Newsletters

Sound from Silence
(Qday & Bridget Newsletter_December_2011)

6 Joseph said to his brothers, “Listen to this dream I had.” ...  8 "We both had dreams," they answered, "but there is no one to interpret them." Then Joseph said to them, "Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams." (Genesis 37:6,9, 40:8, 14-15)


1. We need to listen in order to speak

Joseph was a favoured son by his father, so he thought he had a right to say anything. He brought his father a bad report about his brothers. Also when he had dreams, he told his brothers, “Listen to my dreams.” Joseph wasn't a listener, so his brothers didn't listen to him although he was speaking. When he was sold, he pleaded with his brothers but they wouldn't listen (42:21-22).

2. Slaves have no right to speak but to listen only
Joseph became a slave in Egypt. Slaves have no right to speak, instead they have to listen carefully to their masters. Joseph had to learn how to listen but not to speak. When he was in prison, Joseph met two officials of the king who had dreams. When Joseph heard of it, he said to them, “Tell me your dreams.” Joseph didn't talk about his dreams any more but was ready to listen to other people's dreams (40:8).

3. Externally silent but internally shouting
After Joseph interpreted the cupbearer's dream, he started speaking to him. He pleaded, “Remember Me, show Me kindness, mention Me to Pharaoh and get Me out of this prison.” (40:14) Joseph was saying that he was innocent and defending himself. If he had been released the day after the cupbearer's release, he would have gone back home and he would have revealed his brothers' plot, then Jacob's family would have been destroyed. So it is good when my will fails. When my will  fails, God's will is fulfilled. It was not men who sent him to Egypt and to  prison, but God(45:8). Joseph had to stay two more years in prison until his voice was dead, until his distrust disappeared, instead he trusted in God totally. When Joseph's voice was completely dead, God released two dreams to Pharaoh and the cupbearer's memory from dementia.

4. Complete Silence Speaks differently from sound
When Joseph was brought out of the prison in order to interpret Pharaoh's dreams, he didn't say anything about his innocence. Rather he was completely silent. He should have asked to go back to Canaan after he interpreted king's dreams. He just obeyed whatever he was told to do by the king. Through the two-more-years-silence training, he forgave and forgot everybody and everything including his own dream (42:9). He trusted and relied on God totally, likewise Jesus who was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth (Isaiah 53:7).

5. As Pharaoh's dreams were fulfilled, Joseph's dreams were fulfilled too
Joseph forgot his dreams completely but he worked hard in order to fulfil Pharaoh's dreams. He could have gone to visit his father in Canaan or have sent people for his father but he didn't, instead he stayed in silence in order to fulfil Pharaoh's dreams. In the end, however, his dream was fulfilled when his brothers visited for food (42:9).

Our journey of faith with the Bible College of Wales sites is not fulfilling my own dream, but the fulfillment of what Rees Howells received from God. This is God’s dream, that we are all working for. As God released his dreams to Joseph and to Pharoah, and the 2 officials in the prison, they seemed all separate dreams. But we now understand God's dream when they all came together.

It took 13 years for Joseph to become a Prime-minister from a shepherd. His voice had to die completely after he was sold at the age of 17. Interestingly I came to the UK in January 1999 and this year is the 13th year. I sense that God is going to end one chapter of my (our) life at the end of this year and he would begin a new chapter. So it is a very significant transitional time for us to listen and to die.

1. Family
Second baby is on the way: Last year September, Bridget heard from God that she was going to get pregnant, so she believed and took a step of faith, giving up an opportunity to visit  New Zealand to see her brother and his wife. Especially she had wanted to visit there for a long time and her mother was going to pay our expenses. As the result of our not going, I went to Israel in January this year and God put in my heart Israel and Rees Howells. However, the fulfillment of her dream, like Joseph’s, did not come straight away. It took another 9 months of disappointment and silence before God released to us a second baby. It was a miracle. Our God is so faithful and wonderful. “God has surely listened and has heard my prayer. Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!” (Pslam 66:19-20) Baby is due on 22nd January. Noah is really looking forward to seeing her or him. (Noah would like to have a baby girl and  a baby boy) 

House moving is uncertain now: Our family were going to move at the end of October but the process is quite slower than we had expected. Also Bridget doesn't want to move around baby due date or soon after baby's birth. If we move in to St. Elli, it may be in March, but we don't know yet.

