Curious in Ibiza

Whats next???

2012-01-23T15:28:00.000+01:00

For the first time in ages I have had a proper illness, I got some sort of strange flu virus back in the UK which has necessitated antibiotics and bed rest, coughing my lungs up and general weakness and tiredness, thankfully this has all now passed leaving me a little weak but fine.

At last I am also able to furnish you with an update as to what I will be doing upon my return to the UK.

After much prayer the suggestion was that I take on the role of leading 24-7 prayer in Great Britain I have agreed to this and am very excited about the possibilities.

I will start on 1st September as GB Director and team leader. Although we will live in Diss, I will spend some time in the 24-7 Prayer Guildford office each week working closely with the GB team - GB being England, Scotland and Wales.

I will also lead Just 24-7 - a team seeking tangible ways in which we can make a difference in the lives of the poor and disadvantaged.

In addition I will continue to be the point person for 24-7 Prayer in Ibiza, Ireland and Burgos (Spain) – which I have been doing for a while.

I will also be part of the 24-7 Prayer European communities team. This means supporting and strengthening 24-7 Prayer communities in Europe, including the UK.

Apart from that, I am hoping to help my friends Steve and Andi on their farm project in Diss, feeding animals, cleaning pens etc, which might sound messy, but actually excites me!

So as you can see I will be a busy little bunny, I am excited and challenged by the year ahead.

What about this Blog? Well obviously for now I will keep it going, but I may start a curious in England blog or something like that!

Happy New Year

2011-12-31T12:07:00.000+01:00

Another year draws to an end and I feel it has been a good one. I am very excited about the next year, excited for new beginnings, excited to be handing this work in Ibiza on, excited about returning to the UK.

We have been in England for 2 weeks now and are looking at it with a view to living here.

One thing for certain that we will miss about Ibiza is the light, it's not so much the temperature that we will miss more the very bright clear days. There is a lot of grey in the UK!

Really want to say thank you for following this blog, it will continue throughout 2012 and hopefully you will follow our journey back to the UK and stand with us as we see what is next!

Peace, love and a happy 2012 to you all.

Gently Whisper hope

2011-12-15T11:59:00.000+01:00

Gabriel and the Vagabond by Foy Vance

There's a man in the corner and his clothes are worn
And he's holding out his hand
You could see in his eyes as the people walk by
He knows they don't understand

Ya see they just think he's gonna take their money
And go and spend it all on dope
Then a man stopped by and I saw a smile inside him
As he gently whispered hope

Well the tramp started to cry, just kept saying,
"Why? why? why?
Could you see I'm a dying tonight
Well I'm 32 and I've got this one pair of shoes
And a bad taste in my mouth
I think it's clear to see that even God don't love me
Or else why would He leave me this way."

Then Gabriel just smiled and said be peaced my child
Salvation is here today

He got up to his feet and he sang Hallelujah
People were turning around in the street
He looked them in the eyes and he sang,
"Hallelujah
There's someone here that you gotta meet
Someone you just gotta meet."

When the vagabond turned around well without a sign
Gabriel just smiled and disappeared
Then he looked to the crowd and they were laughing out loud
But he could not see them fore tears
When his vision came round
There was a young girl on the ground
I knew she was fine and hard to cope
She never was a fighter until he laid beside her
And gently whispered hope

They got up to their feet and they sang Hallelujah
People in the street were turning around
They looked them in the eyes and they sang,
"Hallelujah
There's someone here we have found"
They sang,
"Hallelujah, Hallelujah
We are the voices crying in the wilderness
Hallelujah, Hallelujah."
The people in the street started their sins to confess
And a chorus of,
"Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Every knee will bow and every tongue confess
and the voice of one crying in the wilderness
crying
Hallelujah, Hallelujah"

Seized by the power of a great affection

2011-12-14T09:58:00.000+01:00

In the last chapter of the Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning he talks of a phrase used to describe being “born again” it was this “I was seized by the power of a great affection”.

That is why I am who I am, that i why people decide to be christians. They have been seized by the power of a great affection, they feel His passion, the passion that the son sacrificing God has for them. His passion that our lives should not be mediocre, His passion to see us become all that we can be, His passion that allows us to be our raw unadulterated redeemed selves. His passion should grip us it should drive us.

Personally it is His passion that is my crutch when I am weak, His passion that allows me to speak to Him and tell Him all that I am. His passion that sees all my weaknesses yet somehow still considers me worthy of his love.
An Old Russian proverb “Those who have the disease called Jesus will never be cured” Please no one try and cure me I am happy being infected by Christ.

Lets never be to cool to be passionate about His passion for us and His love for the world.

I am seized by the power of a great affection.

Forsaking what is behind lets us press on to take hold of that for which Christ took hold of us, don’t settle for less.

Be seized by the power of a great affection.

Originally posted in a slightly longer and more self referenced style on this blog in November 2006

Book writing

2011-12-13T10:20:00.000+01:00

I have just got back from a very hectic week out and and about in the Uk and Ireland.

Getting ready to return to the UK for Christmas on Saturday which should be fun, I am speaking at our old church DC3 on Sunday and then we are at the carol service in the evening. It's hard to feel Christmassy here it's cold but not icy, sort of jeans and jumpers weather.

One of the reasons for lack of blogging is that Tracy and I are writing a book about our last 7 years here in Ibiza. I know it is something I have talked about from time to time but now seems like the right time. It feels like a giant debrief from. This blog has proved very helpful in gathering coherent chronological information from our time here.

Sometimes I want to preach from the chapters but I think the best way is to let the story speak for itself and allow people to take what they want from it.

Some potential chapter titles:

Gay Man Dancing
Vomit Van
Prostitutes and Roses
Can Strippers Use this Place?
Sorry to interrupt your meeting!

I am struggling to think of an actual title? Maybe we should just call it Curious in Ibiza?

What makes a good leader?

2011-11-22T10:51:00.000+01:00

One thought on this one is honesty.

People want honesty not holiness. Holiness is over rated, not as a spiritual concept but as a leadership characteristic.

There has been a line of thought in the past that a leader can never appear weak or flawed that he has to stand out as an example of holiness.

Now I know we can quote various verses on the subject.

But a brief glimpse at any leadership in the bible reveals flawed weak leaders, in fact I am not sure how many senior leadership teams would have elected David to be on their team, or Moses!

Murderers, cowards, adulterers.

Standing between the living and the dead

2011-11-14T10:15:00.000+01:00

Intimacy and involvement is a much used phrase within 24-7 prayer, it's the phrase that gives real life to our movement. I believe this is a really exciting time. God is still looking for a people who are both intimate with him and involved with the world.

There is a call upon each one of our lives to be an intimate prayerful people, who touch the Father’s heart and experience the transforming power of his presence. There is also a call upon each of our lives to be an involved people, who prayerfully take the Fathers heart to the world and introduce others to Jesus and allow them to experience the transforming power of His presence in their lives. Thats what I love.

24-7prayer then by default is not a tabernacle model of prayer, it's an incarnational model.
We must be careful that we don’t try to spread the gospel without the back up of prayer, the power of the Holy Spirit and the transforming power of having been in His presence. Likewise we must be very careful that we don’t pray, experience the Holy Spirit and become transformed by His presence without ever being compelled to fulfil the biblical mandate of spreading the gospel.

We need to be a people who do both, it would be completely wrong to say “I pray, others reach out” or “I reach out, others pray” a Christians life needs both intimacy and involvement. I think even the phrase prayer missionary leaves a little bit to be desired.

My faith is two pronged and I don’t think we can choose to go for just one prong! Read Matthew 22: 37 -40 we are called to do both,"love the Lord your God with all your heart and Love your neighbours as yourself."

We can’t just be presence seekers; we also need to be presence bringers. We need to be striving to do both together at all times.

I heard a guy called Bill Wilson speak once he talked from Exodus 16: 42 – 50. in which a deadly plague is spreading throughout the children of Israel, they are literally dropping like flies in front of Moses and Aaron, Aaron runs to the Altar, the place that represents the presence of God, he gets some incense and fire from the Altar and runs into the middle of the people and stands with the incense and the plague stops. It says that he took the fire and “stood between the living and the dead”.

We must be a people who get fire from the presence of God and then stand in the middle of a dying world and bring life. We are called to stand between the living and the dead but we can only do this if we have got the fire from His presence.Aaron carried something that he had got from the presence of God into the middle of a very dark and desperate situation and the plague stopped. One man ran into the presence and then ran into the dying world around him and made a difference. The fact that he ran suggests urgency, lives depended on his speed, on his commitment and his awareness of how dreadful the situation was.

My prayer is that I become like Aaron, that I am filled with a desire to run to the presence of God and that I am also filled with enough compassion for the lost and dying to run with His presence into the world.

Intimacy and involvement. Prayer and action. Faith and deeds. They kind of all go together.

1000th Curious blog post!

2011-11-10T07:51:00.000+01:00

So here we have my 1000th blog post!!!! I never thought I would write this many. I came up with the title after a friend of mine chatted about being curious and how it is a really healthy attitude to have when meeting people. Therefore Curious in Ibiza was born along with the help of Tim Hewitt who encouraged me to go for it and helped me set the original blog up. I also just like the sound of the word "curious"

So am I still curious? well I would like to think so:
I am curious about people, I find them interesting, complex, funny, inspiring and annoying all at the same time. For this reason I am curious as to how anyone can put another human in a box and try to define them, I think this is impossible.

I am still curious about Ibiza, this place has captured my heart I am curious as to why! The people, the beaches, the weather, the craziness, the mix of cultures, the administrative disorganisation, the lack of health and safety, the messiness, the west end, the driving, the noise levels, the inability to form a queue, the whole thing is frustrating, beautiful, charming and attractive.

I am curious as to why women, when told they are looking tired and pale, don't just say "I am having my period"

I am curious as to how the message of Jesus doesn't have more impact, probably the fault of the messengers not Jesus.

I am curious as to why anyone would want to wear fake tan.

I am curious about men who wear thongs, I tried Tracy's once and it hurt.

I am also curious about the Arab world, Ibiza was moorish for 500 years, I would like to explore it more, I thought Dubai was beautiful and loved the desert. I would love to be a desert nomad for a year.

I am curious about dogs, whats going on in there? Why are you so loyal? Why would I like to own another one?

I am curious about the ear hair that has started to grow out of my ears, what's that all about? If I cut it will it grow back and get bushy? Why is it grey? Will it get worse?

I am curious about my ego, I know I have one, why do I feel the need to continually feed it? I am sure that self awareness is the key to growth which makes me curious about myself and how I tick!!

I am curious about how I will dress when I am old? When do you start choosing things just for comfort? Am I already old?

I am curious about why on earth I would want to own a Rolex, but I do.

I am curious about God, you never seem to fully understand Him. He's a mystery.

I am curious as to why I still find Britney Spears attractive? I follow her on twitter.....

Thank you for sticking with me and reading all my randomness.

God loves lap dancers

2011-11-09T12:27:00.000+01:00

We have a friend who works as a dancer in a lap dancing bar in the west end.

Two of our team became great friends with her this summer, she posted this on her facebook status a few days ago:

"The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance,but the Lord looks at the heart!!!!"

This is so exciting for us, it feels like we are getting our message across, that God is at work and that he is touching her heart and affecting her identity.

We feel very grateful for this piece of encouragment. We also feel very strongly that we should definitely pursue the implementation of Strip Club Chaplains for next year.

We need to work into this area of injustice where women have been reduced to objects of lust we need to communicate the father heart of God to these girls, for them to know that He sees their hearts. That they are more than the role that they perform.

What next?

2011-10-24T09:42:00.000+02:00

Season ended for us on Friday!

It's been an exciting week, starting with a baptism, followed by a prostitute we have been working with getting a job so she no longer has to sell herself. Weespent an evening at Sara's 40th birthday which was just another moment of being surrounded by spanish people and the small spanish community that we are part of and feeling like somehow after many years we were making positive inroads on more than one front.

Then on Saturday the workers of San Antonio donated 3 brand new computers for our centre which is fantastic as our other one were nearing there end! They have also made a 1000 euro financial contribution towards our work.

It felt like we ended well. All our team leave today and tomorrow and then for Tracy and myself we can clearly sit and have some time thinking and praying about what is next for us as a couple?

We have had to work really hard at living in the present this summer with many people asking us what next and to be honest at this point we would have to say we don't know. We are however excited about this next season in which we really feel God will reveal to us the next step.

So we begin to pray regularly asking God once again to guide us into new things.

Take a walk

2011-10-21T09:24:00.000+02:00

If you have ever wondered what it's like for us as we wander through the west end at night this little video should give you an idea.

It wasn't filmed by anyone on our team, someone randomly found it on You Tube, but it does give you an idea of the environment we operate in. This is where we pray for people, talk to people and listen to people, for me this is a beautiful place.

Baptism

2011-10-18T08:56:00.001+02:00

We met Danny at the beginning of the summer, he would come into the centre and just hang out. The team became really great friends with Danny, who worked at a little shop just up the way from where we are based. They invited him for meals, took him on little photography trips around the island, listened to him, laughed with him and generally did what normal people do and became friends.

In September time Danny left Ibiza for the UK and then towards the end of September, he messaged me to ask if he could come out and help us for a month. We said yes, Danny stayed with some of our team and got involved in the street work and centre work.

He wanted to be somewhere were he belonged! Then somewhere over the last month whilst living with our community and working as part of our team, he believed!

Danny heads back to the UK today, but yesterday upon the confession of his faith we baptised Danny.

This is Danny coming up out of the water, there was joy in the house.

What a great thing to happen on the final week of our season here?

As you can see by the expression on my face moments like these make life here so worthwhile.

God is following me!

2011-10-03T07:21:00.000+02:00

I have talked on this blog before about how we pray during the summer that God would haunt people, that as we help people and pray with people it would start them on a journey of finding God.

On the back of this one of our two week team members sent me this encouragement from the UK it happened to her over this weekend:

"First night back on the streets as a street pastor since Ibiza and I met a guy in town...who Carolyn and I helped when we were in Ibiza!!! Thought I recognised him but not from Ibiza. He just happened to mention how he was in Ibiza and how two people helped his friend in a wheelchair and it all suddenly clicked! Both of us suddenly recognised each other! We helped his friend back in a wheel-chair to her room at their Hotel and gave him a Jesus Loves Ibiza Bible! The thing is he doesn't even come from our town-only God can plan things like that! In his own words he said 'God is following me!', 'I'm just mind blown', and how it was 'the highlight of his night'. Certainly no co-incidence! I'm just floored, only our God can do things like that- He's so awesome!"

This reminded me of something from a book by Vincent Donovan called Christianity Rediscovered about his time working with the Masai in Africa.

A Masai elder comments that his people tried to approach God as if they were lions stalking their prey, but after coming to faith they realised they were not the ones doing the stalking.

He writes: "We have not searched for Him. He has searched for us. He has searched us out and found us. All the time we think we are the lion. In the end, the Lion is God."

Numbers

2011-09-27T08:23:00.000+02:00

For safety reasons we keep two log books with regards to our work here, one is for people we help with the Vomit Van the other is for people we walk home or wheelchair home without the van.

Becky on our team compiled all these statistic for me yesterday.

The number of incidents involving the Vomit van over the previous 20 weeks has been 249 this has involved helping 409 people!

The total number of incident without the van has been 234 involving 287 people!

Total number of incidents 20 week period was 483 for the more statistically minded thats an average 24.2 incidents per week involving 696 people at an average of 34.8 people per week.

