BURNING ISSUES FEB 2014
THE SUPPORTER MAGAZINE OF FLAME INTERNATIONAL
RAPE
Dr Philip Lucas reports from the Democratic Republic of Congo
BROTHER YUN
The Heavenly Man returns to the UK for a short summer tour
ARMENIA
Read about how God’s glory fell like we’ve never seen before
Contents
flame international Flame International is a Christian ministry with a passion to reach out with God’s love to broken and hurting people, particularly those in the poorest countries of the world, and to see nations healed and walking in forgiveness and reconciliation. Through healing conferences, trauma workshops and prayer ministry, we equip and train leaders in the church, the military and in the wider society, to impact their communities. Cover Image: Since fighting broke out in 1998 tens of thousands of people have been raped in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is estimated that there are as many as 200,000 surviving rape victims living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo today. Burning Issues is designed and edited by Gareth Barton at www.spreadcommunications.co.uk Flame International, PO BOX 424, Aldershot, GU11 9ER. Tel: 01252 336509 www.flameinternational.org office@flameinternational.org
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04 Rape, an article by Dr Philip Lucas 08 Brother Yun Tour 2014 10 Photo Feature 11 Prayer Diary 14 Interview 16 Armenia, mission trip report 20 Getting Involved 22 News, Reviews & Dates
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fter ten years of ministry, the team at Flame International are excited by the new things that are emerging. At the same time we are horrified by recent news reports of conflict breaking out in South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo - two countries that we have a huge heart for and in which we have heavily invested. Please join us as we pray for these precious people. In this new look issue we take a look at the impact of rape when it is used as a weapon of war. Dr Philip Lucas travelled with us to the Democratic Republic of Congo last year with the specific task of helping us to understand this awful practice, and to suggest ways that we can adapt our programmes to train pastors caring for their communities and to aid victims. Our last trip to Armenia was one of the most astonishing and significant missions of the past ten years. We praise God for allowing us to see his glory fall in that place. We’re delighted to host another tour with Brother Yun this year alongside our regular summer events and overseas missions - 2014 is already a busy year. BI
Registered Charity Number 1096374
Feb 2014
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Feature
RAPE AN ATTACK ON THE PHYSICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL & SEXUAL LIFE OF THE INDIVIDUAL AND OF THE NATION When invited to minister God’s healing in the ‘rape capital of the world’, we had to look carefully at how our programmes could be adapted to meet this enormous and heart-wrenching need. Dr. Philip Lucas joined a team travelling to the Democratic Republic of Congo and wrote this report in response to what he saw and the people he met.
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the Democratic Republic of Congo beI visited tween 21st April and 4th May 2013 with Flame
International for a week in Goma and then in Bukavu. Flame provided ministry and teaching to pastors in both cities. This report focuses on the Flame ministry to raped women and summarises what work was done with them. Flame are mindful of the new challenges they face when ministering into communities where rape is used as a weapon of war and have asked me to provide advice and recommendations so that they may tailor their programmes to meet this specific need. The ministry team arrived at Goma to teach at the Anglican conference, arranged by the diocese for 40 pastors from Goma and the surrounding area. Most of the pastors were Anglican but a number of different denominations were represented. In addition there were about 20-25 women of whom a number
Rape
had been the victims of abuse. At Goma we made contact with the Heal Africa Hospital. Three counsellors from the hospital, trained to support raped women and their families, attended our conference. One of them talked for 45 minutes to the delegates about the work the counsellors did with raped women and, in particular, talked about the definition of rape, its effects and the challenges the medical staff faced. She also gave practical advice on working with rape victims. The conference presented their teaching for the first three days, before spending two days in workshops, providing prayer ministry and counselling for each individual. The workshops were of great benefit to the delegates as they were taught how to minister to each other. I visited the Heal Africa Hospital and met with the Hospital Director, Dr Joseph Lusi, to discuss the work that his hospital does and the aims of Flame
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International. Dr Lusi heavily stressed the importance of training and supporting the pastors as a key element of implementing lasting change. I was shown around the wards and met some of those women and children who were being treated. Later on, Flame International team member Theresa Doffe and I met and interviewed a woman who had recently been raped and mutilated. This gave us an insight into the challenges and pain caused by rape. The Flame ministry team repeated the conference at Bukavu with a new set of delegates. I was able to take what I had learned from the counsellors at Goma and teach the pastors at Bukavu about the effects of rape on communities, the effect on the individual and the consequences of rape. The Flame team also learned more from the pastors and women about some of the abuses that had occurred, and prayed for those affected. While at Bukavu the Feb 2014
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Feature
team spoke at five churches, including the Anglican Cathedral. This was a good opportunity to spread some of the teaching to the wider communities. While at Bukavu, Jerry Doffe and I visited Panzi Hospital and met some of the hospital staff. This hospital has pioneered some of the surgical work for repairing vesicovaginal fistula - a result of the damage that can be caused by rape. We also visited a local Anglican health centre to see how local health-care is delivered.
