Waterproof sneakers...

Weather: Someone needs to invent a sneaker that is completely waterproof for long walks in the muddy countryside and then I think I can do England. It’s getting colder and trickier to know what to wear as Autumn takes the leaves off the trees and whips up the winds... It’s really taken me by surprise how fast all of my favourite trees have lost their colour. It’s making the place unrecognisable. Still pretty, but more barren and spiky than the lushness I arrived to. I was thinking, I hope no one visits while it looks like this because it’s nothing like what I’ve described! Everyone says this is really mild weather and its more like Spring, so I cant complain!

People:What can I say? Throw 19 nations together 24 hours a day including all meals, and stand back. That’s what I thought. The reality is actually very beautiful. I’ve made such nice friends, and I have been given an eye into other worlds that I would never have seen otherwise. We all get on really well, and have especially bonded after we all ministered to each other in our ministry workshops. We also meet up on Wednesday nights for a worship night that Tim and I started because we were longing for a more drawn out time of worship. Turns out lots of people were after the same thing, so that was a nice surprise. Soon after I arrived I became the birthday person, and so I make sure everyone is celebrated well and usually have 1 or 2 cards floating around the room for signatures. I also got asked to lead worship once a week with a team from the students. Maybe I was already singing so loud they decided to just give me a microphone and be done with it. Either way, I am loving it. There are about 15 people who put their names down to be involved and we rehearse as 2 teams (another girl leads as well) on Monday nights. Its great to be released into it because for years I dreamed of it but was always too fearful, too sick, too…whatever…to audition. It’s a very safe place to grow into your calling here, which I find very liberating. Everyone is so encouraging here, and we all love beginning the day with song. We had a funny time last week when I completely forgot the melody of the next song and was motioning to Tim to just ‘go back around’ until I got it! Tim has been released to join me on my team which has been so wonderful, as we worship God together a lot at home and we know one another well enough to know what’s coming. Everyone loves having Tim there and Wednesday worship night grew out of people requesting Tim to lead them in worship. I have to say that it is really great to see Tim operating in his calling and gifting again, like when I met him at College.
Anne-Thailand,Ulrika-Sweden,Me-Australia,Zena-America,Vreni-Switzerland,Bekky-England
Suzanne-England, Me-Australia, Vreni-Switzerland, Dave-England, Samuel-Ghana

Spare time: There’s not a lot of spare time, but they are really big on everyone having a Sabbath day where you lay everything down and just do what you find restful, and that was yesterday. I went for a walk and happily got off the beaten track to discover a beautiful river and meandering path that had me captivated. Cows grazing in the fields, in front of rolling hills with old sandstone churches and castle like buildings...I wondered whether id walked into the wrong century by mistake. I was completely lost but not far from home (Don’t worry mum) and followed the prettiest path until I found it led me the wrong direction. (isn’t that always the way). Eventually I guessed my way home and (obviously) made it! Maybe not everyone’s idea of relaxation, but it suited me fine, especially as I was on my own and also made it back before a massive storm hit. We do have a pretty intense time in our classes, as the subjects are quite heavy and really confronting, (or just long!) and usually they bring up things in our own lives that we are dealing with, or that are the reason we came into this ministry in the first place. When there is time off, its precious and I love to head to my room and make sense of what’s happening, or have a good chat with Tim or God. There is a great café across the way, and sometimes I go there with friends or Tim and sometimes I hang out in the Bookshop where they have lounges and let you flick through the books with a coffee. I’ve also learned how to knit, thanks to mum, and used my time to knit Tim a stripy scarf for our anniversary. I’ve started some embroidery that mum sent me, and I’ve done a painting for a friends birthday. I pretty much re-arrange my room for fun.
Daily Schedule:
8:30 Breakfast in the main dining hall (if I make it) or in my room in a rush
15 minutes of devotionals together
½ an hour of praise and worship
1 hour class
20 min break
1 ½ hour class
lunch 1pm – 2.45pm
1 hour 15 mins class
15 min break
1 hour 15 mins class
Finish day 5:30pm
Dinner 6pm
Most nights there is something on- rehearsal for worship, a healing service, a diploma meeting, a worship night, movie night or the need to see Tim!

Weekends: Unless there is a weekend course on that we also attend for class, Saturday is usually my laundry day, and believe me when I say that laundry can take hours! Because we wear so many clothes I have 2 baskets without trying, and there are only so many machines. It’s not unusual to find that someone has removed your clothes from the machine or the dryer so they can use it…there’s a good reason why there’s a sign in the laundry room that says, “Let go, and let God”. We are trying to ‘overcome evil with good’ and tonight Tim and I folded everyone’s clothes that were done in the dryer. I arrived to both my loads in wet piles, but thankfully did not need to re-wash as I have had to do. Hate wet stinky wool smell.
When I am not exercising patience in the laundry room, choosing my songs for the next week, or spending time with Tim I may decide that today is my Sabbath and get about doing nothing, especially if it’s been a big week. Saturday nights can be movie nights organised by one of the students, or pretty quiet. Sundays are pretty laid back unless there’s still a course on, and there are a few options for church. We haven’t managed to get back up to London for Hillsong Church, but we did manage to go to Holy Trinity Bromptom for a worship conference with Tim Hughes and Matt Redman which was pretty cool. I saw Emma Schuberg there which was a highlight. She is on staff, and looks very happy and fulfilled which is nice to see. It’s a really beautiful church, but there’s also a great atmosphere. We still plan on making Leatherhead our service, and will make that happen this Saturday for
sure.

One month on...