Someone once said you can make statistics say whatever you want, not sure how true that is. It does show us one thing that is San Antonio is a great place to come on holiday and there are far more people who don't end up in a mess than do.

It also shows me that we need to be there, we are not 24-7 vomit we are 24-7 prayer but we are still involved with a lot of vomit.

One of the interesting things is we have prayed with more people this year than any previous year, our prayer wall is full, and the level of conversation and connection on the street has been phenomenal.

All of this and we still have a month left.

Kind words

2011-09-22T09:12:00.000+02:00

I am not showing off or being proud just thought you would like to see some feedback from a few of the people we have helped this year. It's cool when people remember to say thank you.

Hi 24-7,

I was out in San Antonio a couple of weeks ago with some friends and drank too much. The last thing I can remember is downing some shots at a dark bar. I left my friends to walk back to my hotel which was about an hour away. I must have fallen asleep on a bench because the first thing I can remember is a couple of girls helping me to get some water and offering to give me a lift home. Stupidly I didn’t accept the lift and continued to walk the rest of the way with one flip-flop but I was really touched by their kindness and want to say that I really appreciated their gesture and that my wife gave me a royal roasting when I finally staggered in at 6am. Keep up the good work.

Hi 24- 7

I very much appreciated being helped I didn’t realise I was in a vulnerable state and thought i would never in my life be walked home ever lol , Thanks for spending so much time with me and walking me back to my hotel room. You guys really made a diffrence and made me think twice about taking substances which i stopped taking from after that night, thanks guys.

Hi 24-7 Ibiza

I got far to carried away on my first night out in Ibiza and got to a stage of drunkenness I never been before and don't fancy again. This is what I remember, I wandered out of a club and away from my mates and then was lying in a street being sick and falling asleep then two amazing people came from nowhere and started helping me next thing I'm in a car (vomit van!) then wake up on my bathroom floor. Thank you so so much for what you done that night hate to think what could of happened. I would love to know what I was like that night and how you found were I was staying as I didn’t have a clue at the time. Thank for all you done and keep up the good work:)

Hello 24-7!

I’d like to thank all at 24-7, particularly a group of individuals who helped me out on the west end

I was massively intoxicated as it was my holiday i thought hey! lets go nuts, unfortunately before I knew it i was on the ground bleeding heavily from the hand. Members from 247 literally picked me up, strapped me up and walked my back to my hotel – Dread to think where i would be without them as i lost my friends that night!  You only really appreciate what these people do when you need them most! Keep it up!

Thanks again! X

Hi 24-7

We had a messy few weeks, one night my friend had a few too many and fell and smashed his head open. While I was calling the ambulance my bag was robbed and it was a horrible night!! You took care of my friend who fell and gave him water and bandages and brought him home safe, thank you so much you also gave him a 24-7 lighter which he treasured! I have seen you care for others throughout the duration of my stay too, wow you do an amazing job keep it up xxxx

24-7

Just want to say thankyou to your team who helped me get back to my hotel the first night i went out in ibiza. Brilliant service your running as so many people lose control in ibiza and its a great thing your doing.

Intercession

2011-09-18T11:39:00.000+02:00

Is intercession a specific ministry? I sometimes here people say "I am an intercessor" aren't we all called to be intercessors. A friend of mine had someone preaching at his church at the end of the preachers talk he asked for the intercessors to come forward, no one moved!! This was because the whole church had been taught that they were all intercessors and that intercession was not a specific specialist ministry.

Is there a biblical theological argument to support intercession as a gift or ministry?

The word intercessor can only be found in Job 16 and it is not a specific reference to something that is given to one individual.

Aren't we all called to be intercessors, to bring our petitions, to pray continually. The minute you make intercessory ministry a job for specialists you create levels. You make it difficult for other people and prayer becomes exclusive.

Now I understand that there are people who can pray with ease for hours, there are prayer warriors and there are those who can wait on the Lord with ease. This is more a discipline than a gift. Yes and I do believe in intercession groups and meetings, there's nothing better than gathering together and interceding for something. What we do in San Antonio is intercession, we gather regularly to pray for our area and the people who live in it, we intercede, we become intercessors for that period of time.

I wanted to go a bit more biblical with this but until summer is over I don't have the time. When Paul talks of gifts in the New Testament he never mentions prayer or intercession as gift.

Thats why I love 24-7 prayer it encourages prayer for everyone, you don't need a great musician, you don't need to have a specially dedicated full time building. You can have a prayer room anywhere and pray anywhere it is not for specialists, it's inclusive.

Check out All About Prayer for a little more on intercession.

Late Night Messiness

2011-09-17T03:28:00.000+02:00

It's 3.03am we got a call from the police at 1.20am to come for a girl who was, in their words, "A little bit drunk" when we got to the hotel it was very clear that this was way more than a little bit drunk. We prayed as we drove to find her that we would have the grace and patience to deal with the situation.

She wasn't actually staying in the hotel where we found her lying, so the name of the game was to get her back to her own hotel. Thankfully the night porter had worked out where she was and printed off some directions for us, which were very helpful.

The girl herself was lying in her own vomit and had lost control of her bowels, this is a very embarrassing state to find yourself in. Emma and Jillian gallantly cleaned the vomit and pooh from her as best as they could. The night porter brought us some towel they were used to clean her up but it just kept coming. She had definitely been eating chinese food.

As we went to stand her up Emma gagged and nearly vomited so I stepped in to help manoeuvre and lift the girl into the van. Unfortunately I didn't have time to put gloves on.

I quickly realised I had pooh on my hands, I drove, whilst Emma who had recovered brilliantly, poured alcohol wipe onto my hands to remove the pooh. It took us a while to find the apartment where the girl was staying the van was the smelliest it has ever been and you couldn't escape it. It gets in your clothes and everything, you have to breath through your mouth as to not let the smell get in any further.

We got her back safely Emma and Jillian took her in to her friends and they got her in the shower, cleaned her up and put her in bed whilst I stayed outside to clean the pooh from the inside of the van. The girls did brilliantly; cleaning a conscious drunk is much harder than cleaning a van.

In the end she was home safe, it wasn't pretty but she is ok, I know you can ask yourself how can people get in such a state? Mostly it's just an under estimation of the strength of the drink and size of the measures here. They don't start the evening off thinking "tonight I want to get so drunk that I vomit and pooh myself " it creeps up on them.

Anyway we got back in the van, I realised my hands still smelt of pooh, because we hadn't cleaned the steering wheel!!!! We got it properly cleansed, and here I am sitting indoors waiting for the next call.

We are not saints, but surely having a faith is about active involvement, my faith isn't passive, it is not just something I adhere to mentally it affects my actions.

So when we help someone we often remember the words of Jesus which were "Do unto others as you would have done unto yourself"

Feminized Prayer

2011-09-12T10:48:00.001+02:00

Sometimes I get worried that people think prayer is for girls! With our summer teams that join us here there are we have many more men than women. my accountant wife tells me 80% of our teams are women! I know this is always true of mission teams in general but it did get me thinking about the feminization of prayer.

There's an organisation called Lydia Fellowship it's about women praying based on quite a weak link to a bible reference in Acts Chapter 16, their prayer meetings are exclusively for women, I know that prayer is good, that all types of people praying all types of prayers are necessary but I can't help wondering if the Lydia thing is a reflection of something that is wrong in Europe!

Over the last century prayer has been feminized, maybe because as the growth of christianity has happened men have worked and women have stayed at home and had more time to go to prayer groups during the day!! Maybe church leadership has not put enough emphasis on prayer, therefore making it a daytime activity available only to those without jobs. It could just be that with increased wealth and leisure women have chosen prayer and men haven't.

Perhaps it's down to the rise of one or two strong women prayer preachers and intercessor movements led by women.

I know that times have changed but I even look at the 24-7 prayer international prayer team and I see that 6 are women and there is only one man, and this is quite a modern movement!!!!!!! In the end movements do reflect their leadership it concerns me that if the prayer side of 24-7prayer is all ladies bar one, then maybe we will only encourage ladies to pray.

Believe me praying women are better than no one praying at all. this isn't a chauvinistic post more a frustrated post. I don't want women to stop praying I just wish more men would get involved.

How does that happen?

The Call

2011-09-11T03:38:00.000+02:00

Two nights a week rather than walking the streets we are just on call. This involves sitting at home waiting for someone to call and then popping out and dealing with the situation. We do this so that the team get a break and don't burn out throughout the summer.

Tonight I am on call with Gillian, we have just been out I am back now but can't switch the phone off until 4.30am, I have about one hour left so my prayer is for peace on the streets, which in turns means a calm night for us.

We had a call about 90 minutes ago from the health centre in San Antonio, they call us quite a bit, it's always a challenge for my Spanish!!

Our first guy was a drunk chap from Glasgow, who had fallen over and needed 5 stitches. He was easy enough to deal with, just very hard to understand. We popped him home to his hotel.

We the went back to the health centre as they had another guy asleep waiting for us, we woke him up, clean a large quantity of red bull scented vomit off him and found out where his hotel was. Whilst we were doing this I got called in to another room to help with translation!!!!!

It was a young lady with gynaecological problems, these are not words that flow easy and you don't really learn them in spanish class. We muddled through, she got the right diagnosis and I learnt a few words that I will probably never have to use again, unless I have a sex change.

The health centre people are so lovely and we have a great relationship with them, I enjoy going there on call. Mainly because it's a controlled calm environment. If you deal with a drunk on the west end it can be noisy, people take photo's you always have some drunk who has done first aid trying to tell you your job. The health centre is a tranquil place to deal with drunks.

I then went back to red bull vomit man, we got him in the van and soon had him back at his hotel.

This blog took 10 minutes it's 3.35 just got to sit here for 55 more and pray, we normally pray for peace, we pray that friends would stick together, we pray for safety, we pray for a lack of violence and generally that people would have fun without endangering themselves.

Police

2011-09-08T23:40:00.001+02:00

The police in San Antonio have a hard job, they are understaffed and have to put up with quite a lot of nonsense. Occasionally they are a little heavy handed, but we like them.

In the summer of 2005 when we first arrived on the island the police threatened to arrest us for giving out fruit on the streets.

Then of course there was the false charge 3 years ago of being an illegal taxi, which was just a case of misunderstanding and has since been resolved.

A few weeks ago we had a phone call from the police to come and help them, tim who was driving the van thought he was being flagged down and arrested when it turned out that he was actually being escorted by the police to help some drunk russian girl.

Then this week I was out with Anna, we were in the van when we got another call to go help the police. We found two police men standing over a man who was absolutely covered head to toe in vomit, he was with a friend but I can honestly say I have never seen someone so covered, he must have been rolling around in it. The police asked us to take him home so I got him up draped all over me and we popped him in the vomit van. The stench was close to unbearable.

What was fantastic was that I needed to turn the van around in the road to get him home and the police just stopped all the traffic so I could turn. It's a long way from 2005 when they were threatening to arrest us, to actually stopping the traffic on our behalf.

We got sick boy home, I was covered, it was on my face and my legs and everything in between. Messiest night this summer, but he got home safe, and we were just so blessed to be working with the police in helping a vulnerable guy home.

We took a guy to purgatory

2011-09-07T18:25:00.000+02:00

Tonight was the first night of our final team. We were in the prayer room praying when we got a call from a worker whose friend had taken too much liquid ecstasy he was in a pretty bad way. We used our new wheelchair to get him out of the west end, then we decided it would be best if we took him to the health centre so that they could check him out. He was unconscious the whole time! As we got him into the van he vomitted all down himself, we sort of cleaned him up and took him to the health centre, as he was completely "lights out" I had to hold him pretty tight to get him out of the van into the wheelchair, which meant I got covered in his vomit.

After a bit of a scene which involved leaving him sleeping in our new wheelchair, driving back to the wes tend for some documentation, losing his friend then finding her we finally returned and got the all clear from the medical staff to take him home.

At this point he was still asleep, I grabbed him and stood him up to swing him into a wheelchair as I did this he woke up!!

The doctor and two nurses along with Anna, myself and his friend were all so relieved that we all spontaneously cheered and clapped. The poor guy looked so freaked out, one minute he had been outside a bar in the westend the next thing he knows he's woken up in a white room with 3 women dressed in white cheering him and some big skinhead hanging onto him. I wonder if he thought he had died, and that I was God?

Or maybe that he was caught in the spirit world and was in some form of eternal struggle between dark and light, which involved a skinheaded demon in a black t-shirt and some white clad angels who where being cheered on by his friend and some american girl standing in what may have been purgatory fighting for his soul.

Whatever was going through his head it was hilarious to watch his face, he said nothing, just looked totally freaked out, especially as I pushed him into the wheelchair and wheeled him out of the bright room away from the angels into the darkness....

Opinions

2011-09-02T08:34:00.000+02:00

I once heard someone say that we mustn't form "to close a relationship with our own opinions" I think I was more opinionated when I was younger, but then I think i still hold strong opinions.

So maybe I am not less opinionated just better at sharing my opinions. I think in the past I would try to be right and in being right I would try to make others wrong. There's nothing the matter with being right it's just how it comes across.

Although I have noticed that some christian leaders aren't so good at sharing their opinions these days, they are a little held back. I wonder if that is why Mark Driscoll does so well, he is pretty confident and vocal in the sharing of his opinions. I am not saying he is right but it's seems that some people are looking for leaders with strong opinions.

I guess it's ok to have opinions, probably just have to watch how you share them, and some opinions are better off just kept in your head.

I was preaching the other week and I said "don't follow a leader with a cause who never talks about Jesus" what I meant to say was "don't follow a christian leader with a cause who never mentions Jesus." There are loads of christians out there with opinions about all sorts of things but if you can't see Christ in their opinions I would worry.

I would say that a lot of middle class church opinion is more informed by The Daily Mail than the Sermon on the Mount.

In general the teachings of Jesus are challenging, for instance how does our Lords phrase "I was a stranger and you invited me in" inform immigration policy?

We are more informed by the papers than the gospels our opinions are occasionally moulded by fear not by Christ.

Opinions are good to have however we need to filter them, we must look at our own opinions through a Christlike lens, apply some Corinthians 13 love to them and then see if they are still valid!

Jesus Loves Essex

2011-08-30T11:10:00.001+02:00

I am still amazed at how our Jesus loves Ibiza bibles are received. People love them not only the design but the accessibility of the Message Version.

We dropped a drunk guy the other night and his friend stayed up and watched over him to make sure he was ok. Whilst he sat watching over his drunk friend he read the bible our team had given him.

He saw the team last night and quoted the beatitudes to them, because that was what he had read and it had really stuck in his mind. Now I don't know about you but it always blows me away that someone on holiday could emerge from a messy situation of looking after his drunk friend on a lads drinking holiday and come away having learnt the beatitudes!!!

I would still love to see this kind of thing happen in the UK, I think the bible is a powerful book, the word of God we just have to develop a better delivery and presentation system.

I want to do a "Jesus Loves Essex" version, because it's so much in the media and not all the press is positive wouldn't is be good to pop something like that into the hands of essex people. We could distribute it at Lakeside, a large shopping mall in Essex.

I used to live in Essex, for my overseas readers who don't know much about it check out this link Essex also Essex. Essex is personified in a UK Tv programme called The Only Way is Essex , british Tv's answer to The Hills or Jersey Shores.

I spent 13 years of my life in Essex! It would be great to get the bibles.

