iBelieve October 2012 Taster by New Life Publishing Co

YOUR BRILLIANT NEW MAGAZINE CREATED WITH YOU IN MIND OCOTBER 2012 • Issue 9 • £2.90

iBelie e THE CHRISTIAN LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

MONEY

Top advice to help you save

FOOD

Steak & ale pie Spicy butternut squash soup

DAVID SUCHET

“I believe”

How to see London without breaking the bank

Charity appeal

Stunning looks for (a lot) less

y(7HC0E9*MKMKKO( +=!"

AMERICAN FOOTBALL STAR WHO PRAYS ON THE PITCH

Contents

iBelieve October 2012

INTERVIEWS

54 Aston Villa striker Darren

We talk faith with David Suchet, the man behind the moustache

Bent reveals how he always takes his Bible with him wherever he goes

The subject of depression is too often taboo in churches, says Unsung Hero Jo Swinney

REAL LIFE

FASHION

Alexander explains how she was blessed despite fighting for her life during the birth of her third child

ordeal Missionary Leonie Webster relives a terrifying ordeal when gunmen threatened her home

Finding Charitable status Alice Milner searches for charity shop designer bargains

28 Former drugs lord Rob Joy

FOOD

12 ON THE COVER

18 Singer songwriter Esther

ON THE COVER ’My goal is to be a good role model’ Tim Tebow, the American Football star who sparked a prayer craze

Looking stunning for less

11 I prayed during gunmen 23 ON THE COVER

found the Lord Jesus Christ when his life hit rock bottom

45 ON THE COVER A classic

steak and ale pie for autumn nights

The man behind Poirot

Autumn gift ideas

The best electric toothbrushes

Great recipes for the season

Star’s a real role model

iBelieve

FOOD

58 Men’s ministry leader Carl

Souped up! A delicious, heartwarming butternut chilli soup

FEATURES

46 ON THE COVER 47

Great ideas for those putting on an alternative Halloween party

ADVICE

36 ON THE COVER Money

John Kirby, founder of Christians Against Poverty, offers excellent tips on saving

Beech finds it’s no use crying over a lost man bag, so don’t panic!

8 Gifts Great ideas for autumn 10 Gadgets We take a look at the best electric toothbrushes

16 My favourite things Come Closer Foundation’s Emma Beaney

30 Rest days Ways to visit

London withour breaking the bank

VIEWS

fall, don’t let the cold affect your heart

Agony aunt Mandy Smith helps you solve your problems

9 Unbroken promise

Jesus is God’s promise that he will never break says the Archbishop of York

17 When the bills came in I

focused on God Popular evangelist Joyce Meyer explores living by faith

32 Why I believe... We

speak to psychologist Vicki Wardman

33 Devotion As temperatures 34

Beyond Reasonable Doubt If there is no God then we’re all slaves

38 iReview Books and CDs 48 Puzzles Two packed pages 52 How to... Train your brain 53 Motoring The new Ford Fiesta

The highlights of the Capital

iBelieve Magazine is published by New Life Publishing Co, PO Box 777, Nottingham, NG11 6ZZ. PUBLISHING Tel: 0115 824 0777 Email: info@ibelievemagazine.com www.newlifepublishing.co.uk Editor: Peter Wreford All content is copyright and must not be reproduced without prior written permission from the Editor. All rights reserved Printed by Buxton Press, Palace Road, Buxton, Derbyshire, SK17 6AE. The acceptance of advertising does not indicate editorial endorsement. We welcome your letters and comments regarding any of the issues raised within these pages. Write to the Editor at the above address. Back copies are available while stocks last, at cover price plus £1.00

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from the editor This issue is packed with some great stories to inspire your faith, but I particularly enjoyed the article about David Suchet. Not only is he a remarkably believable actor, but his straightforward, no-nonsense approach to faith is a breath of fresh air. Faith can be a very private and personal thing at times, but when you live your life in the spotlight, you don’t quite have that luxury. Too often, what we say we believe is motivated by exactly who we think might be listening. But that’s not what iBelieve is all about. We don’t think that faith is weird or outdated, and it’s not the private preserve of the ‘superspiritual’ among us. As David Suchet ‘Faith in illustrates perfectly, Christ isn’t faith is about ordinary people going on a outdated, it journey. can inspire In thoroughly and bring examining the claims of Christianity to come out the to his own conclusion, best in us’ the actor most famous for playing Hercule Poirot can stand in full assurance of his faith, knowing that it wasn’t a knee-jerk reaction to an emotional moment. What’s more, we’re not into force-feeding people with some idealistic message either. One of the things that I love about David’s story is that he went out and had a look. Honesty truly is the best policy when it comes to belief and his sincere enquiry formed a solid base for his faith. At iBelieve, we want to encourage everyone to take this kind of approach. We’re here for people who believe and people who want to. That’s why it would be great if you could pass your copy on once you’ve ﬁ nished with it – you never know who you might inspire! As so many of the great stories we carry demonstrate, faith in Christ can inspire and bring out the best in us. In the words of David Suchet, “If religion can do that, then it ain’t so bad!”

