6 days to go and much to do!

We are on the countdown and praying that God will help us get everything done. Our Christmas Greeting/mini newsletter needs to be dispatched, there are presents to be wrapped, people to be visited - house needs to be cleaned and decorated as we don't arrive back until 23rd December. There has also been a heating oil leak in the kitchen of my former home which we are having to deal with!! Please pray for our elderly parents whilst we are away.

However, amidst the business we have had some precious family time this week. Here is Dylan during our weekend visit to Burton. He is a beautiful shining star.

Our creative Almond Tree folk

Almond Tree was a buzz of excitement this week as our elderly ladies and gentlemen got involved in Christmas card making.. We thank Julie, a lovely local lady who brought in a stock of materials and supervised the session. Here they are proud of their amazing creations.

Also at the Glynneath Town Hall Charity Fayre this week we made a total of 69 pounds!

The loss of Elena and Irina

Pastor Jackie has just informed me of the loss of 2 of our dear ladies from the Widow's Mite Project. Elena, seen here lived in the remote village of Banloc, near the Serbian Border. Her life had been very difficult - several years ago her house burned down and for a while she lived in a TP Tent. In latter years she had a very unsettled life living around relatives and friends. We give thanks that she gave her heart to Jesus 2 years ago and was subsequently baptised.

Irina had only this year been added to the program. She lived in the city of Arad and was just 63 years old. She was asthmatic and during a recent hospitalisation period she died of a heart attack. Despite her difficult circumstances she was in good spirits when I visited her in August.

Jackie has confirmed that we have several other ladies to be added to the program from Apple Way. I look forward to meeting them in a few weeks.

Fund raising Charity Cards

Our first hand made cards were on display at the Church this morning and Praise God we sold 8. We give thanks for our dear friend Jan John who brought her expertise into the Thursday HeArt Ministry. Under Jan's direction, our good friends, Kay, Debbie and myself have managed to produce a good assortment of nicely presented Christmas cards. Jan also kindly donated a supply of beautifully made Birthday and Occasion cards so we could raise additional funds for the Charity.

Here are some of the cards on display. We continue to meet every Thursday to produce further creations.

Wedding Bells At Ramoth

Yesterday we gathered at Ramoth to celebrate the marriage of Eryl and Paul. The weather did nothing to dampen their joy. It was a wonderful service and following the taking of vows we raised the rafters with praise! Here are the happy couple cutting their wedding cake which was delicious!

May God bless them both as they journey through life as a married couple under His Holy Covenant.

Widow's Mite Project - Maria's Story

During the past week I have been making time to write up more of my Widow's Mite stories which I intend to make into a booklet. They are beautiful people who lead such hard lives. Their needs reach into the depths of our heart and we are committed to doing whatever we can to raise more money to support them.

Maria who is aged 66, lives in the remote village of Granceri and has 10 children, The ones who live locally help with milk and labour around the house but cannot afford to help financially. She suffers with high blood pressure, rheumatic, liver and kidney problems and has been advised by the local doctor to rest more. However, with a pension equivalent to just 80 pounds per monh she says this is impossible. She takes whatever local work she can in order to survive. Here is Maria making jam on an open fire in her garden during our August visit.

Like most village properties, Maria's house is built of mud bricks and a few years ago the one pine end wall collapsed. She has been struggling to buy materials to rebuild it but like most widows she says her priority is wood for the winter. Maria worships at a local Baptist Church and says that God is her provider.

Armistice Day

Our Almond Tree service yesterday centred around Armistice Day as we commemorated the official end of the first World War on 11th November, 1918. It was not a day for joyful worship but a time to honour all those men and women who sacrificed their lives in the name of freedom, not just in the 2 world wars but in the many conflicts since. We remembered each of them during a 2 minute silence.

Our good friend Arthur, who has served in all the Armed Forces read an emotional poem called "A Soldier's Christmas". Our sister, Edith came out of retirement to accompany us in the Lord's Prayer and 2 traditional hymns "Eternal Father strong to save" and "Oh God our help in ages past". Wayne gave thanks for all those who had lost their lives, for those who came home safely, for personnel currently serving in the forces and for the ultimate sacrifice that God made in giving his only Son to die for all our sin so that we could be reconciled to Him.
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God moves in mysterious ways. This week I volunteered to speak at Almond Tree so our friend Kay could devote her time in caring for her son who is unwell. Please pray for Elwyn's healing and wholeness. On Monday I felt God prompt me to prepare a message on Psalm 23. When I asked my friend, Pearl to read the Psalm during the service, she was amazed because God had placed the same reading on her heart. As the meeting progressed it transpired that during the week He had also spoken to 2 other people present through this Psalm. What a blessing it was to receive confirmation that we were all part of God's will. Thank you to Sid who closed the service in prayer.

