Adventurous Escapades

A dancing-in-a-dream trip to Switzerland, Austria and Italy

ceri_russell — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 17:43:00 GMT

A few people are asking for details of my recent trip to Switzerland, Austria and Italy after hearing about my train incident. So I thought I would write down some highlights from my journal entries and correspondence while I was away. I left on 23 July and arrive back home on the 6th August. Short but action packed 

24 July

I was fast asleep on my flight from Doha to Zurich. At 12pm Swiss time I suddenly woke up. Immediately the presence of God came on me and I started to weep in intercession for Switzerland. I had to stop myself from sobbing. I eventually just let the tears roll down my face as the more I wiped them away, the more they came. As soon as I woke up, I saw a tree burst into blossoms. At 12:30 the intercession lifted as quickly as it had arrived. My friend and I ended up standing outside Zurich airport talking. The presence of God came on us. We started to shake and prophecy over each other and Switzerland, even as people leaving the airport were streaming past us. We released blessing over the land.

25 July

Well, I had another interesting experience today on my way to Austria. I had just changed to a connecting train and sat on a seat across the aisle from a woman in her 20s. I was sitting quietly looking out the window when the girl suddenly stood up and started shouting and swearing in Swiss German - very unusual Swiss behaviour. She walked down the carriage kicking the doors and becoming quite violent. Then she left the carriage and we just heard banging and shouting as she left. A short while later, she came back into the carriage and sat opposite me, much calmer. I ignored her and just continued to look out of the window. But inside I was praying for Gods peace to come on her and praying for the kingdom to be released. After a few seconds, she turned suddenly and looked straight at me and started to shout at me in Swiss German. She raised her fist as if she was about to punch me. I wondered if she was going to launch herself at me and start hitting me. Then she stood up and walked to the other end of the carriage still staring at me and shouting at me. At this point I began to realise that this girl was acting demonically and she probably couldn't be in the same carriage as me. Eventually she left the carriage shouting as she went. I have no idea what she was saying but I just cancelled all the words. Definitely and unusual experience!!

31July

Italy is hot hot hot!! You know is hot when you're excited that the temperature drops to 40 deg C. The Italians are also walking comedians providing endless entertainment whether it’s on the beaches or over dinner with family. Much laughter! My friend Mara and I are also having fun praying for people on the streets. We went walking through the old town taking photos (amazing, everything is made of white stone) and we started talking to a little old lady who had no teeth. She was hobbling so we asked if we could pray for her. She suddenly jumped back because she could feel something moving in her knee and the pain started to leave. The next day we bumped into her again. She said she was thinking of us because her knee was hurting again. So we prayed again and she told us excitedly that she felt fire going into her knee. And again the pain left but she was still hobbling a bit. Perhaps we'll bump into her again. Yesterday we prayed for an old man in a wheel chair who was too weak to walk and could not see well. We didn't see any immediate change but people are very open when we ask if we can pray for them. We've only had one guy say no to prayer.

2 Aug

We had an interesting evening tonight. Mara and I were invited out with her cousin Mario and his friend Simone. Simone took out a chain with a little ball on the end to read our energy, a pendulum I assume. Her cousin wanted to know why we laugh so much. I immediately said a clear no to Him reading our energy. But we offered to prophesy over them instead, explaining that God is a lot of fun and we are full of his joy. They took us up on our offer. Simone stopped us while we were prophesying and wanted to know how we hear and said he felt lighter after we prayed for him. Mario then braved the prayer and was visibly moved by the experience. They called it 'revelation' after we'd finished praying for them. God encounters ...lots of fun :-)

5 Aug

I had a dream a few nights ago. I dreamed I was standing in a town somewhere and I heard a lot of noise and people screaming. In the dream a rhinoceros was running down the street and just plowing through the crowd like a bulldozer. Yesterday I looked up the meaning of rhinoceros in a Christian dream book. It spoke about doing things in your own strength and resisting the spirit. That was my sense for Switzerland. They're scared of being too spiritual and their performance in their own strength is killing them. Last night we had a BBQ for some people I knew from when I lived in Switzerland. In the afternoon, Mara and I started to pray, declaring an openness to the things of the spirit and for opportunities to prophesy. The Swiss are generally afraid of things like the prophetic. Over appetizers we started to talk about the amazing things God did during this holiday. That opened up a whole conversation. I ended up teaching most of the evening on the kingdom, on what actually happened at the cross, Jesus took all our sickness and punishment, He is not mad at us or judging us and the miraculous is available today. Then it started to open up. One woman asked us to pray for her shoulder. She felt heat when we prayed and the pain started to leave. Then another woman asked if we could prophecy over her. We continued to pray for some of them until after midnight. It felt like they received it like sponges amazed at how God knows the intricate details of their hearts and hungering to access that realm themselves. That is a breakthrough! Something was deposited in their hearts last night.