Real life

‘My prayer during gunmen ordeal’ With gunmen on her roof and red laser beams shining through her window, missionary Leonie Webster turned to God – with amazing results

missionary worker who was threatened by gunmen in Honduras believes God saved her life. Midwife Leonie Webster and her adopted son Joshua prayed for their lives when armed assassins scaled the roof of her remote mountain home in the middle of the night. With nowhere to hide, Leonie, 39, cried out to God and he answered – with a power cut – which meant the gunmen could no longer see their targets. “It was horrifically scary. I just started to pray then the lights went out. I know it’s a miracle that we’re alive today,” she says. Recalling the night of the attack in June, Leonie adds: “We heard two men in the garden and another on the roof. By this time, Joshua had woken up and was beside me. “Then I saw the red laser beam shining through my bathroom window. I knew it was the viewfinder from a high-calibre weapon. “My heart was pounding in my chest and I kept thinking where I could hide Joshua because it was only a matter of time before they shot me and I was dead.”

With her child beside her, Leonie tried not to show any fear. “The midwife in me kicked in and I stopped panicking. I just prayed for God to help us,” she says. At that moment, the village was hit by one of the many power cuts that plague remote communities in the mountains and the gunmen were plunged into darkness, unable to see inside of the house to find their target. They left shortly afterwards. Leonie adds: “We could hear their footsteps and muttering and then they gave up.” Leonie, of Hull, East Yorkshire, had spent seven years driving through changes in adoption law in Honduras and challenging authorities over conditions in orphanages in the poverty-stricken country. She moved to Latin America and

set up Christian charity Heart 4 Honduras, supported by New Life Church in Hull, in 2005 after working as a medical intern at an orphanage in the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa. She met Joshua when he arrived at the Hope Centre orphanage. Joshua, then just 20 months old, had been found in his cot and was close to death after enduring three days without food or water. Leonie took care of him, nursing him back to health, and spent thousands of pounds to bring him to Britain for treatment for gross malnutrition. Returning to South America, she continued her work with women in remote, impoverished villages, using her midwifery skills to improve sexual health and birth control. Following the ordeal, she has moved back to Britain but is planning to relocate to America later this year. iBelieve

Interview

ABOVE: Esther Alexander’s latest album, The Long Way Home. RIGHT: Esther with her children, Eythan and Charis

‘I almost died, but God was with me’ Severe complications during the birth of her third child was an opportunity to experience the grace of God, says singer/songwriter Esther Alexander. Rin Simpson found out more

sther Alexander has never been afraid of hard work. The singer recorded an album when her eldest son, Eythan, was just a baby, and still performed regularly after her second child, Charis, was born. But perhaps it’s understandable that she’s taking time out after baby number 18

iBelieve

three, Mimi, born in February this year. After all, the experience very nearly killed her. Having given birth at home in London, the 35-year-old developed a rare condition where her uterus inverted, causing massive blood loss. As the ambulance made its way from the hospital, she was kept alive for an hour on a saline drip

and believes it’s a miracle she survived. “I just feel like God stepped in and brought incredible medical people around me,” she says. “I had three midwives at the house with me, which is very unusual, and every one of them just so happened to be very gifted in the things I was coping with. It was extraordinary.

Ch fas arit hio y sh ns o pec p ial

Fashion

Can you pick up a designer look on the cheap? We sent fashion writer Alice Milner and photographer Matt Jamie on a bargain hunt to ﬁnd charity shop brilliant buys

Vintage Daywear 60s orange dress (cotton and spandex) – Kal Kaur Rai, £12.50. Retro camera, £10. Straw trilby, £3.