Light

2011-08-28T11:14:00.000+02:00

In the Beginning was the Word and the Word was with God

God looked down on man and the broken state of humanity and enacted the plan, his heart was for his creation, his heart burst for his creation, he wanted to walk once again in relationship with humanity and he sent forth light, the light of the world, expressing the very heart of God.

The light shone in darkness, it pulsed with his heart beat, Jesus shone, he emanated light, he moved amongst the darkness and shone wherever He was. The Son of God, light bearing incarnational representative of God, lights of lights.

The darkness responded badly to the light, rejecting it. They tried to put the light out by killing the Son, but little did they know that at the moment they thought the light was being extinguished was the moment the light would be truly revealed and it's mission accomplished.

The light did not die, it rose victorious, it shone, salvation was revealed and a great light was seen by all men. That light rained down on others and they where filled with the same spirit as the light.

The challenge is now that we the light bearers will shine, shine in the darkness, transform the world fill it with bright God colours, revealing the glory of the only begotten Son who leads to relationship with the light.

You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.

Massage

2011-08-26T12:01:00.000+02:00

One of the things we have been doing this year is offering a lot of the dancers here a chance to get a free massage.

Every Wednesday our prayer room becomes a tranquil massage room and dancers from the clubs and bars come for a moments peace from the hustle and bustle of everyday life to sit in our prayer room and get some time to de-stress. Sara who is part of our community here had a great day on Wednesday doing this, we get about 8 girls dropping in every week for this.

In fact next year I keep wondering if we should have a dancer chaplain, some who goes into the various lap dancing bars and just befriends and cares for the girls as a specific ministry. A strip club chaplain.

We are already doing it this year but just wondering about stepping it up for next year.

One of the wonderful things about next year is the Abby who will be taking over from Tracy and I with her husband is a trained masseuse. In fact I would like more of our summer long girls to get little massage qualifications.

It's a great way to reach out and a great way to connect with people.

You lay on hands and whilst you are massaging you can pray for the person. Every body needs a little human touch.

Drowning

2011-08-24T12:50:00.000+02:00

Well got back from holiday on Monday and was out on the streets last night.

It was all going very peacefully until Louise and I spotted some splashing near some boats in the harbour. We walked over and realised it was a guy!!! he was thrashing about and in a bit of trouble. I am not a strong swimmer but as we watched a really great spanish guy jumped in and pulled him to the edge and we helped drag him out. Whilst we all thanked the Spanish guy, the drugged up british guy that we had just pulled from the water jumped back in. I ran up and managed to drag him out but just as he was climbing out he slipped and fell back in.

This time it got worse, he was on ecstasy and enjoying the water but kept going under, we were shouting at him and trying to get him to come close. He then went under for what seemed like an age and at that point I thought we were about to see a guy drown. So although I am not a good swimmer I started to give my stuff to louise and was about to jump in when along came spanish guy again he leapt straight in. I will be honest and say I was relieved, he got him to the side I reached in under the water and pulled the guy up by his hair and then with the help of a scottish guy who was just passing by we dragged him fully out. We had to drag him up the side of the harbour but at that point we were more concerned that he didn't drown than the fact he suffered bad grazing from being dragged over rough concrete.

We held him this time, it was easy he was out of breath and just lay panting and bleeding on the floor. We called the police because someone needed to restrain this guy until the drugs wore off or he was going to drown. The police came, they were brilliant we waited with them until an ambulance came and then the guy was taken to hospital, to sleep off the effects of the drugs. It ended well.

I was disturbed, he could have drowned, the timing was great that we happened to be there, but more importantly that the strong swimming spanish guy happened to notice us!

I was also deeply impressed by how local spanish helped me on the phone, how the scottish guy stuck around, how the police where so patient, I think by the end of the incident about 12 people all contributed to the situation which eventually got him to safety.

Humans are good, humanity is beautiful and people generally look out for people.

It was good to be back

Holiday

2011-08-08T09:31:00.000+02:00

It's been an incredibly busy and fulfilling summer but this has come at the cost of my blog being somewhat neglected. I am about to neglect it further as we as a family gone on a two week holiday to the UK.

It's hard to put into words what has been happening here but it has been very good. We are on team 4 and they are from the USA, Ireland and England, all girls which is interesting!!

The weather has been unbelievably hot yesterday 36 degrees with close to 90% humidity, so I am seriously looking forward to going back to the UK for some cloud cover.

Both our boys are ill, which is a bummer, so we are praying that they get better quickly so that they can enjoy the break.

Last night we had over 50 people in attendance at our service 15 of which where either local spanish or local year round residents, this is good and we are loving the fact that this is growing. I'm enjoying preaching nearly every week which is probably why I am not blogging as much. I have to direct my mental energy towards communicating well on Sundays!

Anyway, see you all when I get back, hopefully refreshed and up for a whole new season of blogging.

Teams

2011-07-29T12:05:00.000+02:00

Our third 2 week team departs today which is an indicator as to how quickly the summer is passing by. All our two week teams have been excellent this year, actually they are every year, this is down to a great application set up and also working with people you have relationship with.

How could I describe the summer so far?????

Prayers have been prayed, we have stood, knelt or just sat and prayed with many people on the streets, we have taken prayer requests, we have held hands in prayer, we have have prayed in the prayer room, we have walked the streets and prayed, we have gone to watchtowers and prayed, we have prayed all over the place.... it's really all been about the prayer, prayer and more prayer.

We have given away bibles, lots of bibles, we even had someone seek us out for a new bible because some one had stolen his!!! We like the fact that people want bibles so much they steal them.

The centre has been as busy as ever with over 150 people using it every week, one day last week we had over 24 people in at the same time. It's a hub, a third space.

We have walked countless people back to their hotels and helped many others home in our van, the health centre continue to phone us for help. Bar owners, security staff and workers also call us to help messed up people. The police occasionally watch over us whilst we do this.

Our summer long team of 12 people is truly superb, we meet eat and pray together regularly, they are a joy to have here and fun to hang out with.

Our sunday gathering continues to attract a mixed bag of visitors, some weeks we have 40 people others weeks we have 20!! thats ok, we have workers, locals, team members and tourists all popping along.

This brief résumé of our work doesn't really do it justice, there is other stuff happening that I just can't blog about, but it's good.

Religion

2011-07-24T12:46:00.000+02:00

And an old priest said, 'Speak to us of Religion.'

And he said:

Have I spoken this day of aught else?

Is not religion all deeds and all reflection,

And that which is neither deed nor reflection, but a wonder and a surprise ever springing in the soul, even while the hands hew the stone or tend the loom?

Who can separate his faith from his actions, or his belief from his occupations?

Who can spread his hours before him, saying, 'This for God and this for myself; This for my soul, and this other for my body?'

All your hours are wings that beat through space from self to self.

He who wears his morality but as his best garment were better naked.

The wind and the sun will tear no holes in his skin.

And he who defines his conduct by ethics imprisons his song-bird in a cage.

The freest song comes not through bars and wires.

And he to whom worshipping is a window, to open but also to shut, has not yet visited the house of his soul whose windows are from dawn to dawn.

Your daily life is your temple and your religion.

Whenever you enter into it take with you your all.

Take the plough and the forge and the mallet and the lute,

The things you have fashioned in necessity or for delight.

For in revery you cannot rise above your achievements nor fall lower than your failures.

And take with you all men:

For in adoration you cannot fly higher than their hopes nor humble yourself lower than their despair.

And if you would know God be not therefore a solver of riddles.

Rather look about you and you shall see Him playing with your children.

And look into space; you shall see Him walking in the cloud, outstretching His arms in the lightning and descending in rain.

You shall see Him smiling in flowers, then rising and waving His hands in trees.

A sufi poem from a classical lebanese poet - khalil gibran

Encouragement

2011-07-22T12:37:00.001+02:00

It's really lovely when you get some encouraging message back from people you have helped. We don't do it for the praise but it is encouraging and spurs you on to keep doing what you are doing:

These are messages from a few people we have helped this summer:

"We had a messy few weeks last year and one night my friend had a few too many and fell and smashed his head open. While I was calling the ambulence my bag was robbed and it was a horrible night!! You took care of my friend who fell and gave him water and bandages and brought him home safe, thank you so much you also gave him a 24-7 lighter which he treasured! I have seen you care for others throughout the duration of my stay too, wow you do an amazing job keep it up xxxx"

"Hello 24-7! I’d like to thank all at 24-7, particularly a group of individuals who helped me out on the west end .I was massivly intoxicated as it was my holiday i thought hey! lets go nuts, unfortunatly before I knew it i was on the ground bleeding heavily from the hand. Members from 247 literally picked me up, strapped me up and walked my back to my hotel – Dread to think where i would be without them as i lost my friends that night! You only really appreciate what these people do when you need them most! Keep it up. Thanks again! x"

"Hi 24-7 Ibiza. On the 30 June 2011 I got far to carried away on my first night out in Ibiza and got to a stage of drunkenness I never been before and don’t fancy again. This is what I remember, I wandered out of a club and from my mates and then was lying in a street being sick and falling asleep then two amazing people came from nowhere and started helping me say there hear to help next thing I’m in a car then wake up on my bathroom floor. I then found a message from Gillian & Neil letting me no they helped me home. Thank you so so much for what you done that night hate to think what could of happend. I would love to no what I was like that night and how you found were I was staying as I didt have a clue at the time. Thank for all you done and keep up the good work:)"

These messages give us courage to keep going.

Overdramatic.com

2011-07-13T11:16:00.000+02:00

Thank you for all your encouraging messages, I think I may have used the wrong title for my story yesterday. In all honesty the situation I wrote about is pretty typical, these kind of things happen to us every week or so.

I was mainly freaked out by the age of the girl but this was after the situation had ended.

Life is not tough here, it is challenging. We are faced with challenging situations but we are so blessed. We are blessed by friends who support us, bar workers who encourage us on a regular basis and a God who never leaves us.

We aren't immune to the things we face, I guess when God calls you somewhere he gives grace for you to live it.

We were reading Corinthians 4 yesterday the words of Paul often help me gain perspective these guys had it tough, tougher than we can ever imagine yet they were able to say:

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you."

Amen, Hallelujah and Glory be.

I can't do this anymore

2011-07-12T17:01:00.000+02:00

Last night we were out on the streets, I was walking around with Gillian who is here for the whole summer. We were having a lovely chilled time, chatting with workers, looking for people to pray with it felt good.

We then received a phone call from a bar in the West end asking us to come and help a girl there who was in some trouble. When we arrived it became evident that she needed an ambulance, I don't want to speculate but it looked like she had taken more than alcohol! I stepped out of the melee to call the ambulance, whilst I did this, Gillian held the girl.

There were 4 other unconnected girls who were also being extremely helpful they had been consoling the drunken/drugged girls sister. All of a sudden the sister flipped out and started making semi aggressive moves toward Gillian who was helping her sister. I was on the phone to the ambulance. At this point Tim and Lauren who were also on our team walked by, Tim jumped in and took over from Gillian and Lauren started to help placate the freaked out and random sister. The timing was wonderful.

I had phoned an ambulance, the pub bouncer was helping out, and then came 6 police they just reassuringly watched whilst we waited for an ambulance. Other random holiday makers were taking photos of the drugged girl, this always disturbs me. Gillian and I stood back whilst Tim and Lauren looked after the girl, too many people can make the scene worse. Eventually I was able to show the ambulance crew to the girl. There was a big crowd by now, but the police got their truncheons out and it quickly dispersed. Gillian and I stood back and watched and quietly prayed.

Whilst the ambulance crew where dealing with the drunk first girl another girl got thrown out of a club she was in a mess and lying very close to the original victim, thankfully she had a more calm friend with her. This obviously confused the situation and made it all a little bit more manic, but Tim informed me afterwards that the whole time he felt "total peace". The ambulance crew can only take one at a time, they gave the new girl a once over and said, "we'll take the first girl can you take the second girl to her hotel"

All the time this was happening some of our guys where praying back in the prayer room, this is faith and action. Number one girl was put safely in the ambulance, her sister disappeared in the mayhem, Tim and Lauren then ran and got Gavin, who is on our team, and a wheel chair, whilst Gillian and I ran to get the Vomit Van. They got number two girl to a peaceful place where we could pick them up easily. We pulled up they got her in to the tranquil air conditioned van everything instantly became calm and we managed to get her safely to her hotel with her friend. All in all it was a job well done, everyone was safe!

Meanwhile (I hope this isn't to complicated) Jule's and Becky who are on our team bumped into the freaked out and random sister who was now with the 4 helpful girls looking for her sister. They walked her to the medical centre and thankfully her sister was there, sedated and in a bed.

It then transpired that they we staying in another town 20 miles away with their parents, the drunk/ drugged girl was only 16. Becky and Jules spoke to her parents who jumped in a taxi and came to get their daughters! It ended well.

However it disturbed me, set me on edge, worried me, my son will be 16 in November, she really was so young. On a weird level I just felt "I have had enough, I can't do this anymore" but something quickly happened in my disheartened spirit I got my head back in the game, God is our strength his spirit showed up and gave the push I needed. I was also reminded that there were 7 of us involved in this scene and what a great way to function together as community.

I'm not giving up.

Impromptu octopus

2011-07-04T11:12:00.000+02:00

We had so much fun yesterday, went swimming with in the sea with Neil and my boys. We snorkelled out around some rocks just watching the fish, when we noticed an octopus.

We swam back to shore grabbed some bamboo that we found on the rocks and came back to hunt Octopus. Now this wasn't a very high tech operation and we felt we had little chance of success but we decided it was worth a try.

We eventually found an octopus, it all got a bit exciting as the 4 of us hunted this wild beast, there was a lot of ink flying about!!! Eventually after much splashing and chasing we caught it, it's very hard to stab an Octopus with bamboo so .

Due to the impromptu nature of our hunt we couldn't work out how to kill it, we found some nail scissors in the car and stabbed it through it's brain.

We took it home, as you can see from the photo above, boiled it then barbecued it and ate it, it was surprisingly good, very fresh. The only thing that worried me was we forgot to clean it before we boiled it, although we are all good this morning.

I don't have any pithy spiritual lesson from this story, only that it was fun.

We are not 24-7 Vomit

2011-06-28T18:04:00.000+02:00

As a team we have been reminding ourselves that we are 24-7 prayer in Ibiza not 24-7 vomit. The reason we call ourselves 24-7ibiza is that 24-7prayer in ibiza doesn't slip of the tongue so easy. We are 100% committed to and part of the wider international movement that is 24-7prayer .

What we have found is that dealing with vomit and people in distress is surprisingly easier than actually talking with people about their spirituality and offering to pray with them. In fact if you are feeling a little under the weather spiritually you will default towards looking for drunks to help rather than people to pray with.

We are 24-7prayer not 24-7 vomit.

We will never walk by a sick distressed or lost person, we will never refuse to go and help a bar or the health centre at our core we are a praying group of individuals.

As well as being the prayer, by helping and assisting we can also offer prayer for the deeper unseen problems, the pain and trauma that people go through on an everyday basis. This is harder to step up to than help an actual messy situation, but time and time again when we do it, people appear to be really blessed.

Prayer is the key.

The vomit is a symptom of a deeper problem, vomit is the search for something that in the end will not make you happy. There is a prophetic significance in vomit.

I have supped and drank deeply of all the world has to offer and it has not made me happy, in fact it has made me sick.

Are you a FOMO?

2011-06-27T11:03:00.000+02:00

I was chatting to friend of mine she said she read in some girly magazine about a new condition people could be suffering from. It's been around for a while but living a secluded, sheltered life here in Ibiza I had never heard it before.