My time here has come to an end - for now. I fly from Zurich this afternoon. What an amazing adventure it has been. Thank you for your prayers. They were answered in so many ways. See you soon!!

A dancing-in-a-dream trip to Switzerland, Austria and Italy

ceri_russell — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 17:43:00 GMT

24 July

25 July

31July

2 Aug

5 Aug

My time here has come to an end - for now. I fly from Zurich this afternoon. What an amazing adventure it has been. Thank you for your prayers. They were answered in so many ways. See you soon!!

Newletter July 2012

ceri_russell — Sun, 1 Jul 2012 22:53:00 GMT

Times of transition tarry at times however God’s timing is remarkably on time. Eleven months have passed since my return to Cape Town. Like the slow moving hand of the clock of time, piece by piece I have settled back home. I moved into my flat and retrieved my life’s belongings from storage a mere month and a half ago. My tenants seemed to enjoy living here too and chose to remain until the very end of their seemingly endless lease. As I have become more and more settled some great opportunities have presented themselves. I’ve been asked numerous times to speak at home groups and various prophetic schools. What an opportunity for growth surrounded by these encouraging and hungry people. The Kingdom is also being released into the market place. Just this morning I had the privilege of spending a few hours with eight other powerful women. Included was the MD as well as the head of hospitality from one of the best five star hotels in the world and a woman who coaches at CEO level. The purpose? To release the kingdom and call forth the redemptive purpose of this strategically placed hotel. After a delicious breakfast we stood on the balcony of a top floor suite flowing in prophetic words and prayers. If my intoxication in His presence and oil flowing from my hands is any indication of what is to come through this hotel, then the guests from the nations will definitely be blessed. But that is not all, there is more to come. Over the past few months I have felt in increasing stirring in my heart towards Switzerland. It has been four years since I lived there and two years since I last visited. There is deep desire to touch the land and to release His blessing in this nation. The pieces of the puzzle fell into place recently and the result is that I am very excited to be planning a trip to visit Switzerland. I will be there from the 24th of July until the 5th of August. It has been so divinely orchestrated that I am very interested to see what God has planned. I would like to say a big thank you to those who have blessed me through their support, including finances, over the years and also very recently. You have made this possible and you are part of the harvest that is to come. Blessings! Ceri

Beyond Valentines day

ceri_russell — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 19:50:00 GMT

Today I received an email from a friend in the UK commenting on 'quite the cry' in my heart and the mystery of the men in Cape Town. Surely I should've been swept off my feet by now, they said.

I suppose I just wanted to process an everyday reality and one that was particularly pertinent on valentine's day. I also wanted to express something that is far wider than most people realise. I'm beginning to realise that married people have absolutely no idea about the depth of the issue of singleness. Most of the church world wide is full of amazing single women whose grief and longing go unseen and unnoticed, perhaps even dismissed as clearly there must be something wrong with the women themselves - especially if they're over 30. I only know one woman who is completely content to be single. One. There are thousands who are not and no-one fights for them. No-one ever prays for marriages to happen. They only pray for marriages that already exist. Why is it like this? It is a mysery to me.

Arthur Burk has preached the best message on singleness I have ever heard. The first thing he did was to honour those who have endured being single and yet have remained pure. He spoke of the strategy of the enemy to destroy families. What better way to do that than to prevent families altogether. We are part of a bigger battle than just our own personal grief and seeming contant rejection. He gave dignity to an area misunderstood in society.

Could it be that this area not seen the breaktrough required because the church at large has not recognised the issue and is not fighting with us to overcome this area of barrenness?

