It’s hard to believe that the first quarter of my trip is now over. It feels like only yesterday that I started this adventure. One thing I will do differently on my next trip is to visit less countries and spend more time in each one – at times on this trip I have felt that I have been doing more travelling than ministry. For this time it was necessary, as there are so many of our pastors that I have not met before, and it has been a delight to meet them and get to know them a little, but next time I want to spend more time with each one. (That is assuming, of course, that I am still around for a “next time.”)
It has been a great joy to see the enthusiasm with which each of the congregations where I have ministered have received the word, and also the warmth with which they have received me personally. In every place I have felt very much loved and accepted by the people (though not always by the spiritual forces over the area – there have been some pretty heavy spiritual attacks going on in the background much of the time.)
One thing that has created great interest everywhere I have gone is my age. At first it bothered me – I felt a bit like a circus exhibition: “See the old lady who is still ministering!” But the Lord reassured me that I am simply providing an inspiration, so now I include in my introduction, “for those who are curious, I am 73 years old.”
Actually God reminded me of something a couple of days ago. The first sermon I ever preached was on 10th June 1975, at Bethel nursing home in Ashfield, Sydney, and my message was on Psalm 92. Verse 14 of that Psalm says of the righteous, “they will still bear fruit in old age.” I had no idea how prophetic I was being.
This morning I ministered at Ebenezer Assembly of God Church, which is just around the corner from Adams’ home and is led by Pastor Steve Churu. Steve has been affiliated with the Apostolic Network for some years now, and I have ministered at his church a couple of times before. There was a very heavy anointing and I had prophetic words for a couple of people, including Steve. As usual I ended up praying for almost everyone in the meeting. Best of all, Steve called a second prayer line for those who feel a call to ministry, and I was able to pray for and release an anointing upon around fifteen people who sense the call of God on their lives. What a privilege!