It's called FOMO, which just means Fear Of Missing Out - the fear you feel that you will miss out on something huge if you don't do something/participate in an event.

'I want to stay home tonight but I have FOMO so I will push through the fatigue.'

Fear that you will miss the best party, the best sunset, the best gig, the best night at the pub, the best conference, the best church meeting, the best speaker, etc.

Fear that stops us from resting, from stopping, from taking it easy, from stepping back and relaxing.

I see far too many people who are just too busy. I was reading somewhere about a church leader who was so busy he had to mow his lawn with a head torch on at night, whilst he was doing this he had a sudden realisation that all the busy ness of church life wasn't good and asked himself: "What exactly is it about my life that would make my neighbours want to become a christian?"

Are we too busy? Do we need to implement some changes in our lives so that we live a much more reflective lifestyle?

I was talking to my younger brother who lives in the UK, he was telling me how that if he wants to have a meal with other people in the church once they get their diaries together it's normally a minimum of 6 weeks before they can meet up. Surely this isn't right? or am I just being naive?

24-7 Ibiza's new leaders

2011-06-20T10:32:00.000+02:00

Let me introduce you to Charlie and Abby Clayton. Charlie and Abby will be taking over the leadership of 24-7 prayer here in Ibiza from Tracy and myself next July.

They both live in Birmingham, and have just got married at the end of April. Abby is a dancer, masseuse, wonderful prayer warrior and people connector. I don't know if Charlie can dance but he was the leader and one of the directors of a charity in Birmingham which amongst other things developed a drop in centre and street work!!! One of the best statements Tracy thinks she heard Charlie make was "I love spreadsheets" Charlie has a heart for the lost and tremendous organisational abilities which are so essential for the work here.

They will be based in the UK until February/March next year, just getting used to being married and fund raising so that they can live and work effectively out here. If you'd like to become a regular supporter just talk to me and I can hook you up.

Tracy and I will still stay involved in an oversight role from the UK but Charlie and Abby will be our on the ground leaders of 24-7ibiza.

Charlie and Abby have started a blog so please pop over and give them some love and encouragement as they step up to the mark for an exciting new adventure, their blog is called Clapping the son .

We can't tell you how excited we are by all of this, God is all over it and we just sometimes have to stand back and be amazed by how well he plans and grows His church....

Praying with people on the street

2011-06-17T07:06:00.000+02:00

It's so hot and humid here I had to get up at 6am and go and lie outside! Tracy had been out on the street tonight and has just got in.

We have 19 adults here including Tracy and myself serving the work of 24-7 prayer here in ibiza, 8 of those are our first two week team and they are doing a great job.

People in our world still really want prayer, even if they wouldn't call themselves christians. Even though this is our 7th season I still find myself amazed and humbled by the amount of opportunities we get to chat, listen to and pray with people on the street.

Here's a little bit about how it goes when we pray for others on the streets.

Number one prayer request we get is always "others" people generally always want you to pray for someone else. At first I think they feel it's selfish to ask for individual prayer, often saying things like "I don't deserve your prayers but could you pray for my Granny" or a sick loved one, or friend who is having a hard time.

People often ask us to pray for dead people, we do pray for them but generally turn the prayer to pray for the bereaved family and friends. Often it's like they want us to get a message to their friend or family member, or they just miss them dearly and want us to pray that they will be ok in heaven.

Once we have prayed for others we tend to ask "Is there anything we can pray for you about?" mostly we get prayers about future, meeting the right partner, getting enough money, good employment that kind of thing.

Often as we talk and listen to people it goes to a deeper level, 5 areas that people talk to us a lot about are: guilt, regret, fear, pain, failure. I think this tends to happen because we just take the time, we pray before we go out, we ask to be led, allow the Holy Spirit to prompt and guide us and we don't rush. People are also on holiday so they tend to be more relaxed and also in less of a hurry. This is where you really have to believe God will show up, he does. We get a lot of emotional response as we pray for people and it's always beautiful to watch God show up and start to interact with people who maybe hadn't given Him a lot of thought.

We will also pray for people to be healed, you'll be surprised by how many people won't want you to do that, but we are never frightened to ask! We have prayed for a number of people who have got better.

We work hard at not using religious language. I use certain phrases that I really mean for our generation. I pray for God to smile on people, to bless their families, to help them in work, to provide all they need. I often also pray for peace, people need peace. We do of course ask the Holy Spirit to lead our praying but it does help to have given some fore thought to what you are going to say.

If people don't want us to pray for them there and then on the street we ask if they would like to fill out a prayer request form that we will take back to our prayer room and pray about for them. A couple of tips: get them to write it if they don't want to write it you write it but get them to sign it. You then end up praying their prayer more accurately.

Of course over the years we have had comedy prayer requests like guys asking for longer willy's or some asking if Leicester could win the FA cup. We still pin them on our wall and pray for the person but not the request!!!

These last 4 days alone we have prayed with over 30 people on the streets here in Ibiza.

Celebrate risk taking

2011-06-15T11:27:00.001+02:00

We live in a risk averse world! A world where we talk about risk assessment.

I wonder what the risk assessment situation would have been around Peter getting out of the boat and walking towards Jesus?

The thing is Peter actually failed, he started to sink, it wasn't a success. Yet we are encouraged by the fact he got out of the boat and went for it.

I was talking to some friends about a church in california that celebrate risk taking, I loved it. We tend to celebrate success we don't celebrate risk taking.

This summer as a team we want to celebrate risk taking more than we celebrate success. We need to encourage each other to take more risks when it comes to sharing our faith. Lets not play it safe lets take a few risks, if we fall flat on our faces thats ok, at least we tried, we gave it a go, we took a risk.

Ask yourself whats the worst that can happen? actually don't ask yourself that question! Ask yourself whats the best that could happen? Live with the expectation that the risk you take is going to pay off. Something in me balks a little against my own statement, but thats because I am slightly risk averse and timidity occasionally shapes me.

Take a risk celebrate risk taking even if it ends in failure.

Christian tourism

2011-06-13T02:26:00.000+02:00

Just got in from picking up our first two week team, it's been a busy day, it wasn't meant to be but thats how it turned out.

Earlier we had our little community service which had a very eclectic mix attending, from ageing anglicans to young bar workers and everything in between. Probably about 28 people in attendance which is very good.

Then off to pick up the two week teams. i know some organisations see short term missions teams as an inconvenience but we don't. I have heard other people refer to short term teams as "Christian tourism" that doesn't work for us. We could only do what we do here with short term teams they are a necessary and essential part of the work here. In fact every nearly everyone who is here for the whole summer has been on a short term team. People who have moved out here to live have first rocked up on a short term team.

We also get overwhelmed with the workload and during the busy months the two week teams give us the energy to get through.

Our philosophy is that the teams have come to serve the work, the work isn't here to serve the teams. That doesn't mean that those of us here full time aren't servant minded or hearted, it's just if you start adjusting your programme for the teams it becomes about them. If you fit them into what you are already doing they enhance what you are doing and grow in the process.

We don't work our teams into the ground, we try to keep them fresh and make sure that rest is as key as work. Some peoples attitude to short term teams is to get them and flog them to death on the alter of servanthood!!!

Anyway we love teams and I am excited what the next two weeks will bring with our Irish Methodist 24-7prayer team.

Where's your hotel?

2011-06-11T04:43:00.000+02:00

Just got in, it's 4.30am. I have forgot how much I enjoy posting at this time of day. Just been out helping various people home.

What was particularly lovely about tonight; was that the Spanish health centre phoned us twice and we were able to help them get some people home. Basically people get taken to the health centre, they have no money or are covered in too much vomit, so they can't get a taxi home and the health centre can't authorise and ambulance so they phone us and we are more than happy to come and help.

It's always funny trying to get people to remember which hotel they are staying in, one guy had completely forgot. Often when asked the only info they will give you is that it is by the sea!!! when you ask for a little more than that they may tell you it has a swimming pool..which believe me is not helpful.

Anyway we took some girls back to their hotel and left guy who couldn't remember at the health centre by the time we got back for him he had remembered his hotel. So happy days.

So I am off to bed now, which will be nice.

I've so got my faith back now!

2011-06-10T11:05:00.000+02:00

A friend in the West end poured his heart out to two of our summer long team last week, telling them all about his friend being arrested and put in prison.

He had spent 3 days doing everything he could to get him released, using every contact he had back home to help. He was quite emotional as with our guys the responsibility, helplessness and frustration he felt.

So they all stood in the middle of the street outside a strip club and prayed that his friend would find favour with the law and be released rather than sent to Barcelona prison which was the potential outcome.

The next day one of our team went to see how he was. She was given a huge hug of relief and news that his friend had been released and was now flying back to UK!

They celebrated the news together and as she was leaving the guy whispered ‘I’ve so got my faith back now.’

Jesus said: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free..."

Evangelism as dance

2011-06-09T07:49:00.000+02:00

I think this is a beautiful prophetic picture of what sharing our faith should look like. Evangelism as dance, following Jesus is a rhythm that we move our lives to. What if other people saw how we moved, saw how we danced and captured the rhythm? What if that rhythm spread, or the beat became louder, people moving to a rhythm of love, harmony, forgiveness, grace and freedom?

Watch the video it's inspiring. I found it on my friends Tims facebook, thanks Tim.

A good book to compliment this video would be More ready than you realise, Evangelism as dance in the post modern matrix poncy title, but worth a look.

Are You Listening

2011-05-24T10:30:00.000+02:00

Roger Waters of Pink Floyd sang: "You are only coming through in waves, your lips move, but I can't hear what you are saying"

One of the biggest things we do is listen, people don't always feel heard. We try really hard to listen, theres a lot of background noise and a lot going on and sometimes it can take all your concentration to stay focussed, mix that with drunken accents and it is a real challenge.

James the brother of Jesus said: "My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak....."

We don't live in a culture that is quick to listen.

David said in Psalm 40: "I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry"

I am glad that God hears us.

I once heard someone say that "the number one leadership skill is listening" I agree.

Jump Right In

2011-05-23T10:08:00.001+02:00

I was mentored by a guy who said "He who hesitates has lost" I like that

I have been listening to the Eminem song "Lose Yourself" from the film 8 mile, I think Eminem is a poet of some note.

The opening line of the song is this:

"Look, if you had one shot or one opportunity,
to sieze everything you ever wanted,
one moment,
would you capture it,
or just let it slip"

There is another similar quote in Shakespeare's Julius Ceasar, Act 4 scene 3:

There is a tide in the affairs of men
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted all the voyages of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.
On such a full sea are we now afloat,
And we must take the current when it serves,
Or lose our ventures.

They are both saying the same thing.

Maybe prophetically they are telling us something about moments in time. Those moments where we hesitate when we should really jump in. Those moments were we find fear replacing our desire to risk, to live, to embrace the moment and go for it.

Ask yourself "Whats the worst that could happen?" remind yourself "you only live once" think to yourself "How would I feel in a years time if I didn't do this?"

Life's for living, not for waiting.

Jump right in.

Book Munch

2011-05-17T17:51:00.000+02:00

I see a few people out there have been trying to read a book a week or something like that so thought I would pop up what I have read this year so far.

Mad Bad and Dangerous to Know Ranulph Fiennes

Enjoyable read, although determined explorers can be a little self absorbed, enjoyed reading about persistence and dogged determination.

Tribes Seth Godin

Interesting book, very well written, found it helpful when thinking about 24-7prayer and other movements.

The Making of Pink Floyd the Wall Gerald Scarfe

One of my favourite albums of all time, great book fantastic art work and great behind the scenes insights.

The Arabs a History Eugene Rogan

Bought this on the way back from Dubai, very comprehensive although I felt it didn't deal so well with earlier history.

Mark The Daily Study Bible William Barclay

I am trying to read mark every few weeks this year and found Barclays knowledge and thoughts on this wonderful book extremely helpful.

The Knowledge of The Holy AW Tozer

Excellent for giving you a sense of Gods greatness and His majesty, timeless truths excellently explained.

Voices of Dunkirk Joshua Levine

First hand accounts of the retreat and evacuation from Dunkirk, I love history especially first person details. Engrossing and thorough.

Soul Salsa Leornard Sweet

Didn't like this book, Sweet trying to hard to be post modern.

Six Wives The Queens of Henry VIII David Starkey

At over 750 pages my most challenging read to date, it's good to understand where we came from and the various influences on our nation. I love history.

Prayer the Real Battle Brother Andrew

Wonderful short book, I think this should be pushed out to prayer networks around the world, I am getting copies for our entire team. You could read it in two hours.

Pray in the Spirit A.Wallis

Just a personal read as I want to be more sensitive to the spirits leading in prayer, thought I would give this a whirl as Mr Wallis book on fasting "A chosen fast" is the best I have read on the subject.

Celtic Saints, Passionate Wanderers Elizabeth Rees

You've got to love the celts.

Life and Laughing Michael McIntyre

Funny book, hardly a biography but a nice little chuckle of a read.

Community 101 Gilbert Bilezikian

Love this book was prompted to re-read it because of his excellent chapters on oneness and the role of women in leadership.

Current books

I'll let you know how I get on with these next two.

Approaching God Lisa Repko Borden
Love Wins Rob Bell

Poured Out

2011-05-17T02:50:00.000+02:00

In 2 Timothy 4 Paul said "for I am already being poured out like a drink offering"

I sometimes wonder if I am really pouring myself out or just dribbling!

Just got in from the streets, it was a quiet night but only in terms of drunken action. We had loads of great conversations and a number of people wanted prayer on the streets.

It takes effort, I'll be honest and say that I felt drained tonight before we went out, I almost pulled a sicky. Sometimes I feel the weight of our 7th summer stretching out before us and feel daunted by it. Knowing what we will see and experience is exciting but also challenging. I want my heart to remain soft but sometimes it's just a tired heart. Don't get me wrong I am excited and do live with anticipation and hope, I am also positive about the summer, you just have these little moments.

We do have to remind ourselves that we will experience opposition and it comes in all shapes and sizes, sometimes it can be lethargy, sometimes self pity, sometimes illness, sometimes hardness. You just have to be on your guard.

I still want to pour myself out.

Be the prayer, the new vomit van

2011-05-16T08:00:00.001+02:00

Well here is the new vomit van, the only disturbing thing about it is the slightly effeminate ankle sticking out from under the door!

I love that line in Exodus, where God says to Moses "what have you got in your hand?" when we first started to spot drunks we prayed and I feel that is what God said to us. All we had was our normal cars, so we used them to pick people up.

We noticed the mess and then became the answer to our own prayer. Be careful how you pray.

Then of course someone else became the answer to our prayers by donating money for the first van and then when it broke down someone else stepped up to the mark and donated money that we could keep going. It's funny but they in many ways became the prayer. I love that the church is so wide and that someone sitting at home in another country can become the prayer and by doing so they buy us a van that enables lives to be saved on the streets. In the last 2 weeks we have already got about 6 people home and we know that this will increase.

One last thought on being the prayer: Don't pray if you don't expect it to change your life, don't pray for your community if you are not willing to be led out of your comfort zone into your community, it can sound harsh but I am convinced that if you take your prayer life seriously you cannot help but become the prayer.

Persistence and Perseverance

2011-05-12T09:19:00.000+02:00

We live in an instant world.

I want to change the channel on my TV I hit the button it happens, I want to book a flight I do it, I want to buy a book I can find it in seconds, I wait for more than 3 minutes for my coffee at Starbucks and I am stressing, if a web page takes more than 1 minute to load I am tapping my fingers and thinking about going elsewhere, I can take a photo and everyone can see it in minutes, we receive live news updates and events streaming from anywhere in the world almost as instantly as stuff happens.