2. Friends & Household
||| YoungMi has moved from Nations to Frontline Nations since she visited to Egypt with Frontline team and she is called to go to Egypt. So we Nations team released her to follow her calling.
||| Senait came from Eritrea to the UK as an asylum seeker 18 years ago. Now she has got British passport and has moved to Switzerland to join with her husband in October.
||| JiEun is Korean who is working with CMT(Celebration Mobile Team) as a staff. She is staying with us from October. God has been working a lot in her.
||| Temesgan is Eritrean but lived in London and moved down to Wales for training. He has got zeal for God and the gospel. At moment he is staying with us.

3. Ministry
Bridget Resigned: Bridget worked as a missionary in Spain with World Horizons from 1999. Then she returned to the UK in 2005 and worked as full-time staff. She started working as part time after we had Noah and then she gave up working in World Horizons about 18 months later, but never actually left until now. She felt God wanted her to resign her work officially in order to move forward and to prepare for our second baby.

Trip to Israel for the Feast of Tabernacle: It was such a great time for us to experience of God's provision and of meeting some important people for the Kingdom of God. We visited Jerusalem, Jericho, Dead Sea, Nazareth, Galilee and Tel Aviv, and Noah really enjoyed swimming.

Three Days Fasting and Prayer for Israel: I went to this prayer & fasting conference in Northampton. I had just finished for three days fasting with Nations team, so humanly speaking I didn't want to go but I knew I should go. I had amazing time of prayer and worship, and learning and sharing about biblical understanding of Israel and the Middled East. They not only gave me time to share about The FORGE vision but also took a special offering for the vision, £3400.

Morning Devotion Time: God gave me a burden to start again every morning devotion time in Nations. So we have started meeting since I came back from Israel in October. It is so amazing. Hany who is Egyptian and leading to establish an Egyptian missionary movement, which is called Egypt My People (Isaiah 19:25), is joining with us. He brings such a rich understanding of the Bible and prophetic insight. Also Temesgan brings another African's perspective and uncontaminated zeal for God. Meri is Welsh lady who is a gem of this meeting although she brings peculiar challenges. JiEun brings real fresh and pure understanding of the Scriptures and prayers. Steve & Cathy Mooney are a British couple who have got a real servant heart and precious gifts to build up the Body of Christ. Also Nations team members they are part of the new season we are in. 

Men's Breakfast Meeting: This prayer & fellowship meeting started about four years ago with four local fellows at a local cafe. Recently a guy who used to be a drug addict and alcoholic but is changing his life has joined us. Although he is a young Christian, his purity for the gospel, zeal for Christ, and compassion for the lost are amazing. God met him amazing way and he has joined our prayer meeting at 7:30am every Wednesday. Now we meet normally five of us and some times six of us. Our prayers cover from personal and local level to global level.

Open Air worship: I still go to the street in Llanelli every Saturday to worship God and to meet people as long as I am in Llanelli. It's a privilege to bring His presence and power in the street. Sometimes I am encouraged by the people  who wave at me or take photos of me but the greatest encouragement is from the Lord with tears. I want to have more tears than sweat.

Fellowship with local Mums: Something Bridget has wanted to start for a long time now seems to be happening.  She has connected with a couple of local single mums who are believers.  They meet to share and pray and to encourage one another in reaching out to other mums.

The FORGE Vision: God has commissioned us to redeem the land Rees Howells once purchased and made the site of the Bible College of Wales, a place of intercession and training for the mission field, which is now vacant and for sale. The vision we, and many others, have is to open a centre there which functions both as a (24/7) prayer house with intercession for Israel and the nations; and also a training centre to prepare workers both practically and spiritually for the mission field in these last days.

The picture God has given us is of a spiritual forge, where apprentices learn how to handle fire, water and metals and wrestle them into useful weapons, and where the apprentices are themselves forged through the Word of God and the Holy Spirit's fire to become useful tools in His hands.

Although this vision has been in my heart since 2009, it has been sprouted through my trip to Israel in January 2011 and was confirmed at ECI (European Coalition for Israel) summit in Brussels in March. Recently we opened The FORGE bank account with Nationwide (Building Society). If you want to take part in this venture with two fish and five loaves, please let us know. It is too big for us to purchase and to run it, so we are moving step by step by faith.

Shalom & Love

12 Ropewalk Road, Llanelli, Wales, U.K. SA15 2AL
(+44) 01554-755535 (home)
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 07870-653157 (Qday)
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 0786519190 (Bridget)