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!!
