ISSUE 002

PUBLISHED BY CARMEL MINISTRIES INTERNATIONAL

needforadjustment?your guide to practical christianity

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guest teaching

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testimony

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in issue 2 of carmeltwentyfour7>>interview

8-9

Well it’s that time again and we hope you enjoythis issue of twentyfour7. We lead with the question ‘need for adjustment?’ God loves us so much and wants us to walk in the fullness of his provision. Just a tweak in our way of thinking brought by the revelation of the word can change situations amazingly. God is a goodGod and by standing on the Word we can see great things happen...

That leads me on quite nicely as we welcomed Mia Ford our first grand daughterinto the world on 14th March 03! For those of you that don’t know this baby is asupernatural happening of the highest order! Check out the back pages for the fullstory and see that God’s promises are REAL!

We also welcomed Wynne Lewis to Carmel Christian Centre who taught on finding abridge with people to reach the lost. I’m sure you will be encouraged enough to ‘Getout there’ and touch people! And lastly we reveal some things you never knewabout us in our interview! So sit back with a nice cuppa coffee and enjoy!

abigwelcom

Michelle Di Somma

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For comments and suggestions for the next twentyfour7please email us on carmel@blueyonder.co.uk

mainteaching

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Carmel twentyfour 7 is published by Carmel Ministries International. Reproduction of this publication in part or whole is prohibited. Editor: Michelle Di Somma Associate Editor & Copywriter: Lyn Birdsall Assistant Copywriter: Clare Irwin Interviewer: Sarah Oliva Art Director: Darrell Irwin Photography: Julian Clarke & Darrell Irwin

contents

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becomingapartnerA Partner is a sharer, an associate, one who engages with another in business, onewho plays on the same side as another.

Partnership Is Important – It releases power to get the job done. We can accomplishthe Great Commission together in unity.

Partnership In Prayer – We believe it is vital for every Partner to develop a strong personal prayer life, and to pray for the leadership for Godly wisdom and directionfrom the Lord.

Partnership In Caring – We are instructed to watch over and take care of the partners in our charge (Acts 20:28).

Partnership In Sharing – The whole ministry of sharing is to give of oneself in theareas of love, time, talents and finances.

Central TradingEstate

Unit D

Old PetrolStation

YMCA Building

HTV Studios

A37

A4

A4 Bath Rd

Bristol Temple MeadsTrain Station

Directions from Bath:Follow A4 Bath Road all the way into Bristol and turn left into theslip road before Burger King, passing HTV Studios on your lefthand side. Proceed for approximately 500m and the CentralTrading Estate will be on your right hand side. Turn into and fol-low all the way to the end. You will see a large 'Carmel ChristianCentre' sign on the last building on the right.

Directions from the M4:Take Junction 19 into Bristol on the M32. Take Junction 3, the A4Link Road, and follow the signs to Bath. Pass Sainsbury's on yourleft and at the traffic lights (Burger King will be on your right)turn right. HTV Studios will be on your left as you proceed forapproximately 500m and the Central Trading Estate will be onyour right hand side. Turn into the entrance and follow all theway to the end. You will see a large 'Carmel Christian Centre' signon the last building on the right.

Directions from Bristol City Centre:Follow Temple Way towards Temple Meads Railway Station pass-ing it on the left hand side. Follow the A4 Bath Road passing aQuick Fit garage on the left, and a disused petrol station also onthe left, opposite red brick Victorian town houses. The entrance tothe Central Trading Estate is immediately after the disused petrolstation, on the left. Turn left into the entrance and follow all theway to the end. You will see a large 'Carmel Christian Centre' signon the last building on the right.

