View from the team (part 3)

Another story from within the team - this time it's Nathan Edward's turn to share a big story from the mission... He's also been twittering updates from the road too!

Day 8 - Fun Day in Herne Bay
"My friend David (who was on team last year) came. At the end of church out doors he asked me to pray for healing for two things. Firstly, his knee had been painful for a long time as he had fallen off a skateboard in a skate bowl... so ouch! Secondly, he had previously broken his thumb in a motorcycle accident and because of residual injury he couldn't cook (which is his job). I prayed with a member of the local church for him and he was healed on both counts instantly. Later we prayed for his step-sister against the spirit of depression. This for me was very important as confronting the enemy and spiritual warfare had been some of my hopes at the beginning of the outreach. I'm sure I will see more."

Nathan (aka @megodbike) has also been sharing some stories on his twitter page - here are some of them:

"A guys leg just grew"
"God moves big time. At least 10 healings in the last 3 days"
"Just about to start family fun day #4. Molesey, Surrey. Praying for even more miracles today. The weather would be one. Storms predicted"
"Amy just realised she had seen this day before in a dream. God is blessing this team."
"A woman with uneven legs had the shorter one grown!"
"#godheals leg spasms, one leg shorter than the other, neck strain, back pain. we saw that and more today."
"Lots of gradual healings yesterday. Might be some follow up stories. Last day today. Blessings on Surbiton"
"Last family fun day about to start. Pray for even more breakthrough. More spirital power"

Amazing stuff - keep it up folks!! Read more!

View from the team (part 2)

More from our intrepid Re:Act blogger, Becky Fox...

Day 5 - Community Action in Wickford
"Some of us headed out towards the travelling community, we went off in our minibuses and spent some time with the people there. We talked to them, did some work litter-picking along the road, and we took the gear so some of us played football with the children, painted their faces, braided their hair, and they all seemed to love it."

"We then headed back to Memorial Park, and prayed, sang, and prayer walked the site, and people got words about people they were going to meet tomorrow, people to look out for, and just words of encouragement. It was all pretty cool."

Day 6 - Fun Day in Wickford
"We woke up and looked outside, and it was raining and the sky looked dark.. But as soon as we got to the family fun day site and began to set up, there was literally a circle of blue sky just above the site, it was amazing! The weather stayed gorgeous all day, right up until we had just about finished packing everything up, at which point the rain came down hard. It was amazing though, just how the weather had kept off right up until then! It just showed us how amazing God really is!"

"People came to the healing tent, and there was one girl who had a problem with her back and couldn't touch her toes, but after being prayed for, she could! She hadn't believed that she could be healed, but when she was, she just burst into tears."

Day 7 - Fun Day in Croydon
"A member of our team, Sharon, her sister came to the fun day and the Church outdoors, and became a Christian that day! That was great news. :)"

Day 8 - Fun Day in Herne Bay
"I had a really bad headache that didn't go away, no matter how much water I drank, and I took painkillers too, but in the last 40 seconds before the end of a track when I was working with the radio, Richie prayed for me. So if there was a bit of dead space after a song, sorry, we were praying! But within ten minutes, my headache was gone, it was great!"

More stories from Becky will appear on her blog and then hopefully on here before too long!! Read more!

View from the team (part 1)

Becky Fox has been blogging from within the Re:Act team this year. So here are a few higlights from her perspective...

The following excerpts are taken from Becky's Re:Act 09 blog - check it out for the full unedited story!

Day 2 - Residential in Harpenden
"The Holy Spirit was working in loads of people tonight. People were being refreshed in the Spirit and totally fired up for God. Some people got filled with the Holy Spirit for the first time, and that was pretty amazing. It was just an amazing session, and it gave us all the stength we need to get through this next week."

Day 3 - Residential in Harpenden
"We saw, in front of us, someone's leg grow, and people being healed, it was amazing. Definitely inspiring, and a lot of the emphasis is on healing, people are really being called towards healing this year, and we're going out to do some of our own Healing On The Streets. It's gonna be awesome!"

"It's like everyone can tell that we're gonna be doing some amazing stuff over the next week, and one of the really cool things was that when we looked at the aerial photographs of each location, people could see the word "Hope" in the trees, in the buildings, the shadows, the letters spelt out in the images, which, yeah, it really gave us hope for this week."

Day 4 - Residential in Harpenden
"This afternoon, a number of us went into Luton town, put out some chairs, put some music on and raised a banner saying "Healing". We fell to our knees in the middle of this busy street, praying and feeling the presence of God, and we attracted rather a lot of attention. When we got up, people were looking over at us, and we wandered around the area. Some people came up to us, talked to us, and asked for healing, for prayer, and some of us went around the area talking to the local people. asking if they had anything they needed healing for. We saw some amazing things in Luton, we saw legs growing, and bruises fading right in front of us, it was awesome! We had some amazing conversations with people, it was just generally pretty great, good preperation for the healing on the famly fun days, as there's gonna be healing stations at each location."

