Hello once again our precious friends,
God has so much more for you in this next season! Be blessed!
It is time for Heartcry news once again, May is here! May is one of my favourite months as nature all around us is so vibrant with life, and the vivid greens and bright colours of tulips, bluebells and other flowers decorate every landscape. What a testimony to the fact that there is abundant life after winter time. So, as we come out of a severe time of lockdown post this covid pandemic here in the UK, I have such a sense that God has a plan of abundant life and blessing for us as we watch His story be written in our nation. As I have looked at creation in this season, I find myself reflecting on Psalm 8:
Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens. 2 Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. 3 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? 5 You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honour. 6 You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet: 7 all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild,8 the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. 9 Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
This month we start our new rhythm for our messages of hope. On Sunday 2nd May I will share in our first TRUMPET CALL Sunday, a message of prophetic perspective with a hope-filled emphasis. For the next months during summer in May, June, July and August we will just release one message a month on the first Sunday of each of these months. Please do listen to this month’s message entitled – “All chains are breakable”. As we come out of this long season of winter, I believe God wants us to see His power and majesty in a new way and be in awe of HIM. Then in September we will begin gathering for times of prayer and encouragement – details of venues and timings will follow as we become clearer about all the restrictions. Helen will also start an online DIG DEEPER series exploring biblical themes – again details to be announced later.
You will notice if you follow our social media – Facebook & Instagram – that we have posted a link to our most recent news from Moldova. These updates are always so encouraging….this time there are so many precious testimonies. Here are just a few highlights to whet your appetite but do click the link below to read more.
This is Maria’s story:
My name is Maria. I am 12 years old. I was born in a small country called Moldova. In my early childhood I would dream of a good family. I have no dad, and asked myself many questions about what my dad might be like. I would look at my fellow school mates and would envy them and their good families. I would often be left in a house of an elderly woman who was practising black magic, and I was scared. I would have terrible nightmares. From an early age, I would witness how grownups would get drunk, do drugs and get into fights. At times I would be locked up in a cold house alone with no food, alone with my cats for days. Once I desperately prayed to God to please give me food. My cat suddenly appeared from an open window with a whole Salami in its mouth. I think this was the hand of God answering my prayer. In the school I was not a good pupil but I went because I had no food at home and I was thankful for the free school lunch.
The elderly woman did not love me and always punished me with a big stick. She told me I was a burden. One winter day she took me down to the police station to give me to an orphanage. I was frightened and fell on my knees begging them to find me a good family.
That evening in February my life changed radically for the better. They brought me to Charlotte’s girls’ home. Here I came to know about God. In my childhood I would be dragged to churches and monasteries. But I hated it. I was scared of the people dressed in black robes. In my new home I was given a family and friends. In the school everything changed. I now like to learn and am doing my homework. I have read the whole children’s bible and I know that God is a loving daddy and there is no one like him. When I grow up I want to be an accountant. I also want to serve God and tell people about him. I am praying for my mummy that her life also will change and if you want to support me in that prayer I will be grateful. I send you blessings.
Here’s a link to the full report from the winter aid project and many more testimonies (https://heartcryforchange.com/project/april-2021-update/). Thank you for partnering with us to transform these precious lives.
This last month I have been busy speaking in America on zoom at several conferences which I should have attended in person. It is always a great honour to share the word with people that I love dearly. However, it is not the same as being there in person and I am so grateful that soon we will be able to gather, worship and be in the room together. This will be such a precious time. Helen has also kept busy with online meetings. One of the highlights for her was a mentoring group for young women who engaged in an hour’s Q&A on all aspects of life and faith…Helen was stretched to the limit and loved every minute!
As I mentioned last month, I have spent a considerable amount of time helping my mother relocate here in the UK from the US, just 3 minutes away from where we live. This has been an intense time of administration and work but Mum is now in her new place and life is slowly feeling more normal for her. This month Nicola, Tim and family arrive from Australia and so we begin the quarantine and relocation process once again. But it will be so wonderful to see them again after nearly 2 years!! What a treat! Gordon is continuing to have hospital tests and investigations into intense nerve pain that has been so difficult for him. This pain affects the use of his hands particularly. Please join us in praying for rapid healing and a solution to this frustrating issue for him. He has just celebrated his 70th birthday and we believe for a decade of health and fullness of life for him.
So what does May look like? Helen and I are both doing quite a few mentoring conversations one on one with leaders by zoom to help support and pray for strategy with them in this season. We also have several ministry and speaking engagements booked. They will again be delivered online and we will add links to meetings on our social media so that you can listen back or join live if you would like. We are also opening up our speaking schedule for provisional in person bookings from September so if you would like to book us, please do email us or fill in an online request via our website https://heartcryforchange.com/calendar/
Here is an outline of the main public events in May:
1 May Bloom Conference, House of the Lord Church, Idaho, USA (Rachel)
2 May Trumpet Call Sunday – Heartcry for Change platforms online (Rachel)
9 May St Andrews Dean Court, Oxford, UK (Helen)
20 May Downland Filling Station, Hampstead Norreys, UK (Helen)
27 May C3 Academy, Cambridge, UK (Helen)
One more adventure that I nearly forgot will also happen this month. As many of you know, for my 60th birthday I got a wonderful black Labrador puppy called Bella. At the same time, I also decided to sponsor a puppy called Coco, who is being trained as a guide dog. Coco has now completed all her initial puppy classes and now it is time to start her intensive training as a Guide Dog. So, this May I will be joining the WALK YOUR SOCKS OFF campaign where I will be coming together with people across the UK, raising money to support those living with sight loss and contribute to training and supplying them with a guide dog. If you would be willing to sponsor me please go to my Just Giving page and donate through this link https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Rachel-Hickson Thank you!!
Thank you so much for your ongoing support and prayer.
Our love and appreciation,
Rachel & Gordon and Helen.