Carmel Ministries is a registered charity (Charity No. 1094052) with Luke 9vs2 as its mission statement. All finances sown go into the work of establishing God’sKingdom through evangelism and preparing labourers for the harvest. 3

churchservicesSunday Morning Service 10.30amSunday Evening Service 6.30pm

churchofficeUnit D, Central Trading Estate,Bath Road, Arnos Vale, Bristol BS4 3EH

contactusTel: (0117) 9775533Fax: (0117) 9775678Email: carmel@blueyonder.co.uk

www.carmel-uk.orgwww.anchor-uk.org

howtofindus

Saturday 3rd May Worship Celebration(Pop from the Tops) 7.30pm

Saturday 7th JuneJoint Breakfast 8.30am

Tuesday 1st July ABTC Open Day 9.00amEvening School 6.30pm

Saturday 5th July ABTC Banquet

Saturday 12th July ABTC Graduation

Sunday 28th September Worship Celebration (tbc) 6.30pm

Wednesday 29th October -Sunday 2nd November Faith Convention“Empowering for Excellence”Wynne Lewis, Trevor LovedayDr Tayo Adeyemi

Sunday 21st DecemberChristmas Play

Thursday 25th DecemberChristmas Service 10.30am

Account Details

United KingdomHSBCAccount No:401406 – 11341294

Should you wish to donate by Gift Aidplease contact the church office.

South AfricaAnchor MinistriesInternationalFirst National Bank, CrestaAccount No: 3000080594

For any further information contact Lyn Birdsall on 0117 775533

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The disciples must have passed the woman that morning. Did they tell her that Jesus could change her life? Or when theywere waiting for the food in Sychar, did they urge anyone to comeand hear Him? No! They had no burden…

If the church doesn’t wake up corporately and individual membersdon’t shake off complacency to seek the lost, God will step outside the church and revival will happen elsewhere. In the late50s, in California, multitudes of hippies were saved, with no church anywhere near. Thank God Pastor Smith, of CalvaryTemple, woke up and discipled them, making his church famous.

What the disciples should have done, this immoral heathenwoman did. She had never been to a Synagogue, read the OldTestament, prayed, taken a course in soul winning yet she bringshundreds to Jesus “because of her testimony”.

They said, “Now we really know that this man is the Saviour of the world.” That phrase is found nowhere else in the gospels.Through this woman they had a view of Jesus crossing Judaism into Gentile territory, all because of friendliness.

In the early days at Kensington Temple the upstairs was empty. One day I looked up to the balcony and there sat a woman withmulti coloured pyramids of hair, the first punk I’d ever seen inchurch. Those on the ground floor criticised their new Pastor for bringing the world into the church…

That day, she was saved! The next Sunday 10 punks came!With a bald head, I couldn’t minister to punks – but she could.Television stars, footballers, pop stars, brought their friends to Christ, turning a congregation of 334 to 7 meetings, with manythousands coming to the church.

Build bridges of friendship into the lives of the lost – bringin the plenteous harvest.

guest teaching

The shortest route from Jerusalem to Galilee was through Samaria, but Jews, taught to hate Samaritans, made a longer detour instead. When Jesus said in John 4:1 “We’re going back to Galilee” the disciples must have rejoiced to be finally going home – but surely not through Samaria!

Samaria was part of the 12 tribes of Israel, but since Ahab and Jezebel had lifted the borders, immorality and idolatry had flooded in. No-one had sought to turn that society back to God since the days of Elisha and Elijah. Jesus knows it’s time for change.

When they reached Jacob’s Well, Jesus was tired. When the woman appeared, they probably thought“What a pity our Lord’s siesta is spoilt by such a woman.” Only fallen women went to the well at noon. Jesus’ reaction teaches us how to start a revival. Many would have condemned her but Jesusbuilds a bridge of friendliness.

A Pastor was asked to pray for an unsaved man who bred canaries. The Lord told the Pastor, “Study canaries – that will be the bridge.” When he felt equipped he knocked on the man’s door,knowing a previous Pastor had been assaulted. He was met with hostility but immediately mentionedcanaries and was invited in. They talked canaries, not God. Consequently, the man was in church the next Sunday, the first to give his life to Christ.

When the disciples returned, they saw Jesus still talking to the woman, uninterested in their food. He says, “My food is to do the will…” Talking to a Samaritan woman was culturally offensive to them – but was God’s will.

Then He said, “Did you not say amongst yourselves if we were back here in four and a half months time we would see a harvest?”

That’s the second mistake of the church – not living for the moment.