training the local pastors who can then pass on to their congregations the importance of supporting those who have been raped. They have also taught the women themselves how to support each other and we have passed on the spiritual perspectives to the Heal Africa counsellors.
The Flame team all worked hard to minister to and encourage all those they met in Goma and Bukavu. In particular they had a heart to reach out to those who were the victims of rape. The team encountered a fair number of these women; both through the conferences and in chance encounters. The Flame programme was focussed on teaching the pastors to be able to minister to their communities. The pastors were also taught about medical referral for those who have been abused and every woman who attended was given a Congolese bible and taught how to minister and pray for each other.
Dr Philip Lucas MBChB RAF GP Registrar
It was also notable that at both Goma and Bukavu, the wives of the church leaders were already heavily involved in the ministry and support of the victims or rape. The wife of Bishop Sylvestre Bahati of the Bukavu Diocese had many women she was helping through the provision of employment, land, micro-finance and mutual support. The team was able to encourage and pray for these ministries. My impression is that ministry directed to the church leaders here, as opposed to a specific ‘rape victims conference’, is appropriate. The teaching of both groups at the same time, with separate prayer and ministry, worked well as a model, particularly in allowing the pastors to gain a greater understanding of the problems these women face.
Meeting with a rape victim This lady lived in a village 100 miles west of Goma, Eastern Congo; her husband joined the rebel M23 resistance and left the village. Her husband returned along with two rebels and raped this woman. They then mutilated her, using a machete, and caused injuries to the crown of her head. They also caused extensive chest injuries, which have been grafted some time ago - possibly bilateral traumatic mastectomy or attempt of, along with stomach injuries, all with the machete. When I saw her, she was able to communicate with us quite clearly through a translator. This lady was probably in her thirties. She had eight children; two had come with her to Goma to care for her, the remaining children stayed in the village and she does not know how they are. It was obvious in her eyes that she was suffering from deep psychological pain. She explained her story with a good deal of anguish. I asked her what sort of message she would want us to give to the outside world about what has happened; she talked about bringing the rebel army to justice to stop this fighting. She needed further medical treatment,
Flame International has been keen to introduce psychological and medical perspectives alongside the emotional and spiritual healing for rape victims and this has been achieved as described above in talking to the counsellors at the Heal Africa Hospital. Flame has been able to focus its efforts on reaching the victims of sexual abuse through BURNING ISSUES
I look forward to seeing Flame’s ministry develop and pray this will contribute to a lasting solution in the region.
