END OF MAY 2019

Dear Friends,

My latest novel is now available here.

“Coming home, there was a nasty accident on the road,” said one of my children a few days ago. It turned out that a bus hit a motorcyclist head-on. The bus left the road. The motorcyclist was killed outright. The bus-driver ran for protection from police so as not to get mugged. A number of passengers had valuables stolen. A few days later - it transpires the motorcyclist had left a suicide note. Hence he rode the wrong way up the road into the bus. He had just won a court case giving him access to some disputed land, only to be cursed by his neighbours who told him he would never benefit from it.

- The same week a local doctor pulled me aside to show me a picture. It was of the neck of an African man, with a deep gash in it. It transpired the man had been at a funeral the night before. He had been attacked by someone wielding a machete. He barely survived.

- A week or two earlier, we buried a young man of just over 30 who had hung himself.

- In church yesterday, we were told that many people are living deeply unhappy lives in their homes and families.

- Not long ago, a long term friend of mine hung himself in his house. A year or two earlier, a good friend had his head dismembered by a relative as he cycled back to work from home . . .

What I am trying to say, is that we have a lot of murders and a lot of suicides happening in my home community. At the same time, the church is strong. As to ‘why’? Of course, one can make many guesses. Faith in Christ is so vital . . .

A day in the life of . . . I rejoice at the community involvement that I am able to have around my home. So a few days ago . . . I started off visiting a very discouraged young wife, whose baby had been still-born a couple of weeks ago. I left her with an reassuring scripture. From there, I helped out for a while weeding the garden of a lady who was still weak after recently being involved in a car accident. From that garden, I visited a retired bishop friend of mine who is still recovering from a time in hospital. Then I found a pastor friend. We talked at length about a means of getting some of his young people to bible school, before I joined him in making a visit to a sick church member . . . Give thanks.

Please do pray for our December conference. I am involved in conference-calls doing the planning every month or two. The conference is being organised by All Nations Christian College in UK, together with the Alliance for Vulnerable Mission. It will be from 8th to 11th December, at All Nations College in Herts. Welcome.

Give thanks for messages I occasionally get from missionaries, particularly in different parts of Africa, thanking me for my writing. This is always encouraging!

Welcome to these celebrations giving thanks for 31 years of missionary service.

1. Andover Baptist Church, 2nd November 2019.

2. Norwich Central Baptist Church, 30th November 2019.

Yours,

Jim