's Word too, so they developed into full gatherings of believers.

Ministry Teams

From what the Lord was doing in Sydney we took ministry teams to Asia with us, staying for three months at a time. The children came with us and were fully involved in the ministry (Bunty would home school them each time). One time David went with me and a team on a missionary trip to Thailand and sometime later Bunty was due to go for special meetings with the team in the Philippines. As we shared in our previous blog, "Powerful Prayer Meetings", a team of 14 had been sent to the Philippines and were seeing the Lord move in a wonderful way. Rebecca was very excited about the prospect of going with Bunty. We told her she could go if the Lord provided her fare. She was not, however, to tell anyone of her need. For several weeks she earnestly prayed to the Lord. Without any reason Christians began coming up to her and giving her some money. She got her fare before Bunty got hers. She was eleven years old.

My brother, Terry, and his wife Frankie, were greatly used of God in the early days of the charismatic move in the Philippines. Key priests would come to sit under his teaching. Then they would go all over the country teaching what they'd learnt, coming back to be taught some more.

This period of time in the Philippines developed into a great visitation of God. It was estimated some five million were born again. Little fellowship groups sprang up everywhere, meeting in offices, factories, hotels, homes and restaurants. Together with some others we helped give guidance and boundaries through the Word of God to these small churches.

Wider Ministries

The Presence of the Lord in the gatherings in Sydney, and the people's love for Him, produced such a spirit of generosity that it resulted in the support of 35 full-time workers and one-time gifts to 74 other ministries in the Body of Christ.

"Crisis Call" was also established, offering a 24 counselling service by telephone and referrals. The service was offered in the front page of the Sydney telephone book. So many people volunteered for this vital outreach to desperate people.

The Hitchhiker

2007-02-22T17:36:00.000+11:00

A number of years ago we visited a church in Sydney where Paul had been invited to minister. At the end of the meeting a young red-headed man and a young woman came down the aisle of the church and came straight up to me.

"Do you remember me?" the young man asked.

I looked at him but had to apologize.

"No, I'm sorry, I don't remember you."

"You picked me up hitchhiking ten years ago."

I laughed and shook my head. "That wasn't me" I said, "I never pick up hitchhikers."

"Yes it was" he replied, and as he spoke I suddenly remembered. My mind went back ten years before and I remembered how I had been praying to the Lord. Our full-time Bible School was going strongly and my regular routine was taking the children to school, teaching in the Bible School until it was time to pick them again, taking them home, preparing dinner, and, at least twice a week, attending a fellowship meeting. It was a full schedule and I loved it. But something was stirring in my heart. I was constantly with Christians. This was wonderful, but I also wanted to reach people who didn’t know the Lord. One morning I woke up and prayed...

“Lord, out there you have someone ready to receive you as Saviour. Today, please lead me to them so I can bring them to you.”

I was so certain about it. I knew there was someone waiting to hear the Gospel. I took the children to school. I went and taught in the Bible School. 3 o’clock came around and it was time for me to pick up the children. I drove down the highway towards the school.

“Lord” I said, “There’s not much time left. When I pick up the children I’ll be going home, preparing dinner and then going to a meeting.”

Suddenly I noticed a hitchhiker on the road and before I knew what I was doing, I pulled over and opened the door. I remember thinking to myself “What on earth am I doing?!” In got a hippie. He had long red hair. I was so nervous and amazed at myself I didn’t say a word but just began driving down the highway again. I could feel the young man shifting uneasily in the seat. Finally he broke the silence.

“Er.......what do you do?"

I was thrilled at his question. What an opportunity, I thought. So I told him...

“I’m a missionary. I’m teaching at a Bible School”

Suddenly his demeanor changed.

“You don’t believe in God do you?” His voice had the sound of shocked horror. For me, it again seemed a wonderful opportunity.

“Yes, I do”

“Why....why do you believe in God!?”

What better question could there be? I told him why I believed in God. I told him how I came to know the Lord, how wonderful He is. I told him of miracles we had experienced and seen Him do. I told him.....

Suddenly he interrupted me...

“Stop the car! I want to get out!” He was very angry.

“But don’t you want to go further.?....” I stuttered. I couldn't believe he would want to get out. He was the divine appointment arranged by the Lord, I thought.

“Stop the car here!” he demanded.

I stopped. He got out and slammed the door after him and I drove on. I felt terrible.

“Lord, I’m so sorry. I messed it up.....” I said miserably. But then I encouraged myself. “No, he obviously wasn’t the one. There is someone else out there who is ready....”

But no other opportunity came. I picked up the children, went home, prepared the dinner, went to the meeting, went home, and went to bed so disappointed.

Here we were - ten years later!

“You don’t know what happened to me, do you?” he said.

“No” I said, intrigued, “Please tell me.”

“I had just left my wife. I had walked out of the door and told her I was never coming back and I meant it. I was furious because she had become a Christian and would go on and on about Jesus! I couldn’t stand it anymore. I began hitchhiking down the highway and you picked me up. And then you began to go on and on about Jesus! I was so angry. I got out the car and slammed the door after me...I don’t know if you noticed [I smiled at this]. I stood on the edge of the road fuming. I don’t know how long I stood there but after I calmed down I looked up at the sky and said, 'Well God, if it means that much to you....' and I went back to my wife and told her what had happened. She prayed with me and I received the Lord.”

What a lesson it was for me. The Lord of course had been faithful to His word that day. In His goodness He allowed me to find out about it ten years later.

The Challenge to David's Faith

2007-02-19T19:00:00.000+11:00

In the midst of all that was happening since arriving in Sydney, living in Australia was certainly a new experience for the children. In their short lives they had been living as missionaries amongst people who had no knowledge of the Lord. Their concept was that people didn’t love Jesus because they didn’t know about Him. It was a surprise for them to come to Australia and many times, as we travelled on public transport or visited the shops, they would hear name of Jesus used but not by people who loved Him. They had never heard profanity before. That these people knew about Him but didn’t love Him was a totally new revelation for them.

Our new home was in a cul-de-sac with many young families and we enrolled David and Rebecca in the same local school the neighbourhood children went to. When we moved in, the children in the street gathered outside, curious about their new neighbours, and David and Rebecca went out to meet them and make friends. They all went up to the spare block of land next to our house to play. I was at the kitchen sink washing the dishes. I couldn’t see them but I could hear them playing and I was enjoying so much the thought that the children had made friends. After a little while the games stopped and I could hear David talking. He was telling them all about the Lord and how He had died on the Cross. I could hear him praying for each of them to receive Jesus into their hearts.

My feelings were mixed. I was so proud of him but I was also fearful for him. I knew what the possible reaction of these children would be. I could imagine the jeering and mocking he could get. I wanted him so much to have friends and fun as a child should. But sure enough what I feared proved right. Every day at school David experienced horrific persecution. He was ostracized and targetted.

Each morning we would pray with the children as they left for school. Some days, as they returned home, we would see the heavy spirit of rebellion that had come on David. Paul would deal with it immediately.

“Come on, son” he would say, “Let’s pray with you."

As we did, the heaviness would lift off him and he would be his normal happy self again. But every day we had to watch. One day David came home from school and said,

“Mum, I feel so dirty. The boys tell dirty jokes all the time and I can’t help but hear. Should I just sit on my own apart from them?”

He was already suffering so much from them I didn’t want him to suffer a total cutting off. He was experiencing the reality of living in the world but not being of it (John 15:18-19).

“Son”, I said, “You know when you are having a shower no dirt is able to stick to you? Don’t sit on your own, but when the boys begin telling their jokes, lift your heart to the Lord and have a spiritual “shower”. The “dirt” won’t stick.”

Off he went the next day and came home rejoicing.

“Mum” he said, “it works! I kept having a spiritual ‘shower’ and it works!”

I thanked the Lord in my heart for the wisdom He had given me.
What David was going through weighed heavily on my heart. Many times I would pray for him through the night.

It was during this period that David’s gift for writing became obvious. He came home from school with a poem that he had written called "Time". Paul and I were utterly amazed when we read it:

“What is this thing passing from breath to breath

Which is endless, yet so quick?

Time. Time.

Time is a book read right to the end.

Time is a tree falling to the ground

Or the earth rotating on its axis

From Atlantic to Pacific Oceans.

Time is Man

From Stone to Modern age.

This is the abstract span - Time.”

He was ten years old.

The ministry in Sydney was flourishing, with hundreds of people gathering and experiencing the wonderful presence of the Lord and His empowering in their lives. There was a good children’s ministry also flourishing and it was good that David, though he had no friends at school, had good friends there.

Then we, with the leadership team of the ministry, decided to also begin a Bible School and so a property was purchased...a beautiful old colonial house with 29 bedrooms. We called it “The House of Faith.” One of the ministries on the leadership team had a large family. “They need a house more than we do” Paul and I thought. So we decided to sign our house over to them, including the equity of $20,000 it had developed, and to move in to the House of Faith to be with the Bible School students. The house had four levels and we took the lowest one. The students nicknamed it “the dungeon” and it was rather dark and dank but I managed to fix it up to make it “home”.

David and Rebecca thoroughly enjoyed being part of the Bible School. We would all eat together in the Dining Room and the students were great fun for them. I always remember one meal time looking over at Rebecca sitting at one of the tables with students. She was hunched over as she was eating so I called out, as any mother would, “Rebecca, sit up straight!” It was so amusing to see every student in the room suddenly straightened up their backs. We all laughed.

The move to new accommodation also meant a move to a new school as the children, by law, had to go to the closest public school to where they lived. One Sunday afternoon, after the meeting, David came up to me.

“Mum, I need counsel” he said.

“Would you like me to get someone to talk with you” I asked, thinking he might prefer someone other than his mother.

“No” he said “I want you.”

“OK” I said, “when we get home we’ll have a talk.”

That night when I went in to pray with David before he went to sleep we had our talk.

“I feel so ashamed” David began.

“Why, son?”

“I start at the new school tomorrow and I’m afraid to tell them about Jesus.”

Oh, how my heart went out to him. I knew all he had suffered at his last school because of his witness for the Lord. As a mother I wanted to say “Well don’t say anything” but I knew that would destroy his faith. In my heart I prayed earnestly for wisdom how to answer him. It came. Two scriptures came immediately to mind.

“David, I want to read you something Jesus said.” I opened my Bible and began to read....

“Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven...”

Luke 6:22-23.

“Do you know, son, I haven’t been persecuted like you have. You have a greater reward waiting for you in Heaven than I have.”

The reaction on his young face was wonderful to see. The fear and guilt left and tears welled into his eyes ...tears of wonder and joy.

“And I want to give you a promise from the Lord” I went on. “We named you after the David in the Bible. David faced Goliath and you have been facing your Goliath - the persecution you’ve faced - and you have stayed faithful to the Lord. Do you know that the very next verse in the very next chapter after David faced Goliath says“Jonathan became one in spirit with David”(1 Samuel 18:1). I want to tell you tonight, son, because you have been faithful to the Lord as you have faced your Goliath, the Lord is going to give you a ‘Jonathan’ as a best friend.”

The transformation in David was miraculous. He went to his new school the next morning full of joy and anticipation. Each day I would collect the children from the school and David would get into the car and say...

“Guess what? I got persecuted today!”

He would say it with such joy. God had so ministered to his heart he said to me one day:

“Now I believe not just for your sake, Mum, but for mine.”

The trial of his faith had proved the very establishing and strengthening of his faith in the Lord (1 Peter 2:6-9). One day he told me...

“I have a trick question I ask them, Mum. I go and stand next to one of the kids and I say ‘Are you born again?’ And if they say ‘What are you talking about?’ I know they’re not.”

Weeks went by and there was still no sign of David’s “Jonathan” but he continued in his joy and anticipation.

Then one day he jumped into the car excitedly and said,

“Guess what, Mum. I asked a guy today if he was born again and he said ‘Yes’!”

This young boy, by the name of Craig, turned out to be David’s “Jonathan”. He was the son of missionaries in Thailand and was living with his grandparents in Sydney. From then on David and Craig were inseparable. In the years that followed, wherever we travelled and lived the Lord always had a “Jonathan” waiting for David.

During this same period of time I gathered a team of children’s workers with me and we began many “Faith Clubs” for children covering many parts of the North Shore and Northern Beaches of Sydney. We also held children’s seminars to run simultaneously with the adult seminars that Paul and other leaders in the city organized. 500 children gathered for an all-day seminar. It was lots of work but lots of fun. All the Bible School students were involved either as carers of the children (one for ten children - 50 carers in all) or as performers in the plays we staged to present the Gospel. Through these we saw many many children come to the Lord.

Unity in the City

2007-02-01T22:40:00.000+11:00

Several of us in the city instigated a ministers' prayer meeting at the Ryde Four-Square Bible School. This was a good central spot and over 30 ministers from different groups gathered every Tuesday morning. Each of us made it the priority in our ministry. Out of this we started the "Holy Spirit Teaching Seminars" at the Wentworth Grand Ballroom where, every two months, 2000 regularly gathered for gloriously anointed times of teaching and fellowship. For each seminar the Lord showed us how to promote unity by inviting one teacher from different streams in the Body of Christ - the evangelical charismatic, pentecostal, restoration, and Catholic charismatic. This provided balance also and avoided sectarianism.

There were nine churches in the city that had particularly close fellowship. Believing that honour and recognition should be given to the ministers God has called to the city, rather than always tending to look to overseas ministries, I invited the nine ministers to teach at a teaching seminar on prayer. Each minister was to take 15 minutes. We did not instruct which subject on prayer each was to take. They were each to seek the Lord. It was a glorious day. Not one teacher overlapped another. Each brought a specific aspect of prayer, flowing from the other, and by the end of the day it was a complete and wonderful message on prayer.

United Prayer for Sydney

These expressions of unity were wonderful. On another accasion we held a communion service. Again, 2000 gathered. These were great numbers in those days in the early 70's. No one preached. It was a great time of worship and rejoicing as we shared the Table of the Lord together. At the end of the time I stood up and said...

"Our hearts and faith are together. Let's each find a partner and let us all pray for the city of Sydney."

A mighty rush of sound filled the air as they all began to pray!

We also met regularly at 5 am every Sunday at Wynyard Square in the centre of the city. Christians from different fellowships gathered and we walked the streets, praying for Sydney. At 7 am we would then all come together under Wynyard's clock tower. As the clock struck 7 our united voices rang through the city's empty streets as we sang ...

"He is Lord! He is Lord!
He is risen from the dead and He is Lord.
Every knee shall bow.
Every tongue confess
That Jesus Christ is Lord!"

Then we all went home to different parts of the city for our Sunday gatherings.

Genuine Unity Blessed by the Lord

We have found over the years that whenever unity is expressed the blessing of God is poured out. As King David expressed in his Psalm 133

..."How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head...." v.1-2.

Most of our seminars and short-term Bible schools in Asia have had sometimes up to 40 different denominations and groups represented. Without exception, every time, we have seen the outpouring of God's Spirit.The unity of His believers is the great desire expressed by the Lord Jesus in His prayer to His Father just before He went to the Cross....

"...I pray also for those who will believe in me....that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me" John 17:20-23.

This is the level of our relationship together that God is after - the same unity as is expressed in the Godhead - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. May this be the central focus of all of us who are in Christ - unity together in our faith in the Lord and His work on the Cross and Resurrection. It is through our unity that His glory will be revealed and the world will believe!

Powerful Prayer Meetings

2007-01-22T22:58:00.000+11:00

Monday nights became a special time of prayer. The majority of the people came. We didn't gather to pray for our personal needs but came to wait on the Lord for the Holy Spirit's direction in prayer. We sought the Lord for what was on His heart for us to join with Him in prayer.

Many wonderful directions came. One night someone shared they saw a vision...a dark cloud was over Manila and shafts of light were breaking through. That night we prayed for Manila through the whole meeting, everyone spontaneously joining in the theme of the Lord, each expressing their heart for that nation. The Holy Spirit moved upon us all in song and everyone sang their prayers to the Lord. The following Monday night the Holy Spirit moved us to pray for Manila again and as we prayed He directed us to separate a team to go there. 14 responded and were set aside for this ministry. I went ahead and found a casino that had been shut down by martial law and was available to rent. I asked the Lord to hold the building until the team arrived a few weeks later. Sure enough, the Lord kept it and we all went together to pray through it. The atmosphere in the building was terrible because of all the evil activities that had previously gone on in it. After two hours of prayer the whole atmosphere was filled with the presence of God. Every dark thing was gone.

We started gatherings on Sunday afternoon and within two weeks the place was full and God began to move. At the end of each gathering there were many seeking the Lord and as I looked around I saw the team ministering to every one individually without being organised or told to. It was such a joy to see.

From this place the Word of God went forth throughout the nation...through teaching booklets, a Christian teaching paper and seminars. On one occasion the team was asked by the Catholic Charismatic Movement to be on their committee. Also, they were invited to take a retreat for nuns and priests who fasted for two weeks, praying that they would be filled with the Holy Spirit. They were! And even the Mother Superior was rejoicing and dancing before the Lord.

The Monday night prayer meetings in Sydney were so exciting and fresh each time we didn't know what the Lord was going to do. Everyone came in great anticipation and readiness to move with the direction of the Lord. One Monday night we gathered and before I could begin the meeting, like a glorious cloud descending upon us all, the Presence of the Lord filled the room. So awesome was His Presence, so glorious was the realisation of His love, no one could speak a word. Some knelt, some sat with hands raised to Him, some lay prostrate before Him, but all bathed in His love for two hours. At the end of the two hours the sense of His Presence lifted. Everyone looked around at one another still filled with awe. I got up and said, with a smile...

"Well, this is suppose to be a prayer meeting....let's close in prayer."

Intercession

The Lord also taught us as we prayed. A wonderful intercessory ministry developed and we observed, both from how the Holy Spirit moved and from the Word, that there were four specific anointings of intercession.

Bearing the burden of the Lord

Romans 8:34 says...

"...Christ Jesus, who died - more than that, who was raised to life - is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us."

In prayer, the Holy Spirit laid burdens on our heart so that we felt the Lord's heart as He interceded for a particular situation. In the same way he wept over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41-42) we felt his heart for different cities and people.

Identification with others

Many times the Holy Spirit gave us the capacity to identify with the needs of someone so as to actually feel what they were going through. One time Bunty was driving with the children in heavy rain and when she stopped at the lights the car behind her skidded into her. She was left with severe whiplash so that she could hardly move her head. The following day was Sunday and during the break in the meeting, while she was making a cup of tea, one of the intercessors, Laura Payne, came up to her and asked her if there was anything wrong with her neck.

"I couldn't sleep last night" she said. "I kept thinking of you and had to keep rubbing my neck."