Flame International has been keen to introduce psychological and medical perspectives alongside the emotional and spiritual healing for rape victims
Rape
in particular she needed to go to Kampala for more surgery. She had received a message from her village from her husband that if she ever returned, “it would not go well for her�. Meeting with a rape victim, M, a 50 year old lady About five years ago some people came to the village and attacked it, so she fled to the fields to hide from them; she had seven children. M and her daughter hid in two groups with the children. Her daughter was seven months pregnant - she hid with two children. They were discovered by the rebels and the rebels wanted to rape the daughter. She refused to be raped so was killed along with the two children with her and her unborn child. M stayed hidden and subsequently looked after the four other children and also grandchildren from her daughter who was killed. At a later time her husband, who was a nurse, was killed by rebels when he did not give money when asked. At that time M herself was
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raped by three people. She went to hospital after this and was found to be HIV positive. At the hospital she had good support and treatment, everyone was very kind and looked after her and paid for her treatment. Her issues are that her grandchildren cannot afford to go to school as she cannot provide for them, also she is victimised in the street for being HIV positive. She says people call out to her in the street. She now has AIDS. When asked how she feels about men, she says that she cannot hate all men, however it is soldiers she hates and she feels bitter whenever she sees soldiers, although now she has forgiven the soldiers who have raped her. Her big problem is now no money for schooling. BI Flame have two short-term mission trips to DRC planned for 2014. Please contact us if you would like to apply to join us or if you would like to fundraise for the team, give a one-off gift or to pray specifically for this programme. Feb 2014
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Brother Yun
BROTHER YUN RETURNS TO THE UK FOR SEVEN SUMMER NIGHTS Flame International are thrilled to host the Heavenly Man for his only UK visit in 2014
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2014 Tour
ack to Jerusalem and Brother Yun are returning B to the UK and we couldn’t be more excited. Not all the dates are confirmed yet, but we are posting
a list of what we have already. This is going to be a time of fellowship and worship centered around taking not just the Gospel, but the love of Jesus to the darkest places in the world today. Bring your friends, bring your enemies, Brother Yun will be sharing his awesome testimony and the BTJ vision. Every time they have been to the UK great things have happened. Let’s be honest, everywhere they go great things have happened! Souls have been saved, lives have been changed, supernatural healings have taken place. We expect to see our God move in the same powerful way this tour. Come and be a part. Let the Word of God change you forever. We want to see our enemies become our brothers and sisters and Jesus has told us we must bless those who hate us. This tour, that is our theme and that is our focus. Let’s be the church that our Lord and Saviour called us to be!
The Love Your Enemies Tour has ministered across the U.S. and Northern Europe. The team lands in the UK on 9th June Wherever he goes Brother Yun carries a small golden key as a symbol of what God is both capable of and wanting for each one of us. “If God can release me from the solitary confinement of China’s highest security prison,” he declares, “then He can certainly release you from whatever is holding you.” This is the central theme that Brother Yun delivers and it’s an effective message of forgiveness and hope. Back to Jerusalem partners with the church of China to not only evangelise the religiously oppressed areas of Asia, but also to train and send Chinese missionaries into the unreached regions of the globe. Flame International is working in partnership with Back To Jerusalem to facilitate the placing, training and orientation of Chinese missionaries in war-torn South Sudan. BI
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Haringey, London
10 JUNE
Portsmouth
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Tamworth
12 JUNE
***VACANCY***
13 JUNE
***VACANCY***
14 JUNE
Rotheram
15 JUNE
Doncaster
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The Gospel Centre Wightman Road, Haringey, London N8 0LT www.thegospelcentre.co.uk
City Life Church 85 Tangier Road, Baffins, Portsmouth, PO3 6JH www.myclc.org.uk
Details to be confirmed. Please check our website for up to date information. www.flameinternational.org
Please ask your church leadership to contact us if you would like to have Brother Yun visit your church on 12 June.
Please ask your church leadership to contact us if you would like to have Brother Yun visit your church on 12 June.