What we call revival, Jesus calls “the harvest”, John 9:37 “ The harvest isplenteous, but the labourers are few.” To start revival “Pray” for churchlabourers to bring in the harvest. In John 4 the disciples were grumbling asJesus didn’t seem interested in the food they had brought back fromSychar. “My food is to do the will of Him who sent me”. God sent HIM toSamaria for a specific purpose “to finish His work.” Recognise where youare sent, and for what purpose. “Do you not say four months more andthen the harvest? ”The church still regards revival as something past orfuture. “I tell you – open your eyes!” Is the church blind? “…look at thefields – the harvest is ripe”.

bridgingthegapWynne Lewis 24.03.03

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teaching

Rev. Gerri Di SommaPart of a series ‘Practical Christianity’. Tapes available.

Out of the spirit flows the naturalJohn 4:24 – “God is Spirit and those that worship him must worship him in the spirit.” Genesis 1:1 –“In the beginning God (who is spirit) created the heavens and the earth” (which are natural) John 1:3– “All things were created through Him.” (So everything we need in the natural realm is first manifestin the spiritual realm.)

A principle that we need to understand is that all natural needs are taken care of in the spirit – the Spirit sustains the natural. Our problem is that we always try to meet the need naturally ratherthan spiritually. Jesus said in Mark 11: 23-24, “If you say unto this mountain, be removed and cast into the sea and do not doubt in your heart, that which you say shall come to pass” and in Mark 11:25 “If you have unforgiveness in your heart, forgive.”

The mountain won’t move until you tap into the spiritual realm and get your relationship right with God, so that when you speak with the authority of God that which is natural will manifest.Everything that you need is already supplied in the spiritual realm – it simply needs to manifest in the natural realm.

We must consider Romans 8:11 “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells inyou, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His spirit who dwells in you.” and Phil: 4:19 “And my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” God who is Spirit, the source of all life, and who is able to do all that is necessary to sustain your life, will meet those needs by His unlimited ability demonstrated through the provision of Jesus Christ, so that your faith might not be in vain.

“And my God shall supply all your need

according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

Phil 4:19

God never intended our Christian walk to be complicated and difficult, but an expression of His victory over adversity. If you can understandthe patterns and principles that God ordains foryour life you will walk in constant victory. We complicate our Christian experience by ignoring the spiritual patterns and principles set out by God to help us walk in his provision.Paul says there is no need that God cannot meet– he saw God meet all his!

facingyourneed

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Faith Convention is back with a newname! ‘Empowering for Excellence.’This year’s theme is Equipping theLeader Within held on 29.10.03 – 01.11.03At some time in life we will be called to lead; whether it will be in the minisry at work or in the home, thiscourse is for everybody.

Leadership Stream: The spiritual and the practical are fused together in a stimulating and inspiring seminar for leaders and future leaders facing the many challenges of ministry.

Worship Stream: The worship and creative arts stream is specially designed for people who want toknow more about worship, as well as learning how to incorporate the arts into every church setting,whether it be Sunday services or special events.

Contact our Events Co-Ordinator – Lyn Birdsall on

0117 977 5533

+– FULL

Our faith conventionjust got better...

empoweringforexcellence

291003 – 011103

rechargeyourself...

LOW +–

flatbattery? Paul learned the secret of facing a need while in prison in Rome. In his letter to the Philippians

he reveals the pattern, the practical way to receive from God. Through his faith, his need is met by the Philippians, so he writes to thank them and share these steps:

Step 1 – Be enthusiastic

Philippians 4:4 – “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!”

We are not to hide or deny, disregard or be deceptive about needs. We are to rejoice in the Lord ina continuous attitude. Our focus should be on the Lord and not on our need. If the provision of ourneed is in the spiritual then our focus must be on the spiritual as the source of supply, not the bank manager, the counsellor, the NHS or the dole. God focused people are continually stable andsteady, regardless of circumstance, because their lives are governed spiritually not naturally. Be enthusiastic about the things of God...

