BIG YEAR TEAM NEWS - SATURDAY 22nd MAY

It will be IMPOSSIBLE to explain in this blog what an amazing time we are all having here in Freetown!
We arrived safely on Wednesday night and Andrew our host had arranged for a friend to assist us through customs and immigration to the helicopter. It has never been so EASY! The first surprise was that the Helcopter crew are all Romanian so one of our team members (Lina) who is Romanian was able to chat with them and tell them all about our mission – she was so excited. Yesterday Lina and Tom visited them and they were really interested in her ‘story’!
THURSDAY
We had a briefing session with Andrew then our ‘transport’ – a really good 30 seater bus – took us into Freetown for our first experience of the stresses of city life. Our plans were to visit the museum and market, have a snack lunch, then on to the beach. In the heat, humidity and chaos, all we could manage was to get some lunch. I couldn’t have set up a better exercise for the team to be exposed to the frustrations of life here in Sierra Leone! After a short rest at the hotel we went to Andrew’s base for snapper (a local fish) and chips followed by an absolutely wonderful time of worship.
FRIDAY
After breakfast we went out in teams of 4 plus a member of Andrew’s team to offere to pray for people living around the hotel – God had told Andrew that we should start in our ‘Jerusalem’. What happened was the beginning of the fulfilment of the prophecies we had been given – a time of harvesting – catching many fish – an anointing for ‘breakthrough’. IT WAS AMAZING!
After only 2 hours every team came back with stories of healing and people receiving Christ.
JUST ONE OR TWO HIGHLIGHTS
In a shack next to the hotel an elderly man with cloudy eyes had his sight restored and was able read to the amazement of his family – he then prayed to receive Christ, followed by his grandson and some other members of his family. A builder with a stomach ulcer felt some thing changing inside as we prayed – he went on to receive Christ. Andre believes he can now plant a church here! We will tell you more when we get home. We estimate that at least 9 people prayed to receive Christ on the streets.
After lunch at the hotel we spent a couple of hours on the beach (SORRY) then back to the hotel for a rest followed by supper at the base and another time of worship and sharing about the amazing time we had in the morning.
TODAY
After breakfast we will take a 2 hour drive to a village where Andrew is already working to do more of the same – WE CAN’T WAIT!

All the team are well and working hard – HONESTLY!
On Sunday we will send the team out to local churches where Di, Vicky, Tom and Terry will lead the team members in sharing their stories
Please keep up the prayer

LATEST FOR BIG YEAR TEAM

HI EVERYONE

TEAM MEMBERS
The latest information from Terminal 1 and BMI is that our flight will leave on time
See you @ Heathrow 11:30
It's going to be a great day!

For everyone else who is praying for us - THANK YOU
In case I have problems logging on in Freetown our schedule for the next few days is as follows:
THURSDAY - Orientation and meeting the Iris Team during the day and a talk on the history and culture of Sierra Leone in the evening
FRIDAY and SATURDAY - up to Andrew but we are likely to be doing visits to prisons / hospitals / clinics
SUNDAY - the team will be sent out to some of the local churches to speak / share testimony / pray for people
In the afternoon and evening it's beach barbecue time!
MONDAY - Andrew has planned a "Street Banquet" when we will be feeding "around 500 beggars - amputees - prostitutes and sex slaves" (Andrews words)
Iris Ministries are working on the streets all the time with these people so we will be following up something they are already doing - AMAZING
The rest of the week is not yet clear apart from a daytime Pastors Conference and evening Evangelistic Meetings from May 26th to 29th
SO WE'RE GONNA BE BUSY
OUR LOVE TO YOU ALL - DI / VICKY / TERRY / AND THE TEAM

MESSAGE TO BIG YEAR MISSION TEAM

HI TEAM
I phoned BMI this morning and they are not expecting any problems with our flight time tomorrow
I will post the latest after I have phoned them tomorrow morning
See you @ Terminal 1 - 11:30!
TERRY

LATEST ON MO

THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR PRAYERS & GOOD WISHES
The last month has been one of the toughest I can remember, but I can honestly say that God has been working 'all things together for good' in our lives.
Mo's fall on April 10th suddenly changed everything, with two weeks in the general hospital recovering from surgery and three weeks in the local recuperation ward learning how to walk again.
It soon became obvious that Mo would not be able to come with The BIG Year Team to Sierra Leone on May 19th and I had to work through whether I might need to cancel too.
God made it very clear to us all that it was right for me to go - I was sure that this is what Mo would have wanted if she were able to communicate.
What has happenned since then has been a totally miraculous piece of timing from Papa God!
Yesterday I transferred Mo to Sandown Park Care Home in Windsor. It is the best and most remarkable care home I have ever seen - and I have seen a few!
It was opened in November last year and is still only half full. Last Thursday the local authority approved the funding for Mo to stay there indefiniely. This was the last fully funded place available - WOW!
I just wish you could all see it! It is run like a really good quality hotel with private en-suite rooms - a hairdressing salon - a sensory room - beautifully furnished dining and sitting areas - God never does things by halves does he?
So for however long Mo needs this provision it is secure for her and that gives me such peace of mind as we leave for Sierra Leone tomorrow.
I know that our family and wonderful friends in Maidenhead will make sure that Mo is not short of visitors while I am away.
MEANWHILE PLEASE KEEP PRAYING AND LOGGING ON TO THIS BLOG - I WILL TRY TO SHARE FRESH NEWS FROM THE TEAM EVERY COUPLE OF DAYS - TECHNOLOGY AND ELECTRICITY PERMITTING!
LOVE TO ALL - TERRY