Valentines day

ceri_russell — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 21:28:00 GMT

It is a week of celebration in my world. Saturday was my birthday, the big four oh!! It feels like the end of a very long season and the start of something new. 'How do I feel being 40?' seems to be the most asked question. Actually, I feel pretty much the same as 39. No midlife crisis, fortunately. No rut to pull myself out of. I jokingly said to my dad that I'm still trying to find a rut, never mind get out of one. After being back in South Africa for a little over 6 months, I am still watching every tick of the clock counting down the days when my tenants will move and I can finally move back into my flat. Its been a rather nomadic journey over the last 5 years and certainly an adventure.

Today is a birthday of a different kind. I met Jesus 20 years ago at a Carmen concert in the Good Hope center in Cape Town. I have now officially been saved more than half my life on Earth. Three days longer, to be precise :-) He has loved me, healed me, filled me, protected me and walked with me every step. Today is valentines day. How sweet it is to be saved on such a day.

Even as my heart sings in celebration, there is a twinge deep down. The unsaid words from the single women around me fill the atmosphere. Some are not quite so silent but rather hide their heart's longing in a cloak of criticism. Its all commercialism! they declare, trying to lessen the weight of the day. The young and the marrieds do not know the sting a day such as today can have. It is lunch time. For yet another year is it being made obvious that no man is interested enough to pursue my heart. I suppose I share this to lessen the sting in my own heart. I'm not sure its working :-)

In my hands I hold the promises spoken by my Father in Heaven, promises too many to count, that I will see this particular longing fulfilled, a promise as recent as three weeks ago. Will I believe Him? After decades of disappointment, will I still believe Him? I feel Him asking me that question. He is not a man that He should like or the son of man that he should change his mind. Will I believe Him? Will He bring to completion what He has started? Do I trust Him? Do I believe Him when everything screams the opposite?

What about your dreams? The ones you've held for so long they've become entwined with who you are. The ones that seem impossible without miraculous intervention. Will you believe him? Will you trust him?

October Newsletter

ceri_russell — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT

On the first day of the tenth month the tops of the mountains became visible. After forty days Noah opened the window he had made in the ark and sent out a raven…. Gen 8:4-6. Clarity. That’s the word that comes to mind. I feel as though I’m sitting as Noah did, watching the waters of transition subside revealing an increased clarity of the new land unfolding before me.

My new software development position has been a tad tumultuous feeling more like I’ve picked up the reins of a bucking bronco than the gentle re-entry into the IT world that I was hoping for. But alas, with the reins firmly grasped in my white-knuckled hands, the ride continues, rider still intact and (hopefully) still moving in the right direction.

As the all-consuming season of starting a new job subsides, I am beginning to feel as though I’m delighting in feast after feast. How joyful it is to meet up with old friends over dinner, coffee, breakfast. It’s a feast of the heart and a feast of the palate. Ok, maybe a little too much feasting of the palate – but I’m making up for lost time ;-)

In between savouring the tea at an oriental restaurant and gazing at lights reflecting on the water from an Italian restaurant in the Waterfront, I’ve discovered a little church close to home that is running the Firestarters course from Bethel. It’s a 12 week course, one night a week, to impart the DNA of a revivalist – one who walks as Jesus did. Each week we hear testimony after testimony of people healed through prayer or encouraged by a prophetic word. Meeting with 100 passionate revivalists every week is definitely a highlight and a feast of note.

A few weeks ago at my local church, I shared a testimony of a women who was healed of severely swollen glands at the Firestarters course. A guy from my church came up to me afterwards explaining that he had had a bad motorbike accident years ago. His one foot was in such pain that he even considered the benefits of amputation. A few of us prayed with him but nothing significant happened immediately, apart from a sense of heat on his ankle. This morning he stood up and testified that his foot is remarkably improved and that he was going for a walk on the mountain later today which he certainly could not have done before. Thank you Jesus! More Lord!

As the definition of the new land before me takes shape, I’m quite intrigued to see what will unfold. Transition is a process that cannot be fast tracked. I look forward to getting out of the Ark as Noah did, planting some vineyards, so to speak, and becoming fruitful.

Blessings and Clarity to you all!

Ceri

Fun fun fun

ceri_russell — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 05:52:00 GMT

Tonight was the first night of the Fire Starters course being held at an anglican church in Cape Town. Much to the leader's surprise there are over 100 people who've signed up for the 12 week course. The course is originally from Bethel with the purpose to impart the DNA of being naturally supernatural.

