PASSING the BATON

When I think of a tent mission I immediately have an expectations of lives being touched. My first ever tent mission was in England with TL Osborn one of the pioneer of tent ministry. Some years later I went to Lithuania I ministered myself, I saw large numbers responding being saved and healed. My friend Yauheni convinced me of freedom people have when they to come into a tent.

I was looking for tent for England. I was introduced to Tim Grant of Spearhead Ministries who brought my churches tent. I felt called to do a tent mission in England, Tim and I worked together putting “The Way Festival” on in Brentwood with local churches.

Tim and I have become freinds we have travelled and ministered together Belarus, Bulgaria, Macedonia and Russia we have the same passion to preach, teach and heal and work together as disciples in the Kingdom. So when Tim invited me to be part of his Spearhead team for this tent mission to Yambol at the of July/Aug. I was ready, I enjoy working in Bulgaria, I knew would be working with Bulgarians, English and the local Romany people.

It was an early start leaving Brentwood at 3.00am for a flight to Sofia in Bulgaria. I met the team traveling from England. We arrived in Sofia and were driven I.5 hours to Plovdiv meeting up with Tim Grant for a get together lunch before setting of for Yambol 1.5 hour the destination for our mission.

We arrived on Monday after a two hour rainstorm, we went straight to the hotel Tim left us to join the Bulgarians to errect the tent just outside Yambol itself. It had been an eventful time for me personally leading up to this mission we were all really tired. We all knew God had something good planned for this mission and there was an air of expectation.

The next morning we hit the ground running, finishing setting up the tent and getting ready for the children’s ministry. We had about thirty five children turn up the first day and all went well although the temperatures and the humidity were high. Both the Bulgarians and English team members gelled together brilliantly. I introduced everyone to Joe Crow my “Evangelist friend” a hand puppet who became a firm favourite with team and the children alike.

That evening we held our first outreach service and the tent was almost full. Everyone was so excited and each person sharing their testimony or ministering in song went well over time, I began to wonder if Tim would ever get to speak. When eventually he got to take part the Holy Spirit put a real burden on his heart for the gypsy men. They are very much like English men; reserved and quite proud and are normally unwilling to respond in meetings. When Tim made an appeal at the end of my message sixteen people came forward to receive Jesus as their Lord and Saviour, thirteen of them being men. Praise God what a wonderful start! After this we spent another hour and a half praying with over a hundred people who needed a physical touch from Jesus. A dear lady walked over to Tim and I for prayer at the very end the crowds has dispersed.

We prayed for her physical healing then God gave me a word of knowledge that she wanted to respond to the Gospel she received Jesus and became number 17!

On Wednesday there were similar numbers of children at the kids club who were now starting to join in with all the action songs and the tent rang to the sound of “great great brill brill” and other such lively songs. Faces were being transformed by the skill of our face painters and the bouncy castle was a great success. The children were so receptive and really enjoyed the interaction with “Joe Crow”as he taught them memory verses like John 3:16.

That evening the tent filled up with people who had come to see a documentary film entitled ‘Is there life after death?’ You could have heard a pin drop as everyone’s eyes were fixed to the screen as they heard the stories of people who had had close encounters with death. They relayed their stories of life after death both good and bad. It seemed no matter what people believed here on earth before death they all had an encounter with Jesus soon after death. When the film finished there were at least another ten people who responded to the gospel appeal and as always a crowd who wanted prayer for various ills.

Each day saw the children having great fun in the kid’s club and as the days went by the children became more and more affectionate towards the team with many spontaneous hugs being given by them to team members. Joe! Joe was the cry from the children everyday Joe, Joe! the children loved to cuddle and stroke him. He taught them the Lord’s Prayer each of these kids were so responsive. Wonderful to see them so eager and attentive.

The familiarity increased over the week and with the temperature increasing the inevitable that water would start to fly about culminating in two great water fights with both adults and children involved and guess who Tim could be seen rushing brandishing a water bottle with water dripping off him. No sign of a broken foot!!

The evenings continued to see people responding to the gospel message presented by Peter, Sofi and Tim with team members sharing each evening on how knowing God had impacted their lives.

On Sunday morning the team divided into four smaller teams and were distributed around the region to minister in various churches where the presence and power of God was manifested and many lives were touched and people healed.

I went off with Colin, Stanislav and Venny who inturpreted for me. It was good give Colin & Stanislav and opportunity to share ollowing the worship. I preached from Isaish 53 and shared my personal testimony over half of church responded to receive Jesus. It was wonderful to see many get healed and it was a blessing to hear the testimonies.

All to soon it was the last evening and about twelve people responded to Tim’s message on “God has a plan for your life” bringing the total of commitments made over the six days to well over fifty. The evening culminated with a time of anointing and prayer for baptism in the Holy Spirit. As the last person walked through the prayer tunnel I looked around the tent to see many children and adults sitting or standing weeping in the Spirit such was the presence of God in the tent.

It was a real privildge to be part of what God was doing. I continued to see and hear how God was healing people the deaf hearing, arms, necks, backs people with breathing problems all sorts of problems people were being set free and healed.

Then it was time to drop the tent by the light of our car headlights and say our good byes which went on until the early hours of Monday morning. For the English team and Maia, one of our interpreters, there were only a few hours sleep and then up and on the road to Sofia. The English team had to catch the plane back to the UK and for some back to work at seven the next morning after a full day’s traveling.

I just want to thank everyone who I worked alongside Tim Grant of Spearhead for organising the mission with the local Pastor Ivan whose enthusiasm was such a blessing. What was so evident was the Unity of all the folk from England, Bulgaria and local Romany. People worked in one accord supporting each other. It was wonderful to see the Holy Spirit move during this mission and see so many lives come to know Jesus as Lord and Saviour.