Hope Church & Liberty Church Grove Rd, Rotherham S60 2ER www.hopechurchrotheram.co.uk
Details to be confirmed. Please check our website for up to date information. www.flameinternational.org
Feb 2014
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Photo Feature
PHOTO FEATURE Flame International photographer wins Restored UK photo prize Gareth Barton remembers the day that he met Sarah. “I was travelling with Flame International to take pictures and collect stories to communicate their work back in the UK. I’d heard about Sarah’s father-in-law, an elderly priest in the Anglican Church of South Sudan, who’d suffered the loss of his wife at the hands of the brutal LRA. He’d attended a Flame International conference and, challenged to lay down his plans for revenge, forgave his wife’s killers, was prayed for and stunningly healed of hurts both inside and out, so he was top of my list to meet. It was while I was listening to him that I noticed Sarah sitting in the clearing of the family huts with her baby boy on her lap. Sarah had been abducted by the LRA along with her mother-in-law and 13 others from her village, and had been selected to be a wife for the rebel group’s captain. “Deep in the Sudanese bush the others were ordered to cut down thick branches with machetes. Then, using the branches that they’d prepared, they were clubbed to death in a mass execution. When Sarah was presented to the LRA captain he discovered that she was already pregnant and rejected her. Strangely, she was sent back to her village by the rebel captain. Sarah ran to her family and raised the alarm. Her father-in-law led a group who found the bodies, including that of his wife along with the club that was used to kill her. Now Sarah lives with the son who saved her life from the womb and the father-in-law who has forgiven the LRA and found peace. Slowly, Sarah is recovering through forgiveness, prayer ministry and the love of her community.” BI Gareth will join us in DRC this year and we look forward to seeing the images he takes.
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Sarah’s Story
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Feb 2014
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Prayer Diary
Prayer Diary February - May 2014
2 Feb: Give thanks for God’s amazing grace and the opportunities to minister his Word. Pray for Jan as she concludes her talks at GEAR this weekend. A Flame team is at St Martin’s, Hull on Saturday. Pray for God’s guidance, good relationships and miracles of healing. 9 Feb: For Archbishop Deng and Bishops of South Sudan as they preach the message of peace; for stability and obedience to God’s will; for peace across the land; for displaced innocents suffering great loss of life and homes.
pray for good connections and relationships to be developed. For the anointing of the Holy Spirit on Jon Liggins as he captures 10 years of growth and missions in a book. 9 Mar: A team departs for DR Congo on 14th. This triple mission is to Bukavu and Goma, and Bujumbura, Burundi. Pray for strength and rest before departure, especially for Jan and Val, and those staying five weeks.
16 Mar: For the Bukavu team in DRC Conference and Workshop. For God to draw the pastors closer to 16 Feb: For Brenda and the team on the Flame himself, bringing healing and release from trauma. For training day in Camberley on 22nd, for good team unity and good health. attendance from which to build mission teams. For 23 Mar: Mark departs for Ezo, South Sudan, with Simon as he prepares for the Trustee meeting. Mission Direct. Pray this trip will go ahead and bear 23 Feb: For Val as she speaks at Widnes Fellowship fruit. The Bukavu team will be in local churches, then today and to the Contact Group, Crewe on 26th. working with victims of sexual violence, followed by The Trustees meet on 28th; pray for wisdom, healthy two days in the Army barracks. Pray God’s love and protection. discussion and unity in decision making. 2 Mar: For Jan as she prepares and speaks at a number 30 Mar: Continue to hold Mark in prayer. One team of weekend engagements, 7-9 Mar in the Exeter area, departs and a new team arrives in Kigali to prepare for BURNING ISSUES
February - May 2014
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the Goma Conference and Workshop, including Nigel partners. Thank God for speaking opportunities and and Gareth to film Flame at work. Pray for safety in his financial provision through generous supporters. travel, strength and an infilling of God’s love. Pray for wisdom for the use of precious resources. 6 Apr: The Goma team will be in local churches, then working with victims of sexual violence, followed by two days in the Army barracks. Pray for God’s will to be done in all the activities. Pray Nigel can capture the right images empowered by the Holy Spirit. 13 Apr: For the DRC team as they return to the UK, and for those who are travelling to Bujumbura, Burundi, to run a three day conferenc, 14-16th. For Bishop Eraste and his clergy as the Flame team share God’s love.