Our group of 7 people prayed for a woman who had severely swollen glands in her neck. She couldn't touch or move her neck. After a short while of praying she started to feel heat. Then the stiffness in her neck started to loosen. After praying a second time, her pain was gone completely, full movement was restored and all the swollenness in her neck had gone down. She was so stunned and kept saying she couldn't believe it. She told us that up until then she was not sure if God really loved her and didn't really expect anything to happen when we prayed. Thank you Jesus!!!

Stormy seas

ceri_russell — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 04:38:00 GMT

Swamped under the stormy seas of a new software season is proving to be a challenge of note! A 90 degree angle learning curve is certainly nothing to be sneered at. Will I be sufficiently equipped before my predecessor leaves? I suppose only time will be able to reveal the answer to my burning question. To be honest I was hoping for a little less of an intense transition season, but it's hard to turn down such a great opportunity as this. The people I work with seem really friendly and supportive and for the first time in many years, I will be sent for a 10 day training course. Its wonderful when your boss is willing to do what is necessary to see you and the business succeed.

And now its time to rest my very weary bones. Don't be concerned about the bubbles rising to the surface. My head will find the surface soon enough. ;-) (Here's hoping and praying...)

August Newsletter...

ceri_russell — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 21:45:00 GMT

Gazing at the deep blue horizon, while savouring the saliferous sea air from my favorite beach in my best-loved city, is a delight that is difficult to describe. Home. The word conjures up thoughts of longstanding, joyous friendships forged in the furrows of time as we journey through life together. History floods my mind as I am reminded of watershed moments captivated in His presence, moments that shifted the direction of my compass needle sending me across the globe to meet unknown challenges and explore new realms. How good it is to return to home base to be refreshed and to reflect on the culmination of a five year long nomadic journey.

As I sit in my sun-washed room (ahhhh one happy ‘reptile’), I marvel at the last few weeks since my arrival. My new flat mate, the lovely Lisa, is truly a delight and a gift to me. I regularly find a glass of freshly squeezed vegetable juice waiting for me in the morning. Thank you Lisa! Within a few days of my return I was very kindly offered a car to borrow. Cape Town without a car is not much fun. What an unexpected surprise. A big thank you to Paul, Charmayne and Matthew. But wait, that’s not all. By the end of my first week here, the wheels for a potential job started turning. It feels as though I have been swept along, blown by the winds of favour and blessing. It is a very welcome experience after a rather challenging season in the UK. So on Monday I will start working as a software developer for an asset management company (a mere ten minutes drive from where I live), working on their web based asset management product.

What will this season hold? There are stirrings of revival in Cape Town. There is a collective hunger and passion for God’s presence that I have not seen for many years. Groups of people are going onto the streets and seeing the sick healed causing much debate in churches where the miraculous has not been an experiential truth. People from all different churches and denominations are meeting together regularly to enjoy His presence and to seek more. Something must surely birth out of such hunger.

As I reacquaint myself with my beloved Cape Town, I’m enjoying this time of rest. I’m not too eager to run too fast too quickly, taking time to savour the new yet familiar. To see His kingdom come on Earth as it is in Heaven still burns in my heart. Jesus paid a big price so we could know true love, true freedom and true joy. May we see Jesus get His full reward!

Thank you to those who have been such a support to me over the years. Specifically Sibylle, my Austrian warrior and financial angel, and Kirby and Sean for your incredible emotional support and willingness to open up your home to me. I miss you already.

Blessings!

Renewed

ceri_russell — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 07:05:00 GMT

If I give it all to you will you make it all new....

Those are the lyrics of a song written by The United Pursuit band. They were playing to a packed vineyard church tonight. How amazing it has been to sit under their worship not once, but twice. It feels as though the refreshing of the Holy Spirit is slowly washing away the crustiness from my time in the UK. If I give it all to you will you make it all new? Its as if I've entered into a tunnel of processing my journey, both recent and long past. I woke up yesterday morning and thought to myself, I need to write my story. So I've started writing a book. Only 48400 words to go ;-) I'm not sure I'll ever let anyone read it, but for now I find it to be a benficial process.

If you give it all to Him, He will make it all new...