We live in a culture of immediacy.

Freddy Mercury once sang "I want it all, I want it all and I want it now". Has this culture of immediacy permeated the church? I am pretty sure it has. Sometimes in subtle ways other times in blatantly overt ways.

I believe immediacy affects discipleship, it affects our worship, it affects our acts of service and at a very deep level it affects our prayer lives.

The persevering prayer and the persistent prayer are one of the hardest prayers to keep going. Year after year here in Ibiza, even night after night I pray repetitive prayers, sometimes I find it very hard. Yet I understand that I need to keep going. I sometimes struggle when you get people on a two week team here in Ibiza and after the 1st week they will say "I don't know what to pray anymore" I understand where they are coming from but normally just encourage them to pray the same prayer again. There is power in repetition.

We did not have a single connection with a prostitute here for 4 years, but we kept praying. We have been wanting to develop a Spanish speaking community mixed with an international community for 7 years, it only started this year and it's only been happening for 7 weeks, but we kept praying.

If we don't learn to grow in long persistent and persevering prayer we will not grow in certain areas of our lives. We will be conformed to the pattern of this world and live with only the immediate in mind.

Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, there is a race marked out for you you need to run it with perseverance. There is a race in prayer that is marked out for you, sometimes that race will be a sprint but often it will be a marathon. We need to persevere in prayer, we need to not give up, to keep knocking.

I believe that being part of a community is one of the greatest helps to persevering persistent prayer, we need people to stand with us and encourage us not to give up, to keep running, to keep knocking.

So please don't give up, keep running, keep knocking.

Breathing in and Breathing out

2011-05-11T09:39:00.000+02:00

In the book Punk Monk Pete Greig writes a lovely chapter on The ancient art of breathing.

He says this: "Life begins by breathing in, but unless we breathe out, we die! The primary call, as we have seen, is to withdraw in prayer, but we are also commanded to go out from that place of intimacy in order to advance the kingdom of heaven"

How we liken our work out on the streets at night or in general is a rhythm of "breathing in and breathing out" we breathe in whilst in the prayer room and then breathe out on the streets. We spend an hour breathing in and then an hour walking the streets, we come back and spend another hour breathing and then go out for another hour on the street, this is the rhythm of our work here. We split our team in two, so that we have this constant rhythm happening, whilst half the team is out half the team is in!

Pete also says:

“we must not fail to inhale the breath of God (by which we were created and without which we die) through disciplined prayer and meditation upon Scripture. And having inhaled God’s breath, we may

breathe out His life in loving mission, acts of mercy, celebratory worship and generous hospitality.”

“balance the inward breath of prayer with the outward breath of social engagement”

It can almost seem transactional, but I think it is a little more than that, a guy I know called Adrian Stark Ordish wrote this in his recent essay on prayer and mission:

"Of course, no metaphor will be entirely adequate. The tradition of apophatic, or negative, theology is a reminder that human language and concepts are prone to failure when confronted with the majesty and otherness of God. This must be considered when devising metaphors in the Christian life, or criticising them. It is best to focus on what is right about the metaphor, what can be learned from it, without forgetting that it must, of necessity, be wrong in many ways. As has been discussed, the breathing metaphor has positive, helpful features.

Another strategy to alleviate some of the problems of the inadequacies of all metaphors is to provide more than one, in the hope that they illuminate various facets of the truth. To this end, another metaphor for the connection between prayer and mission is the making of a magnetic compass. A compass can be made by taking a needle, stroking it repeatedly with a magnet, then floating it in water on a piece of cork. The needle will then point towards magnetic north. In this metaphor, the needle is a person.

God is magnetic north (or possibly magnetism itself). The stroking of the needle with a magnet is the relationship of the person with God – prayer. The more the needle is stroked, the more it is aligned with the magnet. The more a person engages in prayer, the more aligned with God and His purposes they are. Once the needle is aligned, it will point north. Once the person is aligned they will point in God’s direction, become attuned to His will.

This means they will come to share in His mission. Over time, the needle becomes demagnetised and ceases to point north.

Similarly, the person who stops praying will lose their alignment with God and therefore eventually lose the missional attitude; the relationship of prayer must be continued."

I agree I think that what we do is so much more than a transitional approach, it is bout alignment, I believe that almost by default a praying person will become missional.

First use

2011-05-10T02:35:00.000+02:00

Week 2 of being out on the streets, tonight we saw our first bit of vomit van action. Thankfully the guy vomited before he got in the van, which tends to give you a little window of clarity and you get them home as quickly as possible.

Tonight it was two 18 year old lads who had been at the vodka cocktails.

Will post some more on prayer and mission tomorrow, just a little bit tired right now.

A little something for the weekend

2011-05-07T09:16:00.000+02:00

Brian from Tales of the Unexpected on Vimeo.

History and Haunting

2011-05-06T08:02:00.000+02:00

A number of years ago we had the privilege of listening to the wisdom of wonderful man called Ken McCreavy, Ken passed away last year which was very sad.

However one of the statements that Ken made really sticks in mind and helps us as we look at prayer and mission. Ken said "For every history that is seen there is always a secret history, a history that is unseen" I really liked that. He said that for every revival that breaks out there is always a church or leader who goes down in history as the centre to travel to or the leader of the moment. Behind all of these there were probably people who prayed for years for break through in their town, or some ladies who prayed faithfully that God would bless and anoint their leader. For every history that is seen there is a secret unseen history.

We have it here, I got to baptise a guy, 24-7 prayer got to befriend him, someone got to pray the prayer of repentance with him, but his mother had prayed for him all his life! For every story that is told there is another story that we don't see.

I love the fact that as we walk the streets and pray with people we get to be involved in their secret history.

A friend of mine in the 80's was in Amsterdam smoking weed with his girlfriend, they stopped to listen to a band play, whilst they listened a guy approached them told and them the band was a christian band and offered to pray for them. They were very reticent and at first they refused, he persisted and they eventually let him pray for them. He prayed and they left. 6 months later through a whole set of circumstances they gave their lives to Jesus and still follow him to this day. The guy who prayed for them knows nothing of this, yet he is involved in their secret history.

We live in a results driven world, if we don't see results we can feel that we have failed. Yet so often prayer is the long haul, or prayer is the secret place. When we pray with people on the streets we get the opportunity to become involved in their secret history.

We get their name, we take it back to the prayer room we start to pray for them we get involved in their secret history. This is also where haunting comes into it!!!!

In Ephesians 4:27 Paul says "do not give the devil a foothold"

I believe that every time someone agrees to let you pray for them they give God a foothold.

Once we have prayed with someone we get really on it, we pray that God would haunt them, that they would meet people who are christians, that friends would find faith, that people at work would talk to them about the Lord, that they would have dreams about Jesus, that they would start to ask questions about their eternal security, that they would find a strange interest in the bible, that they would start to see God in nature, that they would want to visit as church, basically that God would haunt them. They have given him a foothold, their was a chink in their armour of resistance the minute they agreed for you to pray with them. We pray that chink would widen and they would invite Him in.

We get involved in their secret history and ask God to haunt them.

Connect and Communicate

2011-05-05T09:06:00.000+02:00

This is starting to take shape as a little prayer and mission series, which is good.

As we walk the streets at night our prayer before we leave is that we connect and communicate. Here's a thought: all the suddenly stuff, the supernatural stuff dare I even say the treasure hunting has a place in our lives but, and I use this "but" carefully, could it bypass the need to develop connections with people and build relationships with them?

Do we hide behind the supernatural as a pose to putting in the ground work of building relationship? I give you a prophetic word or word of knowledge therefore I get to speak intimately into your life without really knowing you! Can prophecy be a bypass to intimacy?

I believe that supernatural revelation is a God given gift that does make evangelism more effective, I don't doubt that for one moment.

I want to connect and communicate with people and sometimes that is a long haul relational deal, in fact I believe that most times it is long haul relational over instant supernatural. We go out we meet people we try to build relationships with them. We connect and communicate.

My prayer is often that we make a connection, that we communicate the love of God to whomever we meet. If they are only around for the short term probably the supernatural works as an instant hit. If it's long term, sure the supernatural can unlock a door, but the reality is that we need to build relationships with people. Relationships don't happen quickly.

One of the guys who got saved out here, was loved into the kingdom over 5 years by a variety of people who built relationships with him. He was also prayed into the kingdom by his mother and family, the end result was supernatural transformation of his life but it came through the effective connection and communication of the love of God over a long period of time.

Connect and communicate.

Blessing not Selling

2011-05-03T23:45:00.001+02:00

Yesterday I wrote about quantity leading to quality. Another part of our philosophy is "blessing not selling" I would love to claim this pithy little phrase as my own but unfortunately it belongs to someone else.

Before we left for Ibiza we spent a little bit of time with a chap called Floyd McClung he said a number of inspiring things to us and gave us some really good tips and advice. This phrase stood out the most; he said "concentrate on blessing not selling" we really took it to heart and we have successfully adopted it and used it with all our teams ever since.

I don't need to sell Jesus, I need to bless my community, I need to be kind. Gods great kindness leads us to repentance. We want to be incredibly kind, we want to bless, assist, love, help, care for, show compassion, pray with, listen to, hug and generally bless people. We then trust that they see God in this.

Of course we do enter into discourses, and realise that most people do come to faith when someone actually verbally shares the gospel, but that moment is normally the tip of the ice berg that people have arrived at through a whole load of other experiences.

We once had a team member get so involved in an argument with a worker in the west end, that the worker said "will you just f**king shut up and listen to me" he got angry with our guy, and our guy had forgot the motto of blessing not selling.

In his eagerness to convince someone of the truth he had forgotten to be the truth. He needed to relax trust the Holy Spirit and allow the truth to shine through him. He had boiled his evangelism down to an argument, a head discussion (which I know works in some situations) when really he should have blessed and shown love.

So if you are trying to impact your community with the Love of Christ concentrate on blessing not selling. As we have done this over the years I have had hundreds of beautiful conversations and wonderful holy spirit led chats, the kind that many street evangelists would love to have. These moments didn't come from me shouting "turn or burn" or giving out tracts that said "you won't be dancing like this in hell" they came and continue to come as we have concentrated on blessing not selling.

Thank you Mr McClung

Quantity and Quality

2011-05-03T14:29:00.000+02:00

First night out on the street last night. One of the things we tell all our teams is the importance of quantity time which inevitably will lead to quality moments.

It goes like this: If I want to have quality time with my sons I can try and schedule it in but often that doesn't work, moods are wrong, people are distracted, they have other stuff on their agenda, etc.. But if I spend quantity time with my sons in the midst of that I have quality moments.

When we read the book of Acts or the gospels we read about the quality moments. There is a lot of quantity time spent in between these quality moments that we just don't read about. Primarily because they would be boring! The book of Acts is basically a book of highlights, a collection of quality moments.

I am pretty sure this is the same for most of us whose job it is to communicate stories, we don't tell the boring ones. We talk about our quality moments, we don't always emphasise the quantity time time that led to those quality moments, we need to! We don't talk about the nights when nothing happens, Luke didn't write many chapters about the apostle Paul getting up and making a tent, having some lunch doing a bit of reading then going to bed. He gave us the best bits.

Like wise our work here is about investing quantity time walking the streets and hanging out with people then in the midst of that we have quality moments.

If you give the quantity the quality will come.

Break Over

2011-05-02T14:47:00.000+02:00

That was a nice unplanned break, just spent a bit of time getting my focus sorted for the season ahead so took a little break.

We have just had a prayer team out for 6 days they were excellent and it was a real blessing to have them help us in getting ourselves prepared and geared up for the summer.

Tonight will be our first night out on the street and our centre opens in about 2 hours for the first time this year. Having done this a few times now, we are pretty sure it is going to be a quiet week as all our first weeks normally are. I like the way the seasons builds and you don't just plunge into the madness.

Our team here is taking shape, we already have 5 people who are here for the summer long and will be expecting 2 more in 2 weeks. Our summer long team is wonderfully large. The only slight frustration is that Poppy who is moving out here for 3 years, has yet to receive her visa!! Hopefully it will arrive soon, if you're the praying kind please pray that this happens quickly.

Another thing that has been happening here for about 6 weeks is our little growing community here on the island made up of Spanish and British guys. We are really trying to develop a long term resident native community here on the island and it's going great. There's about 12 of us so far, but I have the feeling it will grow.

We meet every Sunday night and run a bi-lingual service, it's challenging but seems to be working, anyway church is so much more than a service so we are hoping that as a community we really grow.

Life is good

What if and what else?

2011-04-19T10:02:00.000+02:00

The leader of 24-7prayer in Ireland Adrian Eagleson has just written this little update of the first 4 months of our year of prayer. Adrian is not really this small....

Pop over to the 24-7 Ireland site and check the full article out. Here's a little clip:

"In the year of What if I would not be surprised that we end up with more Holy Spirit collisions and unexpected opportunities that we have not even thought about. We have at this point a plan for prayer rooms up and down the nation, however this might just be the beginning, the donkeys part of the story what God wishes to do in Ireland at this time. More and more we are finding others who we have not been connected with who have a similar commitment to build the kingdom. 24-7 it seems, is simply another way of joining the dots together.

And in all of this we have been amazed by the 80 prayer rooms that have already taken part in our first four months. At our monthly gatherings in Carnmoney, Lurgan, Dublin and Belfast we have heard stories of people encountering God in a new and personal way in the place of prayer. One of my favourites is of a prayer room in a rural part of County Armagh where a woman who has been a Christian for over 30 years felt comfortable enough to pray out loud for the first time in a prayer gathering. This speaks to me of the freedom that can come to our nation through the place of prayer, we can apply it at an individual, community and national level.

We are excited about the opportunity that exists as we travel the length and breath of the island, provoking, stirring and encouraging the fullness of God’s Kingdom.

Yet in and through it all, we will remain vigilant continuing to be committed to what God has called us to, and asking the questions what if and also what else?"

Friends

2011-04-18T10:05:00.000+02:00

I have been thinking about friendship, can someone really have 3000 friends?

A couple of summers ago a friend of mine was coming to visit us at our centre in the westend. Some of the people he was sitting with just before he left to come see us said "Our you going to hang out with your christian friends?" he said "No, I am just going to hang out with my friends!"

In the past I have said or been in situations where people have been encouraged to bring the "un-churched friends" along to something or I have heard people say "we went out for a meal last week with our non-christian friends" whats that all about!!!!!

Whatever happened to just using the term "friends?" Why does it need a precursory label?

Doesn't the label further encourage a delineation between those who are in and those who are out? Labels can separate and segregate. Of course they can also be used to define and identify people which is helpful.

Maybe I am just a little averse to the terminology because for me it carries an intimation of exclusivity.

I have friends, some our christians and some are not, but they are all just friends.

Worship Leader v Chef

2011-04-08T10:34:00.001+02:00

A friend of mine said this to me and I wondered what others thought:

So you're a worship leader and I'm a chef.

What we are going to do is look at the life of Jesus.

You tell me all the stories that involve Him and sung worship and I'll tell all the stories that involve Him and food.

You start......

Like

2011-04-07T08:25:00.000+02:00

I don't know if you use facebook, I do, I like it although I can find it a little addictive.

I was talking to someone at the weekend who feels that in the end the amount of friends people have on facebook will drop to a more concise and true representation of your friendship circle and that twitter will be for a wider audience.