4 May: For our pastors, Ken and Jean; our co-workers, Les, Brenda, Wendy, Natalie, Gareth, Simon, the Regional Reps, and our valued supporters who pray, donate, participate. 11 May: For Jan as she speaks at St Thomas’ Church, Trowbridge. For Armenia; pray for church unity across the denominations; political stability, and for the nation to seek God’s will.
18 May: Pray God’s leading for Flame’s future work. Particularly the work in South Sudan, DR Congo and 20 Apr: He is Risen! Sing Hallelujah to the risen Armenia; also to know God’s will for new areas. Pray Christ. For Nigel and Gareth to be under the anointing for the Armenian Apostolic Church to be in unity with of the Holy Spirit as they prepare film clips and for this their protestant brothers and sisters. media to touch hearts and bear abundant fruit as an offering to God. 25 May: For the Prayer Day in Camberley on 31 May. For preparations for the Training Day, Crewe, on 7 Jun, 27Apr: For Jan as she speaks at Christian China Focus and for the Brother Yun Fundraising Tour. Pray for our today. Pray for safety and good health for our Far East Far East partners and for the work to expand. Feb 2014
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Interview
INTERVIEW: A SHINING LIGHT IN THE MOUNTAINS Shushan Ghazaryan is the daughter of a local church leader and a beacon of hope in her Armenian community Interview and Photograph by Gareth Barton
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Shushan Ghazaryan
GB: Tell me about your plans for your community. SG: I see my generation as doers more than speakers - much has been preached, much has been said, but now it’s time for action. And it’s not just the church activities with its conferences and programmes but also a real focus on our society, to be more active out there - becoming a culture-maker in our time. We’ve got student Alpha in English so that young people who want to practise their language skills can hear about God, and dance groups, all sorts. We have to be evident, not sleeping, so that they will know that it’s the believers that are working to develop the city. We lay down this foundation so that people recognise that not all of what is said about us is true, and it gives us the chance to build good relationships with the community. GB: But why stay here in the mountains when so much is going on for young people in the capital? SG: Of course I’d love to move to the capital - I love the buzz and the activity there. When I grew up here there was nothing for young people - no galleries, no concerts, no culture. But now I want to stop looking to Yerevan for those things and to get them here. As a group of friends, we decided to stop blaming others for this but to get on and do it ourselves. We’re applying for grants to get things started across the city. We’ve got all sorts of plans, from developing parks to careers advice centres and activities for children from the surrounding villages. GB: What do you see when you walk these streets? SG: I see the faces of people who are very sad but also I see their features - they’re so beautiful. I have to remember that - to keep looking at the faces. Sometimes I choose to get out of the car and use public transport instead so that I can get closer to the people and to remind myself that God loves each one so much and is crazy about them. I look at the faces. Like I look at the trees. GB: Oh yes, tell me about your love of trees. SG: Well, as I look out over the grey soviet block high-rises (the majority of which are abandoned and derelict), I get drawn to that small tree down there in its autumn reds. Isn’t it beautiful? I love trees. I love the colour they bring. I always look out for them. I think you choose what you see. And
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when I see them I always thank God for them. Like the faces. There’s real beauty here if you care to look. GB: What has the Flame conference achieved? SG: It’s really done so many things for us. You know, so much of church can become about being inward looking, “Am I good enough? What must I do to become more Holy? Am I different to others?” It’s all about what I should do for myself. But this conference helped us to think, “Hey, it’s time to take your nation into your hands, it’s time for action”. It’s time to stop worrying about how we feel about ourselves, get into the work and let God take care of that along the way. Flame have shown us that there’s a huge work to be done, to cleanse our nation, to heal the people. It’s really pushed us forward. I don’t like Armenia to be associated only with the genocide. It’s a beautiful country with so much going on right now. Everyone who visits always wants to come back again. Hopefully, as the Christians get to work, we will have a different Armenia in the next few years. GB: Will the churches work together to that end? SG: Yes, of course. Although it wasn’t always possible. In the past there’s been a spirit of competition between the churches but that’s been broken and so now we meet regularly and find ways to pray and work together. We saw this week what a touching moment it was to have two pastors holding hands and praying together for the nation - we knew that something was happening in the spiritual realms. And it’s not just the leaders who are changing. So many people are now opening up to tell painful stories that have been suppressed, and they’re finding freedom and relating better with each other. GB: So what’s next? SG: So now we have to get to work. We’re surrounded by refugee neighbours who call themselves atheists because of the Nagorno-Karabakh War. There’s lots to do and we can’t let this be just another conference that people enjoy and let disappear off into the past without seeing a change, because there was a change in the spiritual realm. It wasn’t a game, it wasn’t a show or just an outburst of emotions. We can’t let this go by and not change anything - we have to see the change in the physical realm - in the city. We’re excited. Excited and nervous. Feb 2014
