Fall is here, the heating is on and October is fading….and Christmas is now accelerating towards us – fast!! October has to be one of my favourite months as we watch the trees paint the skies in reds, oranges and yellows and the leaves fall, leaving pathways of crunchy gold everywhere. October is also HARVEST month – when the Canadians celebrate their Thanksgiving and many churches in the UK pause to give thanks for the harvest and the bounty of God. This month we also took a harvest offering here at Heartcry for the ongoing work into the nations, supporting Moldova and the winter project plus our partnerships into the Middle East and so many friends around the world who sacrifice and serve to help the vulnerable, poor and discouraged. THANK YOU so much everyone who gave into this offering online or at one of the gatherings we have had this month. Your love and generosity is so kind and appreciated in these uncertain financial days.
This year we had the privilege and joy of celebrating Canadian Thanksgiving with some wonderful friends here in Oxford. We usually celebrate USA Thanksgiving in November every year together – and must have done this for 15 years. However, unfortunately this year we are away for the US Thanksgiving Thursday, so we decided to choose an October day for a special family meal together instead. The first date we chose got cancelled as Nikki, mum of the house and host, got flu. So we moved the date, gathered to celebrate and give thanks and then, quite by chance, discovered it was actually Canadian Thanksgiving Monday! This blessed my mummy heart so much. We will give thanks – for God is so good!
I have another reason for gratitude this month too! On October 27th 1984, 40 years ago, I woke up from a deep coma in Zimbabwe after a terrible road traffic accident that nearly killed me. This year this date falls on a Sunday, so it’s my joy to speak in church at Hillsong Oxford and declare and celebrate the goodness of God. The scripture that my Dad decreed over me 40 years ago was this: “I will not die; instead, I will live to tell what the Lord has done. The Lord has punished me severely, but he did not let me die. Open for me the gates where the righteous enter, and I will go in and thank the Lord. These gates lead to the presence of the Lord, and the godly enter there. I thank you for answering my prayer and giving me victory!” Psalm 118:17-21 So October is my resurrection month and I have carried a profound sense of gratitude and privilege that God touched my life and gave me a second chance at LIFE! I have also had a sense of call to the responsibility that God wants us to STAND UP and SPEAK OUT. This is a speaking time, when we should tell the good deeds of God and, in doing so, shift the atmosphere of negativity that echoes all around us in our everyday culture.
Over this last month Helen and I have travelled miles, speaking in Scotland, Wales and England! We started the month in Scotland, just outside Glasgow, ministering to women at their retreat and then speaking at the Sunday service in the Easterhouse area. I was asked to speak on the masterpiece of God and as I studied and unpacked these sessions there was such a sense of empowering, deliverance and freedom as people embraced the true word of God about their identity, purpose and value. Unfortunately the sessions were not recorded and the women so wanted to listen again that I came home and recorded the two sessions on identity again in Oxford. These sessions are now available on our YouTube and Facebook sites as a bonus to our usual Fresh Bread talks. Do listen and share them if they are helpful for you.
The following week Gordon and I travelled to Wales. It was a delight to be in Brecon and see how Rob Jones has transitioned to take the church from his father. In the congregation were several Nepalese Gurkhas from the regiment close by. It was a joy to chat to them about my days in India and Jesus. My heart was even happier when two of them responded to the call to follow Jesus later in the service after I preached.
Helen and I also spent four days in Liverpool and Merseyside with the leaders there. What an amazing few days we had. Again just to be in the presence of God with like-minded people is so life-giving. Then to worship freely, preach and prophesy with hungry leaders and people is a delight. It was good to see the churches partnering together after the sad events in Southport. We were able to pray with those on the frontline of this incident – those in the police, community space and church. God is using the church to bring peace and compassion into the pain.
As we write we are about to host our fourth Roundhouse gathering for leaders from across different spheres of church, business, community, missions and the prayer & prophetic networks. All of those attending are people we have personally done long-term journeys with over many years so the relational depth and trust is such a gift and means we can partner together in this season at a more profound level. This is a season to connect and empower one another in order that, together, we may bring transformation into our spheres of influence. We will be exploring what living life with one another could look like in this season and how we can model the New Testament mandate of “one anothering”.
November will see us mainly in the UK apart from the last weekend when Gordon and I travel to Bergen, Norway. Here is an overview of our ministry schedule with links to the various church websites so that you can join us for any of the public meetings if you live nearby.
Ministry Dates November 2024
1-3 Nov Rediscover Church, Exeter, UK (Rachel & Helen)
9-10 Nov Reviving The Call – Betel National Conference, Birmingham, UK (R&G&H)
10 Nov Epping Forest Community Church, UK (Helen)
17 Nov Elim Life Church, Hoddesdon, UK (Helen)
24 Nov Liberty Church, Rotherham, UK (Rachel)
24 Nov Fleet Baptist Church, UK (Helen)
28 Nov – 2 Dec Jesusfellesskapet, Bergen, Norway (Rachel & Gordon)
Finally, another great time of celebration in this month of October was my Mum’s 90th birthday. My Mum was a pioneer missionary in India, moved to the USA and served there for 30 years, and is now back in the UK and still praying for revival. We were able to gather 50 people, both family and friends, to celebrate her life. A special day of honour and fun! She has recovered well from her surgery and is always filled with joy and has a story to tell.
Thank you once again for all your love, support and care over this year. We love to receive your emails with stories of healing, hope and joy. Please do remember Gordon’s new book is available on Amazon and he has just recorded the audio book too – so please watch the Facebook page for details of the release date.
Have a wonderful November and may God really bless you!
Our love from the Heartcry team here,
Rachel, Gordon and Helen.