Step 2 – Be confident

Christian enthusiasm is not without reason; the reason we are confident is because JehovahShammah, the Lord is present, is at hand (Phil 4:5). I don’t get anxious if the church is full or empty because I have confidence that God said what He started He will bring about (Phil 1:6)Unless the Lord builds a house, we labour in vain. If I try to build the house, I labour in vain. Whenwe take on care, we’re not confident in Him, we’re busy working it out. If we can trust God to savesouls, we can surely trust Him to be the source of supply.

Step 3 – Be peaceful

Phil: 4:6,7 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving,let your requests be made known to God.”

We think if we worry enough something will happen but “Seek first the kingdom of God and all Hisrighteousness and all these things will be added unto you.” When there seems to be no natural solution there is always a spiritual one. Paul says your provision lies in the spiritual, through prayer,praise and thanksgiving. The result is peace and contentment. Phil 4:11 “Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am to be content.”

Some years ago I employed two people to run my company while I was concentrating on the possibility of establishing a business to enable me to come to the UK and start ministry here. That was my plan, not God’s. When I returned, I found that serious mismanagement had taken place by one of the men, and I was on the verge of bankruptcy. I repented to God for placing my responsi-bility in somebody else’s hands. Then I released them both, telling them I didn’t hold them responsi-ble for the debt. Before God could meet my needs my heart had to be right.

I cried out to God. He told me that he had already moved on my behalf and a certain man would bemy deliverer. This man was an atheist to whom I owed most of the money. I went to see him and toldhim I couldn’t pay him. He replied that he had wanted to know if I had the guts to see him and tellhim. He then called in his wife and said,

“I want you to know that this man’s debt is completely wiped off. If any one of my staff say anythingin this city about this man, they wil be fired.”

Not only did he spare my reputation but he offered me a fair price for my business and even royaltieson the product. He then even offered me tea! God delivered us supernaturally so that we were enabledto come and establish God’s plans and purposes for us in the UK.

Step 4 – Be Positive

Phil 4:8 – “Finally brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things arejust, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if thereis any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things.”

All battles are fought in the mind. When we meditate on justice, truth, purity, righteousness andremain positive, we cannot feel sorry for ourselves or become negative – we remain positive.

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Phil: 4:6,7 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.”

teachingKenneth Copeland tells the story about the fridge that He wasbelieving God for. He thanked God daily for it, visualising it in the kitchen and taking out a cool drink.. People questioned his lack of excitement when the fridge came. He explained that he gotexcited when God met his need in the spiritual and from then on he remained positive.

Step 5 – Be practical

Phil 4:9 –“The things which you learned and received and heardand saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you. ”

Paul says be practical, learn from my life, from the things I taughtyou, from what you saw others go through, and grow wise in Godthrough them. You don’t have to go through the pain of learning if you learn from the wisdom of others.. A need comes when yourcircumstances change. You don’t hide, deny, or disregard the need but face it.

In Philippians 4:12 Paul says, ”I know how to be abased and Iknow how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learnedboth to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to sufferneed.” Paul’s attitude remains positive. It is not what happens to us which is important but how we respond to what happens. The need should reveal certain qualities in us – gratefulness, joyfulness, contentment, flexibility and faith, our trust in God. The need causes us to search our hearts and ask the Lord what iswrong. The need also reveals our trust and dependence on God.

There might be some practical things that need to change. We may need to cut up a credit card, go on a diet, review our standard of living, get debt or marriage counselling. Whatever weneed to do Paul’s conclusion applies to us – ”I can do all thingsthrough Christ who strengthens me.” (Phil 4:13)

Step 6 – Be Generous

Phil 4:18 –” Indeed I have all and abound. I am full, havingreceived from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweetsmelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice well-pleasing to God.”

Paul speaks of an acceptable sacrifice – if it hurts, it’s costly.

David said in I Chron 21:24 ”I will not offer with that which costs me nothing.”

Like the widow who gave the prophet her last meal we should be giving generous, give ourselves totally to God then and thosearound us.

No matter what the need is, the Lord is able to meet that need by the power of the Holy Spirit. Walk in generosity, patience, inobedience and be content in whatever state you find yourself,knowing that God is taking care of, labouring, bringing about themanifestation in the natural realm. “My God shall supply all yourneed according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

Practical steps to facing a needneedforadjustment?