What I like about facebook is photo's, the chat and groups.

If you haven't already I would really love you to join this group 24-7Ireland facebook group

I really want to push all that is going on in Ireland and the more people who join the better, it just keeps you informed and helps you stay up to date on all that happens in N.Ireland. You don't have to live there to a be member we would just really love to spread the word.

Also check out this latest article about an Inter-Chapliancy Prayer Room in Queens University Belfast.

I am really feeling Ireland on my Heart at the moment.

"We have always found the Irish a bit odd. They refuse to be English." Winston Churchill

This is worth watching

2011-04-06T10:31:00.000+02:00

Come On! // Director's Cut from 24-7 Prayer on Vimeo.

Season 7

2011-04-05T09:46:00.000+02:00

Well here we are about to embark on our 7th summer season here in Ibiza. Spring is in the air and there are a lot of people getting ready, it's hard to believe that in about 4 weeks time our centre will be open again.

Our first two summer team members arrive today, they are Tim and Becky who have both been before. Tim came as a single guy a number of years ago, then they both came on a two week team and now they are here for the summer!! This is exciting.

What will this summer hold? I don't know but we have to keep the energy going and enthusiasm for all that we are about. It's been hard to keep our eye on the ball when we know that in about 16 months time we will be going home. We know how quickly that will fly.

I guess it will be about going deeper, working harder, listening to God more and for Tracy and myself, finishing well.

We want to do more with prostitutes, we want to see deeper relationships develop in town, we want to help as many people as we can and we want to give people the opportunity to connect with their maker.

Do we have a vision statement? sort of! "Our aim is to care for the emotional, physical and spiritual needs of the people we meet in San Antonio" it could possibly do with a little tweaking but I am happy with that.

Hope

2011-04-04T11:47:00.000+02:00

I was deeply saddened and moved by the death of a policeman in N.Ireland this weekend. Ronan Kerr, 25, was killed by a bomb which exploded under his car. I watched his mother talk about him on television yesterday and found it so sad that this lady had to talk about her murdered son on Mothers Day, actually it's wrong on any day....

More reason than ever to pray for our nation, I know in my heart that this incident will not push us back but it reminds me that below the surface tension still exists.

Which leads me to a story of hope, check this out it's an article written by laura brown on the 24-7Ireland website. West Belfast a story of hope.

Camels

2011-04-01T16:21:00.000+02:00

Currently I am on a train to Birmingham, UK where I will be speaking this weekend on Prayer, Community and Missions.

There is a 24-7prayer room in the United Arab Emirates this week, please pray for all involved!!! I can't tell you much but I UAE is a real hub for so many places. A major trading partner with Iran etc.. 3 hours from India, 2 from Pakistan, bordering Saudi Arabia. We need to pray for this region and the arab world.

Join with our christian brothers and sisters this week who are calling out for transformation for water in the desert and for Kingdom come in places such as these!

Hope you like my camel snap!!!!

6 Years

2011-03-27T06:34:00.000+02:00

Been living in Ibiza 6 years today, although I am presently in Dubai visiting some friends, which is why I haven't blogged in the last week.

When we moved to Ibiza it was meant to be from 3 - 5 years! So we are already a year over the mark.

We have loved it, it has been the best time of our lives. Not been completely easy but as Bill Johnson says "It's hard to speak of the price we pay when we get Him in the exchange."

Sorry just a short post, but wanted to give God the glory for sustaining us, providing for us and leading us on our journey.

Also thank you for reading this blog and sticking with us as well. It has been an interesting journey for me to have done this but I look back at old posts and it's almost like a journal. Thank you for reading it.

It's time to get this book written, I can tell you now it's going to be called "Stumbling Journey" thats how t's felt in Ibiza for us!

"alla ysalmak"

Adventure! What next?

2011-03-17T09:11:00.000+01:00

Ok, so say you embrace the adventure, whatever it may be, you decide to step out, to grab hold of a blank piece of paper and paint a new unique masterpiece with your life!

1. In the book of Nehemiah in the bible, Nehemiah gets permission from the babylonian king to go back and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem there is a lovely little line "and so I set a time" you will have to get practical and set a time, or you will forever live on "One day i'll"

2. "God responds to movement" In the book of Joshua in the Bible the israelites are about to cross the Jordan and enter into the promised land. The priests went before them carrying the Ark of the covenant and they had to step into the Jordan (which was in flood) before the waters parted. Once they moved and stepped in God made a way.

Actually that would do for now, read Joshua and Nehemiah they will help you.

Thinking of adventure

2011-03-13T23:58:00.000+01:00

If you're thinking of adventure, if you're in that place of wondering about stepping out and doing something a little off the grid. If right now someone gave you a blank page and said "here you go, forget what is passed, start a fresh from today, draw a new picture with your life, here's a blank piece of paper, go for it"

Here are a few tips in no particular order:

1. "If you want to walk on water you have to get out of the boat", great saying, great book by John Ortberg, read it.

2. Ask yourself this "Whats the worst that could happen?"

3. It's only pride that will stop you from trying and failing, so what if you come back 12 months later saying "it didn't work out" at least you had the guts to give it a go.

4. What could be worse is sitting around when you are little older thinking, we had the opportunity to live differently but we didn't do it.

5. He who hesitates has lost

6. Fear will always hold you back, fear of failure, fear of mistakes, fear of how you look, fear of messing your children's lives up, fear of having no retirement fund, fear will hold you back....

7. You seriously only have one life to live, better to live it than just trying to preserve it!

8. If it's challenging remember "If it was easy someone else would have done it"

9. "Security is a superstition that only exists in the minds of men"

10. If the adventure is children, don't wait until you can afford them, you will never be able to afford them.

11. Finally remember Terah, Abrahams father he set out for the promised land but it says in Genesis 11 "But when they came to Harran, they settled there. Terah lived 205 years, and he died in Harran." don't settle and die!

Why would christians go clubbing?

2011-03-10T09:04:00.002+01:00

I have written about this before but just feel the need to keep addressing the issue in fact I had someone say they didn't agree with christians going to clubs this week and for the first time ever they weren't from N.Ireland!!. Whilst I am a respecter of opinions I find the logic and theology behind this kind of thinking very hard to understand. So here we go again:

Why do christians go to clubs?

Here's the main reason and it's exactly the same reason as everybody else: "To have a good time, to dance, listen to great music, to hang out with friends and meet new people".

I all honesty I am tempted to just stop there, but I won't.

What other positives do I see? Well like many other clubbers most christians I know who go to clubs do so in a drug free way, I think people need reminding that we are just as capable of having a laugh as the next man and we can do so without the need for any pharmaceuticals to keep us going.

Clubs are a great place to dance get lost in music and have a bit of a worship and a good old pray. No one can hear you! and during those anthemic moments when everyone lifts their hands up you can be lifting yours up to God!!!

I have friends who would want to put they go to clubs to worship at the top of the list, in fact they find it easier to worship God in a club than during sung worship on a Sunday morning!

Going to a club is no different than going to a gig.

"Why do we have to make something spiritual to legitimise it?" and why do we have to make only certain things spiritual and other things it's ok just to do?

We have to argue the case for clubbing but no one argues the case for watching TV?

Jesus wouldn't have gone there!

Nonsense... This is like that old pathetic thinking that says something like if you break the speed limit Jesus gets out of the car, or if you go to the pub don't expect Jesus to go there with you!! Not quite in line with such Bibles verses as "I will never leave you or forsake you"

By attending clubs we endorse the bad that goes on there.

I was recently at a N.Ireland football match by attending was I endorsing the sectarianism that is highly evident in a reasonable amount of the crowd? It's here I would like to make a plea for some consistency amongst the objectors!

Does watching Sky TV mean you endorse their porn channels?

Does working for a bank mean you endorse a capitalist world view?

Where do we draw the line?

If people see us attending clubs we could lead them astray and cause them to lose their faith.

If some young person who you are working with goes of the rails because they saw you going into a club, I would be absolutely amazed! Then I would question whether you had ever discipled them correctly in the first place. As a christian leader my job is not to teach people to stay away from the world but to teach them how to live as a christian in the world.

It doesn't look right!

I wonder if a prostitute washing Jesus's feet with her hair looked right? Or Jesus going to a tax collectors for tea looked right? People who have this kind of attitude are the sort of people who would be crying crucify him.

Clubs are dark evil places.

No darker or evil than anywhere else! Anyway weren't we called to be light in darkness? There's probably more darkness in 50% of christians search history on their computer than there is in a club.

I could go on but the reality is that christians who object to going clubbing have arguments that are riddled with inconsistencies and attitudes that are pharisaical.

Here's a dictionary definition of pharisaical: Hypocritically self-righteous and condemnatory.

Now thats the kind of christian I don't want to be........

Final thought: Jesus will go where we go and I am pretty sure Jesus would have loved clubbing. I can picture him now; glow stick in hand, arms raised high moving his body to some cool beats and giving it all up to God the creator who made life to be celebrated and music to be danced to.

Read the signs

2011-03-09T09:24:00.000+01:00

I am hoping you like my flamingo pictures? On Sunday we went to the ibiza salt flats with some friends. We went through a little gate which leads to the walkway but I didn't notice that on the other side of the gate there was a sign saying that you where not allowed to travel along this path, because of nesting birds. Also the fact that there was a guy riding his bike along the salt flats also led me to believe that a nice morning walk would be fine! It was great I got loads of lovely flamingo shots, and had a generally nice time walking with friends.

Upon our return to the gate there was park warder standing there looking slightly annoyed, he pointed to the sign explained that what we had been doing was forbidden and fined us!!!

A slightly frustrating end to a great morning.

I guess you know where I am going with this? Do we read the signs? Ok I am not meaning the signs of the end of days because frankly I find that a hard one to call! When world war 1 started I guess people thought the end was nigh, the same for world war 2, the same for the gulf war etc...

The signs I am thinking about are the ones that affect you. Can you see when you are too tired? When you need to take a break? When you are being more irritable than usual? When your thought life goes a bit warped?

Do you know when to stop, when to go, when to turn right, when to go straight ahead, when to enter and when to stay outside?

Two factors: Listen to yourself and Listen to God.

The Deeper Magic

2011-03-08T10:22:00.002+01:00

"Do not cite the Deep Magic to me, Witch. I was there when it was written." what a great line from C.S.Lewis's The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; reminds me of John 1 "In the beginning was the word the word was with God and the word was God".

I also like the concept of a deeper magic, as Martin Smith of delirious once sang "I want to go deeper but I don't know how to swim". In fact you don't need to be able to swim if you want to go deeper. Just jump in and sink!

I am drawn to the word "magic" there is an element of mystery to it, the sense of the unexplained. Maybe we don't go deeper because we don't know how to swim exhibits a need for control. I'll go deeper but only if I can be in control of the depth, only if I can see the bottom, only if I can swim.

Giving yourself over to the deeper magic, to the mystical nature of God does not require the ability to swim, but the will to surrender.

I know that it's not such a catchy line for a song " I want to go deeper but I am frightened to let go and drown in God"

I read this by a guy called Richard Mouw

C.S. Lewis's depth imagery is important for our present-day spiritual quests. Scholarly commentaries on our "postmodern condition" often make much of our fixation on the surfaces of reality. In such a context it is a good thing to be encouraged to go beyond the superficial, exploring not only the Deeper Magic, but also the other below-the-surface forces that drive our lives, even when we do not acknowledge their existence: our Deeper Hopes and our Deeper Fears-those Deeper Yearnings that we ignore only at the expense of our humanness.

Read more: of what he had to say here

Prayer for Dublin

2011-03-07T13:46:00.001+01:00

This month 24-7 prayer in Ireland is praying for Dublin and the surrounding area, here are some of the areas we are specifically praying into:

Pray for our newly elected leaders - Enda Kenny and Eamon Gilmore as they begin working together as part of a coalition government.

Pray for a change in the atmosphere of the Dáil (Irish Parliament) as it reconvenes on Wednesday, 76 of 166 TDs (Members of Parliament) are new to the Dáil.

Pray against the growing number of suicides in Dublin over the past year as a result of the recession

Pray for a change in people's attitudes, pray that the Church would be bringers of hope in Dublin.

Give thanks for all the churches who are holding prayer rooms for the first time and pray that even more churches will come on board! Prayer will change this nation.

Also pray that no one gets uptight about these prayer requests! We know people and churches have been praying for years, we understand that we are part of the answer not the answer. We just want to see God touch the land.

Belfast Child

2011-02-28T09:31:00.000+01:00

I am in Northern Ireland with the family we are having a great time and it has been sunny everyday which is fantastic. We have been doing a little mini conference called "Stumbling Journey" which went really well, I have also had a couple of other talks which has been great. 6 talks in about 36 hours.

We now have 2 days of relaxing and then Tracy and the boys fly home and I stay on for a few meetings with the guys from www.24-7prayer ireland.com which I help over see. I spoke at a 24- 7 prayer gathering in Lurgan on Saturday night and there were over 120 people there which is fantastic. Some great stories and wonderful stuff happening here, the guys are now moving down to Dublin for a month of prayer, the regional break up of the year of prayer is fantastic, with a celebration story telling event at the end of each month in what ever region they are in.

The theme for the year is "What if?"

I love Ireland, Ireland fills me with optimism and hope. As a nation I think we are very hospitable.

Please pray for Ireland

Daniel Robert Hall

2011-02-24T09:09:00.001+01:00

I met Robb Hall in canada a couple of years ago, I can't say I knew him well, but I really loved meeting him and hearing some of his heart and experiencing the gentle manner with which he conducted himself.

I did have a real sense that here was a man, who along with his wife Kate, was called to pioneer, to walk a different trail, to follow a different way.

In fact I gave him a pair of vomit stained shoes that we had found on the streets of Ibiza, to encourage him to step out and go on a messy journey. After I did this I remember him laughing and saying to me "I saw those shoes and thought, please don't give me the shoes!!" but he wasn't reluctant in taking them.

Anyway not because of the shoes or anything like that but Robb and his wife kate decided to sell up and go on pilgrimage. I had a little note from him in May last year saying "We left in february, feeling like adventure was in the wind." They chose to be blown by the wind.

Even his email spoke of new things, "newpilgrim@" I was impressed that a man would take his wife and 3 children and set off on pilgrimage like that, travelling and seeing where God would have them be. They sold everything to follow the call of God on their lives. I saw Robb last year in Edinburgh and wished I had spent more time with him, I only really got a chance for a brief chat and to ask him if he could source me some more of his brothers coffee!!!!

Well on Tuesday Robb was working in Africa in Zambia when he had a construction accident and was killed. He leaves a wife and 3 children.

I was shocked and still am, but my heart really goes out to his family and friends who have been devastated by this news.

Obviously they had sold everything to follow the call of God and his wife and children are now in Africa with the need to come back to canada and also have his body repatriated, please if you could help can you go to this page Daniel Robert Hall and make a donation.

Don't worry if you can't but please if you are the praying type can you pray for Robb's family at this time.

Daniel Robert Hall an inspiration and a challenge to us all, to live beyond ourselves and not be constrained by our culture.

R.I.P

I want my neighbours ox

2011-02-21T10:19:00.003+01:00

I had to drop my car of at the garage for a service this morning there was a beautiful brand new landrover discovery in the driveway as we pulled up. It got me thinking about a much under used word "covet".

Exodus 20: 17 “You shall not covet your neighbour’s house. You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour.”

We don't use it much because we don't often covet our neighbours ox, yet I would say it is one of the major sins of our culture. Primarily because we are taught to covet from a young age. If coveting has a master, or a promoter, then that master is adverstising. We live in a society were we are taught not to be content.