Bunty stiffly turned her head towards her and said..."As a matter of fact..."...and told her what had happened. Laura prayed for her and immediately the stiffness and pain left and her neck was back to normal again.

Another time, a young woman came into the Sunday afternoon gathering. She was a drug addict and an alcoholic. She came staggering down to the front of the meeting fumbling for drugs in her bag. Two intercessors came out to stand with her. I comforted her, telling her everything was going to be all right...the Lord was going to help her. I called everyone to begin to pray and told the intercessors to take her upstairs. As we all prayed, they interceded and identified with her under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and within a few minutes she was absolutely free.

Spiritual labour to bring to birth

Another expression of intercession we experienced was the deep groanings of the Spirit to bring something to birth in the spiritual realm. The apostle, Paul, describes it in Romans 8:26...

"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans thatwords cannot express."

...and in Galatians 4:19...

"Oh, my dear children, I feel the pangs of childbirth all over again till Christ be formed in you." (Phillips)

Warfare against evil spirits

This expression of intercession came as we recognised the powers of darkness arrayed against people's lives, We would proclaimed the victory of Christ over them through the work of his Cross and resurrection.

Many were released from evil spirits. One was a young man called John. He was into drugs with his friends. They would lock themselves in a room. Put the loud speakers against them and "feed" the loud, acid rock, into their bodies which then would cause them to hallucinate. Many times John would come for help. His very long hair was his great pride and we tried to encourage him to get it cut. He tried many times but couldn't do it. Finally, he came one night to visit us while we were having dinner. I deliberately made him wait for two hours before we prayed for him. There is a principle in spiritual warfare - we don't let the enemy (Satan) choose the time and the place of the battle. Needless to say, when we prayed for him, John was set free that night. Just recently, at the Sydney airport, a man came up to me and said "Do you remember me?" I said, "Of course, John". He said "I'm married. I have three daughters. And I drive a taxi" and he was so happy. We never cease to be amazed at the grace of God.

God Pours Out His Spirit

2007-01-19T18:36:00.000+11:00

Soon after our arrival in Sydney we hired a cheap hall in Turramurra. Our desire was to see people who didn't know the Lord come to know Him, so we printed some invitations to a Sunday afternoon gathering. Remembering how God had moved so supernaturally in New Zealand (see our post of July 31st, 2006), we assumed that would be the way He would do it again. So we focused it on people who needed healing, encouraging them to come and experience God's power to heal, and distributed the invitations in the surrounding letter boxes.

Sunday afternoon arrived and we went to the meeting hall with a sense of great anticipation. We had no idea who, if any, would come. We were surprised to find about 20 people there. No-one had responded to the invitations but these were believers. They told us they had been travelling to church all the way from the northside of Sydney to the southside every Sunday, and had been praying for a fellowship on the north. They had somehow found out we were in town, heard about the meeting, and there they were.

Among them was an elderly lady whom I had heard of. I knew she played the piano and I asked if she would like to start us in worship. There was just an old piano in the hall. She began to play and lead in some songs. What happened then was wonderful. The Spirit of God fell upon us all and the presence of God was so awesome we worshipped non-stop for two hours. I didn't get to preach at all. Going home, I said to Bunty...

"That was a wonderful meeting. But next week we'll get down to business and I'll preach the Word."

My desire was to see unbelievers there and see them coming to the Lord.

The Lord, however, had other ideas. The next week we met again and there were 40 people there - all believers - and the same thing happened. The Spirit of God came upon us and we sang and worshipped the Lord for the whole meeting. The next week it doubled again and the same thing happened. It now had become evident to us that worship was the key to what the Lord was desiring to do. The meetings began to multiply. We were able to get an old Anglican church hall in Kissing Pt Road in Turramurra and we moved the meetings there. The blessing continued and people came from far and wide. People were saved, healed, filled with the Holy Spirit. The worship was wonderful and there was great anointing on the ministry of the Word. The hall comfortably sat about 120 people but at one time we counted 238. They were crammed in and hanging over the open windows from the outside. Even the animals were blessed by the presence of the Lord. A family of possums would come, with their faces and paws over the open rafters at the top of the wall, and sit watching through every meeting. A house further up the road had a large number of white doves. As soon as we moved to the hall, and the worship began, the doves flew to the hall's roof and that became their new home.

The meetings grew so we moved to St Ives...then Pymble...then Lane Cove...and finally St Leonards. About 500 became the core group and thousands were baptised in the Holy Spirit. People hungry for more of God would freely flow in and out. We made no attempt to gather them but they went back to their churches. Because of this, various ministers kept sending their people to the Sunday afternoon meeting knowing they would receive them back as staunch, Spirit-filled members. The sense of unity was wonderful. People came from every denomination but nobody asked which group they belonged to. Nobody cared. We were all one in Christ.

Sydney Here We Come

2006-11-03T13:30:00.000+11:00

Within a few days of the Maori camp we were on our way to Australia. We arrived in Sydney again with total dependence on the Lord’s provision. Within a short time we found an apartment to rent, on the North Shore. I went to the car yard at Parramatta and found an old Holden in good condition for $300. I went to the owner of the yard - told him I was a missionary, needed a car, could he trust me to pay him within 30 days. He said "yes" (a miracle!) (The Lord provided within the 30 days and I kept my word). Next to our apartment was a petrol station so I opened an account.

We now had an apartment, a car and gas but virtually no food. We had just enough to eat for that day and breakfast for the children in the morning and then the cupboards were bare. I was now mobile so I set out to look for work. I had always found it easy to get work in sales but for some reason, try as I might, I couldn't find anything. While I was out I bumped into some old friends, a pastor and his wife, and invited them for lunch the next day. When I came back that evening, still no work, and told Bunty about inviting folk for lunch, her immediate reaction, thinking of our bare cupboards, was...

“What are we going to feed them?”

We gathered together with the children and prayed, thanking the Lord for His provision for our needs.

The next morning, as the children were waking, hearing a sound at the front door, Bunty opened it. No one was there, but on our front door step was a large box. She picked it up, took it inside and putting it on the table opened it. It was full of oranges, apples, bananas, pineapple, pears, kiwi fruit...every kind of fruit. She excitedly called the children and me.

“Look what the Lord has provided” she called.

We had told no one of our need. I knocked on the doors all around to see if it had been put on our doorstep by mistake, but no one claimed it. To this day we don’t know who put the box there. But it was definitely an answer from the Lord. Bunty prepared the fruit decoratively and when our guests arrived at lunch time said to them...

“I hope you don’t mind, but we are having a fruit lunch today.”

“We don’t mind at all” was their reply. “We love fruit”.

The Lord continued to supply. After a few months I said to Bunty...

“Let’s go look for a house.”

A real estate agent drove us around to look at possible buys. Bunty whispered to me in the back of the car...

“I wonder what he would think if he knew we had nothing in the bank and only 20c in our pocket?”

We found the ideal house, went back to the apartment, and prayed that the Lord would open some way for us to get it. We contacted a solicitor friend. He was able to organize a loan for both the deposit and the mortgage and within a few weeks we were in our own home.

Oh the adventures of a walk of faith! Over all the years in following the Lord we have found Him so faithful in meeting our needs as we have stepped out in obedience to Him. As He has promised to those who have given all for Him...

"...my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus" Philippians 4:19.

An Awesome Visitation of God Amongst the Maoris

2006-10-26T15:11:00.000+10:00

We planned to leave Christchurch and arrive in Sydney in the New Year (1970). Prior to leaving we were invited to minister, over the Christmas season, at a five-day Maori young people’s camp in the northeast of New Zealand. On our arrival we found about 100 young people had gathered. One of the parents called out to us as we met them driving into the camp grounds...

"We've been praying. We're expecting great things for our young people!"

None of us realised how wonderfully the prayers of these parents was going to be answered.

The camp did not fully get underway for two days. The tent for the young men had been left behind and someone had to go back to get it. Also the cooks were two days late arriving. But then began something we will never forget. As Paul ministered from God’s Word when the first meeting began, the young people just fooled around. They were throwing paper aeroplanes at one another and talking back and forth. They were full of high jinks and would not settle down. It was obvious they did not really want to be there. Finally, Paul stopped ministering.

“Young people” he declared in a firm voice. “We are here to have fun but we are also here to meet with the Lord. If you don’t mean business with God we are packing our bags and out of here.”

The noise and misbehaviour stopped and a hush came over the meeting.

“But if you mean business with God" Paul went on, "you get down on your knees and repent before Him now!”

I was standing at the side of the platform and could see all the young faces clearly. I was utterly amazed at what happened next. I must say it took me totally by surprise. Many ran to the benches that encircled the Maori meeting hall and fell on their knees. Their voices began to rise in a cry to God for forgiveness. Others went to their knees where they were. The room was filled with the sound of weeping before God. This went on for quite some time and then suddenly, like watching the effect of a wind blowing (John 3:8), the Holy Spirit moved again. Beginning at the front and sweeping across to the back of the room, young people began to raise their hands to the Lord in thankfulness for forgiveness and God began to fill them with His Holy Spirit. The joy and praise was wonderful to hear. This went on for quite some time and then suddenly, again, the Holy Spirit blew like a wind across the room. Beginning at the front again, one of the young girls began to weep.

“Oh, His hands....His hands” she began to cry.

We went to her and asked her what was happening.

“It’s Jesus” she said “I can see His hands.”

She described the vision she was seeing. She could not see the Lord’s face but out of a cloud He had stretched out His hands to her and she could see the nail prints.

That began the most awesome experience. Sweeping right over the room almost all of these young people began to fall over under the power of God. Some of the parents tried to pick them up but Paul told them not to worry. God was at work in their lives. For the next three days we witnessed an astonishing visitation of God to these young people. They saw visions of the Cross, the burial and the resurrection of Jesus. Some walked the streets of Heaven led by angels and saw the Throne of God. Jesus appeared to each of them and spoke to them personally. We asked them what he looked like. Each one said he wore a long white robe with a golden girdle and golden sandals. What did He say to them? "Be faithful to me. I will be faithful to you." Some were out in the Spirit for hours. The sense of the presence of the Lord was breathtaking. I remember sitting on the floor surrounded by young people seeing these glorious visions and saying, “Lord, what about me?” But this was their special time.

This holy, awesome time lasted for three days. On the last day, I saw one of the young women kneeling before the Lord. The day before she had told me she had not experienced what the others had been experiencing and had wondered why. When I saw her kneeling there I went up to her. She was talking to the Lord. It was like listening to a one-way telephone conversation. She would pause, listening, and then reply “Yes, Lord. I will, Lord.” I waved my hand in front of her eyes. She didn’t blink or react. She couldn’t see it. I bent over to look into her eyes. Her beautiful brown eyes were covered by a white haze. She was in the heavenly realms, seeing and speaking with the Lord.

When the young people came out of this experience many could not even share about it for several days, they were so overcome by the glory and holiness of God.

Needless to say, those young people left that camp totally transformed. One of the young ones, Cecily, who had seen the whole passion of Christ and then been taken into Heaven, later became a great evangelist for the Lord, seeing many come to the Lord in India.

For Paul, myself, David and Rebecca it was an event we shall never forget and since then, though we have by no means sought it, we have had the joy at times of seeing God sovereignly move in a similar way amongst the tribal people of Asia.

Children of the Lord

2006-10-24T19:09:00.000+10:00

During the year in Christchurch, New Zealand (1969) the children went to a Christian school. We rented a lovely house in the city right opposite a beautiful park. We got a dog for the children that they loved dearly. We loved to watch David and Hugo, the dog, playing across the road in the park. There were "dips" in the land and it was delightful to see the two heads...boy and dog...appear and disappear as they ran together over the undulating ground. Life was very good.

Rebecca Receives the Lord

One morning, as I was getting the children ready for school, Rebecca suddenly said “I’ve never asked Jesus into my heart”. She was five years old.

“Would you like me to pray with you?” I asked.

“No” she said, “I’ll do it myself” and off she went into her bedroom. A few minutes later she came out. “Jesus is in my heart now” she said with a big smile.

The children’s ministry attached to the church we were attending (one of the churches that had sprung from the great move of God Paul had been involved in prior to us going to Thailand), had great impact on both the children’s lives. Under the leadership of Sally Hanna, David and Rebecca were both wonderfully filled with the Holy Spirit.

Children Supernatural Led of the Spirit

One particular incident during that year was amazing. Sally organized a children’s camp and I was invited to be the speaker. Children from many parts of Christchurch came. I acted out the story of Daniel in the lion’s den, and in the second session, the story of the three in the fiery furnace, using them as illustrations of the Gospel. Many of them responded to the invitation to receive Jesus into their hearts. That night, when all the children were in the camp beds, two little girls came out to speak to Sally and me.

“We were reading this in the Bible and we don’t understand what it means.” They showed us Acts 2, the record of the Holy Spirit being poured out on the early believers. “What does it mean” they asked.

Sally and I looked at one another. “Come up to the chapel” said Sally, “and we’ll explain it to you”.

Lights were out in the camp. All the other children were in bed. We took the two children up to the little chapel that was on a hill next to the camp ground. Sally turned on the light and sat down with them and began to explain the passage of scripture to them. As Sally talked with them, I stood at the window looking over the camp, praying for them. Suddenly, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Children were coming out of every cabin and climbing up the hill towards the chapel. Nothing had been told them....we thought they were all asleep...but here they were being drawn by the Holy Spirit to the chapel. Soon it was filled with children and Sally was sharing with them all the wonderful truth how God wants to fill each believer in Jesus with His Holy Spirit. We watched with wonder as each one of them was filled with the Holy Spirit.

Children Hear from God

At the end of 1969, after a year in Christchurch, Paul and I both knew it was time to move on and we began to seek the Lord as to where he wanted us to go. We waited for His directions. There was such a need for resources on the missionfield, the Lord seemed to be impressing us to go to Sydney to establish a missionary church. This was confirmed through a prophet who came to visit us in Christchurch. Someone gave us the use of a holiday cottage at the beach at Woodend so we could have 5 days break. We wanted to spend time in prayer and as we prayed we both believed the Lord wanted us to go to Sydney.

We needed to give opportunity for David and Rebecca to hear from the Lord. They were now six and seven years old. The move would mean a lot to them...having to leave the friends they had made and, for David especially, having to leave Hugo, the dog. They needed a word from God as much as we did. We had always included them as part of the team. They had grown believing they were missionaries too. We knew they could hear the voice of God if given the chance. We did not tell them what we were feeling but went for a walk with them along the beach. Paul then explained we wanted to pray about where the Lord wanted us to go next and asked them to pray and tell us what the Lord tells them. We did not share with them what we had heard from the Lord ourselves. Instead Paul gave them three options to pray about. Did the Lord want us to stay in Christchurch? Did He want us to go back to Thailand? Did He want us to go to Sydney?

Off they both went along the beach to pray. Paul and I watched them both with such joy. After a short time Rebecca came skipping back to us.

“The Lord wants us to go to Sydney” she said.

David took longer. We watched him pacing back and forth, head down and hands behind his back. Finally, he too came back.

“I’m sorry I took so long” he said. “I knew it would mean leaving Hugo and my friends. But that’s okay now. The Lord wants us to go to Sydney”.

We all rejoiced together. We, as a family, had heard from God. We knew the next move forward in our odyssey of faith.

The final event of that year in New Zealand, prior to our leaving for Australia, was something that was far beyond anything we had experienced before. We will share about this in our next post.

New Experiences Awaited Us in New Zealand

2006-10-21T16:35:00.000+10:00

In 1969, at the Lord's direction, we left Thailand and flew off to New Zealand. During the year we spent there the Lord again moved in a variety of wonderful ways.

The Visitation Still Present

Our time in New Zealand was a real time of blessing for us as we visited churches and met up with many that had come to the Lord during the visitation of God a few years before (see our July 31st Post "Entering a New World"). We were thrilled to find that, like a "mantle" lying on the ground waiting to be picked up (2 Kings 2:6-14), the visitation of God was still present. For example, we went to minister for a weekend to the church in Gore. The moment we started ministering, the same things that had happened in the visitation three years previously started again. It was a blessed weekend.

The New Life Churches

The outworking of the visitation of God in New Zealand saw the establishing of autonomous churches, each with a different name. One of these was the fellowship in Christchurch which had come out of the ministry we had there just prior to going to Thailand. My brother, Terry, had later taken the leadership of the fellowship prior to going to Dunedin to establish a church there. Then Peter Morrow took it up (Anne, who was later to become Peter's wife, had been the pianist for our meetings). While in Thailand we had established the New Life Centre (not a church but the centre for our literature ministry and a ministry to the Body of Christ). Peter wrote to us and asked if he could use the name "New Life Centre" for the church in Christchurch. We, of course, said yes. We didn't realize that all the churches that had been born out of the visitation would then take on this name, becoming the New Life churches throughout New Zealand and overseas.

Team to S.E.Asia

During this time in New Zealand I took a team to S.E. Asia, going to Indonesia, Hong Kong and Thailand. All the team got their fares and expenses for the trip okay. The Lord had provided for my fare but, one day before I was to leave, still no funds had come in to support the family for the several weeks I would be away. So I was in conversation with the Lord:

"Lord, I can't leave the family unprovided for."

It came up to the last morning before our departure time. I was prepared to stay behind when there was a knock on the front door. I opened the door and there was an envelope on the step. The deliverer had escaped unseen. I ran to the next room and looked out the window just in time to see Andrew Cowie disappearing from view. No one knew of our need but Andrew had heard from God. When I opened the envelope it contained, in cash, the exact amount I needed for the family. That night I flew off a happy man knowing my family was taken care of.

In Indonesia one of our team, Colin, was struck with terrible home sickness. As a farmer, just off the farm, he was distraught. However, after encouragement and prayer he was fine. He was later to be so inspired by the need and the opportunity for the Gospel in Thailand he would go back there and minister brilliantly to the schools throughout the nation.

An Important Lesson

From Indonesia we went through Hong Kong on the way to Thailand. We were staying at the YMCA and we all needed to change some of our travellers cheques into HK dollars. We came to a money changer, familiar in Hong Kong behind a small booth with a sign at the top "Check your money. No responsibility taken." After all getting our money and walking back to the YMCA, Colin discovered, much to his shock, that the money changer had only given him half the money in exchange for the traveller's cheque he gave him.

I said, "Let's go back - but let me talk to him."

We all stood in front of the cage-like booth and I explained that my friend had only got half the money from the $50 he exchanged. I said, "Just look in your drawer and you will find the note."

He said, "It's gone to the bank already."

We knew this was not true, so I said, "I'm sorry, We are going to have to pray." So we did...all together...out loud.

Then I challenged him again. "We are missionaries" I said, "We have very little. My friend can't afford to lose half his money."

"No, no" the man said, and he repeated the same story again.

I said, "We have to pray again." And we did.