Wow. Only a month! So much has happened! Makes me sit here and shake my head!
We have much to tell...mostly things of an internal nature- God speaking to us about our future-things that we just have to wait and see about as well as continually yielding our agenda to God. One thing we know for sure, and that is that God is sovereign and had a whole other plan about us coming all this way besides the course! How do we put into words all th things that are stirring in us, and the new vision we have...? All I know is that God can raise up all the things we have lain down, and can enable us to do those way out there type dreams...This is such an environment of faith and of possibiblity, and passion for God's truth and healing to be spread all over the world. How can we not dream in this place?
Its taken a month to be able to upload photos so its hard to choose out of the gazzillion we have taken so far. this place is so gorgeous, and especially in autumn with all the trees changing colour...we are very grateful to be here.

Just a short walk from Pierrepont is the Little Pond, one of the 'areas of outstanding beauty' in Surrey. It is gorgeous. We are lucky to be able to go walking around it and its a very restful place. A little further on is the Great Pond which is bigger, and has a restaurant where you can watch the swans frolic. Squirrels is a new thing for us...we're pretty pumped with squirrels. They are the cutest things...
Here is our room for our stay at Pierrepont. Its just one room, but we are trying to make it nice. The roses were from Tim for our 4 year anniversary, and the cards are from you precious people...Thats Tims elbow in the corner. Living in community is a new thing, and so far we are doing well...Being able to take a car out to have dinner on our anniversary was nice and we had the next day off to go exploring and have a Bakker vision day with our journals out over a pub lunch. So far we have packed the next few years....we'll see where God leads...
Here we are in the beautiful city of Bath where we went for Ellel's 20th Anniversary conference. It was amazing. I have such a respect for the leaders of this ministry. Such humble people and so loving towards one another. It was a full on schedule but we managed one hour of sight seeing and ate lunch where Charles wesley preached from...no spiritual vibes... we really needed more than a few days to appreciate Bath. I felt like i was in a period film the whole time and eventually we would step out into the real world. Some of Sense and Sensibility was filmed there as well as Oliver Twist. Aside from those trivialities, Ellel spent some time looking back over what God has done over the last 20 years and launching into adulthood with new vision. It was pretty amazing to see the way each of the centres was established...all have a miracle story that is worth its own book. Ellel Netherlands was pretty exciting..to see how a centre could be acquired supernaturally, without money, but with the favour of God...I met up with the Netherlands director and he is a really great guy with a big vision for seeing Gods healing come to holland and raising up the young people who have already been through a healing retreat at the centre to be the ministry team... Exciting developments. This is the back view of the Main House at Pierrepont. Its a huge place. I havent seen it all yet, but i think tim may have. Its very green as you can see, and at the moment its getting very cold! We have to say that so far we have had exceptional weather...its been balmy and lovely, just chilly in the evenings, but today my teeth hurt. I think we skipped Autumn and went straight to Winter! They laugh at us...THIS is not cold...You wait til you see cold...yeah yeah...Im from AUSTRALIA. Its not this cold in my fridge.
Here we are on our walk by the pond on our day off. We are very happy to be here, and very happy to be experiencing this together. We have double the experiences really, because tim has one perspective being on staff, and i have the students point of view. Tim has been welcomed very much into the heart of the students though, cause we come as a set, and he is even leading them tomorrow night for a worship night. they have been asking and asking when is he going to lead and so its going to be so nice...we have never heard so many of the songs they sing here, which is kind of cool, but we miss...something. Its great to see how everyone else praises God though, and some of the songs have become precious to us.

As for my course, and what I am learning...well thats been incredible. i knew that when I came it would be a case of being ministered to, in order to effectively minister to others, and i knew that i was willingly opening up my heart for God to change it. Well, He is doing that, and at times i feel wobbly, but i know that lies are being exchanged for the truth and that is very freeing and healing. As yet i havent quite figured out how to process all this amazing teaching , but i am trusting that God is speaking spirit to spirit, and He will bring it to my mind when i need it. I am also being taught how to minister practically by observing and interceding during actual ministry situations like at Bath, and that is a steep learning curve. Its very exciting though, and humbling. I want to have a heart like the people here...and i guess thats why i came.

Here's a course overview for first term...its been changed a bit, but is essentially the same. I'll try to put in words what Im learning for the next blog, and maybe Tim can tell you about his experiences on team.

TERM ONE-

Foundations of Christian Truth

Gospel Imperatives
Foundations of Christian Truth
The power of the Blood & the Name of Jesus
The realities of living in the Kingdom
The work of the Cross
The person & work of the Holy Spirit
Receiving & using spiritual gifts
Kingdom Living

Prayer & Intercession
Spiritual Warfare & claiming the ground
Standing on God's promises
Introduction to Evangelism
Hearing the voice of God & knowing His will
The Biblical Basis for the Healing Ministry

The Father heart of God
The healing ministry of Jesus
Understanding spirit, soul and body
The spiritual realm
Foundations of acceptance
Principles & practice of deliverence ministry
Inner healing & wholeness
Right relationships & Godly boundaries
satans objectives & strategies
Domination, manipulation & intimidation
Keys to Ministering God's Healing Love

Generational iniquity
Blessings & curses
Healing through forgiveness
Bitter root judgements
Belief systems and mindsets
Understanding rejection
The sinful, wounded and Godly heart
Soul ties & ungodly links
Understanding deception & discernment
Understanding prophecy
Idolatry
Pronouncements & inner vows
Creative arts in the healing ministry
Practice of Care, Counselling and Prayer Ministry

Principles & methods of Christian counselling & prayer ministry
Listening skills
Qualities & requirements of a prayer minister
Making an assessment & developing a ministry plan

And that is just ten weeks of study! Ellel use the SEE, HEAR, DO model, so when they are teaching a subject, they will also practice it and we can watch real or role played ministry take place.


So there you go. I will post term 2 later on sometime. My hand hurts!