Charitable

status

iBelieve

Fashion

much cheaper than their original whopping £255 price tag. The charity shop had a spectacular array of leather goods which I certainly benefited from. I zoomed straight in on a pair of Christian Louboutin patent black heels with their signature red sole which were on sale for £120 (originally £375). OK, they were pricey but I simply couldn’t resist them! For a work outfit, I teamed these killer heels up with an emerald green skirt (M&S, £14) and cream blouse (Nina Bon Bina, £8) to give the look an extra kick. I later added a leather jacket (M&S, £18). When we took some snaps on Marylebone High Street my charity outfit was catching the eyes of passers by. One in particular even asked for a hug! Forever changed I have to say that my experience in Cancer Research has genuinely reformed the way I now do clothes shopping! It takes a little effort to sift through the clothes, but you can come away with some really unique designer pieces which you wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford. As far as I can tell charity shopping seems to be the best way to go – you support a good cause and dress well without costing the earth. It’s environmentally friendly and provides jobs and volunteering opportunities. But here’s the warning – charity shopping is catching. I took my family to a charity shop in Kent and couldn’t leave until we all found a garment we were chuffed with, including a Jaeger mohair jumper for a mere £4. As my sister said, “It’s worth the dig!” Choose your charity shop wisely and you’ll come away with gold. 26

iBelieve

Wedding Outfit String of pearls – £2. Coral pink dress – ‘Koton’, £18. Cream leather heels – Topshop, £10. Coach cream leather handbag, £60 (£255 new).

CUT OUT AND KEEP RECIPE PAGES

Food



Ale and hearty Classic steak and ale pie 1kg braising steak • 2 garlic cloves, crushed • 1-2 onions, roughly chopped • 2 carrots, roughly chopped • 500ml strong ale • 4 beef stock cubes • 1 vegetable stock cube • 1/2 tsp chilli powder • 50g fresh thyme • 1 egg, beaten lightly • 300g ready to roll puff pastry Turn up the heat on a large frying pan and put a little oil in the pan to get warmed up. Add the braising steak, having stripped it of any fatty bits and diced it. Allow the steak to sear on all sides and cook until there is no pink left. By the time

the steak is all seared and browned, there should be a good amount of juice sizzling away in the pan too. When the steak’s done, pour in half the ale – look for a slightly stronger ale with a more traditional taste for best results – and allow the mixture to simmer for a minute. Add the rest of the ale, along with your thyme and chilli powder. Crumble in all the stock cubes, though you may wish to use less if you’re not a fan of strong gravy, and add your onion and carrot to the mix. Turn the heat down a little, and allow the mixture to simmer for about ten min-

utes. Preheat your oven to 375°C (gas mark four) while it simmers. When it’s settled and softened a little, transfer the mixture to a casserole dish. Put the dish in the oven and leave it to cook for at least an hour and a half. Twenty minutes before you want to serve your pie, take the mixture out of the oven and roll the pastry over the top of the dish. Use the egg to glaze the pastry by beating it and then applying a thin layer to the top of the pastry. Pop the pie back in the oven for another 20 minutes and you’re done! You might like to throw in a few mushrooms, peas or a bit of kidney, depending on how you like your pie too. Enjoy this British classic!

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Motors

Fresha Fiesta F

ABOVE: The interior of the new Fiesta. RIGHT: How it all started, the Mk1 Fiesta

ord has revealed the new version of its best-selling Fiesta that features a sharper design and a host of exclusive technology features. The new Fiesta delivers an advanced package of technologies including a voice-activated in-car connectivity system, Ford SYN, and Active City Stop. It will also be equipped with the acclaimed 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine to deliver expected best-in-class fuel economy. “Fiesta has been one of the world’s best-loved small cars across five decades, and the sporty appeal of the last generation Fiesta inspired real passion among global compact car customers, contributing to its status as the world’s most successful small car,” says Martin Smith, Ford of Europe executive design director. “We had to keep that vital part of Fiesta’s make-up – but we also wanted to give it a more sophisticated look.” The new Fiesta marks the latest chapter in the journey of the popular small car.

Ford launched the first Fiesta in 1976 and has since sold more than 15 million models around the world. The new Fiesta features design cues inspired by the latest Ford global design language and concept vehicles. The Fiesta’s face is dominated by a front grille that looks like it was borrowed from an Aston Martin, bracketed by laser-cut headlamps with daytime running lamps that use LED technology, and features a power-dome bonnet design. The redesigned Fiesta also delivers a harmonious and ergonomically optimised interior. Fiesta follows Ford’s approach of democratising technology – bringing advanced features to a greater number of drivers for the first time – and will be unique among its European competitors in featuring Active City Stop, a system designed to help drivers avoid low speed collisions. Full details of the model range are expected to be released later this year. iBelieve

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OCOTBER 2012 • Issue 9 • £2.90

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MONEY

Top advice to help you save

FOOD

Steak & ale pie Spicy butternut squash soup

Charity appeal

DAVID SUCHET

“I believe”

How to see London without breaking the bank

Stunning looks for (a lot) less

y(7HC0E9*MKMKKO( +=!"

STAR AMERICAN FOOTBALL CH WHO PRAYS ON THE PIT

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