"I'll tell you what", the man blurted out, "I'll split you half way."

"Great!" said Colin.

"No" said I, and to the money-changer, "Now you have admitted we are telling the truth."

So I put out my hand and waited for what seemed like an age. Finally he handed over the money and we went away rejoicing.

Boy! What a lesson we all learned. We almost settled for half a victory.

This is what the devil often tries to do to us - make us settle for half a provision, half a healing, half an answer. But Jesus paid for the whole answer - a finished work. The devil is totally defeated.

During this year spent in New Zealand we were to see the Lord move in spectatular ways, which we will share in the posts that lie ahead.

Reaching the Future Leaders of Thailand

2006-10-15T11:27:00.000+10:00

After three months in the United States we flew back to Hong Kong and then boarded the ship that would take us back to Thailand. It had been a wonderful time of ministry in the States, sharing the vision and making many new friends.

We docked in Bangkok without a cent in our pockets. We had until noon to leave the ship so Paul said,

“You stay on board. I’m going to find a house for us and I’ll come back for you.”

We knew it was going to take a miracle of the Lord. Before noon, Paul was back.

“I have a house” he said.

He had gone into the city searching, had enquired at one or two places that advertised houses to let, and then he had seen a notice advertising a small house for rent. When he saw it, he knew it was ideal for us. It was situated in a compound with the owner’s house, was well fenced in and even had a swing in the garden for the children. On top of that, it was furnished. The landlord even agreed to put in a refrigerator at Paul’s request. But how could we get it without any money? Paul simply said to the landlord:

“My Father is sending some money but it hasn’t arrived yet. Will it be okay to pay you when it comes?”

The landlord didn’t realize, of course, that Paul was referring to our Heavenly Father. But he was very happy about the arrangement...very pleased to have good tenants.

Not only was it an ideal home for us to live in, it soon became obvious why the Lord had guided us to this particular house. It turned out that the landlord was the Dean of the Faculty of Political Science at the Thammasat University. We had not long moved in when he approached us to ask if one of us could teach spoken English to his students. Because Paul was busy in the ministry he suggested I go. It turned out to be a great adventure with the Lord.

I was rather nervous about doing it so really called on the Lord for his help. When I arrived at the university on my first day, the Dean introduced me to the class and then left me to it. I looked down at the sea of faces before me...500 in all....all young men training for the leadership of the nation. I took a deep breath and began.

“I’m here to teach you spoken English” I told them “so I want to hear how you speak so I can help you. Stand up and introduce yourself to me. Anyone stand up” I said. “One at a time.”

There was a slight pause. Then a young man jumped to his feet. He gave his name and then said:

“Why have you come to Thailand?”

I couldn’t believe my ears. What an opportunity to share why we were there! I answered him, explaining our desire to tell people about the Lord Jesus. Another one jumped up.

“Why do you believe in God?”

I told them my own experience of coming to know the Lord personally and how he had changed my life and of the many times we had seen God meet us in our lives.

Another jumped up....and then another.....and then another.

As they spoke I would correct their grammar and their pronunciation, but the whole session was a wonderful time of sharing about the Lord. I noticed the Dean’s head peep through the door at one stage, obviously checking on how I was doing. It was just at the time when we were all laughing over something that had been said. I saw him smile and give a nod of approval.

As well as being a financial provision for us, this time at the university proved to be a wonderful open door for the Gospel. One day I arrived to find the students all milling around outside in the campus. Several came up to me and began to apologize. The students were on strike, they said.

“Arjarn [professor], may I ask you a question?” one said.

“Of course” I replied. A large group of young men gathered all around me.

“You believe in Jesus. Our parents believe in Buddha. What’s the difference?”

My silent prayer for wisdom was quickly answered.

“Do you believe Jesus was a good man and a good teacher?” I asked them.

“Yes” was the reply.

“No one has ever claimed to be what Jesus claimed to be" I said. "Buddha never claimed to be God. Jesus claimed He was God’s Son...the only way to God. He claimed to be the truth and the life. You say He was a good man and a good teacher but He couldn’t be unless He was speaking the truth about Himself. He was either speaking the truth or He is the greatest liar and deceiver the world has ever known. You have to decide what He is.”

They were so keen to know more that from that day onwards a number of them would visit us in our little house and we would share more about the Lord with them. I often wonder today where these young men are. Two of them stated blatantly their plan was to become Prime Minister of Thailand. Certainly they would be part of the politics of the nation today. Only God knows where they are with Him.

The US Connection

2006-10-11T12:09:00.000+10:00

It was David Schoch, a well known prophetic ministry and pastor of Bethany Chapel in Longbeach, California, who first invited us to America and introduced us to numerous churches in the U.S. Another invitation came from Esther Mallett who, while visiting Hong Kong, invited us to her church, Community Chapel, in Longbeach. Esther, with a team including her daughter Kay, was on an evangelistic mission in S.E. Asia (Kay, with her husband Richard, now pastor Community Chapel).

So, towards the end of 1967, we found ourselves in the United States.

A Dynamic Prophetic Word

It was at Bethany that David Schoch prophesied over me concerning some things the Lord was going to do in Thailand. As he spoke he began to weep.

He wept at the failure of the "Latter Rain" movement to answer the call to China. In 1948 the Lord had called them to go and preach the Gospel there. They went to down to San Fransciso's Chinatown and the Lord, like in the book of Acts (2:1-12) supernaturally gave them the language. But they failed to obey the call to go to China and in 1949 China closed. Communism took over and all missionaries had to leave the country.

Weeping and weeping David Schoch cried out...

"Remember China! Remember China! Remember China!"

...challenging the people to not make the same mistake in relation to Thailand.

A Great Evangelistic Ministry

Responding to Esther Mallett's invitation, we visited Community Chapel. The church numbered several hundred and was in revival. The Lord was moving sovereignly and many were coming to Him. Esther was a great soul winner. She had been a real estate agent and, after coming to the Lord in North Long Beach, led many women to the Lord. She took them to church but this, sadly, proved unsuccessful because of a failing minister. She took them to another church but the same thing happened. Finally Pastor Leonard Fox suggested she needed to start her own church to care for these new converts.

Esther discipled them in evangelism and would take them down to the "Pike" in Longbeach to witness for the Lord. Many of the ones won to the Lord there were their future husbands. And so the church grew. As well as this, the Lord would send to her the most needy chronic cases...drug addicts, the mentally ill, the violently abused, damaged and bruised lives. Night and day Esther would stick with them, praying with them until they came through. Some of the converts were original members of the Hell's Angel's motor bike gang. Otto Friedlie, who became a close friend, was the original President of the gang. Once a violent man, after coming to the Lord became the most "gentle" man. There was always someone in the "deliverance" room with a team helping them get free from strong demonic powers controlling their lives. One time I went into the room and several were trying to get a guy free. He had served in Vietnam and had been taken over by a powerful spirit. As I walked into the room, the Lord gave me the name of this evil spirit. I shouted its name and commanded it to leave in the Name of Jesus. Immediately he was free.

Many miracles took place in Community Chapel. One sister, who was blind, had never read the Scriptures, and the Lord would teach her the Word through visions. She would see real life events in the Bible. One time, during a convention in the church, she fell into a trance and called out:

"I see a ticker-tape with the words 'wisdom, wisdom, wisdom'."

Then - "I see a king on a throne and they are bringing two women before him. The women are arguing. There's a baby. And each of women is saying the baby is hers." "Oh no!" she suddenly cried, "No, don't do it. Don't do it."

"What's happening?" Esther asked her.

"The king is ordering his men to bring a sword. He's telling them to cut the baby in half!....oh, it's alright. One of the women has told him no, to give the baby to the other woman. Oh, it's wonderful. The king is giving the baby to her. He says she is the true mother."

There was a real "Berean" spirit in the church (see Acts 17:11). After each meeting they would all gather in a coffee shop/restaurant and, each with their Bible open, go over everything that had been shared from the Word that day.

Our experience in Community Chapel was memorable. We made many wonderful friends there. Many went forth to start churches in other cities. We were to go back there years later and minister for a year in the church and in the Bible College Esther would establish.

Space does not permit us to share about the many churches and ministries throughout the United States that we had the privilege to minister to and the friends we made. To cover all of this would be a book in itself.

A Little Child Shall Lead Them

2006-09-28T15:44:00.000+10:00

David Receives the Lord

While we were in Hong Kong, my brother, Mike, who was on shipping rounds with the Sydney Morning Herald, came to visit us. Mike was not a believer in the Lord. The first evening of his visit we sat down together at the meal table and, as was his custom, Paul prayed the Lord’s blessing over the food, thanking Him for the provision. At the end of the prayer 5-year-old David piped up:

“Uncle Mike didn’t close his eyes!”

We all laughed at the obvious fact that he, of course, hadn’t closed his eyes either. But, oblivious to this, David continue,

“Why didn’t he? Why didn’t Uncle Mike close his eyes?”

The child was obviously both concerned and curious. He had never met anyone before who didn’t pray with us when we prayed over the food.

“I’ll talk to you about it later” I said to him quietly.

My brother was highly amused by the whole incident. That night, when I tucked him into bed, David again asked...

“Why didn’t Uncle Mike close his eyes”.

“Because he’s never asked Jesus into his heart” I explained.

A frown creased his little brow and very seriously he said...

“But I’ve never asked Jesus into my heart either.”

“Would you like to ask Him in now” I asked, holding back my joy at his realization.

He nodded, “Yes”.

“Okay,” I said, “I’ll go and get Daddy and we’ll pray with you.”

I excitedly told Paul and we both went back into the bedroom. Paul talked some more with David, explaining clearly why Jesus had come and what it meant to ask Him into his heart and life.

"Do you want to pray now and ask Jesus to come into your heart?" Paul asked him.

"You pray, Daddy, and I'll follow" he said.

So Paul led him in a simple prayer to receive the Lord. The next morning we greeted him as he woke up...

"What's it like now with Jesus in your heart?"

We had to smile at his reply. "Oh, He's gone out already".

Paul then explained to him the wonderful promise the Lord has given that He will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).

Unforgettable Experiences

At the same time we were hearing from the Lord about leaving Hong Kong and returning to Thailand (see our previous post "Supernatural Guidance"), we received an invitation to visit a church in California and, from there, to minister to a number of churches in the United States. In view of our plans, we felt it would be a great opportunity to share the need for the Gospel in Thailand. We decided to stay and minister there for three months and continue on from there to Thailand. We were to make many new and lifelong friends in our first visit to the United States and for the children it would prove to be not only an exciting time (they got to see Disneyland) but a time of unforgettable experiences with the Lord. Two such experiences come immediately to mind.

The Faith of a Child

We were on our way to minister to a church in Phoenix. Our time in the States was spent driving during the day and ministering at night. Some friends in California had kindly lent us a car for the journey to Phoenix and, in our ignorance, we set out early in the morning with the plan to arrive at the church that evening. We learnt later that no one travels through the Arizona Desert during the day! The air-conditioning of the car was not working and in the high temperature of the desert the car’s water kept boiling. On top of this, because Paul was very tired, the long monotonous road was causing him to be very sleepy. There was no shade anywhere and it was too hot and dangerous to stop. I watched his eyes the whole way to make sure he did not drop off to sleep. I had packed snacks in the car and about half way there, around lunch time, the children asked for something to eat. For one short moment I took my eyes off Paul’s eyes and bent down to give them something to eat. In an instant the car was jumping up and down. Paul had fallen asleep and gone off the road. As we bumped along in the sand visibility was zero. The whole windscreen and surrounding windows were enveloped in the sandy dust. At last, after what seemed an age, the car came to a stop. When the dust finally subsided we could see behind us the slope we had come down. We knew that if we had gone off the road a few minutes earlier we would have hit a crevice and were to learn the same was true of a short distance ahead. Paul tried to drive the car back up the slope but the more he tried the deeper the wheels sank into the sand. We were stuck. There was no shade anywhere. We learnt later it peaked at 120 F (48.8 C)in the shade. We had no water left as we had had to use it each time the car had boiled. There were no other cars on the road. We tried to push the car out, to no avail. Again Paul tried to drive it out but deeper and deeper went the wheels. We knew we were in grave danger. Finally we heard a little voice behind us.

“Why don’t we ask Jesus to push us out?” said David.

Paul and I looked at each other and smiled. Of course.

“Good idea, son. You asked Him” said Paul. So he prayed.

“Lord Jesus” came his simple prayer, “please let an angel push us out”

Paul tried to drive the car again. Suddenly, there was a shove behind us and the car jerked forward, out of its ditch, and we were back up on the road. The children clapped their hands excitedly (David peering out the rear window hoping to see the angel) and we continued our drive with a great sense of joy and thankfulness to the Lord. We knew an angel had pushed us out.

Let There be Light

The second incidence was a similar answer to prayer. The children and I were staying in Portland, Washington, while Paul had gone for ministry into Canada. It was winter and very cold. Again, someone had lent me a car to use while I was there. As we got into the car one Sunday evening to go to church and I turned the switch to put the headlights on, nothing happened. I suddenly remembered that the owners had told me not to drive at night as the lights didn’t work and they needed to take it to a mechanic to have them fixed. I said to the children...

“We can’t go. The lights don’t work.”

Again David said “Let’s ask Jesus”. And he did. “Please Lord Jesus, let the lights go on”.

As I turned the light switch again the beam of the lights matched the beam on David’s face. Again, a lesson from the simple faith of a little child. When I shared with the people who owned the car, they were amazed.

These incidents still remind us today of what Jesus said in Matthew 18:2:

"...'I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven'".

Supernatural Guidance

2006-09-24T20:21:00.000+10:00

Despite experiencing the riots (as I described in a previous post - "The Riots of Hong Kong"), I was loving being in Hong Kong. Its modern shops and its life-style made life very comfortable; the children were going to an English-speaking preschool; the ministry was going very well. I was very content. After about a year, though, I began to sense a restlessness in Paul. I knew the signs. I knew the Lord was stirring him to move on. However, whenever Paul sensed the Lord directing him he never came to me and just told me what we were to do. Always he would come and ask me to pray about what the Lord was wanting us to do. Together we would hear from God. And always we prayed with the children also.

So it was he came to me one day. “I think the Lord may be calling us back to Thailand, darling” he said. “Would you seek the Lord about it?

In my heart my immediate reaction was, “I love it here. I don’t want to go back to Thailand.” But above everything I wanted to do the will of God and I knew also that that was what was best for us. I agreed to pray. I dropped the children off at preschool and went down to the city to walk and pray.

“Lord” I said silently in my heart as I walked up one of the shopping areas, “You know I want to stay in Hong Kong. If you want us to go back to Thailand I ask you, please, to give me a sign.”

What happened next was amazing. The moment the prayer was uttered, I turned the corner and almost bumped into the Prime Minister of Thailand!

I had heard nothing on the news of his visit but I recognized him immediately. A number of Hong Kong officials were with him, and obviously some body guards, but there he was - right in front of me. I walked on utterly amazed at the Lord!

Then, whether as a hopeful excuse on my part not to acknowledge what the Lord had just done or whether as a genuine desire to know His will (or both), I don’t know, but, as I walked some more, the thought came, “Even the devil can give signs.” The scripture then came to my mind...

“Let the peace of God rule in your hearts” (Colossians 1:15).

I knew the all-important aspect of knowing God’s will was that sense of peace about it deep within. I went into a coffee shop, ordered a cup of tea and sat down to seek the Lord some more. As I pondered, I knew that in order to hear clearly from the Lord and know His peace I had to get my heart into a “neutral” position. In others words, I had to changed my heart from what I wanted and be willing for whatever He wanted, whether it was to go or stay. I lifted my heart to the Lord and asked for His help. I gave Him all my own desires and said... “Okay, Lord, whatever you want.”

I sat quietly in His presence for a while until I knew my heart was in “neutral”. Then, immediately I remembered also the Amplified Version’s translation of that verse in Colossians...

“Let the peace of God act as the umpire or referee...”

So I decided to do exactly that. In my mind I held up Hong Kong to the Lord. Nothing. I had no sense of peace about it at all. Then I held up Thailand.

“Do you want us to go back to Thailand, Lord?”

A wonderful sense of peace filled my heart. Again I held up Hong Kong. Again, nothing. Again I held up Thailand and again wonderful peace filled me.

I looked at my watch and saw it was time to pick up the children from preschool. I had previously met a Thai woman there whose little girl also went to the preschool. She always picked her little girl up. Only on one occasion had she sent her Thai maid but I had never met her. The preschool was situated on the roof garden of the apartment block, and to collect the children, the mothers would come through the ground floor entrance and line up the stairway till they reached the entrance to the roof garden where their child would be brought to them.
I wanted to be very sure. I remembered the scripture...

“...every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses” (Matthew 18:16)

...and thought of the account of Gideon when he wanted to be sure it was the Lord directing him to go into battle against the oppressors of Israel. He asked the Lord...

“...If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised - look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said” Judges 6:36-37.

So I said, “Lord, you have given me a sign. You have given me Your peace. Now please confirm it to me in one more way. Like Gideon I put out a ‘fleece’.” I think I was amazed at even my own boldness. “Let the Thai servant-girl come to collect the little girl.” I asked “and let me stand next to her in the queue and, then, let her ask me if I am ever going back to Thailand.”

The Lord was very gracious to me. As I came through the front gate of the preschool building I caught my breath. There was the Thai maid coming through the back gate. As we met at the bottom of the stairs a sense of wonder and excitement filled me. There we were standing next to each other in the queue. We chatted together in Thai as we gradually ascended towards the rooftop. We were almost at the top when the girl suddenly asked,

“By the way, Ma’am, are you ever going back to Thailand?”

I was stunned. “What did you say?” I asked, dumbfounded by the chain of events so exact to my request of the Lord.

“Are you ever going back to Thailand?” she repeated.

“Yes” I answered her with a smile.

She, of course, knew nothing of the depth of meaning behind that one word.

Overcoming Fear

2006-09-22T17:37:00.000+10:00

It was not long after we had arrived in Hong Kong when a tragic aircrash occurred. Hong Kong airport was notorious as a dangerous place to land. The pilot of the plane had misjudged the runway and the plane had plunged into the ocean. I watched the TV news and wept with the husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, expressing their grief over the loss of their loved ones. I had no idea, as I listened, the dramatic effect it would have on me.

Paul and I were due to fly out for ministry in a number of S.E. Asian areas. It would mean many flights. As we boarded the first flight, the moment I sat down, tightened my seat belt and the plane began to take off, an horrific fear hit me. I began to shake all over, hardly able to breathe, grasping tightly onto the seat. My imagination ran riot. I could see the crash. I could see the panic and the screams. I could see my mother and brother reading the headlines of the newspaper and finding my name on the list of victims. I was terrified. Paul prayed with me but still the fear gripped me. Once we were airborne I began to relax somewhat, but the moment we began to descend for landing, again the terror hit me. This was repeated every flight on that trip. I was so relieved when we finally got back to Hong Kong.