United Pursuit

ceri_russell — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 06:52:00 GMT

Once a month there is a meeting called Deep River where people hungry for more of His presence gather to worship and enjoy Him. Tonight was one of those meetings. What is amazing to see is that not only is it hosted by an Anglican church, but hungry people from all different churches and denominations come. Its the uniting of hungry hearts. Something must surely birth out of that! Tonight was an extra special night because The United Pursuit Band from the US was leading the few hundred of us in worship. Ahhhhhh what a place of refreshing....it even conjured up memories of Bethel with Holy Spirit laughter on one end, healings happening on the other and radical worshippers inbetween.

Celebrations

ceri_russell — Mon, 8 Aug 2011 23:28:00 GMT

Yesterday I had the delight of sharing in my grandfather's 90th celebration. What a feast that was. I think there was enough chicken to have half a chicken each (no exaggeration). It was great to see most of my mother's family together, complete with telltale stories of childhood adventures. And amazing that I could be here to share it with my grandfather.

I've so enjoyed being back. After my constant declarations of what an amazing day it is, my new flatmate, Lisa, said to me "you're not used to it yet, are you?" Clear blue sky day after day is still a novelty for me, it would seem. But what a delightful novelty it is :-) We went for a walk along the beach this morning. Ahhhhhhh. Love it!

And some more good news is that I have been lent a car. Cape Town without a car is a very small world. I feel like I'm walking in favour wherever I go. Piece by piece, its falling into place.

Photos: Home sweet home

ceri_russell — Mon, 1 Aug 2011 06:25:00 GMT

Home Sweet Home

ceri_russell — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 01:38:00 GMT

The closer I flew to Cape Town, the more peace flooded my heart as I left a rather turbulent life in London behind. What a delight it is to be in my beloved city again. After a dearth of connections and relationships over the past year, I feel like I've landed in the land of abundance. What a 'chalk and cheese' experience with so many people wanting to see me and are willing to pick me up in my current carless state to whisk me off somewhere for coffee to connect. And even that may change. Just today I've been offered a car I could potentially borrow. Fantastic! I've been here only two days and already I have an invitation to speak at a homegroup.

Whenever I change countries it feels like my body is in one place and rest of me still needs to catch up. So I'm taking my time to 'land' fully and rest a bit before I venture forward into the next season of my rather unpredictable journey. Time shall reveal all....

The renewing of the mind

ceri_russell — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 22:28:00 GMT

This is it in a nutshell!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFGXsoZUcEo&feature=share

Heaven's dew

ceri_russell — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 21:54:00 GMT

The Kingdom. I love the Kingdom. The more I taste and see, the more amazed I become. It’s so different from the world around us. If your eyes see clearly, your world is full of light. What a gift it is to see, to perceive. The wind blows and the trees sway, the leaves twirl, moved by some unseen force. Seeing in the Kingdom is like seeing the wind, not just the effect of the wind. With perception comes understanding, with understanding comes empowering. We become empowered to live not as one tossed without understanding, but as one aligned and in step with the realm of the King. What would life look like if we were fully in step with the King and His Kingdom?

Mat 6:31 "So do not worry saying 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'...but seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well"

Why are we to seek the kingdom first?

Will we have our needs met when we deny our needs completely, when we live as if it’s all of God and none of me? Do I pretend my needs don't exist before their fulfillment will be added to me? Is it simply that my value for Him must be greater than my value for the world around me before the ‘all’ will be added? Or perhaps Jesus instructs us to seek His kingdom first because that is where we find what we need. Is seeking the kingdom first a roadmap to the ecosystem of the Heaven?

Mat 6:19 "Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy".

Are our treasures stored up only for our post-Earth experience? When can we access those treasures? When we pray 'your kingdom come, your will be done on Earth as it is in heaven' we're praying for heaven to manifest on the Earth. We have access to heaven now. When we sow, whether its compassion, obedience, time, honour or finances, we are storing up treasures that are beyond the realm of decay and theft. They are kept safe, gaining interest, ready to be manifest in our lives when we look to the kingdom as our source of supply.

The dew on the Earth rises to the heavens only to return, multiplied, as the abundance of rain.

Seek his Kingdom first and may Heaven manifest in your world today.

June Newsletter

ceri_russell — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 20:44:00 GMT

Don’t you just love the language of the Spirit? It’s like dancing to a melody unique to you and your Beloved. There is the gentle sway of the soft melody; there is the quietness, the pause between the notes. And then there are the sweeping movements of rapid change where the leader of the dance moves so unexpectedly that everything in you squeals with delight as you spin around the room in his very safe arms.