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Mission
ARMENIA - “NEVER HAVE WE SEEN THE GLORY OF GOD FALL AS WE HAVE IN THIS PLACE”
For some time now Flame International has been sending teams to Armenia, curious as to why God seems to be calling us to a nation whose status as ‘post-conflict’ is almost one hundred years old. The team that travelled to this ancient country from across the UK and Norway weren’t entirely prepared for what God was about to do before their very eyes. BURNING ISSUES
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n Flame’s fourth visit to Armenia we were greeted by our friends in Yerevan with the news that there is a cloud of hopelessness over Armenia - there’s no vision, the exodus from the nation is increasing, the population is now under two million and the authorities don’t appear to care. They told us that there have been no fair elections since the fall of communism and, after the last election, there was a protest but an effective opposition leadership has never been formed, leaving the people with no sense of choice. It seems that Russia is attracting workers to go to Siberia by offering them a one-off payment of US$10,000, a job, an instant pension arrangement and housing. It’s no surprise then that many young men have moved to Russia, leaving only those aged over 65 in the countryside. They go with promises to send money home to their families but, more
Armenia
often than not, the money stops as they establish new marriages and families in Russia. Part of the legacy of communism is that the young people have no healthy work ethic or positive role models, and many factories, which once provided work, have now closed down. The land is strewn with empty buildings that have all the signs of being abandoned, of simply being walked away from. Tools lie rusting where they were dropped and machinery sits idol, scarring the land. It was with this briefing that we started our ministry and as a team we had to look to Almighty God for his plans and purposes for this nation. We have experience of the Lord bringing change through hope to an area of hopelessness, so we were in faith! A pastor we met confessed that Armenia should stop looking to other nations for help and start to look to the Lord Jesus Christ. “Why should we depend
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on Europe?” he said. “Or put our hope in Russia? All the time we seek their help we remain indebted, powerless and hopeless.” Prayer is changing this nation and we witnessed God’s presence firstly through the worship being brought wholeheartedly through the Armenians, and through prayer. We experienced the glory of the Lord during the meetings; there was a heaviness of the Holy Spirit which was releasing healing, powerful prayer and an anointing on all that was going on. On our third day of ministry we received a text from the UK with the scripture, Exodus 34: 5-7 & 10: “Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the Lord. And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, ‘The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious Feb 2014
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Mission
God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.’ ...Then the Lord said: ‘I am making a covenant with you. Before all your people I will do wonders never before done in any nation in all the world. The people you live among will see how awesome is the work that I, the Lord, will do for you.’ ” Instantly it was discerned that we needed to break the strongholds over the nation. We asked what these were and the two pastors present identified the ruling spirits over the nation and they confessed them. They forgave the Turks for the genocide in 1914 and the Azeri’s for the war in the NagornoKarabakh Republic. Under a heavy anointing we broke the strongholds on the land! Key intercessors in the church stood up and informed us that the prophecies, scriptures and pictures which our team, and also intercessors from Australia, Norway, Africa and the UK, brought were very similar to those given by the Lord to them in the 1990’s. Their team of intercessors had then met regularly in a cold concrete communist tower block with no heating. Many of them had no footwear and came in the snow to meet and to pray and put their coats on the floor to protect them while they sought the Lord for five or six hours every day. It was obvious to us that the Lord was confirming, and starting to fulfil, many of these prophecies. There was so much duplication and we sensed the hand of God on the nation!