The experience was most troubling, not only to me personally but because I knew that our ministry was going to involve many flights. I knew I had to have an answer from the Lord. So I began to seek Him. As I prayed and read the Word my eyes fell on a wonderful promise in the Psalms and I knew it was the Lord speaking directly to my heart

.“The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore” Psalm 121:8. KJV.

A sense of peace filled my heart. I continued praying and reading, asking the Lord for one more promise. I turned my Bible to the book of Exodus and began to read the passage in chapter 19 relating the account of the Children of Israel at Mt Sinai. Suddenly verse four “leapt” out at me...

“...I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.” (NIV)

It was such a clear promise to my heart. The Lord was going to be like "eagles’ wings" under the plane.

Soon the time came for us to travel again. I boarded the plane and sat down at the window seat which was directly over the wing. I could feel the fear beginning to rise. I looked out the window and I couldn’t believe what I saw. There, stamped on the wing, was a large picture of an eagle. I know it was the stamp of the brand of the engine of the plane but in all my travels I had never seen it before and I knew the Lord was using it to encourage my trust in Him. As the plane took off I reminded myself of the Lord’s promise that he would preserve my going out and my coming in, and I kept my eyes transfixed on that eagle.

"My faith is not in this plane or in the pilot", I said in my heart. "It is in You Lord. Thankyou for your 'eagle's wings' under this plane."

Every flight we took on that journey, and there were many, without any pre-arrangement I was seated at the window over the wing and on each flight there was the eagle. At the end of that missionary journey all my fear was gone and I have never had it since. On all the missionary journeys we have had since, I have sat many times at the window over the wing but not one time has the eagle-stamp been there. The Lord knows I no longer need it.

The experience had underlined for me the very important truth that, in every situation of life we face, we need to hear from the Lord and to stand on His Word.

The Riots in Hong Kong

2006-09-19T10:11:00.000+10:00

Our year in Hong Kong - 1967 - proved to be a very eventful time. Paul travelled during the year much of the time, ministering into many of the S.E. Asian countries. Of these, Vietnam was a major destination. The Vietnam War was in full swing and Paul would go there regularly to minister to the wounded South Vietnamese troops constantly being brought into the hospitals. He saw many of them come to the Lord.

Just prior to Paul leaving for one of these visits riots broke out in Kowloon, across the harbour from the Hong Kong island. We kept on the Hong Kong side during that time, for obvious safety reasons, but listened very carefully to the news of what was happening. Although local reason was given for the riots we all knew the real reason for them. The “Cultural Revolution” had broken out in mainland China. Multitudes of people were being imprisoned and slaughtered there. We knew the riots in Hong Kong were a ploy to distract the world’s attention off what was happening in the mainland. We also knew China had the power to take Hong Kong back from Britain whenever she chose. So the occurring events were of great importance to us. The news of the confrontation of the rioters with Hong Kong police was disturbing and hearing of the rioters throwing petrol over some police and setting light to them was very distressing, as was the news of Westerners being attacked and cars or taxis in which Westerners were riding being overturned and set on fire. Paul was due to fly out for another visit to Vietnam but refused to go while the trouble was astir, even though it was across the harbour and not on the Hong Kong island side. Then, suddenly, everything seemed to calm down. Paul waited several days. Nothing further happened and life seemed back to normal. I encouraged him to go.

“Everything’s all right now” I said.

Little did I realize what lay ahead. I had no idea as Paul’s plane took off and the children and I waved him goodbye that very soon the airport would be closed and he would not be able to get back into Hong Kong.

The next morning the riots broke out on the Hong Kong island.

Rampage

I woke to a sunny morning. The morning news was filled with very ordinary events. The main item was the expected return of the Governor who had gone to England to get advice on how to handle the recent events. It seemed an unnecessary trip for him as all was now calm in Kowloon. Everyone was going about their usual business. Life was back to normal. I decided to walk down to the market place with the children.

As I reached the bottom of the hill I received a shock. A large group of “Red Guards” (the rioters of Kowloon) turned the corner and began marching up towards me. All were in uniform...white shirts, navy shorts...all carrying Mao Tse Tung’s little red book and, holding it high, all chanting...

“Mao Tse Tung! May he live 10,000 years!”

Everything I heard about what had happened to some Westerners on the Kowloon side flooded my mind. “What shall I do” I thought. “I can’t run. The children are too small and it would attract too much attention”.

I decided, as nonchalantly as I could, to cross over to the other side. Trying to appear as calm as I could, holding tightly onto the children’s hands, I climbed under the road barrier with them and crossed to the other side. We had no sooner got there when a large number of the Red Guards turned the corner on that side too. They were now spread right across the street (3000 altogether, we learnt later). All raising their books into the air and chanting.

There was nowhere to go. I couldn’t keep walking down through them, I couldn’t go up because the children wouldn’t have been able to keep up and we would have been caught in the midst of them. I could not go back across the road and behind us was a solid brick wall. We were trapped where we were. I pushed the children behind me to hide them between the wall and me, and I began to pray. The rioters were in regimented lines and each line was less than an arm’s length away from me. Every line that passed us I was praying “Lord, please let them just go by....Lord, please let them just go by”. Not one Red Guard turned his head to see me as they passed. It was as though the children and I were invisible to them. I believe the Lord had sent his angel to guard us, as the two beautiful scriptures in the Psalms promise...

"The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them" Psalm 34:7.

"If you make the Most High your dwelling - even the Lord, who is my refuge - then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways" Psalm 91:9-11.

I realized later they were all heading for Government House which was situated further up the hill on Macdonald Road where we lived. The balcony of our apartment overlooked Government House, some distance away, and when I returned home (with great relief) I went out onto the balcony with some of our team members to watch what was taking place. Three thousand Red Guards, in regimented lines, covered the road opposite the entrance to Government House. We could hear the constant chant in Cantonese raised in the air:

“Mao Tse Tung! May he live 10,000 years!”

Between them and the huge front gate of the House were the Hong Kong police. I had turned on the radio so we could hear the description of the events even as we watched it happening before our eyes. Then, suddenly we heard a whirring sound above us.

“Look, Mummy” shouted David excitedly, “A helicopter!”

“And here comes the Governor now” said the voice on the radio.

We knew then, as we watched the helicopter, that we were watching the return of the Governor General from his visit to England. We watched it fly over us and then land in the grounds of the Government House, in front of its back entrance. The crowds in front of the House were chanting loudly, still barricaded from the entrance by a solid line of police facing them, with their backs to the wall of the House.

Then, suddenly, I saw movement inside the grounds. Someone was there, hiding behind a tree. I saw the figure run to the next tree, then the next one. He was dodging between the trees heading towards the helicopter. Then...another one appeared from behind another tree. Then another. There were about eight in all, all Red Guards, all dodging behind the trees heading towards the helicopter. All the police were outside the grounds, lined up facing the chanting crowd of Red Guards. No one had seen the intruders in the grounds. I knew the Governor was in great danger.

I ran to the telephone and called the Hong Kong police headquarters.

“The Governor’s helicopter has just landed” I said as the phone was answered, “And some of the Red Guards are in the grounds heading towards the Governor”.

“Just a moment please” was the reply.

Another voice came on the phone. It was the Chief Inspector of Police. I explained,

“I’m watching the events at Government House from my verandah. The Governor’s helicopter has just landed, and there are several Red Guards in the grounds heading towards it”.

“In the grounds!” It was as though he almost dropped the phone. “Thank you for informing us” he said. “What is your name?”

I hesitated. Crazy thoughts went through my head. “What if they win” I thought. “What if they take over Hong Kong? There’s my name in writing for them to see!” I brushed the thoughts aside and gave the Inspector my details.

I went back to the verandah and watched the events. It was like watching a T.V. show but this was the real thing. One of the police, obviously with a “walkie-talkie”, had been contacted. We saw him call several of the police from the lines in front of the House. They broke away, the other police quickly filling in the gap, then they ran through the gates. We watched the chase...with the voice of the radio announcer excitedly giving the comments as the events took place...the Red Guards running now as fast as they could towards the helicopter, the police tearing after them, finally catching them and throwing them to the ground. The Governor, seemingly oblivious to what was happening, stepped out of the helicopter and within seconds was inside the House.

“I think I just saved the Governor’s life” I thought to myself with a smile.

An Assurance and a Caution from the Lord

The days that followed were full of demonstrations, violence and anxiety about what was going to happen. The airport was closed to incoming flights. All expatriots were on 24 hours notice by their embassies to leave Hong Kong. One of the Chinese Christians, who had escaped the mainland when the Communists had taken over, called me with great concern.

“Fill everything you can find with water” he said. “Your bathtub...every pot and every pan. This is just like it happened in the mainland and the first thing they will do is set fire to the Westerner’s homes. Fill everything you can find with water!” He sounded very frightened on the phone.

I decided it was time to hear from the Lord! That night I spent all night seeking the Lord.

“You know what is going to happen, Lord” I said, “You know if they are going to take Hong Kong. Should we fly out now?”

I knew even that would mean the Lord would have to work a “miracle” for us. We had only HK$8 in the bank at that time. I prayed earnestly and anxiously all night, crying out to the Lord for His wisdom and answers.

At 3 a.m. a beautiful sense of peace came over me. I knew everything was going to be all right. I knew it would all pass over. I also knew the next day was going to be the worst day of the riots. Clearly the Lord spoke to my heart:

“Do not go out tomorrow. Do not take the children out.”

Tomorrow was Sunday. We had a visiting ministry staying with us and he was due to speak in one of the churches downtown in the morning. It was my responsibility to take him to the church. When morning came I tried to explain to him what the Lord had told me. I was not to go out that day. I was not to take the children out. The gentleman laughed. It was going to be fine, he insisted. He had to keep his appointment. There was no need to fear. I tried to explain it wasn’t fear but a definite instruction from the Lord but I know he thought I was just being fearful.

“I’m at my best in a crisis” he said.

I know he was trying to encourage me. Finally I submitted and, to my shame, disobeyed the Lord and took him to the church.

As we stood on the curb waiting for a taxi I will never forget how I felt. I knew I was in disobedience to the Lord. Many taxis went by but all refused to stop for us. During the riots in Kowloon, any taxi driver caught driving Westerners had had his taxi turned over and set on fire. We knew in the present situation they were afraid to pick us up. Then a taxi did pull up and we got in. Never have I seen a man so afraid. The driver was literally shaking all over. When he saw the children he looked at me and spoke, in his broken English, words that I knew were directly from the Lord.

“Velly bad you bring children out today!”

As we drove down towards the city centre the crowds in the streets got so thick, spreading off the footpaths across the roads, that the taxi could only crawl along in the midst of the masses of people. The tension in the atmosphere was so high it was as though you could tangibly touch it. I sat in the back with the children, praying.

“Forgive me, Lord, for disobeying you.”

I made up my mind. When we got to the church I would not get out. I would go back home. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, the taxi arrived at the church. The visiting ministry got out and I said...

“I have to take the children back home. The Lord told me not to come out today and I've disobeyed Him.”

I told the taxi driver to take me back, much to the poor man’s horror, and he nervously drove off. He was obviously very sorry we weren’t getting out. As I look back now I realize the goodness of the man’s heart to take us. I believe he was sent by God. As we drove around the corner into Macdonald Road a huge crowd of Red Guards lined the street. Their backs were to us. Facing them was a large number of police. It was obvious a battle was about to ensue. The taxi driver called out:

“Get down! Put your heads down!” and he swung the taxi round as hard as he could and headed away from the rioters.

I pushed the children’s little blond heads down below the windows and got down myself. We stayed like that as the driver drove all the way around the island to get us back another way to Macdonald Road. With great relief he let us off outside our block of apartments.

There was indeed a big battle. The rioters taunted the police but got no response until they began to physically attack. The riots, of course, were in the headlines of the newspapers all over the world the next day. Photos of injured rioters lying on top of each other spread the front pages “exposing” the “atrocities” of the Hong Kong police. We knew, however, the truth was very different. The restraint and discipline of the Hong Kong police had amazed us. We knew, too, the moment any order was given to defend any attack from the rioters, the Red Guards would then throw themselves on top of one another and pose, as though injured, for the foreign press photographers.

Our friend ministered in the Sunday morning service but because of the riots was unable to get back to the apartment and had to stay all day and all night in the church. As the Lord had revealed to me, everything calmed down after that day. From then on the only battle was what we came to call “The battle of the loud speakers”. From the top of the Bank of China, the Communists began to loudly broadcast propaganda, proclaiming the atrocities of the police, the evils of the British, and the glories of Communism. In response, the British government began to play (very loudly) very British songs such as “The British Grenadiers” from the top of the Hong Kong Shanghai Bank. The voice from the China Bank would get louder and then the music from the Hong Kong Shanghai Bank would be turned up louder. This went on for several days. After the tension of the previous days, it really was quite amusing.

The airport was reopened and Paul, who had been in his own “danger spot”, ministering to the Vietnamese troops in the hospitals in Saigon, was able to return.

A Word from the Lord for Hong Kong

2006-09-17T12:29:00.000+10:00

Towards the end of 1966 the Lord began stirring my heart that He wanted me to visit the United States to share with the Christians there about the need of the Thai people for the Gospel. Unbeknown to me, the Lord was also speaking to Bunty about this. At this same time, we heard from Paul Kauffman in Hong Kong. He told us that 1967 was the year that he and his wife, Janet, were due for a year’s furlough in the States and asked us if, while they were away, we would take their place in Hong Kong, which was the headquarters for the ministry in S.E. Asia. We could stay in their apartment which was on the mid-levels. We felt a "yes" from the Lord to do so. I would go to the States for the three months and while I was there Bunty would pack and prepare for our moving to Hong Kong.

After arriving in the States, I was ministering in Texas. As I came into one of the meetings, a woman whom I'd never met before pointed to me and said:

“I have never met you have I?”

“No” I agreed. She then, to my utter amazement, said:

“I know nothing about you, but the Lord shows me you are going to Hong Kong. I don’t know anything about Hong Kong, but you are going to have a visitation of God amongst the boat people there”.

I learned later this lady was a well-known prophetess, Sister Shreoder. She knew nothing of the fact that Bunty was, at that moment, packing our luggage ready for my return so that we could all fly off immediately to Hong Kong.

My time in the States was to be the first of many visits. The friends we made during this time are still close friends to this day. My return to Thailand was a time of great rejoicing for us as a family. Then, within a short time we were on board the flight on our way to Hong Kong.

Arriving in Hong Kong

Remembering Sister Shreoder's prophetic word from the Lord, and knowing that the centre for the boat people was Aberdeen, after arriving in Hong Kong I began to search for missionaries or Chinese pastors working amongst the fisherfolk there, but without success.

On our arrival, I was asked to speak at the Full Gospel Business Men's Fellowship and as I did so I also expressed my desire to see a move of God in Hong Kong. I said,

"If anyone is holding an all-night of prayer I will join you."

At the end of the meeting, a Chinese pastor approached me and said...

"We're having an all-night of prayer tonight. Would you like to join us?"

I agreed and that night was to prove very eventful. I discovered that these people worked amongst the fisherfolk on the boats and the all-night of prayer was for special meetings they were planning at Chinese New Year. This was the only time of the year when all the boats came in for 4 days.

I shared with them the prophecy I had received concerning the boat people. They were overjoyed.

"Will you come? Will you come?" they insisted.

So we agreed. They could get the school building for Chinese New Year for free. They also had a choir that had been practising for the event.

The meetings started with great enthusiasm and the first night a few people came to the Lord. Also, a father brought his deaf and dumb daughter, aged about 5 or 6. After prayer I encouraged her to speak and she imitated the sounds of 1, 2, 3, 4 etc. The whole place went wild with excitement. The next three nights were overflowing with blessing with several hundred receiving the Lord and many others also being healed.

After Chinese New Year was over and the meetings had finished they had a big Chinese feast to celebrate the goodness of the Lord and they gave us replicas of the fishing junks the fisherfolk lived on. Lovely mementos of a wonderful time.

Up-To-Date Miracle

2006-09-12T12:38:00.000+10:00

We have not been able to post in our blog the last little while because David, our son, who has been battling cancer, was seriously ill and we almost lost him. We want to testify to a wonderful miracle the Lord has done for him. For details please go to his blog "The Journey" on the right hand side of this page, to his post "The Cords of Death".

http://dc1604.blogspot.com/2006/09/cords-of-death.html.

We are rejoicing in the love, compassion and faithfulness of our Lord.

The Joys of Missionary Life

2006-08-29T19:03:00.000+10:00

There are many "ingredients" that make up a missionary. Total commitment to the Lord and His purposes and a unity with His heart in His love for the people He has sent you to, are major ones, of course. But another very important ingredient is a sense of humour. It is this ingredient that helps take you through the difficult times you often face.

Adjusting to a New Way of Life

When we arrived in Thailand in 1963, Bangkok was, as yet, untainted by Western influence. The Vietnam War had not yet had its effect on the development of this ancient city. Within the next few years, with the American and Australian troops using her as one of its major R & R centres, Bangkok would learn to cater for Western taste and trade. Luxury hotels, department stores and supermarkets with expensive imported food, would soon spring up everywhere. Later still, tourism would become a major industry. But right now, with the exception of the congestion and pollution of the modern-day automobile, Bangkok was as it had been for generations. Western food was virtually unknown and the food parcels sent from church groups were always opened excitedly to find familiar treats such as a can of peaches and a packet of peas. I remember how excited I was one day on my way back from the market when, looking into a small Chinese shop, I discovered a packet of Kellogg’s Corn Flakes. What luxury! I hurried home with the packet to show Paul. The next morning I served it up for breakfast with great joy only to find it was full of weevils! Who knows how long that rare commodity had been sitting on that shop’s shelf?

Our appearance and culture was, of course, as different and as fascinating to the Thai and theirs was to us. We were constantly referred to as “ferungs” (foreigners). David particularly drew much attention. Not only were they fascinated by the blond-haired “ferung” baby, but his mode of transport caused much interest and mirth. In those days they had never seen a pram before. Crowds would cross the street to touch the baby and I always had a line of children following after me, skipping, laughing and giggling, as I walked down the street pushing David in his pram. I fell in love with the people from the start...so friendly and always smiling. This was our new “world”.