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Tell me something about yourselves. Michelle – I grew up in a middle class family in South Africa, with two sisters and a brother. It was not really “Christian” though we were Methodists, but as a child I really didn’t know much about God. At about 14, I’d had enough of church life and I stopped going.

Gerri – My dad was Italian, born in Naples, an aeroplane pilot who got shot down in Egypt. He became a Prisoner of War in SA where he met my mother. It was instant romance – I’m the result! I grew up in South Africa and went to an English school. At five, I had my own gang, we used to go around and biff all the children in the school.

How did you become Christians?Gerri – Partly through my daughter’s ill health, and the failure of my marriage. I cried out to God for help, He stepped in, thank God, because I was making a right mess of it!

Michelle – A friend told me about Jesus, and the rapture. I did not want to miss it or be leftbehind - especially with Gerri! – we backslid after a year and our lives went from bad to worse.Tasha’s health got really bad. After her kidney transplant, Gerri came back to the Lord, but I didn’twant to know about him or the Lord. My sister had cancer and had been given a year to live. I wentwith my mum to fetch her belongings and we went to a little church. As I sat down for the service,the power of the Holy Spirit came upon me and it felt as if someone had poured hot oil over meand I just wept. All I wanted to do was go back to my husband and family and back to God andfrom then we went from strength to strength.

How did you know that Gerri was the right one, Michelle? Michelle – The minute I met him I knew this was the person I would spend the rest of mylife with. We wrote to one another, as he was living in another country in South Africa and not long after that I proposed to him!

Gerri – When I was drunk and in no condition to refuse.

When did you first realise there was a call of God on your lives?Michelle – In the first year of Bible School. We had a deep sense God was calling us into full timeministry. In our second year the Lord spoke and said this would happen towards the end of thatyear; we had absolutely no idea what we were going to do, where or how we were going to do it.

Gerri – Michelle told me! She said you’ll go into ministry and – be a good boy from now on. I can’t say I was drunk at that time, but I did say yes again. I never thought I would be ateacher of the Word, that God would use me to teach the Word. It has never been my expertise or my strength, but Him all the time – His calling, His equipping and His plans and purposes.

What challenges have you encountered? Michelle – Many obstacles, challenges concerning Tash, trusting God for healing. Many challenges in ministry, things I’m sure most Christians go through. Not getting offended, staying fulfiled and committed to the things God has placed before us – sometimes the biggest challenge when things go wrong is to take the easy option and give up. For us it has always been a challenge of pushing through – I’d rather please God than man and one thing that I never want to do is disappoint my Heavenly Father.

Gerri – My greatest challenge is to die to self, that Christ may be resurrected in me.That has been my biggest battle, that He may be glorified in my life. Dying to self, and selfish desires, and that I may know him and the power of his resurrection... Slowly, day byday, with his help, I’m getting there.

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PASTOR GERRI AND

HIS WIFE MICHELLE

HAD A FEW PRECIOUS

MINUTES TO SPARE BEFORE

THERE TRIP TO S.AFRICA.

WE ASKED THEM A

FEW QUESTIONS…

whereeaglesdareGod has brought you this far – what’s the next step? Gerri – God gave us a twenty year plan, this is our seventh year.The next 13 will culminate in the independence of the BibleSchool, the Christian School a charity on its own, and manychurches throughout the UK and into Europe networking together,all autonomous, independent, but functioning as one big family as I believe the Body of Christ is a big family of God. So the immediate next step is to continually push toward to see thoseplans being fulfiled, starting churches in a forty-five minute radiusfrom the mother church, Carmel, and to see God do His awesomework. We know that we have something awesome to give and weknow that God has brought us here for a purpose.

Michelle – For me, the next step is a permanent home for Carmel, as we have outgrown Unit D. Also to remain faithful andcommitted to the vision. One of the biggest gifts we can give to theBody of Christ, be faithful to the call, not give up, not grow weary,while doing good, but stay focused upon what God has said, uponwhat He has called us to do, upon His ability that is at work in ourlives, upon the vision that He’s placed in our hearts and the livesthat need to be touched. I look forward to the future in Carmel andto seeing what God will do in our midst. It’s an exciting time, an exciting place to be. Precarious, but very exciting!

