News for end of February 2002

Dear friends,

Greetings from Birmingham.

Exciting things are in prospect for Dereham Road Baptist Church, I discovered on spending 9 days with them in Norwich this month. A new full time youth leader is currently finding his feet and looking to be providing a boost for the work amongst younger people in the church. The church fills to the brim in both morning and evening services on Sundays. God worked powerfully recently amongst those who gathered for their annual church houseparty. I was very warmly welcomed by my host family the Morgan's and by many new and old friends in the church!

I was especially encouraged by peoples' openness and readiness to be touched by God and through his word. I was nervous when asked to share something of my own walk with God. There are parts of which I am not proud. But I was glad when my admitting to my weaknesses and failings while speaking of God's faithfulness as I trusted him, proved an encouragement to others! I was even privileged to be the inaugural speaker at a new service for youth to be held monthly after the main evening service! It was good to have had folks from Andover come and join me in Norwich on my last weekend there, and I am glad for the opportunity afforded me to share about mission in Africa with some students in my old university.

Here at Birmingham I have now been interviewed for further studies and submitted my application so I wait to hear the outcome. This may take a month or more.

A two day visit to Stratford Upon Avon enabled me to catch up with a few friends there and at the Paynton Road Baptist Church. I even had the chance to climb the Malvern Hills and thus got a fantastic dramatic view of God's creation.

Jim