Our first year in Bangkok was a year of getting acquainted with the language and culture. It was a year full of new sights, sounds, smells and experiences. We had found a little house to rent. It was in a back street in the centre of the busy city of Bangkok and was typical of Thailand’s exotic architecture. Dark brown teak, shutters in place of glass for the windows, stilts to protect it from Bangkok’s constant floods, high peaked roof with low overhanging eaves which ended in ornately carved upturned corners to “keep the spirits from entering the house when they slid down the roof”. A miniature “spirit house” stood in a corner of the yard where previous tenants had offered fruit and flowers to “keep the spirits happy”. Everything was so new and exciting to us. Bangkok’s unique sounds fascinated us. We would wake each morning to the wooden wheels of the occasional vendor’s cart rumbled down the side street, beating a bass harmony to the shrill calls of awakening birds...the tinkling bells around the necks of a herd of little black goats chiming an uneven melody as they trotted gaily in front of the house, herded by a father and his small boy...the clank of washtubs on the concrete in neighboring backyards synthesizing with the lively greetings and chatter of the Thai women, squatting in their sarongs to begin the regular morning wash.

Having no screens at the windows of our rented house, the mosquitoes were rampant and, although we slept under a mosquito net, I would kill dozens of mosquitoes under the net each night. Because of the high humidity I would also wake up during the night feeling very thirsty so I began to keep a glass of water next to the bed. I was to learn very early to always make sure the glass was well covered. I woke up one night needing a drink and, fumbling in the dark, found the glass and started to drink. Instead of feeling the coolness of water I felt the wiggle of tiny legs on my lips. Holding back a screech so as not to wake Paul, I jumped out of bed, turned on the light, and to my horror saw a huge cockroach struggling in the water.

Our first experience of the rainy season was unforgettable. Never had I heard thunder like it! And the lightning seemed to dash in our open windows through the house! Like an ostrich illogically burying its head against danger I would pull the top bedsheet over my head and hide.

Another unforgettable reality of our new surroundings was the wild dogs. As a Buddhist country it was against the law in Thailand to kill animals (believing in reincarnation as they do they think the animals are previous ancestors). From the moment we moved into our little house a pack of dogs would come every night. The barking and yelping and fighting was deafening...all under our bedroom window. This went on for weeks. Every night Paul would go down and throw empty Coke bottles and anything else he could find at them but nothing deterred them. Finally, wearied from lack of sleep, Paul said “Let’s pray and ask the Lord to take the dogs away.” As we lay on our bed we simply prayed “Lord, please make the dogs go away”.

Paul would say many times after, “Why didn’t we think of that before!?”. The next night we lay there “bathing” in the quietness. Way off in the distance we could hear the dogs and guessed, with much sympathy for the people concerned, that they were barking under someone else’s window. We were soon fast asleep and we slept well every night after. The pack never returned.

Chiangmai

When we moved up to Chiangmai I fell in love with it the moment I saw it. It is a fascinating city...full of history, natural beauty and colourful Thai and tribal culture. When we arrived in 1963, though the second largest city of Thailand, it was still like an enlarged village. The main mode of transport then was the foot bicycle. Rice paddies still interspersed the houses and farmers still drove their bullock carts down the street. I remember one day, during the year we spent there, watching with David the elephants work as they cleared the ground next door to where we were living. One day, one of the Thai Christians arrived with a special gift for David. It was a baby monkey. We named him “Gooky” (copying the sound he made) and he and David became best friends. It was so cute to watch the little pet sit on David’s shoulder and part his hair, just as he would with another monkey. They even quarrelled at times. Gooky would squeal at him and then run to sulk in a corner. I would have to make David go and say sorry...holding out his hand to the pet...and it was lovely to see Gooky’s response as he accepted the apology and they would be best friends again. We had the monkey on a very long lead that was attached to a tree next to the house. Many were the times Paul had to climb the tree, sometimes in the midst of pouring rain, to untangle the little pet.

A Forced Fast

Ten days after we got Rebecca home from the hospital (see our post "Experiencing a Wonderful Miracle") my mother arrived in Chiangmai. We borrowed a friend’s jeep to meet her at the airport and it was so wonderful to see her get off the plane. For the three weeks she was there she took the baby each night so I could have some rest. I would wake immediately at the sound of the baby’s cry, but could then go back to sleep peacefully knowing she was in the good care of my mother.

My mother’s visit was such a blessing, not only just having her there but her sharing the care of the baby helped me recover quickly from the birth and the trauma of the previous months. It also proved to be a time of much fun. The usual funds that would come in from people who were supporting our ministry in Thailand had not arrived. The food finally was all gone. We had nothing in the cupboard except some flour. My mother was a real “trooper”.

“I’ve been through this before” she said, referring to the difficult years in England during the Second World War. “We’ll manage.”

I had a little portable oven so she mixed the flour with water and baked some “scones”. As she took them out of the oven one fell to the ground. It hit the floor like a rock. Her “scones” were so hard they proved inedible. The hard sound of it hitting the floor set us into peels of laughter. For four days we had nothing to eat but, instead of being worried or fearful, it had the opposite effect on us. We laughed and laughed through it all. Finally, after four days, a cheque arrived in the mail. We found out later the problem had not been a lack of provision (the Lord is faithful). Funds had been sent for us to our representatives in New Zealand. They, however, had kept it accumulating in the office there and not sent it for three months.

Through it all it was wonderful to see the faithfulness of the Lord in the provision for the children. During those four days numbers of food parcels arrived. We had excitedly opened them at the time thinking there would be cans and packets of food for us in them, but each parcel had been filled with baby food. We were all so thrilled to see this and we laughed. We knew it was a time of testing for us but the children never went without. Not once, during that whole time, or any time before or after, did the children ever go without.

The Boiling of Water

When Rebecca was first out the hospital, a Thai lady, Sowcum, would come each day to help me in the house. I had been told by one of the missionary doctors to make sure that we boiled the water for at least 20 minutes to kill any "bugs" that may be in it. Sowcum would do this each day for me but I was not sure if she was really bringing the water to boil. As I was giving the children breakfast one morning I saw her putting on the large kettle to boil the water before putting it into the water urn to cool. Sure enough she took it off the stove before it had boiled and poured it into the urn.

"Sowcum" I said, "I don't think the water had come to the boil. We foreigners have such weak stomachs we must boil it for 20 minutes."

"Sorry, ma'am" she said, and proceeded to pour the water back into the kettle again. I noticed, however, she only poured out half the water.

"I think there's more water still in the urn" I said.

"That's okay, ma'am" she said. "The first lot of water I put in the urn I did boil for 20 minutes."

Back to Bangkok

After our year in Chiangmai we returned to Bangkok. Paul found a little two-bedroom, two storey, house for us to rent. It was again in typical Thai style, built in strong Teak with the wooden shutters at the windows and the long overhanging roof turning up at the edges. It was right next to a small “clong” (canal) which was to prove quite an experience in the rainy season. One particular time, after heavy rain, the lower level of the house was totally flooded and as we waded through to the kitchen I had to help the children dodge many scorpions floating on the water!

Right from the start we included the children with us in the ministry. In their thinking, they, too, were missionaries. David’s heart to tell everyone about Jesus was demonstrated from an early age. After arriving back in Bangkok from Chiangmai, I would, on occasion, like many of the Westerners in the city, take the children to Swimming Club to swim in the pool . One of David’s school friends would go there regularly with his father who was a doctor. David’s little friend told him that his Dad didn’t believe in God. From that moment David would tell the man about the Lord every time he saw him. One day when we arrived at the pool, David saw the father and immediately headed for him. It was amusing to watch the doctor. The minute he saw five-year-old David heading for him, he dived into the pool and swam to the other side to get away from the little evangelist.

When Paul was away on his missionary trips the children would climb into bed with me at night and we would pray for him. Our bed was an old wooden doublebed the owners had left in the house. Each night as we got into bed I would hear a strange scuffling noise. I took the mattress off. The bed was too heavy to move but I searched all around it and under it but could find nothing. Night after night the scuffling noise continued and I searched and searched to no avail. One day, when I returned from the market with the children, as I went through the screen door into the kitchen, something fell from the top of the door to the ground, just missing my head. I gave a gasp when I saw what it was. It was a baby rat! As the children came in, another one fell down, then another. I looked up and there, on the ledge of the wall, the mother rat was carrying another baby in her mouth. I called out to a missionary friend, who, with his wife, was visiting with us at the time. He removed the invaders and, at last, the mystery of the “scuffling” was solved. The kitchen was situated right beneath our bedroom. The heavy wooden bedhead of our bed had been the nest of a family of rats! I didn’t smile then but I have to smile as I think of it now...just one of the “joys” of missionary life!

A Special Time in Cambodia

2006-08-28T12:11:00.000+10:00

I was working with Paul Kauffman for the Orient with World Outreach, then known as "The Slavic and Oriental Mission". (Together with Paul Kauffman we had a great friendship with Len Jones its founder. As there was now virtually no ministry into the Slavic countries Paul and I suggested that he change the name of the mission to "World Outreach", which he did). I was editor of World Outreach's magazine "The Evidence" which qualified me to travel with a press card. This enabled me to get into many places which would have otherwise been impossible. One such situation was the inauguration of the new President of Cambodia.

Just prior to this time I had ministry in Singapore, taking a leaders' seminar. It had been organised by Canon James Wong. There were several hundred leaders from all churches present and it was a wonderful time of blessing. I had been staying, as was our custom, at the home of Brother Goh - a man of great love and a leader in the Body of Christ in Singapore. Brother Goh and his family have the dealership for Yashica cameras and he used to receive samples from different firms around the world. One of these samples was a pearl handled 16 mm camera from Scandanavia (video cameras didn't exist back then). When Brother Goh heard I was going to Cambodia he asked me if I would like to take it.

So I found myself in PnomPhen. General Lon Nol had taken power in Cambodia and, as I watched thousands of young people (many of them teenagers) who had supported him and helped him to power, in a celebration march-pass, a French missionary told me that most of the ones I was seeing would eventually die. Tragically this proved to be so true as "the killing fields" were not far away.

Through my press card, I was in the official staging area for the inauguration ceremony of the President. With my 16mm pearled handled camera, I was positioned together with all the major international camera crews of the various networks. We were only about 30 to 40 feet away from the swearing-in platform. The network cameras were silent as they ran but, unfortunately, as I attempted to film this historic event, my camera made a significant, though not too disconcerting, whirling sound. At a lull in the proceedings I headed for a dark hallway to put in a new film. Much to my disappointment, when I opened the camera, there before me was a tangle of film. What a disaster! Maybe I was never really called to be a cameraman :).

However, this visit opened up a ministry into Cambodia. Later I was to return to PnomPhen where Todd Burke was experiencing a great visitation of the Lord. In the midst of so many people being slaughtered, and many young people without work, they became part of a unique Training School. As they studied the Word of God, book by book, they would then go out preaching what the Lord was teaching them each day and many were responding to the Gospel.

As the situation worsened we were able to get Todd Burke out of the country. We felt led of the Lord to send him an air-ticket which got him out just before the North Vietnamese took over.

A Divine Appointment

2006-08-26T08:29:00.000+10:00

While based in Bangkok I took many trips to Penang, Ipoh and Singapore for ministry to leading churches in these cities. One of these times, Brother Goh organised a special gathering with key leaders in Singapore. However, I got caught in a traffic jam on the way to the Bangkok airport and missed the flight. When I finally got on a flight I was too late for the meeting which had been pre-arranged. I was to learn, however, the Lord had a purpose for me being on the particular flight I found myself on.

On the plane I was seated next to a fine looking man. He was a Muslim. We got talking and found ourselves becoming firm friends. We talked openly together of our faith. I shared with him my faith in Christ. He shared with me how he loved his family and prayed 5 times a day. He was obviously a good man and I admired his sincerity and dedication. Neither of us could convince the other to change our beliefs so, as the plane touched down, we smiled in appreciation of one another.

As I walked down the aisle of the plane towards the door I looked back and there he was waving and smiling, so I waved and smiled. We proceeded to the Immigration. I looked over to another queue and there he was. He smiled and waved. I smiled and waved back.

The next I saw him was on the long escalator carrying the passengers up to the top and the receiving area. I was on the escalator next to his. I was standing, relaxing on the escalator step, with my luggage beside me on the step, being taken speedily up to the top. But his escalator had stopped and he was trudging up the steep steps, carrying his heavy luggage. As I passed him I smiled and said...

"This is what I was talking to you about. You are trying to work your own way to heaven. But Jesus came to take me up there. He did all the work for me."

With that parable I left him. I often wonder what he thought. I still think of him and pray for him.

Reaching Out in Asia

2006-08-24T20:45:00.000+10:00

When we were based in Bangkok we were reaching out to other nations in S.E. Asia as well. We worked together with Paul Kauffman, a very dear friend, in Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam. I often flew into Saigon during the Vietnam war. Flying over the land I could see the extent of the bombing with craters covering the countryside. I worked in Saigon with Timothy Chow and the Vietnamese chaplains ministering to the thousands of wounded Vietnamese soldiers who were helicoptered into the hospital in Saigon. Many with legs off, arms off, and blinded, came to the Lord. A very special memory of one of the meetings is of a small child leading her blinded father to the altar to receive the Lord. We gave "little Bibles" to the troops out in the fields of battle. These were booklets with many specific scriptures applicable to the situation of life they were in.

Garth Hunt, with the Christian Missionary Alliance, was a key man and a good friend, who had a church multiplication program with great results.

This was a time of war and urgency to get the Gospel out. I used to arrive from Bangkok usually on Sunday mornings. That was coupe time in Vietnam and twice a new government took over as I arrived. You could not tell who was driving your taxi. It could be a Viet-Cong. You didn't know. Claymore mines were going off regularly in hotels.

It was a joy to meet Billy Graham during that time. He had come to minister to the US troops. I had been asked by the missionaries in Thailand to invite him to come there for a special evangelistic campaign. He spoke to 5000 of the troops at the airforce base. It had been pouring with rain and they were standing in mud. The amplification system had failed. No-one could hear anything. But when Billy Graham stood up and spoke, the rain still pouring down, he could be heard perfectly. Such was the anointing of the Holy Spirit upon him.

Ministering on the Canals of Thailand

2006-08-24T09:35:00.000+10:00

A major ministry of our Bangkok team was to the many who live in the stilted houses along the canals - little canoes their only means of transport. The canals reach out for many miles in all directions giving Bangkok the name of "the Venice of the East".

In 1959, while I was General Secretary of the North Shore Y.M.C.A. in Auckland, I became friendly with Jock McColum, a joyous Irishman who had previously been a drunkard from Dublin. He was gloriously saved and came to New Zealand using every opportunity to witness for the Lord. One of his methods was to use a special heat sealer to seal Gospel tracts in polythene envelopes. He prepared thousands of these in large packages and had them taken out to sea on ships to be dropped overboard to float and be washed up on the coastline to be picked up by people - a message out of the blue, as it were. He quoted the Scripture...

"Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again" Ecclesiastes 11:1.

It was this idea we took hold of for the canals of Bangkok. We sealed colourful tracts in polythene envelopes and rented a boat every week to flip these out to the excited people on the verandahs of the houses on stilts. If the tracts fell in the water they were not spoilt or lost. Naked little children would dive into the water to retrieve them.

One day, when we returned from our time on the canals, one of our Thai team, Lek, said...

"Could we pray for the Lord to give us our own boat? I would like to work full-time on the canals."

I suggested we pray right there and then. So we gathered around together and prayed a simple prayer asking the Lord to provide us with our own boat. A few minutes afterwards I left the team and went to the central Post Office to check our post box. While there a missionary from another organisation came in. We knew one another casually. He enquired what I had been doing and I told him that I had just been out, as was our regular custom, reaching out to the people on the canals. To my total surprise he said...

"Would you like a boat? A lady sent us money designated for a boat four years ago. But we don't have any work on the canals so it's been sitting there in bank all that time. If you want it you can have it."

The Lord had not just answered our prayer immediately, He had actually answered four years before we asked! So true is His word in Isaiah 65:24...

"Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear"!

What a miracle!

The Power of the Gospel

2006-08-22T16:55:00.000+10:00

Through one of our literature distributions in Chiangmai, Unoope Pimpar, an airforce man with a hot temper, responded to argue against us and the Gospel message (see our post "Seeing God at Work in Thailand"). However, the Lord convicted him and he surrendered his life to Jesus and was wonderfully saved, together with his wife, Noongluk, and their children. Unoope was discipled and led the follow-up team of 12, who handled the responses of hundreds of thousands of Thai from the 71 provinces all over Thailand. I have not witnessed anyone who kept such immaculate records. He had photos and details of every one of the enquirers from all the Newspaper Campaigns and Gospel tract distributions. He had records of every piece of correspondence to each one and the communications to missionaries and Christian workers closest to where they lived in each province.

In Thailand many people read every piece of literature. Some of the accounts that reached us were wonderful. Here are a few examples...

A woman was standing on top of the bridge which spans Bangkok's Chao Phraya River. She was about to commit suicide. However, before she jumped, she looked down for a moment and saw a package lying at her feet. She thought maybe her luck had changed and it was something valuable. She picked it up, opened it and found a small bottle of medicine. She was angry but then she noticed the colourful paper it was wrapped in. It was one of our Gospel tracts called "The Light of Life". She read it, responded and wrote in to tell us she had received Jesus, the gift of eternal life.

A missionary went out into a remote unreached area of Thailand. To his surprise he found a strong lone believer. Upon enquiring how he had come to faith in the Lord Jesus, the man explained how he had read the message in the newspaper. One of our full-page Newspaper Campaigns had been the wrapping for goods he had bought at the local village market.

After we left Thailand and returned for a visit, I was having lunch with Unoope. He handed me a response to a tract that had just come in that day. He knew I would understand, without telling me. On every piece of literature we distributed we put a date and a symbol to show where it had been distributed. This tract had been given out 15 years earlier. And now a response had come from a 19 year old man in Rangoon, Burma. This meant he had been 4 years old when the tract was given out in Bangkok and somehow that Gospel message had got all the way to Rangoon and reaped the harvest. Great little missionaries are Gospel tracts. The Book of Acts says...

"The word grew and multiplied" Acts 12:24.

The Worst and the Best Meal of My Life

2006-08-21T16:28:00.000+10:00

I was ministering in a village bamboo and thatched roofed church out in a desert place in Thailand. After the meeting I was invited to a humble house for a meal.

They were lovely people and wanted to treat me like a king. First, they brought out a deep leather woven basket partly full of sticky rice. As I looked down at the rice I could see that many dirty hands had been there before me. Then came the dried fish off the roof, accompanied by a myriad of flies. To get to eat the fish I had to wave my hand in front of my face to chase away the flies and then get it into my mouth quickly. This was followed by a large duck's egg, coloured red, blue and green. Last came a glass of dirty water. One grows to appreciate the custom of giving thanks and blessing the food before each meal.

This meal is certainly the one I remember above all others in my whole life. It was the worst meal I've ever experienced - but it was also the best meal I've ever had. These beautiful people had given me their best. They could not have done better for the King of Thailand himself. I rejoiced.