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interview

Why did you choose Bristol, England? Gerri – We are here by revelation. God said He would take us into England and from there we wouldreach into Europe. In the second week in England, I said ‘Lord, You brought us here, I need to knowwhere we are going’, and He said just one word, ‘Bristol’. We’ve been obedient to that instruction,we’ve seen the fruit of that obedience and we continually see the awesome work of God’s power in ourlives and in the ministry where He has placed us.

Michelle – The Lord told Gerri – but not me – we were to come to Bristol! He just said, “go andpray”. Then I heard God say “South West of England” and little did I know that was Bristol, I thoughtmaybe it was around London ! God called us, God sent us and God appointed us to Bristol. We didn’teven know a place called Bristol existed.

How did you go about starting the church?Gerri – I was wrestling with starting the Bible School, because I really believed it was God’s plan butall the leaders I had spoken to about it did not stand with us. I said ‘Lord how am I going to do this?’and He said, ‘Don’t worry, you will be starting a church and out of it you will subsidise and help theBible School get established.” So I waited and the Lord told us to start on 6th of October in the Southof the city. We followed instructions!

Michelle – Once we knew God had called and appointed us to begin the church, we tried to stay sensitive to His voice, we really felt the Lord lead us to start in a community centre, so we looked forone. The Lord then led Gerri to advertise in the papers that the church was starting and on 6th ofOctober 1996, Carmel Christian Centre started with 11 people in our first service.

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GODMerciful, Incredible,Amazing

we were married we had opened a kid’s fund and were monthly investing into our child’s future education. We had even decidedthat we had to put my health first and due to my irregular menstrual cycle and a lot of bleeding causing anaemia we felt I had to have this contraception for my own safety. We had almostgiven up any hope of having our own children.

However at the very last minute in August 2002, a month before my appointment for this contraception, I became pregnant! By now it had become obvious that if I did become pregnant it would be a miracle and that God would sustain my kidney and baby’s life during the pregnancy.

So when my pregnancy was confirmed by two home tests weweren’t worried at all because we knew it was a miracle andbelieved that what God had started He would finish. The miracleoccurred at our weakest time when we felt there was no choice but to follow medical advice. God stepped in and did what He had to do to fulfil our dream. At this time God spoke to my Momand sister that this baby would be a miracle baby.

My husband and I knew that the path ahead wouldn’t be easy and would take courage.

I was faced with breaking the news of my pregnancy to the kidneydoctors, so Richard came with me to see the consultants and weexplained that we wanted to allow the pregnancy to continue.

Months earlier we had arranged to visit Paris for Richard’s 30thbirthday on the 30th September. Before we even set foot in thehotel I started to bleed heavily. I was rushed to hospital andremained there for four days with a suspected miscarriage. Contrary to the French doctors’ beliefs our baby had survived!

Back in England I was admitted on two separate occasions for aweek at a time with severe anaemia needing blood transfusions. At 14 weeks my blood pressure went up and the doctors thought I had pre-eclampsia. We were about to face the greatest challengeso far when 2 consultants visited me on the ward and stronglyadvised an abortion. They felt that my pregnancy carried a very poor prognosis.

The gynaecologist said she did not expect the pregnancy to go beyond 24 weeks and should we insist on progressing with the pregnancy there was a strong possibility that myself or the baby could die.

They gave us two weeks to decide. My kidney consultant phoned my husband and said there was very little reason why the pregnancy could be successful.

At the end of the two weeks we presented them with our faith in God and our experience of His healing power in our lives, and told them that we wanted to continue with the pregnancy.

The doctors were gracious and said they would support us in ourdecision. We determined that we would keep the Word of God at the forefront of our lives and use His word to bring about theimpossible. On a daily basis mine and my husband’s faith wentfrom strength to strength.

I had to have radiation therapy before my second transplant and as a result I did not develop as a young woman. The doctors said that it would be difficult if not impossible for me toconceive. However it was a great desire of my heart to be a wifeand a mother.