When we read the words of Paul in Phillipians 4: 11 -12 "I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want"

Advertising makes us discontent. Yet even advertising as the only Lord of Coveting would be too simplistic.

Coveting as Eugene Peterson so aptly put it; can also be "fantasising about a life other than the one you are already living"

Our own desires cause us to covet. I once read that the reason Mills and Boon novels were so popular amongst women was because it appealed to the fantasy side of there nature. It would help them imagine a life other than the one they were already living. In the late 90's internet use by men was all about the porn, whilst many young women went online in chat rooms pretending they were someone they were not!! Coveting happens with both sexes.

I have met men who have fantasised about their wife leaving them so they can start a new life with another woman. Or the man who works with a woman all day long and finds she talks to him more than his wife. He starts to covet that other woman, the sin has happened way before he eventually has an affair.

Anyway it's out there, coveting happens. I want the new white discovery tdi, I have bought into my culture, I have become discontent with what I have, forgotten about how much of a blessing my existing car is and I am off on a fantasy journey in my shiny new vehicle!!!!

Does this also happen in church? Do we covet others spirituality, their gifts, their service style, their congregation size????

Singleness

2011-02-15T14:02:00.001+01:00

I can't really write about singleness with any authority, no more than I can write about being a woman.

Reasons to be single

1. You have had hurtful and abusive relationships and just can't face another one! This involves trust and letting your guard down you have done that so many times and it hasn't worked out, you have decided to remain single.

2.You don't want to be single you just can't find the right partner. This isn't being choosy this is just the way it is, especially if you are fishing in the christian pond.

You're fed up with people quoting trite little saying to help you "delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart" etc... Actually being single as a christian lady appears harder to me than being single as a christian man, there are definitely more females than men. Then you have to find a man with the Holy Hotness!! which is also difficult. At times like this would the church do well to revert back to polygamy? Obviously I jest, but at this point I can see why females decide to fish in the non-christian pond, especially if the body clock is ticking and you want to get on with producing babies.

3. You have chosen to be single, you feel that you can get by on your own, you're not hurt, you're not damaged you have just decided this is the way it is going to be. You don't fancy having babies, you have a fulfilled life and you enjoy your own company. You feel you can better fulfil your life purpose as a single person. Fair play.

The church and singleness

So much is offered for youth and couples, but not singles.
If you're single for too long people will inevitably question your sexuality!
Age doesn't help, in church, as in the rest of life, the older people get the more coupled up and family-fied they become. They then tend to spend time with similar people.
Singleness should not preclude you from any form of ministry, but church leadership teams to tend to look for couples!

I would also like to include this from Sheena "I would even say there's a stigma as a single woman, and the sense that a woman's life is in limbo and just treading water until her husband comes along. The most freeing experiences I've had in the community of Christ were the ones where my gifts and abilities were acknowledged and I was given the space to step up and use them freely."

Singleness is not a curse if it's a choice, but I would imagine if it's not a choice singleness could at times equate to loneliness.

I know that there are intelligent vibrant, energetic, gifted people out there who are great fun to be with, who have depth and are really interesting. At times they are lonely, they don't want pity for their occasional bouts of loneliness, but those of us who aren't single do have to look out for them and remember this factor.

None of this is meant in anyway to patronising. It's all about inclusivity, the community of Christ has to be inclusive.

Praying for a woman

2011-02-14T08:17:00.003+01:00

OK I am totally out of my depth on this one!! Firstly because I am not a woman.

I once heard a story of a lady who placed a pair of mens jeans at the end of her bed and prayed that God would give her a man to fill them.

So my suggestion is for you guys is that you buy some ladies underwear and hang them at the end of your bed and ask God to give you a woman to fill them. Faith is being sure of what we hope for .....

Ok I have talked to a few women in my time, I 'm even married to one.

Men if your praying for a woman here's a few tips, ladies if I am getting this wrong forgive me because I am a man.

In all honesty most of my man post applies to women with some obvious exceptions.

A few extras would be:

Lets start with a few externals:

Make up is good although don't overdo it the worst thing that can happen is that you wear to much make up get married then scrape it all off and shock your new partner.

Tanning is good, but pale skin is also beautiful, what is worse is fake tan, people can spot it a mile off no one wants an orange woman, unless you live in a particularly bigoted part of East Belfast. Which leads me to a small aside, there are a lot of women with fake tans in Ireland!

Don't obsess about your wedding day, it's about the rest of your life not the day. It amazes me that a couple about to embark on the journey of spending the rest of their lives together can spend their engagement obsessing about invites, cakes and photographers. Simplicity can be beautiful.

Don't be a daddies girl, you give your man the spectre of your father hanging over the relationship and he will never quite measure up. Don't go looking for a dad to give you cuddles and tell you everything is going to be ok. Get that from God not some unsuspecting 20 something male!

I would like to add some more tips but I think I need some help! Leave a comment and i'll add it if it's helpful.

I feel that I am wading around in the shallows here, there is a whole load of stuff that society and culture has put on to women that disturbs me. The church hasn't been overly helpful over the years either but I would refuse to let the church take all the blame. Media and advertising have also done a lot of damage. So I don't want to go into some feminist discourse.

Just think it would be helpful to know what makes a healthy well balanced woman?

I wil post suggestions below

1. I heard a great talk from Mike Pilavachi last week. He said don't make false idols. Don't make an idol from having to have a partner and waste your life away waiting to get married to be happy. Use your life now. Also if you are single, don't make privacy an idol. The bible doesn't talk about privacy once, it says a lot about being hospitable though. (great maybe I should do a post on singleness?)

Praying for a man

2011-02-11T10:45:00.003+01:00

Thinking about men today

I do wonder if the longer a woman goes without a man the choosier she becomes, she has established a single adult life and he has to fit in with her, the other view could be that the longer a woman goes without a man she becomes more desperate. Single men can also be far too detailed in their partner choice. Single men can often be preoccupied with their careers, ministries, and money-making-rubbish. Single men are often not looking for a wife but a mother and someone they can have sex with.

Basically if you are a lady praying for a partner here’s my guidelines for what you should be looking for!! or what you as a man should be measuring up to become.

What kind of man should I be praying for? What kind of man should I be?

Obviously I am going to use generalisations and be quite self referenced but here goes.

If you are thinking of getting married, first think about these three things:

1. Don’t think getting married will solve your lust problems, if you masturbated before you got married you will masturbate after you get married. Get accountable, sort your computer out ,clean your act up and walk the journey through with trusted friends.

2. Remember your vows as you travel through life you will see other women that you fancy you will even remember past flames and wonder if they could have been the one. But remember this; you made vows, you promised, and the woman you are with is meant to be the one you are with for life. Keep your promises, remain faithful. Lay down your life for your wife.

3. It’s never to late to call it off if you’re engaged and you are worried that it might not be working out, if you need help and have to have counseling before you get married, don’t do it! Don’t let friends convince you its all going to be ok, if you think you are making a mistake get wise counsel but in the end if you feel its not going to work don’t go with the flow!!! End it. A heart that hurts is a heart that beats, short term pain is better than long term pain.

Okay if you've got that, here's a few tips:

Work on your appearance - women do, the least we could do is repay the compliment. Self control, self discipline, clean clothes and deodorant go a long way. Don’t let your woman dress you, you are not a Man Doll.

Sensitive yet strong, is that possible? I think so. We need to be willing to express our feelings and even on occasion cry, but then not too teary. Some men just use tears and sadness to win women over, it’s pathetic. I cried at my wedding I was overwhelmed by the beauty of my wife. Woman in general like to listen but we shouldn’t abuse this wonderful skill by always talking about our problems and issues to win the sympathy vote. Strong for me means being able to get a grip, hold it together, take control but also have the ability to release control allow someone else to hold it together and strong enough to cope with someone else being in charge.

Passionate: Love God with a passion, love your children with a passion, be passionate about football (or whatever it is that floats your boat) oh! And love your woman with passion, she should occasionally have to tell you to calm down and take your brain out of your willy.

Romantic: Most women tend to like perfume, flowers, lingerie, jewellery and nice food. You don’t need lots of money to make this happen you just need imagination. (Although I have found it is better to buy underwear than trying to make it yourself) I have also found that its good to clean the house, write a poem or fix the dripping tap, romance comes in many forms but it needs to be included and worked at!

Decisive: make a decision, any decision just be decisive it’s okay to be wrong, but please be decisive.

Say sorry, don’t just say it because you think that is what people want to hear, live life with the knowledge that you won’t always be right and you will make wrong decisions, be humble enough to admit this and please verbalize your apology. Instead of just using the word “sorry” ask for forgiveness!

Learn to cook, and don’t expect to be thanked when you occasionally do it. Really this is about pulling your weight domestically, not being good at something doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it.

Listen this is very helpful.

Don’t retreat into a cave Caves are dark lonely places you weren’t built to live that way.

Don’t take ladies for granted, there are other men out there!

Be jealous but not possessive, control freaks are scary.

Dance with your woman you don't need rhythm it's good to hold each other and work up a sweat together in public.

Laugh a lot and don’t take yourself too seriously.

Be spontaneous adventure is good.

Be serious when you need to be and don’t try to get out of every emotional or sensitive situation by cracking a joke.

Never hit a woman, never swear at a woman, hitting is worse than swearing, you will swear at your woman, even if it’s just in your head!

Never tell your lady she needs to lose weight unless you feel she is in danger of having a heart condition or developing diabetes!

Don’t believe all they tell you in marriage prep, you should not let the sun go down on your anger is true but sometimes it is just better to huff and puff role over and go to sleep and talk about it in the morning.

Finally don't read John Eldridges, Wild at Heart, it's utter nonsense.

Europe?

2011-02-10T08:07:00.002+01:00

Just had a great couple of days in England planning for 24-7 prayers euro gathering in Frankfurt later this year.

It did make me think how disconnected Europe really is, how the church in the UK doesn't really appear to feel part of Europe. Of course this has something to do with history, xenophobia and too many people reading the daily mail but it is sad to see.

I have a number of negative views on Europe one is the word "unelected" others are central law making, etc

I believe that is ok to be euro sceptic when it comes to political structures and how europe is run.

It is not ok to be euro sceptic when it comes to engaging with and reaching out to the people of europe of which the UK is part. Even the question of the UK being part of europe is on one level irrelevant. Why is it for years we have sent people to Africa, India and other desperately needy countries but ignored europe. The fact is there is a huge mass of people living near each other who could do with hearing the good news about Jesus. I think that if we got groups of say 6 -12 people went for a bit of geographical relocation some missional focus linked with some language learning and maybe we could reach out to the darkest continent in the world.

Is our history holding us back on a subconscious level from truly engaging with the evangelisation of europe?

Maybe we should start a european missionary sending organisation, I am sure that many already exist, but maybe we could start a new one?

Too Americanised!!!!

2011-02-04T08:42:00.007+01:00

When talking about our bibles recently, I had someone mention that "The Message" version was too Americanised.

Once again this was further evidence to me just how far the church, at times, can disappear up its own bottom.

Too americanised???? Only if you have ever read any other bible, are English, a snob or just used to throwing out pat phrases because thats what others say.

Listen to yourself!!!!!

If you have never read a bible and someone hands you a message version you get the chance to read a great piece of writing which articulates the story of Israel, life of Jesus and birth of the church incredibly well.

Most of the people I gave it to out on the streets were just glad to have something put in their hands that they could understand. In all our interactions we never had anyone say "oh sorry I can't take that it's too americanised!"

Too americanised? Once again Christians being nothing more than christians thinking about how it impacts christians! Whats the matter with the americanisation of culture, we love their movies, their TV series, their bands and then we get comments like that about their bibles!!!!

If you are American and reading this you have to know "I love you"

Why are there so many versions of the bible out there, is there money to made in the bible market?

Maybe we should all buy this bible, click on the link and go purchase one, its $22 bargain and not in the least bit too americanised!!!! :

The American Patriot's Bible: The Word of God and the Shaping of America

THE ONE BIBLE THAT SHOWS HOW 'A LIGHT FROM ABOVE' SHAPED OUR NATION. Never has a version of the Bible targeted the spiritual needs of those who love our country more than The American Patriot's Bible. This extremely unique Bible shows how the history of the United States connects the people and events of the Bible to our lives in a modern world. The story of the United States is wonderfully woven into the teachings of the Bible and includes a beautiful full-color family record section, memorable images from our nation's history and hundreds of enlightening articles which complement the New King James Version Bible text!!!!

Cultural relevance is a red herring

2011-02-03T07:34:00.005+01:00

Does culture change the church or does church change the culture?

Or should we be adapting to culture and working out the best ways to be affective christians within the culture?

I am not always convinced it is the churches job to change the culture, we need to adapt, change and modify to really have an impact on it but do we need to change it. But then again "kingdom come" is a form of imperialism, maybe we do? What we definitley mustn't do is withdraw from the culture around us and create our own little culture.

I once heard Pete Greig say this of the church "We are not called to be culturally relevant but we are called to be culturally present"

Cultural relevance is a red herring. We do however need to be present in culture, light in darkness, salt in a saltless world!

Thats why the Christian worship band culture really gets under my skin, because it further highlights how far removed the church can be from the culture that surrounds us! Instead of being present in culture we absent ourselves from it and create our own one. I think part of this happens because it is easier. For a new artist the path of least resistance is to work in a ready made market who are crying out for the next song to give them goosebumps and make them feel good about their lifestyle choices. It's lazy, not very biblical and breeds a reclusive church culture.

A real artist would break into the culture not remove himself from it.

Light in light, salt in an already salty environment, it doesn't work for me.

Addicted to comfort

2011-02-01T08:15:00.004+01:00

Steve left this as a comment yesterday, it deserves to be a real post. It's a quote from Graham Cray:

"Once upon a time there were people who lived in Scarcity
After many adventures, they met the Affluent Society
The two married and had lots of needs

When we live beyond scarcity, the wanting never ends
Affluenza is fatal – personally, spiritually and socially

We care how we feel, our happiness, our success, not what is true

The West identifies itself as Free – our core value

But in God’s image, Humans shrink when freedom prioritises our needs over others – Consumers rather than Citizens

As we consume, others drop deeper into Scarcity

Scripture after Scripture says Christian Growth comes through sacrifice and suffering in the cause of the Kingdom of God

Is our giving to Children in Need and Sport Relief really what Jesus meant when he said leave your stuff behind and follow me?

Can we learn to trust God for what our families genuinely need, while giving preference to those whose poverty breaks God’s heart?

My name is Steve and I am addicted to comfort and I need to be released in Jesus’s name for the sake of God’s Kingdom come....

Thank you for sharing Steve

Christian world scares me

2011-01-31T09:43:00.004+01:00

I have just spent a month covering for Bob the Anglican Vicar of Ibiza. It has been challenging and hectic but I have really enjoyed it.

It's a hard job because it's massively pastoral you spend a lot of time meeting with elderly people and just generally looking out for people. As we all know this can be demanding, I would imaging long term you could find this frustrating as you spend most of your time with elderly christians, although I do know that Bob is fantastic at reaching out to others.

In fact thats a challenge for most people, a friend of mine has recently moved to Northern Ireland and I was speaking to him a few weeks ago and I asked him if he had met anyone who wasn't a christian yet!!! His answer was No....

Christian world can absorb us, we are guilty of creating a christian sub culture, that has it's own music, it's own authors, it's own celebrities, it's own holidays and it's own secret language.