Children's Day Miracle

2006-08-19T18:17:00.000+10:00

Working in Asia one cannot ignore the massive number of children. They are all so charming and always smiling. The population, when we arrived in Thailand in 1962, was 26 million. Now it is closing in on 70 million. This represents a lot of children.

Unique to Thailand, they have a designated Children's Day. A strong conviction came to us that we should do something special to reach the children of Thailand. We got the idea to produce a 12 page colour booklet showing the salvation of the Lord for children, followed by a special Bible Correspondence Course, in a simplified form, for those who responded.

Because the Child Evangelism Fellowship, led by four single ladies, were working directly into this field, I approached them to see if they would be willing to take on this project if I provided the funding and the artist to help them in the production. I said as this was their calling I wanted to help them do it. If they chose not to do it, I would do it anyway. They agreed and we began to prepare.

Bunty and I, with the children, went to New Zealand where we were due at a Conference in the city of Nelson. During the Convention I was asked to share about the work in Thailand. So I spoke of the planned Children's Day project. After I shared, David Shock, a visiting ministry from Long Beach, California, jumped up and said...

"I will give the first $100 to this outreach" (this was before New Zealand had changed from pounds to dollars).

Well, the place went wild. Someone jumped up and said "I'll sell my TV". Another, "I'll sell my car". The taking of offerings was very conservative in those days and the leaders of the convention were totally unprepared for this response. They looked around for boxes and pens and paper and encouraged the people to give cash or a pledge and to have it in by September (It was April at the time of the Convention). It was a great time of joy in giving. They put it all in a large box and gave it to us.

The organisers had given us the use of a house for our whole family to stay in during the convention and when we got back there we tipped the box out onto the lounge room floor and began to count - 21,000 pounds! (around $200,000 to $300,000 at today's rate). What is even more amazing is that 24,000 pounds actually came in - more than was pledged.

We went back to Thailand with a goal to print 1 million, 12 page colour booklets. However, we found we needed twice the money to do the follow-up than the initial printing of the booklet, so we were able to print 600,000 and these were distributed throughout the 71 provinces of Thailand in one day. Soon we were to leave Thailand and move on to Hong Kong but we heard later that the team from the Child Evangelism Fellowship took three years to handle the follow-up from that one day! How powerful is the Word of God!

Millions Hear the Gospel

2006-08-18T21:20:00.000+10:00

Answering the call of God to reach the greater population of Thailand (see our post "To the Regions Beyond") we, together with our Thai team, started to develop a suitable message. Then Aderik came to the Lord. Not only was it wonderful to see him come to a personal experience with the Lord, he was a wonderful provision of the Lord for getting the Gospel out to the nation. As one of the leading cartoonists in the land he helped us shape the message in an idiomatic form which could readily identify with the Thai people. We prepared it in a 4-page format and then I went with Aderik to Bangkok to meet the General Manager of a printing company that produced the newspaper, "The Daily News". The goal was to print a first batch of one million copies.

A New Idea Emerges

The manager proudly showed us his newspaper with the front and back pages in full plate colour showing Thai traditional dancers. It was a beautiful production. These special editions were every Wednesday and Sunday when the lottery results came out.

"How would you like to have a full-page presentation of your message on these special days?" he asked.

He gave the price - 1,000 pounds. I quickly made calculations. It would be going all over the country to the best reading public - into the homes, the factories, the eating places, the palace - with no distribution costs. I kept my excitement to myself and said...

"Yes, we would like to do that".

We returned to Chiangmai in the north and prepared the illustrated message in one full page format with a reply slip at the bottom, and then returned to the Daily News with a confirmed date plus the full payment. Somehow we had the payment, although I can't remember how it arrived. Back to Chiangmai, and we put in place a beautiful correspondence course and a team to handle the follow-up. We eagerly awaited the time of the publication . The day came and I went to the newsagent ready to buy many historic copies. In 1963 this was the first of this kind of evangelism. We were so disappointed when we opened the newspaper and found our full-page Gospel message was not there. We learnt later that the management has been pressured not to print it because of Communist influence.

However, the Lord had used them to give us the idea and we subsequently went to bigger and better newspapers and put them in. Thousands responded from all of the 71 provinces of Thailand. From around 20 Newspaper Campaigns 246,000 Thai Buddhists responded. Our team, led by Unoope Pimpar, did a magnificent job of handling the follow-up with the Bible Correspondence Course, "The Living Word". Records, with photographs, were kept of each person giving details of their growth and responses.

This type of evangelism was later tried in other countries with limited success, but for Thailand it was the direction of the Lord. The last Newspaper Campaign was held in 1986 in "Thai Rath", Thailand's biggest newspaper with a circulation of over 3 million. It cost $5,000 and 10,000 responded in one day. How powerful is the Word of the living God!

Seeing God at Work in Thailand

2006-08-16T10:40:00.001+10:00

On our arrival in Chiangmai, Bobby Nishomoto, a missionary from Hawaii, Samarn, a Thai evangelist, and Sombat, joined us in a team to reach the northern area of Thailand. We distributed large quantities of Gospel literature throughout the region, going from house to house and had many outreaches to the villages, seeing many people saved and water baptised in the ponds and rivers.

On one occasion we went to Fang, near the Burmese border. A thatched roof was erected with bamboo poles, and the town people gathered. We had a great meeting and Samarn, who has a gift of miracles, prayed for a forty-year-old woman who was deaf and dumb from birth. The people were astonished when she heard and spoke for the first time and great praise rang out. Then, suddenly, stones began to rain on us. They were being catapulted from behind the wall of the Buddhist Temple which was a few hundred yards away. Amazingly, no-one moved and no-one was hit. I saw a stone coming straight for me. It hit a thin bamboo pole in front of me. Great were the victories we experienced in those days.

A Church is Born in Chiangmai

We began a Gospel meeting in a shop front in the busy shopping area of Chiangmai. This was a difficult task in 1963 and when we saw 80 people come to the Lord at our Gospel hall it was considered quite a visitation of God in those days. At that time many missionaries had been in Thailand for ten to fifteen years and had seen only one or two converts.

One night, when we were gathered with the new converts in the little shopfront, I preached on the story of David and Goliath, through an interpreter, using the old Bible story as a picture of how Jesus defeated our enemy, Satan, for us. I was acting it out, jumping on a chair whenever I was taking the part of Goliath bellowing across the valley to the army of Israel, and jumping down to be David, swinging my arm as he shot the stone from his sling. Unbeknowns to me, outside a young boy was hiding behind the wall listening intently, peering around every now and then to watch the histrionics. As he heard the simple Gospel message, his heart responded, and when Bobby went out to talk with him, he received the Lord Jesus as his Saviour. That young boy, Boonmark, was to become a well-known Christian radio ministry in Thailand and pastor of one of the fellowships that sprang from the little shopfront meeting.

At the same time Boonmark was hiding behind the wall, Teeung, a business manager in the city, came off the street into the shopfront, believed the Gospel message he heard and received the Lord as his Saviour. His wife, Supit, a night club singer, would later follow him. She was to compose many wonderful Christian songs which she would sing in traditional Thai style.

Another man, Unoope Pimpar, received a Gospel tract and, a violent man, reacted with such anger that he planned to come with a knife to "kill the missionaries". Bobby and Samarn went to visit him and, on finding Unoope ill and his little boy with a hernia, prayed for them in the name of Jesus and both were healed. As result both Unoope and his wife received the Lord. Noongluk would later testify how, while trying to support the family by selling homemade cakes in the market, she was amazed that her cakes never seemed to run out. She would sell them and still the same number would be in her basket. We shared with her from the Bible about the miracle of Jesus, feeding the 5000. Unoope and his family would later follow us to Bangkok and he became the director of our literature ministry throughout Thailand. Aderik, a top cartoonist known throughout the nation, also came to the Lord. He, too, was later to work with us, using his talent to reach millions.

Over the year we were in Chiangmai we would cover every house and every village in the northern region of Thailand with the message of the Gospel. Some time later the Communists would fly from the north and drop propaganda into the whole area but we were thrilled that, possibly for the first time in Asia, the message of Jesus Christ had reached there first.

Leadership Gatherings

We also sent out a series of special Bible studies on "First Principles" to Christian leaders all over Thailand and, for four years, held conferences at the Baptist camp site in Pattaya Beach, outside of Bangkok. Hundreds gathered on these occasions from all over Thailand. God poured out His Holy Spirit on us each time we gathered. There was a great release of teaching and imparting of gifts. Repentance, deliverance, and healing took place in many lives. Some saw visions. One saw the Lord Jesus, his body filled with disease, and we knew it was picturing the condition of the spiritual Body of Christ around the world and all were stirred to pray. Another saw the building where we were meeting ablaze with fire. All rejoiced with great praise to God. A first missionary was sent out from our midst - to Laos.

Experiencing a Wonderful Miracle

2006-08-14T21:10:00.000+10:00

Paul's time in Petchaboon (see our previous post "Going to the Regions Beyond") proved to be not only a time of great import to the ministry but also to us personally. I will never forget the day he left, now so long ago, but still printed indelibly on my memory. As I stood saying goodbye to him at the front door of our little home in Bangkok I had no idea of the trauma that lay ahead. I just remember wondering whether I should tell him that I suspected I was pregnant again, but decided to wait until he got back as it would only make him more concerned about me while he was gone. That night I went to a Christian gathering. At the end of the meeting someone offered me a drink of orange juice. Within minutes of drinking the juice I began to feel rather sharp twinges in my stomach. By the time I arrived home the pains were excruciating. For three long days I vomited violently, unable to take even a sip of water without a violent reaction. I was so weak I could only give instructions to Peujun, the Thai girl living with us, to bath or feed David. On the third night I lay stretched over the bed on my stomach, exhausted, dizzy, my head hanging over the edge, my whole body wracked by the spasms and vomiting. I could only think, "I hope this doesn't do any damage to the baby." That night I began to miscarry. After three days the pains began ease and finally stopped, but I still continued to miscarry. As the days stretched into weeks there was no improvement. I longed for Paul to come home. He, of course, knew nothing of what was happening and, out there in the remote villages of central Thailand, I had no way of contacting him. A letter would have arrived long after he had already left and phones were non-existent there.

One night, as I knelt beside my bed, I cried out to the Lord..."Oh Lord, please, I want to keep this baby".

A stillness came over me, that beautiful peace which comes with the sense of the presence of the Lord, and deep within my soul I heard Him speak.

"The baby is going to be all right."

I got up from my knees with a firm conviction deep within, a quiet unexplainable confidence. The baby was going to be all right. Little did I realise I was about to learn one of the most important truths of the Christian life.

The Trial of Faith

I had both seen, and experienced, a number of miraculous answers to prayer. So when the Lord spoke to my heart with that clear word of assurance that the baby, fighting for life within me, was going to be all right, I expected a change in my condition to happen quickly, if not immediately. But this was not the case. Instead of improving I got worse. Like Abraham, who waited twentyfive years for God to give him the son He promised; like Joseph who, after receiving dreams from God that he would rule over his brothers, experienced the exact opposite - thrown into a pit, sold as a slave, ending up in the lowest prison in Egypt - until the time that his word came to pass (Psalm 105:19); like all the heroes of faith in the Scripture who believed God's word to them despite the opposing circumstances, I was about to learn the reality of the trial of faith. The words of Peter in the Bible were to become a living reality to me...

"...now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith - of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire - may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed" 1 Peter 1:6-7.

I was to learn the importance of knowing the promise of God and standing on His Word in the midst of the opposite circumstances of life. With each passing day and no change in my condition, I battled doubt and fear. But each day, as I waited on the Lord, His quiet peace and assurance would again whell over me and I would say to myself, "All I know is - the Lord says the baby is going to be all right". At long last the day came when Paul returned home. It had only been three weeks but had seemed a life-time. It was so good to have Paul's strong faith helping me through my times of weakness and testing, when people expressed their fear for the baby to hear him say too, "The Lord says the baby is going to be all right!"

Throughout our personal trial, the work we had been called to do in Thailand continued to grow. As Paul and I prayed together we felt a clear direction from the Lord to move from Bangkok to Chiangmai, in the north. This proved to be another challenge to our faith. I was due for another doctor's appointment. The months had passed and I was now five months pregnant and there was still no improvement in my condition. Although I had no pain, needless to say I was very weak. I had been told by the doctor to stay flat on my back in bed throughout the pregnancy. But over the months, as David developed from crawling to toddling, this proved impossible. I did not spend one day in bed.

This time, after I had been examined, the doctor took Paul aside. I did not learn until much later all he told Paul. Not until after the baby was born did he tell me that the doctor had said it would be a dead baby and that he feared for my life too. At that time Paul only shared with me that the doctor had said I should not go to Chiangmai. The flights were on old DC3s and were notoriously bumpy, and there was no one in Chiangmai capable of caring for me as the missionary doctor from the McCormick Hospital there was in the United States on a year's furlough. Paul had wanted to send me home to Australia where I could be with my mother and under the best medical care. But the doctor had said I would not be able to take the flight. We felt like we were boxed in. We had already arranged with people to move into our little house and we had sold our furniture in preparation to go. The new tenants were due to move within the next few days.

After Paul shared what the doctor had said, I went up into the bedroom to pray.

"What do you want us to do, Lord?" I asked.

My Bible was in front of me and I opened it up to read as I was praying. What I read came as a clear direction from the Lord, for with the words came a knowing within.

"Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left..." (Proverbs 4:27).

I knew that meant Chiangmai. We were not to turn aside from what we had planned. I went downstairs and shared with Paul.

"I believe we must go to Chiangmai as we've planned. The Lord will take care of me and the baby".

Within days we were on the DC3 to Chiangmai. For the first time the plane took a direct flight instead of stopping several times on the way, and it was an unusually smooth flight despite its passage over the mountains. The Lord was, as always, faithful to His Word. Paul had already organised our housing in Chiangmai during a brief prior visit, so we moved straight in. It was directly opposite the McCormick Hospital. As we knew the missionary doctor was away on furlough, Paul set out to see if there was anyone at the Thai government hospital who was capable of caring for me. This was the only other hospital in Chiangmai. He came back very excited.

"Guess what!" he said, "I've found a Thai doctor who not only trained in Britain and America but is also a specialist in cases like yours!"

The doctor was actually a professor at the medical school in Chiangmai. An expert in the field of gynalogical difficulties, he was probably the leading doctor in the whole country to be able to handle this kind of situation. Although he did not practise normally and did not normally attend private patients, he offered to visit me personally at home every week. This was unheard of in Thailand. I couldn't believe it. I was going to be under better care here in Chiangmai than I would have been in Bangkok. We were both amazed, so relieved and so thankful to the Lord for His faithfulness. When the doctor came to examine me I learnt for the first time what was causing the trouble.

"The baby is lying in the wrong position, horizontally across the womb, and the placenta is below it" he said. "I will have to take it by caesarean section at the eighth month."

I was, by now, six months. With this knowledge from the doctor Paul prayed with me. The next week when he visited again, he was astounded.

"The baby has moved!" he said. "It's now in the right position and the placenta has moved up." He shook his head in amazement. "That just does not happen."

Paul shared how we had prayed and the Lord Jesus had answered, and this Buddhist doctor nodded and agreed it was a miracle. We began to call our little unborn baby "our miracle baby".

Our Miracle Baby

I had set my eyes on seven months. It seemed such a long way away but I knew the baby had a good chance of survival if I could only make it to seven months. When I finally reached it I sighed with great relief. In my thinking I had made it to the "safety line". One week later I started in labour. After our tiny little girl arrived in the world, two months premature, the doctor came to me in amazement. He had discovered what had been causing all the problem. The placenta had been ripped at one end. It had obviously torn when I had been vomiting so violently. He could not believe that the baby could have survived. He could not understand how she had received the nourishment she needed. She truly was a miracle.

"The Lord has a special purpose for this little one" said Paul.

About ten days after she was born, we received a letter from a Christian group in New Zealand.

"Last Wednesday night" they wrote, "we were in a prayer meeting when a sense of urgency came upon us to pray for Bunty. We continued to pray until we all felt the burden lift. Did anything special happen that time?" they asked.

It was the exact time I was giving birth.

Paul had taken me in a wheelchair to see the baby soon after she was born. We had gazed at her tiny form in the humi-crib through the window. She had tubes in her nose and taped to her little face, but she looked so beautiful and we thanked the Lord together for her. The second time I saw her, however, I was alone. Paul was in a meeting with our missionary team and I so yearned to see her I walked slowly up the ramp to the second floor where her special room was. As I looked at her through the glass I had such a longing to hold her. Then she turned her little head towards me and opened her eyes and gazed around. Illogical as it was, because I knew she could not yet focus, I burst into tears.

"She should be seeing me" I cried to myself, "not the cold surrounding of a humi-crib."

The ache is my heart was so great I couldn't stand to look any longer and I ran down the corridor, sobbing. Suddenly, Paul turned the corner and was holding me and comforting me.

"I was in the middle of the meeting" he said, "and I suddenly knew you needed me. So I left them and came straight over."

On the third day after giving birth I went home to Paul and David, leaving our precious little girl still in the hospital. Our crisis was not yet over. It was still touch and go whether our tiny baby would survive. Missionary and Thai friends came with us to see her in the hospital and every time they saw her tiny frame I watched their faces fall and then look with pity at us. We would smile and assure them,

"She's our miracle baby. The Lord has said the baby is going to be all right."

They said nothing to me, but to Paul they expressed their concern.

"You mustn't get your hopes up too high." And to one another, "We feel so sorry for the Collins's".

At home, baby parcels were arriving from family and friends overseas. Amongst them was a "My Baby" book. I opened it. The words were written as though the baby was talking. I shook away the unwelcome thought from Satan, "Will she live to ever read this?", thanked the Lord again for the miracle and, under "My name is" slowly and deliberately wrote "R E B E C C A".

For six long weeks I could only watch our little girl through the window as she lay in the humi-crib. I had not even touched her, let alone held her. Then came the wonderful day, as I stood looking at her through the glass with such a longing in my heart, the doctor said "I think it would be all right for you to hold her now". Oh the joy as they let me into the room, opened the humi-crib and put my tiny baby into my arms. I held her little hands, stroked her little face, told her how much I loved her and how she was a special little girl, our little miracle, and how God had a special purpose for her. Every day I spent time with her and then one week later the doctor said,

"I think you can take her home now. She still only weighs 4 lbs but she'll do better with you than staying here. She needs her mother."

Words cannot describe the feeling as we drove home with the precious bundle and put her in the cot that had been waiting for months to hold her. The next few months were exhausting. Night and day, every two hours she would wake for her milk. But they were also wonderful days as she settled in with her family, getting stronger and stronger as the time passed. Soon the crisis was over and she was a normal, healthy little girl. We celebrated her first birthday. Then, farewelling all the ones we had come to love in Chiangmai, we left to set up our base in Bangkok.

