Hello Heartcry family!
How wonderful it is to officially be in SPRINGTIME – for those of us who live in this northern hemisphere! The warmth of the sun is returning, the days are stretching longer, and we are coming out of hibernation. It feels good to be alive! This month Helen and I have been travelling mainly in the USA, both in the Seattle area and then Florida. It has been both hard work and a tonic.
In Seattle I was asked to speak on Ezekiel 47 and as I prepared I felt the Lord speak to me and give me fresh insight on this passage. In essence I felt the Lord point out the fact that the prophet was led back to the EAST gate here in Ezekiel 47. God then spoke to me and said, “Just because you have been led back to a place does NOT mean that you are going BACKWARDS. In these days I am leading you back to take you through the east gate of the supernatural. This time it will be different. You are walking through into a new, supernatural season.” We read in Ez 47v1-2 a detailed description of how the prophet was led and how it was a time of encounter and advancement – not a backwards step at all. I really feel that God wants some of you to know that He has been leading you with precision, even if you find yourself back in an old space or position and it feels strange – even a backwards step. God is in this season with you. I have in fact preached this message for our FRESH BREAD message for the month for April so do listen to it on YouTube or Facebook when it goes live on Sunday 2 April and enjoy. I pray that God will encourage you to be led back to the gate of the supernatural and the gates in the places of influence.
So where have we been ministering? March started in the UK. I had the joy of doing a Sisterhood conversation with my daughter, Nicola, where they discussed the gift of faith, miracles and healing. It was a wonderful time of reminding ourselves that we are made to be bilingual people, competent in both our natural and spiritual languages. We were born for miracles! Before we left for the States on the 8th March, Gordon, Helen and I also travelled to the Isle of Wight for a leaders’ day. We had a precious time with 30 leaders from across the island, praying for each other, sharing the word and then a great lunch! On Sunday 4th, Gordon, Mum and I went to Aylesbury and I had the honour of speaking at AVCC and really sensed their hunger and faith for a move of God. As usual there were many phone calls, connections and times with leaders and friends too as we stand together during health challenges with cancer and other issues. Gordon and I have found ourselves being a mum and dad to many in these days when people need support and prayer during tough times. This takes time but the rewards are amazing – we love watching the faces filled with hope and the lives recharged with strength. Just before we finally jumped on the plane for the US we had one more WONDERFUL TASK. We were able to help Duncan and Cathie, my brother and his new wife, move into their new home. It was such a joy to see the provision of God for them. It is a beautiful home with a wonderful sense of room and I know they will make it look fabulous! So after a busy few days we boarded our flight ready to sleep!
Helen and I landed in the USA on the 8th March in Seattle. We were here for the Activate women’s conference. At the same time Gordon left the UK for Meribel to go skiing. Although it does sound like a time of pure fun and holiday on the slopes, Gordon assures me it is WORK! He has joined a team of young evangelists on the ski slopes who are part of an organisation called ALTITUDE. They run a discipleship school and work as SKI ANGELS, helping people when they get too drunk or in danger to make it safely off the mountains! They are helping and witnessing to people on the slopes about Jesus. They had 38 people come to their chalet for dinner one evening as they shared and talked about the Jesus life. Everyone in Meribel seems to know about these people who ski to help them keep safe and show the kindness of Jesus. Helen and I were far less adventurous speaking at our women’s conference. However, the presence of God was so strong that when Helen shared a sense that God wanted to anoint people with His Spirit to impact their communities and then went to collect the anointing oil from the pastor’s wife, the fire of God fell on the pastor’s wife and she could not move! On the Wednesday Warriors’ morning we had a wonderful connection with many of the intercessors and prophetic people in the area. It was also a joy to welcome two babies to the group, both 4 weeks old, who had finally been born as an answer to many prayers. More miracle babies!!
As we write this newsletter we are in Florida. God spoke to us when we founded the non-profit HEARTCRY FOR CHANGE USA and asked us to take time to just pray for America. Usually we take these days in Washington DC and pray for the government. But this time God spoke to us to come to Florida and find the Florida Keys! He spoke to us that He has new keys for America in these days. We felt we needed to come to Orlando and stir the evangelistic seeds and ask God for a new wave of signs, wonders and miracles. On our arrival in Florida, the new film Jesus Revolution was being advertised, so we went to see it. As we watched this dramatization of the history of the Jesus People movement in the 1970’s and listened to the narrative, a deep cry rose in me – please God, do it again. Move upon this next generation of youth with your incredible power and love and rescue them from drugs, sex and gender confusion. The film was like watching the fulfilment of our hunger for today. Thank you for standing and praying in agreement with us. We so need God to come and invade our communities with His power once again.
So what about April and the month ahead? Helen and I are delighted to be returning to the Balkans to serve the churches in Croatia and Slovenia. It will also be a joy to be back with the team who host the Daughters of the King conference which will be held in Bosnia this time. This is a remarkable gathering, birthed out of a desire to see reconciliation in the troubled Balkan region and now it gathers hundreds of women from the region. Please join us in praying that there will be deep worship and ministry times.
Here is an overview of the schedule for April:
Ministry Dates April 2023
2 Fresh Bread message for April, Heartcry social media platforms (Rachel)
2 Living Waters Foursquare Church, Northolt, UK (Rachel)
5 All Nations Church women’s evening, Reading, UK (Rachel & Helen)
14-17 Zagreb, Croatia (Rachel & Helen)
17-20 Slovenia (Rachel & Helen)
21-23 Daughters of the King conference, Bosnia (Rachel & Helen)
28-29 Ministry weekend, County Mayo, Ireland (Rachel & Gordon)
30 Discovery Church, Galway, Ireland (Rachel & Gordon)
Please also remember to visit our website and watch our Moldova/Ukraine pages. We have had some wonderful news and photos from Charlotte and Johannes these last weeks. They are doing an amazing job! Thank you so much for all your love and support. Please do listen to the FRESH BREAD word and I trust that Jesus will bless you.
Every blessing and all our love,
Rachel & Gordon and Helen and our Heartcry family.