Materialism and media in the hands of christians appear to have been succumbed too rather than resisted. We are always in danger of becoming ineffective God TV watching christians.

Honestly, God TV does anyone not just think the name in itself seems wrong?

Why are there no fat ugly worship leaders touring the world right now? Tell me if pretty boys and pretty girls don't sell records and really thats what it is all about.....

Thats why I like Godfrey Birtill, not his music just what he stands for... "No more pretty boy worship leaders"

Honestly went hill songs in London once, the light show alone could have kept a small african village in food for a year.

The church I go to in Diss, had a guy ask them "what do you do if your not Hillsong?" what they do is great but really do you honestly think there are churches out there who are stressing because they are not hill song, they should be thankful.

Christian world scares me.

I enjoyed being a vicar, I love hill songs music, I have been blessed by God TV, I read books by christian authors, I speak the secret language....

I'm conflicted, I'm scared, I want to be positive about the body of Christ I enjoy all the trappings of Chrsitian world, but I am still scared.

I have a niggle in the back of my mind that it all may just be a little bit wrong.

Romans 12. The Message

Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

Stop Making Sense

2011-01-28T08:59:00.002+01:00

One of my favourite bands were/are Talking Heads, i loved there music when I was young, quirky rhythms, great lyrics, and David Byrne.

One of my all time favourite music films, alongside Pink Floyds The Wall, was "Stop Making Sense"

I also saw a tweet from Pete Greig this morning which led me to David Byrnes Journal. It's a great eclectic online journal, he writes brilliantly and observes life really well

Check it out Dave Byrne's Journal

Fortieth Year Highlights

2011-01-26T09:17:00.006+01:00

Today I have completed my first year in my forties! It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be although it is still scary thinking you are in your forties and that your next significant birthday will be your fiftieth.

Top ten discoveries, highlights and memories of my fortieth year:

1. I have discovered that I like cashmere jumpers, they are comfortable and feel nice against the skin. Comfortable clothing rocks.

2. Going to the gym, after initially thinking it was going to kill me, I now enjoy going to the gym 4 -5 times a week, I haven't lost much weight but my wobbly bits are firmer.

3. First complete year without smoking a cigar or anything else. (not that I used to smoke anything else, well I smoked weed when I was young... anyway)

4. Emotional balance: after a tricky year up the farm I have enjoyed being in a normal house with just my family about and a lot less stress.

5. Sons. Two boys are the best, my sons amuse me, challenge me, push my patience, play their music to loud, are untidy, and completely random at times but I love them and enjoy being their dad.

6. 24-7 Prayer: this movement inspires and challenges me, people giving it their all trying new things, reaching out to the broken and praying that God would heal this world. I have many friends within the movement and they are such a support and inspiration.

7. Places and people: Belfast, Stanford-le-Hope, Diss, Guildford, Newtonards, Lurgan, Burgos, Tulsa, Southampton, Castlewellan, San Antonio these places and more importantly people from these places have given me much joy this year.

8. My Viewing: Glee, House, Modern Family, The Event, Lie to me, Community and No Ordinary Family have been great television. The book of Eli, The A Team, Robin Hood, The Expendables, Inception, The Green Zone and Iron Man2 have filled my film watching world with action.

9. God: He never ceases to amaze me. The Alpha and Omega, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The work here, my life the life of my family have all been deeply impacted and touched by a God who cares and leads. Words cannot describe my gratitude I just want to burst into tongues; shakadobadnam medahhulokanesh shee trame..... (It doesn't look so great written down, and seriously why do I always start with shaka?)

10. Last but not least, my wife. Tracy is my inspiration she has faith in me she is sexy and gorgeous, she is the glue in our family and without her 24-7ibiza would just not function, the last year has been fantastic for us both.

Anyway there you go, 41 today and very happy....

p.s. If I could have a number 11, which I can because it's my list, it would be my camera.

A Stumbling Journey (Newtonards 25th -26th Feb )

2011-01-25T07:57:00.006+01:00

It's been raining so no photos of the van yet, but it will happen this week.

Tracy and I are at North Down CFC in Newtonards, N. Ireland at the end of February were we will be doing a little mini conference around the theme of a

"Stumbling Journey"

“An exploration of what it means to live a prayerful life within the context of a missionally active response to the world.”

We will do sessions around, "It's not a formula it's a willingness to go on a journey", "Are we running out of breath". "There's urine on my pew!" ,"Gay man dancing" and "A grace filled approach to spiritual poverty"

Hopefully it will be a fun and interesting time the aim is really to explore prayer and mission so if you are in Ireland we would love to see you there

7.30 - 10.00pm on Friday and 9.00am - 4pm on the Saturday, 25th & 26th February, cost £20 for further info call Jackie 028 9182 1721 or email: jackie@communityworksonline.com or visit the website: www.northdowncfc.com

The New Van

2011-01-24T08:19:00.003+01:00

After my previous blog posts, someone has kindly donated all the money we need to purchase a new vomit van for 24-7 prayer in Ibiza. So on Friday we picked up our new Van...

7 seater dark blue Chrysler Voyager, manual diesel, with ability to remove seats! We can lift a seat out then drunks can just lie on the floor!!!

Anyway we are extremely happy that this didn't become a long drawn out process, but that everything was quickly provided for.

What a fantastic encouragement.

I will take some photos later today and post them here...

Resigned to slavery

2011-01-21T08:05:00.009+01:00

We have Maria here this weekend who works with prostitutes in Barcelona, we are trying to find a more joined up approach to how we work with prostitutes.

The girls that we work with are for want of a better word "seasonal workers" they are based for the majority of their time on the mainland. Maria works with these girls on the mainland so we are hoping for more insight and maybe a little strategy to develop.

How does slavery happen?

I can tell you this story because we have heard it first hand.

Girl in village or town in Africa gets offered job overseas, she has probably fallen on hard times and the person who offers the work is probably not a close friend but someone she loosely knows. There is a promise of work looking after children or other domestic work and it generally involves being located in mainland europe. The girl may have children of her own and desperately wants to provide for them.

She is then transported illegally to europe, upon arrival she is told that there is not the work she expected, but that she owes a large sum of money for the costs of getting her here. The average figure is somewhere between 45,000 - 65,000 euros. She is told that she cannot go until the debt is paid. A number of issues then come into play and they are all based on fear.

1. She is in the country illegally.

2. Her family is used as leverage, threat of harm if she runs away without payment.

3. Some have sworn a witch doctor oath (juju); if they don't pay the debt they or their family will be cursed and die.

4. She is placed with girls whose debt is nearly paid off; if she flees they will be responsible for her debt.

At a ground level, the girls are usually controlled by a madam, not a pimp.

On the back of all this deception and fear she is forced into prostitution, she has little option but to accept her lot and so she gets on with it. When you walk the streets and look into this girls' eyes, if you stop long enough, if you look closely you will see that there is a deep sadness a desperate longing for a different life, this is not what she expected and not what she wants, she is trapped, enslaved.

She is resigned to slavery.

What happens to these girls is sad, despicable and wrong it needs to change.

The church must not remain silent on this issue. But neither must the church become a place where lots of people talk and pray about this issue without ever actually getting involved in working towards its abolition.

"And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God". Micah 6

Pray for us this weekend as we chat and pray about the best way forward with this whole area.

24-7 Ireland

2011-01-19T13:59:00.002+01:00

24-7 prayer ireland have a newly revamped web page we are currently under going a year of prayer for Ireland.

"24-7prayerireland in partnership with Alpha are trying to facilitate a year of prayer for 2011. The plan is to get people right across the nation of Ireland (north and south) praying for a whole year as much as possible night and day!! We have sensed God leading us strategically to focus prayer on a particular town/city/county each month and to couple this with a gathering in that particular area each month. These gatherings will allow people to share and celebrate stories, pray and worship God together. Our aim through this way of facilitating the year of prayer is two-fold. First, that this will lead to intentional prayer in each area, uniting the local church provincially and seeing significant changes in the communities represented. Secondly and more nationally that this will catch the imagination of people all over the land as we call all of Ireland to prayer and that through this a increasing movement of kingdom people will be connected and mobilised.

So please join in with us…."

I will be in N.Ireland at the end of February, we are doing a weekend in Newtonards, so if you'd like to get along and hear about what we do and how we do it along with some challenge and teaching around the whole subject of prayer and mission, let me know. In fact I'll put the details up soon.

Visit the 24-7prayer Ireland website to check out all that is going on in this wonderful nation.

Distraction

2011-01-18T07:57:00.002+01:00

I love reading, I don't think you can have too many books. I love the smell and feel of books which is why I will probably never have a kindle

Don't know how I managed to accidentally put 52 books up yesterday as a non existent blog post! I was thinking about reading 52 books in a year like Carla and Alana but in all honesty I find that reading books at times can be a distraction!

I have already read 3 books this year and I read all the time. On a personal level I can't read novels without getting engrossed in them which in turn affects how much I read my bible etc... books affect my spiritual discipline.

Ok I read a lot but they tend to be christian books or historical factual books, I enjoy them because I find them much easier to dip in and out of and also to put down.

I don't like a lot of the snobbery that goes around book reading, I doubt people leaving lists on their blogs would put up trashy novels.

I have also come across christians who read so many books on church theory and christian practice that they have ceased to think for themselves with regards their own spirituality and outworking of christian community. There are many wise men we can learn from out there but we must also think for ourselves.

My personal belief is that Christians should read the bible all the way through at least once a year, and all the gospels at least 4 times each a year.

So I won't be posting a list of my 52 books this year, although I have a feeling that I probably will read that many books.

Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read. ~Groucho Marx

52 Books

2011-01-17T10:02:00.001+01:00

Choral Communion

2011-01-16T15:58:00.002+01:00

We had Choral Communion this morning at church, I really enjoyed this service. Possibly because I am starting to feel more comfortable with all the liturgy and think I have settled well with the preaching.

We finished with the old Hymn crown him with many crowns, I love the last verse.

Crown Him the Lord of years, the Potentate of time,
Creator of the rolling spheres, ineffably sublime.
All hail, Redeemer, hail! For Thou has died for me;
Thy praise and glory shall not fail throughout eternity.

Ineffably sublime, potentate of time!!! what great English.

Vicaring!

2011-01-14T07:50:00.004+01:00

For all of January I am standing in for the Reverend Bob Short, looking after the English speaking church in Ibiza.

So far it has been fun, I enjoy the liturgy, I enjoy visiting at the hospital, I enjoy going the old peoples home.

I have to do a bible group on Mondays which is intense in a mixed nationality kind of way but actually quite interesting. One of the attendees calls it battle group.

We also have a prayer meeting which I really enjoy, although it's all women. I think the Ibiza church is very top heavy with women. Not many couples attend regularly.

The Sunday service are also good, not remotely charismatic or anything like that, although rich in meaning and deep in unity. I find the words very moving. I could be an anglican.

It is very meet, right, and our bounden duty, that we should

at all times, and in all places, give thanks unto thee, O Lord,
holy Father, almighty, everlasting God.

The thing I have struggled with the most is picking the hymns!!!! I'm just not very musical..

New Vomit Van

2011-01-13T09:32:00.004+01:00

Thankfully we saw a new vehicle yesterday, well second hand, the last thing we need is to be destroying new van with vomit etc... It's going to cost in total about £4000 which actually for Ibiza is very good.

It's a Chrysler Voyager, on Spanish plates and already here on the island. After my previous experience of trying to get a british car that was originally a japanese import registered here, I am glad we have found one that will not create so much hassle.

The one pictured isn't it, our one will have different wheels and tinted rear windows, but at least it gives you an idea. The best thing about the voyager is that the seats lift out, so we can lift out one of the rear seats and have plenty of manoeuvre room when we are helping incapacitated people into the back!!!

If you know of anyone who has a spare £4000 in these financially difficult times, please could you let me know. Alternatively if you would like to make a donation towards the cost of this vehicle please get in touch with me.

R.I.P Vomit Van

2011-01-12T08:01:00.005+01:00

It has died, after years of wonderful service the van has come to an end and it's time to get a new one (well a second hand one!)

Here's a little report I wrote about the vans use this summer, at the time I didn't realise it would be an obituary!

Vomit Van

An important part of our work is what we do out on the streets of San Antonio with our van. We rescue people by helping them out and getting them back to their hotel or apartment. It’s important to stress three things:

1. We are not a taxi service, we do not charge people we even refuse donations. We do not steal taxi drivers business we only take people home that have too much vomit on them, have no money or are in too much of an emotional or mental muddle to catch a cab. We often walk people directly to the taxi rank, if the taxis won’t take them we do.

2. We are not an ambulance service, if people are unconscious or in anyway displaying signs that they need medical assistance we phone an ambulance. If it’s just minor cuts or bruises we will drive them to the local medical centre.

3. When we leave people at their hotel or apartment we try to ensure that we do not leave them on their own.

We take home people who occupy the middle ground, too much of a mess for the taxi not in enough mess for an ambulance!

The people we deal with are drunk, drugged, lost, disorientated, vulnerable, injured or distressed. We either find them on their own or struggling to get home with friends. We come upon these people in a number of ways, by just walking around and finding them or by a worker or bar owner phoning us to come and get them, we also respond to the local health centre phoning us to come and help them.

This season with the van we had 235 of these incidents, which involved 444 people, most of these incidents, lasted between 30 minutes to 2 hours! But they all resulted in vulnerable people being helped and taken to a place of safety.

This year we had one guy who was so drunk he defecated in the van! An Italian couple where the lady had twisted her ankle to the health centre, drunk guy who was asleep on a bench with his rolex lying by his side!! Young girls who had gotten separated from the rest of their friends, guys in a muddle who had been robbed by prostitutes, people who had taken too much ketamine etc.... the list is endless.

We operate with two people in the van but sometimes there are 4 of us helping people. We have water, buckets, gloves and all the other stuff you need when dealing with high levels of vomit.

Additionally we use the van for the transport of our summer volounteers to get them to various areas of the island and ensure that we collect them from airport etc.. once again without the van the management of our summer teams would be a logistical nightmare!

R.I.P Vomit van I kind of loved you.........

(Ps if anyone wants to make a donation towards a new one please let me know)

What's next?

2011-01-11T08:03:00.005+01:00

With regards our own move back to the Uk we will be moving back to our home town of Diss in Norfolk. This is primarily to do with our children's education, but also because we have a house there, family there, friends there and a christian community there that has supported us throughout our journey here. It is near to Stanstead airport which allows for ongoing involvement in Ibiza and elsewhere and it is also close to Essex where we have more friends and family. Diss is also only 90 minutes from London by train. So as a friend said to me "it's a no brainer".

Besides all these practical reasons we do have a very firm feeling and assurance that this is where God wants us to be for the next season of our lives.

Well thats the geography sorted and we feel for the moment that is all we have, we have no idea as to any other roles or jobs we may be doing upon our return. Actually we are relatively happy with that at the moment we can live with the sense of not knowing about roles.

We have to live in the present not the future, so what comes next will be revealed for us, but at this present time we must focus on Ibiza and remain in a place of trust and peace for the future.

My friend Sally sent me this a few weeks ago, I don't know if it's true in all things, but for our present situation we found it helpful with regards to what we do next:

The clearer the sense of vision a person/community has for the future, the less likely that vision is from God. That is not the way God generally appears. God leads us to the place where "we don't know" and "cant see". It is not Gods way to give us specs or blueprints. God takes us to places where trust grows(or more likely to grow)and often where we dont want to go. God leads us to faith , not certainty.