As the years passed, the children grew with the awareness that they were part of the ministry with us. Whenever Paul and I went to distribute Gospel tracts to the crowds in Bangkok, David and Rebecca would always go with us. Keeping close to me they, too, would hand out the tracts and give people the message of Christ. They were also part of our times of prayer, and every night we would read to them and tell them the stories of Jesus. One night, when Rebecca was four years old, something very special happened. I woke to hearing David crying and asking for a drink and was about to get out of bed when he stopped. I waited to see if he would ask again, but it was obvious he had gone back to sleep so I got back under the covers. It was the cool season at that time, the only time of the year when the normally very hot and humid Bangkok feels a chill and we needed to put covers on the bed. As the children came into our bedroom the next morning, as they always did when they woke up, Rebecca said...

"Mummy, I saw Jesus last night".

"Did you, Sweetheart", I said, thinking she had been dreaming.

"Yes" she told us. "I was cold and Jesus came and rubbed my arms to make me warm."

I began to realise she was describing more than a dream.

"What did He look like?" Paul asked.

"He had hair like Mummy's" She pointed to my shoulder-length hair, "and He wore a long white gown with a golden belt."

"What did he say to you?" I asked.

"Nothing" she said. "He just listened. I told him all about my toys. Then David woke up and wanted a drink and Jesus said 'It's all right' and then David went back to sleep".

I remembered David waking and I knew she was describing a real experience. The Lord had visited her.

"What happened then?" I asked.

"Jesus said he had to go" she said "And he went back to Heaven again."

A few days later I was carrying her down the stairs to the living area when suddenly, pointing to the window, she said...

"Ohh...look, Mummy, look!"

The house had a strip of window at the top of the wall in the living area. The sun was just rising and its brilliant rays, caught by the window, were so dazzling we had to turn our eyes away.

"Oh, no it's not" she said. "I thought it was Jesus coming back again".

I realised then the glory she had seen as the Lord had visited her. He must have come in a blaze of brilliant, dazzling light.

As the years passed by Rebecca grew with a great sense of the call of God on her life. She knew she had been born for a purpose. She received the Lord personally into her life at a young age and as a young adult returned to Chiangmai. Today, she and her husband, Timothy, with their seven children, do humanitarian work and minister the Gospel to the tribes of the surrounding areas. She is our miracle girl, and that miracle is now being outworked in the precious lives of many tribal people.

Going to the Regions Beyond

2006-08-13T19:37:00.000+10:00

One of the first things we did when we arrived in Thailand (see our post "To Go or Not to Go") was to design several "Bookshop Bicycles". We fitted aluminium boxes with shelves to hold Gospel tracts and Bible portions and attached these to the back of the bicycles. The boxes were cut in such a way they would fold down to make a little stall, displaying the precious goods. This was fun and workers were soon out on the job getting the Gospel out in this way.

We longed, however, to see people experiencing the same miraculous power of God we had seen in New Zealand (see our post "Entering a New World"). We had formed a real friendship with the missionaries from the Finnish Free Mission and later would join together with them for a number of training schools in Moobarn Setaket, just out of Bangkok. One day I expressed to them my desire to minister where the Gospel had never been heard, so they invited me to go to Phetchaboon where they were working. Thus the day came when, with great excitement and anticipation, I ventured out into the middle of Thailand, to the Phetchaboon province.

The Finns offered one their key workers, Sombat, to be my interpreter. Sombat was to become a great friend over many years and is to this day. His story is a wonderful account of God's salvation. He came to the Lord at fourteen years of age as one of the first converts in the Phetchaboon province. As a result he was thrown out of home by his father and was made to stand up in front of his whole school to be publically ridiculed. "This silly boy has become a Christian" the headmaster accused. Sombat went to Brother Pekonen. "I don't think I can make it" he told him. Brother Pekonen went up into the mountains where he fasted and prayed for seven days that Sombat would stand strong in the Lord. He did.

Because I wanted to go where the Gospel had never been, the Finnish missionaries took me to a remote, previously unreached, village. There they erected a large tent, composed of just the top canopy, and then, with loud speakers, drove around inviting people to the meeting. That night I watched with great excitement as people, holding blankets over their shoulders and carrying torches, streamed from all directions towards the tent. 800 in all! Little did I know I was about to learn a big lesson.

I ministered my "best" message that night. As I, animatedly, indicated a point with my hand, Sombat would do the same as he interpreted. To my amazement the people burst out laughing. Apparently it was because they had never heard English before and Sombat and I looked like we were having a fight. Not to be put off, I continued and at the end gave an invitation for anyone who wanted to receive the Lord as their Saviour to indicate by raising their hands. Not one response. I thought, "Ah, the answer is to show them the Lord is real". I invited anyone who was sick to come forward for prayer and the Lord Jesus would heal them. Again, not one response. I felt deflated and such a failure. But the Lord was teaching me a very important lesson and preparing me for His plan and purpose for us in Thailand.

There were four people who came to the Lord during those four nights of meetings. Although I was very happy for those four precious people, I was so disappointed that there had been so few. But all during those four nights the Lord had been speaking to me. Here I was - a foreigner in their land...someone they had never seen before. If I preached on John 3:16..."God so loved the world..."...Who is God? And what is love? Is God a buddha on the shelf, a spirit in a tree, or a photo of an ancestor on the wall of their house? I began to realise the importance of the Lord's commission to go into all the world and teach all nations (Matthew 28:19-20).

Thoughts were coming into my heart from the Lord. If I could reach the same number of people who were in the tent that night, every night for a year, how many would I reach? I quickly calculated it up in my mind. About 292,000. Well, came the thought, the population would have grown by a million or so in that time. We would always be running behind. (At the time of writing this post the population of Thailand has grown from the 26 million in 1963 to around 65 million now). I had seen how the Thai team could communicate with their own people. I knew that 75% of the nation could read [in 1963]. What if we got the Gospel message the way the team communicated it down onto the printed page? That way, we could reach millions of people.

Thus, that night, was the birthing of a ministry we had not planned but which was literally going to reach millions and personally impact multitudes.

Discovering the Wonder of the Cross

2006-08-03T18:56:00.000+10:00

My years at Christian Television Association were very fulfilling. Nothing was more exciting than seeing the Gospel message go out across the nation and being involved in it, both in performing and producing and also in the general office work during the week. Though Sunday was the main day for the programs to be aired (mostly "live") I was able to go to church in the mornings, so my Christian life stablised.

I use that word "stablised" both positively and negatively. For, although I was firm in my faith in the Lord, I was also becoming very dissatisfied. What caused this dissatisfaction was a plan I formed (which, of course, turned out to be the instrument the Lord used). I had a great idea one day (at least I thought it was) to write a movie script based on the life of Paul, the apostle. I had never really read the book of Acts through. I thought it was just a record of history, and therefore would be boring to read. But to write about Paul I knew I needed to read it. So I set myself to the task. I was totally unprepared for the effect it would have on me. As I read it, I was amazed at the lives of those early believers. The more I read the more I realized I was nothing like them. I was a believer. I loved the Lord. But I did not have the joy, the victory, or the power that I saw in their lives. Something was wrong. Something was missing.

I began to cry out to the Lord,

"Lord, if this is all the Christian life is I may as well give it up."

It was the expression of desperation. I did not really mean I would give up the Lord. But I knew there had to be more than I was experiencing. I was in my room alone at the time, sitting on my bed. In front of me was my bookshelf. My eyes fell on one of the books and, as clearly as could be, the Lord spoke to my heart - "Read that book". It was a book I had bought sometime before when a visiting missionary had come to the church. He had shared how he "lived by faith". I had felt sorry for him so at the end of the meeting bought one of the books he was selling at the back of the church - to "help him out", I thought. I had no intention of reading it. I'd put it on my bookshelf where it had been sitting, gathering dust. The book was "CT Studd", the story of the founder of WEC International. I picked it up and began to read and my life was never to be the same again.

I could not put the book down. Even in my lunch-hour at work I would read it. One day, lunch was over and I was reading it as I walked down the busy street of North Sydney back to the office. I had come to the part where CT Studd, a missionary in China at the time, was leading a meeting with the other missionaries. They were singing the great old hymn "Stand up, stand up for Jesus, ye soldiers of the Cross". CT Studd said,

"We're already standing up. Let's show the Lord we really mean it. Let's all stand on our chairs and sing it".

All the missionaries got up on their chairs to sing - except one. He was disgusted at the behaviour. As I read, I was too. I thought to myself, I agree with that missionary. I wouldn't stand up on my chair. I continued reading as I walked, undistracted by the busy traffic on the road or the pedestrians passing by. The next chapter told the account of some of the missionaries travelling by boat down the river. The girl who was later to become CT Studd's wife was standing on deck. The missionary who had refused to stand on his chair joined her and asked her a question that was to hit hard at my heart as I read it..."Why is it that I don't have the joy that you and the other missionaries have?"

"Yes, Lord" I interrupted my reading, "that's what I want to know. Why don't I have that joy?"

The girl's reply was a direct arrow to my heart. "Are you willing to do anything for Jesus?" I stopped reading.

"I don't know" I thought. "I don't know if I'm willing to do anything."

As I walked down the road I then prayed a prayer that I now suggest to others never to pray unless you really mean it. I was about to get the quickest answer to prayer I have ever had.

"Lord, please show me anything I am not willing to do for you."

At the exact moment the words were out my heart I passed by a hotel filled with men drinking beer.

"Go in there" the Lord spoke clearly to my heart, "and tell those men about Me."

My reply? No hesitation. "Lord, thank you for showing me something I'm not willing to do."

That moment began an earnest, focused seeking of the Lord for me. I now knew what the problem was and I wanted to be willing to do anything for Him. I was scheduled to go to a young people's camp in a few weeks so I set my eyes firmly on that. "I will find the answer there," I determined.

I can honestly say I was the only young person that got anything out of the camp. My friends were all complaining how boring it was. But my life was transformed. I sat on the edge of my chair at every word the speaker spoke. He was sharing a truth from Romans chapter 6 that had just become revelation to him. How Jesus had not only died for our sins so that we could be forgiven for what we had done and have eternal life, but that we had died in Christ. Our "old man" - the person we were outside of Christ - had died with Him 2000 years ago so that we could now walked in "newness of life", a whole "new creation" in Him. "It's the Gospel for Christians" he said. I could hardly contain my excitement as I left the camp. I knew it was the answer. "Make it reality to me, Lord" was now my prayer.

Three months went by. I had not lost the focus. My prayer had continued all through that time. "Make it real to me, Lord". I was walking home from work, still expressing this to the Lord, when I came to a certain spot in my walk where every day I would stop and look over the view. It was on a hill and from that place I could see across the beautiful Sydney harbour. Every day I would stop there for a few minutes. This day, as I enjoyed the view, the Lord spoke very clearly to my heart.

"Kneel!" Just one word.

Again, "Kneel!"

It was a bright, sunny day. Houses were all around. "Lord, I can't kneel" I said.

I don't know how long I argued with the Lord. But over and over again would come that one word, "Kneel!"

Finally I said, "Lord, I can't kneel. What if someone should see me?"

As clearly as could be came the words to my heart - "There! That is what must go!"

I knew then the Lord was dealing with my fear of what other people would think of me. I was just about to kneel when a woman walked down the side street close to where I was. I pulled myself up and said "'Wait, Lord. Wait until she has gone by and then I'll kneel". Again that clear word - "You kneel because she's going by!"

The joy that filled my heart as I obeyed the Lord is beyond description. It was overwhelming. I got up from my knees a totally different person. The words of Paul in Galatians 2:20 rang in my heart....

"I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me. And the life I now live, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me."

The joy and victory I had seen in the early Christians as I read the Book of Acts, and that I had longed for, had now become a reality. I was to learn of the power not long after. But that will be another post.

Stepping into the Call of God

2006-08-02T12:28:00.000+10:00

While Paul was seeing God move so wonderfully in the South Island of New Zealand, I was in Sydney working with the Christian Television Association. How I got to be there is a testimony to the intervention of God in our lives. It is wonderful to look back and see the Lord's Hand so clearly on your life, even though you may not be aware of it at the time.

From a very young age my dream had been to be an actress. I trained for stage work with the Independent Theatre in Sydney and for radio work with Rosalind Kennadale's Radio Academy and was doing professional acting from the age of eleven. My eyes were on television and ultimately the big screen. I was doing well and everything was going towards this plan. I had no idea that the Lord had other plans.

Quite independently from these ambitions (at least that's what I thought), around the age of fourteen or fifteen I began to wonder about the reality of God. Although my parents were not church-goers, I had been sent to Sunday School, but as I reached my mid-teens I began to seriously want to know the truth. Many people I knew, who said they believed in God, didn't act as though He mattered in their lives at all. Some went to church each Sunday, but it was as though He was non-existent the rest of the week. To me that did not add up.

"If there is a God" I thought, "surely He should be the most important person in our life."

I began to pray earnestly. Every night I would get on my knees and cry out from my heart...

"God, if you are real, show yourself to me."

For three months or so I cried out like this. Then, getting no response, I began to think that it must be that God does not exist. Right at that time a friend of my parents came to stay for a short time with us. One day, when there were just the two of us in the house, knowing she believed in God I asked her why. She mentioned the wonder of all that He had created.

"I can't believe God created everything" I said. "It sounds too much like a fairy story".

She began to explain more but, to this day, I have no idea what she said for suddenly the light had dawned.

"What a fool I've been" I thought, "I've been thinking of God limited like a man. If God is God of course he can create. He wouldn't be God otherwise".

Our friend suddenly said, "I must go down to the shops" and she was gone. I was left alone in our lounge room. It is hard to put into words the wonder that filled my heart as the Presence of God filled the room. I got on my knees and gave Him everything that belonged to me. I gave him my purse, laughing because there was nothing in it. I gave him my dog. I gave him my life. I thanked Jesus for coming and dying for me. In my mind's eye I saw all the believers lined up down through the centuries and I had the strong awareness that I had stepped forward and joined the line.

There was no thought in my mind that I was giving up my ambitions. With joy I added the Lord to my plans. I would be the best actress as a Christian, was my thinking now. I would be His witness in the entertainment business. Several years passed. I was growing in my relationship with the Lord and also as an actress. I was getting regular roles in radio plays and in the theatre and, at the age of eighteen, it seemed as though the world was at my feet. Soon I would step into the "big time". Then one day the Lord challenged me to give Sundays fully to Him. That was all He asked for...just Sunday. As I look back now I understand the "cleverness" of the Lord. He did not ask me for the whole week. Just the one day. But that one day, I was soon to learn, represented my whole life.

A very short time later, much to my joy, I got a call to take the leading role in one of the Independent Theatre plays. This was what I had been waiting for! As I enthusiastically answered the invitation a whisper came to my heart "Remember - Sundays are mine" and I knew I had to speak up. Nervously, I told the producer,

"I want the part very much. Just one thing though - I've become a Christian. I can't rehearse on a Sunday".

I was amazed at her answer. No problem, she assured me. She very much wanted me for the part so she'll organise it so we don't have to rehearse on a Sunday. I was overjoyed.

We met together for the first rehearsal. As the producer walked into the gathering of the actors she announced with great frustration...

"I can't believe it. I've never experienced this in all my years in the theatre. The only day we can get for rehearsal is Sunday!" And looking at me, "Bunty won't you please change your mind?" All the actors eyes were fixed on me.

I shook my head, feeling amazed at myself at what I was doing.

"I can't" I said, "I can't rehearse on a Sunday."

You could feel the shock waves around the room. This just was never done! The producer tried to persuade me. She really wanted me for the part, she said. She continued, many times, asking me to change my mind and each time I said "no" more peace filled my heart.

The part was given to someone else. The actors shook their heads in disbelief at me. As we left, one of them came up and took my hand.

"It's been nice knowing you, Bunty" he said.

"I'm not going anywhere" I replied. It still never enter my head that I was giving up acting. I was just filled with joy at being obedient to the Lord.

Three months went by and I heard nothing from the theatre. No calls came offering roles. I heard on the grapevine that the play I had rejected had been cancelled. And I smiled with the Lord. I would never have had the part anyway. But I began to feel anxious at the lack of calls. Then one came...from the same producer. A one-day reading. "A religious play", she said.

I did not realise what had happened within my spirit at my act of obedience and during the three months that followed, but as I arrived at the theatre and began to walk down the long entrance...a walk I had taken so many times before...a strange feeling filled me. I felt as though I was walking out of light into darkness. As I sat in the foyer with the other actors, waiting the arrival of the producer, I felt so uncomfortable, so out-of-place. The producer arrived and, coming straight to me, whispered wonderful words in my ear...

"I've come to know Him, too!" she said.

Several years later I would meet her again, giving her testimony to the hundreds of people in the St Stephens church in Sydney and over TV, as I helped produce CTA's program "Wednesday at St Stephens".

I was so relieved when the reading was over and I could leave the theatre. As I walked up the long way out I felt like I was walking out of darkness into light. I stood outside "drinking in" the sunlight.

"Lord," I said, "I will never go back there again!"

The Lord, in His great wisdom, had ask me for just one small act of obedience....give Him Sunday. But on that one small act His grace had got to work and He had taken out of me all my ambition and love of acting. My life now was totally His. I was now on the threshold of His plan and purpose for my life.

A short time later I received the invitation to work with the Christian Television Association and have the joy of seeing the Gospel message go out over the TV waves. It was there that the challenge to the missionfield would come. It was there I was to meet Paul and it was from there, together with him, I was ultimately to fulfill the call of God.

Entering a New World

2006-07-31T11:14:00.000+10:00

While in Tauranga studying (see our post "The Wonder of God at Work") we began to hear reports of a visitation of God down in Timaru. An unassuming evangelist by the name of A.S. Worley from Tennessee, USA, had been led of the Lord to come to New Zealand. He had met with some leaders in the South Island and had told them,

"I feel from the Lord to go start some meetings in Timaru."

Everyone tried to dissuade him.

"Timaru is the preacher's graveyard" they said.

But his reply, in his broad southern accent, was...

"I think I'll go to Teemaroo."

So he did. He started in a hall with five people. His wife, who was a lovely lady, led the singing - but couldn't sing a note.

We began to hear reports in Tauranga - "100 people have come to the Lord and there have been many miracles of healing." Then more reports, "200 have come to the Lord" - "300" - "400" - "500" - "600" - "700".