God began to fulfil my dream when I met and married Richardin August 1999. My inability to conceive became apparent during the early years of our marriage. I visited gynaecologistsunder the NHS and also privately but they were unable to giveme fertility treatment because the kidney doctors would not giveconsent to my becoming pregnant at all. My kidney consultantswere adamant that I should not even attempt to have a child.

Over the first 3 years of our marriage our dream of having our own family began to seem increasingly impossible. In July2002 my husband and I gave in to the consultants’ pressure andI was booked in for long term contraception in September. Theonly thread of faith we had left was the fact that since the day

The incredible story of baby MIA FORD’s journey into the world...

By Yatasha andRichard Ford

At the age of six I contracted the disease called Haemolytic UraemicSyndrome that destroyed my kidneys. I nearly died but knew that I wouldlive. My mom donated one of her kidneys to me, but it unfortunately failed.My second kidney transplant was a success and came by the grace of Godas I was not even on the list to receive a transplant. The Lord gave my momthe scripture James 1v17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is fromabove, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is novariation or shadow of turning.”

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testimonies

At 17 weeks I was again admitted to hospital for another week with suspected kidney failure associated with severe anaemia, and again the prognosis was poor. My husband and I knew in our spirits that this was a smokescreen and the diagnosis was not true. After many tests the doctors sent me home saying that there was nothing wrong with my kidney!

My gynaecologist always said that if I reached 24 weeks she would be happy because my baby had a 50/50chance of survival. So as soon as I passed this milestone I could see a smile on her face, and as the weeks progressed the smile turned to excitement. She even called our child “a special baby”.

At 36 weeks Mia was born successfully under caesarean section. The gynaecologist later said that her involvement in this pregnancy had been a privilege. My kidney doctors also confirmed what we had believed; they said that my kidney “did not even bat an eyelid throughout my pregnancy”.

We realised the battle was the Lord’s. He promised us in Isaiah 41 “that those who war against us shall be as nothing, as a nonexistent thing”. He also promised us that He is the Alpha and Omega,the beginning and the end, therefore what He has started He shall complete.

We give all the glory to God!

Richard, Yatasha, and Baby Mia Hope Ford – A living testimony to how awesome our God is

that our hope is forever anchored in him.

Quench your Thirst for Knowledge!

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ABTCOPENDAY2003-2004Proverbs 18:15

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2Peter1:2-3

Thirst for Wisdom?

3ANCHORBIBLETRAININGCENTRESTUDENTPROSPECTUS

52Timothy2.15Proverbs 18:155

2Peter1:2-3Thirst for Wisdom?

3ANCHORBIBLETRAININGCENTRESTUDENTPROSPECTUS

52Timothy2.15

“Through skillful and godly Wisdom is a house (a life, a home, a family) built,

and by understanding it is established [on a sound and good foundation].

And by knowledge shall its chambers (of every area) be filled with all precious

and pleasant riches. A wise man is strong and is better than a strong man,

and a man of knowledge increases and strengthens his power.”

Proverbs 24:3-5 (Amplified)

BlessingforPositioned

MarriageAnointedThe&

We can experience freedom & blessing – It’s our birthright.

This course will help to clarify and restore your identity & destiny in God, which has so often been robbedthrough lack of blessing from parents,generational bondages, curses & undesirable life patterns.

A course aimed at empowering,restoring & blessing marriages.

God has created the family to be the instrument for blessing in the church,community and nation. Our day-to-day lives come under all sorts of pressures.This course will release the anointing you need to heal, restore and empower.

Thurs 22nd May – Sat 24th MayThurs 6.30pm Registration 7.00pm Start 10.00pm FinishFri 23rd 7 – 10pm Sat 24th 9 – 5pm

Thus 29th May – Sat 31st May9am – 4.30pmSunday morning 1st June Covenant Ceremony 10.30am – 1pm

CONTACT CHRIS AND SUNITA PROCTER

0117 958 5533£20Positional

for BlessingPer Person

£50AnointedMarriage

Per Couple

Building FamiliesChanging Nations...