And that's all before they even hit the road...! Read more!

Re:Act is underway

Re:Act 2009 is off and running! Over the past few days the Re:Act team has been encamped at the Oval in Harpenden for the Re:Act training residential and the reports from the site, although coming in in dribs and drabs, have been most encouraging!

So far it has been difficult getting news straight from the team onsite but we've had at least one comment posted on the Urban Saints Facebook page and one of our young people, Becky, is blogging from within!

"It's all about getting right with God, confessing our sins before God.. I thought it was dead good. Loads of prayer, and a few people kinda recomitted their life to God earlier, all in all a good night!"

"REACT! yeahhh, it's going well. we've got great speakers, and we're all doing really good stuff, and God's really working in some of the people here, it's all good stuff. i'm dead psyched up for the family fun days, i can't wait!"

You can follow more of Becky's thoughts at http://takeittothestreets09.blogspot.com

Other comments coming in are from various team members who were at the residential this weekend but they all say how great the team is - very enthusiastic, working together well, really keen to get out on the road and even those that booked on late in the day are all really getting stuck in...

Sounds like it is going to be a great mission. Watch this space (and check out Amplifiradio.com to see and hear more! Read more!

It's Re:Act eve...

It's the evening before this year's Re:Act mission begins and this site is looking a little neglected but never fear, it'll all "be alright on the night" as they say. Here's a quick update on what's happening in 2009 and on the progress of John Brassett for those of you aware of his story too...

We're less than 24 hours from the start of this year's summer mission. Phil, who heads up the Re:Act team, is not very well and so the other team members are rushing around trying to make sure he's not missed too much! The training residential is being hurriedly organised at the YWAM base like last year and we are putting the finishing touches together for Re:Act to have its own radio station for the very first time!

This year we return to the normal level of having one team hitting the streets and for the next eleven days that team will do everything together, eat, sleep, worship, serve, face-paint and all sorts! There's a residential training weekend in Harpenden, followed by a tour around the south of England. A day of social action followed by a family fun day in Wickford in Essex and then family fun days in Croydon, Herne Bay, Molesey and Surbiton! It's going to be an amazing tour and mission and this year, as well as updates on this blog (and hopefully on our Urban Saints Facebook page too) but you'll also be able to listen to a 24-7 live radio broadcast from the team! Wherever they are, you'll be there too - and as one of the team leaders, Peter Andrews, said "I don't know what will be broadcasting when we are sleeping or on the loo..." but I'm sure it will be fascinating to follow them during the mission! If you want to listen in, log on to Amplifiradio.com during the tour.

By the time the start of the residential rolls around, our team will probably be exhausted! But they're all sure to have an amazing time on Re:Act 2009 and even if you're not going to be there yourself in person, you can experience some of that here too!!

UPDATE ON JOHN BRASSETT: For those of you who were involved in Re:Act 08 or have been following this blog, you'll be interested and excited to know that John is still fighting the cancer in his body. He was told that the prospects didn't look good and so we as an Urban Saints and Re:Act team have really doubled our prayer efforts. However, he is currently looking and feeling quite well - his comment when I spent time with him last week was that "other than the fact that they keep telling me I need to take my treatment, you'd hardly know I was ill!" He is currently waiting for his latest round of test results to be returned and we are fully believe for a complete healing and total eradication of the cancer. Please do join with us in prayer and when we have an update, we'll post it up here. Thanks! Read more!

Re:Act 2009 - your journey starts here!

Following on from the success of the 2008 mission, we are pleased to announce that plans for Re:Act 2009 have been released. Want more opportunities to see God working through you into local communities, then step this way...

We had a fantastic time on Re:Act this summer and we are delighted to announce that we will be running at least one Re:Act tour again in 2009. The dates for Re:Act 2009 will be from the 24th July to 3rd August. Details regarding specific locations will be announced early next year.

We were blown away by the amazing things we saw God do through Re:Act this summer and we are believing God for another great 11 days next summer.To book your place on next year’s Re:Act please download the flyer and application form (from the Urban Saints website) and return it to us as soon as possible. Please also feel free to forward this link to your friends and encourage them to book up.

Don't forget, you can also visit the Re:Act website Read more!

OK so what's going on...