A.S. Worley then called for Ron Coady and myself to go down and help him. The meetings were held almost every day, with Wednesday designated a teaching meeting and Saturday night a young people's meeting. Because I had worked with young people in the YMCA, I was asked to take the Saturday night. However, all the meetings were the same...with people receiving the Word, people being saved and people being healed...so everyone came to all the meetings. After I had preached I made an altar call and many people came out to receive the Lord and also for healing. I had observed how A.S. Worley prayed for the people. With a sweep of his arm he would put his hand on their head and say "Be healed in Jesus' Name". And they were. So, as a young man new to this kind of ministry, I did it the same way. With a sweep of my arm I put my hand on their head. "Be healed in Jesus' Name" I said. And, wonder of wonders, they were! So I didn't stop.

Worley was a quiet man who imparted faith everywhere he went. Ron and I stayed with him and his wife in their rented house. He was always praying and writing out statements of faith on large cards. For the first 15 minutes when he ministered he spoke very slowly and it would be very boring, then suddenly the anointing of God would come upon him. He would kick up his leg, take his handkerchief out of his pocket, throw it on the table, and he was off. He made faith seem so simple you felt ridiculous if you didn't believe, and the people responded.

Worley returned to the United States and Ron and I continued to pastor the new church in Timaru. The miracles continued. There were also many beautiful baptisms. I remember one in particular where 60 people were baptised in a freezing river. Many of this group were elderly and sick. We suggested to them that maybe they shouldn't be baptised that day because it was so cold. They insisted and were baptised, coming up out of the water healed and rejoicing.

Invitations began to flow in. Ron and I took a team to many cities of the South Island. Ron had some personal problems to work through but he was an outstanding preacher and had a great gift of faith and miracles. Although ten years my senior, he shared the ministry equally with me. Each meeting we would divide it. One evening I would lead the worship and prepare the people to receive the Word. Then Ron would preach and make the altar call. I would then prepare the people to receive healing and then, together, we would both minister with the laying on of hands. The next night we would reverse it. Ron would lead and I would preach.

In Invercargill, 210 people came to the Lord. Many were healed. One man, who was a lumberjack, had had his elbow destroyed when a steel rope snapped and whip-lashed it. Surgeons had put in a metal joint but it was not successful and his arm was closed across his chest and he was unable to move it. We took hold of his arm. Ron pulled it "in the Name of Jesus!" There was a mighty crunching sound, heard by everyone in the auditorium. His arm was free. From that night onwards he was able to use it normally. He lived in Gore, another city in the South Island, and invited us to go there. Out of 5000 in the city and surrounds, 3000 came to the meetings, and 600 responded to the Gospel message.

In each place many miracles were reported as well as signs and wonders such as many supernaturally receiving fillings for their teeth and holy oil appearing on people's hands. People saw angels in some of the gatherings.

Ron and I decided two things. Firstly, we would not take offerings for ourselves but just trust God for our support. Secondly, we would have a week of teaching to prepare the people before the Gospel meetings. So I went down to Gore early for this preparation. After one of the meetings a grandmother brought her two grandsons to me. We were standing together quietly in a corner as the people were fellowshipping around. Her youngest grandson, about five years old, was deaf. The older boy, about nine years old, had terminal bone cancer. Both boys also had badly decayed teeth. Would I pray for them, she asked. This grandmother had great faith in the Lord for the boys' healing. Quietly, in the corner, I prayed for these precious boys. Immediately their teeth were healed and the younger boy's ears were opened. He could hear! The older boy's healing was not so evident but we knew God had touched him. Three weeks later the grandmother returned with a doctor's report. All cancer had gone from the boy. He was completely healed.

The spirit of faith was so high in the meetings in Gore that the people came early and began spontaneously singing all the glorious songs of praise, so that by the time Ron and I arrived at the Gore Community hall at 7.30 each evening, the place was "alive". At the end of the meetings, around 11 or 11.30 pm, having seen many people come to the Lord and many miracles take place, they would all start "victory marches" round and round the hall, with great rejoicing.

Hundreds came to the meetings in each place...several hundred in Invercargill, many hundreds in Gore. 60 came to the Lord in Riccarton, 80 in Waimate. Many hundreds in Nelson and Motueka. 250 came to the meetings at the YMCA in Christchurch, several hundred in Rangiora. So many wonderful miracles - too many to report here.

What a great privilege it was to see the Lord move in such a wonderful way....watching people's lives dramatically changed through faith in the Saviour...seeing Him move in His compassion to heal and perform miracles as He had done when He had walked the earth so long ago....being so aware that we had nothing to do with it except having the joy to be there as He ministered...seeing the living reality of the scripture...

"Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever" (Hebrews 13:8).

My life was never the same again.

Miracle Keys

2006-07-11T11:14:00.000+10:00

Often the Lord does little things for us to encourage us. Often the little miracles are just as great as the big ones.

The day before yesterday (Sunday) we were making another move to another house to stay for a few days while we are here in Melbourne. (This is part of our life - moving.) We were in the process of packing our bags into our little yellow Hyundai Getz (nicknamed by our grandchildren "the yellow jelly bean"). It was night and it was dark in the driveway as we were packing. For some unforseen reason we mislaid both our sets of car keys. We searched and searched and finally found Bunty's, which had fallen into one of the open carry bags. But search as we did we couldn't find mine. We prayed for the Lord's help but, finally, had to leave without my keys. It was a 40 minute drive to our new location and we left the car parked overnight outside the house.

We didn't use the car the following day but about 6 that evening, Ami, the daughter of our hosts, MayWan and David, came in while we were having dinner and said to us, "Do these keys belong to you? I found them on top of your car".

We were absolutely amazed! How could those keys have stayed on top of the car all that way? There are many speed bumps and tramway tracks along the road which made it a pretty bumpy ride. We concluded that this had to be a miracle. The Lord must have sent an angel to look after those keys.

We are still rejoicing in the Lord and many are marvelling with us.

The Wonder of God at Work

2006-07-10T14:21:00.000+10:00

After being challenged to be willing for missionary service (see our previous post - "To Go or Not to Go"), I completed my studies for Youth Leadership at the Y.M.C.A. College in Sydney.

It was because I had witnessed God's miraculous hand at work in the lives of young people in New Zealand that I felt led of the Lord to study for Youth Leadership at the Y.M.C.A. As a teenager in the Methodist Church I was reaching out for the "living edge" with God. I had read how Moses had asked God to show him His glory (Exodus 33:18) and as I was sitting in the pew of the Bryndwr Methodist Church in Christchurch one Sunday I asked the Lord "Would you show me your glory, Lord?" In the midst of a packed church, a white cloud of the glorious presence of the Lord descended upon me. No one else would have seen it but I was overcome by the purity and light of the glory of God. So much so that, after just a few seconds, I had to ask the Lord to take it away because it was more than I could bear.

Because of this experience I started to reach out to the unchurched young people in the 14 to 16 age group in our district. I got permission from the minister, Mr Larsen, to clear out an old Sunday School room which was full of junk. This I transformed into a Club House with a record player, young people's library with all my football books, and antlers on the wall. I formed a Club and gathered a hundred young people from the district. In my naivity I organised teams of the young people to camp out for three days and nights to buy tickets for the Rugby football game between New Zealand and South Africa. We then sold all these tickets on the "open market" for a big profit :-) and then bought special jumpers with a big Boys' Club badge on the front. This gave them the sense of belonging. It was not long after this I organised a camp on a farm. I remember having to preach my first message and, feeling so inadequate, I climbed up into an empty water tower to seek the Lord for what I should share. Maybe I thought I was feeling closer to God there :-) This was a totally new experience for me. The only thing I could think of to speak about was "The Ten Talents" (Matthew 25:14-30). I delivered this message to the young people and I thought to myself "What an abject failure I am at this business. I will never preach again!"

I went out, walking in the paddocks of the farm, commiserating with myself - having a real old "pity party". Then, at one of the gates, I came upon three of the young people. They immediately said, "That message was tremendous!" I was so surprised. But talking more with them I ended up leading them to Jesus. Then, because it started raining, we went inside and continued to talk about the Lord. One of the other leaders came into the room and these three young people told him they had come to the Lord. He said, "We've been talking to the others in the main room and we haven't gone far enough with them." So we all went over to the main room. The three young people shared with the others what had happened to them. All that night, one by one, 114 of them came to the Lord.

How wonderful! My life was changed. My priorities were reset. I found it easy to give up my Rugby career which had been going so well. My goal to get into the New Zealand All-Black team had not been far away. But now, seeing God move so miraculously in the lives of these young people prompted me to go to the Y.M.C.A. Leadership Training College in Sydney. I was now walking on the living edge of God's purpose for my life.

Apart from the studies and the wonderful fellowship I had with the students at the Y.M.C.A. College, I was required to do field work in the inner city, depressed areas, of Sydney - Redfern, Surrey Hills and Waterloo. This was a great experience of reaching out to these underprivileged kids.

It was during the last year at the Y.M.C.A. College I was asked by Christian Television Association to appear on two weekly television programs. It was here I met Bunty, who was producing one and appearing in the other.

I then returned to Auckland, New Zealand, to take up the position of Executive Director of the Y.M.C.A. on the North Shore in Devonport. It was a wonderful year which saw the membership double and many young people come to know the Lord. This produced an amazing phenomenum where these new converts, by their own initiative, went out and witnessed to their friends and then brought them in to see me. Together we then led them to the Lord. There is nothing like the miracle of new birth! To see lives transformed by God's amazing grace.

After a year, however, I began to be stirred by the Lord again in relation to the mission field. The condition I gave to the Lord was that if He was leading me out He would bring in a replacement who was fully committed to Jesus. This he did and I was released to go. I then went, with my younger brother, Terry, to a 3-month Bible School run by Rob Wheeler in Tauranga. Here we were to learn more of the moving of the Holy Spirit and many of the keys that have opened the Scriptures to us. We also learnt what it meant to live by faith and rejoice in periods of deprivation.

It was not long before Terry and I ran out of money. We cashed in loads of old beer bottles left under the house by a previous tennant, but that soon was gone. Because the Bible School ran in the evenings, we would go down each day to the city employment office to apply for work, but had no success. The opposite to the natural reaction would come upon us. We would come out laughing. We would laugh and laugh - "No money - no jobs!" We were hungry but we remembered that each Sunday we were swamped with invitations for beautiful roast dinners. We thought, we just have to fast it out until Sunday. Guess what! That Sunday - no invitations! We walked home laughing and laughing - "No roast dinner!" Arriving home, still laughing, there was a knock on the door. Jim, a good friend, had arrived with a plate of cream cakes. "We thought you might like these", he said, and left. We put the cream cakes on the table and starting to laugh. "We don't want cream cakes" we laughed at one another, "We don't want cream cakes, we want a steak!" We were learning to laugh the laugh of faith at deprivation - situations we would face many times on the mission fields of Asia.

The School and the local Fellowship met on the first floor of a shopfront building. It was here that we saw great outpourings of the Holy Spirit. Many people "drunk" in the Spirit as on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-21). Sometimes it was hard to get some of them home quietly to houses of unsaved loved ones. They just wanted to continue to praise the Lord. One day a whole service was taken over by the Lord in worship. The only instrument in the room was a small pedal organ which was played by an elderly brother in the Lord. After over two hours of worship we walked down into the street outside. People came up to us and said "What a wonderful orchestra you've got!" They had heard trumpets and violins and a beautiful choir. Obviously the angels had been joining in worship with us.

What we experienced there in Tauranga was the beginning of what we were about to experience of a wonderful visitation of God in the South Island of New Zealand, which we will share about in a future post.

To Go or Not To Go

2006-07-08T13:34:00.000+10:00

Today is the 44th anniversary of the day we set out as missionaries to Thailand. July 8th, 1962 was a momentous day in our lives. We were, unbeknown to us, part of the last leg of an era...part of the old breed of missionaries who left families and homelands committed for life to a strange and unseen land. On that day, as the streamers flowed between the ship and the farewellers on land, the tears flowed freely on both sides. As we stood on the deck of the Arcadia, with our twelve-week-old baby boy in our arms, we didn't know if we would ever return or see our families again.

The voyage we were about to undertake was the fulfilment of God's stirrings in our hearts over a period of time. At the age of 21, while studying at the YMCA College in Sydney, I had gone to a missionary meeting to hear Sundah Sing and W.E. Maxwell of the Prairie Bible Institute, and to see "Through Gates of Splendour", the movie depicting the lives and sacrifice of the missionaries killed by the Alca Indians in South America. 2000 young people had filled the Sydney Town Hall. At the end of the movie the challenge was given "Who will go as a missionary for the Lord?" There was very little response. I was convinced that did not apply to me. I was not called or suited to be a missionary, I was sure. Then a second challenge was given. "Who would be willing to go as a missionary IF the Lord should call them?" I remember thinking, "I can't escape that. If the Lord should call me I would be willing". I slowly put up my hand in response. To this day I laugh..."The Lord said, 'I see that hand'!" I returned to New Zealand to experience a wonderful visitation of God in many cities of the South Island where Ron Coady and myself saw hundreds come to the Lord with miraculous healings.

Bunty and I had not yet met at that time, but the Lord was stirring her heart also. She had read the book "CT Studd", about the upper-class English cricketeer who had given up everything - his inheritance and his position - and gone out as a missionary first to China, then India and finally, Africa, founding the W.E.C. missionary organisation. She began attending missionary meetings every Saturday night at the W.E.C. base in Sydney. Every missionary she met and heard speak stirred her heart and she longed to go where people had never heard the Gospel. She would pray day after day "Please Lord, please Lord, send me". Finally, again silently praying this while listening to a missionary speak, the Lord spoke clearly to her heart, "Someday, somehow, somewhere, you will go".

Not long after we were married, we sat out on the small island at Balmoral Beach in Sydney and prayed together, "Lord where do you want us to go. We are willing to go anywhere." He spoke clearly to our hearts, "Just start going and I will show you where." So we began to move. We started to pack up our things and told our family and friends we were going. From that moment on it seemed that every time we turned on the news, or looked at a magazine, or heard someone speak, it was always about Thailand. It soon became very clear to us that that was where the Lord wanted us to go.

We applied at the Thai embassy for visas to allow us to live in Thailand. Thailand at that time was under martial law. We waited and waited and waited but the only visa available was a 3-week visitor's visa. Numerous leaders in the Body of Christ counselled us..."Don't go on a tourist visa. Wait for your permanent visas to come through". We decided to ask the Lord. As we prayed, a peace and joy filled our hearts. His answer was "Go". So, as we set sail on July 8th, with our numerous crates of household goods we had received as wedding gifts, the visas in our passports allowed us only three weeks.

Our journey aboard the Arcadia took us through the Philippines and Hong Kong. Our travel agent had told us that from Hong Kong to Bangkok we were booked on a luxury Scandanavian liner and the voyage would take three days. Nothing could be further from the truth! When the day came to board the liner for the final leg of our journey we were taken across the Hong Kong harbour by row boat to a rusty old cargo ship called the "Hang Yang". A rope ladder was thrown down for us to climb up and on reaching the top we were greeted by a concerned looking captain with the words "They didn't tell us you had a baby"!

Only two other passengers were on board with us...two young Swiss men backpacking around the world. There was no deck to relax on. We had to keep in our cabin for the whole trip, except at dinner time when we ate with the captain sitting at a very rocky table. The cabin was filled with cockroaches. There was no airconditioning and we had to put the specially provided "air catcher" out the porthole to get some air into the cabin. Unfortunately all it caught was the waves and seawater would flood in. We hit a tropical storm and instead of the journey taking 3 days it took 7. Both of us were very seasick. There were absolutely no facilities for the baby...no fresh water to wash his towelling diapers. We had to jettison his nappies out the porthole. We joke about the "golden trail" all the way from Hong Kong to Bangkok...the first disposable diapers. There was no way to sterilize his bottles and Bunty had to go down to the engine room and try to communicate in sign language to the very amused Chinese crew the need to boil them and fill them with boiled water.

It was with great joy - and great relief - the morning we saw the coastline of Thailand and finally arrived in Bangkok. Amazingly, despite all our crates and luggage, the customs men accepted our three-week tourist visa and we disembarked.

Space doesn't permit us to tell of all the Lord's wonderful working in getting us settled in a little Thai house but the biggest miracle was about to happen. Without realising how difficult it would make it, we were foolishly travelling on different passports - mine a New Zealand one, Bunty's British, and David, although officially on Bunty's passport, was an Australian citizen - and so, trying to get a resident visa, I was having to deal with three different embassies. None of them would help until finally, someone in the New Zealand embassy took pity on us. "My secretary is the niece of the General who is in charge of immigration", he said. "I'll see if she can get you an interview". The Lord was at work! With only one day left on our tourist visa the niece was finally able to get me an appointment with her uncle. As I walked into the Immigration Department and was directed to the General's office, I couldn't help but notice the many illegal overstayers behind the barred windows in the rooms along the corridor. Although we had not overstayed our visas (even though we had no funds for our return passage), it was still a little disconcerting to see them imprisoned there. I had been told of the importance of the Thai custom of showing respect by always keeping your head below the one in a superior position. When I opened the door to the General’s office I saw a little man sitting behind a huge desk. I am sure it was a very amusing sight to the angels and to the General himself to see me putting my hands together in a traditional “wai”, lowering my head and waddling on bent knees towards the man at the desk. As I sat down in front of the General’s desk, his first question was a very disheartening one. “Did you see what we do with illegal overstayers as you came along the corridor?” “Yes sir” I said. “You want to stay in our country?” he asked. “Yes sir” I said again. “Your family wants to stay?” “Yes sir”. The General stamped something on his desk, signed it and gave it to me. He had given us a ninety-nine year visa!

This was the beginning of miracles in this era of our lives in Thailand. To follow over the next years were to be many more wonderful miracles and many, many converts to the faith. About these miracles we will share later.

This wonderful answer to our prayers was God giving emphatic confirmation to our willingness to obey Him and our particular calling to Thailand. Obedience is a key for all of us as we seek to respond to God's callings and directions.

Welcome to "The Living Edge"!

2006-07-05T07:06:00.000+10:00

We believe that we have been led by the Lord to share our journey of over 50 years of ministry in many countries of Asia and the Pacific. It has been a great pilgrimage with the Lord, embracing many challenges of faith and miracles that the Lord has performed to reveal His glory.

We have been privileged to see God's hand at work as He has led us day by day and year by year in His plan for the harvest.

He has also opened our eyes to great needs within His Body, the Church, and revealed, in His Word, the answers to these needs.

We trust that our sharing in three separate blogs...

"The Living Edge"
"Sure Foundations"
"The Birthright"

...will strike a chord in your heart for God's ultimate purpose in your life.

Together with these blogs comes our prayers for the unity of the Body of Christ and special blessing upon your life.

We believe the Word of God is a living reality. With religion, it is only the Word become word, but in God's pure salvation, it is the Word become flesh in us (see John 1:14).

Every blessing,

Paul and Bunty Collins