So, once again, here comes Christmas! My kids have their trees all decorated and twinkling beautifully, and I am trying to find my energy to begin the cooking, decoration and wrapping. It seems to have happened so fast this year! But what a precious time of year to reflect on the gift of Jesus, family and life. I have just recorded my Christmas message for December and spoke about our Everlasting Father. You can listen to it on our YouTube and Facebook platforms from Sunday 4 December and I trust that this message blesses you as you consider Jesus this Christmas season.
November has been a busy month of travelling, ministry, family times and lots of connecting with leaders and people. When November started we were still in the USA, completing our 6 weeks’ ministry trip there. We travelled through 13 states and spoke in many churches, connected with friends, joined a prayer team in Washington DC, visited San Antonio and attended the Global Prophetic Summit in Dallas with Cindy Jacobs. In San Antonio I was finally able to visit my father’s grave. It was a warm Texas day, the grass was dry and brown and the earth around the grave was dusty. Somehow it felt so appropriate and reminded me of India and the arid landscapes there. Dad was at home!
It was so good to be back with many friends from round the world in Dallas. There was a renewed desire for connection and relationship after many had experienced some tough years with family health, stress and other challenges. Many meal and prayer times were filled with animated conversations and personal stories from the last season as we connected, hugged, talked and prayed. The prophetic narrative was consistently directing us to be vulnerable and honest with another, challenging us to find new levels of friendship and integrity.
We finally arrived back in the UK after an easy flight ready to celebrate the wedding of Duncan, my brother, and Cathie on Saturday 12th November. It was a wonderful day of joy and fun with profound moments of Jesus and His blessing, especially as they took communion together. It was such a happy day and even in November the weather was great and we were able to have photographs outside! I was so grateful that I did not feel too jet-lagged even though I only arrived back a few days earlier. Gordon conducted the service and it was a very special time. Finally on the Monday morning after the wedding I had a few moments to lie in bed after some very hectic and emotional weeks.
Now back in the UK, Helen and I have been back on the road and busy. We have had Trustees meetings, sorted endless administration and begun to plan our Legacy day for January. We are so excited to be able to inform you that there will definitely be a legacy day on Saturday 21st Jan 2023 in Oxford and Johannes and Charlotte from Moldova will be with us for the day! Please order your tickets online by using the following link https://heartcryforchange.com/product/behold-heartcry-legacy-day-21-january-2023/. We have called the day BEHOLD and believe that God wants to speak to us and give us a new perspective of himself in these days as we resist all distraction and BEHOLD Him. We are also so delighted that Johannes and Charlotte will be with us and able to share first-hand stories of the work they have been doing in Moldova and Ukraine. Please do come and be a part of this day, especially if you have been part of the generous army of supporters that have given towards these projects. We are so excited to share this day with you all.
The end of November saw us ministering at the Wellspring Church in Watford, connecting with leaders in Bath, speaking at Highleigh at the Evangelical Alliance’s staff retreat and finally traveling to Glasgow for the BICP (British Isles Council of Prophets). Generally it has been exciting to note a refreshed hunger for the presence of God, a real sincerity to find God’s plan for the days ahead and a new flexibility in leaders to work and share together. It has been a real joy to travel, share and minister and we look forward to see many of you in the new year. Here is an overview of where we will be speaking:
Ministry Dates For December 2022 & January 2023
4 Dec Fresh Bread message, Heartcry online platforms (Rachel)
5-14 Dec Overseas trip
21 Dec-3 Jan Heartcry office closed for Christmas & New Year
6 Jan North Devon House of Prayer, Barnstaple, UK (Rachel & Gordon)
7-8 Jan Riverside Church, Exeter, UK (Rachel & Gordon)
10-12 Jan South West Youth Ministries, Lee Abbey, Devon, UK (Helen)
14-15 Jan Elim Coventry, UK (Rachel & Helen)
16-18 Jan Heartcry team retreat days (Rachel & Helen)
21 Jan “Behold” Heartcry Legacy day, Oxford, UK
28 Jan Convergence conference hosted by City life Church, Portsmouth, UK (Rachel & Helen)
29 Jan Word of Life Church, Grove Park, London, UK (Rachel & Gordon)
Please do watch out for our Christmas greeting later in the month which we will record as a video for you. We will not be posting Christmas cards this year from the Heartcry office as there seem to be several postal strikes planned and we are not confident you will even receive them! So please watch our video at the end of December and know that we love and appreciate each one of you.
HAPPY CHRISTMAS!!
All our love,
Rachel & Gordon and Helen and our Heartcry family