Almond Tree is led by our good friend, Jenny who is currently having a 2 week break with her husband, Derek. The Ministry is being blessed with growth as we bond together as a family in Christ.

The "Fireproof DVD" and "Love Dare" Book.

Our Sunday night service at Ramoth took the form of a DVD called "Fireproof" which touched the hearts of everyone. It is the story of a young couple whose 7 year marriage has disintegrated to the point of the wife filing for divorce. The Christian father of the firefighter asks his son to go through a 40 day program via a book called "The Love Dare" in an endeavour to rebuild his relationship with his wife. It follows his initial reluctance to take up the challenge, his despondency as his wife rejects all his gestures of kindness, the changes that take place in his heart as his father leads him to Christ, his new found love for the Lord and consequently his wife and his committment to continue the program beyond the 40 days to save his marriage. The trust and love is rebuilt as his wife subsequently gives her life to Christ. The film ends with them renewing their marriage vows. It is a powerful message of how God can turn lives around if we seek and trust in him. It touched many of us to tears.

We would strongly recommend this DVD and book (obtainable from many Christian book stores) as a tool to be used in rebuilding any relationships.

More fund raising and the blessing of Wayne

We did a quick get away after Bible Study on Wednesday night to set up our fund raising Table Top Stall at Glynneath Town Hall, which is only 5 miles from our home. Because we are a Charity we have the blessing of a free pitch. The sales are held every other Thursday and we have built up a great relationship with the organisers and other stall holders. It is a place of great warmth and love and God has planted an amazing amount of people in our path.

Mid morning I left my amazing husband in charge whilst I drove to the Church for HeArt Ministry. I give thanks that Wayne radiates happiness wherever he goes. Here he is full of joy in charge of the stall and our display board.

The Christmas gifts have arrived in Romania

We thank God for everyone who has supported our Christmas Appeals in any way. The 450 children's shoebox gifts, 150 presents for patients with mental health disabilities at Mocrea Hospital, 33 gifts for the Widow's Mite project and presents for the Homeless and Abandoned Baby Ministry plus many other much needed items have safely arrived in Romania and are being stored at the home of Pastor Jackie.

The huge operation of sorting everything in preparation for the Christmas programs will begin as soon as we arrive there on 2nd December. It is indeed a blessing to be used as His humble servants and we are so looking forward to this Mission Trip.

Our Tickets are booked!!

It's been an eventful week and our tickets are booked. We leave for Romania on 2nd December and return on the 23rd! The cards need to be written, the presents packed, the house cleaned and the decorations put up before we leave. It is a also a priority that I get working on the Reaching Romania Christmas Greeting and update - our next full newsletter will be in January.

We had an awesome service at Almond Tree on Tuesday. We started with the hymn "Count Your Many Blessings" and it made us all take stock of our lives and how each day we should give thanks for the many blessings God bestows on us. This week I spoke on the Minor Prophets focusing on Jonah, the reluctant prophet and hero of the Sunday School classes. The Book of Jonah is powerful and reaffirms the enormity of God's love and compassion for His people. It shows us how God can use weak willed people to achieve His purposes - how He accepts us as we are but moulds us into who He wants us to become. Jonah became one of the greatest evangelists in the Old Testament - everyone he spoke to including the sailers who threw him overboard and the 120,000 Ninevites and their King came to the Lord through him. The service ended with us rejoicing in the Lord to "Oh Happy Day" - yes our flags were out again in thanksgiving! It is a real joy to be part of this Ministry.

Little Morgan is 2!!!

We are blessed with 2 beautiful grandsons and we give thanks every day for both of them.

On Saturday little Morgan was 2 and we had a family get-to-gether and special celebration. Here he is with his mum and dad and the lovely tractor birthday cake made by Aunty Becca. He also had another party at the Little Lambs Mother and Toddler Group at our Church this morning. We have the joy of spending every Monday with him and here he is having a ride in Wayne's wheelbarrow!