Greetings From Dumfries Scotland!
Our trip to the UK started on May 19th and we landed in London. We then we picked up at the airport by Lee Collingwood, pastor of Tree of Life Church in Croydon, England. We headed to beautiful Guildford for two nights and enjoyed seeing this lovely city and had the opportunity to have dinner one evening with Lee and then teach at Tree of Life Church in Guildford. Pastors Richard and Jacqueline Waller hosted us. What a lovely fellowship of believers! They loved on us and took such good care of us. Then the afternoon with Richard, Jacqueline and their lovely daughter Erin and off to Croydon Tree of Life Church to teach in the evening. Again we were met by hugs and loads of love. Pastor Lee Collingwood took great care of us.
Amanda Conway (Pastors Benjamin and Amanda Conway oversee the Tree of Life Network) came to pick us up from there and brought us to east London to our hotel there. We were able to get a few days of site seeing with both Amanda and Ben as hosts. Heaps of fellowshipping while talking about God and getting to know the ways of life in London. We rode the Tube (subway), the train, a cable car over the Thames River, a boat on the Thames River, and walked miles. It was a great time of fellowshipping and connection. We were also attended a home group (Living Church Group) hosted by Tree of Life Church in Dagenham. Again a great group of brothers and sisters getting in the Word and worship.
We had one day on our own and we ventured out and did some site seeing and doing public transport on our own. You can sure get around the city of London in so many ways. Chris was very happy when we went to the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich Village. Happy Navy Man he was. 😉
Grace and Faith Conference
Friday the Conway’s picked us up at our hotel and we were off to Telford, England where the Grace and Faith Conference was being hosted by Andrew Wommack Ministries. We connected with many, many friends there. Our classmate Andrew Roxburgh and his wife Sarah attended along with many others we have met at Charis Bible College Colorado, Belfast, Walsall, and Dewsbury. This trip really felt like we were “home”. We couldn’t turn around without seeing someone we knew and that is always a good sign.
We enjoyed the conference and were able to listen from the front row. That was such a treat. We saw many people receive healings and creative miracles. Andrew taught on healing and it really was a move of God.
On Sunday of the conference we were able to be part of the Charis Bible College interest meeting on Sunday afternoon and Scotland was represented. We had eight prospective students come to our table and were able to pray with future students for God’s plan for them. There were at least 150 students there and all the schools are going to be very busy this next school year. We were able to spend time with Allan Bruce, Director of Charis Belfest, Northern Ireland, Directors Dom and Rachel Burns of Charis Dewsbury, England, and Ken and Pat Cheng of Charis Walsall, England as well at different times over the weekend and they were all so welcoming and eager to help us. We were truly blessed throughout by so many people.
On to Dumfries Scotland
This past Monday we finished up at conference and drove back up to Dumfries, Scotland with Andrew and Sarah Roxburgh to stay with Susan and John Donnelly. They were home the Monday night and off to Berlin for three days for Andrew’s meeting there so we had their home for three days on our own. It has been a place of peace and rest for us. We had dinner plans with many people and also went out walking and exploring our new home on our own. Dumfries is not a huge city (it’s called a town here). Population is around 35,000 people. But there are many surrounding villages so the population of the district is about 150,000 folks. Dumfries is only about twenty-five miles from the English border, and the city of Carlisle, which has a population a bit over 100,000, is only about ten miles further south from there.
This weekend Chris will be honored to teach at Glen Aros Church on Sunday morning. And yesterday we met for coffee with Sandy Jamison from Lighthouse Church here in Dumfries. He is a wonderful man and enthusiastic about the Bible college coming to Dumfries. So we are continuing to connect and learn our way around. Praying for God’s location (building) for the future college and also for our own place called home.
In just a couple weeks from now James and Khandu Joseph and their family will be moving to Dumfries from the United States. They came to Charis Bible College Colorado two years ago and James just graduated from the two-year program. They heard from God to move here and prepare for the upcoming bible college. So we are thrilled to have them come before us and scout the land as we call them “the Advance Team”.
We travel back to the states on Monday June 6th to start preparing for the next steps. We’ll post more on that when we are back in the U.S. We sense these next steps are going to happen pretty quickly so we are believing for being here in the fall…hopefully by September 1st if all goes as “planned”. More on that later!
Thank you all for your prayers, support, friendship and love. We know God has gone before through your prayers and for that we are eternally grateful. Scotland…..we are coming very soon!
Blessings,
Lisa & Chris
P.S. You can be a part what God is doing in Scotland by partnering with us financially. You can submit your US tax deductible contribution via our secure partnership form here.