Ok, ok, so I haven't written for an age. I seem to recall doing this last year! Its a stage where I just feel I have nothing to say, nothing to share, nothing to interest you - whether that is true or not is not the point! The problem has also partly been caused by problems with Yahoo, but mainly total lethagy on my part
OK so what's been going on, am I dead, have I lost the use of my keyboard or what?

The answer is No I am not dead.....can I go now? !!

No? Oh well, basically little has happened since last I wrote. It took an age for info to travel from the Royal Free Hospital (in Hampstead) to Mount Vernon Hospital (in Hertfordshire). Personally I think I could have walked it there in about a day - but alas it took nearly two weeks for the system to get me there - encouraged by a substantial number of phone calls! - so my view of NHS administration is still at a very low level!

Well, last Tuesday I at last got to see an Oncologist at Mount Vernon. For those that don't know, an Oncologist deals with the use of Chemo therapy or other nuclear medicines (he's the guy who walks out in a neon green suit at the end of each day!). He was just the sort of guy I like. Straight talking, down to earth and very open.

He had limited knowledge of my exact spread of cancer as the file with the scans was still walking around the M25! Anyway from the notes that he did have he was able to at least inform me that apart from having cancer back in the liver and it spreading to my abdomen, it was also around by my spine (!) - that was a little bit of a shock and could have significant relevance as time progresses!

He then checked me out, prodding and poking around. To my amusement he said I was actually a very fit guy (I love you too Doc! - no he I don't think he really meant it that way) but clearly the fact that I am "fit" obviously means I will stand up to the treatment a lot better than some.

To cut a longish meeting down to a minimum, he intends to hit me with Chemo tablets and a slow release injection, once a week for three weeks followed by a gap, two further periods of the same. He will then consider if I can stop the chemo for a while as he does not wish to flood me with the stuff.

Chemo was expected to start this Wednesday but has subsequently been postponed to next week (12th Nov)

Overall, we came out feeling much more positive and I think our view of the future increased in size. To be honest I wasn't seeing past Christmas before. In fact Christmas was an awefully long way away. Now? Who knows.

With this in mind it was interesting to spend time with one of my friends (who works for me on a weekend, but has been studying to be a psycologist). In talking I said that I found it hard not to be able to plan ahead and he nearly bit my head off! Basically I took a heavy hammering from him, but it did do me a lot of good! The overall message was "if you don't feel able to plan, you put your life on hold and basically give in." There is no reason not to plan. All of us will die, some it will be by chance and totally unexpected and yet knowing that doesn't stop people planning. This helped me a great deal and suffice to say I walked away from Steve with a different view (thanks mate!)

In myself I feel far better - one of the other things that came out of the hospital visit was that he gave me increased pain killers in order to stop me waking from my stomach cramps/ pains. This is a very low dose of morphine (which scared the heck out of me, until I realised how small a dose it was!). Anyway, it has allowed me to sleep for periods of at least five hours at a time! Thats been unheard of in about 4 months, so I have at last started to get some energy back and I actually found myself smiling the other day!! I still get tired, but nothing like as much.

Right, thats enough for now. I promise to come back with some more shortly, but thats the bare facts and should keep you going for now.

Stay tuned, stay praying and thanks for all you do,

John Read more!

The natural and the supernatural

Another update from John - this time on what treatment is available to him. Please keep praying and believing in our great God to perform a miracle...

As you are all aware, today was surposed to be a meeting with the Oncologist to discuss the use of Chemotherapy in the fight against my cancer. Well, over the last few days that has been changed and moved to Friday, and then I received a call from my Professor's secretary asking me to go to a clinic with him at 2pm today! So that is what happened.

As Jo was unable to attend my father offered to come, which bearing in mind he found last year very hard, was quite a surprise. Anyway he was brilliant and it was great to have him by my side.

Basically the prof just went through what they had found on the PET scan - really what should have happened last week. He explained that the cancer was not just confined to my liver, but was in the cavity around it and within the abdomen. All these things made it impossible to cut the stuff out and therefore Chemo was the only option.

I asked what the prognosis was and got back what I think my head knew but my heart had not fully registered.....that chemo does not cure the cancer it purely reduces it in size for the time being. Therefore it purely adds time - it will however kill me at some stage. How long that is, will depend on the choice of chemo used and the way the cancer reacts to it. My cancer is apparently a very rare form, so I don't think they can really give any idea.

We discussed where I should have the treatment and I have opted for Mount Vernon hospital as it is more accessible and will allow my dad to get there in the car and support me - he is afterall 87 and London driving is a nightmare even for the best of us. Anyway the hospital is one of the top cancer specialists so I am happy with this. Contact with them will be made tomorrow and an appointment will hopefully come through fairly soon (needless to say the other appointment has been cancelled).