black shroud) and was delivered of grief and shame. The following day she appeared without the shroud and delightedly wearing a coloured scarf given to her by one of the team, and smiling from ear to ear. This was one of the most dramatic transformations of a life that we have seen. Her daughters even testified two days afterwards that they have a new mother!
This was one of the most dramatic transformations of a life that we have seen
It seemed to us that this was a physical representation of the healing that Jesus wanted to bring to the nation, which is still shrouded in grief and pain. What we experienced was not about power but the presence of God - it was not about power but the presence of God! One of the issues in Armenia is that the churches are divided. If anyone reads this and wants to pray for Armenia, may I ask you to pray for unity between the churches, and for the Armenia Apostolic Church to accept the evangelical churches as brothers and sisters in Christ? This is a significant area to the healing of the nation and the battle is on. There were many, many prophecies but one which seemed to be relevant whilst we were there was given by two members of the team:
Many individuals were healed but one lady experienced a restoration beyond even our high expectations! She had been in grieving for 10 years after her husband, daughter and sister all died. Each day she appeared dressed from head to toe in black as a sign of her commitment to mourn for the rest of her life. As we ministered to her she wept bitterly and poured out a grief from the deepest of places. Amazingly, she agreed to remove the veil of death she had “I saw black flags flying in the wind, carried by ridbeen wearing (her head was physically covered in a ers on black horses; it was the army of the enemy BURNING ISSUES
Armenia
galloping. I was in the midst and the army of the Lord on white horses was coming towards the army of the enemy. The armies have met. The battle has just started.” Another prophetic word was that the “Armenians must seek the face of the Lord and the keys to healing the nation were UNITY and OBEDIENCE, held together by the love of Jesus.” This seems to be a very key time in the history of Armenia and we would ask you to pray - because that is what will change the nation. This conference was unique for Flame International. We stopped the teaching and followed the leading of the Holy Spirit. The leaders themselves believed God was at work in a significant way and spent time in spiritual warfare. At the same time many of the attendees were being healed spiritually, emotionally and physically. We had eyesight being restored, bones, backs, stomachs and guts being healed, and lives transformed. We
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believe we saw “more than we could ask or imagine”, Ephesians 3:20. Further repentance at this meeting about healing the land saw us all on our knees and the Armenians taking responsibility for their sin. What a joy to be part of this. We have never seen the glory of God fall as we have in this place! Pray for the pastors to have wisdom and discernment on how to move forward in this nation. Pray for us in Flame International, to know how to move forward with the Armenians and to facilitate a ‘new thing’ in their nation. BI
Flame will be returning to Armenia later in 2014. Please contact us if you would like to apply to join us or if you would like to fundraise for the team, give a one-off gift or to pray specifically for this programme. Feb 2014
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Mission
Join our supporters on Facebook www.facebook.com/ flameinternational
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Invite us to your church where we can run healing or training days. Or perhaps we could speak to your youth, your small groups or your Sunday congregation
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Getting Involved
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ING INVOLVED Join the Flame1000 Club and give regularly to our work
Come with us on one of our shortterm mission trips. Teams needed right now!