In exactly one month today, on the 28^th of July, I will be arriving back in Cape Town. My long term plans of staying in London and taking the business analyst role at HTB have shifted slightly. Weeks before I was due to change roles, I received a prophetic word that I had all these plans and they were good and things I could do well, but that God wanted to interrupt my thoughts, that He would bring clarity to my jumble of ideas. He has full permission to interrupt my thoughts. And interrupt He did.

It became more and more clear over the weeks that followed that taking the new role was not the best way to go. So what would be next? I waited. The only desire I could find in my heart was to go back home - a difficult decision. And then came the confirmation. A few days later I went to a meeting where an American woman, who knew nothing about me, prayed for me. The first words out of her mouth were ‘I see Africa is on your heart. I see you doing lots of things in Africa’. Thinking I was British, she was quite shocked that her words were such a vivid answer to a very present decision.

Does that mean my time in Europe is over? For now, but not forever. It’s interesting that I worked for HTB for 5 months to the day. 11^th January to the 10^th June. Five is the number for grace and fruitfulness. The 10^th June was also the last day of the School of Ministry I helped start in Kent. I attended the graduation on the following Sunday (what a delight to see my students flying!). It felt like I too had graduated. I came to the UK to do my 3^rd year internship after two years at Bethel. It was an unconventional third year, but the timing is all too perfect to not wonder if I have indeed graduated from a Holy Spirit, custom made 3^rd year internship in the UK.

What will be next? That is a good question. Watch this space for further developments. On a practical note, I will need a place to stay on my return. If you know of a room I can rent please let me know.

Enjoy your own dance with the Holy Spirit. He is wild, yet you are always safe with Him. You can trust him.

Photos: London with Trevor

ceri_russell — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 20:42:00 GMT

I can hear the angels singing..

ceri_russell — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 22:06:00 GMT

Ok, not quite, but almost ;-) A series of things have happened over the last few weeks. It started with a rather dramatic dream on the first night of the Heidi Baker conference in Dudley in mid may. It continued with prophetic words about God wanting to interrupt my thoughts. Over the weeks that followed it became more and more obvious that taking the business analyst role at HTB was not the right way to go. But what was the right way to go? So I dutifully handed over my current job and did not transfer to the new position. After a week of seeking further direction, I kept feeling that its time to go back home. Because its such a big change, I waited for confirmation. Then it came in the form of an American women who prayed for me at a meeting last week. She knew nothing about me and the first words out of her mouth were 'I see Africa is on your heart. I see you doing lots of things in Africa'. Needless to say I as stunned as she was when I told her I was South African and in the process of making a decision to return home or not. So its official!! I'm coming home!! When? is the question I hear you ask. And that would be a good question. I'm thinking around the end of July, but my ticket is not yet booked. So watch this space...

Strawberry fields forever...

ceri_russell — Sun, 5 Jun 2011 22:42:00 GMT

Do you think its possible to be a compulsive strawberry picker? Sean, Kirby, Bella and I went strawberry picking yesterday. It was like finding delicious treasures hidden in every bush. My little basket got filled up way too quickly for my liking. I have to say, they are truly the best and most beautiful strawberries I've every seen. (Now I know why they eat strawberries and cream at wimbledon!) Guess what I'm having for breakfast (and lunch...and dinner ;-)

On a slightly different note, its official, I got the job. YAY! I'll be taking over from someone when she goes on maternity leave in just over a week. Yes, I'm still at HTB, to answer the first question that pops out of most people's mouths :-)

Last night we had a little adventure. I was very kindly invited to join someone's birthday get together at a pub. The pub was overflowing with people so we sat on the green nearby (basically a patch of grass in the middle of the concrete jungle). Around 10pm, a guy walked over to a small group of us chatting. His request? Yes, he asked us if we had some weed. Ha ha! I said to him that we're christians, we don't have any weed, but we'd love to pray for him. Is there anything he'd like prayer for? He was quite take aback but proceeded to ask us for prayer about his career. So we prayed and prophesied over him with one or two Holy Spirit manifestations leaking out. Aftwerwards he told us 'My brother is a christian and I can see the same spirit in you. You guys are high on the spirit. If I can't find any weed, I'll come back to you.' Ha ha. A little divine setup, perhaps?