So we now have to wait and see.

It all sounds quite negative but what the Prof has said is what happens in the natural - but we believe in the supernatural, so this can still be cured. God can intervene and that is what I now need you to be praying (not that you haven't already!) and also that it doesn't spread any further.

Family are all ok and seem very strong. I had a rough day on Sunday - just a few blubbers (!) but my heart was greatly warmed when my eldest son, Ben, came in and gave me a big cuddle and told me that I didn't have to be strong all the time!! You know I am so proud of my kids and I thank God so much for my family - they are all such a blessing.

OK thats it, it's bedtime and I'm still working, despite not sleeping well. So thank you for your love and care and watch this space coz I'll be back real soon!

John Read more!

How should we specifically pray for John?

A friend of mine, (Lou Bailey) was praying for John the other night and sensed that as we pray, we need to pray specifically against multiplication of the exising cancer cells.

An enemy increases power by adding to its troops, so we need to pray that no cancer cell would divide any more (which obviously is what leads to tumours and further spreading of disease)...praying that the enemy would advance NO further.... because He couldn't because of the power of prayer. Read more!

"Well... we're not giving in!"

We've had another update from John - this time with those crucial test results and his reaction to them...

Hiya,

A really frustrating afternoon. Basically they couldn't find the scan and therefore couldn't advise as to what the situation. The woman we saw was completely useless - no access to the computer, no knowledge of me, no idea of how to deal with a problem. Well, anyway, we left her with the agreement that she would try and track the scan down and phone us by 7pm this evening.

It was therefore not a surprise to get a call at 7.30 (!!). However in many ways I wish she hadn't!

Apparently the scan showed that I have extensive discease in my liver area, such that it cannot be operated on, and further nodules over my abdomen (peratinium). The only course of action is therefore Chemo.

So, next Tuesday they will have an Oncology meeting and then in the afternoon they will meet with me to advise what they think they can do. This is not good news and is very serious.

Needless to say we gutted. We have told the boys and have had what I am sure will be the first of many communal blubbers!

Right. Well we're not giving in. The battle might have begun but nobody is going to raise a white flag on this - and please that includes you lot. God is amazing. We saw that last year and whilst I also know that we have seen others this year not make it through, I claim the right to see God's healing power and I will fight for as long as it takes.

Please pray for us over the next week, its not going to be easy and I need to be giving strength to all those around me.

Please pray for my parents, sister, Jo and the boys plus all of Jo's family. Hey can we also add in my work colleagues who are really watching all this and really do care.

Thanks,

I'll be back sooner than you can imagine

John Read more!

"Tomorrow is D Day"

Well tomorrow is D day! The day we find out the results of last weeks scan (which incidentally wasn't too bad! - just about 1.5 hours of lying absolutely still.....aaaah!)

The appointment is at 3.30pm at the Royal Free and Jo is coming along to support me. We really could do with being totally covered by prayer as these are tough trips and hearing all that is said can be a little tricky.

Please pray for the lads, they are quietly finding it hard and they know just as much as we do how important tomorrow is going to be so please pray for their strength and for our ability to explain all that the meeting brings.

Please also pray, obviously, that the scan shows not "hot" cells next to the artery.

Well, thats enough for me to cope with and it is late, so good night all and I will try and be back with you tomorrow,

Thanks for all you do,

John Read more!

So what is God saying now?

On June 6th 1944, 130,000 allied troops invaded the coastline of Normandy, France, in what was the largest single day invasion of all time, known as D-Day. It was a bloody battle, and there were many casualties but by the end of that day a bridgehead had been established.
The allied troops had gained a foothold on foreign soil and if they continued to stand their ground and not retreat it would now only be a matter of time before they had won the victory.

Well, in some small way, I believe we have taken ground from the enemy this summer on Re:Act, and a bridgehead has been established. We have seen some amazing answers to prayer, many people becoming Christians, signing up for Alpha, being healed or having a person experience of God. Many of you have experienced God use you in ways you never thought possible.

When we take new ground, we establish a bridgehead. It is not unusual for the enemy to contest the ground we have taken. We need to learn how to stand our ground, (check out Eph 6: 10-18).

For many of you Re:Act sparked a personal breakthrough in your relationship with God. The challenge you now face is are you going to stand your ground and not allow the enemy to rob you of all God has done in you, or are you going to retreat and go back to how things used to be.

In addition to this I believe God may be challenging your generation, (and even more specifically, all of us who experienced Re:Act this summer) to stand our ground and refuse to back down or retreat on the issue of praying for John to be fully healed of cancer.

Are you guys up for this? I would love to hear from you Read more!