There’s never been a better time to get involved with the work of Flame International. We’ve got so much going on this year and there are opportunities galore, whatever your skills, age, location and availability. Check our website for details of mission trips this year. Or simply call us on 01252 336509 or email us at: office@flameinternational.org
Have fun this year on one of our events teams as we share our work with people at New Wine and Momentum Pray.
Missions have changed direction due to the input of our prayer partners, and God’s glory falls
Feb 2014
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News & Reviews
Message from Jan: Why we had to pull out of mission to South Sudan
The UK’s only Christian magazine for men Launched in November 2007, Sorted has been voted the world’s most wholesome men’s magazine. They have a great team of writers, which include Bear Grylls, Rob Parsons, Jeff Lucas, Gerald Coates, J. John, Lee and Baz, Lyndon Bowring and Carl Beech with many others in the pipeline. The magazine looks at success, faith, finance, fitness, passion and purity, motoring, movies, tons of football and other sports, good books, DVDs, addictions, accountability, mentoring and encouraging each other. Sorted is a 100 page A4 glossy bi-monthly, retailing at £4.00 an issue or £24.00 for a year. This month’s issue features articles with Bruce Willis, Andi Peters, Twelve24, Nonso Anozie, Brian Kidd and Chris Lori. BURNING ISSUES
We want to thank the people who have been so supportive to us as we had to postpone our mission to South Sudan planned for 12th -30th January. This was a huge decision for us. We took time over a number of weeks to consider how we should proceed as we watched the conflict, which started on 15th December 2013, grow in South Sudan. We received an email on 6th January from a trusted friend who works in the region and, together with the latest updates from news broadcasters, it was clear that the Lord was saying we should not go. We have a duty of care to our teams that we as an organisation take very seriously, and also to those to whom we are ministering. We often say we are a mission organisation that takes risks but not foolish ones and this was a case in point. The team and the bishops in South Sudan were disappointed of course, but we are grateful that this type of postponement is mercifully rare, and we look forward to taking a team back to the region as soon as it’s safe to do so. Please continue to pray for our friends in South Sudan for peace to prevail. In Jesus’ name Jan Ransom
The team are delighted to welcome Helen Crick, who joins us to lead our work and missions with young people
BI
NEWS, REVIEWS & DATES
Dates
08 FEB
Healing Day: Hull
22 FEB
Training Day: Camberley
14 MAR
Mission: Bukavu, DRC
01 APR
Mission: Goma, DRC
14 APR
Mission: Burundi
20 MAY
Mission: Armenia
31 MAY
Prayer Day: Camberley
23
St. Martin’s Church, Anlaby Road, Hull, East Yorkshire HU4 6DD 9.30am - 4.00pm Please bring a lunch
St. Paul’s Church, Crawley Ridge, Camberley, Surrey GU15 2AD 9.30am - 4.00pm Please bring a lunch
Please contact the office if you would like to join the team, receive prayer updates or to donate towards this mission.
Please contact the office if you would like to join the team, receive prayer updates or to donate towards this mission.
Please contact the office if you would like to join the team, receive prayer updates or to donate towards this mission.
Please contact the office if you would like to join the team, receive prayer updates or to donate towards this mission.
St. Paul’s Church, Crawley Ridge, Camberley, Surrey GU15 2AD 9.30am - 4.00pm Please bring a lunch
Feb 2014
PASSIONATE WORSHIP • LIFE TRANSFORMING PRAYER • IMPACTFUL TEACHING CONFIRMED SPEAKERS INCLUDE Christy Wimber, William P. Young, John & Debby Wright, Ken Costa, Steve & Charlotte Gambill, Arianna Walker, Karl Martin, Robby Dawkins and Danielle Strickland.
ROYAL BATH & WEST SHOWGROUND, SHEPTON MALLET, SOMERSET WEEK 1
WEEK 2
Saturday 26 July – Friday 1 August 2014
Sunday 3 August – Saturday 9 August 2014
See website for further details including prices, children’s groups, teams information and more.